Chapter 323 - 209: Xiangjun’s Treat

Chapter 323: Chapter 209: Xiangjun’s Treat

"No thanks, President Cha. Spending time with my girlfriend is more important. We can meet up some other time!"

When he was with Zhao Xiangjun, he generally didn’t talk about work. It was a rare chance for him to enjoy a quiet, peaceful life.

More importantly, Zhao Xiangjun didn’t care for such things, and he would never make her wait around, bored.

Watching Chen Xiao and Zhao Xiangjun’s retreating figures, Xu Li asked, "Honey, what are you thinking about?"

"I regret not having dinner with you."

"Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s the thought that counts. I’m not mad at you; I understand!"

Xu Li acted coquettishly, putting on an understanding air. This was one of the things Cha Lan had always liked about her.

"No, you don’t understand..."

’If I’d known Chen Xiao was eating here, I definitely wouldn’t have had dinner before coming over!’

’Getting a meeting with President Chen seemed a bit difficult these days. Just think of all his massive business deals... I’m already swamped managing a company with an annual output in the billions, but President Chen is dealing with tens of billions.’

"Honey, I didn’t realize you two knew each other. A moment ago, I suggested you help Chen Xiao out with some orders, but Xiangjun said he’s so lazy that people hand-deliver orders to him and he sometimes doesn’t even take them!"

’Me, help *him* with orders? I’m the one who relies on him just to get by, and to live as well as I do, at that!’ He didn’t say this out loud; Xu Li wouldn’t have understood anyway.

"Isn’t that the truth? He’s not just lazy; he’s earned the right to be lazy."

Xu Li asked in confusion, "What do you mean? How can someone that lazy do business? How does he make any money?"

"Let’s go. And remember this: from now on, you treat Zhao Xiangjun better than your own mother. Trust me on this, I wouldn’t steer you wrong."

Cha Lan would never tell his young mistress too many of his secrets, but he had to give her the warnings she needed to heed. He couldn’t have her causing trouble that would drag him down too.

He knew just how fiercely protective President Chen was, especially when it came to someone he valued as much as Zhao Xiangjun.

From then on, Xu Li felt that her time at the shop was tinged with the feeling of ’serving a king is as perilous as serving a tiger.’

She nodded in a daze. Although she didn’t understand why, she knew Cha Lan was right about one thing: he would never do anything to hurt her.

’He told me to be nice to Zhao Xiangjun, but it hardly seems like I’ll get the chance. She only comes to the shop once every few days now!’

’Plenty of people at the shop were already sucking up to her. The store manager treated her like a princess. It couldn’t be helped, not since Xu Jia got her promotion.’

’A Retail Manager! Even though she wasn’t in charge of Yi Rui anymore, her opinion carried a lot of weight with the Hanjiang District President, Liu Haoran!’

’With a backer like that, who in the entire shop would dare to be disrespectful to Zhao Xiangjun?’

"Chen Xiao, you know Xu Li’s boyfriend!"

Chen Xiao got in the car and reached over to buckle her seatbelt. Zhao Xiangjun let him do as he pleased. They’d been together for so long, yet Chen Xiao still couldn’t resist using the opportunity to cop a little feel.

"I do. He’s a good friend."

"Hehe, did you notice the gap between you two?"

"What gap?"

"The gap between you and a successful man."

Chen Xiao was baffled. "What gap is that?"

"You’re missing a bald head! They say it’s a sign of brilliance!"

’There she goes, being cheeky again.’ The very same Zhao Xiangjun who seemed so cold and aloof to outsiders would only show this girlish side to Chen Xiao. That was why he indulged her so completely.

’This must be her true nature. The environment she’d grown up in had simply forced her to put up a defensive front.’

’Only with him could she truly be herself.’

Chen Xiao thought quietly to himself as he turned his head to look at her.

The road back to Bihu Twin Seals was a ten-lane, two-way thoroughfare, and the Wisdom Realm R7 handled it like a fish in water, driving quickly and smoothly.

Music began to play in the car: "I once truly believed life would just be like this, a calm heart refusing any more waves..."

"The spring breeze, however beautiful, can’t compare to your smile; those who have never seen you will never understand..."

The sound system was excellent. On a night like this, in a city like this, the music combined with the car’s flickering ambient lights seemed to resonate with their emotions.

"Chen Xiao, wouldn’t it be nice if this road never ended?"

Chen Xiao understood what she meant. "Xiangjun, there might be a thousand different roads in life, but no matter which one you choose, I’ll be there walking it with you."

"Chen Xiao, I was just being sentimental for a moment. You’re so cheesy!"

Chen Xiao chuckled, knowing she got embarrassed easily.

"Xiangjun, have you been home recently?"

"I have. On the days I don’t go to the shop, I usually go back to spend the day with Grandma!"

She brightened up at the mention of her grandmother. Her grandma was now living full-time at Zhao Hui’s place, and the renovations on the house next door were finished. They said it just needed to air out for a bit.

In reality, they had used the best paints with extremely low formaldehyde content; the house was already perfectly safe to move into.

Zhao Hui’s two children were constantly begging to go stay there, but Zhao Hui refused to indulge them.

The house next door was designed like one huge bedroom combined with a giant bathhouse—perfectly tailored to their grandmother’s needs.

"Oh, right, how’s Zhao Liang doing? He’s been at the Yinuo Hanjiang District for a few days. I wonder how he’s handling the logistics department job?"

Zhao Xiangjun shot him a look. "Why ruin the mood by talking about them?"

’Well now, looks like there’s a story here.’

"What happened?"

"The two of them really are a match made in heaven. They both complained about the work being too tiring before even finishing their first day and just went home. Now they spend all day at home, one binging short-form video dramas and the other playing mobile games!"

Chen Xiao smiled faintly. Some people truly were a lost cause.

He pushed them out of his mind, wondering if Zhao Liang would look back on this with regret many years in the future.

But alas, there is no cure for regret. He wondered if, when that day came and Zhao Liang saw that Zhao Hui had become a titan in the Huaxia Business Community, he would remember that they both once had the exact same opportunity.

Opportunities are for those willing to work hard. The world is full of failures simply because too many people want everything without being willing to lift a finger.

"It’s just a shame for Third Uncle Zhao."

Chen Xiao sighed. At least Third Uncle Zhao was now making 13,000 a month at Junxiao Square, which was enough to cover his family’s basic expenses.

"Stop worrying about them," Xiangjun said. "Honestly, you’re always doing this. Everyone makes their own choices. You’re not the savior of the world, you know. Isn’t it exhausting?"

Chen Xiao smiled. Zhao Xiangjun always had the right idea.