Chapter 74: The Past

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: The Past

Early morning.

Sunlight filtered through the white curtains. Su Yunzhou climbed out of bed, stretched, and looked back to see Li Yan still fast asleep. The warm rays cast a golden glow across her face, making her look unimaginably beautiful.

"PHEW."

He let out a deep breath, his thoughts drifting back to last night. After asking him that question, Li Yan had spoken to him at length. Her words, inside and out, all boiled down to one thing: Liu Yiyi must never find out about what had happened between them.

Su Yunzhou was more than happy to agree. At the same time, he felt a secret thrill; it seemed he was about to live the joyful life of having both a wife and a mistress, just like the ancient proverb said.

He quietly got up to use the bathroom. Upon returning, seeing that she was still asleep, he headed downstairs to buy breakfast.

The moment the door clicked shut, Li Yan sighed and opened her eyes.

She thought, "Ugh! Why did I let my emotions take over yesterday? What am I going to do from now on?"

If Su Yunzhou could hear her inner thoughts, he would undoubtedly marvel at the unintentional pun. The question of what to do ’from now on’—or rather, ’after sleeping together’—had no easy answer right now. Li Yan decided to just take things one step at a time.

A short while later.

Su Yunzhou returned from outside. Seeing that she was up, he greeted her with a smile. Li Yan responded—neither overly enthusiastic nor coldly.

After breakfast, they went to have her dressings changed as usual and took the opportunity to ask the attending doctor if she could be discharged. After examining her wounds and carefully inquiring about her condition, the doctor gave the green light. However, he emphasized that she needed to visit her local community hospital daily for dressing changes and to come back for a check-up immediately if she felt any discomfort.

Li Yan looked delighted at the news of her discharge. After spending a little time completing the paperwork, Su Yunzhou drove her toward Liu Yiyi’s place.

Right after they left, Dean Ma immediately called Ye Sen, the chairman of Moriyama Mirai, to report her discharge.

Hanging up the phone, Ye Sen summoned his secretary. "Did you buy the gifts I asked you to prepare last time?"

"Chairman, as instructed, everything has been loaded into the commercial van," the secretary replied respectfully.

"Good!" Ye Sen nodded in satisfaction and waved the secretary away, beginning to ponder the perfect time to make his move.

Meanwhile, on the highway.

Inside the Panamera, both Su Yunzhou and Li Yan fell into a bit of a silence. They had been in such high spirits on the way here; who could have anticipated that so much would happen during a short trip? It perfectly mirrored the famous saying: "Cherish today and cherish the present, for no one knows which will come first—tomorrow or an accident."

From the corner of his eye, Su Yunzhou observed Li Yan in her white T-shirt and shorts. The simple outfit exuded a unique charm on her. The black seatbelt crossing over her white neckline added a touch of seductiveness to her innocent look. Resting her chin on one hand, she stared at the scenery blurring past the window, lost in thought.

As they exited the highway and entered the city limits, the two suddenly spoke in unison.

"Um..."

"I was thinking..."

This little moment of telepathy brought a hint of a smile to both their faces.

"You go first," Su Yunzhou said with a smile.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Li Yan said, "Yeah, just take me straight home. I already told Yiyi I wouldn’t be going over to her place."

"Alright!" Su Yunzhou agreed without asking for a reason. He directly activated the car’s voice assistant. "Tuantuan, navigate to Tongjin Garden."

"Route planned," the AI voice chirped. "Total distance is 9.7 kilometers, estimated time 26 minutes. There is a slight traffic jam, but Tuantuan is ready for takeoff!"

It was exactly noon.

Traffic had picked up significantly upon entering the city.

"By the way," Li Yan asked softly, "what were you going to say earlier?"

"I just wanted to ask if you were hungry. If you are, we can grab a bite to eat before taking our time heading back."

"Are you hungry?" Li Yan asked in return.

"I’m fine," Su Yunzhou replied.

After a moment of thought, Li Yan suggested, "There’s a really good Dive Restaurant near my place. Let’s go eat there!"

"Sounds good!" Su Yunzhou nodded.

Half an hour later.

The Panamera stopped near a Dive Restaurant called Family Meal. The owner swaggered at the intersection, directing parking. Wearing a white tank top, a thick gold chain, and sandals, he looked every bit like one of the Old Rongcheng People.

"Handsome, bring the car a little more this way!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Parking right here is absolutely perfect!"

Under the owner’s guidance, the black Panamera parked in the small clearing right in front of the restaurant. Quite a few cars were already parked there, and a quick glance revealed they were all mid-to-high-end brands. It seemed business was genuinely booming.

"Handsome, how many in your party?" the owner greeted them.

"Just the two of us."

Holding up two fingers, Su Yunzhou walked over to the passenger side and helped Li Yan out of the car. Li Yan initially wanted to refuse and say she could manage on her own, but the moment his hand touched her arm, she changed her mind.

Seeing such a gorgeous, mature woman, the older owner’s cloudy eyes seemed to brighten a little. Noticing the injury on her leg, he enthusiastically recommended that they eat something light, advising her to avoid certain foods so it wouldn’t leave a scar. Taking his advice, they ordered a few mild specialty dishes. The owner even thoughtfully seated them not far from their car.

The appearance of a beautiful woman naturally drew the attention of quite a few people.

A chubby guy wearing glasses stared dumbfounded at this mature beauty, completely mesmerized by her bountiful curves contrasting with her slender frame. His slightly long-haired companion followed his gaze and put on the exact same expression.

"COUGH, COUGH."

Snapping out of their daze, the two exchanged a look and, with perfect telepathy, uttered the exact same name: "Boa Hancock!"

After that, the chubby guy raised his beer glass from the table. "Come on, my good brother. Great minds think alike. Cheers."

CLINK.

Half a glass of beer went down the hatch.

His companion flipped his flowing long hair and looked enviously at the ’Empress,’ letting out a sigh. "I wonder when I’ll ever find my own Hancock."

A sleazy gleam flashed across the chubby guy’s glasses. "Brother, you’ll find her someday. How about we head to Lanting Foot Therapy this afternoon to try our luck?"

The long-haired guy frowned. "This afternoon? Isn’t it a bit early?"

"The earlier we go, the more choices we have, and the better our chances," the chubby guy replied with resounding conviction.

The long-haired guy raised his glass. "Makes sense! Come on, another round!"

Meanwhile, Su Yunzhou surveyed the bustling, lively surroundings.

The environment of a Dive Restaurant like this was exactly as one would expect, but the speed of service and the taste of the food were absolutely beyond reproach. Three dishes and a soup. Every single one was a highly recommended signature dish.

Su Yunzhou had originally intended to eat lightly, but before he knew it, he had polished off two bowls of rice. Li Yan also ate quite a bit; clearly, three days of hospital food had left her craving real flavor. The price lived up to the name Family Meal, coming out to just over a hundred yuan.

After paying the bill, the two got up to leave.

Many diners silently lamented the departure of the feast for the eyes. Their gazes followed them all the way to the Panamera before finally tearing away.

Su Yunzhou helped Li Yan into the passenger seat. The moment she sat down, her stunning curves were on full display. Having only just had his first taste of her charms, Su Yunzhou felt a familiar itch in his heart.

He started the car and drove deeper into the alleys.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination—Tongjin Garden.

Although it was an old residential complex, the layout was sensible, and the courtyard was kept spotlessly clean. Under Li Yan’s direction, Su Yunzhou found a parking spot. Afterward, he supported her as they slowly made their way toward her building.

Li Yan lived on the third floor. Fortunately, the old building had been retrofitted with an elevator; otherwise, the climb would not have been easy.

Apartment 303.

An upside-down ’Fu’ character for good luck hung on the iron door.

Biting her lip, Li Yan said, "I don’t really have guests over, so it’s a bit messy. Please don’t mind it."

"You haven’t been to my place," Su Yunzhou said, making fun of himself. "Now that is a true disaster zone."

Li Yan giggled. She fished her keys out of her shoulder bag, unlocked the door, and walked inside.

Su Yunzhou followed close behind.

Li Yan’s home wasn’t large—a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout. The living room was reasonably tidy, decorated in a vintage style from decades past. A family portrait hung on the wall. However, there were only two people in it: Li Yan and her mother, who shared similar facial features.

On the table sat the golden gourd he had gifted her mother last time.

Looking slightly puzzled, Su Yunzhou asked, "Is your mother... not in Rongcheng?"