CHAPTER 272: 271 ’STILL NOT CONVINCED?’"_1

Simple enough to be nothing more than the daily life of an ordinary person.

Zhou Luchen scrolled through his phone emotionlessly, reviewing her travel itinerary for the past few days.

She had dined with her employers, watched a basketball star play, and—with her height of 170 cm—stood next to the basketball star, smiling like a small deer lost in the forest. She must have been so happy.

Her girlfriends from Beijing were in the group photo too. With company like that, no wonder she had the heart to be out and about for four days.

Zhou Luchen frowned and typed, "Not coming back?"

Shen Jing texted back, "We’re going to Missouri to watch the finals tomorrow, love you.jpg"

Could this be considered a business trip?

Zhou Luchen put away his phone and crossed his hands, massaging his joints before continuing the meeting with the executives.

It was quite unfortunate that the basketball star she was following lost during the finals and didn’t win the championship, not even the runner-up.

Zhou Luchen’s lips unconsciously curled into a slight smile as he typed to comfort her, "It’s okay, he can play again next year."

Shen Jing replied, "He’s retiring. He’s going to be a coach now..."

Shen Jing continued, "He’s only 37! They say he’s old, but he isn’t. It’s because he got injured! And they even call him useless... aggrieved_cry.jpg"

She sent a lot of messages.

She was truly complaining to the wrong person.

Just like the fans online, she felt indignant that her favorite basketball star had missed the championship.

Zhou Luchen did not reply to her messages, busy with the meeting.

It wasn’t until 2 a.m. that she returned to the manor, dressed in a number 6 basketball jersey, a distressed look on her face.

The manor was brightly lit. As soon as she entered, she handed her bag to a servant and sat on the sofa with her knees drawn up to her chest, sobbing. Her long hair fell from her shoulders, shaking along with her trembling shoulders as she cried.

Quite pitiable.

Zhou Luchen had no desire to go downstairs and comfort her as she cried over another man. Wearing pajamas, he leaned on the railing, emotionless, lighting a cigarette and quietly watching her.

The baby blue number 6 jersey she wore, surprisingly, gave her a certain youthful charm, like that of a tall girl.

Zhou Luchen tapped his long index finger to shake off the ash and muttered, "Mourning, huh?"

Only then did Shen Jing raise her head slightly. "Can’t you say something nicer? I’ll never see him play again."

Her eyes were red and moist. Zhou Luchen, feeling somewhat annoyed, said, "Go cry outside."

Shen Jing picked up her phone, put on her shoes, and really walked out of the manor.

His gaze followed her frail and slender back until she disappeared beyond the French-style double doors. Zhou Luchen slowly removed his cigarette and cursed under his breath, "Damn."

So now he was expected to console her because someone else lost a game?

He had given Shen Jing the house because she had business collaborations in the area, making it convenient for her to stay during work trips. A hotel simply couldn’t match the security and safety of a private manor. He had been thinking of her future convenience, yet she had gone and bought the villa merely to be closer to her favorite basketball star.

After only a few seconds, just as Zhou Luchen was about to go downstairs to coax her back, she had already wiped away her tears and returned to the house. She had probably encountered a Haidongqing on its night flight and gotten so scared her face turned deathly pale. "Run a hot bath," she ordered. "I want to shower."

Zhou Luchen said nothing, returned to the bedroom, and, as if by some strange impulse, found himself walking towards the bathtub.

The man leaned against the large bathtub, a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth. He lifted his long finger slightly to adjust the temperature control, then tested the water with his other hand.

In a hoarse voice, he said, "Come in."

A pool full of floating red roses awaited. A completely naked Shen Jing stepped into the pool from behind him, her whole body sinking beneath the roses.

Zhou Luchen sat down lazily in front of the bathtub, his long legs crossed. He stretched his hand into the rose-filled water, accurately grasped the nape of her neck, and pulled her out.

Dripping wet, her sticky hair clung to her neck and chest, a flower petal still caught between her lips, her skin so white that it seemed to glow.

The man’s eyes darkened with a murky haze as he placed his cigarette on the ashtray resting on the luxurious stone table.

While he was momentarily distracted, Shen Jing raised her hand, hooked it around his neck, and pulled him closer, her eyes still red. "...It scared me."

He knew she was talking about the Haidongqing.

Zhou Luchen lifted his finger to remove the rose petal from her lips. "I will release it back to the forest tomorrow."

The beauty in the water murmured, "Achen," her voice incredibly clear and tender, "Would Achen really be willing to part with it?"

Zhou Luchen spoke the blunt truth, "It’s just a hawk."

It was just for amusement. If one were to talk about feelings, he wasn’t entirely without them. The hawk was obedient, and he feared that if released into the wild, it wouldn’t get good food and wouldn’t survive.

Shen Jing couldn’t quite bear the thought. "Let it stay here, and I’ll go to Beverly Manor."

Zhou Luchen brushed the wet hair from her cheek. "Are you worried I would be distressed over a heartless hawk?"

She understood.

Zhou Luchen had always let the Haidongqing roam free. Though it had countless opportunities to leave him and return to nature, it never strayed far. At most, it would soar over the nearby woods and then fly back. That was the Haidongqing’s choice.

After a moment, she pulled herself back from her thoughts and looked up to see Zhou Luchen smirking. "You might want to worry about yourself first, hmm?"

A husky, slow ’hmm?’ spilled from his throat.

Quite the seducer.

Shen Jing really couldn’t figure out how she had annoyed him that evening.

Zhou Luchen finished tying his robe and rose calmly. "I’ll let you off this time. This place is too small; I wouldn’t want you to get hurt."

Quite big, actually. His bathtub was larger than a two-meter-wide bed, and the bathroom was even bigger.

However, Shen Jing had memories of hurting her knees in here, so she quickly submerged herself in the water. "Rogue, always bullying me."

Zhou Luchen paused, his dark brows, black as Huizhou ink, arching with haughty elegance. "You’re still not giving in?"

"I give in."

"I totally give in."

"I especially give in."

Shen Jing repeated three times.

Zhou Luchen methodically untied his robe, his expression emotionless. "Why should you be so distraught over another man, hmm?"

...

「The next day.」

Zhou Luchen actually had someone take the Haidongqing to the outskirts to be released. However, it returned by the same route that night, landing on the angel statue in the manor. Perhaps it didn’t realize it was being abandoned, merely thinking it had gone out to play and returned home on time. Zhou Luchen glanced at it and decided against releasing it again; it was quite well-behaved this time.

Zhou Luchen personally guided Shen Jing on how to feed it meat, but sadly, they didn’t bond well. It was an eagle fiercely loyal to only one master, but at least it would no longer suddenly fly up to Shen Jing and frighten her.

When Zhou Luchen was away, Shen Jing went next door for a stroll and shopped for gifts for Little Jiahe.

She also bought a fountain pen for Zhou Luchen and headed to United Bank with the gifts. Her status as his girlfriend was enough for her to bypass security checks.

This time, the assistant deliberately came over to ask, "Should I go inform the CEO that you’ve arrived?"

"No need." Shen Jing herself pushed open the door to the CEO’s office.

The assistant, looking slightly troubled, tried to stop her. "Could you possibly come back later..."