章節 20: Long Group

The dawn chorus woke her.

Su Xiang opened her eyes, lifting her head from the table. Her hand felt something soft and smooth, and she realized that her fingers entwined with Su Chen's.

Her eyes gaped.

He was still sleeping; his face was slightly flushed, most likely due to the warm weather and the layers of their clothing. It was not unusual for the two of them to sleep in random places.

When studying, both of them would wake in cafeterias, lounges, cubicles, or sleeping pods. Sometimes, Su Xiang would find Su Chen on the floor, while he found her sleeping upright on a desk chair.

Su Xiang slowly retracted her hand from his, but she was the one who grasped it. She flushed, embarrassed.

Why did she grab him while she was sleeping?

Su Xiang decided to think of it as nothing. She stood up, stretching her body. She heard Su Chen wake up; he appeared to be startled as if he didn't realize that he fell asleep.

He gazed around the room, checking his watch. "I have to go to work!" he said, standing abruptly, darting out of the room.

Su Xiang sighed. She had the day off, but Su Chen was always working. She then went to wash up and ate some breakfast. From the kitchen, she watched as Su Chen quickly descended the stairs, but when he was about to leave, she reached out and held him back.

"What?" he asked her.

Su Xiang chuckled through her smile, reaching up to fix his dishevelled shirt. "You didn't button them properly," she said while hastily arranging them; she had to keep still when she saw his skin beneath his shirt.

She re-arranged his buttons, making her way up when she glanced up at him, and his gaze was deep. She wondered if he was still sleepy. "Get some rest at one of the pods during your break," she said to him. Su Chen nodded.

Su Xiang took out a lunch pack and passed it to him. With his free hand, he lifted an arm, almost as if he was reaching for a hug. But, instead he patted her head. He then turned to leave for work.

Su Xiang watched him enter the car from the threshold of the front door. She waved him good-bye before re-entering the house.

It was strange. Su Xiang didn't understand this unsteady feeling she felt around him.

...

Long Jie finished his morning meetings when he received word that someone had dropped by for a visit. He had to endure meetings that ran from first thing in the morning up until lunch. Long Group was a conglomerate of e-commerce, telecommunications, and technology.

He went straight to his office, straightening his posture, tightening his expression. When he stepped in, he saw a young man with dark auburn hair like his. He turned to face him with a blank expression, and when they saw each other, both of them didn't look happy.

But his cousin broke out into a broad grin, and Long Jie did the same. He then approached him, hugging briefly and patting him on the back.

"Long Jie. It feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Why are you so busy?" asked Yin Hao.

Yin Hao was his cousin from his maternal side, his aunt's eldest son.

Long Jie settled down to sit on his chair, swivelling around. "Certain, unexpected matters have become priorities," he responded.

Yin Hao smirked; his dark-brown eyes narrowed. "I wonder," said Yin Hao. "Has the frigid Long Jie found a woman yet," he asked.

Long Jie didn't respond as he started the computer and began to answer some relevant emails.

Yin Hao's eyes widened. Typically, Long Jie would respond with some snarky comments or remarks about how he won't settle for women that only wanted him for his looks, even though they don't know anything about him.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Long Jie sighed. "I am married, Hao."

At that, Yin Hao nearly fainted. He stood up, bunching his hands through his reddish-brown strands. "No fucking way," he said unbelievingly.

Yin Hao went straight to Long Jie's desk. "What? How? Who?" he asked curiously.

Long Jie knitted his brows. "You're so nosy," he said.

Yin Hao was taken aback. "I won't take offence to that," he began. "But If I recall, you haven't taken any interest to anyone, I was worried. You need successors for Long Group."

Long Jie exhaled, meeting his cousin's expression. "About succession, that's...a discussion to be held with my wife when we consider it..."

Long Jie wasn't sure why it was a difficult topic to speak about. If it came to it, he would perform the act with Song Luli and consider it a duty.

Yin Hao ran a hand across his face. "You haven't consummated, have you?"

"I won't force her," snapped Long Jie.

Yin Hao furrowed his brows. "I didn't say to force her. I meant that you should persuade her," he used his hands to emphasize his meaning. "Some women like to be fancied, courted. Let me guess, and she's not into you; that why you're married to her."

Long Jie kept silent, but Yin Hao knew he wasn't wrong. Yin Hao felt that his cousin was too chilling, cold-hearted, and cynical. He wondered why Long Jie feared to date anyone. It didn't matter now; he had to play matchmaker if need be.

"My mother misses you," Yin Hao said to him.

Long Jie smiled. "Tell her that when I visit, I will play a duet with her."

Yin Hao smiled back. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Bring your wife, too. I won't tell my mother. She will be surprised but happy for you."

"I know," Long Jie responded.

Long Jie's parents would often travel due to his mother's career in Fashion Design. She made many trips, and his father would go with her, taking Long Jie along with them. It was exhilarating but often lonely.

He would never stay at the same place for long. But every summer, his parents would leave him at the Yin house with his aunt Teegan and her children. He couldn't deny that he, indeed, enjoyed his stay and looked forward to his summers, because it was a constant.

It was only until a few years ago that his parents settled. Since then, he worked with his father, adjusting to his position in Long Group. But even though he moved around, Long Jie was able to network. He picked up multiple languages, learned other people's cultures, and he planned to expand Long Group further.

Yin Hao stood up and strode towards the door. "I just came to a stop by to see how you're doing. I can't wait to meet your wife when you two visit."

Long Jie chuckled. "Perhaps I should invite Teegan over so that I can avoid you," he said.

"You certainly are a wife-doter," said Yin Hao, and at that, Long Jie threw a pen at him, as Yin Hao escaped through the door.

Wife-doter? Eh? It didn't make sense.

Long Jie respected Song Luli, no doubt. He could tell she had great character. She was independent, not much needing to rely on him. Perhaps he did like that about her.

Some women who attempted to court him before were overly-flirtatious and only spoke about themselves. Others played dumb, though they were smart, and lowered themselves to grasp his attention. He also didn't like spoiled heiresses.

He recalled when his father suggested Song Luli for the marriage meeting. He wanted to refuse outright, but he knew his father's connections with the Song family. Therefore, he said he would attend, perhaps convince her to reject him.

But even so, he didn't expect that when he saw her again, the first time in years, it felt different.

She was still aloof and distant from what he remembers. But she wasn't trying hard to please him, or win him over; on the contrary, she wanted the marriage because it suited them both. She could run the company, and he no longer needed to search for a woman.

Nevertheless, she seemed like a good match. She was bold—still learning—but confident, too. Long Jie needed someone that didn't waver or cower. Throughout their days in the house, he had been testing her. Watching her actions and movements, and he found that she was a hard worker and willing to do anything for her job.

He needed that because there may be a time where Long Group is threatened, where he might need someone to depend on someone to help him, as a team player.