A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 121: His infatuation (4)_1

She even understood; the female celebrity was Lu Siyuan.

In that second, the bluesy tassel chandelier overhead switched to white incandescent light. Media reporters orderly positioned their cameras outside the red line. Within three brief minutes, the business and political figures attending the meeting silently took their seats. In a display of decorum befitting the solemn occasion, no one uttered a sound, all listening to the speaker on stage.

On stage, the director of United Bank’s corporate investment department was speaking, announcing the planned funding.

The sum, measured in trillions, was unimaginably vast.

Zhou Luchen sat in the principal seat in the front row, his face indistinct. He occasionally flipped through the files in his hands, calmly conversing in a low voice with the conference leader beside him.

Amidst the complex interplay of light and shadow, his back view revealed jet-black, neatly-trimmed hair, an imposing and meticulous presence.

If there was an alluring side to him, it was most evident when he was in control of everything at work; even the brilliant lights seemed to dim in comparison.

She discovered that the 27-year-old Second Master Zhou held a significant position and a rather high reputation in the world of commerce.

She further discovered that beneath his 27-year-old debonair, seemingly profligate exterior, Second Master Zhou concealed an unknown astuteness. He sought power, was not lost in romantic dalliances, and was remarkably decisive.

Fate had blessed him with perfection and an air of superiority. Towards business empires, people, affairs, emotions, and female companions, he was both suave and cruel—passionate, yet utterly heartless.

Zhou Luchen hadn’t noticed where she was. Being far away, she chose not to disturb him.

Utterly bored, she couldn’t help but ask Zhuang Ming, "Tell me, do you think prodigals—playboys—easily change their ways?"

"No. Watch fewer movies," Zhuang Ming said. "Those who love deeply shouldn’t rashly enter the world where the heartless play with life. That kind of thrill is dangerous; a heartless person isn’t likely to love only one person in their entire life."

Shen Jing rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly, her gaze fixed on the back of the man in the principal seat in the front row.

"What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Not pretentious, but genuinely pure," Zhuang Ming added. "And you have a bit of a mischievous temper, occasionally pushing your luck and creating a fuss so he has to coax you."

This man would say anything, clearly siding with his boss, defending him against her supposed unreasonableness.

Shen Jing tilted her head to look at Zhuang Ming. "You’re very talkative today. Are you sick?"

Zhuang Ming didn’t answer her. It was clearly she who kept asking questions. He only answered because it was his duty. She was the Second Master’s woman; naturally, he had to treat her with courtesy and respect.

Shen Jing asked again, "Does starting a company require a lot of money?"

Zhuang Ming said, "Money isn’t an issue. As long as you have a product in R&D and a technical team, United Bank’s investment department will provide funding."

Shen Jing looked at the speaker on stage. "There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Would I have to offer myself to your Boss Zhou as collateral?"

Zhuang Ming glanced at her. "That won’t work. Business is business. Boss Zhou is only interested in profit."

Shen Jing couldn’t continue the conversation and closed her eyes to sleep.

The authoritative middle-aged executive on stage delivered his official speech in a halting manner. Since she didn’t understand any of it, she found it incredibly soporific, like listening to chemical equations.

She dreamed. She dreamed of the day she received her acceptance letter from a prestigious university and how she dashed through the alleyways.

"Grandma, it’s the acceptance letter!"

It was the first turning point in her life.

Her grandmother didn’t understand. She just stared blankly at her mother’s posthumous portrait, occasionally chiding her deceased mother.

「An hour later.」

Zhou Luchen left his principal seat early and precisely spotted Zhuang Ming standing ramrod straight in the farthest corner.

And the young woman sprawled asleep on a bench.

Zhou Luchen bent down and scooped her up, settling her on his hip. Her alertness wasn’t great, but her legs still instinctively wrapped around his waist. Her head lolled heavily onto his shoulder, and she let out a fretful, endearing whimper.

"Zhou Luchen, I got in..."

"Almost failed... just by a little bit," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Zhou Luchen didn’t respond. His palm supported her hip bone as he effortlessly held her, leisurely strolling out of the conference hall. The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

The reporters at the side and the middle-aged executives in the front row couldn’t help but stare at Zhou Luchen’s retreating figure.

They watched, wide-eyed, as United Bank’s Second Master Zhou carried a young woman from the corner away, a bodyguard following with her bag.

The young woman rested on the man’s shoulder, her half-visible face drowsy, her arms defiantly wrapped around United Bank’s Second Master Zhou’s neck, flouting convention.

The meeting had not yet ended.

After a few seconds, everyone felt they shouldn’t stare and resumed listening attentively to the director of United Bank’s investment department.

Those present, all seasoned individuals who had weathered many storms, acted as if the scene had never occurred.

The people from United Bank’s investment department didn’t find it unusual; after all, such behavior from their Second Master Zhou was perfectly normal.