Chapter 23: Surviving and Living

Night fell.

Su Yunzhou finally woke up at a leisurely pace. By the time he had returned to the Celestial Paradise Holiday Hotel after his physical exam, it had already been two in the afternoon. Feeling a bit exhausted, he had fallen asleep, and now he was just waking up. This was the freedom and spontaneity of a life without work.

Only half of the setting sun remained hanging in the sky, and the evening glow cast a faint halo over the entire city. Su Yunzhou stretched lazily. Looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the cars and the ant-like people below, a song suddenly came to mind.

"Standing on the high building every day,

Looking at the little ants on the ground,

Their heads are so big,

Their legs are so thin,

They're holding iPhones,

They're wearing Nike and Adidas,

They're going to be late for work,

They're in such a hurry."

He hummed a few lines, his eyes bright and piercing. "Thank you, Tong! You've allowed me to truly experience life, rather than just merely existing."

Opening his phone, he saw that Miaomiao had tirelessly sent him several inquiring messages. He selectively ignored them.

There was also a new friend request. The username was "Stepping on Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms," the profile picture was a bouquet of plum blossoms, and their Friends Circle was hidden. The system indicated that the person had searched for his phone number. Su Yunzhou felt a bit puzzled and didn't accept the request.

He scrolled through his Friends Circle for a while, but there wasn't any interesting content. After all, most of the people in his former social circle were corporate drones. A corporate drone's Friends Circle consisted of nothing more than company advertisements and the occasional chicken soup for the soul, meant for either themselves or others.

He opened Little Blue Book. Yang Liu Yiyi had updated a post half an hour ago.

[I don't know if you've ever felt this way?]

[It feels as though my whole life is completely out of my control!]

The accompanying picture showed her back as she strolled along a beach.

Su Yunzhou froze slightly. Did she run into some trouble? Taking advantage of her vulnerability... wait, no... showing genuine care from the bottom of his heart was the most important step to entering a woman's body... wait, no... heart. Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.

Su Yunzhou initiated a voice call. After a few rings, Li Yan's pleasantly surprised voice came through.

"Good evening, Mr. Su! I suddenly remembered the issue about choosing a license plate. Do you happen to have any connections for that?"

"Well..."

The two chatted for a bit before Su Yunzhou steered the conversation toward Liu Yiyi. As her best friend, Li Yan naturally knew what had happened. Seeing no reason to hide anything from Su Yunzhou, she recounted the disgusting incident that had occurred earlier today.

It turned out that Liu Yiyi's ex-husband had bumped into the three of them shopping together, and he had seen Su Yunzhou casually buying bags worth tens of thousands of yuan. The ex-husband was probably resentful. Coupled with the fact that he had borne a lot of infamy during their divorce, he decided to spread malicious rumors about her to their mutual friends. He claimed that Yiyi was promiscuous, that she had long been hooking up with this rich second-generation heir, and even accused her of lacking wifely virtue.

When Yiyi heard the news from a friend, she was absolutely furious. She called Zhao Xiu and gave him a severe scolding. Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhao Xiu hung up and promptly blocked her on all platforms. This toxic man was truly unbelievable, drawing a complete line between them in such a despicable way.

"Yiyi even asked me over for dinner tonight," Li Yan added. "But because of what happened when you were looking at cars last time, the management at headquarters was very dissatisfied. They arranged for someone to come over and conduct a week-long training on etiquette and sales skills."

After grasping the situation, Su Yunzhou hung up the phone. He hadn't expected to be such a huge factor in Liu Yiyi's unhappiness. Thinking for a moment, he sent a message.

[Sister Liu, are you home? I have something I want to tell you.]

[Hm?]

A reply popped up in the chatbox, but it was clear that Liu Yiyi had little desire to talk.

Su Yunzhou considered his words carefully before typing: [I really have to say this in person. I'm just across the street. Is that okay?]

At times like this, what a woman needed most wasn't words, but actual action. Chatting endlessly couldn't compare to simply taking the initiative.

Su Yunzhou watched the 'typing...' indicator linger in the chatbox for quite a while, feeling slightly apprehensive. Fortunately, the final outcome held no surprises.

[Okay. Let's meet downstairs in half an hour, sound good?]

[See you there.]

After sending that message, Su Yunzhou immediately transferred a thousand yuan to Jian Shan, asking him to prepare a bouquet of flowers within thirty minutes. Meanwhile, he went into the bathroom to take a shower and started grooming himself.

In front of the vanity mirror, there was hair wax, hairspray, and other styling products. He styled his somewhat long hair with a few grabs and changed into a dark, highly yuppie-style casual outfit. A glowing, dashing, and handsome man appeared in the mirror. Su Yunzhou nodded in satisfaction and headed downstairs.

In the lobby downstairs, Jian Shan was waiting by the front desk, holding a very elegant bouquet. The moment he saw Su Yunzhou, he quickly walked up to greet him.

"Mr. Su, time was a bit rushed. My friend only had Bulgarian roses, so the bouquet is a bit uniform. Here are the receipt and the invoice."

Su Yunzhou took the flowers and replied smoothly, "Thanks for your hard work!"

Jian Shan silently put away the receipt. He knew the other party wouldn't look at it, but he had still told his buddy to write up an inflated receipt just in case. He had served many wealthy people and knew very well that few of those who could make big money were idiots; most of them simply didn't fuss over petty cash.

Su Yunzhou checked the time. Walking over would take just the right amount of time.

Jian Shan followed behind to open the door for Mr. Su, asking simultaneously, "Mr. Su, are you planning to go on a date?"

"You could say that!" Su Yunzhou replied casually.

Jian Shan volunteered his services, "I have some connections. Wherever you want to go for fun, I can arrange it for you..."

"Oh." Su Yunzhou responded simply as he carried the bright Red Rose bouquet and left the hotel.

A handsome guy with roses. This combination commanded a high head-turning rate on the streets. Many young women they passed looked on with traces of curiosity and envy in their eyes.

Su Yunzhou's footsteps were brisk. The last time he gave flowers was to his ex-girlfriend on Valentine's Day. He wondered how she had been doing lately.

He arrived downstairs at Yujing Bay.

After waiting for a few minutes, a beautiful silhouette appeared at the entrance. Liu Yiyi was wearing a long khaki skirt that gave off a hint of languor, paired with a dark camisole underneath and a sleeveless open-knit sweater over it. This homely style made her look even more comfortable and natural than usual. It also perfectly highlighted her slender frame and ample curves.

With her hair pinned up, her fair face was fully revealed. Her eyes, with their clear black and white contrasts, rippled with emotion as they gazed at the dashing young man holding a bouquet of red roses. At the same time, she felt a pang of regret for not putting on any makeup and dressing a bit too casually.

Slightly dazed, Liu Yiyi accepted the flowers. Keeping her head lowered, she asked, "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

Su Yunzhou scratched the back of his head. Looking at the people coming and going at the residential complex's entrance, he said somewhat sheepishly, "Sister Liu, how about we walk and talk?"

"Mhm." Liu Yiyi hummed, dragging out the final note. With lowered eyelids, she said, "My place... if you don't mind... let's take a stroll in the small park next door..."

"Sounds good!"

Su Yunzhou and Liu Yiyi walked shoulder to shoulder, suddenly unsure of what to say.

As they walked, the sky gradually turned completely black. The streetlights lit up in sequence, casting a dim, yellow glow on the two of them and stretching their shadows endlessly. The silence in this moment spoke louder than a thousand words.

However, an untimely sound emanated from Su Yunzhou's stomach.

GRUMBLE.

Liu Yiyi covered her mouth and chuckled. "Haven't eaten dinner?"

"I got up too early for my physical exam this morning," Su Yunzhou said embarrassedly. "When I came back at noon, I took a nap. Then I saw your post, and heard from Li Yan..."

At this point, Su Yunzhou paused. Looking directly at her makeup-free yet stunningly beautiful face, he said, "I'm sorry! Because of me... I caused you all this trouble!"

Liu Yiyi raised her eyes, meeting his sincere gaze perfectly. The corners of her lips curled up slightly. "The physical exam went fine, right?"

"It should be..." Su Yunzhou said softly. "The report won't be out for another seven days."

"I'm feeling a bit hungry too." Liu Yiyi broke into a gentle, elegant smile. "How about I treat you to something to eat?"

"Alright."