Sweet Gardenia - Chapter 6.2

The direct benefit of the trip was that inspiration flowed freely upon her return.

The next day, Lu Zhi spent only the morning revising the copy previously written by Xu Jing.

Li Siyi nodded repeatedly: “It’s much better after your edits. The flower-giving feature is quite fun too.  Players can tap to light it up, take photos to share on social media, and even get responses from the male lead when they return home. The immersion is strong; players will love it.”

The lighting and photo features were ideas she came up with while strolling around the hot spring resort.

“Then I’ll have the team work on implementing it quickly. The exhibition is coming up soon,” Li Siyi said. “I also have an interview this afternoon.”

Lu Zhi hummed in agreement, rubbing her slightly swollen eyes and letting out a relaxed sigh.

Li Siyi: “What’s up?”

She said, “It’s just… I feel like marriage does have its uses.”

“Uses? More than just a little. Remember when we used to go out, and your mom would call you fifteen times a week? It’s much better now,” Li Siyi remarked. “Aren’t you a lot more relaxed too?”

“Yeah,” Lu Zhi nodded. “What time is your interview? After it’s done, let’s go set up our booth at the exhibition and familiarize ourselves with the venue.”

“Sounds good.”

At four in the afternoon, after finishing her interview for the planning position, Li Siyi headed to the exhibition hall across the street with Lu Zhi.

The entire plot of land in the city center had been purchased by the Fu family for office building development. After the Rongsheng Office Building was established, various commercial districts sprang up around it, gradually enriching the area with dining, entertainment, and leisure options. Lu Zhi was in charge of Building No. 3, while the current game exhibition was being held in Building No. 4 across the street.

Li Siyi seemed to recall something: “Speaking of which, the house at Zhenyue Bay was a wedding gift from his grandfather, and Building No. 3 was given to you by Fu Yanshang. Even without relying on your family, the monthly rent from Building No. 3 alone is in the seven figures.” She sighed in amazement, “Damn, when will such overwhelming wealth come my way?”

“Don’t make it sound like I’ve taken advantage of anything,” Lu Zhi replied. “As a wedding gift, I gave him something too.”

Li Siyi’s eyes lit up. This was news to her. “What did you give him?”

Lu Zhi flashed a radiant smile. “A beautiful wife.”

“…”

After presenting the necessary documents, they smoothly entered the first-floor exhibition hall.

Some booths had already been set up with basic arrangements, though most remained empty, displaying only the logos of their respective companies.

In her eagerness to cozy up to Huaya, Xu Jing had ditched them, giving away the prime spot near the entrance. In a few days, they would find out what kind of game Huaya had actually produced.

Lu Zhi took photos of the float, discussed the layout and floral arrangements with Li Siyi, and measured the required dimensions before leaving.

By the time they finished, it was already six o’clock. Noticing a Rongsheng logo on the float and realizing she would be heading home with Fu Yanshang anyway, Lu Zhi decided to load the logo into the trunk with Li Siyi’s help, planning to return it on the way.

It was her first time visiting his company.

Rongsheng Tower had undergone a relocation three years prior and was now equipped with the most advanced smart technology: facial recognition for clocking in, elevator reservations, and 17 elevators precisely managing peak-hour traffic flow. Rumor had it that Fu Yanshang, even while abroad, had personally contributed to the initial design sketches. The entire building resembled a ladder ascending to the clouds, a clear testament to Rongsheng’s capability and ambition.

She entered discreetly, and Fu Yanshang’s secretary personally greeted her, informing her that she only needed to wait a short while as his meeting was about to wrap up.

Lu Zhi nodded in understanding. After all, whether she was at home or here, she’d just be playing competing games to pass the time.

Li Siyi drove off first, and Lu Zhi was ushered into the CEO’s office. The space was as large as she had imagined, yet surprisingly, it didn’t feel cold. He seemed to have a fondness for greenery, lush areca palms stood in the corners, and an entire wall was lined with glass containers. Occasionally, among the green leaves, a few artificially cultivated flowers could be seen.

Along the edges of the transparent glass, condensation from the greenhouse lingered.

“Are you his only secretary?” Lu Zhi asked curiously, glancing toward the secretarial office. “Doesn’t he have any beautiful female secretaries?”

He Zhao quickly clarified, “No, he doesn’t! Please don’t overthink it!”

“No need to use formal language with me,” Lu Zhi said. “You can go ahead with your work. I’ll just wait here and call you on the internal line if I need anything.”

Inside the CEO’s office, there was a soft couch with a slightly wrinkled blanket draped over it. Crouching beside it, she lifted a corner of the blanket, wondering curiously.. Had he rested here recently?

But as her fingers brushed against it, she felt no trace of warmth.

On the cabinet sat a box of chocolates. When she opened the packaging, she found twenty-five neatly arranged pieces, three of which had already been eaten. She picked one up and took a small bite, only to discover it was filled with liquid. At first, it tasted slightly bitter and a bit spicy, but the aftertaste was sweet.

The packaging was entirely in Spanish, so she couldn’t make much sense of it. But chocolates were all more or less the same, she thought, probably nothing special.

…

Fu Yanshang didn’t receive the message that Lu Zhi had arrived until after his meeting ended. But when he pushed open the door to the CEO’s office, there was no one near the entrance.

Assuming she had found a comfortable spot to lie down, he glanced toward the chaise lounge, only to find the blanket missing and no trace of her. Just as he was about to turn away, his eyes fell on an empty box.

Occasionally, when he had a headache and couldn’t fall asleep easily, he would use a bit of alcohol to help. But now, that box of high-proof liquor-filled chocolates.

Sat empty on the cabinet, not a single piece left.

Where had she gone?

With her nowhere in sight, everything suddenly felt precarious. He walked over to his desk, intending to call He Zhao on the internal line. As his hand rested on the back of the chair, he spun it around naturally, only to find a lopsided, cocoon-like figure lying there. The armrests were wedged against her knees, and she was wrapped from head to toe in that beige blanket, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him and chirped, “Surprise.”

It certainly was a surprise.

Her cheeks were flushed a suspicious shade of red, and the corners of her eyes glistened with a watery pink hue. Her blinks were slow and deliberate, and she seemed completely dazed.

Fu Yanshang asked her, “Are you still sober?”

“Huh?” she replied. “What stars?”

“…”

After eating most of a box of chocolates, it was unrealistic to expect her to be sober.

Fu Yanshang tugged the blanket off her. She was already sweating from being wrapped up, a thin layer of moisture clinging to the hollow of her neck, the ends of her hair damp against her jawline.

He reached out and brushed that stray lock aside. “Let’s go back.”

She looked a bit confused. “Back to the sea?”

“What sea?”

“Have you forgotten?” she said. “I’m a… jellyfish.”

Then, with sudden alarm, she stared at the blanket he had completely taken away. “Doesn’t that mean… you’ve seen all of me?”

“…”

He had no interest in reasoning with a drunk. Nodding, he played along. “Alright, Miss Jellyfish, let’s go back to the sea.”

“But the ocean’s ecosystem isn’t doing so well these days,” she pouted pessimistically. “If I go back, will I die soon?”

“I have a fairly large bathtub.”

Fu Yanshang decided it was time to end this conversation. He reached out to help her up, but she dodged his hand.

Lu Zhi wobbled to her feet, keeping a distance between them. “No, I might electrocute you.”

“…”

After taking two unsteady steps, she felt dizzy and leaned closer to negotiate. “Walking is so tiring. Do you have a wheelchair? I want to ride in a wheelchair.”

“A jellyfish in a wheelchair,” he remarked. “Just picture that.”

She finally settled down a bit once they entered the private elevator. Uncle Zong was already waiting with the car downstairs. As the car door closed, just when he thought the day’s antics were over…

The jellyfish shuffled forward and whispered, “Do you know why jellyfish look like fishing nets?”

“Because talkative jellyfish get caught.”

“…”

“Not at all.” She was dissatisfied, fidgeting in place for a long while, as if brewing something. He leaned over to adjust the air conditioning vent, and the next second, he was tackled onto the backseat. Lu Zhi tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing close to his ear with satisfaction as she said, “I’ve caught you.”

…

Fu Yanshang lifted his gaze, and in the rearview mirror, he saw Uncle Zong’s utterly astonished eyes fixed on them.

He opened his mouth, intending to ask for a blanket: “Uncle Zong, could you please…”

Before he could finish, Uncle Zong, as if struck by sudden inspiration, nodded and pressed a button.

Somewhere, there was a sudden click.

In their line of sight, the Maybach’s exclusive partition, long unused and nearly forgotten, now stubbornly rose a small corner before resolutely… ascending all the way to the top.

Their voices and everything else were instantly cut off, disappearing into Uncle Zong’s meaningful gaze.

Lu Zhi fell silent for a moment before whispering, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”