I'm Just Getting Your Luck - Chapter 18
Just One Arm Is Enough To Wrap Around
President’s Office.
“Zhou Chenyu?”
Zhou Chenyu spun his chair one way, Ying Yu quickly followed him; Zhou Chenyu then spun the chair another way.
“I told you, I’m not here to see Dr. Jiang. I was just thinking about his cat. That restaurant makes really good fried shrimp, so I thought I’d bring some over for the cat to try.”
“Cats eat fried shrimp?” Zhou Chenyu snorted. “You told me not to contact your sister, yet you’re in close contact with Jiang Jiuji.”
“She can eat it, she especially likes it,” Ying Yu tried to explain. “Besides, I’m not even in contact with him; whenever I contact him, it’s for grapes.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Ying Yu quietly complained, “You’re way too jealous, hard to please.”
Zhou Chenyu: “Who said I’m jealous!”
“The assistant told me. He said you have a strong sense of possessiveness over people and things around you. Last business trip, he said you came back acting weird because he chatted a bit with another company’s president. That’s jealousy.”
Zhou Chenyu was explaining to Ying Yu that he wasn’t digging around because he was jealous, but because it was about fairness.
If he didn’t ask about her sister, Ying Yu couldn’t contact Jiang Jiuji either.
Ying Yu nodded somewhat understandingly. Then the assistant knocked and came in with a troubled look: “President Zhou… your father is here.”
Zhou Chenyu’s expression instantly turned cold: “I know. Tell him to wait in the reception room.”
—
The reception room’s glass was frosted, so no one could see inside from outside.
Outside the office, He Xini was organizing files when Ying Yu approached again, “Why did Zhou Chenyu’s father come? Why is Zhou Chenyu so unhappy?”
“I won’t tell you, or you’ll snitch on me to President Zhou again.”
“I don’t know what I said before can’t be said,” Ying Yu placed a hot cocoa she just bought on his desk, “Here, have some energy. Don’t worry, this time I’ll keep it secret.”
Chocolate saves humanity.
He Xini pulled over a swivel chair, as if wanting to have a heart-to-heart with her.
“Do you know why they spread rumors saying our boss is an alien?”
Ying Yu shook her head: “Le Ge said rumors don’t need reasons.”
“Strictly speaking, their deeper goal is a personal attack.” Though no one else was around, He Xini lowered her voice, “Zhou Chenyu’s parents divorced when he was in elementary school. Both of them abandoned him. His sister went abroad to study and never came back. Zhou Chenyu was raised by his grandparents. He has a sharp tongue, and when he first accepted interviews, he said some unpleasant things. Their intention was to say that Zhou Chenyu is parentless — born of a mother but motherless — trying to stab him in his heart.”
“That’s too much!”
Ying Yu was furious.
“That’s not the worst part.” He Xini comforted her. “Zhou Chenyu’s mother, for some unknown reason, always blamed him after the divorce and avoided him. His father, however, came often, but Zhou Chenyu didn’t want to see him. Every time they met, he’d need days to calm down alone, chain-smoking several packs.”
“That’s bad for health.”
“Exactly. If his dad comes a few more times, I’m afraid he’ll get br3ast cancer at such a young age.”
…
Inside the reception room, Zhou Dingfu spoke for a long time but with one central idea: “Son, I’m worried about you. You’re my only son. Why don’t you think of me? Come with me to America. I’ve arranged everything there.”
“Too late for fatherly love — even a dog wouldn’t want it. Don’t disgust me.” Zhou Chenyu exhaled heavy tobacco smoke, the cigarette between his fingers nearly burnt out.
“At the time, things were complicated. It wasn’t that I didn’t bring you along, but you hated me, you wouldn’t go! I never forgot about you all these years.”
Zhou Chenyu smiled lightly, his hand crushing the table tightly: “You never forgot? When you were having an affair, did you think about your own son? When you gave me sleeping pills, did you think about me as your son?”
“Chenyu…”
When he was little, Zhou Dingfu took him to his English teacher’s house for tutoring.
Dingfu was very busy, so when he took the time to accompany him to lessons, Zhou Chenyu was very happy.
Until he started falling asleep during class.
Once he woke up and heard strange noises in another room.
He peeked through a crack.
Zhou Dingfu’s greasy, fat body was writhing, white flesh rubbing.
This was why Zhou Chenyu didn’t want to love or marry.
They disgusted him. He was their son, but he also felt disgusted.
“Chenyu, what happened back then was my fault. You’ve grown up now, you can understand your father, right?” Zhou Dingfu, with white hair and shaking skin, said. “Your mother used to complain every day that I didn’t make enough money. I didn’t divorce because of you. I was forced.”
Zhou Chenyu coldly said, “Don’t lose control of your lower half and make excuses elsewhere.”
“Chenyu, I’m here to ask for forgiveness and make amends.”
“Go ask for forgiveness in church. I’m not God. If I were God, I’d send you to hell.”
Zhou Chenyu didn’t want to waste words with him, and directly pushed open the door to leave.
—
“President, here’s the material you requested.”
Zhou Dingfu started a company in America, Zhou Chenyu requested the latest status of that company.
“His company indeed ran into problems. He blindly invested in a tech company that failed. His money is probably all gone, and now there’s a huge funding gap.”
The implication was: Zhou Dingfu came to borrow money.
“Thank you for your hard work. You can go off duty.”
Zhou Chenyu sent him away and left with He Xini.
He knew his father didn’t come for father-son bonding. He glanced through the documents, leaned back in the swivel chair, and stayed until 10 p.m., when the whole building went dark before getting up.
The huge office was empty except for him. He picked up a cigarette butt from the floor and threw it into the trash can.
The wind blew in through the window, piercing his heart.
But…
Why did he smell barbecue?
Zhou Chenyu opened the door and saw Ying Yu crouching behind it, holding a bag of skewers.
“You’re still here?”
Zhou Chenyu’s throat was hoarse. He grabbed a bottle of water and took the elevator down to the underground garage.
“The police warned that there’s a molester nearby. I was afraid you’d be in danger alone.”
Normally, Zhou Chenyu would joke: “The molester around me is you.”
But now, he didn’t have the mood: “Don’t worry about me.”
Zhou Chenyu walked fast. Ying Yu jogged to catch up: “Are you hungry? I have barbecue. Want some?” After saying that, she immediately regretted it: “Forget it, you eat it. Don’t get stomach problems before br3ast cancer. Novels say presidents easily get stomach problems.”
“Fine, I appreciate the thought. I’ll take it with me.”
Zhou Chenyu finally found his car and took out his phone: “I won’t send you home today. I’ll call the driver to take you. Wait here a bit.”
His assistant, Niu Tong, was still working, ready to follow orders.
Just as he dialed, Ying Yu pulled his hand down, warmth spreading to his cold palm. She looked at him seriously: “Zhou Chenyu, come home with me.”
Zhou Chenyu’s eyelashes trembled lightly. “What do you want to do?”
“Eat instant noodles.”
“…”
Zhou Chenyu didn’t know how he was charmed by instant noodles and somehow agreed. But since he had to drive, Ying Yu refused, dragging him out of the underground garage.
Zhou Chenyu sneered at a yellow two-wheel electric scooter: “I’ll stick to my four wheels.”
“No way, it’s dangerous. My electric scooter is fully charged and can take you safely.” Ying Yu put on a helmet and patted the back seat, “Get on, my riding skills are excellent.”
“Is this really okay? I feel riding with you is more dangerous than meeting a molester.”
Zhou Chenyu kept complaining verbally but honestly sat on the back, legs bent and resting. He placed his hands on her waist and said subconsciously: “Just one arm is really enough to wrap around.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing…”
“Hold on tight, let’s go!”
“Ride slower!”
—
Ying Yu’s home was in a residential building without an elevator. They walked up to the third floor.
Entering the door, it was obviously a girl’s place, completely different from Zhou Chenyu’s home.
The sofa had all kinds of pillows, the flowerpots on the balcony had moist soil, small daisies bloomed brightly — signs of a careful life.
Except for those goofy owl slippers…
Zhou Chenyu decisively took off his shoes.
The induction cooker hummed, the instant noodles were ready.
Ying Yu made a deluxe version with fried eggs, some re-grilled barbecue, and a few spinach stalks — very nutritious and plentiful.
In bowls bigger than their faces, one red, one green, they ate facing each other.
Zhou Chenyu wasn’t hungry at first, but seeing Ying Yu eating with relish made him hungry.
No wonder people eat together — so they can see each other enjoy food.
The scent of beef in golden broth filled the dining room. Ying Yu smiled, “Is it good?”
“Good.”
As soon as Zhou Chenyu said that, Ying Yu interrupted, “I know you’re going to say the noodles weren’t made by me, so my cooking has nothing to do with it. But cooking instant noodles is an art — timing is everything. I figured it out myself.”
Zhou Chenyu honestly asked himself: “Am I really that annoying when I talk?”
Ying Yu: “…”
If she didn’t say it, he’d be upset.
After finishing the meal, Zhou Chenyu went to wash the dishes. He turned on the faucet. Ying Yu told him to wait, took off her lace apron, and tied it on him: “Your clothes are expensive. Splashing water on them would be bad.”
That suit was still hanging on the balcony. Ying Yu dared not cause trouble again.
Although it was just washing two bowls, she still carefully tied the apron in a bow and patted the cat pattern on his shoulder, telling him to focus on washing.
The water rinsed away lemon-scented detergent foam, the bowls became clean again.
When Zhou Chenyu finished, he looked up to see Ying Yu curled up on the sofa watching TV.
He suddenly recalled once seeing Zhao Youcheng staring at his sister for a long time without getting tired. He was curious and asked what he was watching. He said he was watching Zhou Buping.
They were together every day — what was so interesting?
Zhao Youcheng smiled without answering.
The day’s anger quietly dissipated. His gaze unconsciously softened.
On the TV, there happened to be a police reminder for Jin City residents to beware of molesters. Ying Yu handed him the remote: “See? I wasn’t lying.”
“The police warned you about molesters and you didn’t listen?” Zhou Chenyu sat down, sitting one seat away from her.
“Of course I listened. Look, I’m fine at home now.”
“Molesters don’t target specific people,” Zhou Chenyu said calmly, “You brought a strange adult man home without any defenses. Do you think you listened?”
“Aren’t we pretty close?” Ying Yu muttered quietly. “You wouldn’t do something like that.”
And obviously, Ying Yu had a huge crush on him.
“If someone tried to do something to me, I’d grab his wrist—”
Ying Yu was talking when she turned her head to see Zhou Chenyu pressing her down on the sofa, pinning her arm, leisurely asking: “Grab his wrist, then what?”
He usually avoided Ying Yu, but this was the first time he was so proactive.
Ying Yu’s heart pounded wildly. She struggled a bit, trying to escape but couldn’t.
Zhou Chenyu touched her flushed ear lightly and smiled: “Know what it means to invite a wolf inside?”
Even after Ying Yu sat back down, her ears and mind were still chaotic.
“Scared?” Zhou Chenyu drank water and looked at her sideways. “Who was the one who kept letting me touch you before?”
“No, I just wasn’t prepared.” Ying Yu was stubborn.
Meanwhile, the TV news switched to a legal program.
A thief sneaked into someone’s yard and stole a big gold brick. When caught, he stubbornly denied it, claiming he just found it.
Don’t watch that.
Zhou Chenyu came again. Ying Yu immediately noticed: “What are you doing?”
“You’ve already broken all the curtains.” Zhou Chenyu laughed and handed her another remote: “Use this to change the TV.”
“…”