CH 56

Zheng Baozhu's car drove back to the Starlight Farm at night. Through the window, she could see Qu Zhi standing at the hotel entrance. He was wearing a long gray coat with a plaid scarf wrapped around his neck. Despite the temperature being just a few degrees outside, he stood there looking poised. If she hadn't seen the white breath he exhaled, Zheng Baozhu would have thought he wasn't feeling cold at all.

The car's headlights illuminated him, causing Qu Zhi to look over in response. Once the car steadied, Zheng Baozhu immediately opened the car door and rushed down. Qu Zhi saw her coming down and handed her the paper bag he was holding, saying, "Hold this, I'll help you with the luggage."

Zheng Baozhu had noticed something in his hands, but now, as she received it, she found it was actually warm. She opened the paper bag and glanced inside, finding roasted sweet potatoes: "Wow, roasted sweet potatoes? Where did you buy them?"

Qu Zhi took out her suitcase from the trunk and closed it: "I roasted them myself. A while ago, Meng Yaxin dug a lot of sweet potatoes at the farm and gave me some."

"Oh," Zheng Baozhu didn't rush to eat, instead using the roasted sweet potatoes to warm her hands, "What did you use to roast them?"

"I bought an air fryer," the car that brought Zheng Baozhu back drove away into the night. Qu Zhi dragged the luggage and walked with Zheng Baozhu toward the hotel, "I used to order takeout when I worked overtime, so I just bought an air fryer. It's convenient for making snacks."

"You're living well," Zheng Baozhu held the roasted sweet potatoes, looking at Qu Zhi walking beside her, "Are you feeling cold? Do you want to borrow them to warm your hands?"

Qu Zhi replied, "No need. I prepared them for you."

"Why did you wait outside? You could have waited for me in the hotel lobby; it's warmer in there."

The hotel lobby had heating and sofas, which was much more comfortable than standing outside in the cold.

Qu Zhi paused for a moment and said, "Waiting outside allows me to see you earlier."

Zheng Baozhu's heart skipped a beat at his words. Qu Zhi was a science guy, but he spoke in such an unassuming way. Was this the strength of someone who always got an A in essay writing since childhood? It was terrifying.

Her face felt a bit warm, so she used the roasted sweet potatoes in her hand to cover her face and vaguely said, "When I saw you in the car, I did feel relieved."

Qu Zhi's paused again for a moment, then he awkwardly replied, "Uh-huh."

Zheng Baozhu followed him into the elevator. Xiao Yu immediately posted the photo of the two of them side by side, entering the hotel, in the group chat, and started shouting, "Miss Baozhu is back! Mr. Qu has been waiting outside in the freezing cold for her to return! The temperature is already below zero, if this isn't considered dedication, then what is!"

Xiao Yu: He even prepared roasted sweet potatoes for Miss Baozhu, sob sob! I'm going to eat some in celebration!

Liang Huihui: Wow! Xiao Yu, your photography skills are amazing! This photo looks so professional!

Xiao Yu: It's not my skill, they just look great together! What you see is what you get, I didn't even use any filters!

Wei Zhen: I added one [picture]

Meng Yaxin: !! I would believe this is a movie poster!

Meng Yaxin: Let me add a few words!

Meng Yaxin edited the photo with the words [Winter Song] and sent it back to the group chat.

Liang Huihui: I've already set it as my phone wallpaper [picture] Thank you, everyone!

Cen Tongtong: ?

Meng Yaxin: CP is going strong, Tongtong's keyboards are going to be discounted again. 

But the two people at the center of the topic were not concerned about Cen Tongtong's discounted keyboards. Qu Zhi brought Zheng Baozhu's luggage into the room and it seemed like he had no intention of leaving immediately. Zheng Baozhu didn't rush to pack her luggage either. She poured a cup of hot water for Qu Zhi and divided the roasted sweet potato in her hand into two halves, "Do you want some? It's still hot."

"Sure," Qu Zhi accepted his share of roasted sweet potato that Zheng Baozhu handed to him. Zheng Baozhu took a bite of the sticky sweet potato and immediately sighed with happiness, "So sweet, it's so delicious!"

Qu Zhi also took a bite and nodded, "I still have some left. If you like it, you can have it all."

"No need, no need. You keep it for yourself. Meng Yaxin also gave me some, but I haven't had the chance to eat it yet since I went to the set," Zheng Baozhu said and took another big bite of the roasted sweet potato, "Mmm, it's really sweet. I'll roast some for myself tomorrow."

"Oh, by the way, you mentioned the charity event earlier..." Qu Zhi peeled the sweet potato in his hand and casually asked, "Which dress do you think looks better?"

"Huh?" Zheng Baozhu looked up in confusion. Then focused on her own thoughts, walked to the closet, and rummaged around for a while before coming out with a golden fishtail dress, "What do you think of this dress? It's my favorite and perfect for such an important occasion!"

The dress in Zheng Baozhu's hand was shining and eye-catching, clearly in her preferred style. In the past, Qu Zhi might have considered it too flamboyant, but now he imagined Zheng Baozhu wearing it and thought it looked good, "It's beautiful."

"Right? I've already planned the accessories too. Just wait a moment," Zheng Baozhu put down the dress and took out her jewelry box, then opened it in Qu Zhi's direction, "Ta-da! A golden necklace and earrings, don't they match perfectly! I had this jewelry set customized, the patterns and style are a bit retro, and it looks luxurious without being tacky!"

"...Hmm, it does look luxurious," this kind of extravagant outfit, except for Zheng Baozhu, Qu Zhi couldn't imagine anyone else wearing it.

"It's been a while since I attended such an event, just thinking about it gets me excited!"

"Well... but won't it be too grand?" This attire seemed more suited for walking a red carpet.

"No, I bought it specifically for occasions like this. But I gained two pounds recently, I hope I can still fit into it."

Seeing Zheng Baozhu holding up the dress and acting like she wanted to try it on right there, Qu Zhi quickly stood up from the sofa and said, "Then I won't disturb you with the fitting. I'll leave first."

"Oh..." Zheng Baozhu looked at his hurried departure and wanted to make a sarcastic remark but then remembered the scene of her showing off earlier.

Hmm... his reaction seems pretty normal.

Zheng Baozhu didn't pay him any more attention and went to try on the dress. Fortunately, it still fits well. After putting on the jewelry, she looked at herself in the mirror. What hairstyle should she go for that day? Retro big waves? Sounds good.

Zheng Baozhu had made an appointment with the stylist in advance, and besides preparing for the charity event, she also discussed the studio's affairs with Zhou Xiaonan. The establishment of the studio seemed complex on the surface, but once the funds were in place, everything was processed quickly. After making arrangements, she signed the contract with Zhou Xiaonan as her manager, who then began to recruit staff for the studio.

They needed assistants, PR staff, business management, makeup artists, and post-production staff. Currently, Zheng Baozhu didn't have any jobs on hand. :)

Since the charity event was not a showbiz event, Zheng Baozhu didn't bring an assistant or manager. Nevertheless, she still dressed like a star and immediately attracted a lot of attention when she arrived.

The recent makeup photos had caused some attention on the internet, but tonight, most of the attendees were from the older generation or not interested in showbiz, so they were unaware of this matter. There were a few familiar entrepreneurs present, people Zheng Baozhu had previously dealt with in the business world.

Tonight, Zheng Baozhu had a retro-style big wavy hairstyle that perfectly matched her attire. Upon discovering Zheng Baozhu, the paparazzi started taking photos, and those who recognized her as the actress playing the new version of Ye Ling were even more enthusiastic about taking pictures.

Later, the organizers requested them to take more photos of the event itself since they invited them not just to capture the stars.

Zheng Baozhu was chatting with the other businessmen at the event. When she heard that some experts and professors would be attending tonight, she became curious about who they were. After a while, the specially invited experts and professors arrived, and everyone was eager to see who they were.

Qu Zhi was dressed in a champagne gold suit, paired with a deep-colored tie, and he walked over with the guidance of the organizers. Zheng Baozhu was holding a glass of champagne and was stunned when she saw him.

Tonight, Qu Zhi looked very handsome. Even his hair was done stylishly for the occasion. However, what shocked Zheng Baozhu was not his appearance; after all, he had been handsome since he was young. The surprise came from the fact that Qu Zhi was wearing a gold suit!!!

This was more shocking than a stray cat in their neighborhood that had been spayed suddenly becoming pregnant again!

Gold often gave people a feeling of flamboyance and extravagance, which was the complete opposite of Qu Zhi's steady and reserved personality. Moreover, he had never been interested in this kind of jewelry-like dressing, so how could he buy a gold suit for himself?!

Zheng Baozhu suddenly felt that people were really complex creatures. :)

However, she had to admit that he looked great in the champagne gold suit. Gold was quite picky, and if the person wearing it lacked a certain temperament, they would come off as nouveau riche. Zheng Baozhu, with her exceptional temperament, had been able to handle such flamboyant dressing since she was young. So even when she wore gold tonight, nobody found it tacky. On the other hand, Qu Zhi's temperament was much cooler, and normally, dressing in gold would clash with his aura. However, he combined the flamboyance of gold with a dark-colored shirt and tie, making the whole outfit look just right.

As Qu Zhi appeared, his outstanding appearance and temperament caused a stir at the event. Originally, they thought this event was mainly for business people and expected to see various bald or greasy-looking, beer-bellied bosses. They didn't expect to encounter a beautiful star and a handsome expert.

Putting these two on the cover today, who would worry about not getting enough attention?

"Let me introduce you all. This is Professor Qu, who we invited today," the organizer walked over to Zheng Baozhu's group and stopped to greet them. The boss next to Zheng Baozhu looked at Qu Zhi, nodded, and asked the organizer, "I remember we were in touch with Professor Luo before, right?"

The head of the organizing committee smiled and said, "Professor Luo isn't comfortable with this kind of occasion, so he sent his capable assistant instead. Don't be fooled by Qu Zhi's young appearance; his resume is quite impressive. Professor Luo speaks highly of him."

"You're too kind," Qu Zhi humbly replied.

The boss who asked the question earlier chuckled and noticed something else, "Is gold in fashion this year? Professor Qu and our Miss Zheng here match very well."

After he mentioned it, others also noticed it, and someone jokingly said they were dressing in pairs.

"Don't make our Miss Zheng embarrassed."

"No need to worry about that," Zheng Baozhu held her champagne glass and smiled, "I'm just afraid that Professor Qu is too thin-skinned."

"..."

Qu Zhi glanced at her and didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his head to the organizers and said, "Let's get started then."

"Great, Professor Qu, come up from this side of the stage," the organizers led Qu Zhi to the side of the stage, where he would later need to give a brief speech. After the formal opening of the event, several leaders took the stage and thanked the enthusiastic attendees. Polite applause followed. When Qu Zhi went up on stage, the applause noticeably grew louder.

Zheng Baozhu paid special attention. Tonight, apart from the bosses, it seemed that Qu Zhi was the one to look for, just as Qi Sheng had predicted.

"First of all, thank you all for attending tonight's banquet and for your continuous support for public welfare. Recently, a relative of mine had an injury and had to use a wheelchair. Going out to buy groceries, she found it very inconvenient. Many roads have stairs but no ramps, the bus's accessibility ramp doesn't connect with the platform, and there's even a lack of safety airbags. During my time abroad, I often saw people in wheelchairs on public transport, but in our country, due to insufficient accessibility facilities, it's challenging to see disabled individuals going out.

Accessibility facilities are not irrelevant to ordinary people; anyone can get injured, and even mothers pushing strollers on the street need these facilities. Just like this relative of mine and all of you, they are all warm-hearted individuals. On that day, this relative wrote a letter to the municipal government and gave suggestions to the public transport company, and they received positive feedback. The use of these facilities is not the reason for us not to implement accessibility construction. The rights of disabled individuals should also be protected..."

Qu Zhi spoke eloquently on stage for about ten minutes. Perhaps, being good-looking made his speech more captivating, and everyone listened more attentively compared to before. When he finished, the applause was warm and enthusiastic. Zheng Baozhu felt regret that Qu Zhi didn't take the opportunity to promote his own laboratory's products.

After Qu Zhi finished speaking, he was seated at the same table as Zheng Baozhu for dinner as arranged by the organizers. Everyone at the table showed strong interest in him. Zheng Baozhu noticed that it wasn't just the businessmen who were interested in Qu Zhi; even the married male entrepreneurs seemed to find him fascinating...

After the banquet, the organizers offered to send Qu Zhi back, but he politely declined, "I can go back on my own; there's no need to trouble you."

"Ah? That wouldn't be appropriate. Let us send you with our car," the organizers were in a dilemma.

Qu Zhi politely refused, "Really, no need. I can handle it on my own."

"..."

It's hard to say, considering the way everyone has been looking at you tonight, like wolves and tigers.

Qu Zhi bid farewell and walked straight toward the exit. Once he stepped out of the venue, he saw Zheng Baozhu's eye-catching red sedan parked at the entrance.

He walked over, and Zheng Baozhu, sitting in the back seat, opened the door and looked at him with a smile, "Isn't this Professor Qu? All alone? How about I give you a ride?"

Qu Zhi gazed at her with a slight curve of his lips, opened the door, and got in.

The event organizer who followed Qu Zhi out anxiously saw him getting into Zheng Baozhu's car and suddenly everything made sense.

So, they deliberately dressed up like a couple tonight?

In Zheng Baozhu's car, Qu Zhi loosened his tie to take a breather. Zheng Baozhu had been drinking tonight, so she had a designated driver. She sat next to Qu Zhi, looking at him, "Professor Qu did well tonight and raised a good amount of money."

"Yeah..." Qu Zhi leaned back against the seat. He gently closed his eyes, looking a bit tired. He had spent the whole day in the laboratory and rushed over for the evening banquet. Finally, he could take a short break.

Seeing him closing his eyes to rest, Zheng Baozhu asked the driver to play a soothing piece of music, "I heard that the funds raised tonight are mainly for renovating old buildings, adding elevators and ramps."

"Um... I hope it can help some people."

"By the way, I have a question to ask you. That relative you mentioned, could it be my grandmother?" Zheng Baozhu spoke, "When did she become your relative?"

Qu Zhi finally opened his eyes, leaning his head against the seatback, and looked at her. Perhaps because he was genuinely tired, his eyes seemed moist, which was quite different from his usual reserved and distant demeanor. He appeared unexpectedly tender.

Zheng Baozhu's heart pounded again under his gaze, and she cleared her throat, turning her head to look at the night scenery outside the window, "I was just joking. If you're tired, you can rest for a while. I'll take you home."

"Okay," Qu Zhi responded and closed his eyes again. Zheng Baozhu breathed a sigh of relief.

There was no further conversation on the way. The driver was skillful and the car was driven smoothly. Qu Zhi fell asleep in the car. Seeing that he was deeply asleep, Zheng Baozhu specifically instructed the driver to park the car in the garage before stopping.

Qu Zhi hadn't woken up yet, so after the driver left, Zheng Baozhu undid her seatbelt and looked at the person sitting next to her.

"Qu Zhi?" she called softly, but he didn't react. Zheng Baozhu propped her head with one hand, gazing at him from the side. She couldn't deny that Qu Zhi's side profile was indeed handsome, with smooth and beautiful curves.

He was sleeping without any defense as if he didn't worry about others doing anything to him.

As Zheng Baozhu watched, she felt her gaze changing somehow. Even though she had drunk a bit tonight, she was still completely sober now. But memories of that day when Qu Zhi had just finished taking a shower came to her mind.

...Help! Could it be that she really has some inappropriate feelings for Qu Zhi?!

She had known Qu Zhi for so many years, and she had never had any special feelings towards him. Why now, all of a sudden, was she feeling so vulnerable?

But it was true that Qu Zhi seemed even more attractive now than during their school days. The kind of exclusive charm that came with being a man made it difficult to resist.

Leaning slightly closer to Qu Zhi, she caught a faint whiff of his men's cologne, which smelled nice. Zheng Baozhu sniffed lightly and moved closer to him. His lips were lightly pursed, showing a hint of rosy red, a sight that aroused her imagination. Zheng Baozhu lowered her head slightly, getting very close to him. If she moved a bit closer, she could kiss him.

Qu Zhi's eyelashes flickered and he suddenly opened his eyes without warning. Seeing Zheng Baozhu's face so close, he was momentarily stunned.

Zheng Baozhu was now bewildered. She hadn't planned to do anything, she just wanted to take a closer look at the handsome face, but unexpectedly, the handsome guy suddenly opened his eyes. At this moment, she felt like she was in deep trouble, and it was difficult to explain the situation clearly.

Both of them froze for a moment, maintaining that awkward position without moving. Qu Zhi cleared his throat and spoke with a hint of hoarseness, "You got so close to me. Were you planning to kiss me?"

"I-I'm not, I'm not!" Zheng Baozhu quickly moved away from him, denying vigorously, "I was just... just checking to see if you were still asleep!"

"Is that so?" Qu Zhi sat up, adjusted his tie again, and glanced at Zheng Baozhu beside him, "Why did I feel like there was something unusual in the way you were looking at me just now?"

"...You're overthinking it!" Zheng Baozhu opened the car door and hurriedly got out, "We've arrived. You should go back to your room and sleep!"

She said and fled in panic, her heart beating rapidly.

If Qu Zhi hadn't woken up just now, would she have kissed him? Ah, no, she couldn't believe she actually had such thoughts about Qu Zhi!

Taking out her phone, she sent a message to her experienced friend, Meng Yaxin: "What should I do if I crave a man?"

Meng Yaxin: What else can you do? If you can sleep with him, then try to do so. If not, find a way to create opportunities.

Zheng Baozhu: ...

Is this what it's like to be in the new year? The way of speaking is completely different.

Meng Yaxin: So who are you craving for? Qu Zhi?

Zheng Baozhu: I'm not! 

Meng Yaxin: Don't be hypocritical. Honestly face your desires. There's nothing to be ashamed of. 

Zheng Baozhu: 

Meng Yaxin: I bet Qu Zhi also craves you. You don't need to think too much, just go and kiss him directly. He definitely won't be able to resist and will take the initiative.

Zheng Baozhu locked her phone screen and put it aside. According to Meng Yaxin's advice, if she had just kissed Qu Zhi in the car, would he have taken the initiative in the car? Did that mean they would have...?

This was way too stimulating. :)

While she was thinking about some indescribable things, someone knocked on her door. Qu Zhi's voice came from outside, "Zheng Baozhu."

Zheng Baozhu trembled all over, "What's the matter?"

Qu Zhi outside said, "You forgot your car keys. You'll be searching everywhere for them later."

"Oh, oh, oh," Zheng Baozhu repeated several "ohs," but she didn't dare to open the door for Qu Zhi, "Um, just leave them by the door for me. I'm changing!"

"..." There was silence outside for a while before Qu Zhi's voice came again, "Alright, I'll leave them on the floor. Don't forget to take them."

"Okay," Zheng Baozhu responded and then pressed her ear against the door, listening to the sounds outside. Qu Zhi's footsteps gradually moved away, then the sound of the door opening and closing. Zheng Baozhu waited for a moment before quietly opening the door and picking up the keys from the floor. Then she quickly closed the door.