Chapter 338 - After Two Years

Xiong Zhi abruptly opened her eyes.

She was lying down on a mahogany bed. She remained still for a moment, calming her heart.

That was a strange dream. 

After a while, she glanced at her bedside table.

It was 12:05 am. 

Xiong Zhi reached out a hand and took the phone on top of the table.

On her screen was Linfeng's picture. He was inside his office in the United States. He appeared very handsome in his business suit. His hand supported his chin and pouted, appearing to be very bored as he looked at the camera. In this picture, although he already looked more mature and sharper than his peers, his appearance still had a slight air of youthfulness in it.

This was the first picture he sent two years ago, soon after he left the country. There were even words below as a caption. 

[I feel empty without you. Two years, please come fast.]

Xiong Zhi felt her nerves calm down and become tranquil. 

She smiled as she stared at the handsome face. Linfeng's childishness and naughtiness was coming out. He truly had let go of his previous guard around her and was showing more of his other sides to her, like how he was in the past life. She was very happy with this. 

It meant that Linfeng really gave her his heart once again. She was glad that their promise from the past life was fulfilled.

She missed him so much.

A fingertip traced his face on the picture. She had seen this picture for countless times, but it never failed to bring her a smile.

Two years.

To be more exact, it was two years, six months, and twenty eight days since she last saw Linfeng.

Linfeng finally confirmed to her in their video call yesterday that he will be coming home this week.

Her smile deepened. The girl, no, the young woman lying on the bed with her black hair spread out looked very soft and mature than before. Her eyes shone with a gentle light as she looked at the screen of her phone.

Because of the sudden good news, Xiong Zhi could not sleep well. They had already anticipated that he will be coming home soon since a few months ago, when he began to wrap up his matters abroad. 

She dreamed of him every night.

Before, it was just sweet whisperings and their sweet times together. Until it became kisses, the stolen kisses they shared before he left. And just recently, maybe because of her devoted studying on such matters, her dreams started to change and often became her and Linfeng's intimate scenes in bed. In short, most of her recent dreams about Linfeng were all spring dreams.

Sigh. How she wished Linfeng was here to make those dreams a reality. 

Her lashes flickered as her eyes turned misty, her cheeks glowing with a rosy hue.

No matter. He would come here in a few days. 

She smiled expectantly.

She put down the phone and settled back on her bed. But after a few moments, she still could not sleep. So she fished out a book that Song Xuantin gave her on her most recent 20th birthday.

Song Xuantin had somberly said to her at that time, "Since you are already an a.d.u.l.t, I decided to give this to you. I am rooting for you, Zhi!"

And Xiong Zhi, who opened the gift later that night, had sent a message to Song Xuantin, [This is what I need. Thank you.]

Years ago, with Song Xuantin's help, she started her study before on how to catch a man's attention, to how to make the man fall for her. Now that Xiong Zhi and Linfeng had confirmed their love for each other and got together albeit through long distance, her studies now in regards of seducing a man's hearts evolved to a higher level.

She was almost done reading the book. Every time she read the book, her cheeks would often redden but her expression remained serious.

She was in the last chapter. She read the title, [Do's and Dont's].

It was around 3 am that she had finished reading the entire book. She rubbed her eyes and put the book aside.

The book was gently illuminated under the bedside lamp. 

The light shone on its title, [R-18: How to Bed Your Man].

******

The sun shone brightly in the morning, shining over the bustling road filled with white-collared workers commuting to work.

In a luxurious private coffee shop, a tall handsome man was sitting in one of the couches. The employees and the nearby customers could not help but glance at him, enraptured by his beauty. They could only look from a distance as the coffee shop's interior was designed to ensure the customer's privacy, with enough distance and soundproofing. 

The people inside the coffee shop were mostly wealthy and known people in high society. Naturally, the man on the lone table was highly renowned, too. Especially his unique traits of silvery hair and his captivating silver-blue eyes. 

He looked taller than before, his delicate face still more beautiful than woman's. Only, his willow brows became a bit longer, his delicate nose a bit taller, and his jawline slightly stronger. His eyes which were vulnerable before also seemed more stable now, like a calm pool of water, limpid and gentle. If he was an angelic little boy before, then now, he was like a princely immortal.

Just by sitting there, he made all onlookers, man or woman alike, give him second glances of appreciation.

Lu Yin Ze sipped on his coffee, indifferent to the attention. He lightly licked his red lips, wiping the trace of cream. He glanced down to check the rectangular box on his table. It was intact with no creases on its blue ribbon.

'Good.'

He was planning to move it again to another spot where he would not accidentally knock it off when the person he had been waiting for finally arrived.

His hand paused and his silver-blue eyes lit up after seeing the person coming to him.

She wore a light blue top and a white skirt. Very business-like.

During these two years and half, Xiong Zhi became taller. The baby fat on her cheeks was gone and all of her beautiful features became more highlighted. Her phoenix eyes became more catlike, the edges growing longer. Her lips was also plumper than before. The previously rather immature body parts grew perfectly, her legs especially shapely and long. She now had all the right curves at the right places. 

Her hair was tied up in a casual bun secured by a delicate pin. 

This was Xiong Zhi's usual look recently, since she started to manage a few small businesses under the Xiong Empire while still in university. 

Xiong Zhi and Old Xiong knew that in a few years, the present peace in the family would cease to exist as the date of inheritance was slowly approaching.

This was why Xiong Zhi needed to hasten and quickly establish her roots in the Xiong Empire. She could not do that freely while still dealing with her university studies. She needed to finish her studies fast and then step into the family business as soon as possible.

Using the influence of the Xiong family, her grandfather pulled some strings to allow her to graduate university earlier than her peers. Her university, her course, the college department, as well as the professors who would be handling her, were already planned out, and Old Xiong only needed to move a few fingers to get the syllabus and learning plans of her would-be professors in advance. 

The power of the Xiong family was truly strong. They could even bend the law and the norms.

Of course, Xiong Zhi still had to fulfill all credits needed to graduate. Thus, starting from when Linfeng left and she entered the senior year, she began to busy herself in preparation for the requirements for university. In the first year, she entered university, she was able to fulfill all course credits needed for until sophomore year. Her vacations were devoted to studying. 

Now, she was on her second year in university, but she was already wrapping up the remaining requirements that needed to be submitted in fulfillment of her courses. Soon, she would be able to gather all of the credits needed for graduation. 

Now, she had more breathing time and was able to take up internship this year.

Old Xiong naturally did not embarrass her and did not hand over heavy work at this juncture, but some small businesses and deals, mainly guiding her on core and high level management.

The official title of the CEO of the Xiong Empire was not handed to her yet, as every heir should be at the age of twenty-three before they could inherit the shares from their parents and grandparents.

Aside from managing the Xiong Empire, she was also managing IHZHI secretly. She did not need to intervene too much as her people were naturally very capable. IHZHI was now a considerable power. Still, it was not yet time for her to announce her ownership of IHZHI to the world.

In more than two years, many preparations had been done. Xiong Zhi was no less busy than Linfeng.

All of these had sublimated into a composed, stable, and sharp aura.

Lu Yin Ze stood up to greet her, his previous indifference breaking into a smile.

He gentlemanly gestured for Xiong Zhi to take a seat on the couch.

"How have you been in the past week?" 

Lu Yin Ze had not seen Xiong Zhi since he came from a business trip a week ago. 

A few years ago, after he sent the file to Xiong Zhi, they frequently met and did some investigations on the companies on the list. At that time, the file contained records from ten years ago, so the details were a bit harder to track.

Thankfully, they had Gu Zhen who continuously developed various software and sharpened his already stellar hacking technology. He was now like a god in the IT world and a death god in the dark web. Of course, the price was sky high as well. Xiong Zhi and Lu Yin Ze placed a huge amounts of investments to track the files on the list. 

For now, they had secured considerable evidences for about half of the list. They were still looking for more because they knew that they have to uproot every possible way that Lu Yin Ze's father might use as escape once cornered.

It has been a long time, and they were still lacking.

Xiong Zhi nodded at him. "I'm good," she simply answered then sat down.

Lu Yin Ze ordered her usual coffee for her.

He did not go directly to business but gave her the gift that he had prepared since a week ago.