Entangled with the Future Tycoon

Shen Shang let out a deep sigh, shaking his head with an exasperated look. “I honestly have no idea what’s going on!” He genuinely didn’t know what was going on, especially with how busy he’d been these past few days.

Lin Feng lifted the hand holding his chopsticks. “Oh, this? I know. My wife told me it’s because you’ve been leaving too early in the morning and coming back too late these past three days. The atmosphere seems really off-she suspects… an affair!”

Gu Yuan squinted at Shen Shang. “An affair? Really?” Could this be some sort of misunderstanding? Affairs usually don’t start off with such bizarre behavior!

“Impossible!” Shen Shang rolled his eyes, kneading his temples. His drama-loving wife was stirring up trouble again. “I’ve just been a bit busy lately and maybe neglected her a little, but it’s only because I’ve been preparing a surprise for her-her birthday is tomorrow.” Over the past three days, he had been squeezing extra time out of his hectic schedule to prepare something special for her, which made him seem unusually preoccupied.

Lin Feng smirked at the sheer drama of the misunderstanding. Then, curiosity piqued, he nodded and asked, “What kind of surprise has you running off so early and coming back so late?”

Shen Shang picked up his glass and took a sip of wine. “My wife is into art. She loves collecting unique pieces and is a painter herself. She has a habit of collecting artwork in different styles. So, I decided to open a café for her, a place she can hang out in during her free time.”

Jiang Xun’s mouth fell slightly open, looking a bit dumbfounded. “You built up all that suspense, and it ends with a café? Then what was with all that talk about art collections and different styles of paintings?”

Shen Shang remained calm, like he had expected this kind of reaction. He explained, “She has so many things in her collection, and she’s always reluctant to sell or throw anything away. But keeping them stashed in a dark, dusty corner breaks her heart. She’s constantly saying how she’d rather have them in a beautiful, visible space. That’s one of her long-held dreams.”

“She once told me she wanted to open a café where she could display all her beloved treasures, where she could see them every day and let others appreciate them too. She also said that people who enjoy coffee are often elegant. So…” Shen Shang massaged his temples as he spoke. He’d spent these days juggling between sourcing designs and selecting materials.

Gu Yuan nodded in admiration, his eyes filled with appreciation. “That’s one impressive surprise you’ve planned there! But you really shouldn’t make a woman feel insecure-their world revolves around that sense of security. Pulling something like this could have easily backfired.” His tone carried a playful edge.

Shen Shang closed his eyes briefly to clear his thoughts. He hadn’t expected things to take this kind of turn! It had only been three days-how was he supposed to know that so much could happen in such a short time? “Anyway, keep this a secret for now. I’ve already been startled enough, so at least let my surprise make its proper entrance. Can you guys help me figure out where they are, so I can track them down tomorrow?”

Lin Feng shook his head, looking troubled. “Honestly, I have no idea. I asked, but my wife was very firm about it-she said it’s a VIP-level secret, and I couldn’t get even one word out of her.”

Shen Shang frowned. Tomorrow was his wife’s birthday. If he gave her the gift after her birthday, it would lose its significance. “Any idea how long their tea gathering is going to last? Will they finish by tomorrow? If so, I might still catch them before midnight.”

Lin Feng licked his lips. “It’ll probably run until tomorrow night, but if they know tomorrow is Song Wanwan’s birthday, there might be a change of plans. Birthdays, you know-they’ll probably want to celebrate together.”

Gu Yuan nodded in agreement, chiming in. “Yeah, there’s definitely a chance plans could change. It’s a birthday, after all-if all four of them are there, they’re bound to party the night away.”

Shen Shang stroked his chin, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back against the sofa. There was a hint of exasperation in his tone as he said, “I can’t wait until after her birthday to give her the surprise. And besides, what about you guys? Aren’t you all in a hurry to find wives yet?”

Gu Yuan smirked and gave Shen Shang a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. No matter what changes they make tomorrow, it won’t interfere with your surprise. I know where they are-I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

Shen Shang’s eyes lit up with excitement, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a smile. Lin Feng raised an eyebrow and asked skeptically, “How do you know where they’re meeting? Did Xu Wei tell you?” He found it unlikely. Bai Yuxuan had been so secretive about their plans that it seemed the women must have all agreed to keep things under wraps.

Gu Yuan picked up his wine glass and leaned slightly against the back of the sofa, a sly grin spreading across his face. “When Xu Wei took a cab to their location earlier today, I secretly followed her.”

Lin Feng gave Gu Yuan a big thumbs-up. “Still as sharp as you were back in the day-your stealth skills are on point. But be careful, using them on your wife like this might have you kneeling on a keyboard when you get home tomorrow!”

Gu Yuan’s smile instantly vanished as he shot Lin Feng a side-eye glare, silently warning him not to spill the beans.

Jiang Xun, meanwhile, sat there looking utterly bewildered. “…….” These guys really took things to a whole other level!

He suddenly felt like he had overeaten-not food, but dog food. Why did it feel like he was getting hit with every flavor of it imaginable?

A sliver of light pushed through the thick curtains and crept over the window lattice, but it did little to brighten the room. It was 9:50 in the morning, a rare day off. Room 808 of the Holiday Inn remained dim, the rhythmic sound of steady breathing filling the space. Around 10:00, Bai Yuxuan stretched lazily and reached over to gently shake Xu Wei’s shoulder. “What time is it?”

Without even opening her eyes, Xu Wei reached under her pillow, fishing out her phone. The glow from the screen illuminated her immediate surroundings as she slowly cracked her eyes open. “It’s 10:11.”

“It’s been so long since I slept this late. I feel like I’m turning into a sloth,” Bai Yuxuan said, rubbing her radiant face and closing her eyes briefly, as if to shake off the lingering sleepiness.

Glancing at Ji Rou, who was still lost in dreamland, Xu Wei turned over to face Bai Yuxuan and whispered, “I’m starving.”

“Wanna get up?” Bai Yuxuan asked.

“Should we wake the other two?” Xu Wei hesitated.

“They were acting like they’d had energy drinks last night-chatting until who knows when. There’s no way they’re getting up anytime soon,” Bai Yuxuan replied, gently peeling off the blanket and slipping out of bed.

Xu Wei glanced over at Ji Rou and Song Wanwan, then shrugged, sliding out from Bai Yuxuan’s side to head into the bathroom.

The room’s lights were still off, and for those still sleeping, the passage of time and the arrival of daylight went unnoticed. Xu Wei began brushing her teeth while Bai Yuxuan started what could only be described as her extensive skincare routine-toner, lotion, cream, serum, sunscreen, tinted moisturizer-the works. In no time, Bai Yuxuan looked radiant and refreshed, her complexion practically glowing.

Once Bai Yuxuan was done, she stepped aside for Xu Wei to freshen up. They quietly got dressed and slipped out of the room, heading out in search of breakfast. Leisurely, they strolled out of the Holiday Inn and made their way to the Chinese restaurant next door.

Unbeknownst to them, the moment they stepped outside, several pairs of eyes locked onto them, their movements carefully observed.

Inside the restaurant, Xu Wei and Bai Yuxuan chose a table by the window. The season had just shifted toward early winter, yet the sunlight streaming in was still warm and inviting. Xu Wei glanced at her wristwatch-it was 10:50-before flipping through the menu. “So… we’re having lunch now, right?” she asked, amused.

“Yep,” Bai Yuxuan replied absentmindedly, her focus momentarily on some company reports that had come through on her phone. She nodded slightly but paused briefly to glance at the time in the upper-right corner of her screen.

“Should we order something hearty?” Xu Wei suggested, her gaze narrowing on an especially tempting picture of braised spare ribs.

Bai Yuxuan caught sight of the photo Xu Wei had placed on the table. She licked her lips subtly. “Absolutely.”

A satisfied smile curled at the corner of Xu Wei’s mouth as she raised an “OK” gesture with her hand. “Alright then. Let’s do one braised spare ribs, one mushroom and shredded chicken soup, one shrimp and tofu dish, one taro chicken, one stir-fried seasonal vegetables, one steamed egg, two bowls of rice, two glasses of milk, and a fruit salad, please,” Xu Wei said, confidently handing the menu over to the waiter.