Chapter 71 Everyone rushed to the door. …

The next day at ten o'clock, the joint exhibition held its weekly meeting.

Zhuang Youkai walked into the venue, and while his assistant was debugging the equipment, he looked around and felt something was wrong.

The place where Zhao Manzhi used to sit was replaced by a new face today.

No, it wasn't a new face either. He slowly remembered that it was the marketing specialist who tried to take a sneak shot when he met Jacob and the others at Tang Pavilion that day.

Julie also recognized him. She was nervous about the meeting, and when she saw the chairman of Huanye coming, she bit her lip and dared not speak.

Zhuang Youkai walked to the door and waved at her, "Guangyi, come here."

Julie did as she was told.

"I am presiding over the meeting on behalf of the former director Jacob, and you cannot disclose my identity. And," he lowered his eyes, a faint shadow swept across his eyes, "where is she?"

"Mandy is sick."

"Sick?"

"Yes." Julie couldn't help but feel uneasy when talking to this big shot. Jacob has been replaced, how long can her good days last? Although Guangyi is not a subsidiary of Huanye, it is still easy for him to influence the stay or departure of an ordinary specialist.

She was still uneasy, and saw Zhuang Youkai's eyebrows slightly furrowed. Compared with his majesty when he was angry, it was more like worry, which made this indifferent face with only divinity have a few more traces of worldly disturbances.

Zhuang Youkai didn't say anything else and let her go back to the meeting. However, when the meeting time came, the host was no longer the familiar Director Raymond, but a man named Jeffery.

At this point, Julie, who has a keen sense of gossip, can no longer pretend that she didn't see anything.

Their leader is not ordinary, and I'm afraid not everyone can afford to provoke him. Originally, it was speculated that she relied on her beauty to get to the top, and thought there was something between her and Jacob. Now it seems that Jacob is not qualified at all, okay?

He is not even as good as a hair of her.

Although it's a bit sorry to say this, it seems to be the truth, Jacob and Raymond, any normal person with eyes would choose the latter.

I just remember that Mandy seemed to have a boyfriend? She said that they were discussing marriage.

Now a Cheng Yaojin shows up halfway, and he's a god-like person, fighting and competing, caring about everything.

Well... a three-second silence for this man who is about to become my ex-boyfriend.

*

The sharp ringing of the phone echoed in the dim room without a trace of light.

A slender white arm stretched out from the soft Egyptian cotton bedding, fumbled around on the bedside cabinet, finally found the source of the noise, picked it up, and hung up irritably.

After doing all this, Zhao Manzhi didn't even open her eyes, withdrew her hands, nestled in the quilt and continued to sleep.

Soon, the soul-chasing call came again, one after another, tirelessly.

"Who is it? I'm so annoyed!" Zhao Manzhi, who was woken up by the phone call, was more resentful than a ghost. But the moment she saw the caller clearly, she shuddered, cleared her throat, adjusted to the most appropriate state before answering the call, and her tone became quite cautious, "Director Zhuang."

Her low and hoarse voice was really intimidating. If she didn't have some experience, she would definitely be fooled and think that Zhao Manzhi was really terminally ill.

But unfortunately, he had experienced this trick before.

Five years later, her tricks of deceiving people have not been repeated, and she has been successful in everything.

"Today is a regular meeting, where are you?"

"I, I'm sick, I have a fever, I really can't come. Didn't we ask Julie from our group to go? If you have any questions, you can ask me. I'll get back to you when I feel better, ahem..."

"Don't pretend, Zhao Manzhi." Zhuang Youkai bluntly pointed out, "I asked you where you are, home?"

"Uh... um."

"I'm downstairs from your house, which building and which floor do you live on? I'll come up to see."

"Ah?!" Zhao Manzhi knew that Zhuang Youkai was now giving her an ultimatum. If he wanted to find out where she lived, he had a way to do it. Now that she couldn't fool him, if he went upstairs directly, it might be another collision between Mars and the Earth.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Manzhi chose to tell the truth, "Okay, sorry, Mr. Zhuang, I'm not at home, I... I'm in the hotel."

A man's chuckle came from the receiver, "You've learned to stay out all night, right?"

"No." Thinking back to what happened last night, Zhao Manzhi still felt scared, and her voice lowered, "I ran away from home."

Her depression made Zhuang Youkai realize that the situation was serious and might be beyond his imagination. Zhao Manzhi is very serious about her work and would not leave the front line even if she was slightly injured. In the past, she had a fever and was confused but still had to meet the deadline. It was only after Zhuang Youkai ordered her to take medicine and sleep . She talked nonsense while sleeping, complaining that she could not finish her papers and could not pass the exams, which affected her GPA.

So after many years, Zhuang Youkai had to write a very simple undergraduate business strategy analysis assignment and use the terrible school system to submit it for her before the deadline. After submitting the assignment, he donated tens of millions to CUHK to upgrade the school portal.

So today, if Zhao Manzhi had not really been unable to see anyone, she would not have missed the meeting that she valued so much.

The hotel where Zhao Manzhi lived was near Central. Zhuang Youkai arrived quickly, found her room, and rang the doorbell.

Soon the door opened, and when he saw the woman in front of him, his heart skipped a beat.

Her forehead, cheeks, and palms were all wrapped in white gauze, and there were two bruises under her eyes. She looked very haggard. She looked at him with evasive eyes, not even one tenth of her usual spirit.

The flames of anger quickly rose in his heart, and Zhuang Youkai's eyes turned cold. "That bastard dared to hit you?"

He raised his voice, and for a moment, the waiters and guests in the hotel corridor looked sideways and looked over here.

"No..." Zhao Manzhi was afraid of causing unnecessary trouble, so she pulled him into the room and closed the door. "He didn't hit me."

Zhuang Youkai sneered, "You're not going to tell me that you fell down by yourself, are you?"

She pursed her lips and raised her eyes to look at him. Zhuang Youkai was really angry, without his usual elegant posture. His chest was heaving, and even the blue veins on his forehead became obvious. She had no doubt that if she told him the truth, Yu Hansong would be disabled in the next second.

There was only their breathing in the huge room, one calm, the other heavy. Zhuang Youkai saw her reluctant expression, and a trace of bitterness rose in his heart. It was amazing. The person who used to show off and take advantage of him was not only not treated as a baby, but also dared not to speak out when she was wronged.

Even at this point, she was still protecting that guy.

He suddenly thought that when they were together, he should let Zhao Manzhi learn MMA from him, at least she would not be bullied easily. However, in a flash, the idea that just came up quickly disappeared. At that time, he never thought of breaking up, and he never thought that someone would dare to bully the person he held in his heart in front of him.

After a long while, he could only grit his teeth and throw a harsh word to her, "Zhao Manzhi, you are really regressing as you grow older."

The slightly pungent scent of vetiver and oak moss left her, and Zhuang Youkai walked to the window and dialed the phone. Zhao Manzhi was nervous whether he was going to find Yu Hansong, and hurried over, "Calm down first, I will tell you what's going on, don't-"

He turned a deaf ear to her, and only after he finished speaking did he look back at her, raised his lips, and said sarcastically, "At this point, you still worry about him?"

"No, I'm worried about you." What she said was true. She had contacted Cynthia and met her baby when she returned to Hong Kong before. She heard that Zhuang Youkai was participating in the election of the Outstanding Young Entrepreneur of the Greater Bay Area. She was worried that it would affect the selection if it got out of hand.

"...That's just a joke." As long as he wanted to participate in the election, he could get a lot of awards like this, but Zhuang Youkai didn't care about these. Instead, he was deflated like a lion with its hair smoothed when he heard Zhao Manzhi's concern. He pulled out a chair and sat down, "You can talk."

"The phone call you just made..."

Zhuang Youkai, who had just been coaxed, almost got angry again, and said unhappily, "Ask someone to send you medicine!"

"...Oh." Zhao Manzhi gathered her clothes and sat opposite him, and first made three rules, "You have to promise not to act on impulse after listening. This is my business, let me solve it myself."

She needed to be vaccinated in advance, and the situation must be quite serious. Zhuang Youkai suppressed his anger and said "hmm" lazily.

"First of all, let me make my attitude clear to you. I will never forgive Yu Hansong this time, so I am definitely not here to help him. I just think it's not worth it."

So there was no need to dirty his hands. Moreover, at this critical moment, if Zhuang Youkai stood up for her, what would Yu Hansong think? Would he spread rumors that there was an improper relationship between them? She didn't dare to think deeply.

When she was studying, she was unable to solve many things and needed his help, but now it's different. She is her own sail and can handle the troubles in her life.

"Yesterday I had a big fight with him, and then he... pushed me and hit my head, and broke the glass on the table, so I scratched my hand."

She narrated calmly, as if it was true.

In fact, the situation last night was ten or a hundred times more dangerous than what she said.

Yu Hansong rushed over and tore off her dress, strangled her throat with one hand to control her from moving, and then began to unbuckle her belt. Zhao Manzhi had just hit her head and was short of oxygen. She used up her last bit of strength to lift the glass and smash it at Yu Hansong.

Fortunately, she hit it accurately, and the other party let go of her hand in pain. Zhao Manzhi took this opportunity to get up and run, but Yu Hansong grabbed her ankle and threw her forward, and the cup in her hand shattered into pieces.

He wanted to pounce on her, but Zhao Manzhi grabbed the largest piece of glass and held it against her neck, "If you dare to come one step closer, I will cut it off!"

Yu Hansong knew that she would do what she said, and was afraid of making things worse, so he pulled himself out of his previous crazy state, stopped where he was, and said in a trembling voice, "Manman, let's talk it over, don't do this."

But she had nothing to say to Yu Hansong, and her mind was full of only one thought: escape.

In the end, Zhao Manzhi escaped with the broken glass, wrapped herself in a windbreaker, and got into the car, only to find that the blood on her hands was everywhere.

"Miss, do you have anything? Do you need to see a doctor?"

She showed the driver the address of the nearest hotel, "It's okay, go here, don't get sunburned."

After treating the wound and wiping her body briefly, the moment Zhao Manzhi lay on the bed, the fear of surviving a disaster came over her like a tide.

She wanted to talk to someone, but she didn't know who to talk to. Mom would definitely not believe that Yu Hansong would do such a thing, and would give them both fifty lashes. Chen Hang's signal has been very poor these days, and Li Ke is very busy...

After thinking about it, she finally stopped at Zhuang Youkai's number for some reason.

She stared at the string of numbers for almost five minutes, and finally turned off the screen.

They are no longer in a relationship where they can chat.

Zhuang Youkai lowered his eyes to listen to her, took out a cigarette, held it in his hand and played with it, his expression was very calm, "Then why did you quarrel?"

"Some trivial matters."

He sneered, "I thought you were so promising now, but now you are beaten by a man and you don't even know how to complain."

She corrected, "It's not a one-sided beating, I fought back, it's a mutual fight."

"Okay, mutual fight." Zhuang Youkai bit the cigarette on his lips and took out a lighter, "You don't mind having a cigarette?"

Zhao Manzhi shook her head.

With the sound of the grinding wheel rubbing, the fire flashed, he lit the cigarette, exhaled slowly, and leaned back with a relaxed posture, "Really don't need my help?"

"No, I don't want to make things worse. What's more..."

Now she is not the person who can boss him around and ask him to take the lead. Without that relationship, she can't feel at ease.

He squinted and repeated, "What's more?"

"What's more, now there is nothing between you and me, right?"

The girl was obviously forcing a smile, and the arc of her mouth was very reluctant. She was so stubborn. When she left Liuyuan Garden, she said she would not look back. She really did not show him any courtesy. She was on guard everywhere, afraid that he would get close to her.

Really good.

Zhuang Youkai suppressed his anger and flicked the ash off his cigarette. "What are your plans next?"

"Whatever happens, in a society ruled by law, he can't do anything to me."

"In a society ruled by law, you have hurt yourself all over."

"..." Zhao Manzhi was about to say something when the doorbell of the room rang and the voice of the room service came from outside, "Hello, the medicine and ice you need are here."

She was about to get up, but Zhuang Youkai got there first, put out the cigarette that he had not taken two puffs of, and went to the door to get something back.

He studied the drug instructions expressionlessly, "Tear off the gauze yourself."

Zhao Manzhi did as she was told, and pretended to say, "I can do it myself."

Zhuang Youkai was too lazy to talk nonsense with her, and looked at her palm first. The right hand was injured, with several long and thin wounds on the fingers, the deepest of which was on the palm, like a chasm of despair.

He used iodine to disinfect, and the pain made Zhao Manzhi gasp.

The man frowned lightly, "Is it serious?"

"No." She bit her lip and opened her hand, "It's okay, I can bear it."

She almost forgot that she was such a delicate little girl, and she didn't know if she cried in pain when she bandaged herself yesterday.

When he thought of this, Zhuang Youkai wanted to break the ribs of that pork chop boy and feed them to the dogs immediately.

He was not a professional doctor, and he only changed the medicine for her as carefully as possible within his ability.

Zhao Manzhi thanked him, and then said sincerely again that this matter was left to her to solve, and asked him to be merciful.

Zhuang Youkai stared at her, and after a long while, he let go, "Okay."

After that day, Zhuang Youkai seemed to disappear from her life again, and there was no news from him again. Zhao Manzhi took a few days off to recuperate, and returned to the company to report when she was almost healed.

Yu Hansong had looked for her during this period. Julie told Zhao Manzhi that for several days in a row, a handsome man wearing glasses came to ask if she was in the company, but was driven away by Katrina. Katrina said that their personal affairs should not affect their work, and did not reveal why Zhao Manzhi was not there or where she went.

Zhao Manzhi was very grateful, "You really helped me a lot."

"He looked guilty and didn't dare to ask more questions. If you wanted him to know, why did he come to the company to ask?" The female leader with sharp eyes had some experience, "I've seen too many such things."

Later, on a Friday, when she and Han Xiaoshuang went to have lunch, they were still blocked by Yu Hansong.

Because of the last incident, Zhao Manzhi couldn't be alone with him, and kept pulling Han Xiaoshuang nervously. Finally, Yu Hansong had no choice but to say in front of the two of them that both parents were coming to Hong Kong, and hoped that Zhao Manzhi would entertain them, at least not to disappoint the elders.

Zhao Manzhi sneered, "When you did that, didn't you think that if I told my family, your parents would really lose face?"

Yu Hansong's face turned red and white, and his lips moved, but he said nothing.

He knew that Zhao Manzhi only reported good news and not bad news, and if she didn't hear her family asking about it in a short time, she planned to resolve this issue between the two of them.

"Anyway, I've already booked a restaurant after work this afternoon. Come if you're free. They came all the way here just to see us."

Yu Hansong's interruption made Zhao Manzhi lose the desire to eat. She almost tore Lou Nai Hua into pieces, but it took her a long time to pick up a piece to eat.

Han Xiaoshuang asked, "Mom, are you really going to go? Isn't this obviously moral kidnapping?"

"But there's nothing I can do. If my parents are really here, I have to finish the show today even for the sake of my elders."

She put down her knife and fork and made a voice call to Ms. Ding, who answered the call quickly.

"Mom, I heard from Yu Hansong that you guys are coming to Hong Kong, right? Why didn't you tell me?" "

Yes, Hansong said he wanted to prepare a surprise for you, so he asked us to keep it a secret. You're coming to dinner tonight, right? Uncle Yu and his wife finally got approval from their work unit to leave the country, it would be hard to stand them up."

Zhao Manzhi felt a pang of pain in her heart, and she almost wanted to tell Ding Qingzi about her and Yu Hansong on the phone, but after hearing Ding Qingzi's excited tone, she finally held it back, "If you're coming, see you tonight."

Her family was still her weak spot after all. In a way, Yu Hansong really understood her, and knew that after the two sets of elderly people moved out, she would definitely not refuse.

But Zhao Manzhi was still careful, and sent a message to Han Xiaoshuang at the same time with the dinner location, and told her that if Zhao Manzhi didn't reply to her message by late at night, she should help call the police.

Han Xiaoshuang nodded, not quite understanding, "Isn't this Yu brother your boyfriend? Is having a meal with him so dangerous?"

She smiled helplessly, "There are so many people who become enemies after falling out of love now, I have to be on guard."

After work, Zhao Manzhi took a taxi directly to the restaurant. In the car, she still touched up her makeup a little to cover up the fatigue in recent days.

The redness and swelling on her forehead had almost disappeared. Her bangs hung down in front of her, covering most of it. The wound on the palm of her hand was scabbing, and the deepest one was put on a band-aid, so other places were not very visible.

She was in a complicated mood along the way. She took out her mobile phone several times and stared at Zhuang Youkai's chat box, but she didn't say anything in the end.

She said that she had to solve this matter by herself. She couldn't treat him as a life-saving straw just because he cared about her once.

A person's antidote must be in her own hands.

"Good evening, miss. Do you have a reservation?"

"A Mr. Yu has made one."

"Okay, Mr. Yu's room is this way. Follow me."

In addition to authentic Cantonese restaurants, Hong Kong Island is also famous for cuisines from all over the world. This time, Yu Hansong booked an Italian restaurant. There are many replicas of famous works from the Renaissance hanging in the corridors. The soft and elegant lights sweep down, making it beautiful and peaceful.

When she walked to the door of the room, the waiter smiled mysteriously, "I wish you a wonderful night."

She didn't understand what it meant. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw a huge display board of "Yu Hansong & Zhao Manzhi Engagement Ceremony" behind the golden velvet curtain hanging from the dome. Balloons and bouquets were tied into a huge arch, and there were also shiny ribbons and gold powder hanging on it.

In the middle of the dining table was a bunch of giant Floyd roses, so bright that they seemed to be burning, dazzlingly bright. On the candlestick next to it was a navy blue velvet square box, and the diamond ring held inside was brightly lit under the warm light.

Zhao Manzhi stopped where she was, looking at it all in disbelief, the tombstone-like notice board, the almost twisted smiles of both parents, and the undisguised pride in Yu Hansong's eyes when he approached. It turned out that he had calculated everything long ago, betting that Zhao Manzhi would not be able to save face, and would force a marriage under the noses of the elders on both sides.

"Oh, Hansong really hid it well. Look at the surprise he gave Manman. She can't even speak."

"Silly girl, why are you standing there!"

Her head was dizzy, and when she felt like she was about to collapse, Yu Hansong came over and put his arm around her shoulders to block her surprised expression, "Mom and Dad are watching, don't stand there."

"Have you discussed it with me, Yu Hansong?" She glared at him, her pupils trembling with anger, "Don't think I will agree to you like this, it's impossible!"

"No, Manman." He smiled, his voice low and almost warning, "They flew to Hong Kong just to see us get engaged, it's not good to spoil the four elders' interest, don't you think?"

Zhao Manzhi heard Ding Qingzi behind her saying, "What's wrong, what are you two talking about over there, didn't you have a quarrel?"

Yu Hansong raised his voice and replied, "It's okay, Auntie, she's a little excited and afraid of being laughed at by everyone."

Now it was Yu's mother's turn to say with a smile, "It's the first time in life, it's normal, don't make it difficult for Manman, your parents support you, if Hansong bullies you in the future, just tell us. Mother-in-law, don't you think so?"

Ms. Ding's voice rang out, "Yes, I'm just afraid that Hansong will be bullied in the future!"

In the harmonious laughter, Zhao Manzhi's nose was sour and her eyes were moist.

She wanted to shake off Yu Hansong's hand directly, expose the truth in front of everyone, let everyone know his true face, and fight to the death, but when she heard Ding Qingzi's voice full of happiness, she couldn't help but fear the consequences of doing so.

Didn't you choose it yourself, Zhao Manzhi?

You wanted stability, you wanted certainty, you wanted to be firmly in someone's heart, and to be firmly chosen for a lifetime.

You made a mistake, you mistook the street lamp for moonlight. If you speak out now, not only will you not get any good results, but Yu Hansong may also bite back and say that Zhao Manzhi was involved with her ex. His mother had suspected it early on, and she should have kept her eyes open at that time...

But no matter how much she regretted it, she still came to this step.

Yu Hansong's eyes fell into her eyes through the lens, like a sharp scalpel, cutting her heart bit by bit, leaving a wound that could never heal.

She missed herself five years ago.

At that time, she had the courage to challenge and leave at any time, even when facing Mr. Zhuang, instead of being like this, the older she gets, the more cowardly she becomes, the more she loves to look ahead and behind, and think too much.

Maybe some edges and corners don't need to be polished. The world needs any shape, not only smoothness, which is the most correct one.

But now she had lost her confidence. She had anticipated how Ding Qingzi would react after the falling out. Zhao Zhiwu had not had a quarrel with his wife for so many years, so he might not be able to say anything for her.

As for the Yu family, his parents would definitely stand on his side. Even if Yu Hansong did something wrong, they would definitely protect him.

For the first time, she felt that she had nothing behind her and nothing to rely on.

The door of the private room was still open, and the waiters and diners coming and going could not help but cast their eyes in out of curiosity. Yu Hansong lowered his hand and held hers, "Close the door, Manman, let's go in first."

His palm seemed to press on her wound, which was a little painful and a little itchy, as if foreshadowing her future marriage. Most of the time, it would be like this, the wound would never heal completely, and a new scar would be added before the scab formed.

She was stunned and motionless, and Yu Hansong pulled her again, "Be obedient."

"Yu Hansong, I..." I don't want to.

I don't want to live like this, I don't want to make mistakes again and again, I don't want to sacrifice my life because of a possible consequence that is not serious.

"Manman!"

"She doesn't want to, can't you see it with your four eyes?"

A low and mellow voice fell, followed by the scent of Zhuang Youkai's usual fragrance.

In the endless darkness and despair in front of Zhao Manzhi's eyes, a ray of light finally shone, holy and gentle, like a call from the gods.

The conversation in the room came to an abrupt halt, and everyone's eyes fell on the tall man.

His facial features were three-dimensional, with sharp edges and corners, and he looked very annoyed, looking quite cold and unattainable.

Especially those eyes, with a shadow cast by the high and deep brow bones, it was so cold that it seemed as if it was looking at garbage. Even the parents of the Yu family, who had experienced ups and downs in the officialdom, could not help but shudder.

Zhuang Youkai glanced at the furnishings in the room, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a full arc of contempt. The trick of beheading first and reporting later is passed down from person to person. Zhao Manzhi liked it in the past, and now her useless Pai Gu Zai has also learned the trick. If he comes later, will he be notified to attend her wedding?

Yu Hansong stared at them intently, and his face slowly released a smile of success, "People have rushed to the door, what else do you have to say?"

"I..."

Before Zhao Manzhi had time to say anything, she heard Yu Hansong scream in pain, and the whole person fell to the ground, wailing while protecting his knees.

Yu's father and mother screamed at once, "Why did you hit someone?"

"You should save this question for your son." He glanced at Yu Hansong and kicked him on the other knee, "I thought you were a good fighter, but you only dare to bully women."

Ding Qingzi looked at him in surprise, then looked at Zhao Manzhi, "Manman, did Hansong hit you?"

"No matter what, it was wrong for you to hit someone on the spot! I, we will call the police!"

"Yes! Call the police! 999, right? Hurry..."

"Whatever." Zhuang Youkai responded lazily, and took Zhao Manzhi's hand and held it tightly, "Manman can't agree to his proposal. She doesn't want to, and she shouldn't. She's afraid of losing face and can't speak, so I'll do it."

"Excuse me, everyone."