The deeper the night, the more magical it becomes, as if there’s another melody hidden behind the glitzy city.
Wen Shulin, sitting in the backseat of the Da Lao, looked at Chen Cheng beside her with confusion, "Where are we going? I haven’t finished dealing with my issues yet."
Chen Cheng looked at her eyes, even more tired than in the afternoon, and said with a smile, "You’ve been busy for almost two days too. I’m taking you to relax."
Wen Shulin knew that Chen Cheng meant well, but this seemingly easy matter had been exceptionally difficult for her to handle.
Outright denial on one hand, and relentless pursuit on the other, coupled with the brewing public sentiment, resolving this salacious news became a pressing matter for CGG.
Yet, Wen Shulin didn’t understand why, at this critical juncture, and especially late at night, Chen Cheng still took her out from CGG.
She leaned closer to Chen Cheng and sniffed, "Have you been drinking?"
"There’s also a smell of cheap perfume."
Chen Cheng smiled and said, "Lao Zhang from Dao Fu celebrated his project win today. He called some people for a couple of drinks."
Wen Shulin didn’t say much; she understood that playing the part was unavoidable in this line of work.
"It seems that the quality of the company he found isn’t high, eh!"
After speaking, she leaned back into the soft seat, lazily sinking in.
Her slender legs under her suit pants crossed casually, and her patent leather high heels shone temptingly under the flickering light.
Chen Cheng couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her .
He knew very well that whenever Wen Shulin showed this expression, it meant that the sea of jealousy in her heart was beginning to stir.
Chen Cheng reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Of course, the people he found can’t compare to you, Shulin."
Wen Shulin nestled in Chen Cheng’s embrace, "Smooth talker."
She said, "Massage my shoulders for me."
Neon lights outside the car window flickered, casting a dreamy interplay of light and shadow inside the car.
Chen Cheng placed his hands on Wen Shulin’s shoulder blades, pressing with just the right amount of pressure, providing relief from her fatigue over the past couple of days.
Wen Shulin sighed comfortably, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of her eyes.
She closed her eyes, beginning to enjoy this moment of tranquility.
"Where are you taking me?"
Chen Cheng replied, "To see a performance."
"A performance?" Wen Shulin looked up, "What kind of performance?"
"It’s something you should like." Chen Cheng said with a smile: "We’re almost there."
Wen Shulin smiled faintly, "Playing coy with me now."
Da Lao arrived near Yuyuantan Park and stopped.
Wen Shulin looked at the surrounding environment, "Coming here to see a performance?"
Chen Cheng gave a mysterious smile, "Let’s go, it’s inside."
"Isn’t it closing soon?" Wen Shulin’s face full of confusion, "What kind of performance can we see at this time?"
Chen Cheng: "Some performances only begin when there are few people around."
The two walked into the park.
Under the night sky, Yuyuantan was quiet and mysterious, only a few street lamps emitted a faint light, shrouding the surrounding trees and grass in a hazy ambiance.
Wen Shulin and Chen Cheng slowly walked along the winding path, surrounded by silence, with only the sound of their breathing fluttering in the night wind.
"It’s too quiet here, not like the lively atmosphere you talked about."
Wen Shulin couldn’t help but speak out, both curious and somewhat uneasy.
Because Chen Cheng’s face always wore a mysterious smile, making it impossible for her to guess what performance he was actually taking her to see.
Chen Cheng did not answer, but firmly held her hand, continuing to walk forward.
The two passed a pond filled with water lilies, crossed a bridge, and eventually stopped in a dense grove.
"Are we there?" Wen Shulin asked.
She looked around at the quiet surroundings, no stage, no actors, only the final stridulations of summer insects.
"Where’s the performance?"
Chen Cheng looked around and finally saw what he wanted Wen Shulin to see about fifty or sixty meters away.
"Shh!" Chen Cheng said in a hushed tone, "Follow me."
He signaled Wen Shulin to follow him, who was suddenly gripped by an intense nervousness that even subdued the sound of her high heels tapping on the stone path.
After walking forward for about two to three minutes, Chen Cheng suddenly pulled Wen Shulin behind a small-leaved banyan tree.
"What’s going on??" Wen Shulin asked nervously in a hushed voice.
Chen Cheng just smiled and pointed ahead.
Following the direction of his finger, Wen Shulin’s face immediately flushed red.
Chen Cheng whispered, "Take another look?"
Wen Shulin pursed her lips and looked again.
The dim lights made it hard to see clearly, but indeed she saw two figures on a park bench, acting quite intimately.
"What’s there to see?" Wen Shulin shot Chen Cheng a resentful look, "Bringing me here late at night..."
"Look carefully." Chen Cheng said again.
Wen Shulin took a deep breath and trusted Chen Cheng once more.
This time, she noticed the intermittent flashing lights and the distinctive pattern of male-pattern baldness.
She covered her mouth in shock, "Is that...them?!"
Zhang Puhua, wearing a mask, and the lady with an open trench coat, also wearing a mask, were posing in front of the camera in various ways.
The person taking the photos was Zhang Puhua.
Chen Cheng smiled, "Now you know?"
Wen Shulin was puzzled, squatting down with Chen Cheng, minimizing exposure.
Chen Cheng chuckled, "Thanks to Zhang Zhenchao."
Chen Cheng shook his head.
"There you go getting impatient again!" Chen Cheng moved his face closer.
Seeing this, Wen Shulin was both delighted and annoyed, but still planted a deep kiss on his cheek.