Even He Teng, who wasn’t one for showing much emotion, couldn’t help but smirk. Just yesterday, Zhilan was complaining about his beard, and today she had changed her mind.
The midday meal was much more bountiful than yesterday’s dinner. Zhilan had gone out of her way to buy groceries early in the morning, she even splurged on a small hen and goji berries to make a stew; all to improve He Teng’s health.
Although restoring his lost vitality from the past twenty days cannot be achieved overnight, she planned to replenish him as much as she could in the next few days. Once he returned to the base, it would be impossible for him to get this kind of care.
After lunch, He Teng exited alongside Zhilan and led her to Xing Ye’s place. While he discussed matters with Xing Ye, Zhilan was alone, sipping tea in Xing Ye’s office and waiting. About half an hour later, He Teng and Xing Ye returned, both looking serious.
Zhilan suspected that they had excluded her from the discussion because there were matters she wasn’t meant to know. Thus, she refrained from asking questions. The three then discussed the matters related to the company Zhilan had founded. He Teng appeared mildly surprised when he learned that the company’s name was Lanteng.
However, he only looked at her briefly before moving his gaze away, his expression unreadable.
After a while, He Teng left Xing Ye’s office, leaving Zhilan behind. He said he would come back later to go home together.
"When do you plan to return?" Xing Ye asked Zhilan while pouring more tea.
"I’ve arranged my affairs, so it depends on my brother. It should be in the next couple of days." Zhilan thought of Bian Xiulin and chuckled, "Tell me, are the two little ones in your family too secretive? Still unwilling to leave your wife’s womb?"
"There seems to be some movement recently, so she was admitted to the hospital this morning. The birth should be soon." When mentioning his wife and kids, Xing Ye’s smile deepened. "What about you? Are you going to keep on chasing him while he keeps avoiding you?"
"Otherwise? He refuses to consider remarriage." Zhilan sighed. "However, it seems he’s not avoiding me as much these days. If I cling to his arm, he doesn’t intentionally shake me off, and he doesn’t show any annoyance if I’m around."
"That’s because he doesn’t have the energy to deal with you, shameless as you are." Xing Ye chuckled, "You have no idea how he got through these twenty days. It was tougher than you can imagine, almost inhuman. Maybe these days he simply doesn’t have the energy to shoo you away."
With that, Xing Ye continued, "I’ve tried several times to probe him for his intentions on your behalf, but I got nothing. However, Zhilan, He Teng is stubborn and takes a long time to warm up. Since you’ve decided on him, don’t give up lightly. Even if he’s warmed up to you, you might not notice. Therefore, keep going. In my view, he does seem to have feelings for you."
"What makes you think so?" Zhilan asked with a smile.
"You tell me. If it were anyone else, he would have kicked them aside a long time ago. Yet, there you are, chatting and laughing. He must have his reasons for refusing to remarry. If he doesn’t say, we wouldn’t understand. But time will tell. I dare you to bet with me, he can’t outlast you! Within two or three years, as long as you don’t give up, he will yield." Xing Ye joked, "And before he does, he will remain celibate for you."