After the tycoon went bankrupt, he was raised by the villainous female supporting character and beca

“…It’s not about taking orders.” Zhou Limin smiled and glanced at Pei Lingxuan. “Something happened to my friend, and I have to go help him out for a while.”

“Okay.” Pei Lingxuan agreed obediently, but she knew in her heart that he was lying.

The excuse that a friend was in trouble and needed help was just a convenient pretext. His inability to bring Pei Lingxuan to the hospital anymore was simply out of fear—fear that Lu Yibai or Qin Sisi would find out they were together.

"Xiao Xuan," Zhou Limin suddenly called her again.

Pei Lingxuan: "Hmm?"

Zhou Limin freed one hand and patted her head: "Although I can't drive you around personally for a while, I'll arrange for an assistant to pick you up and drop you off at the hospital every day. I'll send you the assistant's contact information in a bit. Just call him wherever you want to go, and he'll take you there."

“There’s no need for that.” Zhou Limin’s thoughtfulness startled Pei Lingxuan, and she quickly refused, “The company isn’t far from the hospital, I can just take a taxi myself. Mr. Zhou, you don’t need to arrange for someone to pick me up, really, there’s no need.”

"I've already troubled you enough, and now that you're busy, I really feel bad about taking up any more of your time."

“It’s not a distraction,” Zhou Limin said with a gentle smile. “It’s reassurance. The fact that I can help you and that you’re willing to accept my help gives me immense peace of mind. Only when I’m sure you’re alright can I feel at ease.”

"And you don't bother me at all; it's all my own choice, and I enjoy it."

"...President Zhou."

Zhou Limin's words were so good and perfect that even though Pei Lingxuan knew she was acting with him, she couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart.

For a fleeting moment, she even thought that it would be wonderful if Zhou Limin and Lu Yibai had no relationship. If Zhou Limin were innocent, she would definitely be willing to give him a chance.

But there are never any "what ifs" or "ifs" in this world. If a person is dirty, they are dirty, no matter how good they are.

Pei Lingxuan was only lost in the moment before she snapped back to reality. She flashed her signature sweet smile and said to Zhou Limin in a coquettish voice, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Limin flicked her forehead with his finger: "You're welcome."

The restaurant where they ate was inside a shopping mall. Zhou Limin dropped Pei Lingxuan off at the mall entrance and didn't go inside.

"Eat properly, eat whatever you want, try to eat more, look how thin you are,"

Pei Lingxuan smiled shyly, pursing her lips, "I understand."

Zhou Limin: "Go in."

"Okay." Pei Lingxuan waved to him. "Then I'm leaving. Goodbye, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Limin's eyes crinkled into a smile, and his gaze toward Pei Lingxuan was so tender it was almost fatal.

"Goodbye."

It was a weekday, so the mall wasn't too crowded. Zhou Limin stood at the entrance, watching Pei Lingxuan's figure being carried up the escalator to the third floor and then disappear from sight.

"Eh……"

He sighed, turned and walked out, taking out his phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and transferring some money to Pei Lingxuan.

"Buzz-"

"Buzz-"

Her phone vibrated twice. Pei Lingxuan turned on the screen and saw that it was two WeChat messages sent to her by Zhou Limin.

She frowned as she unlocked her phone and went straight to her messages, only to be caught off guard by a golden transfer notification on the chat screen.

——【5200 RMB transferred via WeChat, please accept payment】

—Use today's play money to treat your good friends to something nice. Don't come back to work until you've spent it all.

……

These two WeChat messages were so heavy that Pei Lingxuan almost couldn't walk anymore.

She stood there, staring blankly at the chat interface with Zhou Limin on her phone, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

When Zhou Limin saw that she hadn't replied, he assumed she was too afraid to accept the message, so he sent her another one.

—Hurry up and take the money, or I'll deduct it from your salary.

Pei Lingxuan opened the chat box, her hands trembling slightly as she typed.

"Mr. Zhou, this is too much money."

Zhou Limin replied with a voice message: "It's not much, take it quickly, then go have dinner with your friends."

When he said this, Zhou Limin was probably walking, and his breathing sounded a little heavy.

Pei Lingxuan: Mr. Zhou, isn't this a bit against the rules...?

Zhou Limin: "I'm in charge of Qiangsheng Design. Whether it's in accordance with the rules or not is up to me. Hurry up and take the money, then have a good meal."

Having said all that, Pei Lingxuan could find no reason to refuse.

She obediently accepted the money and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Limin: Eat well, I'm driving now.

Pei Lingxuan: Mr. Zhou, please be careful.

After replying to that message, she put her phone away.

Five thousand two hundred yuan might not have been enough for her to have a fancy Western meal in the past, but now, this amount of money that she used to look down on is almost as much as her monthly salary.

Zhou Limin is really generous; he's willing to spend so much on her at such a short time.

That really touched her...

"Hmph." She sneered, quickly suppressing all her emotions, straightened her back, and turned to walk into the restaurant on her right.

The seedlings had arrived long ago, and as soon as Pei Lingxuan sat down, the waiter brought out the dishes.

"Xiaoxuan, these are dishes we used to eat a lot back in college. Try them and see if the taste has changed?"

Pei Lingxuan picked up her chopsticks and tried a little of each dish.

"It still tastes the same, not changed at all... They even have my favorite cold preserved egg salad! Xiao Miao, you remember all that!"

He Miao proudly raised her chin: "Of course I remember. Although I was love-struck back then, I never forgot my best friend's preferences."

Pei Lingxuan, holding her chopsticks, reached out and touched the back of her hand: "You're so kind."

He Miao: "Eat quickly, I've been starving for ages."

Pei Lingxuan: "Mm!"

"By the way, how exactly did you and your ex-boyfriend break up? I'm so curious."

He Miao: "Well... it's a long story..."

When good friends reunite, it seems like nothing has changed. They chat about gossip, reminisce about the past, and gossip about the people around them; even a small topic can keep them talking for half an hour.

They didn't eat much during the meal; they were both too busy talking.

“Sigh…” Pei Lingxuan finished her Sprite, propped her head up and sighed, “My job is great in every way, except I love working overtime. That boss is like an iron man, he can really keep us working non-stop without rest.”

"Uh..." He Miao hiccuped, squinted her eyes and asked, "The boss you're talking about is the one who took you to Wei Lan Studio the other day, right?"

“Yes,” Pei Lingxuan nodded. “It’s him. His surname is Zhou. We all call him President Zhou.”

“President Zhou…hehe.” He Miao suddenly laughed twice. “Xiao Xuan, strictly speaking, this President Zhou is also my boss.”

"Hmm?" Pei Lingxuan feigned surprise. "What do you mean?"