“Uncle, Auntie, I think perhaps you could trust me a bit more,” Lin Zhihua said.

As soon as his words landed, everyone looked at him simultaneously.

Especially Cheng Shuo, who felt a moment of embarrassment at being seen through.

With his small company, yet still aspiring to someday compete with Lin’s corporation…

Lin Zhihua held Xue Jiao’s hand tightly, his voice firm: “Jiaojiao is the person I care about most in this life, she is my everything. I would never allow anyone to make her suffer any grievance. However others treat me, I will ensure they treat Jiaojiao the same way!” Or even with more respect and reverence.

Cheng Shuo was momentarily stunned, but in the end, he pursed his lips and said: “What you do is what you do, what I do is what I do!”

After a pause, he added: “Your actions are necessary, I hope you’ll do as you say.”

Lin Zhihua nodded with a smile. Some promises had to be fulfilled through actions in their future life together, not through oaths sworn now.

Xue Jiao turned to look at him, her eyes slightly moved.

Cheng Mingze only said: “As long as you’re clear in your own heart, don’t think my Cheng family isn’t good enough, even if we’re not as powerful as your Lin corporation. If you ever wrong Jiaojiao, we’ll fight you to the death!”

Lin Zhihua continued to smile and nod, not feeling troubled in the least.

Jiaojiao was a priceless treasure, and to take such a treasure from a family, this little bit of grief was something he should endure.

Cheng Shuo finally smiled with satisfaction, poured him a glass of wine, and they clinked glasses before downing them in one gulp.

Thereafter, Lin Zhihua truly fulfilled what he had promised.

Especially after their marriage, rumors about Chairman Lin and Mrs. Lin continued to circulate among everyone who knew Lin Zhihua.

By that time, almost everyone knew that she was Chairman Lin’s treasured wife, and that while offending Chairman Lin was one thing, offending his wife was absolutely forbidden.

This evening’s gathering eventually came down to Cheng Shuo and Lin Zhihua drinking, with Cheng Mingze also joining them for quite a few glasses, while Xue Jiao and Li Sitong only had a little, not daring to drink much.

“Lin Zhihua! Another round!” Cheng Shuo’s face was bright red, his eyes half-closed.

Lin Zhihua’s face wasn’t red, but his eyes were narrowed as he half-slumped over.

“Dad, stop drinking, you’re already drunk,” Xue Jiao looked at Cheng Shuo helplessly.

In her view, he grinned: “Not drunk, the alcohol just goes to my head, but I’m still clearheaded.”

Cheng Mingze stood up and supported him: “Alright, alright, Dad’s not drunk, I’ll help you wash up now.”

He helped Cheng Shuo walk toward the bedroom. Li Sitong stood up and looked at Xue Jiao: “Jiaojiao, help Zhihua to the guest room to rest, I’ll clean up the dishes first.”

“Okay,” Xue Jiao agreed.

She supported Lin Zhihua, who was still somewhat cooperative, following her to the guest room.

Xue Jiao tossed him onto the bed, then muttered: “How is he going to wash up…”

“Zhihua, get up and wash!” Xue Jiao pushed Lin Zhihua, who had closed his eyes as soon as he hit the bed.

He made a sound: “Hmm.”

Xue Jiao bent down, intending to help him up.

Suddenly, in a whirl, Xue Jiao found herself flipped onto the bed.

The supposedly drunk man pressed down on her, laughing softly, his eyes clear.

Xue Jiao was stunned, and blurted out: “You’re not drunk at all!”

He and Cheng Shuo had drunk almost the same amount of alcohol. Cheng Shuo was considered capable of holding his liquor, so how was it that Cheng Shuo was drunk while Lin Zhihua seemed completely fine?

This didn’t make sense!

Lin Zhihua answered her with a smile: “I have a good tolerance for alcohol, I don’t get drunk.”

Xue Jiao’s eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

Were there people who couldn’t get drunk?!

“Little one,” Lin Zhihua brought his face close to hers, their distance extremely close, his voice intimate: “Rather than worrying about whether I’m drunk or not, shouldn’t you be more concerned about your situation?”

Xue Jiao: “…”

Under Xue Jiao’s dumbfounded expression, he captured her lips, his technique… skilled.

Soon, Xue Jiao grew somewhat soft, only able to passively receive.

Fortunately, Lin Zhihua didn’t intend to do anything excessive, and soon released her, lying beside her and holding her hand: “Jiaojiao…”

Just those two syllables, hoarse and deep, seemed to emanate from the depths of his heart, carrying intense, inexpressible feelings.

Xue Jiao took a deep breath, her face still slightly red, like a lingering sunset glow.

She glared at Lin Zhihua, annoyed: “You tricked me, pretending to be drunk!”

Lin Zhihua blinked innocently: “I’m wronged! If I hadn’t pretended to be drunk, your father might have drunk even more. I couldn’t let him continue!”

“So I should thank you for this??”

Lin Zhihua blinked: “No need for thanks, your father is my father too, it’s what I should do.”

Xue Jiao: “…”

“Besides, if I weren’t drunk, how could I have ‘entered your home legitimately’?” Lin Zhihua added, then looked around the room with satisfaction.

Before marriage, this room could become his long-term residence; after marriage, when they returned, he would naturally stay in Xue Jiao’s bedroom.

Xue Jiao: “…”

After a moment, Xue Jiao kicked him and shouted with lingering anger: “Hurry up and go wash! I’m going back to my room!”

Xue Jiao ran off, leaving Lin Zhihua sitting there, his mouth curved in a heartfelt smile.

Cheng Shuo had almost accepted him now, the only remaining issue was that Jiaojiao was still young…

This night was Lin Zhihua’s first stay at the Cheng family home, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

—

Now that love and family were somewhat balanced, the remaining issue was work.

The project progressed smoothly to its middle stage, with everyone being the dedicated, hardworking, and somewhat talented type.

Professor Jin occasionally came to check on them, and though even he didn’t know the future of this project, as a physics department professor, his physics expertise was formidable.

Sometimes, just a single hint from him was enough to make everything clear to them.

The project had been difficult in its early stages but became easier in the middle phase.

However, as the semester’s end approached and the project entered its later stages, it became difficult again.

“…so today we can’t do anything again?” Zheng Jiakun frowned.

Chu Sheng nodded and explained: “Senior’s solution failed, Little Junior’s also failed, and even Senior Yang Zhan’s failed. Now we only have Senior Zhang Han’s approach left. If it works, our project will soon come to an end. If that solution doesn’t work either, then we… will have to formulate a new plan.”

Zheng Jiakun’s brows furrowed.

Xue Jiao also felt helpless; this project was truly too difficult.

It had been almost a year, and they could only see a faint candlelight in this project—where was the dawn? There wasn’t even a hint of it yet.

“The end of the semester isn’t far off, no need to stay in the lab today. Go review for exams,” Zheng Jiakun said, putting down his things and pushing his glasses.

Today was Saturday, and everyone had no classes.

“Alright, let’s all go review. It shouldn’t take Senior Zhang Han more than a few days.”

“Okay,” Xue Jiao agreed, shouldering her backpack and leaving the lab.

She planned to go to the library first to study, but even on a Saturday, the library was full of people.

Xue Jiao thought for a moment and sent a message to Lin Zhihua—

[Are you busy today? Are you at the company? Can I come over to study?]

The reply came quickly, a voice message from Lin Zhihua—

“I’d be delighted. Jiaojiao, shall I come to pick you up?”

His voice sounded very happy.

Xue Jiao replied—

[No need, I’ll go home first to get some books, then take a taxi over.]

Lin Zhihua refused her offer: “I’ll have Tan Qi pick you up, take you home, and then bring you here.”

Xue Jiao thought about it and agreed.

While Xue Jiao was waiting for Tan Qi, Lin Zhihua, having hung up the phone, immediately smiled and pressed the bell.

Chen Yan quickly entered: “Boss.”

“Chen Yan, order a desk set for me right now, for Jiaojiao to use. Make it pink. The material should be safe and clean, not too big or too small, and have it delivered immediately,” Lin Zhihua instructed.

Chen Yan was startled for a moment before quickly replying: “Understood.”

Forty minutes later, a delivery truck with the desk arrived at the Lin Corporation building and boldly carried it inside.

Neither the desk nor the chair was wrapped in packaging. They were made of wood, painted pink, and had been ventilated for a long time, thus no longer needing packaging.

They were simply covered with a white cloth as they were transported up through the employee elevator.

Soon, the Lin corporation’s private chat groups exploded—

“Big news!! Big news!! Secretary Chen bought a pink desk for the boss and had it moved upstairs!!”

“What? Pink???”

“Does our company lack desks?”

“Lack desks my foot, didn’t you see it was delivered to the boss’s floor?”

“But it could be for someone else to use…”

“Does the boss have a daughter???”

“…Little Gu has gone crazy, even if the boss is old enough to have a daughter, would she use a desk of this height?”

“Holy crap! Holy crap!! Is it for the boss’s little girlfriend?”

“Unlikely, I saw the boss’s girlfriend last time. Although she looks young, she shouldn’t be… still in high school, right?”

“…Actually, university students have a lot of homework too…”

“I think given the boss’s personality, his girlfriend probably wouldn’t be a bookworm. Maybe she’s not a student.”

“Maybe the desk isn’t for studying?”

…

Gossip about the boss was something the entire company paid attention to.

At the front desk, Su Xi and Xiao Yue were cautiously scrolling through the group chat while talking.

“The boss’s girlfriend does look quite young, around seventeen or eighteen years old, I’d say.”

“I think so too. They only saw photos that day, and she was dressed maturely, but looking carefully at her face, she should still be young.”

“I agree, maybe just graduated from high school? Or in her senior year?”

“Freshman year in college is also possible!”

As they were talking, they noticed someone walking in, and recognizing the person at the front, they immediately stood straight, put away their phones, and maintained what appeared to be warm fake smiles.

Tan Qi pushed open the door with an imposing air, swept his cold gaze across the lobby, then immediately broke into a grin, turning around to respectfully usher in the person behind him: “Please come in…”

Xue Jiao nodded with a smile and walked in.

She first smiled at Su Xi and Xiao Yue, then approached, but before she got close to the passage, someone emerged from the side.

That man, whose mere glance was enough to make people sweat in fear, strode out, frightening Su Xi and Xiao Yue so much that their smiles stiffened and they dared not even let their eyes wander.

“Jiaojiao…” The voice of the man who scared others into immobility was soft and full of affection.

Xue Jiao smiled as she walked over, then had her ponytail adjusted by Lin Zhihua before he gently took her hand and led her toward the elevator.

She turned back to wave at Su Xi and Xiao Yue: “Bye-bye, sisters.”

“B-bye… bye…” The two stuttered, stiffly turning to look over.

It was also at this moment that they noticed Xue Jiao’s outfit today.

A high ponytail, wearing a mid-length down jacket, and carrying a backpack stuffed with many books.

This was still a student!!

Their boss was an old bull eating fresh grass!!!

The two stared blankly as the “old bull” naturally took the “fresh grass’s” backpack, and held her hand as they walked in, occasionally lowering his head to say something, his eyes and brows softening.