80: Chapter 80: Blossoming!

Shen Fei's Adam's apple bobbed as he realized...

He had seen her wearing an evening gown, and he had seen her looking cute in her professional suit after finishing a competition, and he had seen that cute side of her, but never...

Like jade soaked in warm water, soft with a hint of moisture, and an unguarded allure.

He stood up, his voice sounding nervous and slightly raspy: "It's nothing, it's just... I didn't expect this bathrobe to fit so well."

Zhang Mingzhu looked down at the bathrobe she was wearing. It was a birthday gift from Lin Wei, who had babbled a bunch of stuff at the time... [Lin Wei: My taste is just that good!]

Originally, she thought it was just an ordinary piece of clothing, but after being looked at by him like that, she felt...

She hurriedly changed the subject: "Can you help me dry my hair?"

"Mm."

Led by her, Shen Fei went with her to her boudoir. It wasn't the pinkish kind, but rather a pale white; although it hadn't been lived in for a long time, it was still kept very clean.

Shen Fei picked up the hairdryer on the side and slowly began to dry her hair.

As her hair strands drifted, a faint fragrance wafted out—a mix of shampoo and the subtle scent of Zhang Mingzhu herself.

After a long while, Zhang Mingzhu looked up at him and said: "The guest room hasn't been used in a long time, the bedding might be a bit damp. Just sleep in my bedroom tonight."

Standing by the bed, he watched Zhang Mingzhu brush her hair. Her profile was turned toward him, her eyelashes long and slender, adding a touch of cuteness.

"You should go wash up too, the water is still hot." Zhang Mingzhu didn't turn around, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Shen Fei gave a sound of acknowledgment and walked into the bathroom.

As the hot water poured down, his mind was filled with the image of Zhang Mingzhu standing in the hallway. The drape of the silk bathrobe, the water droplets on her collarbone, her bare feet... He clenched his fists, forcing himself to calm down, but his heartbeat only grew faster.

By the time he came out, Zhang Mingzhu had already crawled under the covers, with only her head exposed, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

Shen Fei lay down on the other side of the bed, a half-foot distance separating them.

But at this moment, it felt like there was only a thin veil between them; they could clearly smell each other's scent.

In the room, they could hear each other's breathing.

Shen Fei turned to his side, watching her back. Her hair was spread out on the pillow, and the collar of her bathrobe had loosened slightly, revealing some delicate skin.

Shen Fei's hand hovered in mid-air, wanting to tuck her hair behind her ear, but pulled back just as he was about to touch her.

"Shen Fei." Zhang Mingzhu suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.

"Hm?"

"Just now... were you stunned?" There was a hint of a smile in her voice, but she didn't turn around.

Shen Fei chuckled, his voice gently brushing against her hair tips: "Yes, I was stunned."

Zhang Mingzhu's shoulders trembled slightly, then she slowly turned around, meeting his gaze directly.

His eyes were very bright, like they were filled with stars in the dim light, their noses almost touching.

Their breaths intertwined, their two scents mixing together, incredibly sweet.

Shen Fei's gaze fell on her lips, then to the corner of her eyes, and finally settled on her flushed earlobes. He could feel her breathing becoming rapid, and could feel his own heartbeat about to...

"Mingzhu." He called her name in a low voice, his tone filled with restraint, yet also something he couldn't suppress.

Zhang Mingzhu didn't speak, just slightly raised her chin, her eyes shifting, filled with a bit of shyness and a bit of tacit consent.

Shen Fei's hand slowly caressed her waist, the skin beneath the bathrobe warm. He could feel her body tremble slightly, but she didn't pull away.

He leaned in, his nose brushing against the crook of her neck, smelling a deeper fragrance, and then stopped by her ear: "Don't move."

Her eyelashes fluttered even more intensely, and her hands gently grabbed his clothes, her fingertips turning white.

The wind outside picked up again, making the window rattle slightly. The two of them, separated by thin bathrobes, felt each other's warmth and heartbeats.

The original half-finger distance gradually shortened, breaths intertwined, pouring out hidden surges; all restraint and tension were...

...

Early the next morning, Shen Fei had just opened his eyes when he rudely hung up the phone.

A few seconds later, his phone vibrated again.

"Who is it?"

Shen Fei's tone was clearly not very good, then he looked at Zhang Mingzhu beside him, who was still sleeping... His anger dissipated a little?

"General Manager Shen, it's me, Old Yu. What's wrong? I'm here to tell you some good news."

At the same time, laughter came from beside Big Mouth Yu, but Big Mouth Yu didn't care about that at all and continued to "report" on the work.

After all, the Mate's debut was indeed a huge achievement, exceeding his expectations.

"General Manager Shen, our Mate's sales volume has broken through 500,000 units, and that's only because the inventory isn't enough... Now every place is urging for shipments."

"Got it!" Shen Fei's tone still held a trace of impatience. "Go coordinate it quickly, the other production capacities aren't enough. And wait until Honor is released; it will be even more shocking, right?"

After saying this, Shen Fei rudely hung up the phone again.

On the other end of the line, Big Mouth Yu was still a bit stunned: "General Manager Shen, what's wrong this early in the morning... Could he not be fully awake yet? This is a huge, great achievement."

Beside him, Zhao Ming pointed at him and laughed...

"Old Yu, Old Yu, you'd better pray that the Mate 1 can sell 10 million units this year, and Honor can sell over 20 million, otherwise! Have you forgotten who General Manager Shen went back with yesterday?"

Originally, Big Mouth Yu was still a bit confused, but upon hearing the last reminder...

Oh no! He wouldn't be swapping positions with Zhao Ming, would he? He didn't want to go on business trips to Europe again; he really didn't want to eat that food anymore.

...

Hangzhou, Bird headquarters.

The once very lively headquarters entrance was now so deserted that one could hear the wind.

The office building door had a seal on it, signed by the Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court.

In the parking lot, there were still dozens of Bird company cars that hadn't been registered yet, now piled up like discarded toys.

On the 17th floor of the building, in the President's office.

General Manager Li Xiangdong sat in a wheelchair, staying there quietly. He was a full size thinner than three months ago, and his hands were covered in dense needle marks.

He had been in a coma last week, and for some unknown reason, he had vomited blood again. The doctor ordered absolute bed rest, but he insisted on coming to the company to take one last look.

Because today, Bird was going to be sold.

His former deputies were all giving outrageous quotes to outsiders, just like Shen Guoming had done before.

"General Manager Li Xiangdong, the liquidation team meeting... are you going to attend?" the secretary asked anxiously, clearly also carrying a hint of irritation; after all, suddenly becoming unemployed out of the blue, who the hell would be in a good mood.

General Manager Li Xiangdong slowly shook his head: "Let them handle it. Right now, the only things the company has that are still valuable are those patents and channels... How much did it sell for?"