A Fruitful Year

The photos were sent, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; there was no response for a long time.

I don't know how much time passed.

The other end sent a voice message that lasted several tens of seconds.

Zhang Yang casually forwarded the text.

[No, bro... you're serious... you actually won over Teacher Meng... you bastard...]

The long passage contained emotions that were like a rollercoaster, full of ups and downs, twists and turns, interspersed with various vulgar words, to express his overwhelming shock.

Zhang Yang could certainly understand Chen Zhuo's complex emotions and shock.

After all, Chen Zhuo was once a member of the class and they went through the same student days. Who knows, he might have been one of Meng Baihan's admirers.

The messages kept coming in, but Zhang Yang had lost all desire to read them anymore.

The last sentence Chen Zhuo sent seemed to be a question of resentment.

[After dinner, you're probably just planning to take a casual walk, right?]

Zhang Yang shook his head and chuckled, then put down his phone and began to enjoy his dinner with Teacher Meng.

They both drank some alcohol that evening.

Teacher Meng's cheeks were flushed from drinking, and she rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at Zhang Yang.

"Zhang Yang, where shall we go tonight?"

"Let's go home after dinner, where else can we go?" Zhang Yang said with a wink and a smile.

"No way..." Teacher Meng with a slight reproach. "Your hotel is so big, and you don't even have a place for me?"

She said a few words and gently took Zhang Yang's hand.

"How about we don't go back...?"

Once the white moonlight, now Teacher Meng.

Holding his hand, she pleaded...

Zhang Yang had never imagined such a scene years ago. Not only had he never imagined it, he had never even dreamed of it.

Zhang Yang raised his head and took Teacher Meng's hand again.

"OK."

Instantly, Teacher Meng beamed with joy, her face blossoming with happiness.

··

As night falls, inside the presidential suite of the Four Seasons Hotel.

The water in the bathroom was running loudly.

Zhang Yang rested his arm on his pillow, looking at his phone. Chen Zhuo's messages on the phone were still coming in.

Look how anxious he is.

"Zhang Yang..." In the distance, Teacher Meng peeked out from the bathroom, still a little shy and embarrassed, "I'm out..."

"Come out, then come out..." Zhang Yang smiled, but then paused slightly.

"It's not... you..."

Meng Baihan walked out shyly yet boldly.

The city night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminated by the suite's lights.

The figure before him had wispy black hair and a flawless figure, and she bravely and boldly displayed herself completely in front of Zhang Yang.

"Does it look good?" Meng Baihan bit her lip, took a small step forward, and asked softly.

"Put it on quickly," Zhang Yang said.

"Why bother?" Meng Baihan gently climbed up and snuggled into Zhang Yang's arms, a hint of triumph in her eyes. "Don't you feel... something special... wait, where are my glasses?"

She doesn't usually wear glasses, but she does occasionally.

"Hiss... you." Zhang Yang stared in disbelief at Meng Baihan had put on his glasses.

"I know you're surrounded by lots of girls, lots of beauties, and probably quite a few prettier than me." Teacher Meng, wearing glasses, leaned on Zhang Yang's chest, smiling as she looked at Zhang Yang. "But my type... there's probably no one who can find a better alternative, right, Zhang Yang?"

"No, there really isn't," Zhang Yang admitted.

After all, Meng Baihan, with his multiple identities, did indeed stir up his long-lost sense of novelty and desire to conquer.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Meng Baihan leaned in and kissed Zhang Yang. "My darling?"

The night was deep.

Zhang Yang took a deep breath and got out of bed. Behind him, Teacher Meng was already exhausted and fast asleep, with a trace of pain still lingering between her brows.

Looking back on the entire night, he was amazed by Teacher Meng's performance.

Her initiative, her courage, and her endless creativity all seemed to be her way of trying her best to leave him with the most unforgettable impression.

The final result, naturally, was success.

Zhang Yang will never forget the way she endured the pain, her eyes glistening with tears, yet she held herself tightly, repeatedly calling her own name softly.

Zhang Yang bent down and kissed Teacher Meng on the forehead, then covered her with a corner of the blanket.

Then, he walked into the living room, which was far from the bedroom, pushed open the door to the private garden terrace, and, under the vast night sky, smoked a cigarette that left a lingering aftertaste and deep meaning.

Now that's what you call an after-sex cigarette, right?

Under the night sky, the Yinghai stretches out before your eyes.

Standing in his own industry, having just received a special gift, Zhang Yang was in a better mood than ever before.

"The New Year is almost here!" he murmured to himself, gazing at the night sky.

Under the same night sky.

Yinghai... The Yinghai landmark at your feet, the Four Seasons Hotel, and the Star City World Commercial Street in sight.

In Magic City, the Vantone Bank Tower stands majestically on the Huangpu River, dazzling under the night sky. The Yunheng Building is brightly lit, perhaps still occupied by office workers who haven't yet left work.

Located on the banks of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, the InterContinental Garden Hotel offers panoramic views of the ever-flowing tides of the Qiantang River, day and night.

Beijing's Huaying Film and Television Base: a massive construction site that operates day and night, the future Hollywood of the East.

There's also Soup King Hotpot, which has over a hundred stores nationwide.

Not to mention Cloud Sea Capital has already invested in many unicorns with unlimited potential for the future.

What a bountiful year it has been!

Is anything else missing? No, that's all.

Is there anything big I want to do? It seems like I don't have that in mind for the time being.

There are so many people in this world who do great things, and there are plenty of people with dreams and the ability to change the world, so it seems like we're not missing out on one more.

Zhang Yang slowly exhaled smoke, his expression serene and nonchalant.

At least for now, all he wants to do is enjoy life.

Let's talk about the future when it comes.

A moment later, he tiptoed back to the suite's bedroom.

Lying down in bed, I casually pulled Teacher Meng black hair was spread out on the pillow, into my arms. Listening to her soft breathing, I relaxed completely and drifted off to sleep.

··

Early the next morning.

Zhang Yang opened his eyes and looked with great interest at Meng Baihan's smooth back and her limping gait.

"You're still smiling..." Teacher Meng turned around and scolded softly, her delicate body half-hidden, concealing her loneliness.

"Want to do morning exercises together?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

"Ah?" Teacher Meng was terrified and immediately begged, "I was wrong, Master. Please allow me to go back and recuperate. You really... really are like a lion, not a cub, but the Lion King. I'm just a little lamb being eaten by you."

"It's just morning exercise, what did you think it was?" Zhang Yang smiled, got out of bed, and casually went to the balcony shirtless to do a set of boxing.

In the morning light, his perfect, invincible body was bathed in golden sunlight.

Every move they made seemed to possess endless charm and beauty.

Teacher Meng stared blankly at the scene in the room, as if she were in a trance.

After Zhang Yang finished his set of punches, Teacher Meng could no longer contain her emotions and rushed over to embrace him, her heart and eyes filled with boundless tenderness.

"Let's do our morning exercise together," she said.

"You..." Zhang Yang casually picked up Teacher Meng around the waist and carried her to the restroom with a smile.

Around 8 or 9 a. m., Zhang Yang and Teacher Meng walked out of the suite side by side.

On the way, Teacher Meng muttered something about having to teach a class.

"Ouch." She gently leaned against the wall.

Seeing that Teacher Meng was walking with a limp, Zhang Yang felt sorry for her and called the principal of Yinghai Middle School to ask for leave for her.

It's rare for someone to speak up, so there's no need to make it up for just a day or two.

So I asked her for a week off.

Fortunately, her music class... well, it's not actually that important. There are plenty of teachers who covet her class and would love to take it over.

"That's wonderful, I love you." Teacher Meng hugged her happily.

In the corridor, several hotel managers happened to pass by, all lowering their heads and pretending not to see anything.

Their lowered eyes were filled with shock.

This was the first time they'd ever seen the boss bring a girl home, and the two were behaving so intimately... Could it be...?

One by one, people started to let their imaginations run wild.

Later that evening, Zhang Yang drove Meng Baihan all the way back to their villa.

"Can we still walk?" he asked before getting off the bus.

"Okay, you should go home early. I'm fine." Teacher Meng leaned over and asked for a farewell kiss, then said with a smile.

Zhang Yang nodded, watched Teacher Meng walk a few steps and enter her house, before driving away.

··

In the days leading up to the Spring Festival, Zhang Yang spent his time in a pleasant and unusually regular routine.

Every two or three days, his mother would call him back to the villa for dinner, cooking all sorts of different dishes for her son, with no two meals being the same.

They don't even go to the restaurants much anymore, because the manager is keeping an eye on them.

Zhang Yang naturally enjoyed himself and made the most of his time with his parents.

Besides going home, he often goes to the Four Seasons Hotel, Star City World Commercial Street, and even occasionally visits his ecological park in the suburbs.

He grew to love this eco-park, which was far from the city center, more and more.

In this ecological park, there is a wonderful feeling of being away from the city, far from the hustle and bustle, and in close contact with the rural nature.

They enjoy activities like fruit picking, egg collecting, fishing, and occasionally an outdoor BBQ.

They were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Moreover, every time I go back, the trunk is never empty. There's always chicken, duck, fish, and meat in it. I bring them to my mom for soup and cooking, and when I occasionally visit Teacher Meng's house, I bring them along so I don't go empty-handed.

These things are certainly not rare.

But when you mention that these are all high-quality products grown in your own industrial park, the meaning changes completely.

When has Teacher Meng's mother not treasured these things like precious gems? They're incredibly rare.

Teacher Meng was also quite curious about Zhang Yang's ecological park. Unable to resist her repeated requests, Zhang Yang took her there for a visit. Unexpectedly, Teacher Meng became obsessed and kept pestering Zhang Yang to go every few days.

On this very day, their housewarming party was finally about to begin.

When other families move to a new house, they naturally treat it as a top priority and hold a grand celebration. But for Zhang Zhaohai and his wife, it is now just a trivial matter.

Even so, the call was made to inform them.

Friends and relatives responded enthusiastically, offering their congratulations.

Needless to say, there are relatives, as well as Zhang Zhaohai and his wife's former friends, colleagues, and even former classmates, and various partners and friends they met while running the restaurant.

There's no way to refuse them when they know you've moved to a new house and have come to congratulate you. You can't possibly refuse them when you're hosting a party.

So come, come, everyone come.

Only Zhang Yang himself kept quiet and didn't tell anyone about it, so no one knew about it.

If he were to tell anyone, what would happen? Friends thousands of miles away would all try to send their blessings. It was such a trivial matter that he felt there was really no need to talk about it.

Purple Garden No. 1 Villa.

Zhang Yang's detached villa was unusually lively today, both inside and outside the yard.

Friends and relatives gathered together to offer their congratulations in advance.

In the garage, Maybach, Bentley, and Cullinan are lined up in a row. Inside the house, the luxurious decoration is exquisite, with various interior design brands; a simple search reveals an astonishingly high price.

"This giant screen TV has such great picture quality, how much did it cost?!"

The aunts gathered around curiously, searched for the model number, and then checked the price.

More than a million!

Oh my god.

Looking at the kitchen cabinets, the quality is simply extraordinary. I checked the price again.

This one costs hundreds of thousands, that one costs hundreds of thousands, and together they add up to several million.

Not to mention the tables and chairs everywhere, the bedding in the room, and even the jewelry cabinet that you only catch a glimpse of – none of them are cheap, starting at hundreds of thousands.

The entire villa, including its interior design and furnishings.

Tens of millions have already been spent?

Many relatives and friends were still in shock, their mouths agape, their eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

What a difference!

They finally realized that the Zhang family was now truly a social class they could no longer reach.

In the living room, Zhang Yang had already picked up his parents, who lived in the countryside, early in the morning.

At this moment, the two elderly people sat upright on the sofa, surrounded by a group of relatives who kept flattering them with all sorts of nice things, making them beam with joy.

"Oh dear, you two can finally enjoy your retirement! Your son and daughter-in-law's restaurant business is so successful, and your grandson has built such a great enterprise!"

"Yes, we should enjoy life to the fullest!"

"You can move in here!"

Song Wenqin brought out a fruit platter and said with a smile, "Mom and Dad, why don't you come and stay here? There are plenty of rooms, and it will be easier for us to take care of you."

"We're not used to it, we're not used to it." The two elderly people waved their hands repeatedly, "It's more comfortable at home."

Although they were old, their minds were not senile; on the contrary, they were quite shrewd, and they had heard everything the other person was discussing.

In this family alone, there are hundreds of thousands here and hundreds of thousands there all the time.

How can anyone live like this?

No, no, I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable living there.

Therefore, they firmly rejected their daughter-in-law's kind offer.

"We're still healthy and strong. When we get too old to move around, you can bring us up here," the elderly couple said.

Zhang Yang was reminded of what his grandparents had said.

Oh, right.

I gave this Peiyuan Dan to my parents, and haven't had a chance to give it to the two elderly people yet.

Yes, we'll find an opportunity to let them use it.

As for the dosage, it was naturally reduced significantly again. Even if the final effect didn't make them look much younger, it was still better than any health supplement, making the two elderly people even healthier.