The Modern World.
The city bustled with traffic.
Inside a high-rise office building, in the chairman's office.
Xiao Tianhao had returned that morning. After coming to the company and finishing the paperwork from the past few days, he listened to his secretary Huang Shujian's report.
"Blah, blah, blah... That's the gist of it. Haoyu Pharmaceutical Group currently makes a monthly net profit of over 580 million."
"Of the subsidiaries, Star Sleep Health Technology Co., Ltd. has the highest net profit, at over 270 million; next is Radiant Beauty Biotech Co., Ltd., at over 190 million; and last is Mao Yuan Hair Growth Technology Co., Ltd., at over 120 million."
Xiao Tianhao nodded as he listened, then remembered asking Huang Shujian to arrange a position for his younger sister, so he asked about her.
"By the way, I asked you to bring my sister Xiao Miaoqing into the company as a junior supervisor. How is she doing?"
Huang Shujian nodded approvingly and praised her.
"Miaoqing really does live up to being your sister, Chairman Xiao. She's doing very well. She picks everything up quickly and handles it all beautifully."
"I didn't expect you to learn how to butter me up so soon after joining the company, Shujian." Her flattery sounded rather odd to Xiao Tianhao, and he couldn't help laughing.
Huang Shujian rolled her eyes at him and said,
"If you don't like hearing it, forget it."
Xiao Tianhao chuckled and teased her.
"Who said I didn't like it? Come on, give me a couple more compliments."
Huang Shujian gave a haughty little huff.
"I don't feel like it anymore."
Xiao Tianhao walked over to her, pinched her cheek, and said,
"By the way, put your work aside this afternoon and come out with your esteemed chairman."
"Oh," Huang Shujian replied. Then she suddenly caught on, folded her arms across her chest, and looked at Xiao Tianhao with a pitiful expression.
"Chairman Xiao, are you finally making your move on me?"
Xiao Tianhao rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I'm tall, rich, and handsome. Do you think I need to?"
Huang Shujian bristled instantly and glared at him, her cheeks puffed out. "I was the campus beauty at university! Who knows how many people chased after me? You jerk, how dare you look down on me!"
Xiao Tianhao looked at her puffed cheeks. She was like a little pufferfish-so cute.
Seeing how indignant Huang Shujian looked, he couldn't resist reaching out to gently pinch her cheek again. "All right, all right, I know you were the campus beauty. Happy now? Go get ready. Meet me in the underground parking garage in half an hour."
Huang Shujian rubbed her pinched cheek and pouted. "Who does that? Suddenly demanding someone come shopping with you? I still have loads of paperwork to finish..."
"That's an order from the chairman." Xiao Tianhao deliberately put on a stern face, though his eyes held a smile. "All your work this afternoon can wait. Shopping with me is your top priority."
"Overbearing CEO," Huang Shujian muttered, but she still turned and left the office with a spring in her step.
Half an hour later, in the underground parking garage.
Huang Shujian had changed out of her business attire into a light blue dress. Her long, softly curled hair fell over her shoulders, making her look completely different from her usual efficient secretary self. Xiao Tianhao couldn't help taking a few extra looks. "I almost didn't recognize you," he said in surprise.
"What, don't I look good?" Huang Shujian twirled, her skirt fluttering gently in the breeze.
"You'll do." Xiao Tianhao pretended to inspect her critically, though his eyes were full of admiration. "Get in, Miss Campus Beauty."
Once she was seated in Xiao Tianhao's black Maybach, Huang Shujian asked curiously, "So why did our esteemed chairman suddenly feel like shopping today?"
With his hands on the steering wheel, Xiao Tianhao smiled faintly. "I just suddenly wanted to experience what shopping feels like when you're rich. You know, this is my first real shopping trip since my business took off."
Huang Shujian's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? It's been so long, and you've never gone shopping?"
"When I had no money, I was busy working. Now that I have money, I'm busy with other things. Where would I find the time?" Xiao Tianhao spoke lightly, but a barely perceptible trace of weariness flashed through his eyes. "I happen to be free today, and I have a beautiful woman for company. Why wouldn't I?"
The car slowly left the underground garage and joined the afternoon traffic.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the city's most luxurious upscale mall. The marble floors shone brightly enough to reflect their faces, the merchandise in the display windows glittered under carefully designed lighting, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Huang Shujian seemed a little uneasy. "Everything here is so expensive..." she whispered to Xiao Tianhao.
Xiao Tianhao smiled unconcernedly. "What are you worried about? Your chairman is treating today. If something catches your eye, just say so."
They first entered a luxury boutique. Recognizing at a glance that Xiao Tianhao was no ordinary customer, a sales assistant immediately approached with the utmost respect.
"See anything you like?" Xiao Tianhao asked her softly.
Huang Shujian shook her head. "Everything here is too expensive. I don't need any of it..."
Xiao Tianhao ignored her protest and pointed to an exquisite necklace in the display window. "Take that one out for us to see."
It was a simple platinum necklace with a sapphire pendant surrounded by tiny diamonds, refracting an enchanting glow beneath the lights.
"Try it on." Xiao Tianhao picked up the necklace and motioned for Huang Shujian to turn around.
"This is too expensive. I can't..." Before Huang Shujian could finish, Xiao Tianhao had already gently fastened the necklace around her neck. The cool touch of the metal made her shiver slightly.
"It looks beautiful." Xiao Tianhao studied her intently. "As if it were made just for you."
Huang Shujian looked at herself in the mirror. The necklace really did suit her, accentuating the graceful line of her neck. Still, she quietly refused. "It really is too expensive. One necklace costs almost several months of my salary."
Xiao Tianhao chuckled. "Don't forget, your boss is a bit of a moneybags now. This little bit of money is nothing." He handed over his black card and told the sales assistant, "Wrap it up."
"Xiao Tianhao!" Huang Shujian exclaimed. "This really isn't appropriate..."
"Consider it a reward for taking your work seriously." Xiao Tianhao winked. "Or would you prefer something else? We can keep shopping until we find something you like."
Knowing she couldn't win against him, Huang Shujian gave in. "This one, then. Thank you, esteemed chairman."
"Just call me Tianhao. We're off the clock."
After they left the shop, Huang Shujian touched the necklace at her throat, her feelings mixed. Xiao Tianhao noticed her expression and joked, "What, still aching over the money? Should we buy something even more expensive to numb you completely?"
Huang Shujian laughed at his words. "Who spends like you do? You let money flow away like water."
"It's called keeping the economy circulating," Xiao Tianhao declared confidently. "Come on, let's look at clothes."
Over the next few hours, Xiao Tianhao took Huang Shujian through all sorts of high-end stores in the mall. He bought her several outfits and a pair of exquisite high heels, and had her help him buy a heap of clothes and accessories he needed. They could barely carry all the shopping bags, so they had to make a trip to the car to put them away.
As the sun sank toward the horizon, they rested in the café on the mall's top floor. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline looked especially enchanting beneath the sunset glow.
Stirring her coffee, Huang Shujian said softly, "Thank you for today. I've never shopped like this before."
"You're welcome. I'm pretty happy to have such a beautiful woman shopping with me, too."
Looking at her profile, gilded by the setting sun, Xiao Tianhao suddenly asked, "Shujian, are you happy?"
Huang Shujian paused, then smiled. "Of course. What girl doesn't like receiving presents? But..."
"But what?"
"But I like the feeling of shopping with you even more. It isn't just because I received expensive gifts." A faint blush rose to Huang Shujian's face after she said that, and she hurriedly lowered her head to sip her coffee and hide it.
Something stirred in Xiao Tianhao's heart. He was about to speak when Huang Shujian suddenly interrupted him.
"Oh no! It's almost six!" she exclaimed after glancing at her watch. "I still have to prepare for a video conference tonight!"
Xiao Tianhao frowned. "Just cancel it. I'll take you out to dinner tonight."
Huang Shujian shook her head. "I can't. It's a meeting with our overseas partners, and it's important. I need to go back and prepare the materials."
Seeing the disappointment on Xiao Tianhao's face, she smiled playfully. "Next time. I certainly won't let a dinner invitation from our esteemed chairman slip away so easily."
On the drive back to the company, the atmosphere between them was noticeably different. There was less of their earlier playful banter, and more subtle silence and occasional meeting of their eyes.
When they reached the company's underground parking garage, Huang Shujian unfastened her seat belt but didn't get out right away. She turned to Xiao Tianhao and said sincerely, "I really enjoyed today. Thank you."
Xiao Tianhao nodded. "So did I. This was the most relaxing day I've had in years."
Huang Shujian smiled and was about to open the door when something suddenly occurred to her. She turned back and asked, "By the way, why did you suddenly want to go shopping today? Was it really just to experience shopping as a rich person?"
Xiao Tianhao was silent for a moment before answering softly, "Maybe I just wanted an excuse to spend a little more time with you."
The car fell silent at once. Their eyes met, and an indescribable tension filled the air.
Huang Shujian was the first to look away, her cheeks faintly flushed. "I... I really need to go prepare for the meeting."
She hurried out of the car, then turned back after a few steps and waved the shopping bags in her hand. "Thank you again, Tianhao."
Watching her retreating figure, Xiao Tianhao's lips curved upward without his realizing it. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Manager Zhang? I'll be attending tonight's video conference with our overseas partners personally."
After hanging up, he leaned back in his seat, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
Perhaps tonight's video conference would be much more interesting than he had imagined.
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