No fair! Another sneak attack!

Well, damn, Chen Lin thought.

Was this really the same aloof, unapproachable ice queen of a store manager?

Still, he really had been run off his feet these past two days. He quickly adopted a humbler tone and apologized with a placating smile.

"My fault, my fault! Please calm down, Manager Song! But isn't this a coincidence? I was just about to drive over to see you when you called. We must be on the same wavelength!"

"As if I'd be on the same wavelength as you!" Song Qiuya huffed in displeasure, though her tone had clearly softened.

"Really, I'm not lying. I've already got my car keys in my hand!"

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end before a trace of pleasure crept into Song Qiuya's voice, unnoticed even by her.

"...Fine! I'll let you off. I was just about to tell you that all the jewelry made from the gold you brought last time is ready. Come take a look at the designs. If you don't like them, I'll have them changed."

"Yes, ma'am! Your wish is my command! I'll be right over!"

After hanging up, Chen Lin was about to leave when something suddenly occurred to him.

He hurried back to the kitchen, found a clean bag, and carefully selected twenty or thirty of the finest cherry tomatoes from the pile intended for the guests. He put the fruit, red as pigeon-blood rubies, into the bag.

Then he started the car, and the white Qin Plus shot off like an arrow released from a bow.

Forty minutes later, the Qin Plus came to a smooth stop outside the Zhou Xiaofu jewelry store.

The young woman who had served him twice before was there again.

Chen Lin walked over with a smile. "Hello. We've met twice now, but I still don't know your name."

The young woman's eyes lit up when she saw him. Then she gave him a sweet smile, revealing two adorable little canine teeth.

"My name's Chen Yao!"

"Chen Yao?" Chen Lin paused. "So we share a surname! I'm Chen Lin!"

"I know, Mr. Chen!" Chen Yao covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes sparkling.

"Hahaha! Don't call me Mr. Chen. That's too formal. Just call me Chen Lin!"

Chen Lin waved cheerfully and followed Chen Yao upstairs to Song Qiuya's office.

Chen Yao gave Song Qiuya a playful wink, then tactfully withdrew, closing the door softly behind her.

Only the two of them remained in the office.

Song Qiuya wore a well-tailored black skirt suit that day. She rose, about to pour Chen Lin some water.

Suddenly, she froze.

A warm masculine presence silently approached her from behind.

Before she could turn around,

a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. There was nothing rough about the embrace, yet its irresistible strength gently drew her against a warm, solid chest.

A moment later, a low voice, accompanied by warm breath, murmured beside her sensitive ear.

"I missed you."

Song Qiuya's whole body instantly went rigid.

This guy!

No fair!

Another sneak attack!

A searing electric current exploded at her neck and swept through every inch of her body.

Her beautiful face, usually cold as frost, flushed visibly. An intoxicating blush spread rapidly from her ears all the way down her snowy-white neck.

Knock, knock, knock.

A soft knock sounded at the office door.

Like a needle, the sound instantly pierced the air, which had all but solidified with intimacy.

Song Qiuya shuddered, her stiffness instantly replaced by a tidal wave of embarrassment.

She shoved Chen Lin away, breaking free of the embrace that had sent her heartbeat completely out of control.

She turned away as though fleeing, her back to Chen Lin, and ran her hands haphazardly over her perfectly tailored skirt suit, smoothing it even though there wasn't a single wrinkle.

"Come in!"

Her voice carried a trace of trembling panic that she herself failed to notice.

A female employee in her thirties opened the door and entered, carrying a tray covered with red velvet. She set it lightly on the desk.

She smiled and nodded at Song Qiuya and Chen Lin, a knowing look in her eyes, then tactfully excused herself.

Song Qiuya took two full, deep breaths before her pounding heart settled down a little.

She slowly turned around, though a lovely blush still lingered on her fair, delicate face.

Chen Lin, meanwhile, acted as though nothing had happened. He walked straight to the desk and lifted the velvet cloth.

Golden radiance instantly spilled from the tray, almost bright enough to illuminate the entire office.

Two sets of gold jewelry and a palm-sized gold pig lay quietly against the red velvet, gleaming with a rich, warm luster.

The first set-a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet-had a dignified, elegant design and used generous amounts of gold. It was clearly tailored for a middle-aged woman like Liu Shuqin, with a reassuring heft and a commanding air of luxury.

The second set was clearly much more youthful, incorporating fashionable openwork and flowing lines into a design that was delicate yet sophisticated.

Most notably, a fingernail-sized ruby adorned both the necklace pendant and the bottom of each earring.

The stones were a deep pigeon-blood red, flashing like flames beneath the lights. One glance was enough to tell they were worth a fortune.

The gold pig beside them was utterly endearing, with a round body and a broad, grinning face. Every detail was wonderfully lifelike.

Chen Lin nodded repeatedly as he examined them, thoroughly pleased.

Money well spent.

He looked up at Song Qiuya. "How much? I'll transfer it to you."

Song Qiuya shook her head, her attitude firm.

"I told you there's no need."

"How can I do that? These are separate matters!"

"I said there's no need, and I mean it!" There was a little girl's stubbornness in Song Qiuya's insistence. "You supplied the gold, and I had the craftsmen waive the labor fees. If you insist on paying me, you're treating me like an outsider."

Chen Lin was helpless.

Fine, then. No payment.

I'll just make it up to her twice over some other way.

With a chuckle, he produced a plastic bag from behind his back as though performing a magic trick and gently set it on the desk in front of Song Qiuya.

"Here. I brought these especially for you."

Inside the bag were cherry tomatoes so red they verged on purple. Every one was plump and round, its skin so smooth and glossy that it could clearly reflect a person's image.

At the sight of the bag of tomatoes, an inexplicable sweetness filled Song Qiuya's heart.

This guy isn't quite so clueless about romance after all.

She picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

The skin was incredibly thin. Her teeth barely touched it.

With a pop, it burst.

An indescribable explosion of sweet-and-tart juice instantly flooded her mouth!

This was nothing like the taste of an ordinary tomato.

The sweetness was pure and refreshing, with an extraordinary fruity fragrance unlike anything she had ever encountered.

The tartness was perfectly balanced. Far from being astringent, it gave the sweetness remarkable depth and left an endlessly lingering finish!

Song Qiuya froze.

Her chewing involuntarily slowed, and her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

What kind of heavenly tomato is this?

How can it possibly taste this good?

She had eaten countless premium fruits throughout her life, yet she had never tasted anything that so completely overturned her understanding of flavor.

"I grew them myself!" Chen Lin grinned proudly at the adorable sight of her sitting there, stunned by the deliciousness.

Song Qiuya came back to her senses. Without saying a word, she picked up another and put it in her mouth.

This time, she closed her eyes, her face taking on an expression of blissful satisfaction.

In that moment, the exquisite flavor shattered every last bit of her reserve and composure.

Watching her eat one after another, her cheeks puffing out slightly like a hamster sneaking food, put Chen Lin in an excellent mood.

He pulled out a chair, sat down, and got to business.

"Qiu Ya, I'm planning to expand my countryside guesthouse back home. I want to build a Water Restaurant on the reservoir, along with a water park and a fishing center. You know a lot of people. Do you know any reliable design firms?"

Song Qiuya stopped eating. She elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and looked at Chen Lin, her eyes full of shock.

She had thought Chen Lin merely wanted to run his countryside guesthouse and enjoy a quiet, comfortable life.

She had never imagined that this man harbored such an ambitious vision.

A Water Restaurant? A water park?

This wasn't some little side project. This was a plan for an entire vacation resort!

A name quickly flashed through her mind.

Chen Shuting, the wife of the owner of Yicheng's largest local construction company, the Yicheng Construction Group, was a longtime customer of hers. They were on fairly good terms.

Without hesitation, Song Qiuya took out her phone and made the call.