I Won't Agree

Chi Ye looked at the flowers, then at Shen Zhiyi. Boss Yao was still lavishing her with praise, but Shen Zhiyi did not even smile.

Chi Ye, on the other hand, responded quite naturally.

"Miss Shen, your skills are truly incredible," Boss Yao said. "The old man in my family absolutely loves that tea table."

"Of course. Just look at who made it," Chi Ye said.

"How did you make these flowers look so lifelike?" Boss Yao asked. "I thought they were real flowers."

"It's just skill. Nothing much," Chi Ye said.

"Look, you've captured all these details so well," Boss Yao said. "If I get any good timber next time, I'll definitely ask you to work on it again."

"That'll cost extra, but feel free to get in touch," Chi Ye said.

The two went back and forth. Boss Yao had been puzzled at first, but when Shen Zhiyi did not speak, she ended up trading lines with Chi Ye like they were a comedy duo.

Before leaving, she also told them they could visit her mountain plantation tomorrow. It had all sorts of things growing there and was also a great place for hiking and sightseeing.

Shen Zhiyi had originally wanted to decline, but when Boss Yao mentioned the trees growing there, she was tempted. That was all timber. Perhaps she could get a few pieces from Boss Yao to take home.

Seeing that she was tempted, Chi Ye agreed without another word and arranged a time for tomorrow.

Since the time had already been set, Shen Zhiyi did not refuse anymore. She understood that this was Boss Yao's way of showing her appreciation. After all, Boss Yao had been so busy these past few days that she had not even had time to visit the courtyard to see them.

Besides, Chi Ye had taken care of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, leaving Boss Yao no chance to arrange anything. Now she insisted on inviting them both for a walk on the mountain.

Early the next morning, Chi Ye knocked on Shen Zhiyi's door. This time, he checked the room number repeatedly before knocking.

Last time, his assistant had sent him the wrong room number, causing him to leave dinner at the wrong door and knock on the wrong room. No wonder Shen Zhiyi had kept looking at him like he was an idiot that evening.

Shen Zhiyi finally opened the door after his second round of knocking, but she did not look very alert.

Her sleepy eyes were still reluctant to open, and faint dark circles lay beneath them. She looked as though she had not slept all night.

"Are you feeling unwell? Did you sleep badly last night?"

Shen Zhiyi picked up the water that had been sitting on the table all night and drank it without batting an eye. The icy water slid down her throat and spread through her insides, chilling her through and making her much more alert at once.

A broad palm touched her forehead. Her reaction was a little slow, and before she could dodge, Chi Ye had already held her head and felt her forehead.

"You're not hot. No fever either. Did you stay up late last night?"

Shen Zhiyi stepped back and replied flatly, "No."

Chi Ye withdrew his hand, his frank gaze never leaving her as he looked her up and down. She was much more alert after drinking the cold water, but her face was still pale.

"If you're really not up to it, we can tell Boss Yao we're not going. Rest for the day, then head back to S City tomorrow."

Shen Zhiyi picked up her jacket, changed her shoes, and walked out of the room before replying, "No need."

Seeing that he could not persuade her, Chi Ye hurried after her and said from behind her,

"Then let's have breakfast first. Mr. Zhao said the breakfast place next door to him is pretty good. Let's try it."

Chi Ye dragged Shen Zhiyi along for breakfast, and afterward, they got into Boss Yao's car. The mountain roads had all been paved, but the timber mill was halfway up the mountain. If they wanted to go any farther, they had to get out and walk.

Shen Zhiyi was lazy. Normally, she would never stand if she could sit, and she would never stand if she could lie down. Hiking was always the first activity she ruled out.

But faced with Boss Yao's enthusiastic invitation, she sighed repeatedly to herself and had no choice but to start walking.

The mountain path was not difficult. Boss Yao introduced things as she led them along, but halfway through, her phone rang again, and she could only leave with her phone and an apologetic smile.

There were no particularly dangerous plants or animals on the mountain, so Boss Yao felt comfortable letting them explore on their own. She simply told them to call her if anything came up.

Shen Zhiyi spotted a tall tree and stood beneath it, gazing at it quietly while thinking what a fine piece of timber it was.

Some trees would be cut down once they reached a certain height and sent to the timber mill for processing. This entire mountain belonged to Boss Yao's family, and she had maintained the land very well.

Chi Ye followed behind her, stopping and starting as she did. She did not like to talk, and even her thoughts were few. Sometimes, Chi Ye could not tell what she was thinking at all.

There was no shortage of shade from trees that blocked out the sunlight. The farther in they went, the taller the trees became. Each tree had a numbered sign marking which one it was, and every tree had a name.

Shen Zhiyi crouched down to look at the moss on the ground. The emerald-green moss looked fuzzy, and up close, it seemed to give off a fragrance.

She rested her chin against her elbow, looking utterly docile. Something stirred in Chi Ye, and he spoke softly.

"Shen Zhiyi, would you consider working with me?" He was still a little nervous as he spoke. After all, half a month had passed, and he had no idea what Shen Zhiyi had decided.

He had followed her all the way here. Surely Shen Zhiyi had seen his sincerity?

Shen Zhiyi did not answer, so he continued,

"I never knew you were actually so skilled. You know, my grandfather has a tea table too. He loves it and treasures it.

"When I saw the tea table you made for Boss Yao a few days ago, I could tell at a glance that it must have been made by the same person who made my grandfather's.

"My grandfather really likes you. He wanted the two of us to get to know each other. Your kidnapping last time was a huge mix-up. That man was a business associate of mine who was trying every possible way to get me to work with him.

"When I refused, he went to my grandfather, and then, through a mix-up, he ended up kidnapping you. I'm very sorry about that.

"I want to work with you because my grandfather really likes you. If my grandfather likes you, my mom won't force me to go on blind dates anymore.

"So, Shen Zhiyi, please, will you help me this once?"

His eyes were deep-set, their outer corners tilted upward, and his gaze carried a natural arrogance. There was a hint of wildness in his features, and not a single flaw could be found in his face. Whenever he stood on the street, someone would ask for his contact details.

Shen Zhiyi shifted, then stood up. They were suddenly face-to-face. Chi Ye looked into her eyes, waiting for her answer.

He finally asked, Shen Zhiyi thought. It was quite something that he had managed to hold back for half a month.

They were due to head back tomorrow, so asking today was the right choice, because Shen Zhiyi would not be returning with him.

"I won't agree." Her cool voice rang out on the silent mountain.