Snapping out of his thoughts, he squinted his eyes at Stephanie Ruan.
In Javier Zhong's opinion, this woman in front of him is obviously not trustable at all!
Who knows what's the real reason for her coming so close to him?
But if she could be trusted to handle this difficult business deal and yet at the same time be able to help him please his grandmother for the time being, then he does not see why he shouldn't make full use of her?
After all, she is the one who came knocking on his door first!
"State your terms and conditions." Javier Zhong threw out these few cold words.
He had learned since young that the number one business rule is to wait for the other party to state their conditions first so that he would not lose out unnecessarily.
However, Stephanie Ruan is also well-educated on this rule. But someone has to start first, right?
So with this thought, she decided to play the game differently. "Relax, I'm not after any of your properties or money. All I need is a fiancé for one year and we..."
"Three months." He rudely interrupted her.
Stephanie Ruan let out a light smirk, "Six months it is."
She had long expected that he would bargain the terms in such a cut-throat manner and so she threw out a longer time frame on purpose.
And she got what she wanted!
Similarly, for Javier Zhong, six months is also the maximum duration that he could accept for this deal.
After all, who does not know that he could not stand having a woman sticking around him all day?
This is indeed the biggest compromise that he has ever given to anyone in this lifetime.
"Happy cooperation, Chairman Zhong." Stephanie Ruan stood up and put her hand out, intending to shake his hand but as expected of him...
Not only did he refuse to throw a glance at her hand, but he had completely ignored her words as well!
Unsurprised by his aloof behaviour, Stephanie Ruan chuckled as she withdrew her awkward hand.
"In that case, Chairman Zhong, I shall take my leave. See you in a few days." Stephanie Ruan then proceeded to exit the room with Mia Xue.
The minute the door is closed, Javier Zhong's cold voice resounded in the quiet room.
"I want to know everything about her and don't miss out on any piece of information!"
"Yes, Chairman Zhong." Isaac Wen replied promptly and immediately ordered his subordinates to proceed with the investigation.
...
Mia Xue quickly spotted a small concierge stationed right outside the entrance of the clubhouse.
"Director Ruan, I will be heading off from here to get the keys from the real estate agent. Should I get the staff to call a cab for you and send you back..."
Stephanie Ruan shook her head lightly with a gentle smile. "It's okay, Mia. Go get busy. I can handle this on my own."
Since Stephanie Ruan knows that she would be staying in Country C for some time, she has decided to purchase a new and large sea-view penthouse, with its good location strongly recommended by her best friend, Daniel Yan.
As such, Mia Xue would be busy handling the administrative duties on her behalf and also expediting their move-in process.
Soon, Stephanie Ruan is left all alone at the entrance.
It is not that she does not know how to approach the staff to call for a cab, but that she does not know where to go.
Hence, she looked around and found a seating area nearby.
As soon as she settled down, Stephanie Ruan took out her phone and searched for 'popular shopping malls' in the city.
Since the event is only a few days away, she better start looking for an evening gown to wear on that day.
As she was scrolling through the list, she could not help but notice a car that has stopped right in front of her.
Curious, she looked up and immediately saw someone stepping out of the black limited edition Rolls Royce car.
"Director Ruan, this way please."
Isaac Wen stretched out his arm in a polite manner and invited her to sit at the back of the car together with Javier Zhong.
This is a very unusual situation as Javier Zhong would not even allow any woman to touch the handle of his car, let alone sit next to him.
But Isaac Wen had only dared to do so today as it is a special order given by his young master!
On the other hand, Stephanie Ruan would usually reject such offers without any second thoughts.
But because she only has 6 months to get close to Javier Zhong, she decided to seize every opportunity!
However, as soon as she got into the car, she saw that Javier Zhong's eyes are closed.
Is he asleep??...
"Director Ruan, where are you heading to?"
Stephanie Ruan quickly placed a finger on her lips to signal him to not speak. If Javier Zhong has already fallen asleep, he must have been drained from work.
As a boss herself, she empathise with him and know the importance of these short naps so she did not want to disturb his rest.
She took out her phone and typed a message for Isaac Wen to read instead.
[I am unfamiliar with this city. I would like to go shopping. Could I trouble you to drop me at a mall that you would recommend?]
Although she used to live in Country C, the cities here have become more developed over the years, with many new attractions and high-rise buildings dominating the once empty plots of land.
As such, it is only natural for Stephanie Ruan to feel like a foreigner in her homeland. After all, it has been many years since she has returned to her country.
Looking at her message, Isaac Wen immediately understood and gave her a nod. He then whispered a location to the driver next to him, before ordering him to drive off.
At the same time, he could not help but think to himself, "Since when did Chairman Zhong ever take a nap in the car?..."
"He is usually very efficient and would even sieve through some documents while travelling from place to place... This is really odd..."
But Isaac Wen got to admit that he is truly impressed with Stephanie Ruan's polite and considerate action.
He is in complete disbelief that she is the same lady who had successfully struck a deal with his boss just now!
And he has a strong gut feeling that she isn't a mean person at all...
In fact, he is starting to have a good impression of her and could not help but wonder how suitable she would be for his young master...
Yes... perfect match!!
"!!..."
Upon realising what he was dreaming about, Isaac Wen quickly shook off those thoughts in his mind and pulled himself back to reality!
He would totally be slaughtered and thrown into the sea if Javier Zhong ever finds out what he is thinking about!!
...
Over at the back, Javier Zhong was indeed not sleeping. He opened his eyes slowly, only to catch Stephanie Ruan staring out of the window quietly.
Despite his subordinates having a silent conversation with her in the car, he is completely aware of what is going on.
In fact, he had closed his eyes on purpose to test Stephanie Ruan's intention for getting close to him.
But it has already been 15 minutes into the ride and not only did she not make a move on him, her thoughtful act had surprised him a little.
Having said this, Javier Zhong still did not believe that she is one of good character, judging from how she had schemed her way to the point of becoming his 'fiancé', all in one day!
Such a despicable woman!!... He is definitely going to tear her mask apart today! Just wait for it!
With a smirk, he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her towards him.
Stephanie Ruan, who is totally caught off guard with his sudden action, could only helplessly fall on his body.
"!!!..."
Unbelievable!!
Knowing that Javier Zhong had done this on purpose, she immediately turned her head and was ready to confront him.
"You!!..."
Just then, the car suddenly screeched to a halt! With widened eyes, Javier Zhong uncontrollably leaned forward and...
-Kiss-
"??!!..."
To be more accurate, it was just a peck on their lips that lasted for about one second.But this is more than enough to send Stephanie Ruan flying into a rage!Horrified by his actions, Stephanie Ruan raised her voice at him in disbelief. "Javier Zhong!! How dare you!!""!!!..."The minute she finished her sentence, the car became dangerously silent, with both Isaac Wen and the driver drowning in fear.Though they did not manage to witness the incident, they could vaguely guess what had happened just by looking at their body language.And this is the first time they have encountered someone calling their young master by his full name and also looking to start a fight with him!Such a bold lady! But does she know that she is playing with fire?!"..."Frankly speaking, it is indirectly the driver's fault for unintentionally causing the 'kiss' to happen. But their boss is actually getting scolded for it instead!What
It's no wonder why the boy would have such a huge reaction especially after seeing Javier Zhong's ferocious eyes staring straight at him.Is he even a human at all?! Who treats such a young child like this??With a frightened child in front of her, she could not be bothered with Javier Zhong any longer and gave her full attention to the young boy instead.She cuddled him in her arms and soothe him, "It's okay, Ethan. Don't be afraid... Auntie is here..."Stephanie Ruan then shifted his attention to a fancy ice cream truck nearby. "Wow, what is that, Ethan?? Take a look at it!""Do you want to have some ice cream?""Let's go get one for you, alright?"With that, she ignored Javier Zhong and brought the boy over to the ice-cream truck."..."Meanwhile, Javier Zhong stood at the same spot and watched Stephanie Ruan from afar with a complicated gaze.He had deliberately ordered the driver to make a u-turn just t
Grandma Zhong looked into Stephanie Ruan's pure eyes and nodded her head with satisfaction. "Stephanie... That's a nice name.""I am Javier's grandmother. You can call me Grandma Zhong.""!!..."Startled, Stephanie Ruan briefly glanced at Javier Zhong before meeting Grandma Zhong's eyes again.Never would she have imagined herself to be meeting his grandmother so quickly... And what's more, in such an unexpected situation!At the same time, Javier Zhong wore his usual indifferent look on the outside but is actually very surprised to hear his grandmother's words.People have to know that she does not just let anyone call her by the name of 'Grandma Zhong'.She must have taken a liking to Stephanie Ruan!"Grandma Zhong, it's nice to meet you." With a sincere smile and a slight nod, Stephanie Ruan greeted her politely.Having been in the business industry long enough, Grandma Zhong has already met all kinds of people. As su
With that, she gave him a slight smirk and returned to her original position."!!..."Stalking her?! Missing her??!!Did she seriously say that??!!..."Crazy woman." Javier Zhong muttered under his breath in disbelief.This lady is truly capable of making his heart boil each time she speaks!Although he refused to entertain her right now, he has already made a mental note to count these 'debts' with her in the near future!Amidst their conversation, Isaac Wen, who almost burst out laughing, quickly regained his composure after noticing Javier Zhong's piercing gaze through the rear-view mirror.To be fair, nobody could blame Isaac Wen for having such a huge reaction!I mean, throughout his many years of working closely with Javier Zhong, no one has ever dared to speak to his boss in such a manner before!Indeed, it was truly an eye-opening scene!And of course, Stephanie Ruan did not pursue the matter any fu
Similar to the exterior of the house, the interior followed a classic and luxurious French design, well-lighted with several huge chandeliers.It is easily notable that only the finest materials are used.Soon, what greeted them are two grand and elegantly curved staircases that leads to the second floor of the mansion."!!..."Wow!! This place is basically like a palace!Stephanie Ruan quickly recognised the expensive paintings that are hanging on both sides of the wall.Each painting could easily be sold at the auction for at least ten million yuan (about 1.5 million US dollars)!And there are at least 20 paintings here in just this area alone!...As they entered the main living room, the originally lively atmosphere had become totally silent within a split second!In the eyes of Stephanie Ruan, it is pretty obvious that the two of them are not welcomed at all.Meanwhile, the Zhong family members are ast
Just then, Thomas Zhong and his younger brother, William, have returned to the living hall from their mother's room.He noticed that his son has brought a lady home and the current atmosphere does not seem too right."What's going on??" Thomas Zhong questioned sternly."!!..."Upon seeing that her husband has also arrived, Auntie Josephine quickly ran over to his side to complain about what had just happened."William, look at the girl that Javier has brought back... Such a wild and unruly girl. You should have seen how she treated us earlier!"After hearing what Auntie Josephine had said, Thomas Zhong had no choice but to verify it with his son."Javier, is that true?"No longer surprised that such a question would come from his father, Javier Zhong stared at him indifferently, "If you already chose to believe her, then why bother asking me?"And just before Thomas Zhong could even retort, Grandma Zhong's angry voice so
He definitely did not see this reply coming along and had expected her to accept the gift with open arms.After all, this necklace is so expensive and dazzling. He could not understand why any girl would not want it!With a soft sigh, Grandma Zhong replied adamantly. "I've decided that this necklace will only be yours to keep. I will not want to give it to anyone else."Despite knowing that the two of them are not in a real relationship, Grandma Zhong still genuinely likes Stephanie Ruan. She hopes that her grandson could also see the good in her and continue to keep her by his side."..."Seeing her look of hesitation, she nodded heavily while urging her, "Listen to grandma and just keep it first... You can return it to me again if you decide not to marry Javier in the future."Indeed, Grandma Zhong is smart enough to understand why Stephanie Ruan is not keen on accepting the necklace.But being the stubborn person that she always is
Well, what he had said actually makes sense...She could not ruin their act just like this!But this also meant that she could only give in and had nothing else to rebuke his words at all!"..."Seeing that she has unwillingly submitted to him, Javier Zhong displayed a sly smile on his face.In fact, he is extremely satisfied that Stephanie Ruan actually fell for that!Come on, is this your first day knowing this guy??Do you think he truly cares about the rumours of their fake relationship or his family uncovering the truth about this relationship??What a complete joke!!Throughout all these years, he is well-known to be someone who lives his life according to his own set of rules and does not bother about what other people think of him!In that case... why did he go through all the trouble just to trick her into believing his words??To be honest...He truly enjoyed the way Stephanie Ruan treated