Guo Min's smile deepened, just slightly.
This... was the moment she had been waiting for. "Simple," she said. "We give you exclusivity."
A pause.
"Li International Airlines becomes the official airline partner for Grandeur Serene."
She leaned forward slightly now, matching his posture. "In return, we want integration."
Mr. Li's eyes narrowed slightly. "Integration?"
"Yes." Her tone remained steady. "Flight and destination packages. Priority booking channels. Joint branding. Seamless travel experiences from takeoff to check in".
She tapped lightly on the table.
"Your passengers don't just fly… they arrive with experiences already waiting for them."
Silence followed.
Then slowly, Mr. Li smiled. "The finalization meeting between our companies will be held on Monday," he said, closing the file. "My secretary will reach out regarding the necessary arrangements."
Guo Min returned the smile, her expression calm and composed, but internally she was already celebrating.
"I'll be taking my leave now," Mr. Li added as he stood.
"We as well," Guo Min replied, rising gracefully as she gathered her things.
"Might as well enjoy each other's company to the ground floor," he suggested.
Guo Min nodded, and together they walked toward the elevator, their conversation continuing lightly along the way.
At the ground floor.
The elevator doors opened.
Guo Min stepped out and ...halted.
Her gaze landed immediately on a familiar black car parked near the entrance, and the man stepping out of it.
Zihan.
"Boss… it's President Zhu," Xiao Mei whispered beside her.
Guo Min shot her a glare. "I can see that."
Mr. Li noticed the subtle shift in her expression. "You're acquainted?"
"Not really..." Xiao Mei started. "Yes, he's our young master, boss's h..."
"We barely know each other," Guo Min cut in smoothly, her tone calm but firm, but that lie didn't last long.
"…Guo Min." Zihan's voice carried across the lobby, low and unmistakable.
She closed her eyes briefly. So much for that. Turning back to Mr. Li, she offered a polite smile as if nothing had happened. "Excuse me."
Then she faced Zihan. "…President Zhu," she said evenly. "Do you have business here?"
Zihan raised a brow slightly, his gaze sweeping over her before settling.
"Business?" he repeated, paused. Then his lips pressed into a thin line. "You promised me a date," he said calmly. "Did you forget?"
Guo Min blinked.
Right.
That.
Behind her, Mr. Li greeted Zihan with a polite nod and slight bow, which Zihan acknowledged with a brief nod of his own, his attention already back on Guo Min.
Before she could say anything else, Zihan reached out, took her wrist, and pulled her gently but firmly toward the car.
"Zihan..." she started.
But he didn't stop walking.
"Xiao Mei!" Guo Min called out quickly, turning her head back. "Drive my car to the Wang mansion!"
"Y...Yes, boss!" Xiao Mei replied, trying not to laugh.
Mr. Li watched the scene unfold, amusement flickering in his eyes. "…Barely know each other?" he murmured to himself.
Outside.
Zihan opened the car door and guided Guo Min inside before closing it, he walked around and got into the driver's seat this time.
The engine started, silence filled the car for a moment.
"You barely know me?" he said flatly.
Guo Min crossed her arms, turning her gaze toward the window. "That was for business purposes."
"Mm."
Silence settled between them again, the soft hum of the engine filling the space, until Guo Min finally broke it. "Where are we going?".
"…Somewhere," Zihan replied.
Her brows pulled together immediately.
"I didn't know you joked," she said dryly, turning to look at him. "When did my husband change so much?"
No response.
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "And when exactly did you learn sarcasm? Because I just asked you a direct question."
Her tone was serious, but something about it... Made him chuckle.
Her lips twitched. "What's funny?"
"Nothing." There was a faint smile on his face now, though his eyes remained on the road. "I just didn't expect you to sound like that."
"Like what?"
"…Like you're interrogating a criminal."
She stared at him. "…who knows?, maybe you are one."
That earned a slightly fuller smile from him.
Zihan adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, still calm. "I'm taking you out for a bit. Sightseeing… something like that."
"Something like that... that doesn't sound too convincing" she echoed but Zihan just smiled.
She scoffed lightly and turned away again, but this time her gaze lingered outside the window a little longer, less rigid than before.
The tension in her shoulders had eased.
"What happened to your hands?" she asked quietly, her eyes falling on the faint cuts along his fingers.
"It's nothing." Zihan's reply came too quickly.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something off, but she didn't press further. He was in the underworld, injuries were almost expected.
Silence returned.
The city gradually thinned around them, towering buildings giving way to quieter roads and open stretches of land. The air felt lighter.
Guo Min shifted her gaze again, clearly about to ask another question, but Zihan kept his eyes on the road, pretending not to notice.
"We're here."
The car came to a smooth stop.
Before he could step out, Guo Min had already opened the door herself.
The view caught her immediately.
The evening sun stretched across the horizon, painting the sky in soft gold and amber. Flowers... lilies swayed gently with the breeze, their scent carried through the air.
She stepped forward, inhaling deeply. A small smile touched her lips. It felt… peaceful and refreshing.
Zihan walked up beside her, his gaze instinctively falling on her rather than the scenery.
Guo Min turned her head slowly to look at him.
"This isn't your style, Mr. Zhu," she said, a teasing smirk forming. "Trying to win me over?"
"…I am." He replied.
Her smile faltered slightly.
"…Why?" she asked, her eyes locking onto his.
Zihan paused.
"…Because…" he exhaled, his voice lower now, more raw than she had ever heard it, "I love you, Guo Min."
The words hung in the air.
"I really do," he continued. "I know I can be a jerk sometimes… I act stupid." A faint, self directed scoff escaped him. "And I'm sorry… for making you feel like you weren't important. When you were."
Silence fell.
Guo Min blinked once, caught completely off guard.
Then she looked away quickly.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously against her arm. "…You talk too much today," she muttered.
"Mm." He didn't deny it.
Guo Min smiled softly.
Her hand lifted and cupped his cheek, her fingers brushing lightly against his skin. For a moment, Zihan didn't move, then slowly, almost instinctively, he leaned into her touch.
Like it was something he had been missing for far too long.
The only awkward thing was their height difference, he had to bend slightly, but he didn't seem to mind at all.
"Let's not waste the little time we have today," she said suddenly, her tone shifting, lighter now. "Time to have some fun."
Before he could react, she slipped off her heels and kicked them aside.
Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.
"Guo Min..."
Too late.
She dragged him straight into the wide stretch of flowers. The field was vast, far wider than it first appeared, and though the ground was softened by petals and grass, it still made running a little uneven.
But Guo Min didn't slow down.
Her grip on his hand was firm, her laughter light as she ran so Zihan had no choice but to follow. Actually… he didn't even want to let go.
Her steps suddenly halted, and she bumped straight into him. "Ouch".
A beat of silence.
Then she burst into laughter. Zihan blinked, a little stunned at first, but a smile slowly found its way onto his lips as he watched her.
"So strange," she said between soft laughs, looking up at him. "A man like you… running through flowers with me."
So he was the joke?, Zihan shook his head slightly, amused despite himself.
"Mmm… Zihan," she said suddenly, her eyes lighting up, "let's dance!"
Before he could protest, she pulled him again. "Follow my steps."
"I can't..."
"Just follow."
And somehow… he did, awkward at first.
Zihan wasn't someone who danced, and it showed. His movements lacked ease and rhythm but Guo Min didn't care.
She moved freely, lightly, her laughter blending with the soft rustle of petals.
There was nothing seductive about it.
Just… pure happiness, and that yet made her even more beautiful.
At some point, Zihan stopped.
His hand slipped from hers, and he simply stood there, watching.
He couldn't match her energy, couldn't keep up with that lightness. But watching her?. That felt very rewarding.
Guo Min spun once, then slowed when she realized he wasn't following anymore.