The image of those "Deep Sea Blue Whale & Creamy White Salted Fish" couple's aprons hit Su Xiaolan's fortress of salted-fish lethargy like a precision-guided pink bomb, detonating with such force it left her dizzy and her cheeks burning! Li Chenyuan's challenging eyebrow arch blatantly wrote the declaration "Mandatory Matching Set" across his face – Your territory? I've occupied it. Your person? I've claimed her. This apron? You will wear it.
A scalding torrent of mortification, absurdity, and a hidden, fluttering thrill surged straight to the top of her head! Su Xiaolan tightened her grip on the little yellow duck hug pillow in her arms, wielding it like her final weapon. Counterattack! She had to counterattack! This whale had climbed right onto her face, setting up its strategic headquarters in her living room, and dared to try and brand her with an apron?! Not a chance!
"Hmph!" She let out a loud snort of protest from her nose. Clutching her little duck, she shuffled back to her little yellow duck sofa in her slippers, deliberately making as much noise as possible with each flip-flop, flip-flop step. Then, she grabbed the remote and cranked the TV volume to maximum! On the screen, the leads of a melodramatic soap opera were engaged in a tear-jerking, Qiong Yao-style screaming match:
"You're heartless! You're cold! You're unreasonable!"
"And you're not?! You're not cold?! You're not unreasonable?!"
"Where am I heartless?! Where am I cold?! Where am I unreasonable?!"
The deafening dialogue, mixed with exaggerated background music, instantly flooded the entire cramped space! It perfectly drowned out the steady, professional murmur of German conversation emanating from Li Chenyuan's laptop.
Li Chenyuan's fingers paused almost imperceptibly on the keyboard. A slight frown touched his brow, but he didn't look up or try to stop her. It was as if he possessed a built-in sound barrier. He simply brought his phone closer to his ear and murmured rapidly in German, "Hans, give me one minute. Some... environmental noise interference." His tone was calm, betraying no trace of annoyance.
Su Xiaolan saw this and pursed her lips. Sound barrier? Let's see how long you can hold out! Her eyes darted mischievously. She put down the remote and, shuffling her slippers like a little cat patrolling its domain, began pacing back and forth across the living room. She grabbed a bag of chips and deliberately crinkled it loudly. She walked behind Li Chenyuan's armchair, stopped, bent down, and brought the chip bag close to his laptop's microphone—
CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
The crisp, loud, and rhythmically cheerful chewing sounds transmitted clearly through the high-sensitivity microphone directly into the ear of Mr. Schneider, CEO of Hofmann Group, all the way in Germany!
Li Chenyuan: "..."
On the laptop screen, in the video conference window, the grey-haired, stern-looking German gentleman visibly frowned, his puzzled gaze piercing through the screen.
Li Chenyuan remained expressionless. With utter naturalness, he simply lifted a hand and adjusted the angle of his phone beside the laptop, subtly shifting the microphone away from the noise source (Su Xiaolan). Simultaneously, he addressed the screen in fluent German, "My apologies, Herr Schneider. It's my assistant... stress-testing the tolerance levels of our new workspace environment." He delivered the lie with such earnestness, his face not even flushing, it sounded utterly plausible.
Su Xiaolan, listening from behind, almost bit her tongue! Stress-testing tolerance levels?! That lie rolled off his tongue way too smoothly! She glared furiously at Li Chenyuan's straight back, as if it were an immovable fortress wall.
Plan A failed? Time for Plan B! Su Xiaolan spun around and dashed into the bedroom. Seconds later, she emerged clutching an armful of items—her tablet, her phone, and even a small Bluetooth speaker! She dumped them all unceremoniously onto the coffee table, dangerously close to Li Chenyuan's laptop. Then, she deftly started operating them!
"Timi~"
"First Blood!"
"Double Kill!"
"Unstoppable!"
Fierce game sound effects, exaggerated kill announcements, the rock music blasting from her phone, the infectious, demonic laughter from a viral short video on the Bluetooth speaker... multiple sound sources exploded in a chaotic mix! It was like a small, disorderly, and malicious electronic music festival had erupted in the living room! Perfectly submerging Li Chenyuan's steady German conversation in a sea of noise!
This time, even Li Chenyuan's formidable composure seemed shaken. His fingers froze completely on the keyboard. His brow furrowed deeply, his jawline taut. On the screen, Mr. Schneider's expression had shifted from puzzlement to obvious displeasure and impatience. He glanced pointedly at his wristwatch.
Li Chenyuan took a deep breath, preparing to offer reassurance.
Suddenly—
"Ding Dong! Detected excessive indoor noise levels! Environmental assessment: Extremely noisy! Hazard level: High!"
"Strongly advised: Wear noise-canceling headphones or REMOVE NOISE SOURCE!"
"Repeat: REMOVE NOISE SOURCE! REMOVE NOISE SOURCE!"
The damn smart door—the one whose voice system Li Chenyuan had "thoroughly disabled"—had stubbornly, in a voice that sounded strained and unnaturally distorted from suppression, blared its announcement across the living room again! The volume wasn't loud, but against the chaotic noise backdrop, it cut through like a precise scalpel!
Su Xiaolan: "Pfft—!" She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter! Smart door! Well done! Delivered the coup de grâce!
Li Chenyuan's face instantly darkened like a burnt pot! A vein throbbed visibly at his temple! He felt the dignity of a multinational conglomerate CEO being ruthlessly ground into the dust by this damn door and the troublemaking salted fish behind him, working in tandem!
On the laptop screen, Mr. Schneider's expression had shifted from displeasure to astonishment and utter incomprehension. He had clearly heard the door's bizarre announcement. His gaze at Li Chenyuan was filled with confusion: "Herr Li? Is there... a technical malfunction on your end? Or... do you require security assistance?" His German was heavy with bewilderment.
"..." Li Chenyuan found himself speechless in a negotiation for the first time. He closed his eyes for a second, forcefully suppressing the urge to dismantle the door and throttle the salted fish. When he opened them again, absolute calm had returned (at least superficially). "My deepest apologies, Herr Schneider," his voice was as steady and commanding as ever. "A minor... mishap during smart home system debugging. Grant me thirty seconds."
With that, he decisively tapped a few keys on his laptop, shutting off his own microphone and camera! The screen instantly switched to a static PowerPoint slide.
The world was suddenly half silent...
Li Chenyuan whirled around! His deep-set eyes now resembled storm-tossed ocean depths, surging with icy, dangerous fury, fixed directly on the source of the chaos—Su Xiaolan!
Su Xiaolan flinched under the sheer oppressive force of that gaze, instinctively shrinking her neck. But then she straightened her back, glaring back defiantly! You think I'm scared?! Go ahead, try and bite me!
Li Chenyuan didn't speak. He simply stood up, his tall frame radiating intangible authority as he strode forward. He skirted the coffee table and stopped right in front of Su Xiaolan. She clutched her little duck pillow like a startled creature puffing up its quills, watching him warily.
Just as Su Xiaolan braced for an explosion, Li Chenyuan did something utterly unexpected!
He bent down, swift as lightning! But his target wasn't her—it was her phone and Bluetooth speaker on the coffee table! His large hand swept them up effortlessly, confiscating the noise sources!
"You—" Su Xiaolan started to protest.
Li Chenyuan casually tossed her phone and speaker onto the nearby armchair (his territory). Then, under Su Xiaolan's stunned gaze, he leaned in, planting his arms on either side of her little yellow duck sofa's armrests, trapping her completely within the small space formed by his chest and the sofa back!
The crisp scent of sandalwood mixed with his intensely masculine aura instantly enveloped Su Xiaolan! They were so close she could see each individual lash framing his eyes, and the turbulent, dangerous, complex emotions swirling in their depths!
"Su. Xiao. Lan." His voice was dangerously low, vibrating like the most perilous string of a cello. His warm breath brushed against the sensitive shell of her ear. "Your mischief... was effective."
"But," he paused, his deep gaze locking onto her wide, startled pupils. A dangerously sexy smirk curved the corner of his lips. "Delaying a negotiation worth hundreds of millions of Euros..."
"This debt," he dipped his head slightly, his lips almost grazing her smooth forehead. His voice was low, magnetic, laced with an ambiguous threat. "We... will settle after the meeting."
"Now," he straightened up instantly, creating distance, but the oppressive aura remained. "Be quiet. Stay put. Otherwise..." His gaze slid meaningfully towards the entryway cabinet, as if the Creamy White Salted Fish apron were already there, waiting. "...I won't hesitate to exercise my 'creditor's rights' in advance, employing some... 'unconventional measures' to ensure this meeting concludes smoothly."
Without waiting to see her instantly flushed face or panicked eyes, he turned and strode back to his seat with measured steps. He reopened his microphone and camera. His face instantly switched back to the cool, controlled CEO persona. He addressed the screen in fluent German: "Apologies for the delay, Herr Schneider. Minor issue resolved. Let's proceed."
Su Xiaolan sat frozen on the little duck sofa, her hug pillow nearly crushed out of shape! Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs. The sensation of his breath, his proximity, his threatening words still lingered on her skin, tingling and burning! The spot on her forehead where his breath had touched felt scorching!
'After' the meeting...
'Unconventional measures'...
'Creditor's rights'...
Those loaded, threatening words, combined with his dangerous look and the glance towards the apron... felt like countless tiny claws scratching at her heart!
She watched his profile as he focused on the meeting, listening to his steady, fluent German, while simultaneously recalling the oppressive intimacy and ambiguous threat of moments ago...
A powerful, complex surge of emotions—mortification mixed with inexplicable excitement and a shiver of encountering a worthy opponent—overwhelmed her!
This whale!
Too cunning!
To counter her mischief like that!
Su Xiaolan glared at him, puffed up with indignation, but dared not make any more noise. That close-quarters threat had been too potent, especially the thought of that Creamy White Salted Fish apron... She had no doubt this whale meant every word!
She could only hug her little duck, shrink into the corner of the sofa like a disarmed little animal, protesting silently with her eyes. But her mind raced uncontrollably with one question: What exactly are his 'unconventional measures'...?
For the rest of the meeting, the living room held only the sound of Li Chenyuan's steady German and the occasional tap of keys. Su Xiaolan had nothing to do, yet her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the man.
Morning light filtered through the curtains, softly illuminating his focused profile. His damp hair was casually swept back, revealing a high forehead and sharp brow bone. The deep grey tank top outlined powerful shoulders, arms, and a solid chest. He handled issues with clear logic and sharp words, his every move radiating an aura of absolute control. This focused, professional charisma formed an extreme and mesmerizing contrast with the image of him earlier, awkwardly cracking eggs while wearing the little pink duck apron.
This whale...
Actually...
Kind of... really handsome?
Especially... without the apron...
The moment this thought surfaced, Su Xiaolan violently shook her head! Su Xiaolan! Snap out of it! He's the tyrant who invaded your home and wants to strap you into a salted fish apron! She forced herself to look away, only to find her gaze drifting back...
Just as the meeting was wrapping up and Li Chenyuan was delivering his final remarks, the doorbell rang again. This chime sounded tentative.
Su Xiaolan jumped up, relieved, and went to answer. Outside was Wang Jing, accompanied by a store clerk in the uniform of a top-tier homeware brand, holding two enormous, exquisitely wrapped gift boxes.
Wang Jing's eyes flickered rapidly over Li Chenyuan in the living room (still in that revealing, powerful tank top ensemble, mid-video call), then to Su Xiaolan. Her face maintained professional calm, but her eyes held a deep weariness and a "here we go again" resignation.
"Miss Su, the items Mr. Li requested have arrived," she indicated for the clerk to place the boxes in the entryway.
The clerk set down the boxes respectfully, cast a curious glance at the imposing man in the living room, and hurried away.
Su Xiaolan stared at the two ribbon-tied boxes like Pandora's boxes, her heart pounding erratically again! Here it is! The damn matching set!
Wang Jing leaned in, whispering quickly, just loud enough for Su Xiaolan to hear: "The left, dark blue box is Mr. Li's clothes and... apron. The right, white box is yours. All... 'matching'... as per Mr. Li's requirements." She stumbled over the last two words. "Mr. Li said he expects to see... 'results'... after the meeting." Having completed this perilous mission, she practically fled.
Su Xiaolan closed the door, looking at the two gift boxes like Pandora's temptations, then back at the man about to finish his call. A potent mix of humiliation and rebellion surged within her!
Want to see me in the matching salted fish apron?
Over my dead body!
Her eyes darted. A bold (and suicidal) plan formed instantly! She stealthily scooped up the dark blue box belonging to Li Chenyuan and slipped into the bedroom.
A few minutes later, Li Chenyuan ended the video conference and closed his laptop. He rubbed his temples, a hint of fatigue showing, but his gaze remained sharp. He looked towards the entryway and saw only the solitary white box. His dark blue box was gone.
His brow furrowed. He stood and walked towards the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar.
He pushed it open.
The sight that greeted him instantly petrified the battle-hardened CEO!
Inside the bedroom.
Su Xiaolan stood facing the full-length mirror. She was wearing... the impeccably tailored, premium grey silk loungewear top from his gift box! The garment, a perfect fit for him as loungewear, hung ludicrously oversized on her petite frame, looking like a hip-hop style oversized dress! The hem fell mid-thigh, the neckline gaped open, exposing one rounded shoulder and delicate collarbone. The sleeves draped ridiculously long, and she was struggling to roll them up.
But what truly caused Li Chenyuan's pupils to dilate in shock—
Su Xiaolan was holding the Deep Sea Blue Whale apron, trying to put it on over the oversized top! The apron was comically large on her, the ties absurdly long, and she was fumbling clumsily to tie it at the back.
Hearing the door, Su Xiaolan turned. Seeing Li Chenyuan, she didn't panic. Instead, she beamed a dazzlingly bright, even challenging, sweet smile! She tugged at the oversized men's top she wore, then waved the equally oversized blue whale apron in her hand, her voice clear and filled with mischievous triumph:
"Mr. Li! Finished your meeting?"
"Look! I'm 'trying on' your 'strategic gear' for you!"
"Hmm..." She deliberately drew out the syllable, tilting her head, putting on an air of serious critique. "...The fabric is nice, but way too big and long. Not practical for someone as agile as me, a salted fish."
"As for this whale apron..." She held it up, the silver-embroidered, imposing whale shimmering in the morning light. "Tsk tsk, too aggressive. It really doesn't suit the vibe of... a salted fish like me!"
"So," she tossed the apron casually onto the nearby bed like discarded trash. Then, she patted the oversized grey top she wore—his top—grinning like a mouse that had stolen the cooking oil. "...it's much comfier just wearing this! You don't mind... lending me your 'battle robe,' Mr. Li, as a house dress, do you?"
Li Chenyuan: "..."
He stood frozen in the doorway. His tall frame utterly rigid. His deep eyes locked onto Su Xiaolan—dressed in his clothes, the oversized neckline slipping off her shoulder, revealing pale skin; the ridiculously long sleeves bunched at her wrists, creating a lazy, tempting look; the deep grey silk draping her slender form. It was completely ill-fitting, yet damned if it didn't... strangely suit her lazy salted-fish vibe, radiating an indescribable intimacy and possessiveness!
The discarded, grinning little yellow duck hug pillow lay innocently on the bed behind her.
A powerful, unprecedented shockwave—more like a tsunami—crashed over Li Chenyuan! It wasn't anger, nor embarrassment. It was something fiercer, more unfamiliar... a scorching thrill of possessive satisfaction! Seeing his clothes envelop her body, seeing her preen with mischievous defiance like a kitten in oversized human clothes...
He felt his heart seized by an invisible fist, then abruptly released, blood surging hotly through his limbs! His throat tightened. A dangerous heat coiled low in his belly!
Su Xiaolan watched his eyes instantly darken and smolder, like hidden flames igniting, and his body tense like a drawn bowstring. The triumph of her prank evaporated like a popped balloon, replaced by the primal sense of being prey under a predator's gaze! She instinctively pulled the oversized garment tighter around herself and took a tiny step back.
"I... I was joking..." Her voice held a barely perceptible tremor.
But Li Chenyuan moved.
He didn't speak. He simply took a long stride into the room. Each step was measured, deliberate, carrying an intangible, suffocating pressure. He walked right up to Su Xiaolan, his tall frame completely enveloping hers.
He reached out. But not to reclaim his clothes. That large, strong hand, with its faint callouses, settled gently yet irresistibly against Su Xiaolan's flushed cheek. His fingertips were cool, but the touch burned.
Su Xiaolan trembled violently, frozen like a statue. She could only stare wide-eyed as his face drew nearer, and the churning abyss in his eyes threatened to swallow her whole.
"Wearing my clothes?" Li Chenyuan's voice was low and rough, like the richest liquor, dangerously magnetic. "Su Xiaolan, do you know what this means?"
"It means..." He leaned in closer, his scorching breath grazing the sensitive curve of her ear, sending shivers through her. "...this salted fish..."
"Has already been..."
"Permanently marked by the whale."
As the last word fell, his other arm snaked possessively around her slender waist, pulling her tightly against him! He dipped his head and captured her soft, sweet, startled lips in a kiss that was utterly undeniable, utterly possessive, and utterly consuming!
This wasn't the angry, punishing kiss from last night's storm.
This was a declaration of sovereignty—a scorching brand, meant to drag her irrevocably into the deep...
The whale's mark!