In the garden, Susan, feeling somewhat disheartened, walked alone to a quiet spot. The events of today made her realize that her previous thoughts were truly a mistake. She had always believed that Reed would be her lifelong partner, but only now did she discover how naive and ridiculous her ideas had been.
A lifelong partner cannot be determined by just a little ridiculous fondness; it requires the test of time to truly confirm. And for Reed, he didn't even pass the initial test. This discovery greatly disappointed Susan, not only in Reed but also in herself.
Just as she was feeling down about her choices, Zhou Yi had already walked up behind her and cleared his throat loudly.
"Excuse me, Young Miss Susan. Are you alright?"
Susan turned her head and saw Zhou Yi smiling at her. Her mood at the moment was not very pleasant, so naturally, her words wouldn't be very polite.
"Sir, I think if you had even an ounce of discernment, you wouldn't ask such a question."
"Of course, I can see it, but I just need to confirm," Zhou Yi said with an apologetic smile. "To confirm if Young Miss Susan needs a friend to talk to."
"I'm sorry, sir. I think we don't even know each other's names, so how can we be the friends you speak of?"
"Well, if you need to know each other's names to be friends, then I've already walked halfway on the Dao of friendship with all the important people in the World," Zhou Yi teased, following Susan's topic. His many years of experience in charming women always gave him a way to bridge the gap between himself and them.
Listening to Zhou Yi's words, Susan, though still a bit down, felt much better than before. Perhaps feeling that her initial behavior was a bit unladylike, she began to apologize for her previous actions.
"I'm sorry, sir. I was a bit out of sorts earlier. Thank you for your kindness, I am Susan Storm! May I ask who you are?"
"Just call me Zhou Yi!" Zhou Yi introduced himself with a smile. "I am a businessman. I was just discussing some business matters with two gentlemen. I didn't expect to encounter a lady like Young Miss Susan, so I couldn't help but rush out?"
"Couldn't help but rush out?" Hearing Zhou Yi's somewhat strange explanation, Susan tilted her head, not quite understanding.
"Yes! You can think of me as the kind of guy who can't bear to see beautiful ladies sad. Although I don't know what role I can play, if possible, I still hope to uplift a beautiful lady's downcast heart."
"Thank you, you are truly a gentleman." Susan Storm finally smiled. "You don't say that to every girl, do you?"
"While I wish I had such a broad-minded compassion, unfortunately, that level is completely beyond my capabilities. So, I only target the minority!"
"Oh! It seems I've become one of the minority. Then, sir, your previous female companion must also be one of the minority. Are you not worried that she might be unhappy because you came to find me?" Although Susan felt a certain gratitude for Zhou Yi's intentions, it didn't mean she would casually get involved with a stranger, especially one who clearly had ulterior motives.
To this, Zhou Yi naturally shrugged his shoulders.
"Although Charisse is definitely the most important person in the World to me, I believe that as a sister, she should bless her brother's pursuit of happiness and beauty!"
"What, that Young Miss is your sister?" Susan, having made a blunder, immediately showed an embarrassed expression.
Zhou Yi, however, smiled understandingly.
"To be precise, Charisse is my biological half-sister, and I watched her grow up little by little. From a certain perspective, she is indeed the minority among the minority for me."
"Really? You and your sister have such a good relationship. I also have a younger brother, but he's not as graceful and polite as your sister. Sometimes I really wonder if I'm a qualified older sister, allowing my brother to become like this!"
Perhaps it was because of the recent blunder, or perhaps because of their somewhat similar identities, Susan actually started pouring out her troubles to Zhou Yi. This was good news for Zhou Yi. So he naturally used this topic to start bringing their relationship closer.
"I also have the same worries as you, Young Miss Susan, please forgive me. I think calling you Susan might be more appropriate, if that's alright?"
"Of course, sir. I also hope to drop these unnecessary formalities. After all, I'm not your business partner." Susan nodded understandingly. "If it's alright, I'll also call you by your first name. Zhou Yi, that should be correct according to Chinese pronunciation, right?"
"Of course, I didn't expect you to have some knowledge of Chinese culture. You know, my friends almost twisted their tongues trying to pronounce that name." Zhou Yi seized the opportunity to express his admiration for Susan with surprise. Women, after all, are creatures who always need praise.
"You might not know, Charisse's current demeanor is just an act. Her usual self is enough to give me a mental breakdown."
"Really? I can't tell." Susan showed some doubt. After all, what Zhou Yi said was completely different from what she saw. Charisse's noble and pure appearance even made her envious; how could she be as he described?
"Although I still don't understand how much a woman can change after makeup, Charisse truly created the limit in my perception. You absolutely wouldn't believe that she just celebrated her sixteenth birthday not long ago!" Zhou Yi's words were sincere, leaving Susan no choice but to believe him.
And a part of it quickly caught her attention. "You mentioned makeup, can you tell me the identity of the makeup artist who did her makeup?" What women care about most is always beauty, and Susan had already started asking about such matters.
"Of course. If you need, I can introduce my mother and her team to you. I believe she would also love for a beautiful girl like you to visit her." Zhou Yi smiled as he handed over Ms. Zhou Lan's business card. Ms. Zhou Lan always liked to keep such things on him, and now they had indeed come in handy.
"Oh my goodness, you're Ms. Zhou Lan's son! I've admired her for a long time; her creativity is simply unique. It's just a pity that most of her works are custom-made. I've tried to make an appointment, but I've never had the chance."
"Perhaps I can introduce you two. I believe once you two get acquainted, my mother definitely won't refuse you."
The two chatted on and on, and their relationship grew closer imperceptibly. Time flew by in this situation until Charisse appeared by Zhou Yi's side.
"Darling Brother, although I really don't want to interrupt your enjoyment, the banquet has already begun, and Mr. Alfred seems to be looking for you." Charisse's expression was not very pleasant, especially when she saw Susan and Zhou Yi chatting so happily.
"Alright, Charisse." Shrugging his shoulders, Zhou Yi smiled apologetically at Susan. "It seems the Master here has some things that need my kind help. Well then, I'll take my leave first. If you need anything, you can contact me anytime."
"Of course!" Susan showed the two business cards in her hand, one from Zhou Yi and one from Ms. Zhou Lan. "We're already friends, aren't we? And I still need your crucial introduction!"
"Excellent, that's it!" With a brilliant smile, Zhou Yi took Charisse's small hand and turned to walk towards the hall. As a guest, he didn't want to put on airs with the Master here.
Watching Zhou Yi leave, Susan smiled faintly. To her, Zhou Yi was indeed a good person, but having just gone through what she had, she didn't want to start something new at this moment. Thinking of this, she once again fell into her own thoughts in the night garden.
The cold air made her instinctively pull her clothes tighter, but neither her gown nor that magical shawl could keep her warm on such a night. A cold gust of wind blew, making her shiver involuntarily.
And just then, a jacket carrying the scent of the Sun was draped over her shoulders.
"Sorry, I forgot that now is not the weather suitable for airing out. It would be such a pity for a beauty like you to catch a cold. So, no need to thank me. Who told you I was a gentleman!"
Zhou Yi, who had turned back, gently draped his jacket over her, teased a bit, and then left again.
This time, Susan watched him and his somewhat angry sister walk into the hall, and he truly didn't turn back again.
She pulled her clothes tighter; the thick suit jacket brought her an unusual warmth. And it also had a very pleasant scent, like the scent of the Sun.
Feeling this peculiar warmth, Susan realized for the first time that if she looked at it from a different perspective, perhaps everything that had happened wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile with relief. At this moment, the disappointment Reed had caused her no longer existed; she had moved on. Because everything had gotten a new beginning.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhou Yi was not in as good a mood as Susan, because what lay before him was not a very pleasant matter.
"Mr. Alfred, may I confirm once more? You want me to invest one hundred million in your Antarctic research lab, and in exchange, you plan to use a part of the Umbrella Corporation's core secrets as a trade. Is that correct?"
At this moment, Zhou Yi, led by the Ashford Family's butler, had been brought into Alfred's private study. Here, besides him, there was only the current Master of the Ashford Family.
"You heard correctly, just as you said," Alfred said with a confident smile. "I guarantee that the secrets I speak of are far more valuable than your investment; you will not lose out on this matter."
"But, Mr. Alfred, you know that what you're proposing is illegal, and why do you think I would definitely agree to your deal?"
"It's simple, Mr. Zhou Yi. Because that is what you have been looking for, and it is also the core of what those Vampires are researching."
Hearing this, Zhou Yi had already narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. Alfred, I don't know what nonsense you're talking about?"