In the garden, a somewhat dejected Susan walked to a quiet spot by herself. What she had experienced today made her realize how wrong her previous thoughts had been.
She had always believed that Reed would be her lifelong companion, but now she finally understood how naive and ridiculous her thoughts were.
A companion to spend a lifetime with couldn't be determined just by a little bit of ridiculous fondness; it needed to be tested by time to truly solidify. And for Reed, he hadn't even passed the initial test.
This realization left Susan very disappointed, not just in Reed, but also in herself.
And just as she was feeling down about her choice, Zhou Yi walked up behind her and coughed loudly.
"Excuse me, Miss Susan. Are you alright?"
Susan turned her head and saw Zhou Yi smiling at her. Her mood wasn't great at the moment, so the words she spoke naturally wouldn't be pleasant.
"Sir, I think if you had even a little bit of discernment, you wouldn't have asked such a question."
"Of course I can see that, I just needed to confirm," Zhou Yi said with a apologetic smile. "To confirm, Miss Susan, that you need a friend to help you with your mental state."
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't think we even know each other's names, so how can we be friends, as you say?"
"I think if we need to know each other's names to be friends, then that's great. I'm halfway down the road to being friends with all the big shots in the world." Zhou Yi teased, following Susan's words. His years of experience in the social scene always gave him a way to close the distance with women.
Listening to Zhou Yi's words, Susan, although still a little down, was at least in a much better mood than at the beginning. Maybe she felt that her behavior at the beginning was a little too unladylike. So 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'm Susan. Storm! May I ask who you are?"
"Just call me Zhou Yi!" Zhou Yi introduced himself with a smile. "I'm a businessman. I was just talking to two gentlemen about some business matters. I didn't expect to meet a lady like Miss Susan. So I couldn't help but rush over?"
"Couldn't help but rush over?" Hearing Zhou Yi's somewhat strange explanation, Susan tilted her head and asked, not quite understanding.
"Yes! You can think of me as the kind of guy who can't bear to see a beautiful lady sad. Although I don't know what kind of role I can play, but if possible. I still hope that I can help a beautiful lady to lift her spirits."
"Thank you, you're a true gentleman," Susan said. Storm finally smiled. "You wouldn't say this to every girl, would you?"
"Although I wish I had such a broad mind, unfortunately, that's beyond my capabilities. So, I only target the minority!"
"Oh! It seems I've become part of the minority. Then, sir, your previous female companion seems to be part of the minority as well. Why, aren't you worried that she'll be unhappy that you came to see me?" Although Susan felt a certain gratitude towards Zhou Yi's intentions, it didn't mean she could just casually get involved with a stranger. Especially a stranger who obviously had ulterior motives towards her.
Zhou Yi shrugged naturally.
"Although Xiarui Si 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 lady is your sister?" Susan, who had made a blunder, immediately showed an embarrassed expression. Zhou Yi smiled understandingly.
"To be precise, Xiarui Si is my half-sister, born to the same mother. And I watched her grow up bit by bit. In a certain sense, she is indeed a minority within the minority to me."
"Really? You and your sister have such a good relationship. I also have a younger brother, but he's not as well-behaved as your sister. Sometimes I really doubt whether I'm a qualified sister, to have let my own brother become like this!"
Maybe because of the earlier misunderstanding, or perhaps because of their similar identities, Susan surprisingly started venting to Zhou Yi. This was, of course, good news for Zhou Yi.
So, he naturally used this topic to start building a closer relationship between them.
"I have similar troubles, Miss Susan, please forgive me. I think it would be more appropriate to call you Susan, if that's alright?"
"Of course, sir. I also hope to get rid of this unnecessary formality. After all, I'm not your business partner." Susan nodded understandingly. "If it's okay with you, I'll also call you by your name directly. Zhou Yi, that should be the correct pronunciation according to Chinese, right!"
"Absolutely. I didn't expect you to have such a good grasp of Chinese culture. You know, my friends almost twisted their tongues trying to pronounce that name." Zhou Yi appropriately expressed his admiration for Susan with surprise. Women, after all, always appreciate praise.
"You probably don't know, but Xiarui Si is putting on an act right now. Her usual behavior can drive me to the brink of a mental breakdown."
"Really? I can't see it at all." Susan expressed some doubt. After all, what Zhou Yi said was completely different from what she saw. Xiarui Si's noble and pure appearance even made her envious; how could she possibly be the way he described?
"Although I still don't understand how much a woman can change after putting on makeup, Xiarui Si has truly created the limit of what I can comprehend. You absolutely won'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. And a part of it quickly caught her attention.
"Regarding the makeup, could you tell me about the makeup artist who did it?" As always, beauty was a woman's primary concern, and Susan had begun asking questions about it.
"Certainly. If you'd like, I can introduce you to my mother and her team. I'm sure she'd love to meet a beautiful girl like you." Zhou Yi smiled and handed over Zhou Lan's business card. Zhou Lan always liked to leave these things with him, and it was proving useful now.
"Oh my, you're Ms. Zhou Lan's son. I've admired her for a long time; her creativity is simply unparalleled. It's just a pity that her work is mostly private commissions. I've tried to make an appointment, but I haven't had the chance."
"Perhaps I can introduce you. I'm sure my mother wouldn't refuse you once you've gotten to know each other."
The two chatted on and on, their relationship growing closer. And time flew by in this way. Until, Xiarui Si appeared beside Zhou Yi.
"Dear brother, although I hate to interrupt your fun. But the banquet has started, and Mr. Alfred seems to be looking for you." Xiarui Si's expression wasn't very pleasant, especially when she saw Susan and Zhou Yi chatting so happily.
"Alright, Xiarui Si." Shrugging his shoulders, Zhou Yi smiled apologetically at Susan. "It seems the host here needs me, this kind soul, to lend him a hand. So, I'll take my leave. Feel free to contact me if you need anything."
"Of course!" Susan held up the two business cards, Zhou Yi's and Zhou Lan's. "We're already friends, aren't we? And I still need your introduction, you key figure!"
"Excellent, just like that!" With a radiant smile, Zhou Yi took Xiarui Si's small hand and turned towards the hall. As a guest, he didn't want to put on airs with the host.
Watching Zhou Yi leave, Susan gave a slight smile. For 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 about this, she fell into contemplation in the garden under the night sky. The cold air made her pull at her clothes, but neither her gown nor the magical shawl could keep her warm on such a night.
A gust of cold wind blew, causing her to shiver involuntarily. And just then, a coat with the scent of sunshine was draped over her.
"Sorry, I forgot that the weather isn't suitable for a breather. It would be a shame for a beauty like you to catch a cold. So, no need to thank me. After all, you said I'm a gentleman!"
Zhou Yi, turning back, gently put his coat on her, made a few playful remarks, and then left again. This time, Susan watched him and his somewhat angry sister walk into the hall and really didn't turn around.
She pulled at the coat on her, the thick suit jacket bringing her an unusual warmth. And there was also a pleasant smell, just like the smell of the sun.
Feeling this strange warmth, Susan realized for the first time. If she changed her perspective, perhaps all of this happening wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but reveal a relieved smile. At this moment, the disappointment caused by Reed was no longer there, she had moved on.
Because everything had already gotten a new start.
And at this moment, on the other side. Zhou Yi wasn't in as good a mood as Susan, because in front of him was something not very pleasant.
"Mr. Alfred, can I confirm this again? You want me to invest a hundred million in your Antarctic Research Lab. And in exchange, you intend to use some of Umbrella Corporation's core secrets as an exchange, is that correct?"
At this moment, Zhou Yi, under the guidance of the Ashford family's butler, had been brought into Alfred's private study. Besides him, the only other person here was the current master of the Ashford family.
"You heard correctly, just as you said," Alfred revealed a confident smile. "I can guarantee that the secrets I'm talking about are far more valuable than your investment. You won't suffer any losses in this matter."
"But, Mr. Alfred. You know that what you're saying has already violated the law, and why do you think I will definitely agree to this deal?"
"It's simple, Mr. Zhou Yi. Because that's what you've been looking for, and it's also the core of the vampire research."
Hearing this, Zhou Yi had already narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. Alfred, I don't understand what you're talking about."
-----------------------
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