54: This Is Your Future Sister-in-Law
The restaurant Sheng Shaoqing chose was in a remote location, tucked away in an industrial park near the suburbs.
According to him, it was a highly sought-after internet-famous spot that was hard to book.
Sheng Shaoyou wasn’t picky about food, and Hua Yong cared even less.
As Shen Wenlang once said: So long as he can cling to Sheng Shaoyou, Hua Yong could go three days and nights without eating, drinking, or sleeping.
On the day of the dinner with Sheng Shaoqing, Dr. Cai called Hua Yong, asking when he’d be free to grab a meal together — and to bring Long Zuo along.
Hua Yong replied objectively:
“I’m very busy. I’m never free.”
Cai Hong snorted coldly and hung up.
Moments later, his phone rang again — this time an unknown number.
Hua Yong declined the call. Soon after, he received a message:
“It’s me. Long Zuo. Pick up.”
The last time he saw a message in this format was on an anti-scam PSA: “It’s me. Emperor Qin. Send money.”
Seconds later, the phone rang again.
Sheng Shaoyou was still in a meeting and wouldn’t be done anytime soon.
With nothing better to do, Hua Yong answered:
“What is it?”
“Dinner tonight,” said Long Zuo in a perfectly polished London accent, his English fluid and pleasant, as though it were his native language.
Hua Yong replied in Chinese: “I’m not free.”
“No, you are.” Long Zuo insisted. “Ah Yong, I have something important to ask you. Aren’t you on vacation? Why wouldn’t you have time?”
“I’m on vacation because I have things to do.”
Hua Yong and this cousin were very frank with each other, so he added:
“We don’t need to eat. Whatever it is, just say it on the phone.”
He guessed it probably had to do with Long Zuo’s Alpha wife.
Sure enough, after a long hesitation, Long Zuo finally blurted out:
“Our wedding anniversary is coming up. What do you think I should get her?”
“Give her your heart,” Hua Yong said. “Or at least your absolute loyalty.”
Then he paused and asked, “Do you even know what ‘absolute loyalty’ means?”
“I know Chinese,” Long Zuo said stiffly, a little put out, feeling that Hua Yong was brushing him off.
He grumbled:
“You know the media never thought much of me and Bea. Every month at least three outlets say we’ve separated or divorced.”
“So what?” Hua Yong shrugged indifferently: “The point is you love her to death — even had a kid together. Why care what others think?”
“You’re right. But—”
“There’s nothing more to say.” Hua Yong, still listening to the meeting room’s sounds, said casually:
“If you really want to please her, give her another kid.”
“Give her… a child?” Long Zuo asked doubtfully. “Would that make her happy?”
Hua Yong chuckled:
“Of course.” If Sheng Shaoyou were willing to give him a child, he’d laugh in his sleep.
The other end went quiet, seemingly considering the feasibility of that suggestion.
“Next year then,” Long Zuo finally said. “I’m busy this year — expansion plans in the second half.”
The meeting appeared to end early — the host stood, bowed to Sheng Shaoyou, and the room erupted in applause.
Hua Yong was about to hang up when Long Zuo continued:
“Then help me plan properly. If next year I give her a kid, what should I give this year?”
Hua Yong glanced at Sheng Shaoyou reviewing the summary report and suggested offhand:
“Anything. She doesn’t actually lack anything. Or just have a nice dinner with her on the day.”
Long Zuo had never dated before falling for Bea — a woman so dazzling she’d defeated thousands of rivals just to even consider him.
Worse yet, after they started sleeping together, he discovered she was a police officer dedicated to fighting crime — while he was heir to a mob family.
Mob heir meets upright policewoman — their love story was full of hardship and absurd twists.
With no romantic instincts and a one-track mind, Long Zuo often relied on Hua Yong — whose cunning and composure made him a free strategist.
Hua Yong’s own love interest was a foreign, S-class Alpha — just as difficult — yet he always looked like he had everything under control.
Under his leadership, X Holdings had surgically removed the criminal “rotting flesh” from its operations in just two years — which only made Long Zuo more dependent on his judgment.
Even now, with Bea won over and even their kid already walking, Long Zuo’s dependence on Hua Yong had become a habit.
“An anniversary’s a big deal — we should talk face-to-face,” Long Zuo sighed. “You really can’t spare half an hour? Tonight or tomorrow — just thirty minutes?”
“No,” Hua Yong said flatly.
The meeting was ending. Everyone was getting restless, but no one dared leave while Sheng Shaoyou was still seated.
Long Zuo persisted, but Hua Yong simply repeated: “I’m busy.”
Frankly, if not for Long Zuo’s exceptional abilities at work, Hua Yong would never have tolerated his indecisive, lovesick side.
He despised fools — especially hesitant ones.
Before Long Zuo could continue pleading, Hua Yong hung up decisively.
Amid a crowd of executives, Sheng Shaoyou emerged from the meeting room and immediately spotted Hua Yong waiting outside.
Hua Yong smiled at him and said:
“Mr. Sheng, you’ve worked hard.”
Several senior managers glanced at him curiously, but no one dared gossip in front of Sheng Shaoyou.
He handed his documents to Hua Yong with a low “Mm” and asked:
“You have too much free time?”
While the whole secretary team was spinning like tops, this man was waiting idly outside the door?
Hua Yong took the papers, and — under everyone’s eyes — brushed his hand over his boss’s knuckles with a smile:
“I’ve finished all my tasks.”
Being so openly flirted with, Sheng Shaoyou swiftly pulled his hand back and called out to Chen Pinming:
“Secretary Chen — does Secretary Hua have so little work?”
Chen, not daring to offend either, carefully replied:
“No. Mr. Hua’s workload is about the same as an intern’s.”
“Oh?” Sheng Shaoyou smirked. “An intern? You underestimate Secretary Hua. Give him more work — we wouldn’t want word getting out that Shengfang Biotech is wasting talent.”
Chen quickly glanced at Hua Yong’s face — seeing only a docile smile — and nodded.
Once in the office, with the door closed, Hua Yong set down the documents and draped himself lazily over Sheng Shaoyou’s back to whisper in his ear:
“Mr. Sheng is so fierce.”
His breath hitched. After a long pause, Sheng Shaoyou said:
“Shengfang Biotech doesn’t keep idlers.”
“But I work hard every day,” Hua Yong said shamelessly.
“Doing what?”
“Keeping your bed warm.”
Sheng Shaoyou: …
At six thirty sharp, Sheng Shaoqing called.
Hua Yong dismissed the driver, slid into the driver’s seat himself, and made a show of volunteering as chauffeur.
Naturally, Sheng Shaoyou couldn’t let the head of X Holdings go hungry, so he told Sheng Shaoqing:
“I’m bringing someone.”
There was a pause on the other end:
“Who?”
His reaction was oddly tense, like facing an enemy. Sheng Shaoyou frowned:
“Is that a problem?”
“No, no problem,” Sheng Shaoqing replied quickly, afraid he’d back out. Then he added nervously: “We’ve never eaten together before — you’re not bringing Chen Pinming, right?”
“No,” Sheng Shaoyou leaned back, glancing at Hua Yong’s perfect profile. “Your future sister-in-law.”
SCREEECH—
The luxury car jerked to a stop, tires screeching. The sudden inertia sent Sheng Shaoyou forward, and he glared:
“Do you even know how to drive?”
“Huh?” Sheng Shaoqing sounded bewildered on the other end.
“Not talking to you.” Sheng Shaoyou adjusted himself and put the phone back to his ear: “We’ll be there in half an hour. Order first.”
He hung up and turned to Hua Yong:
“Why’d you slam the brakes?”
“Red light,” Hua Yong said calmly, staring ahead as though nothing had happened. Then, seemingly casually, he asked:
“So Mr. Sheng is finally acknowledging me?”
Even though his face was calm, Sheng Shaoyou knew better — because the moment the light turned green, Hua Yong shifted into the wrong gear and hit the accelerator in park, making the engine roar uselessly.
Only when horns blared from behind did he finally shift into drive and ease forward.
As a driver, he was terrible — but somehow, Sheng Shaoyou found it endearing. He said:
“We’ll see how you behave.”
“I’ll behave very well,” Hua Yong promised.
Sheng Shaoyou tilted his chin toward the wheel:
“Well, you’re not doing great now.”
“Oh? Really?”
His rare look of confusion amused Sheng Shaoyou, who chuckled:
“Mr. Hua’s driving isn’t very good.”
Hua Yong didn’t actually believe that. Objectively, he was an excellent driver — he’d even placed anonymously in Formula 1 at eighteen.
But he admitted:
“I haven’t driven much lately.”
Just then, the device on the console beeped — the anti-tracking system alert.
His eyes briefly sharpened.
“A call?” Sheng Shaoyou asked.
“No. Just bored people,” Hua Yong replied.
Once out of the city, traffic eased. Hua Yong pushed the speed limit and shaved their thirty-minute trip down to twenty-five.
In the empty parking lot, he parked smoothly, then pulled out a suppressant patch and applied it carefully to his nape.
“My pheromones are a bit strong,” he said, glancing at Sheng Shaoyou with a grin. “Don’t want to scare your brother.”
“He’s not that delicate.”
Sheng Shaoqing was hardly a prude — no “AA relationship” would faze him.
But Hua Yong still didn’t want to slight him, since he was Sheng Shaoyou’s family.
After spraying suppressant, he got out of the car.
Standing in front of the old warehouse-turned-restaurant, Sheng Shaoyou frowned:
“What kind of dump is this? Internet-famous? Are all Shanghai restaurants bankrupt?”
“Maybe it tastes great,” Hua Yong said lightly, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. Casually slipping an arm around Sheng Shaoyou’s shoulders, he smiled:
“Come on — rare chance your brother’s treating. Let’s try it.”