id something out of the blue. >“You said before that you wanted to pursue me.”a little arrogant, even with a hint of slight grievance."So, you're not going to chase after him"Before Ruan Ruan could an...So, he really did read her proposal carefully And did he immediately see where she had been struggling Shu Tinglan's expression finally improved a bit. She put down the computer and, following his instructions, calculated the final price. She stopped dwelling on it and directly emailed Director Xiao.

Her proposal, Director Xiao wouldn't use, it only serves as a reference. However, she would still treat it seriously and what she presents to Director Xiao is the standard that can be directly presented to clients.

Soon, Director Xiao replied to the email.

Have a good rest over the weekend, and meet directly at Zhuoyuan Technology on Monday. Arrive an hour early.

Shu Tinglan put away her computer and nestled into the sofa, looking at Zhuo Yu'an with curiosity.

What are the chances of our Director Xiao winning

"I'm not sure." He replied cautiously, never letting slip anything about work.

Shu Tinglan had grown accustomed to it. This man wouldn't reveal his true feelings unless it was a miracle. Zhuo Y uan remained as before, holding her and the blanket close in his arms, watching boring legal programs with her.

Shutinglan, on a whim, tentatively asked.

"Zuo Yu'an, given our relationship, can I make a small request During the bidding process, if all other factors are equal, could you please give priority to our Mr. Xiao"

"What kind of relationship do we have" Zhuo Yu'an didn't answer but asked back, his tone was gentle, but he didn't even glance at Shu Tinglan, just focusing on the television screen.

Very nonchalant.

Shu Tinglan instantly lost interest in further communication. This man was too realistic, they were purely sleeping buddies, and he refused to let her have even a slight advantage.

From the very beginning, his stance was clear: he would only sleep and not discuss feelings.

Seeing that she did not reply, Zhuo Yu'an loosened his grip on her hand and sat up straight, looking at her seriously.

"Shu Tinglan, you haven't answered my question yet. What is our relationship"

"Well, he's persistent isn't he Afraid she'll latch onto him" Shu Tinglan was annoyed and said impatiently.

"Friends with benefits, relax, I won't bother you."

"Sleeping buddy" He sounded shocked, even incredulous as he questioned Shu Tinglan.

Shu Tinglan didn't speak again, shrinking further into the sofa, only her small face visible. She thought to herself that she had been quite tolerant of Zhu Yu'an, who always came and went as he pleased at her place. Perhaps she should ask Lin Zhifei another day about this kind of relationship - did it need rules and boundaries

Would it be too much trouble if we could hold each other accountable

This matter is best left to free will. If we set rules, we'll lose that freedom instead.

"Shū Tínglán, I really underestimated you."

After drinking three glasses of water straight in the kitchen, this was the only thing he said when he returned. This night seemed to be seeking revenge on Shu Tinglan, unlike its usual tenderness, it only offered endless demands.

By the middle of the night, Shu Tinglan couldn't bear it anymore, on the verge of tears. She hated this, it was so different from all their previous enjoyable experiences. But he showed no intention of letting her go, looking down at her with cold eyes and an even colder voice:

"This is what a sleep buddy is."

He showed her, in the most practical way possible, what a true friends with benefits relationship really meant.

Shu Tinglan didn't think too much about it, exhausted, she fell asleep headfirst until the next day, she was still sore and weak all over. Zhuo Yunan was fine as usual, he had made breakfast and waited for her to wake up.

Shu Tinglan felt it necessary to state her position:

I don't like it that way last night.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." he said calmly.

"Zhuo Yu'an, actually you don't need to force yourself to do these things, like cooking for me or tidying up my room."

"No pressure."

"Our relationship is casual, and I'm free to leave whenever I want, just as you are." She was very straightforward about it.

Zhuo Yu'an looked up at her.

"Shu Tinglan, may I ask you a question"

"You ask."

"I'm curious, what happened to make you so open I don't remember you being like this." He looked at her sincerely, waiting for an answer.

What do you think I'm like

"Beautiful, proud, and conservative. In high school, I was practically wearing a "Boys Keep Off" sign on my head, no early love."

Shū Tínglan hadn't expected him to actually remember her from high school. She couldn't help but laugh at herself and say,

"Perhaps it's the law of extremes - things tend to swing back and forth."

In her youth, she was like a flower in a greenhouse, living a sheltered life, believing the world to be full of kindness and beauty. However, after becoming an adult, especially after her father's sudden death, her entire worldview crumbled. The twisted, base, and filthy aspects of humanity were exposed to her, leaving her feeling completely soiled and tarnished.

That's it, it won't be better.

"Shu Tinglan, I'm not an open person," he said seriously.

"Oh." So what I didn't see him as being conservative at all.

Seeing that she had no intention of continuing the conversation, Zhuo YUAN remained silent. The two ate breakfast in silence. Shu Tinglan returned to the bedroom for a nap, habitually reminding him to close the door when he left.

When she slept until noon and woke up, she unexpectedly saw Zhuo Yunan holding a computer on the coffee table in the living room, attending a video conference. His voice was very low, but Shu Tinglan could vaguely hear their conversation.

"Pure English communication, the counterpart should be Wang Yan, the CTO, and also that mysterious product manager ane. Zhuo Y uan saw Shu Tinglan appear and said something to them."

"That's it for today."

Wang Yan: "Good. Where are you working today The background is weird."

Zuo Yu'an: "Let's talk later, gotta go."

"Why didn't you leave" Shu Tinglan was rather surprised. This person was so busy, why would they stay at her place instead of leaving Could it be that they were here to keep her company

Lu Kuo invited us to have lunch together at noon. Want to go

"I'm not going, I don't know him." She refused without hesitation.

He wants to pursue Cheng Chen, and he wants you to help him because you are Cheng Chen's best friend. Zhuo Yu'an explained.

"I can't help him. The biggest problem he and Cheng Chen have is the distance. Cheng Chen couldn't possibly come to Senzhou for him, and he wouldn't possibly go to Qining for Cheng Chen. So there's nothing to talk about." She was very rational.

"Okay, I'll decline him. Lunch is on me then, not much in the fridge though." He wasn't making things difficult for her because of Lu Kuò either.

"Never mind, let's order takeout. I'll treat you this time."

Shu Tinglan, holding the principle of reciprocity, insisted on asking Zhu Yunan to have a sumptuous takeout lunch. However, Zhu Yunan didn't give him face and only ate a few bites before giving up.

Throughout the entire weekend, Zhu Yu'an didn't leave. However, their interactions weren't plentiful either. He was very busy, seemingly with endless meetings. Shu Tinglan was also very busy, constantly preparing for Monday's bid. The most they interacted was probably during evening exercise.romise something in the morning, but by late afternoon, when the sun is about to set, they finally arrive in a small truck, carrying tools and stone for repairs in the back.The main issue is that the...