It's hot.
Liu Chen's first thought.
Ren Yu's eyes are so beautiful, like two precious amber stones.
Liu Chen's second thought.
At this moment, Ren Yu looked at Liu Chen, who was pinned beneath his upper body by two layers of blankets. Seeing the pure, flawless gaze in her eyes as she looked up at him, Ren Yu loosened his grip and lay back in his own sleeping spot.
Still a child.
Liu Chen felt her heart pounding, so fast it felt like an illness. Thinking about it, she did seem to be sick, but Liu Chen was certain that her rapid heartbeat wasn't due to the illness.
It was because of Ren Yu's gaze just now. At that moment, Liu Chen even felt like a prey that a hungry wolf had spotted and was salivating over.
Then, this hungry wolf voluntarily gave up, lay down beside her, and flattened himself out??
Thinking of this, Liu Chen couldn't quite articulate her feelings. How to put it? It was a bit subtle. She was happy that he hadn't really done anything to her, but also a little depressed. She was over thirty years old, counting both her lives, and still hadn't done anything…
Perhaps it was the fever, making her mind work erratically, or perhaps it was being in a foreign land that made people more open-hearted.
Liu Chen suddenly wanted to imitate Ren Yu, pinning him down with the two blankets. However, due to the fever, her limbs were weak. She managed to turn over, but the details were slightly off.
The two blankets were not between herself and Ren Yu.
At this moment, Liu Chen was so glad she hadn't insisted on wearing that silk pajama set last night.
Ren Yu, who was being lightly pressed down by the ethereal Liu Chen, felt his body temperature gradually rise through their thin short-sleeved shirts and pajamas.
Ren Yu's throat bobbed, and he said in a slightly hoarse voice,
"Liu Chen, do you know what what you're doing means to a man?"
Liu Chen rarely heard Ren Yu call her by her full name, and she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. But then, a wave of indignation washed over her.
I'm over thirty years old, how could I be scared by a boy in his early twenties?
Impossible!
Thinking the word "impossible," Liu Chen suddenly found her courage. She lowered her head and pressed her pale pink lips onto Ren Yu's increasingly rosy ones.
Liu Chen only intended to leave a mark, to declare her sovereignty and show her boldness. However, after the "stamp," as she prepared to slide away, a strong arm wrapped around her lower back.
"Chenchen, you initiated this."
As Ren Yu spoke, the slight tremor in his chest caused Liu Chen's mind to finally clear. Just as she was about to deny it, before she could utter a word, Ren Yu silenced her with his own mouth.
This kiss was unlike any before. This time, Liu Chen felt like a small boat sailing alone at sea, tossed about by the waves, never knowing when the storm would pass.
Moreover, Liu Chen felt that Ren Yu's arm around her lower back was burning, even hotter than her own forehead.
Just as Liu Chen thought she would be melted by the scorching Ren Yu today, the burning arm suddenly released her.
Ren Yu gently placed her back on the bed, carefully covered her with the blanket, and then got up and went to the bathroom.
Upon reaching the bathroom and seeing the glass partition, Ren Yu paused for a moment. He then put on a hotel robe and stood before the sink, scooping up ice-cold water with both hands and splashing it repeatedly on his flushed face.
Liu Chen, who had been carefully placed back on the bed, watched Ren Yu's actions from her side, feeling a pang of concern. However, she believed Ren Yu's decision was correct, as she was still running a fever…
To avoid making Ren Yu feel awkward, Liu Chen reached for her phone on the bedside table, opened it, checked her QQ messages, and then looked at Weibo.
Everything was calm and normal. Had it been any other day, Liu Chen would have put down her phone and started reading. But today, without a book or her laboratory nearby, Liu Chen found herself unaccustomed to such leisurely living.
Just as Liu Chen was feeling bored, Ren Yu emerged from the bathroom at some point, still wearing the robe, though the chest area was damp from the water.
Seeing Liu Chen look up at him, Ren Yu casually wiped his chest, then tossed the washcloth into the laundry hamper in the bathroom. He sat by the bed near Liu Chen and asked,
"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat in the room, or go out? Xu Jun replied and introduced a wealth management firm known for its discretion. They've indicated they can meet this evening."
Hearing this, Liu Chen's eyes lit up. She touched her forehead. Perhaps because of the recent commotion, the medicine had started to work, and she wasn't as hot as when she first woke up.
"Can we talk this afternoon? I feel like my condition is pretty good right now?"
Ren Yu raised his hand to check his watch. It was ten in the morning.
"I'll have Xu Jun try. It's a bit tight on time."
"Please ask for me~~~" Liu Chen widened her eyes, trying to show how much she really wanted to talk this afternoon.
After getting Ren Yu's confirmation, Liu Chen initially planned to discuss business over lunch. However, Ren Yu suggested,
"For matters involving money, it's best to talk in their office. Firstly, it prevents eavesdroppers from acting greedily upon hearing something valuable, and secondly, signing a formal contract will definitely require seals and signatures."
Liu Chen nodded, indicating she had learned something. She then sat on the bed, wrapped in her blanket, and blinked at Ren Yu.
Ren Yu was momentarily taken aback by Liu Chen's fluttering eyes. When he came to his senses, he smiled.
"Weren't you just very bold? Are you asking me to leave now so you can change?"
Liu Chen pouted and remained silent, looking at Ren Yu, her eyes conveying her protest.
Finally, Ren Yu raised his hands, turned, and walked towards the living room.
"I surrender. Call me when you're done changing in the bedroom. I need to change too."
"Mhm, got it!"
Seeing Ren Yu leave the room and close the bedroom door behind him, Liu Chen finally threw off the blanket and walked to the wardrobe. Her hand hovered over the fuzzy hooded sweatshirt cardigan and the black suit jacket, but she ultimately chose the hooded sweatshirt.
"A boss's image depends on the amount of money they have, not what they wear."
After comforting herself with these words, Liu Chen obediently put on a T-shirt, the fuzzy hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of jeans.
As soon as she put these on, Liu Chen felt her body temperature rapidly rising. It was too hot.
Liu Chen wiped the sweat from her forehead, then opened the bedroom door and urged Ren Yu to hurry and change. She then walked to the living room window and pushed it open.
The cold wind from outside immediately swept into the room. Liu Chen wrinkled her nose and then zipped up the unzipped front of her hoodie.
Ren Yu changed quickly. He also chose a blue hoodie, the same color as hers, and wore jeans on the bottom, a significant departure from his usual style.
Liu Chen raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions. She simply linked her arm through Ren Yu's with a cheerful grin.
"Let's go~~"
Of course, when it came to setting out, Summer and Winter wouldn't be left behind.
The four of them drove for about twenty minutes and arrived in front of a seemingly ordinary office building. They parked the car in the underground garage and took the elevator to the first-floor lobby. Perhaps it was because four Chinese people appearing in Los Angeles at once was quite eye-catching.
As Liu Chen stepped out of the elevator, she was spotted by an employee of the wealth management company, who then led the four of them to a different elevator that went upstairs after swiping their work badges.
The work badge was swiped against the sensor, and the corresponding floor, the 16th, lit up. As the elevator door opened, a staff member welcomed them in Mandarin with a slightly peculiar accent:
"Please come in."
Liu Chen stepped through the glass door that required card access. Before she could even get a good look at the reception area, she heard a sweet, high-pitched male voice:
"Oh! My friends from the distant East~~ Welcome~~ Please follow me to my office. My name is Aaron Besimo, you can call me Aaron. Let's sit down and chat, relax~~"
Hearing this Mandarin with a Northeast China accent, Liu Chen instinctively looked at the speaker. To her surprise, it wasn't the burly man she'd imagined from Northeast China, but a foreign man with short, brown hair, dressed like the stereotypical Wall Street financier.
He appeared to be around thirty-five years old, with clear signs of being athletic. His skin was fair, but up close, it wasn't refined; rather, his pores were rather coarse.
As Liu Chen sat in the office chair, observing the Aaron before her, Ren Yu was also observing Liu Chen. Upon noticing that Liu Chen was merely observing and not showing any signs of affection, Ren Yu's straightened back relaxed slightly, and he leaned back against the chair.
"Hello, Aaron. My name is Liu Chen, and this is my boyfriend and business investor, Ren Yu."
Aaron smiled, stood up slightly to shake Ren Yu's hand, then returned to his seat. He then rested his elbows on the desk, clasped his hands, and rested them on his chin, looking at Ren Yu.
Ren Yu glanced at Liu Chen, who remained silent beside him, then stood up and said proactively, "You two chat first. I'm going to step out for a call."
After saying this, Ren Yu patted Liu Chen's shoulder and walked out of the office.
Liu Chen turned her head to watch Ren Yu leave the office. She felt a sense of relief, but also a twinge of guilt. It seemed Ren Yu was always making sacrifices, while he would always gentlemanly step aside from the things she kept hidden from him.
He wouldn't force her to reveal them, preserving her dignity with his magnanimity.
"Ms. Liu Chen, shall we begin our discussion?"
Hearing the Northeast Mandarin accent, Liu Chen immediately snapped back to reality. She looked at Aaron before her and nodded.
"Our company's main business is..."
Clearly, Aaron had dealt with many Chinese clients investing overseas. The investment projects he introduced were indeed quite advanced from a 2010 perspective.
However, Liu Chen didn't need these so-called investment projects. She knew which stocks would yield ten times the return, and even which TV dramas would yield a hundred or a thousand times the return.
Therefore, Aaron's proposed investment projects held no appeal for Liu Chen. The only reason she didn't interrupt Aaron's presentation was out of respect for him.
"Currently, these are our company's services. Ms. Liu Chen, is there anything you'd like to discuss?"
Liu Chen straightened her posture slightly, placing her hands comfortably on the armrests of the chair.
"Well, actually, my primary reason is that I have funds overseas, and I want to use these funds to invest in stocks and film and television dramas back home. Can you do that?"
Upon hearing Liu Chen's words, Aaron couldn't help but exclaim inwardly.
The information Xu Jun gave him was indeed correct. It seemed this Ms. Liu Chen from China was truly a third-generation individual, immediately talking about investing overseas funds!
This was a major client. He had to secure her!
With this thought, Aaron became even more enthusiastic.
"Of course, my beautiful Ms. Liu Chen. We will do our best to fulfill your requests. However, if you are making your own investment choices, our company cannot be responsible for the rate of return. But similarly, we will only charge one percent of the funds as a management fee."
One percent?
One percent of thirty million is three hundred thousand?
Phew, that's manageable.
"Alright, then I'll sign the contract you mentioned, where you're only responsible for execution."
Liu Chen wanted to finalize things as soon as possible. For the investment in "Zhen Huan Zhuan," she could pay in cash directly, and she imagined the production team wouldn't care about the source of the money.
As for the two stocks she had her eye on, which were set to rise from May onwards, it was now the end of March, so she should start gradually entering the market to lay the groundwork.
Therefore, she was somewhat rushed.
"Alright, I'll have my assistant print the contract now. Once you've reviewed the terms and they're satisfactory, we can proceed with signing."
The contract was naturally in English. After careful consideration, Liu Chen decided to call Ren Yu in to review the contract for any potential issues.
After all, Ren Yu had opened a branch office in Los Angeles, so contracts were likely something he dealt with frequently.
The two-page contract clearly outlined the responsible parties, division of responsibilities, and the wealth management company's commission structure, along with the minimum annual fees.
"Well, from their perspective, this contract is for them to manage your funds on your behalf and invest according to your instructions. Any gains or losses are not their responsibility."
Hearing Ren Yu's summary, Liu Chen nodded.
"Mhm, I think my investment judgment is pretty good."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yu understood Liu Chen's meaning and nodded. "Then there are no issues with this contract."
After signing the contract, Liu Chen immediately transferred thirty million from her Swiss bank account to the account provided by Aaron in the contract.
"Once the money arrives, I will inform you via email of the stocks I wish to invest in and the time requirements."
Aaron nodded, his smile becoming even more genuine.
"Ms. Liu Chen, please rest assured, we are professionals and will definitely meet your requirements and protect your financial privacy."
After Liu Chen left the building where Aaron's company was located, Aaron also received the transfer from the Swiss bank.
Upon seeing the transfer from the Swiss bank, Aaron couldn't resist sending a message to Xu Jun.
"My dearest brother Xu Jun, this Ms. Liu Chen is indeed a high-net-worth client! Thank you so much for the introduction."
Xu Jun, who was at an exhibition, received this message from Aaron and became even more certain that he had to cultivate a good relationship with this Ms. Liu Chen!