Standing Next To You-Chapter 443: Stalking

Fei Chuan swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze drifting toward the floor-to-ceiling window, where the hotel across the street stood. His smile was still there, but now it seemed lazier, almost teasing, adding a hint of seductiveness to his charm.

"I was too naive back then, wasn’t I? Playing right into someone’s hands without even realizing it. If I had known, I should’ve ruthlessly claimed first place and shown everyone what else I was capable of."

Zhong Cheng blinked, confused. Was Fei Chuan regretting the past with his boss? Or...was he talking about something else entirely?

Zhong Cheng was deeply curious about the two of them—how this pair of lovers had suddenly broken up, separated, and arrived at this strange relationship.

Since Fei Chuan didn’t seem particularly offended or upset when talking about Bei Sangyun, Zhong Cheng felt he might be able to ask more. Perhaps it would help his boss.

"...Fei Chuan, may I ask why—"

"Excuse me, I think I’ve seen you before." Two attractive women in close-fitting dresses approached their table, interrupting Zhong Cheng. They hovered around Fei Chuan, subtly flaunting their curves in front of him.

The women looked like top-tier models, and their gazes lingered on Fei Chuan. "Are you a model by any chance?"

Fei Chuan was about to frown but then paused, his eyes briefly flicking toward the hotel across the street through the window. His smile deepened. freёnovelkiss.com

"I’m not a model. I’m a businessman. You may have seen me in Timeless Magazine."

"Oh, you’re a businessman? With those looks, you could outshine many models and Hollywood stars. Are you two alone? Mind if we join you?"

Zhong Cheng wanted to decline. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the company of beautiful women, but knowing the boss was watching from the other side, he might get scolded later if they entertained any ladies. Besides, these women seemed particularly interested in Fei Chuan.

However, Fei Chuan gestured toward the empty seats beside him and generously offered, "Go ahead."

Zhong Cheng stared at Fei Chuan in shock. He had expected Fei Chuan to reject the women. After all, in the past, Fei Chuan had hated people gawking at his appearance. Didn’t he usually avoid this kind of attention? He would even use the Boss at times to shield himself from it.

Noticing Zhong Cheng’s gaze, Fei Chuan smiled, "You don’t mind these beautiful ladies joining us, do you?"

Zhong Cheng was even more bewildered. Could four years really change someone so completely, inside and out?

The Fei Chuan before him now was vastly different from the introverted, aloof young man who had once despised being in the spotlight. He couldn’t have imagined this version of Fei Chuan—a man so relaxed and accommodating with women, almost like a playboy.

Zhong Cheng could only shake his head. The women, thrilled by Fei Chuan’s invitation, eagerly sat beside him, attempting to cozy up. Fei Chuan, however, subtly kept them at arm’s length, pouring them drinks while maintaining a polite distance.

His manners were courteous, and his smile was gentle. Up close, the women seemed even more enchanted by him, practically forgetting Zhong Cheng’s presence as they focused entirely on Fei Chuan.

Feeling bitter about being sidelined, Zhong Cheng sipped his drink. He wasn’t bad-looking himself, but compared to Fei Chuan, he knew he didn’t stand out. How long would he have to sit here, ignored?

As he drank, his phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced at the screen, and his face immediately paled when he saw the caller. Quietly, he answered the phone while Fei Chuan remained occupied with the women.

The moment the call connected, a voice colder than ice cut through, "How long are you going to keep drinking there? Send those women away."

Zhong Cheng shuddered at the tone. Even without seeing his boss, he could picture her deadly glare. He glanced nervously at the hotel across the street and swallowed hard. "...But he invited them..." How was he supposed to send them away when Fei Chuan had been the one to offer them a seat?

"You’re smart. Figure something out. I want them gone in half a minute," the voice on the other end commanded before abruptly hanging up.

Zhong Cheng stared helplessly at his phone. It would’ve been much easier to send those women away if ’she’ were here. Just one glance from her would have them scrambling to leave.

Fei Chuan subtly glanced at him but continued smiling at the two women, seemingly unfazed.

...

After much effort, Zhong Cheng finally managed to send the women away. He had to muster the courage to tell them that he and Fei Chuan needed to discuss confidential matters and required privacy.

His words earned him strange looks from all three of them. After all, who would discuss important business matters in a bar?

But with no other choice, Zhong Cheng stuck to his excuse and politely assured the women that their drinks would be on him. The women were initially reluctant to leave, but Fei Chuan’s reassuring smile and promise that they could meet up later softened the blow. Pacified, they eventually left the table.

Once they were alone, Fei Chuan turned to Zhong Cheng with a teasing smile. "So, what’s this ’confidential matter’ you need to discuss with me?"

Zhong Cheng: "....." He too doesn’t have any idea.

Scrambling for a plausible topic, Zhong Cheng finally asked how long Fei Chuan planned to stay in town and whether he had any plans to collaborate with major companies in the area.

Fei Chuan gave a vague response, saying he was only assessing the conditions of the big companies here. If he found any potential for collaboration, he might consider it. As for how long he would stay, he simply said, "As long as there’s something keeping me here."

Zhong Cheng wanted to gather more information for his boss—specifically, Fei Chuan’s dating status. From what he observed, Fei Chuan didn’t seem like the woman-averse man he once was. On the contrary, he handled the attention from women with ease. He even planned to meet the two from earlier.

However, Fei Chuan glanced at his watch and mentioned he had something else to attend to, bidding Zhong Cheng goodbye. Not wanting their first meeting to end awkwardly, Zhong Cheng could only say his farewells and hope for another chance soon.

As he watched Fei Chuan leave, Zhong Cheng picked up his phone and made a call.

"Boss, he’s changed a lot. If you want to win him back, you might want to act soon. Those two girls from earlier seemed interested, and they’ve already planned to meet him later."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a couple of seconds before the call abruptly ended.

Zhong Cheng: ?

He checked his phone and saw that the other party had indeed hung up.

....

In one of the rooms of the twelve-story hotel across from the bar, Bei Sangyun lowered her high-end binoculars, her expression turning uneasy.

She had chosen this vantage point to spy on Fei Chuan, to observe him clearly. She’d done this many times before, but usually only managed to catch glimpses of his back. This was a rare opportunity to watch him from the front.

But that useless Zhong Cheng had allowed two women to enter the picture.

Her mind replayed what Zhong Cheng had said: Fei Chuan had agreed to meet the two women later. There was no need to overthink what that meant. They were in a bar, and agreeing to meet afterward implied only one thing.

Bei Sangyun paced the room for a minute, frustration bubbling to the surface. She grabbed her hair in frustration before snatching her purse from the bed.

Without hesitation, she left the room and headed for the elevator.