CHAPTER 228: CHAPTER 62 ZHONG LIYING’S DEEP AFFECTION CONFESSION_3

"What does that mean?" Zhong Liying asked.

Seeing her friend still looking dazed, Pan Yanyan was exasperated. "It means he’s even rarer than a diamond bachelor! He’s the king of all bachelors."

"What are you talking about? How did this suddenly turn into a video game reference?"

"Uh... anyway, you get the point. Liying, it’s rare to even meet a man this good. You need to grab on and not let go," Pan Yanyan urged. Under the table, her hands were so agitated she nearly tore Zhong Liying’s skirt.

"Alright, I get it. Just calm down," Zhong Liying said, grabbing her friend’s hands to save her skirt from the imminent danger.

"Mr. Sun, can I order another bottle of wine? The wine here is delicious." Pan Yanyan’s straightforward and unpretentious manner made a good impression on Sun Dasheng.

"Of course. It’s my treat today, so order whatever you want. There’s no need to be so polite." He then had the waiter bring another bottle of red wine.

Accompanied by the fruit salad on the table, the three of them finished the wine. Pan Yanyan, who couldn’t hold her liquor, was already slumped over the table, fast asleep. Only Zhong Liying, her cheeks flushed, and Sun Dasheng, his expression unchanged, remained.

"Shall I take you two home?" Sun Dasheng asked after standing up to pay the bill. Zhong Liying was struggling to support her inebriated best friend.

"Then we’ll have to trouble you."

Although Zhong Liying was tall, she was thin and didn’t have much strength. Handling a drunken Pan Yanyan by herself was proving to be too much. "Mr. Sun, could you please help me? Can you support her on the other side?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Of course!" Sun Dasheng hooked Pan Yanyan’s other arm over his shoulder, making things much easier for Zhong Liying.

Since they had been drinking, they hadn’t driven, so they called a ride-share to take them home. The driver gave them a knowing look when he saw one man with two beautiful women. This guy’s got game!

Their apartment complex was old, with flyers and small ads plastered everywhere in the elevator and hallways. They lived on the 12th floor, which had five or six small units and was a popular choice among the working class. The apartment they rented was a compact two-bedroom unit with a tiny living room and bedrooms that were merely adequate.

After helping lay Pan Yanyan down on her bed, Sun Dasheng prepared to take his leave. To his surprise, Zhong Liying, who was usually so distant, brewed him a cup of sobering tea.

"This is a family recipe. My dad loved to drink, so my mom developed this special sobering tea for him. Please, try it."

Sun Dasheng noticed that she was smiling when she spoke of her parents. "Are they back in your hometown?" he asked after taking a sip.

"Yes," Zhong Liying nodded. Her next words almost made him spit out his tea. "But they passed away. It’s been many years now."

"I’m sorry," Sun Dasheng apologized quickly. "I didn’t mean to bring up something so painful."

Her expression barely flickered, though she seemed lost in a memory. "It’s alright. It happened a long time ago. I’ve almost forgotten."

She claimed to have nearly forgotten, but Sun Dasheng was unconvinced. He had just seen a rare, genuine smile grace her lips when she spoke of them.

"I was raised by my grandparents," she said suddenly, beginning to tell her story. "Our family had no young adults left, just the elderly and a child—a girl, at that. People in the village often bullied us. From that day on, I secretly vowed that I would make something of myself and make everyone who looked down on me and bullied me pay the price."

Seeing the stunned look on his face, she broke into a smile. "Of course, that was just a teenager’s delusions of grandeur, but it did make me fiercely competitive. I never wanted to fall behind, whether I was competing against girls or boys."

"Yanyan always says I’m too stubborn, that once I’ve made up my mind, not even eight bulls can pull me back."

Sun Dasheng looked at her curiously, wondering why she was telling him all this.

Zhong Liying didn’t explain. Instead, she changed the subject. "Mr. Sun, may I ask you a question?"

"Please," Sun Dasheng gestured.

"If... and I’m just saying if... I were willing to be your woman, could you give me a career?" Zhong Liying forced the words out, fighting back her embarrassment.

"What do you mean?" Sun Dasheng was completely lost. Weren’t we just talking about her past? I thought she just needed someone to vent to. How did this suddenly turn into her wanting to be my woman?

"I mean, if I were willing to be your woman, and you were willing to accept me, would you support me in pursuing my ambitions?"

"Such as?" Sun Dasheng thought he was starting to understand.

"I want to become a top-tier salesperson. It’s the profession I’ve been in since I graduated, and I love it," Zhong Liying said, her eyes shining as she stared into his.

Sales? He had been expecting some impossibly grand or difficult request, but all she wanted was to be in sales. You don’t need me for that, do you?

So, he voiced his confusion.

"It’s different. I don’t want to be a low-level salesperson with no voice anymore. I want to be a top sales director, someone whose words carry real weight."

Now he understood. She doesn’t just want a job. She wants to be in charge of a sales company.

"Mr. Sun, I know this sounds greedy, but I’ve been fighting my way up ever since I graduated. You probably know a lot about my situation; thanks to your help before, I was able to achieve great results. But even then, I could feel a glass ceiling holding me back, and it was suffocating. Lately, I’ve been hitting walls everywhere. I know I can’t break through that ceiling without paying a different kind of price."

"And like Yanyan said, if I have to pay a price, why shouldn’t I choose someone as exceptional as you?"

"Of course, if you’re not interested, just pretend I never said any of this. I won’t make things difficult for you. I’ll just disappear from your life... MMPH... MMPH."