Chapter 5 Are We Done

Emily admitted that when she got into the car, she intentionally adjusted her posture, managed her expression, and even subtly adjusted her legs to make sure they looked as good as possible.

She didn't know exactly how sharp Aiden's eyesight was or if he could recognize her inner beauty, so she made sure to present her outer beauty clearly to him.

But now the car window was down, and the cold wind of late autumn was blowing in relentlessly, like it had no cost, blasting into the car.

Emily's thoughts were immediately scattered. Without showing any signs, she pulled her legs back, wrapped her coat tighter, took out her recorder, cleared her throat, and said, "President Campbell, should I start recording now?"

Aiden, leaning back in his seat, closed his eyes, and without opening his mouth, just gave a soft "mm" as a response.

It seemed like he was about to fall asleep any second.

Do I really look that unappealing?

Emily cursed inwardly but obediently said, "I'll record everything, and once the final draft is ready, I'll confirm it with you."

After she said this, Aiden didn't respond, still keeping his eyes closed, resting.

Emily flipped open her notebook with the outline.

"The main topic of this interview is the role of the US dollar as a pillar currency in Asian currency cooperation, and the role of the US dollar in East Asia. First, I'd like to ask you, as a major commercial bank, what preparations do you think are necessary for advancing the internationalization of the US dollar?"

After Emily finished, Aiden turned his head slightly, resting his chin down, and glanced at Emily with a light look.

Emily wasn't sure what that look meant, so she just looked back at him.

Unexpectedly, Aiden didn't look away, and they locked eyes. Emily didn't know what expression to put on, so she could only blink her eyes awkwardly.

Putting aside everything else, she had been preparing for this interview for a long time, so the anticipation was as great as the nervousness.

After a brief moment, Aiden seemed to think of something, and a barely audible sneer escaped his nose, before he withdrew his gaze.

Emily,?

If it weren't for the fact that I have other intentions, I would have made sure you explained that microexpression right now.

While Emily was silently cursing, Aiden raised a hand and loosened his bow tie before starting to answer Emily's question.

When he spoke his first sentence, Emily hadn't regained her senses yet. She froze for a moment before quickly starting to take notes.

Aiden's speech was very logical, linking one point to the next. His answers were concise but full of information, and Emily didn't dare miss a word, listening carefully.

The car was still speeding along, going up mountain roads, into tunnels, and around interchanges. Emily never once looked outside to pay attention to the changing scenery.

She threw out one question after another, with barely any time to think about where the car was actually headed.

By the time she finished going through the outline, the recorder showed that nearly an hour and fifty-six minutes had passed.

It was difficult to follow his train of thought, and the concentration required was almost at the level of an exam. She had to analyze what he said so she wouldn't accidentally repeat herself and make a fool of herself, so by the time she finished recording the final point, the palms of her hands were sweating.

She lifted her head and looked at Aiden, noticing that his expression was calm, unlike her own nervousness.

Her gaze gradually fixed on his eyes.

From the side, his glasses cast a faint light on his lashes. His expression was unreadable, but it was hard to look away.

"Are we done?" Aiden suddenly turned his head and looked at her.

Emily quickly snapped her gaze away,"Yes, we're done."

The next second.

Emily,...

The quiet car seemed even quieter now.

She closed the pen cap, pretending nothing had happened, and turned her head down, flipping through her notes to cover up the awkwardness of being caught staring at him.

After a moment of silence, Emily started to feel a bit uneasy, and she sneakily raised her eyes to look at Aiden.

Just in time, their gazes met.

Aiden slowly straightened up, raised his hand to adjust his tie, and his gaze became somewhat inscrutable.

At that moment, the car slowly came to a stop.

Emily silently broke out in a cold sweat.

I misspoke.

I should've just stayed low-key.

The car remained eerily quiet. A gust of cold wind blew in, and Emily shivered uncontrollably.

During this brief moment, Aiden shifted his gaze, opened the car door, bent down to get out, and left her with a parting remark.

"Two hours are up."

Emily,...

His actions were so quick that Emily only regained her senses after a moment of confusion from the tension in their gaze.

She immediately looked up and glanced outside the window.

Large expanses of grassland, rows of wooden fence posts, with a few scattered horses grazing, and a patch of trees at the end that had turned yellow. The sky was dark and overcast, with clouds that seemed ready to crush the trees below.

???

Where in the world is this?

Aiden stood by the car, looking into the distance, seemingly forgetting about Emily's existence.

Emily clung to the car window, panic rising.

Aiden's back seemed to scream the word "indifference" in bold letters.

Just as she was about to speak, Aiden turned back, lifted his eyelids, and said, "You can leave now."

Emily,?

How do I leave in the middle of nowhere?

Am I supposed to ride a horse?

Seeing that Aiden was really about to leave, Emily hurriedly got out of the car and chased after him.

"President Campbell, there's one last question."

She pursed her lips. "How about we talk about something else?"

Aiden was engrossed in his phone, not looking at Emily.

"Go ahead."

Emily stood behind him and asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Aiden's fingers paused for a moment as he turned his head to look at her.

Emily smiled sweetly, seemingly without any ulterior motive. After all, many reporters ask such questions at the end of an interview to lighten the mood.

But in reality, her hand, resting at her side, had already clenched into a fist.

Aiden's gaze shifted downward, studying her face with a hint of curiosity.

Just as he was about to speak, a male voice came from not far away.

"Aiden!"

Aiden immediately looked up, and an elderly man in riding clothes quickly walked toward them.

At first, Emily just followed Aiden's gaze, thinking the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

As he drew closer and his face became clearer, Emily suddenly realized she knew him.

To be precise, she knew this financial giant from afar.

Emily had studied journalism at a finance school, and in her first professional class, the teacher mentioned this person-Michael.

From then on, the name "Michael" had been a constant presence throughout her university years, and later, in her career, his name frequently appeared on TV, magazines, and newspapers.

Now, though Michael had retired and rarely appeared in public, his reputation still stood tall like a mountain.

Of course, Emily had also heard that Michael's greatest hobby was equestrianism.

So, the place she was in now must be Michael's private horse ranch.

Michael, holding a real leather riding crop, walked leisurely toward them, his eyes slowly shifting to Emily.

Seeing a strange woman suddenly appear, Michael instinctively slowed his pace and studied her more closely.

But after a moment's thought, he seemed to dismiss it, thinking a man and a woman showing up together wasn't a rare thing. His first question was, "Who is this?"

He gestured to Emily.

Before Aiden could answer, Emily stepped forward and said, "Hello, Mr. Michael, I'm Emily, a reporter for The New York Times."

"The New York Times..." Michael nodded. "I remember you. I've read a few of your articles. Well-written, insightful. Didn't expect you to be such a young girl in person."

Whether or not this was flattery to give Aiden face, Emily accepted it with composure.

She smiled up at him. "You're too kind."

After a brief introduction, Michael immediately turned to Aiden, cheerfully saying, "I thought you'd come alone, and I wasn't prepared. There aren't many girls here."

From the tone of his words, Emily realized he had misunderstood that she had come with Aiden, and he probably thought their relationship was something special.

Emily lowered her head, her fingers gently stroking her sleeve, and quickly calculated in her mind.

"Uncle Michael-"

"My God!"

Just as Aiden started to speak, the woman beside him gasped in surprise.

Aiden turned to look at her, seeing her gazing at the horse track ahead with awe on her face. "This place is so beautiful!"

She said this while looking around, her long hair blowing in the wind, her eyes gleaming. "These horses are so beautiful too!"

She looked like a naïve girl completely entranced by the scenery.

Emily felt her acting skills were deserving of an Oscar nomination.

She stopped herself from speaking, and Aiden frowned, seemingly deep in thought as he observed her.

"This isn't even my best horse," Michael immediately responded, eager to show off his prized possessions. "The really good ones are inside."

"Really?!"

Emily looked at him with curiosity and expectation, and Michael, seeing through her, put down the crop and waved for them to follow.

"Let's go, come inside."

Michael said, turning to lead the way, leaving Emily and Aiden behind.

In the vast open space, the wind was always strong, howling as it passed through the trees.

The person beside her was silent, but Emily could feel his gaze on her.

Michael, given his status, probably wouldn't have explained this playful interaction between the two of them in front of him, so Emily dared to act this way.

But that scrutiny felt like a slow, torturous burn. Each second felt infinitely long.

Emily felt her breath faltering, her back hand nervously fiddling with everything. After a few seconds of waiting without hearing anything, she steeled herself and looked up at Aiden.

She immediately locked eyes with him.

Emily blinked, wearing an innocent expression, as if to say, "Michael invited me, what's wrong with that? Is there an issue?"

Emily had no idea if Aiden had a problem with it, but he merely flashed a faint, ambiguous smile, then turned away without saying another word, stepping toward Michael.

As they entered the horse ranch, Michael stood outside the changing room.

Aiden went straight into the changing room, but before fully entering, he turned and glanced at Emily.

He lowered his eyelids and said, "I'm going in to change."

His voice was calm but carried a warning tone.

Emily smiled brightly, her voice sweet, "Okay! I'll wait patiently."

Aiden,...

He didn't say anything further, entering the changing room, leaving only Michael and Emily outside.

-

If he were a stranger, Michael, with his status, would be the least talkative kind of person.

But today, he clearly treated Emily as someone Aiden brought along. After hearing their exchange, he probably had a rough idea about her, and his attitude toward her was much like Aiden's.

He brought over a horse, casually chatting with Emily while brushing its fur.

After a few industry-related remarks, he suddenly asked, "How long have you known Aiden?"

Emily froze for a moment, then realized what he meant.

She lowered her head, feeling a bit shy. "Not long."

Just today.

Michael nodded, understanding, and smiled, patting the young horse in front of him. "Do you know how to ride?"

Emily shook her head.

Michael gestured toward the changing room. "My wife's old riding clothes are in there. If you don't mind, you can use them. Since you're here, you might as well learn."

"Really?!"

Riding horses was already far removed from daily life, and even without Aiden's presence, Emily was genuinely curious. So her excitement wasn't an act at all, and she followed Michael eagerly into the changing room.

Though it was a private horse ranch, the changing room was quite spacious, with four compartments on each side.

As she walked behind Michael and passed one of the compartments, she glanced to the side and caught a glimpse of Aiden through the curtain.

The curtain barely covered from his chest to his ankles, and Aiden turned around, his eyes meeting hers.

He took off his glasses, his eyes slightly squinted.

The changing room, though brightly lit, seemed to make Aiden's gaze feel cold.

Feeling guilty, Emily avoided his gaze, her eyes flickering, and she turned her face away.

It felt like his eyes were following her every move. She furrowed her brows and quickened her pace.

-

Michael led her to a cabinet, opened the door, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

Inside hung a set of red riding clothes. The buttons looked a little old, but the material was of very high quality, and the cut was impeccable.

"Go ahead and change. My wife's build is similar to yours, so it should fit."

After Michael finished speaking, he walked out.

The changing room fell into silence.

Emily took out the clothes, and as she walked to one of the changing compartments, she glanced toward Aiden's side.

Unfortunately, a tall storage cabinet blocked her view, so she couldn't see what was happening over there. She didn't know if Aiden was still there.

Since there had been no noise for so long, he was probably gone by now.

Emily turned and entered the compartment.

She undressed and carefully put on the riding clothes. When she was just about to fasten the final button on the collar, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

Emily froze for a moment, straining to hear if the footsteps were coming her way.

Unfortunately, they weren't.

The footsteps grew fainter, likely moving away from her.

Just as she thought this, the door slammed shut, and a gust of wind made the corner of the curtain lift.

His voice rang clearly in the changing room.

"If you can't fasten it, don't bother riding."