137 Great Combo

Ji Li Zhao was pissed.

An opportunity was given and yet he failed to grasp it yet again. A tragedy just had to happen when he was planning on taking a day off. An emergency meeting was needed to handle the situation in Tianshi Conglomerate. He can't escape since his Grandfather even came down from his high position just to to cater the chatter that the tragedy created.

He was in a terrible mood because of this and he didn't bother to hide it. His Grandfather was even fazed by his foul mood and kept glancing his direction everytime he finds an opportunity. Still, he remained angry and he knows for a fact his dark aura was spilling.

They were already nearly done with the meeting when Huang Xun approached him, a cellphone in hand. He bent down and whispered to him the emergency that occurred while he was busy catering the chatter of the board of directors.

"President, Miss Bei would like to talk to you."

Ji Li Zhao sighed as soon as he heard this. Although rude, he accepted the call in front of the board of directors.

None of them minded though. They can't object, specially when Grand Elder Ji didn't complain and lead the meeting instead of his grandson that was occupied.

"Talk."

Bei Changhai didn't waste any moment. "You have to get here. ASAP!"

"Reason?"

"Your rival is here! Zhou Jinhai managed to crawl his way here! It's a fcking disaster!"

Another sigh erupted upon hearing this. His already foul mood soured even more to the point that Grand Elder Ji had to stop talking and focus his attention at him.

It was clear that his grandson is pissed and it seems like something more important is happening. He knows that his grandson handles a lot of companies and even handles Palisades. He concluded that he have his hands full today and accepted that he had a lot on his plate.

"Dismiss." he simply muttered.

Although there are yet some things that need to be addressed, everyone obeyed what the Grand Elder ordered.

No one questioned. No one complained.

No one even dared to raise their brows at the sudden dismissal.

With his words, the meeting was adjourned and everyone was left packing their things.

Ji Li Zhao gave a quick glance at his grandfather before he decided to answer Bei Changhai's repetitive squawking on the phone. "I'll be there. Hold the fort."

As soon as he ended the call, Grand Elder Ji coughed to catch his attention. Now, there are only 4 of them in the room. Ji Li Zhao and his assistant, Huang Xun on the other end of the table. His grandfather was on the opposite end alongside his assistant, Ma Xiu.

"You're distracted." Grand Elder Ji began. "If you have other things to handle, just say so. There's no need to linger around here."

Ji Li Zhao looked at his grandfather skeptically. [ Does he know something? ]

The Grand Elder raised his brows because of this. "Am I mistaken? Are you not having trouble with Palisades or HILL?"

Seeing this as an opportunity, Ji Li Zhao did not hesitate to take it. "I'm needed in Palisades."

"I'll handle things around here. Ma Xiu will give you the details on the progress," he replied before standing up and heading out. There were no more words he needed to give because he knows his grandson was capable enough to handle whatever life throws at him.

With this, Ji Li Zhao decided to take matters into his own hands. "Einstein."

Makio was quick to answer his call on the earpiece. "We've arranged your transportation, Boss. Please head to the helipad, they will take you straight to the resort. Your luggage has already been prepared by Uncle Gu."

"And the Zhou family? We can't have them meeting and annoying my wife," he ordered in displeasure. He had heard how they treated her in the States and he developed an instinctual hate for them.

Now that they know her real identity, they would try their best to claw at her. He can't afford that. They did enough damage as it is when they were young. He can't have them entering their lives again and doing damage to them.

Zhou Jinhai is already annoying as it is. If his whole family joins in the fray, the string holding his sanity may snap.

"I also dispatched some of our men to distract the Zhou Family. We made sure to downsize their reservations and placed them far from the Madame's area. We added more men to the area to act as guards and to lessen any suspicion, we made sure to add a variety of people. They will handle the Zhou family if they ever get close."

"Good," he answered, pleased by his quick thinking. When he began heading to the elevator, he turned to Huang Xun. "Call in the other secretaries. They will handle Tianshi in my absence."

Huang Xun nodded his head and did not hesitate to call and order the others. Yu Chao and Xiong Chongan answered almost immediately and decided to split the job, one handling Tianshi and the other monitoring HILL.

Everyone was quick to initiate a response to the emergency. They are all rooting for Ji Li Zhao and since they adore Hou Wei Yan as their madame, they can't afford to have a rival ruin their progress.

.....

Meanwhile, back in the resort, Bei Changhai was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when her cousin confirmed his attendance.

"Now, all we have to do is wait," she answered optimistically.

The twins looked at one another before pointing at the scene in front of them. "Yeah? And what are you going to do about that?"

Zhou Jinhai was still chattering around Hou Wei Yan despite the latter's obvious discomfort and confusion. They are sure Hou Wei Yan was feeling overwhelmed by all this.

[ This is bad. My husband will hear about this! ] she thought and looked around for backup.

Recently, her husband had shown interest in Zhou Jinhai. She was sure he knows that Zhou Jinhai is pursuing her despite her many rejections. He did not show obvious hatred and he never did ask her to stay away.

But he was becoming a concern for her husband and to assure him, she decided it was best to stay away. He did not ask for it, but she chose it was much better for her to respect him and make sure there is no reason for him to doubt.

"Sister! We should check on your room! I made sure it was beautiful!" Bei Changhai shouted while running towards them. Once in front, she quickly clung to her arms and made sure to pull her away from Zhou Jinhai.

She then looked at him from head to toe and smiled innocently, mockery hidden behind it. "Do you need something? This is OUR vacation, so I would appreciate it if you allow US to ENJOY it by OURSELVES."

Bei Changhai will always be Bei Changhai.

Although rude, she did not allow Zhou Jinhai to even squeak and didn't dare introduce herself. She simply held on to Hou Wei Yan and whisked her away before she can say her goodbyes.

How fast she acted left Hou Wei Yan to chuckle instead of complain. She placed no resistance and just allowed herself to be dragged inside the room.

Inside, she was greeted by an aquatic haven. The room she was assigned to was directly connected to one of the gigantic Aquariums in the resort. She was far from the beach side which most of her colleagues preferred.

It was like she had a private aquarium show inside the room since the whole left side wall was made out of glass. As though greeting her, schools of bluestripe snapper can be seen passing her side of the aquarium and not far, she could see clown fishes huddled together in a pile of corals.

"Wow!" she blurted out in amazement and walked deeper into the room.

The interior of the room was hued in aquamarine and inspired by ancient architecture but molded to fit the modern era. It had a huge backdrop behind the bed that was shaped like a moon gate. The bed had a rectangular headboard in aquamarine hue with a pagoda hanging lantern fixture atop it, illuminating the whole room.

"I knew you'd like it." Bei Changhai muttered which caused Hou Wei Yan to turn her way.

[ She knew? ]

Xing Qiu was quick to notice her suspicion. "We gave our input. Sister loves the ocean so we figured you'd love this room."

"Kyaaaa!" someone shouted from outside their room.

The familiar high pitch caused Hou Wei Yan to run outside immediately, followed by the Xing-Bei couple.

"Yun?! What's wrong?!" she asked in worry as she approached her cousin who seems to be star-struck for some reason.

Xing Yun quickly pointed at the ocean that had huge waves. "Sister! They have surfing waves!"

Amongst them, his twin was the first to let out a long sigh while shaking his head. Bei Changhai followed, copying her boyfriend's reaction. "Yun. Really."

"You should unpack. I'll accompany you to the beach later." Hou Wei Yan stated as she patted his back. She knew how much Xing Yun loved surfing and he would not hesitate to spend his day in the waves if someone didn't supervise him.

Xing Yun nodded his head vigorously, like a child whose tantrum was appeased. "Thank you, big sister! You're the best!"

Afterward, he quickly left for his bedroom to change. By then, Xing Qiu's worry heightened. [ By now, he had most likely forgotten his purpose for coming here. ]

"Go change," he whispered to Bei Changhai. "I'll watch over Big Sister for now. Ask for updates on elder brother."

"Alright," she replied back before kissing his cheeks. Xing Qiu who was relatively taller than her bent down so she wouldn't tiptoe that much and happily received the kiss.

Satisfied and with a cheeky smile on her face, she waved goodbye to Hou Wei Yan who was watching in amusement at their adorable interactions. "See you later, big sister! I'll go change. Let's go to the beach together!"

Like a storm, she left. Hou Wei Yan was left chuckling at how fast she left for her room as though her life mattered to it.

"You got yourself an interesting girlfriend," she commented as she began walking back to her room. "You're still having problems?"

Xing Qiu shook his head with a smile. He was willing to do anything for their approval and he was confident he will receive their approval sooner than later. "No. She's already a Xing in my heart."

"And a Xing she will be," she added, confident of this. "Tell me if they still disapprove. I'll beat some senses into them."

Xing Qiu chuckled loudly at this. He was sure she would do it and if the elders ever learned of this, they would surely approve in an instant. She'd wreak havoc in their lives if they don't follow her wishes, especially when she rarely makes one.

"That child has the qualities of a Xing so make sure you make her one." Hou Wei Yan muttered before disappearing inside her room.

As his twins proxy, he stood guard outside her door, his thoughts lingering on his lover and their current situation. The Bei had no qualms in their union, but Bei Changhai is directly related to Ji Li Zhao and is greatly favored by him.

Perhaps that's the main cause of the issue.

The elders somehow detest Ji Li Zhao and anyone linked to him is eliminated from the list of their future in-laws.

He and Bei Changhai are unwilling to abandon Ji Li Zhao for their union. Now, they could only hope they'd accept the marriage between Hou Wei Yan and him once they learn the truth.

.....

The waves were whispering loudly in their ears. But a voice much louder overlapped with it, his excitement through the roof.

"Sister! Look at me!" Xing Yun shouted loudly as he began to board his surfboard. Despite the waves high and scary in front of him, he still displayed a huge smile on his face.

"He never disappoints." Bei Changhai marveled as she watched her lover's twin surf as though nothing else mattered.

Hou Wei Yan chuckled and continued clicking the shutter of her phone. Once a good shot was taken, she proceeded to take a video of her cousin as he enjoys the waves. "He'd ditch anyone for the waves. That's how much he loves it."

Bei Changhai nodded her head and was about to shift the topic to her older cousin. But someone managed to beat her to it. "Oh wow! Your cousin is very good with the waves."

"Jinjin." Hou Wei Yan called out in surprise.

As for Bei Changhai, her face was now soured beyond recognition. She was bitter at his appearance and his very existence wreaks havoc in her life.

"Zhou Jinhai," she called out bitterly. "You never get the hint, do you?"

He chuckled and shamelessly smirked at her. "I chose to ignore it."

"You---"

"Wei Wei~" Zhou Jinhai called out, casually striding to Hou Wei Yan.

However, Hou Wei Yan was already dragged away by Xing Qiu before he could get close. "Sister! Aren't you starving?"

"I---"

To be honest, she was beyond full. Before they left for the resort, Gu Man fed her ample food so she won't get hungry during the travel and sleep comfortably. Before heading to the beach, she managed to eat some snacks as well because Long Lee snuck into her room and shoved in her favorite snacks, hoping Hou Wei Yan would love them the same way she does.

So she was not hungry at all. But she guessed that was not the answer her cousin desperately wanted. "I am. Shall we go eat?"

"I'll accompa---" before he could finish his words, he felt someone tug on his arms and drag him along in the process.

Bei Changhai smiled innocently at Zhou Jinhai's curious gaze. "You seem interested in the waves. Xing Yun can teach you how to surf and I hope you'll listen well~"

She then whispered close to his ears, an obvious hint of warning laced in her voice. "You'll need it in case one of us snap and drown you in the process."

Zhou Jinhai could only gulp down his own saliva. He was not usually intimidated by anyone and he was relentless in pursuing Hou Wei Yan, but this time, he knew he needs to step back.

Bei Changhai was not kidding and by the tightness of her grip, he knew she was willing to snap his arms if he decides to pursue Hou Wei Yan under these circumstances.

"Don't get too close!" Xing Qiu warned making both of them snap back to him. He was already walking away but his voice was laced with venom. Bei Changhai knew that was directed at her so she giggled in delight.

"Bring me some snacks, darling~" she shouted back at him. Xing Qiu could only sigh and wave his hands in response. With this, Bei Changhai returned to her mission and happily dragged Zhou Jinhai to the waves.

He tried resisting, but his strength was still lacking compared to Bei Chanhai who was dead set on bringing him to the ocean. "Don't be stubborn. You know I'm a Bei and I will not go easy on anyone~"

Helpless. That's what he felt right now as he got shoved into the ocean.

As for Hou Wei Yan, she had pancakes in her hand when she returned to the beach. Long Lee was with her, and of course, strolling behind her is none other than Ashraf who had a scary look on his face since earlier.

"What's up with him?" Yu Lanfen asked as she glanced back at the group.

Jiang Guiren who was enjoying the sun looked back as well and chuckled. "Goalkeeping. He can't afford to have someone else score the goal."

She nodded her head in understanding before pointing towards Zhou Jinhai getting ganged up on the shore. "And them?"

"Still goalkeeping," he answered, amused at them playing around. Bei Changhai was unwilling to let him leave the sea and it seems like Zhou Jinhai could do nothing but obey. "But they're doing it for someone else."

Yu Lanfen was bewildered. [ For whom? ]

Jiang Guiren smiled at her curious gaze. She was very curious, but he was unwilling to spoil the fun. He was slow to learn of it, but he was observant compared to the others so he pinpointed the facts.

"And look, another player joins in the game." he mused when he saw a tall muscular man walking just behind Hou Wei Yan.

"Doctor Hou! Look at this sea shell!" Long Lee shouted as she ran back towards Hou Wei Yan who was left behind by the busy chattering group.

She was running full speed toward her but had to stop because someone else was behind Hou Wei Yan. Her sudden halt was not as smooth as she thought. Long Lee arched forward and nearly fell face first, but her Ashraf saw this coming already.

He stretched out his hands and firmly held her arm, stopping her from falling down in the process.

Due to her surprise, Hou Wei Yan leaped forward as well to catch Long Lee whom she thought was within her grasp. But she failed miserably because Ashraf intercepted the fall. She ended up losing her own balance because of this and anticipated falling on her knees.

"Careful," someone said from behind her.

Hou Wei Yan gasped in surprise when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. His build was larger compared to hers so he lifted her with ease and anchored her back on her feet.

Once she regained her balance, she abruptly turned around to face the one that saved her, and surprise, surprise…it was Ji Li Zhao.

"BIIIIGGG BROOOOTHEER!!!" Bei Changhai shouted from afar. She was running, furiously—charging at them like a bull.

Ji Li Zhao quickly held Hou Wei Yan's arms and safely tucked her behind him. He feared she'd get hurt due to his cousin's enthusiasm.

Relieved by his appearance, Bei Changhai lost her senses and pounced at him. Ji Li Zhao let out a loud grunt as he took the blunt force of her body and allowed her to hang herself like a koala in his body.

"Big brother! You're really here!" she muttered senselessly. Zhou Jinhai is a thorn in her eyes and she felt relieved someone else would take care of him for her. "Thank you for being here!"

"Changhai, get down." Xing Qiu ordered with a sigh. He then took hold of her hand and slowly guided her down Ji Li Zhao. "Hello, big brother."

Ji Li Zhao eyed him and merely nodded his head before taking hold of Bei Changhai once more. He guided her to the sideline and inquisitively whispered. "How are things?"

"I threatened him, but it doesn't seem to be working much. So I need your cooperation." the little devil muttered close to his ears. His arrival already makes a big difference, but she needs her gameplay to work. "Whatever I say, you will do. It's the only way we can beat that bastard."

Meanwhile, Hou Wei Yan who was watching everything unfold decided to approach her cousin when he was left on the sideline. "Does he approve?"

"He never said he didn't." Xing Qiu answered with all honesty. Ji Li Zhao has always been supportive and even called on him to escort Bei Changhai to a party not long ago.

As they fell into their own groups, the onlookers watched in amusement at all this. He Lan and He Zihao who just finished their own tour of the place looked bewildered at the scene.

It looks like they're coaching their own family member. Ji Li Zhao looks like he was vouching for Bei Changhai to dump Xing Qiu, while Hou Wei Yan coaches her little cousin on how to win his future in-law's heart.

"What is this? Family feud?" He Lan mused as she approached the group.

Jiang Guiren chuckled at her commentary because technically, it is. But their feud is more likely with the Zhou Family.

He Zihao nervously looked at his sister after she blurted this. Her bravery is really commendable. "Hey, watch it."

"I was kidding," she stated before walking ahead of the others to pay respect to their Big Boss. Her appearance immediately caught the attention of the four and caused them to momentarily stop whatever it is they are whispering to each other.

"Good day, President Ji. You're here to join our vacation?"

Ji Li Zhao nodded his head to acknowledge her presence. He then pointed at Bei Changhai who was busy watching the ocean, obviously on the lookout for someone. Her face displayed confusion when the man she was looking for was nowhere in sight.

"I'm this kid's chauffeur," he announced before smiling at them. It was not forced, but his smile did not reach his ears. "Please take care of me."

The members of the surgical team all looked at one another, unsure of this sudden turn of events. Jiang Guiren was the only one amused by this and to be honest, he had expected this at some point after he saw how Zhou Jinhai showed up on their trip all of a sudden.

Hou Wei Yan sighed at this announcement before she seek her cousin. "It seems like he disapproves of you."

Xing Qiu turned to look at her, internally chuckling at her misunderstanding. [ It's not me he disapproves. It's Zhou Jinhai! ]

He's not someone who wants to disclose that though. Since things came to this, he ought to support Ji Li Zhao and make sure he has a reason to use when she begins to question why they're always together.

Because on this trip, they need to make sure Ji Li Zhao spends more time with Hou Wei Yan than Zhou Jinhai.

"You'll help me convince him, won't you?"

Hou Wei Yan looked at him in confusion and horror. "Huh?"

[ Did I promise him that? ] she asked herself in the midst of her confusion.

Rarely did Xing Qiu act cute. Acting cute and adorable was his twins' forte ever since they were young.

But he never said he couldn't do it. He just learned how to use it to his advantage. He knows when to use it and the time has come to use it against Hou Wei Yan.

He held her hand, swinging it to and fro, and his face is the same mold as Xing Yun helped him a lot. Hou Wei Yan was weak to family members, especially to those who knows how to use puppy eyes.

"We talked earlier. You'll help me, right? Big sister?" he asked, dragging his tone as though a child. "Please help me beat some senses into him."

Resistance cannot even be used. Xing Qiu rarely acted cute so Hou Wei Yan surrendered almost instantly. "Fine."

Xing Qiu's eyes twinkled in delight. Hou Wei Yan shook her head at his tactics before clarifying. "But for the record, there will be no beating that will happen. That's my boss."

He simply chuckled at this, before eyeing his lover. Bei Changhai winked his way, chuckling to herself as well. With the two of them here, Zhou Zinhai does not stand a chance.

They will make sure of that.