PB - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
At eight in the evening, a black sedan pulled up to the entrance of Gu Jianchu’s residence. The license plate wasn’t registered, so a security guard approached to inquire. The front passenger window rolled down, and Gu Jianchu greeted the guard. Only then did the gate arm slowly rise. The car drove on, following Gu Jianchu’s directions until it stopped outside her home.
“Mr. Lin, I’ll be heading in now.”
“Miss Gu.” The attentive way Gu Jianchu listened almost made the man, Lin Zhi, forget what he was going to say. “I was truly happy to meet you today. And thank you for being willing to have dinner with me.”
Gu Jianchu offered a faint smile, and Lin Zhi’s breathing grew heavy. “You’re too kind, Mr. Lin.” After getting out, she watched his car drive away but didn’t go inside. Instead, she went to the garage, took out one of her own cars, and drove to her parents’ house.
Gu Jianchu drove with a cool expression on her face. When she returned to Rongfang that morning, her uncle had told her he’d booked a hotel for lunch so the whole family could celebrate her triumphant return. She had suspected it would be a treacherous banquet and had intentionally delayed a meeting for half an hour.
When the time came, she finally went to the banquet. Stepping into the private room, she saw that her uncle’s family and her own parents were already seated. There was also Gu Mingyi, who had suddenly returned from abroad, and a strange man beside him—Lin Zhi.
So it wasn’t a treacherous banquet, but a matchmaking one. Mr. Lin was an overseas Chinese, a business partner and colleague of Gu Mingyi’s from abroad. Gu Mingyi had repeatedly invited him back to the country. As for the marriage alliance, his intentions hadn’t been clear; he was sitting here mainly because of his partnership with Rongfang. But the moment Gu Jianchu walked in, he suddenly changed his mind.
Gu Mingyi noticed the change in Lin Zhi and enthusiastically introduced his sister. “Mr. Lin, this is my sister, Gu Jianchu. She’s the promising young vice president of our Rongfang Group, my father’s right-hand woman.”
Lin Zhi extended his hand like a perfect gentleman to shake hers, introducing himself. “My name is Lin Zhi.”
“Hello, Mr. Lin. Welcome to China.” Gu Jianchu’s smile made Lin Zhi’s breath catch. She released his hand, sat down beside her parents, and turned to her father. “Was this your idea, or Uncle’s?”
“Your uncle is just looking out for you,” was all her father had said at the time.
Gu Jianchu said no more. Throughout the meal, she maintained a graceful demeanor, neither rejecting conversation with Lin Zhi nor appearing overly enthusiastic. This carefully maintained distance left Lin Zhi’s heart itching. After the meal, he took the initiative to ask her to be his guide for a tour of the city and, at an appropriate moment, invited her to dinner. Gu Jianchu didn’t refuse, which led to him driving her home.
When she arrived at her parents’ villa, her mother pointed upstairs to the study. “He’s been sulking in there all afternoon waiting for you. You should go up and see him.”
Gu Jianchu knocked on the door. As she entered, her father asked, “Are you angry?”
“I thought you weren’t worried at all, Dad.”
“It’s your uncle who’s crossed a line this time. Gu Mingyi has been in charge of the American market for so many years that you can’t even get a foot in the door. He came back this time without even telling me, so it seems he’s fully prepared to replace you.” Her father snorted. “They’ve played their hand well, those two. Trying to lock you into their network with a marriage. What a pipe dream.”
“So it was you who was angry, Dad.”
“And your brother! He’s been in America for so long and has been completely useless. I called him this afternoon, and he actually told me he had no idea what Gu Mingyi was up to. He knew nothing at all. He’s going to be the death of me.” Her father sighed again. “Right now, your wings aren’t fully grown. You’ll have to put up with this for the time being.”
“I understand, Dad.”
As she was about to leave, he added, “Don’t go back tonight.”
“I have things to do. I’ll come back to see you and Mom tomorrow.”
Halfway there, she changed course and drove to the clubhouse, parking in her exclusive spot. She saw Qi Simiao’s car was also there, but she was in no mood for company and walked alone toward North Courtyard. Opening the light-blocking panels, she left only two wall sconces on in the room. The dim light made the few visible stars appear clearer. Gu Jianchu soaked in the warm pool, staying there until dawn.
The next morning, Gu Jianchu had just arrived at the office when a bouquet of rare roses from Lin Zhi beat her to it. Liu Yanyan presented the flowers to her with both hands. Gu Jianchu gave them a cool glance without taking them. Liu Yanyan quickly followed her into the vice president’s office. Gu Jianchu took off her coat and sat down at her desk while Liu Yanyan stood there, still holding the roses.
“Just put them somewhere.”
Liu Yanyan understood her reaction. She placed the flowers in an unobtrusive corner and switched back to work mode. “You have a meeting with President Qi of Yuanhang at 10:30 a.m., a domestic sales meeting at 2 p.m., and there’s a banquet tonight. I’ve selected three outfits for you to choose from.”
“A banquet?” Gu Jianchu paused, pen in hand. “Call Yao Qiu and ask if President Qiao is going tonight.”
“Understood.” Liu Yanyan left the office and sent a message to Yao Qiu. Since Yao Qiu wasn’t busy, she replied promptly. After confirming the details, Liu Yanyan used the internal line to call Gu Jianchu. “President Gu, Secretary Yao said that President Qiao has no banquet on her schedule.”
“Cancel the banquet,” Gu Jianchu said before hanging up and starting her day’s work.
President Qi of Yuanhang had an appointment with Rongfang’s President Gu at ten, but two hours earlier, she had an appointment with Ruifeng’s President Qiao. At 8:10 a.m., Qi Sitian was already downstairs at Ruifeng. The moment she entered Qiao Qi’s office, the tense expression she had been holding instantly relaxed. “Auntie,” she called out sweetly.
Yao Qiu brought in coffee. Before even taking a sip, Qi Sitian was already praising it. “The coffee Sister Qiu makes is so much better than anyone else’s.”
“President Qi, President Qiao has to go to a branch office later, so please don’t take up too much of her time. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
After Yao Qiu left, Qi Sitian’s expression turned serious. “Auntie, I’m not very confident about Yuanhang’s financing this time. I’ve spoken with Rongfang a few times, but judging by their attitude, they don’t seem very interested in financing Yuanhang.”
Qiao Qi carefully reviewed the financing proposal Qi Sitian had brought. “Who have you spoken with?”
“The first few times it was a department manager. I have an appointment with the junior President Gu at 10:30. Auntie, please take a look for me. I’m a little nervous about meeting her.”
A smile touched Qiao Qi’s lips. “You don’t need to be nervous. Let me ask you, if Rongfang doesn’t invest, have you thought about what you’ll do next?”
Qi Sitian froze, her memory stretching far back to the first time she met Qiao Qi, who had asked her the very same question. The words still echoed in her ears, pulling her back from her daze. Qiao Qi’s gentle smile was a sign of her indulgence. Qi Sitian whined playfully, “Help me, Auntie. My mind is so full of Rongfang and financing right now, I can’t think about anything else.”
“I’ve briefly looked over your proposal. For Rongfang, Green City International in Yushi would have a greater need for Yuanhang, but the investment you’d receive would be about half of what you’re expecting. Have you considered a range for a reduction in funding?”
About half. That meant her plan to return to Guangming would be delayed by another year or two. Her face twisted in conflict; she was feeling the pain of the loss before the money was even in hand.
“Auntie, what should I do then?”
Qiao Qi comforted her. “Aren’t you meeting with President Gu later? Do your best. If it doesn’t work out, it won’t be too late to go to Yushi. What do you think?”
Qi Sitian knew in her heart that since Qiao Qi had already found a backup plan for her, her trip to Rongfang today was unlikely to succeed. But the chance to meet Gu Jianchu was rare, so she wanted to try. “Okay, I’ll have them book the tickets to Yushi just in case.”
Qiao Qi glanced at the time; it was almost time for Qi Sitian to leave. “Are you very afraid of Gu Jianchu?”
Qi Sitian nodded dramatically. “Yes! I always feel like there’s a knife hidden behind her smile. She’s beautiful, yes, but I think her beauty is full of traps. It’s dangerous. Just look at how Qi Simiao is completely infatuated with her and you’ll know. Auntie, are you close with her?”
Hearing Qi Sitian’s increasingly dramatic description, Qiao Qi’s smile deepened. “President Gu is a very good person. You don’t need to be afraid.”
“I know, Auntie. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going. I’ll let you know the moment I have good news from Yushi.”
After Qi Sitian left, Qiao Qi stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. A few minutes later, she returned to her desk, picked up her phone, and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing Gu Jianchu’s number.
The name on the caller ID surprised Gu Jianchu. She answered the phone, her voice tinged with a smile. “President Qiao, is there something I can help you with?”
“Am I interrupting your work?” Qiao Qi leaned against her desk, her gaze fixed on the view outside. “That’s good. President Qi of Yuanhang is young and perhaps a bit reckless. I hope President Gu will go easy on her later.”
Gu Jianchu’s laughter came through the phone. “Did President Qi run to you to complain about me, or do you think I’m going to bully her? So, there are times when President Qiao pulls strings for others, after all.”
“President Gu, please don’t misunderstand. Rongfang’s decision is naturally yours to make.” Qiao Qi regretted making the call. After so much deliberation, she had still made the wrong choice. She was annoyed with herself.
Gu Jianchu had forgotten how serious Qiao Qi could be about work, and she felt a pang of regret herself. “Qiao Qi,” she said. The silence on the other end told her Qiao Qi was waiting for her to continue. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll find out about your relationship with Yuanhang’s President Qi?”
Gu Jianchu’s question actually took Qiao Qi by surprise. “Why would you ask that?” Then, she understood the implication. Given Gu Jianchu’s relationship with Qi Simiao, if she were to reveal Qi Sitian’s close ties to her, Qi Sitian’s future would certainly become difficult. She said, “You wouldn’t do that.”
Qiao Qi’s directness and honesty once again surprised Gu Jianchu, just as Qiao Qi herself was always full of surprises. “Are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner. I still haven’t thanked you for the Changfa project.”
“I’m not free tonight. Would tomorrow night work? You don’t need to worry about our collaboration with Changfa.”
“Alright, tomorrow night it is. You’re not allowed to bail on me, or I’ll come to Ruifeng and arrest you myself.”
Qiao Qi’s laugh was light, a ticklish sound in her ear. “I’ll have Xiao Qiu put it on my schedule. How does that sound?”
Qiao Qi’s questioning tone always carried a hint of indulgence, and Gu Jianchu felt her heart begin to itch along with it. They chatted idly for another minute or two before they both hung up.
Liu Yanyan knocked on the door. “President Qi from Yuanhang is downstairs.”
Gu Jianchu nodded, but then said, “Go buy a few books—I’ve emailed you the titles. And these.” She stood up and pulled several notebooks from her bookshelf. “Take them to be copied and bound.”
Liu Yanyan took the notebooks. “Any other instructions?”
“When President Qi comes up, bring her directly to my office. Also, ask her what she likes to drink. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Qi Sitian was taken aback by Gu Jianchu today. Although her proposal was ultimately rejected, Gu Jianchu personally pointed out the unrealistic parts of her plan and even offered revised suggestions for her reference. Qi Sitian was on edge the whole time, diligently taking notes while warily anticipating what might happen next.
Gu Jianchu felt she had been perfectly gentle today, so why did Qi Sitian still look so cautious? “Why are you afraid of me?”
Qi Sitian thought the woman asking the question with a straight face was too beautiful, so beautiful she didn’t dare look at her directly. “President Gu, you’ve misunderstood.”
Gu Jianchu didn’t press the issue. “Did Qiao Qi tell you where to find your next investor?”
Upon hearing Qiao Qi’s name, Qi Sitian’s expression finally changed to one of vigilance. Gu Jianchu raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I’d be wasting my time here teaching you how to revise your plan if she hadn’t called me? Never mind. Did she recommend you go to Yushi to find Green City International? Reduce your requested funding by two-fifths and go talk to them. When you do, be firm. Don’t back down easily.”
Qi Sitian’s expression shifted again, this time to one of bewilderment. Gu Jianchu chuckled. “President Qi, it’s time to wake up and fly to Yushi. With me and Qiao Qi watching your back, this trip definitely won’t be for nothing.”
Qi Sitian’s mouth hung open for a moment before she asked hesitantly, “Do you… know my auntie?”
“You say that more affectionately than Qi Simiao does,” Gu Jianchu noted. “You don’t need to worry about my relationship with your auntie. What President Qi needs to do now is leave my office and fly to Yushi.”
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