PB - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Qiao Qi’s fluster came after her usual composure, fermenting only after she replayed the sudden kiss over and over in her mind. The fluttering in her chest was a delayed reaction. The city’s nightscape was brilliantly lit. From this height, she could see the ever-changing advertisements on a distant skyscraper. Gu Jianchu’s beautiful face would appear unexpectedly, smiling or in thought, and she found she had no way to control it.
Qiao Qi sighed softly, pulling her thoughts back. “Yao Qiu, book a flight back for tomorrow morning.”
Liu Yanyan hung up with Yao Qiu and told Gu Jianchu that Qiao Qi was returning to the country. Gu Jianchu had originally planned to stay a few more days, but Qiao Qi’s early departure was somewhat surprising. Just an hour ago, she had kissed her here, and an hour later, Qiao Qi was leaving. Although there were no words of blame, her actions seemed to suggest disgust.
In the game of love, Gu Jianchu was rarely disliked. There were plenty who both loved and hated her, but she thought that someone with Qiao Qi’s style would simply pretend it never happened if she wanted to refuse. The early departure was unexpected. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. The image of Qiao Qi relentlessly occupied her full attention.
Neither of them slept well that night. Qiao Qi was used to it, but Gu Jianchu was not. Tossing and turning in their respective beds, they both thought of each other at the same time. The next day, Gu Jianchu left the hotel early for a meeting. Qiao Qi, in no rush, stayed in her room until it was time to leave for the airport.
Qiao Qi didn’t know how to enjoy life like Gu Jianchu. Aside from the two flights she had taken with Gu Jianchu, most of her business trips were on commercial airliners. At the foreign airport, Liu Yanyan arrived at just the right time. When she got there, Yao Qiu had just finished checking the luggage, and the two met on Yao Qiu’s way back.
Liu Yanyan came to the airport alone; Gu Jianchu wasn’t with her. She was holding a box. “Secretary Yao,” she asked, “may I ask where President Qiao is? President Gu has a gift for her.”
“President Qiao is resting over there. Come with me.”
Qiao Qi was slightly shocked to see Liu Yanyan, and then confused when she saw the object in her hands. Liu Yanyan handed it to her and said, “This is a gift President Gu specially prepared for you, President Qiao. She hopes you’ll like it.”
The box wasn’t large or very heavy. She said, “Please thank your President Gu for me.”
“You’re welcome, President Qiao. President Gu also said she’s very sorry she couldn’t see you off personally. She asked me to tell you to have a safe trip.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly. “Thank you.”
Liu Yanyan only left after seeing Qiao Qi board the plane. Once outside the airport, she called Gu Jianchu. “President Qiao has boarded. She asked me to thank you.”
“Thank you for your hard work.” Gu Jianchu took the call during a break in a meeting. She could have delivered the gift herself, but she was too busy. Otherwise, she would have liked to see Qiao Qi one more time.
Qiao Qi didn’t open the box until she was on the plane. It was the mechanical cat she had shown interest in at the exhibition. It could only perform simple, imitative movements. She remembered Gu Jianchu saying at the time that it wasn’t a worthy investment. She placed the mechanical cat in her palm. Its hard, mechanical lines weren’t very refined, and it lacked any of Ping An’s cuteness, but she liked it very much.
Returning a day earlier than planned, her personal driver was waiting for her at the airport. The first thing Qiao Qi did upon her return was go to the office to work. Her luggage remained in the trunk until she took it home after work.
Su Jiayin knew she was back early and came to find her, carrying Ping An. Once home, Ping An familiarly ran back to its own territory. Su Jiayin spotted the mechanical cat that Qiao Qi hadn’t had time to put away. She picked it up and examined it. The mechanical cat let out a simulated meow, alerting Ping An, who also began to carefully inspect the new object in the house.
“Is this what you picked up on your trip? It doesn’t look like anything special.”
“I think it looks like Ping An.” Qiao Qi put the item back in its place. Ping An ran over and jumped into her lap. She sat down in the armchair, holding the cat.
Su Jiayin looked at her and asked, “Any other gains from this trip? Weren’t you just going to observe and learn?”
Qiao Qi stroked the cat, her mind wandering. Su Jiayin was still chattering in her ear. After a long while, she asked abruptly, “What kind of person is Gu Jianchu?”
Su Jiayin paused, sensing that something had happened between them abroad. She asked back, “What kind of person do you think she is?”
“Someone who’s neither good nor bad, but very different from me.” A smile touched the corners of Qiao Qi’s eyes, and her voice was soft. “But she’s very beautiful and charming, full of temptation and danger. A beautiful trap.”
“I don’t know what happened between you two in the United States, but you shouldn’t have only just now realized her intentions toward you. Her personality is very different from yours. Between you and her… after thinking it over, I still feel you’re the one who’s going to get hurt.”
“I know.” She had noticed Gu Jianchu’s deliberate advances early on, but if she wanted to feign ignorance, she could truly be ignorant. For some reason, Ping An left her lap. She leaned back against the sofa and said slowly, “It’s just the nature of desire, that’s all.”
Su Jiayin suddenly laughed. “It’s rare to hear you say something like that. Since you know, why are you getting yourself involved? You’re always so rational about everything.”
“Matters of the heart aren’t a place for rationality. She attracts me, and I have feelings for her. That’s enough.”
Su Jiayin also knew that if you were too rational about some things, they would be over before they even began. Besides, Gu Jianchu had said they were all adults. And Qiao Qi? She looked at Qiao Qi with a profound gaze. This woman had never made a single misstep; she was always calm, composed, and intelligent. Since she was bringing this up, she must have already made a decision.
She said no more, only adding, “Don’t worry. Between you and her, I’m definitely on your side. If she ever dares to bully you, I’ll be the first to knock her out.”
Qiao Qi chuckled. “Then you’d better remember that.”
Su Jiayin frowned. Qiao Qi’s words made it sound as if she was certain of a bad outcome. She patted her lightly in reproach, but then, thinking of the change in Qiao Qi since her return, she couldn’t help but gossip. “I’m a little curious, what happened between you two in the States?”
Qiao Qi avoided the question and showed her the door. “It’s late. I need to rest.”
Su Jiayin was exasperated enough to laugh, but her tone became earnest again. “You’re always so serious in everything you do, and your feelings will be no exception. But I still have to remind you: you may have truly fallen for her, but Jianchu might not have. At the same time, I wish you both a happy ending.”
“I know.”
Su Jiayin said resentfully, “You know again.”
Su Jiayin was right; she had indeed developed feelings. But she wouldn’t waste time guessing how much of Gu Jianchu’s heart was genuine. Just like with everything else she had ever done, she only focused on doing her part well. Paying too much attention to things beyond her control would only divide her energy and leave her with nothing.
She had always been generous with the things she liked, and this time it was a living, breathing, interesting person. Liking Gu Jianchu was actually a surprise even to herself, but she had already accepted it calmly. Qiao Qi was Qiao Qi—she didn’t dwell on things, nor did she waste time.
After seeing Su Jiayin out, Qiao Qi returned to her study and opened the email about Lin Zhi. Her thoughts returned to the chance encounter in the parking lot. Even an outsider like her could see Lin Zhi’s obvious intentions toward Gu Jianchu. The fact that Gu Jianchu was willing to spend time dealing with him was undoubtedly a show for the Gu family. She called Xu Yangpu.
A week later, Gu Jianchu was still busy in the United States. The negotiations for the new project were taking much longer than planned. Gu Mingyi, worried about her extended stay, had also flown over. Gu Jianchu was too busy to deal with him, but he followed her around whenever he had a chance, wanting to see how she worked.
“President Gu.” Liu Yanyan walked in and handed her a tablet. “Ruifeng has high-profiledly announced its intention to acquire the South African TIE Chrome Mining Company. After a continuous rise, the company’s stock price is nearing its daily limit today.”
The news was reported simultaneously in both Chinese and English-speaking regions. The country’s largest company intervening in the South African mining industry was bound to affect stock prices. Moreover, Ruifeng had changed its style this time, acting with unusual fanfare. A smile appeared on Gu Jianchu’s lips. Qiao Qi was really adorable. Since she had helped her to this extent, she would have to thank her properly when she got back.
“Also, President Gu, the other company has agreed to concede. We can sign the contract this afternoon.”
The other party in this negotiation had been waging a war of attrition, trying to gain an advantage by draining her time and energy. But they had miscalculated Gu Jianchu’s attitude. Whatever Gu Jianchu wanted to achieve, she would find a way to get it. So, their eventual concession was only a matter of time.
“Prepare to return to China the day after tomorrow.”
“Yes, President Gu. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”
Before the afternoon was over, Gu Mingyi told her that Lin Zhi was already on a plane back. Ruifeng’s intervention had caught Witton completely off guard, disrupting their original acquisition plan. Ruifeng was a formidable power, and a head-on confrontation would often cost many times the original investment. As the person in charge of this acquisition, Lin Zhi was bound to have a major headache for a while.
The phone rang. There was no name, just a familiar string of numbers. The man on the other end couldn’t hide the joy in his voice. He spoke in English, “Miss Gu, you truly are a messenger sent by God to bring me good news.”
George hadn’t trusted this young Eastern woman at first, but her directness at the club that day had left a deep impression on him. He liked dealing with straightforward people. In their subsequent meetings, he was won over by the confidence in her words. This, combined with the current turnaround in the acquisition project, made him feel increasingly at ease with their cooperation.
Gu Jianchu replied fluently in English, “So, are you satisfied with this result, Mr. George?”
“Of course, I’m satisfied. Lin is coming back, and I certainly won’t let him off easy at this board meeting. Since you’ve come with such sincerity, Miss Gu, I will give you the return you desire. I wonder if you have time for dinner tonight, Miss Gu?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. George, but I have other work here. I probably won’t have any free time before I return to China.”
George’s voice was tinged with regret. “That’s a great pity. I hope you can come to the United States often, Miss Gu, to give me the chance to have dinner with you.”
“You are also welcome in China, Mr. George.”
Things were proceeding more smoothly than Gu Jianchu had planned, all thanks to Qiao Qi’s help. She really wanted to call Qiao Qi, but it was the middle of the night in China. Also, this incident once again reminded her that she could no longer let Gu Yong run rampant. She had originally thought this internal strife would wait a few more years, but it seemed everyone was getting impatient.
On the day before she was to return, Gu Jianchu received a call from her father. Old Master Jin’s birthday was in three days. The banquet would be held at the old Jin family residence, and he asked if she was interested in attending. Before she hung up, Jin Zhilan’s call came in as well, presumably also an invitation to the Jin family’s banquet. She replied to her father that she would attend on his behalf.
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment