PB - Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Gu Jianchu finished decanting the wine. Although she had previously said she wouldn’t let Qiao Qi drink, she still poured her a glass right under Su Jiayin’s nose. Su Jiayin shot her a look, a tacit approval, and the smile playing at the corners of Qiao Qi’s eyes made Su Jiayin happy as well.
“How have you been lately?” Su Jiayin asked. The question was clearly directed at Gu Jianchu; while Su Jiayin and Qiao Qi saw each other often, Gu Jianchu had only just returned from the States.
“Regarding the TIE acquisition, I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet. If Lin Zhi hadn’t chosen to partner with a bank under the Su family’s umbrella, he wouldn’t have been left with zero room to maneuver on his loans.”
“As soon as the internal news from Witton came out, the American side immediately halted proceedings with Lin Zhi. To some extent, that would have had a negative effect on other potential partnerships. Fortunately, Witton’s new leader chose to continue working with us because of you, so my dad didn’t say anything after he found out.”
Su Jiayin paused, then changed the subject. “I heard Gu Mingyi has moved back from the States. Now you’ll have to face not only your uncle but him as well. Your days at Rongfang are going to be tough from now on.”
Gu Jianchu sipped her wine, a smile on her lips. With an air of casual confidence, she said, “I won’t give them the chance.”
Qiao Qi was, as usual, a woman of few words but had a sharp mind. Her gaze on Gu Jianchu was filled with worry and heartache, a look that Su Jiayin, sitting opposite them, took in completely.
Su Jiayin shot her an exasperated look. “You have the nerve to worry about her? She’s doing just fine. You should worry about yourself. Have Jin Zhilan and Qi Simiao been causing trouble for you lately? The calmer Jin Zhihuan appears on the surface, the more you need to be on guard. It wasn’t so bad before, but Grandpa Jin has been favoring you more and more these past two years. It’s strange that he doesn’t seem anxious.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly and only replied, “I know.”
Su Jiayin knew her well enough not to press the issue. She asked another question, “Why haven’t I seen Qi Sitian around you lately?”
“Yuanhang just finished its financing round, so she’s been busy.”
“And what about that Shen Shoucheng? Wasn’t she clinging to you a while back?” Su Jiayin paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I’ve discovered that you’re especially popular with young girls. I think they respect you while also secretly having a crush on you. It’s so thrilling to think about.”
Qiao Qi stiffened, her expression turning serious. She called out Su Jiayin’s professional title, syllable by syllable. Su Jiayin knew she was getting angry, and sure enough, Qiao Qi said sternly, “What nonsense are you spouting? Sitian and Shoucheng are still young. Don’t make casual jokes about them in the future.”
Su Jiayin was amused. “Such a proper person,” she commented. She pointed a finger at Gu Jianchu and asked, “Besides her pretty face, what else do you see in her?”
Qiao Qi’s features softened. “She helps me sleep.”
Su Jiayin froze, her mind clearly heading in a dirty direction. Gu Jianchu couldn’t help but chuckle. Belatedly realizing the implication, Qiao Qi blushed slightly. Gu Jianchu took over the conversation, saying, “Doctor Su, you’re the one who isn’t proper.”
She then naturally pulled Qiao Qi closer, her sparkling eyes gazing with a smile deep into Qiao Qi’s. Qiao Qi understood, her own smile like a spring breeze. Su Jiayin took a sip of her wine to avoid watching the scene. She could tell that Gu Jianchu’s feelings for Qiao Qi were different, but a strange intuition also made her worry.
The three of them drank and chatted about a wide range of topics, from work to movies to the history of the house. Setting work aside to steal a moment of leisure was a perfect way to relax. If not for the sudden appearance of Jin Zhilan and Qi Simiao, they would have had dinner at six, soaked in the hot springs at eight, and left at eleven.
Qi Simiao had seen Su Jiayin’s car and guessed she had come with Gu Jianchu. They hadn’t seen each other since Gu Jianchu went to the States. It had been manageable while she was away, but upon hearing last night that Gu Jianchu’s plane had landed, Qi Simiao had become impatient, consumed with longing. In the past, whenever Gu Jianchu brought Su Jiayin out, they usually went straight to North Courtyard, so she had dragged Jin Zhilan here directly from the parking lot.
It was common knowledge that Su Jiayin and Qiao Qi were on good terms, but outsiders had no way of knowing just how close they were. Jin Zhilan had always assumed their relationship was merely a polite formality between their families. Seeing the three of them together so intimately gave her quite a shock. Even she couldn’t get into Gu Jianchu’s North Courtyard, yet Qiao Qi was already coming and going freely without a word.
The sight of Gu Jianchu and Qiao Qi’s clasped hands was glaring. Qi Simiao was going mad with jealousy inside, but she maintained a proper smile on her face. When it came to managing her expression, she was far more adept than Jin Zhilan. She walked over and said in an exaggerated tone, “Jianchu, you’re too much! You came back from the States without telling us. Do you have any idea how many people have been waiting day and night to see you?”
Her words were half feigned intimacy and half an attempt to sow discord. Gu Jianchu didn’t let go of Qiao Qi’s hand. She raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “What does that have to do with me?”
Jin Zhilan came back to her senses and could finally think straight, but her tone was unconsciously harsher than usual. “Cut the crap. We’ve already got everyone together today. We’ll have to trouble our great Miss Gu to move to another venue.”
But Gu Jianchu turned to Qiao Qi and asked, “Do you want to go?” Qiao Qi felt helpless at the obvious question. Gu Jianchu hadn’t expected a real answer anyway. She turned back to Jin Zhilan and said, “It’s a rare occasion for Miss Qiao to visit me, and I want to be a good host. You all have fun tonight. The expenses are on me.”
Qi Simiao was about to press the issue, but she was interrupted by Qiao Qi’s phone. Qiao Qi glanced at the caller ID, smiled, and answered. The excited voice on the other end came through clearly, “Auntie, are you at Courtyard Twelve? I saw Doctor Su’s car. Did you come with her?”
“Yes, I’m at North Courtyard.”
Qiao Qi couldn’t see Qi Sitian’s shocked expression on the other end of the line, but she could hear it in her voice. “You’re actually in President Gu’s private sanctuary?” Qi Sitian asked cautiously, “Can I come find you?”
“Come on over.”
Qi Sitian happily hung up the phone, and a short while later, she appeared at the door. The moment she saw Jin Zhilan and Qi Simiao, her smiling face immediately turned cold as she expertly adopted her usual public demeanor.
Previously, she would have deliberately kept her distance from Qiao Qi in front of outsiders to protect her from being implicated by association. But now, Yuanhang’s strength was becoming more apparent, and since Qiao Qi had immediately agreed to let her come over, there was no longer a need to pretend. She walked over and politely greeted everyone in turn.
“Auntie, Auntie Su, President Gu.”
The forms of address clearly distinguished the level of intimacy, and it seemed the remaining two weren’t worth greeting. Qiao Qi nodded, and Qi Sitian obediently sat down beside her. With Gu Jianchu present, Qi Simiao held her tongue, but Jin Zhilan had no such reservations here. Moreover, she had clearly heard Qi Sitian call Qiao Qi “Auntie” while ignoring her own presence, so her reaction was even more intense.
She seized the opportunity to make a scene. “Qi Sitian, you’re really getting more and more out of line. What, you found a new backer, so now you don’t have to show me any respect? It’s true what they say: you can tell a lot about a person by the manners of those they teach.”
Anyone could hear the insinuation in her words. Qiao Qi was the type of person who remained completely unruffled by things she didn’t care about, but Gu Jianchu’s expression instantly turned cold. Su Jiayin, who had been about to speak, immediately decided to stay a spectator. For a moment, Jin Zhilan felt a pang of regret for losing her temper in front of Gu Jianchu.
Qi Simiao quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Sitian, really. You see Auntie Lanlan and don’t even greet her. You’re still as shy as when you were a child.”
Gu Jianchu had witnessed the two of them ganging up on Qiao Qi at the banquet in Shenzhen before. It hadn’t affected her much at the time, but recalling it now, her expression grew three shades colder. Qi Sitian knew she should take the opportunity to de-escalate, so she offered Jin Zhilan a way out, saying tonelessly, “Auntie Lan, Sister.”
Gu Jianchu’s cool gaze swept over Jin Zhilan. “Didn’t you have people to meet? Why are you still here?”
Gu Jianchu had issued an order to leave. In front of so many people, Jin Zhilan felt humiliated and resentful. Was there any reason the Jin family should be considered inferior to the Gu family? She had been fearless since childhood, relying on her family’s power. She was about to say something spiteful but was cut off by Qi Simiao. Still wearing a smile, Qi Simiao played the diplomat. “Since Jianchu has guests, we’ll let her off the hook for now. But Jianchu, next time we invite you, you can’t make any more excuses.” After saying goodbye to Su Jiayin, she pulled Jin Zhilan away.
Once outside, Jin Zhilan violently shook off Qi Simiao’s hand. “Why did you pull me out of there?” she fumed. “What right does Gu Jianchu have to speak to me in that tone? Who does she think she is?”
“Auntie,” Qi Simiao coaxed in a gentle voice. “Why are you getting angry at Gu Jianchu? The person you’ve been angry at from the start is Qiao Qi, can’t you see? That woman may seem quiet on the surface, but she’s been winning over a lot of people behind the scenes. If you and Uncle don’t make a move soon, Ruifeng will really be in jeopardy.”
Hearing this, Jin Zhilan did indeed calm down. She lost all interest in the evening’s gathering and pulled Qi Simiao toward the parking lot. “Let’s go home first.”
Although Qi Simiao’s motives were different from Jin Zhilan’s, their goal was the same: to drive Qiao Qi out. Jin Zhilan had already forgotten her earlier displeasure. As soon as the car was on the road, she quickly called Jin Zhihuan.
Qi Sitian thought Gu Jianchu was just putting on an act, but a long time passed and the air remained icy. Her gaze secretly darted across Gu Jianchu’s face. Before Gu Jianchu’s pensive eyes could drift her way, she quickly lowered her head, pretending nothing was wrong. It was only when she looked down that she saw Gu Jianchu’s and Qiao Qi’s intertwined hands. She then began to stare at their hands with a strange expression.
Su Jiayin found this scene incredibly amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. Mischievously, she asked, “Sitian, what’s so special about those two hands? Tell me, quick.”
Qi Sitian opened her mouth but didn’t fall into her trap. She wasn’t stupid. Besides, she remembered how Gu Jianchu had been like a completely different person when she was teaching her how to revise the proposal last time. With a look of understanding, she averted her gaze.
Another strange silence fell. The pleasant atmosphere had been completely ruined by the two who had just left, much to Su Jiayin’s annoyance. The responsibility of breaking the silence could only fall to her. She asked Gu Jianchu, “What are you thinking about? If you don’t say something soon, you’re going to scare Qi Sitian.”
Gu Jianchu looked over at Qi Sitian and asked, “Are they always like this?”
Qi Sitian nodded and added a detail, “They don’t like Auntie, so they pick fights with her time and again. But as you saw, President Gu, Auntie always has the same expression, which just encourages them.” The others’ gazes turned to Qiao Qi’s face as if to confirm her words. Qiao Qi found the scene amusing.
Gu Jianchu said, “You can’t keep letting them get away with it.”
Qiao Qi’s eyes curved into a smile as she replied, “I won’t next time.”
Su Jiayin had lost count of how many times she’d rolled her eyes today. Watching friends she’d known for years be all lovey-dovey always gave her the distinct impression that she was a third wheel. To make matters worse, both of them were her good friends. From the moment she’d walked in, it felt as if there was a clear, dividing line between her and them, which was frustrating.
She broke the atmosphere with an exasperated voice, “Alright, you two. I’m hungry. I demand we eat.”
Qi Sitian snickered, but a glare from Su Jiayin made her immediately straighten her back and sit up properly. Gu Jianchu’s expression finally cleared, like the sky after a rain. She said, “Don’t be afraid, little President Qi. From now on, your aunt and I will have your back.”
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