PB - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Over the past two days, Zhao Xiangqian had repeatedly requested to see Jin Zhihuan, only to be turned away every time, both at Ruifeng and in private. Xu Yangpu's investigation was ruthlessly efficient; it had taken him only three days to trace things back to Zhao Xiangqian. After being called in for a talk with Xu Yangpu that morning, he was in a complete panic and changed his strategy, deciding to go to Jin Zhilan instead.
Jin Zhilan was also flustered by Zhao Xiangqian's unexpected appearance. “Supervisor Zhao, can I help you with something?” she asked.
“Miss Jin, I'm begging you, please ask President Jin to save me. You know it'll be trouble once Xu Yangpu's investigation reaches me. Miss Jin, for the sake of the great service I've done, please have President Jin help me.”
Jin Zhilan forced herself to remain calm. “Supervisor Zhao, what are you talking about? I don't understand.”
Zhao Xiangqian knew Jin Zhilan was playing dumb. The intense stress of the past few days erupted. “Miss Jin, burning the bridge after crossing it won't do anyone any good. Let me be blunt: if Xu Yangpu really comes after me, no one is going to have an easy time.”
Jin Zhilan was furious. “You dare say another word,” she snapped. “Supervisor Zhao, you can go back to work now.”
Zhao Xiangqian slammed the door to Jin Zhilan's office with a loud bang. Fuming, he stormed back to his own office and slammed that door even harder. The moment he was gone, Jin Zhilan left her office and went upstairs to find Jin Zhihuan. Jin Zhihuan had also been gloomy for the past two days, and after hearing Jin Zhilan's account, he angrily threw the documents in his hand.
In his office, Xu Yangpu called Qiao Qi to ask for her instructions. “The investigation has led to Qi Er. Should I continue?”
Qiao Qi stood on the balcony of her parents' home, phone in hand. “No need,” she said nonchalantly.
“I understand.” In truth, Xu Yangpu's thoughts aligned with Qiao Qi's. They both knew that without concrete evidence, it would devolve into a war of words, causing internal turmoil and damaging the company's reputation externally. Thus, the leak investigation came to an abrupt halt at Qi Er.
Zhao Xiangqian accused Jin Zhihuan, but it came to nothing. He, on the other hand, was now facing a lawsuit from Ruifeng Group. The lawyer he hired told him that the evidence Ruifeng had collected would likely land him a prison sentence of around five years. The news caused him to completely break down. As for Qi Er, due to various connections, he was merely dismissed from his position and ordered to pay a hefty compensation to the company.
This major personnel shake-up at Ruifeng cast a shadow over the company for some time. Jin Zhiyu's subsequent arrival felt like an aftershock, but his presence and the projects he quickly took on brought the company back on track. Jin Zhihuan was surprised by how well Jin Zhiyu was handling his projects. Knowing his cousin loved to play the part of a loving, respectful brother, Jin Zhiyu used the projects as an excuse to station himself at a branch office long-term, avoiding direct interaction with him.
As for where Qiao Qi had gone, no one could really figure it out. Her itinerary was always changing, and she wasn't one to share details of her life. Unless Su Jiayin called her directly, it was hard to know where she was or what she was doing. The one delightful surprise was that she sent them special gifts from every new place she visited.
Several months later, Gu Jianchu finally understood what Su Jiayin had meant by “getting the short end of the stick.” Her feelings for Qiao Qi hadn't faded with her absence; on the contrary, they had intensified. She longed to hear her gentle whispers, to see the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled at her, to hold her, to kiss her.
Today was Gu Jianchu's birthday party. Now the President of Rongfang, her workload had increased, and with Qiao Qi gone, she had no heart for socializing. But her father had insisted that her first birthday banquet as president was a must. He even had her assign Liu Yanyan to personally handle the arrangements. Gu Jianchu was exhausted that day, so she didn't argue.
The banquet hall was filled with guests. Gu Jianchu's beauty needed no embellishment. A simple side chignon paired with a vintage gown was enough to light up the entire room. The name “Gu Jianchu” seemed to be another way of writing “beautiful.”
In the banquet hall, the stunningly beautiful Gu Jianchu handled the crowd with grace, her every smile captivating. No one could tell that all she wanted was for the party to end quickly. Midway through, she spotted Su Jiayin and immediately pulled her over to her side. “Why are you so late? I thought you said you'd come early to keep me company.”
“I had an emergency surgery.” Su Jiayin's gaze swept across the hall. She smiled. “Quite a crowd. Oh, Jin Zhilan and Qi Simiao are here too. Why don't you go say hello?”
Jin Zhilan was clueless enough to be completely unaware of the turbulent undercurrents. After they had used Gu Jianchu to frame Qiao Qi, Rongfang had repeatedly interfered with Ruifeng's investment projects, most of which were handled by Jin Zhihuan. Unfortunately for him, every single one had ended in a victory for Rongfang. Jin Zhihuan was simply no match for her. He had already come to her about it several times.
Gu Jianchu followed Su Jiayin's gaze and saw Qi Sitian and Qi Simiao in a standoff. With a slight raise of her brow, she walked over. “Sitian, come here.”
Qi Sitian turned at the sound of her voice, her expression cool and distant as she ignored Gu Jianchu's offered support. Not wanting to get entangled with Qi Simiao here, she said, “Qi Simiao, this is your favorite President Gu's birthday party. I advise you not to cause trouble and ruin it for her.” With that, she turned to leave.
Her words hit a nerve. Recently, Gu Jianchu's moves had targeted not only Jin Zhihuan but also her. She had repeatedly tried to plead with Gu Jianchu but couldn't even get a meeting. She had come tonight specifically to confront her. Furious, Qi Simiao reached out to grab Qi Sitian, but Gu Jianchu stepped in first, shielding Qi Sitian behind her. Her eyes were cold and sharp. “Miss Qi, have some self-respect.”
“Jianchu.” Qi Simiao gritted her teeth, struggling to contain her anger. “What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?” She couldn't understand it. She had helped Rongfang win the U.E. deal. Even if her relationship with Gu Jianchu didn't progress, it shouldn't have come to this. The disgust in Gu Jianchu's few words was palpable, like a slap in the face.
Gu Jianchu gave a subtle look to the side. Liu Yanyan understood and stepped forward to placate Qi Simiao. Meanwhile, Gu Jianchu led Qi Sitian toward Su Jiayin. Qi Sitian didn't want to talk to her and deliberately kept her distance. Gu Jianchu naturally knew the source of her displeasure. Just then, Su Jiayin walked over to meet them.
Qi Sitian obediently greeted her. “Aunt Su.”
Su Jiayin nodded. “How are you? You weren't bullied, were you? You're the president of Yuanhang now, not like before. Next time you come to an event like this, you should bring an assistant or two to help you handle these things.”
“I know, Aunt Su.”
Su Jiayin hid a smile and added, “Go on, thank President Gu for helping you out.”
Reluctantly, Qi Sitian said, “Thank you.”
Doctor Su teased, “How strange. Our Miss Gu never gets involved in other people's business. Why the sudden altruism tonight?”
A smile touched Gu Jianchu's lips as she replied matter-of-factly, “I promised her aunt, in front of her, that I would have her back.”
Su Jiayin might have forgotten, but Qi Sitian remembered her saying those words. Because she hadn't spent much time with Gu Jianchu, she remembered their few interactions very clearly. It was at North Courtyard. When she'd said it, the look in Qiao Qi's eyes as she gazed at Gu Jianchu had been full of love. But now, hearing Gu Jianchu bring up Qiao Qi felt like a mockery. After all, the whole city knew that Gu Jianchu was half the reason Qiao Qi had left Ruifeng.
At the mention of Qiao Qi, Doctor Su's playful side emerged. She asked Qi Sitian, “What gifts has your aunt sent you recently? I just got a huge box of snacks yesterday.”
Qi Sitian was smart. She didn't avoid the topic. Instead, she said, “Oh, yes. Auntie sent me some chocolates, but they all melted. And last time, a craft she sent arrived broken. It was so frustrating.”
Gu Jianchu listened with an amused smile. Su Jiayin was being so childish, deliberately trying to provoke her knowing she hadn't received anything. Fortunately, she wasn't about to fall for it. She just treated it as them updating her on Qiao Qi's recent life.
“President Gu.” Liu Yanyan walked over, interrupting Doctor Su and Qi Sitian's conversation. She handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box. “Yao Qiu from Ruifeng just delivered this. She said it's a gift for you from Miss Qiao.”
An unexpected surprise. All three of them were stunned to varying degrees. Gu Jianchu took the box, the gloom of the past few days instantly vanishing. Su Jiayin's eyes followed her movements. She watched as Gu Jianchu's long fingers gently opened the box to reveal a pair of dangling earrings. One was a crescent moon adorned with a star, the other a sun shaped like a gear, also dotted with stars. Was Qiao Qi giving Gu Jianchu a miniature universe? How romantic.
Gu Jianchu removed the earrings she had so carefully chosen for the evening and replaced them with the gift from Qiao Qi. She said nothing, imagining she could feel Qiao Qi's presence on them.
Liu Yanyan remarked casually, “Earrings designed by Miss Qiao herself are truly the most suitable for President Gu.” It wasn't mere flattery; she genuinely felt that these earrings complemented Gu Jianchu's beauty even better than the ones a designer had selected.
Gu Jianchu seized on the key point, her heart filled with joy. “She designed them herself?”
“Yes, Secretary Yao said so herself. These are earrings Miss Qiao personally designed for your birthday.” Liu Yanyan didn't tell Gu Jianchu that Yao Qiu hadn't volunteered this information. She had skillfully pried it out. Yao Qiu had been about to leave right after dropping off the gift, but Liu Yanyan had warmly insisted she stay and chat for a bit. After so many years with Gu Jianchu, she naturally understood her boss's heart.
Overjoyed. Qiao Qi was always so good to her. She wished she could find Qiao Qi right this second and tell her how much she loved the gift. The smile on Gu Jianchu's face was even brighter than before. “Where's Yao Qiu?” she asked.
“She's already left.”
After leaving the hotel, Yao Qiu first called Qiao Qi. In fact, the earrings had been completed and delivered after Qiao Qi had already left Ruifeng. Holding the earrings, she had called Qiao Qi to ask what to do with them. On the other end of the line, Qiao Qi had been silent for a long time before telling her to give them to Gu Jianchu on her birthday. They had been Qiao Qi's intended birthday gift for Gu Jianchu all along.
The call connected. “President Qiao,” Yao Qiu said, “the item has been delivered.”
“Good. Thank you for your trouble.”
“President Qiao, rest well. And… come back soon.”
Qiao Qi gave a soft, gentle laugh on the other end. “Just a little longer. With me gone, you can relax a bit.” She changed the subject. “Did you receive the gift I sent you last time?”
“I did.”
“Good. I have something else to do, so I'll get going.”
“Goodbye, President Qiao.”
Yao Qiu sighed and hung up. She hadn't failed to notice Liu Yanyan's deliberate probing. As for why she had revealed the information, perhaps she, too, didn't want Qiao Qi's efforts to go unseen. She started the car and drove away from the lavish, bustling hotel.
Having changed her earrings, Gu Jianchu had even less of a mind for socializing. Her thoughts were completely filled with Qiao Qi. If Qiao Qi didn't appear soon, she felt she might go mad. She left everything in Liu Yanyan's hands and pulled Su Jiayin away with her. But in the car, she was silent. Su Jiayin sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look at her.
Su Jiayin said, “I thought you'd be happy.”
“I am happy. I was just thinking… about when she prepared this gift for me.”
Su Jiayin bit the inside of her cheek. After all this time, she finally asked, “Jianchu, what were you thinking back then?”
She answered honestly. “My situation at the time was what it was. I could only look out for myself, so I forced myself not to care about the consequences. I mistakenly believed that my feelings for her were just like any other crush I'd had before.”
Su Jiayin understood, of course. Everyone has their own difficulties, moments when they are powerless. She said, “Then what do you think A Qi was thinking? With her personality, why would she care about winning or losing in business? All she cared about was that you didn't have her in your heart.”
“I know.”
Su Jiayin let out a cold laugh. “You really deserve it.”
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