PB - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
In the evening, the dense clouds on the horizon seemed frozen, dyed layer by layer by the setting sun until they resembled a piece of glowing red charcoal. The weather forecast had just announced a period of continuous rainfall, which, though uncomfortably humid, would improve the city’s air quality. After three hundred and fifty days, Qiao Qi had returned to this city.
She had yet to officially end her leave at Ruifeng, but Yao Qiu and Xu Yangpu were already in her living room, briefing her on work. Files and laptops covered the coffee table, and for a moment, she found it all a bit difficult to adjust to.
“President Qiao, this is the information on the trust fund with the largest stake in the recent Yuanhang private equity deal.”
Qi Sitian’s Yuanhang Company was gradually making a name for itself. Qi San of Guangming Group felt threatened by his niece and had resorted to viciously suppressing Yuanhang on certain projects. To resolve the predicament and streamline the financing process, Qi Sitian had decisively opted for private equity this time.
Qiao Qi opened the file. “Is there anything special about it?” she asked.
“No, it’s just a normal trust fund. It’s been established for some time but hasn’t participated in many investment projects. There are no issues at present.”
She set the file aside. “I’ll look at it later when I have time.” Then she added, “Yangpu, I’ve reviewed the projects Zhiyu wanted to discuss with me. You could have made the decisions yourself; you didn’t need to ask me.”
“It was the Young Master’s wish.” The day’s work was drawing to a close. Xu Yangpu began gathering the files in front of him, with Yao Qiu helping at his side. Only after the documents were put away did he say, “For some time now, Rongfang seems to have been intentionally targeting President Jin—the elder young master, that is. At least three major projects have been lost from President Jin’s hands.”
Qiao Qi’s expression remained unchanged. Yao Qiu added, “I heard that Rongfang’s Gu Mingyi, dissatisfied with Miss Gu becoming president, has been causing trouble repeatedly and nearly cost Rongfang a major project.”
This time, a slight furrow appeared between Qiao Qi’s brows. “Are Changfa and Rongfang still in negotiations for their partnership?” she asked.
Yao Qiu replied, “The two sides haven’t agreed on some of the partnership terms, but the collaboration is bound to happen sooner or later. However, the younger President Shen has been very resolute this time, and it seems President Gu from Rongfang has yet to personally step in.”
Qiao Qi’s gaze shifted slightly toward the natural lake in the distance. The afterglow of sunset left a pale golden reflection on the water’s surface. The woods along the shore were as dense as when she had left. She asked, “What stage is the domestic new energy R&D at?”
At this, a relaxed smile appeared on the usually expressionless Xu Yangpu’s face. “The results are excellent. You can rest assured, President Qiao.”
Qiao Qi nodded, lost in thought. Yao Qiu shot Xu Yangpu a look, and the two tacitly ended the work-related conversation. Yao Qiu said, “President Qiao, I had the bedroom rearranged before you came back. The mattress, lighting, and temperature control system have all been replaced. Also, where do you plan to put the flotation tank Miss Su sent over?”
“You can decide.”
“President Qiao, it’s getting late. We won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly and saw them to the door. “Thank you for your trouble. For the next three days, don’t come over here anymore. If anything needs to be handled, we can have a video conference.”
“Understood, President Qiao.”
On the twenty-sixth of the month, Qiao Qi officially ended her leave at Ruifeng. The long-stagnant waters of the company instantly began to boil. The news of her return spread like a tidal wave from the headquarters to the branch offices and subsidiaries. The previous rumors of her suspension and dismissal collapsed on their own, while the more astute observers increasingly felt that her identity was not as simple as a mere “mistress.”
On her first day back at Ruifeng, Qiao Qi’s first visitor was, surprisingly, Shen Shouxin. Even she was a little taken aback. “Miss Shen,” she asked, “is there something I can help you with?”
Shen Shouxin didn’t actually know Qiao Qi well; everything she knew came from Shen Shoucheng. Since this was the person Shoucheng praised to the heavens, she decided to be direct.
“I’ve come to see you, President Qiao, hoping you can persuade my sister. I’m sure you’ve heard that the partnership between Changfa and Rongfang has been stalled for half a year. Last month, my father gave a final ultimatum, but my sister refuses to yield, without giving a reason. Father is already planning to suspend her.”
She paused, then added a few more words. “That’s one thing, but for the past half-month, Rongfang has been repeatedly competing directly with Changfa on certain projects, and Changfa has been on the losing end every time. The board of directors is now very critical of my sister. I know she has always listened to your advice, which is why I’m taking the liberty of asking you to persuade her not to be so stubborn.”
Shen Shouxin waited for Qiao Qi’s reply. “Miss Shen, please wait a moment,” Qiao Qi said. She pressed the intercom to speak with Yao Qiu outside. “Compile a list of the overlapping projects between Rongfang and Changfa from the recent period.” After ending the call, she turned back to Shen Shouxin. “Miss Shen, have you had lunch? Why don’t we invite your sister to join us?”
“Thank you, President Qiao.”
Rongfang’s Gu Jianchu had just landed back in the country. Because of Gu Mingyi, she had been forced to fly to the United States personally to handle a misunderstanding he had meticulously engineered. She hadn’t seen Qiao Qi since the Su family’s banquet several days ago. She had heard the woman was back at work at Ruifeng, and for the past few days, she had been constantly thinking about how to approach her again.
To her surprise, the person who haunted her dreams contacted her first, albeit through Yao Qiu calling Liu Yanyan. Liu Yanyan, in the front passenger seat, saw the incoming call and turned sideways toward the back before answering. She even made a point of stating the caller’s title first. “Secretary Yao, what can I do for you?”
A single glance from Gu Jianchu in the back seat was enough for Liu Yanyan to understand. She immediately put the call on speaker, and they heard Yao Qiu’s voice. “President Qiao would like to know if President Gu is available to take a call right now.”
Gu Jianchu nodded. “Yes, she is,” Liu Yanyan replied.
“Alright, I’ll hand the phone to President Qiao now,” Yao Qiu said.
Gu Jianchu wanted to smile but was also a little annoyed. The Qiao Qi of today was so strictly professional that even calling her had to be done by the book. She turned off the speaker and held the receiver to her ear, waiting. Qiao Qi’s pleasant voice soon came through, as soft and gentle as ever. “President Gu, I’d like to talk to you about the matter with Changfa.”
“Call me Jianchu.”
Qiao Qi’s brow furrowed. During her lunch with the Shen sisters, she had gathered that Shen Shoucheng’s stubbornness stemmed from her anger over the tactics Rongfang had used on the U.E. project. In this city, Rongfang’s strength was enough to crush Changfa; if Rongfang acted intentionally, Changfa would be defenseless. The quickest solution she could think of was to go directly to Gu Jianchu.
Ignoring the request about her name, she continued, “I’ve looked at the recent project conflicts between Rongfang and Changfa. I have similar projects on my end that I can transfer to Rongfang, so I’d like to ask Rongfang to take a step back on the Changfa matter.”
The fact that Qiao Qi had taken the initiative to contact her just to help Shen Shoucheng made Gu Jianchu quite jealous, but she first feigned ignorance. “The projects you’re talking about are being handled by a branch office’s project department. They don’t cross my desk, so I wasn’t aware of them.”
Qiao Qi only wanted a swift resolution. “Rest assured, I won’t let Rongfang suffer a loss.”
The old Qiao Qi had said such things to her many times, and indeed, she never let her suffer a loss. Gu Jianchu didn’t want to be kept at a distance, nor did she want their relationship to remain a formulaic interaction. So she said, “I can halt those projects right now, and I can also make concessions in the partnership with Changfa. But I have two conditions: call me Jianchu, and accept my dinner invitation for tomorrow.”
Qiao Qi calmly accepted Gu Jianchu’s taking advantage of the situation. “Have the time and place sent to Yao Qiu. I’ll be there on time.”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
Gu Jianchu didn’t press the issue. “See you tomorrow night, then.”
“Wait,” Qiao Qi said, stopping Gu Jianchu just as she was about to hang up. “President Gu, are you free this afternoon? I’ll have Yangpu go to Rongfang personally.”
Gu Jianchu let out a soft laugh, deliberately teasing, “Why not have President Qiao come in person?”
“If President Gu wishes for me to come personally, I will have Yao Qiu arrange a time with Liu Yanyan shortly.”
“No need for such trouble.” Gu Jianchu glanced at her watch. It was only two-thirty; there was still plenty of time left in the day. “I’m heading back to Rongfang now. I’ll wait for you.”
Qiao Qi stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, arms crossed, lost in thought. Yao Qiu had handed her the phone and then left the office. She knew Gu Jianchu’s overtures had a purpose, just like when they had first met. After the U.E. incident, their relationship had come to an abrupt halt. Whatever Gu Jianchu’s motives were, they vexed her.
Gu Jianchu had given instructions that as soon as Ruifeng’s President Qiao arrived, she was to be brought directly to her office without needing to be announced. So, the moment Qiao Qi stepped into the Rongfang building, the express elevator to the president’s floor was already waiting for her. She offered a word of thanks and went up with the person who had greeted her and Yao Qiu.
Liu Yanyan was waiting at the elevator bank. Seeing her emerge, she said, “Hello, President Qiao. This way, please.”
In the few short minutes it took for Qiao Qi to come up from downstairs, Gu Jianchu had been unable to focus on anything. She simply rested her chin on her hand, staring at the tightly shut office door. Thus, the moment Qiao Qi entered, the first thing she saw was Gu Jianchu’s beautiful, smiling face—so beautiful it made her lose her focus for an instant.
Her gaze darkened as she regained her composure. Gu Jianchu stood up and led her to the sofa, then said to Liu Yanyan, “Make a cup of coffee for President Qiao, no sugar. Secretary Yao, if you need anything, just let Yanyan know.”
“President Gu, please don’t trouble yourself,” Yao Qiu said.
Gu Jianchu’s lovely eyes, tinged with a faint smile, seemed to be glued to Qiao Qi. Qiao Qi’s long hair was tied in a loose ponytail, with stray strands framing her temples. Her earrings were a custom piece from a certain brand’s current season. As summer was approaching, Qiao Qi wore a lightweight, wrap-style, waist-cinching suit. Gu Jianchu’s gaze subtly followed Qiao Qi’s long legs down to her exposed ankles, which were fair and alluring.
Qiao Qi remained impassive, her soft tone lacking its usual warmth. “President Gu, these are the similar projects I mentioned to you on the phone.”
A smile played on Gu Jianchu’s lips, her expression composed. “I looked into the projects you mentioned after I got back. There was indeed some competition with President Shen. I’ve already had them stopped.”
“Then thank you, President Gu.” Qiao Qi handed over the project files she had brought. “I said I wouldn’t let President Gu suffer a loss.”
Gu Jianchu knew her well, so she took the files and set them down. “Since I’ve done as you asked, shouldn’t you also fulfill the first condition I proposed on the phone?”
Qiao Qi’s brow tightened almost imperceptibly. “President Gu is very busy. We won’t disturb you any longer.”
As she made to leave, Gu Jianchu quickly grabbed her arm, a clear look of anxiety on her face. Her tone softened. “Don’t be angry. I’ll stop teasing.” Just then, Liu Yanyan came in with the coffee. She added, “Look, Yanyan just made this coffee. If you leave without taking a sip, all her hard work will be for nothing.”
Liu Yanyan chimed in to help. “That’s right, President Qiao. You just arrived, why are you leaving already? You and President Gu both work so hard. Why not have a cup of coffee and chat for a bit to relax?”
Yao Qiu’s eyes darted over to Liu Yanyan. She’d never seen the woman say so much at once during their usual encounters. She was certainly sparing no effort in persuading her President Qiao. Liu Yanyan noticed the look in her eyes and changed the subject, turning to her. “As it happens, I have something to discuss with you, Secretary Yao. Could you come out with me for a moment? There’s something I’d like to ask your advice on.”
Yao Qiu knew perfectly well she had nothing to ask, but the excuse was plausible and presented on the spot, so she couldn’t easily refuse. “President Qiao, I’ll step out for a moment,” she said.
After Liu Yanyan and Yao Qiu left the office, a long silence fell between the two remaining women. Qiao Qi was here to ask for a favor, so she adopted the attitude of someone asking for one. She began to drink her coffee in earnest, but she said not a word, nor did she pay any mind to Gu Jianchu, who was sitting beside her, watching her intently.
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