PB - Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Gu Jianchu became the center of attention the moment she entered, drawing the excited, eager gazes of the men around her. Shen Shouxin was hosting, and many young scions from Shenzhen’s elite families were present. Her gaze first fell on Qiao Qi, noting that her glass contained a soft drink. With Su Jiayin around, Qiao Qi wouldn’t be allowed to touch alcohol, and besides, Shen Shoucheng was also protecting her with single-minded devotion. She sat down to Su Jiayin’s left.
Su Jiayin leaned close to her ear and teased, “The moment you arrived, you made a pack of hungry wolves’ eyes light up.”
Gu Jianchu’s peripheral vision was locked on Qiao Qi. Shen Shoucheng was also leaning in to whisper in Qiao Qi’s ear in the same manner. She tapped Su Jiayin, signaling for them to switch seats. Although Qiao Qi wasn’t looking their way, she was aware of what was happening beside her, her expression serene.
Shen Shouxin asked loudly, “What are you drinking, Jianchu?”
Gu Jianchu pointed a slender finger at Qiao Qi’s drink, indicating her choice with a smile. Before Shen Shouxin could say anything, someone else spoke up. “Miss Gu, it’s rare for you to visit Shenzhen. How can you not have a couple of drinks?”
Gu Jianchu didn’t even spare him a glance. Her faint smile remained, but her eyes darkened slightly. Shen Shouxin called a waiter over and ordered another drink identical to Qiao Qi’s. Qiao Qi had been chatting with Shen Shoucheng the whole time, but she still paid some attention to her surroundings, including the recent interlude.
Su Jiayin leaned toward Gu Jianchu’s ear and asked, “What’s wrong? Unhappy?”
Shen Shoucheng had been monopolizing Qiao Qi ever since she arrived, and it was clearly intentional. It would be abnormal if she were happy. “When are we leaving?”
Su Jiayin, feeling playful, feigned confusion. “We just got here and you want to leave?” After speaking, she pulled back to see Gu Jianchu’s reaction. Gu Jianchu gave her a cold glare.
Gu Jianchu hadn’t been sitting for two minutes before her phone started ringing incessantly. She went to the quieter restroom area to take the call. Whether she was frowning or looking serious, she had a unique charm, which was especially captivating in the dazzling, colorful nightclub. Su Jiayin was right; nearly everyone here had turned into a hungry wolf.
The moment Gu Jianchu hung up, a man who had been waiting for his chance made his move, approaching with a wine glass and playing the part of a suave gentleman. “Hello, miss. Can I buy you a drink?”
Gu Jianchu’s expression turned cold. This wasn’t Beijing; she had actually become the target of a pickup attempt. The man could sense she was no ordinary person, but he couldn’t resist her stunning beauty and didn’t want to give up so easily. Gu Jianchu’s gaze turned to ice, making the man shiver. Fortunately, the Shen family’s people arrived just in time to intervene.
“Excuse me, sir. Please step aside.” Several of the Shen family’s bodyguards shielded Gu Jianchu and escorted her back to the booth.
Su Jiayin asked her, “Are you okay?” Gu Jianchu shook her head. Su Jiayin added, “The moment that man appeared, A Qi sent someone over. Does knowing that make you feel any better?”
From their booth, one had to turn their head to see where Gu Jianchu had been taking her call. The curve of Gu Jianchu’s lips was hard to make out in the flashing lights. She went over to Qiao Qi and whispered in her ear, “Should we go?”
Even in such a noisy environment, Qiao Qi’s gentle tone didn’t diminish in the slightest. “Miss Gu, feel free to leave whenever you wish.”
“I won’t be here for many days. When are you free? Can we have a meal together?” The tip of Gu Jianchu’s nose brushed almost imperceptibly against the shell of Qiao Qi’s ear. The scent of perfume behind her ear was even more pleasant, and she couldn’t help but lean closer to smell it.
Qiao Qi tilted her head to avoid the contact. “There’s no need to trouble Miss Gu.”
Their proximity inevitably led to physical contact. In contrast to the large group playing and carousing, their small group seemed to be having no fun at all. Qiao Qi was accustomed to being dignified and rarely frequented such places; she sat with her back so straight she could have been in her office. Gu Jianchu could have fun but didn’t like rowdiness; her mind was elsewhere, and her cool temperament kept people at a distance. As for Su Jiayin, she couldn’t let loose with people she didn’t know well.
Of everyone at the party Shen Shouxin had arranged, she was the most active. Shen Shoucheng was content to quietly accompany Qiao Qi, while also guarding against Gu Jianchu’s deliberate attempts to get closer. She and Gu Jianchu didn’t get along, with a hint of rivals seeing red, so she also silently blamed Su Jiayin for inviting Gu Jianchu.
Gu Jianchu had been exhausted these past few days, and the throbbing music was giving her a headache. She periodically massaged the bridge of her nose, which both Qiao Qi and Su Jiayin noticed. Su Jiayin told her several times to go back and rest, but she just shook her head gently. Qiao Qi glanced at her watch. They had been there for over an hour, so it was an acceptable time to leave. She leaned past Gu Jianchu to speak to Su Jiayin.
“Let’s go back.”
Su Jiayin nodded. Just as Qiao Qi was about to straighten up from her leaning position, Gu Jianchu grabbed her wrist. Her eyes showed confusion, but when she saw the pleading, almost coquettish look in Gu Jianchu’s eyes, her heart stirred. She looked at her without pulling her wrist away and said, “Let’s go back together.” A smile bloomed in Gu Jianchu’s eyes.
Shen Shoucheng offered to give them a ride, but Su Jiayin stopped her. “No need to trouble Young President Shen. The three of us are staying at the same hotel, so it’s more convenient for us to go together.” Shen Shoucheng wasn’t someone who could be dismissed with just a few words, so Su Jiayin added, “Besides, Young President Shen was drinking earlier, so it wouldn’t be convenient for you to drive us.” Shen Shoucheng regretted having had a drink and had no choice but to give up.
On the way out, a continuous stream of men holding wine glasses tried to approach and chat up Gu Jianchu. If it weren’t for the four formidable bodyguards from the Shen family escorting them, Su Jiayin felt they would have had a hard time even getting out the door. The bodyguards escorted them to the parking lot. A car happened to pass them, and the man in the passenger seat deliberately rolled down the window and whistled at Gu Jianchu. Gu Jianchu’s entire face turned frighteningly ugly.
Gu Jianchu sent the license plate number to her assistant. Su Jiayin happened to see and teased her, “That face of yours is just a magnet for trouble.”
She raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. “But right now, I only want to attract one person.”
Qiao Qi pretended not to hear the implication in Gu Jianchu’s words. The bodyguards escorted them to the car and said, “Take care, ladies.”
Qiao Qi nodded, opened the car door, and got into the driver’s seat. Su Jiayin had been drinking and couldn’t drive, and Gu Jianchu was too tired to drive safely. Seeing her take the initiative, the other two readily agreed. Gu Jianchu quickly claimed the passenger seat. Su Jiayin chuckled at her before opening the back door and getting in.
Qiao Qi drove just like her personality: quiet, steady, and smooth. In the car, Su Jiayin was talking to Gu Jianchu. She asked, “When are you going back?”
“The day after tomorrow at the latest.”
“Didn’t I tell you we’d be here for two weeks? You insisted on rushing over; aren’t you afraid of working yourself to death?”
The knuckles of Qiao Qi’s fingers gripping the steering wheel were well-defined. In the dim light of the car, her hands looked as white and lustrous as jade. Gu Jianchu’s gaze landed there, so intense it seemed to carry a heat that could burn her skin. Qiao Qi was wearing a different watch tonight, one with a hexagonal face and a black strap. Gu Jianchu recognized it—it was a limited edition model. She had one too.
Gu Jianchu’s fingertips brushed against Qiao Qi’s wrist, pretending to touch the watch. “It looks very good on you.”
Qiao Qi subtly moved away. “Thank you.”
Su Jiayin witnessed everything from the back seat, feeling both helpless and amused. Suddenly, she leaned forward, curled her fingers together, and gave Gu Jianchu a light tap on the forehead. Gu Jianchu let out a small gasp, not from pain but from surprise, and her expression immediately turned cold.
Su Jiayin ignored her anger, leaned toward Qiao Qi, and said with a smile, “I helped you out.”
Her sudden action and Gu Jianchu’s gasp immediately reminded Qiao Qi of a joking agreement between them. Now Su Jiayin had done the deed but was trying to pin the blame on her. She was truly wicked. Clever as she was, Gu Jianchu also guessed the reason, and a smile emerged through her annoyance.
She used it as an excuse to touch Qiao Qi’s wrist, saying aggrievedly, “Look at Jiayin, causing trouble for no reason.”
Qiao Qi felt Gu Jianchu’s fingertips burning against her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her. She spoke, no longer keeping her at arm’s length. “Go talk to her. Why are you coming to me?”
Su Jiayin quickly distanced herself. “Why come to me? I was getting revenge for you.”
Qiao Qi’s voice turned cold. “I didn’t need you to.”
Su Jiayin’s joke had crossed a line. A single misspoken word could change everything. Ultimately, in the issues between Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu, she had always sided with Gu Jianchu. Qiao Qi didn’t like it but never said anything. It was because of her gentle nature that she let them get away with it. Su Jiayin felt guilty and coaxed her softly, “A Qi, I was wrong. Don’t be angry.”
Qiao Qi was utterly exasperated, and the deep helplessness in her voice was audible as she spoke. “I’m not angry.”
In the coastal city, the night wind blew in from the sea, carrying the faint, salty smell of the ocean if one paid attention. She rolled down the window a little, letting the wind rush in. The sound of the wind broke the stuffy silence inside the car. The three of them had to raise their voices to be heard over the wind for their occasional bits of conversation. For the rest of the drive, Gu Jianchu said very little, only answering when Su Jiayin asked her something.
When they reached the hotel, Qiao Qi parked the car. Of the three, only Su Jiayin had been drinking, and only she was feeling sleepy from the alcohol. As soon as the elevator reached their floor, she said good night to them and went to her room.
Just as Qiao Qi was about to enter her room, Gu Jianchu called out to her. Qiao Qi stopped and turned her head, looking puzzled. She said, “Rest well. Good night.”
Suddenly, a smile spread across Qiao Qi’s eyes and brows. Gu Jianchu hadn’t seen her smile at her like that in a long time, and a smile bloomed on her own face as well. Qiao Qi’s soft, pleasant voice sounded in her ear. She said the same words: “Rest well. Good night.”
Gu Jianchu’s appearance at the nightclub the previous night had alarmed President Shen, who came to the hotel personally with Shen Shoucheng early the next morning. When he arrived, Gu Jianchu was having breakfast in the restaurant. Gu Jianchu knew why President Shen was looking for her. The cooperation between their two families had been stalled for a long time. Shen Shoucheng wasn’t worried, but President Shen was.
“President Gu, you came to Shenzhen without saying a word?”
Gu Jianchu smiled politely. “It was a personal trip, so it wasn’t convenient to disturb President Shen.”
“Nonsense. In terms of age, I’m old enough to be your uncle. When you come to Shenzhen, there’s no ‘convenient’ or ‘inconvenient’ about your uncle treating you to a meal. How about tonight, President Gu?”
The words of refusal were on the tip of Gu Jianchu’s tongue when she happened to see Qiao Qi and Su Jiayin walking toward them. Hiding a smile in her eyes, she actually lied, “But I already have plans with President Qiao tonight.”
Qiao Qi, who was being pulled along by Su Jiayin, heard the entire sentence and her brow furrowed. She guessed what Gu Jianchu was up to. President Shen looked at Qiao Qi and greeted her with a wide smile, “President Qiao, President Su, good morning.”
“President Shen, good morning.”
“I’m interrupting your meal.” President Shen turned back to Gu Jianchu and asked, “Then are you free tomorrow night, President Gu?”
Gu Jianchu put on a helpless expression. “My flight back is tomorrow morning. There are a lot of things at the group waiting for me to handle.”
President Shen hesitated. His purpose in inviting Gu Jianchu was to discuss their two families’ cooperation on the later stages of the U.E. project, and U.E. was the very company Ruifeng and Rongfang had competed for last year. Moreover, some rumors weren’t entirely baseless. Although Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu had collaborated here, it wasn’t quite right to discuss U.E. in front of Qiao Qi.
At this moment, it was Shen Shoucheng who understood Gu Jianchu’s intentions. Though reluctant, she had no choice but to concede. So she turned to Qiao Qi and took the initiative to invite her. “If President Qiao and President Su don’t mind, how about we all have dinner together tonight? It’s rare for the three of you to visit Shenzhen; Changfa should be a proper host.”
For some reason, everyone’s eyes fell on Qiao Qi, as if waiting for her to make the final decision. She glanced coolly at Gu Jianchu, who raised an eyebrow as she heard Qiao Qi reply, “Then we’ll have to trouble President Shen.” Gu Jianchu no longer hid her smile; it spilled from the corners of her eyes.
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