PB - Chapter 55
Chapter 55
For several days in a row, Gu Jianchu would arrive downstairs at Ruifeng around seven or eight to pick up Qiao Qi. If Qiao Qi wasn’t at the office that day, she would go straight to her house and wait outside. This period also marked the most frequent tardiness for Qiao Qi. This was becoming increasingly unacceptable for President Qiao, who had always been punctual. She needed time to adjust their relationship, but Gu Jianchu gave her no such opportunity.
Finally, today, Gu Jianchu couldn’t find Qiao Qi. She called her and asked, “Where are you?”
The night breeze was cool, carrying the scent of fresh grass. Qiao Qi answered the call from the balcony of her bedroom. “The main residence,” she replied.
For some reason, Gu Jianchu keenly sensed that Qiao Qi’s return there this time was different from before. Her voice grew cool as she asked, “Did you go back on your own accord?”
Having been seen through, President Qiao felt an inexplicable panic and quickly found an excuse. “I have some work matters to report to the Chairman.”
Gu Jianchu knew very well how much Qiao Qi disliked that house, ever since the night they first met. So how could Qiao Qi possibly go back voluntarily just to report on work? It was obvious she was just trying to avoid her. A wave of bitterness and grievance washed over Gu Jianchu, but all she said was, “Rest well. Good night.”
“Jianchu,” Qiao Qi said in a panic, but Gu Jianchu had already hung up. For a moment, she had the urge to go back, but she quickly calmed down. Gu Jianchu had guessed correctly, and she couldn’t come up with a better explanation. Besides, she knew very well the crux of why Gu Jianchu had been so clingy lately. Since things had come to this, it was better to take some time to sort out their relationship first.
Gu Jianchu started the car and drove back to her own place. She hadn’t been back in a while and was suddenly struck by how quiet it was. She took a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet and went to take a bath. She was actually well aware of why Qiao Qi was avoiding her, but the fact that Qiao Qi would rather return to a place she hated than see her bruised her pride. Thinking of this, she felt a tightness in her chest.
Especially when she lay in bed, the sleep-inducing red wine lost its effect. After tossing and turning past midnight, Gu Jianchu finally gave up and leaned against the headboard to work. A troubled mind and simmering anger naturally affected her sleep. But after reading a few pages of a document, she irritably threw the tablet aside. She pinched the bridge of her nose, growing angrier the more she thought about it.
On the other side of the city, Qiao Qi was in a similar state. Qiao Qi’s poor sleep was a long-standing problem, but it seemed to have improved during her time with Gu Jianchu. Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face. She remembered saying before that Gu Jianchu was a sleep aid. Now that her sleep aid was gone, her insomnia was only to be expected. The feeling that only work could wear away the long night was actually terrible.
The next morning at breakfast, Second Aunt’s enthusiasm for Qiao Qi was very direct. Qiao Qi was caught off guard and felt a bit flustered. First Uncle’s family had long noticed the growing distance between their two families, but this was the first time they had seen them be so warm towards Qiao Qi. First Uncle snorted, his face dark. First Aunt was displeased, her face full of scorn. They assumed it was just a common case of siding with the person in power.
After adjusting, Qiao Qi sat there and ate with composure. In this house, no one besides Old Master Jin knew she had returned voluntarily. The Old Master had been overjoyed at first, but last night she had only offered a few brief words about work before returning to her room. Shrewd as he was, he had someone investigate Qiao Qi’s recent daily schedule overnight.
“Sister Qiqi,” Jin Zhiyu said, “Are we going to the company together later?” Before Qiao Qi could answer, another voice called out. “A Qi.” It was Old Master Jin. “Come with me to the study.”
Qiao Qi put down her chopsticks and followed the Old Master upstairs to the second floor. Everyone else’s gazes followed them, each with their own thoughts. In the study, the Old Master sat down and gestured for Qiao Qi to sit as well. He looked at her; she still had that obedient, downcast look, just like the first time she had listened to his lecture here.
His gaze was mild as he spoke slowly. “Last time we were here, you told me the other person was a woman. I didn’t press you on who it was, but now I’m asking you. Who is she?”
Qiao Qi looked up and said, “You already know.”
“I want you to answer me.”
“Gu Jianchu.”
The Old Master snorted. “So that’s why you wanted a year off after losing the project. I was wondering why you suddenly couldn’t handle the blow.” He grew a little angry as he spoke, and seeing her attitude only fueled his anger. “So what are your plans?”
“This is my private affair. I’d ask you not to interfere.”
“Private affair? You’re my granddaughter.” The Old Master’s eyes widened, and his voice rose a few notches. “You may misunderstand me, that’s fine, but I have to get this straight. You, you’re just too soft-hearted. After she bullied you like that, how can you let her win you back with just a few words? At the very least, you should make the Gu family pay a heavy price to vent your anger.”
Qiao Qi blushed at his words but remained composed. “I have my own arrangements.”
The Old Master looked at her, half-convinced. “Before, you had Zhiyu invest in a domestic new energy company. Adding Shenzhen’s Xingda to the mix, I can guess about seventy or eighty percent of your plan. I believe in your abilities, and Grandpa will support whatever you want to do. But are you sure she’ll be willing? Once our two companies are competing, she’ll have U.E.’s support. Your chances of winning in the short term are too slim.”
Normally, Qiao Qi would have avoided answering such a question, but this time, her gaze was firm as she replied, “She won’t.”
The Old Master pondered for a moment, then finally said, half in compromise and half in resignation, “Fine. I’ll wait for the final result. If she doesn’t do as you say, I will absolutely not agree to you two being together. She did something wrong, so she has to show some sincerity one way or another.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head to the company now.”
“Go on.” Seeing her get up to leave, the Old Master teased her, a rare occurrence. “Looks like you won’t be coming back tonight.”
Qiao Qi didn’t answer, simply opening the door and leaving the study. She returned to her bedroom and changed into an off-white suit that accentuated her slender, tall figure. The sapphire brooch on her chest matched her blue watch strap perfectly. Halfway down the stairs, bag in hand, she heard Jin Zhiyu’s voice. “Sister Qiqi.”
Qiao Qi asked, “Waiting for me?”
“Yeah, didn’t we just agree to go to the company together?”
“Let’s go.”
Before they reached the door, Jin Zhilan cut in, saying to Jin Zhiyu, “Perfect, I’m going to the company too. Let’s go together.”
Qiao Qi didn’t mind, and Jin Zhiyu couldn’t very well refuse, so he said with a smile, “It’s a rare honor for my car to carry both of my sisters at the same time.”
Jin Zhilan gave a humorless smile. “No need to flatter me. There’s nothing to flatter. I’m in a hurry, let’s go.”
Jin Zhiyu pouted and said no more. The atmosphere in the car was heavy all the way. Qiao Qi was naturally quiet, so her silence was normal, but Jin Zhilan sitting quietly in the back was strange. Jin Zhiyu didn’t dare speak rashly, afraid of sparking unnecessary speculation. Instead, it was Qiao Qi who spoke up after reading a message, asking him, “Has the Su family’s person in charge here gone back?”
“They left a few days ago. You were too busy, so I didn’t tell you.”
Jin Zhilan quickly interjected, “Gone back? Is the Su family not cooperating with us anymore?”
Jin Zhiyu replied, “No, it’s a normal personnel transfer. They’re sending a new person in charge in a few days.”
“Who are they sending?”
She had asked something she shouldn’t have, and Jin Zhiyu grew impatient. “How would I know about the Su family’s internal transfers?”
Rebuffed, Jin Zhilan huffed and fell silent. Qiao Qi gazed out the window, a smile at the corner of her eye. The message she had just received was from Su Jiayin. It was just one line: See you the day after tomorrow. She guessed that the Su family had a new personnel arrangement in Beijing. It was good that she was coming back; she would have someone to chat with occasionally.
Qiao Qi arrived at the company and, as usual, worked diligently on the thirty-fourth floor. But when evening came, Gu Jianchu’s figure was nowhere to be seen, neither downstairs at the company nor at her front door. She smiled, knowing the proud President Gu was having a little tantrum. So she gave her the cold shoulder for two days as well, not initiating contact. It wasn’t until Su Jiayin returned to Beijing and Gu Jianchu threw her a welcome dinner at her own clubhouse—inviting Qiao Qi through Su Jiayin—that they saw each other again.
In less than five minutes, Su Jiayin noticed that the interaction between them was rather strange. Normally, Gu Jianchu should have been sticking close to Qiao Qi. Why was she so cold to her this time? Conversely, Qiao Qi’s smile was full of meaning as she dealt with this coldness. Not understanding, she asked, “What’s with you two now?”
No one answered. Gu Jianchu asked her instead, “Back for good?”
Su Jiayin rolled her eyes. “Yes.” Then she turned to Qiao Qi, persistent. “What’s wrong with her, or what did you do? Why does she suddenly seem like she wants to draw a line between you?” A mischievous thought struck her, and she added, “Since she’s not pursuing you anymore and you’re single, it’s my turn. I’m back now anyway, and I’ve never tried being with a woman. I’ll reluctantly give it a try with you.”
Anyone could see that Gu Jianchu was rolling her eyes so hard they were about to pop out of her head. Qiao Qi lightly patted Su Jiayin, warning, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Su Jiayin almost burst out laughing. “This is the first time I’ve realized how jealous Jianchu can be. Alright, you two. You were supposed to be welcoming me back, not giving me the silent treatment. If you’re going to fight, do it at home.”
Gu Jianchu raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Even buying you dinner can’t shut that mouth of yours. Hurry up and eat. I have to go back to the office for overtime when we’re done.”
Qiao Qi heard the subtext in her words, knowing she didn’t plan to go back with her tonight. She raised an eyebrow. It seemed Miss Gu’s temper was a bit big. But she wasn’t one to play the part of a domineering, forceful lover, so she didn’t respond. Gu Jianchu was watching her from the corner of her eye, and seeing her silence, her spirits fell a little.
After dinner, they came out and happened to run into Qi Simiao and Jin Zhilan. Since Gu Jianchu had started distancing herself from them, the two of them rarely came here. Tonight, a friend had invited them, and they had to come to save face. Qi Simiao had barely seen Gu Jianchu all year. The people by her side came and went, but none of them were Gu Jianchu, so they couldn’t satisfy her, which only deepened her emptiness.
They exchanged greetings. Jin Zhilan was the first to speak. “So, Miss Su is back.”
Su Jiayin put on a smile, practiced and smooth. “Long time no see, Miss Jin.”
Seeing the person she longed for day and night, Qi Simiao was immediately entranced. Especially since Gu Jianchu was meticulously dressed tonight. A form-fitting long dress perfectly showed off her well-proportioned figure. A few strands of hair were swept back from her ears and pinned up, revealing the partially hidden curve of her ear. The light passing through the diamond earrings on her earlobes cast a shadow that happened to fall on her shoulder. She looked absolutely beautiful.
“Jianchu,” Qi Simiao called out to her.
Gu Jianchu glanced at her, then coldly looked away after just a moment and said to Su Jiayin, “I have something to do, so I’m leaving first.” With that, she looked at Qiao Qi, her eyes filled with both reluctance and complaint. Qiao Qi smiled and said, “Drive safe.” She froze for a second, then her expression softened. She nodded and left the clubhouse.
There wasn’t much to chat about here, especially since Jin Zhilan and Qi Simiao weren’t friendly towards Qiao Qi. Su Jiayin offered a few perfunctory words and left with Qiao Qi. On the way back, she was still curious about the conflict between Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu. But no matter how she tried to coax it out of her, she couldn’t pry a single word from Qiao Qi’s lips.
Su Jiayin complained, “You two don’t treat me like a friend.”
Qiao Qi said faintly, “Stop it.” Su Jiayin rolled her eyes and dropped the subject.
The next morning at nine o’clock, Gu Jianchu, in her office, received an internal call from Liu Yanyan. “President Gu, Secretary Yao from Ruifeng is downstairs and says she wants to see you.”
“Send her up.”
A few minutes later, Liu Yanyan knocked on the door and showed Yao Qiu in. Yao Qiu approached and said, “President Gu, President Qiao asked me to deliver a gift to you.” After speaking, she handed over a palm-sized box. It was very light and didn’t seem to be anything valuable.
Gu Jianchu took it and placed it on her desk. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“Now that the item has been delivered, I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye, President Gu.” After Yao Qiu left the office, Liu Yanyan pulled her aside. The two of them whispered in the outer office, both expressing their confusion about the recent situation.
In the office, Gu Jianchu opened the box, and a smile instantly bloomed on her face, like the sun breaking through after a snowstorm, sweeping away all the gloom. Inside were two keys and a note. Unfolding it revealed two strings of numbers. The top one was the code for Qiao Qi’s courtyard gate, and the bottom one was for her front door. Below them was a line of small, elegant, and flowing handwriting.
President Gu, do you have time to come register your fingerprint tonight?
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