Even though there was no music or flowers around them, the two of them seemed to be truly at a wedding, walking with such steady steps.
Even Ni Jingxi, who was just joking, seemed to be infected by the joke and couldn't help but sniff the tip of her nose.
As the two slowly walked to the steps at the entrance, Huo Shenyan suddenly appeared at the door. He had just finished tidying up the rest of the place when he realized that Ni Jingxi and Ni Pingsen were not there.
As I walked over, I saw Ni Jingxi standing at the bottom of the steps from the front door, arm in arm with his father-in-law.
Huo Shenyan was a little stunned.
Until Ni Pingsen said very seriously, "Shenyan, I'm entrusting Jingxi to you now. Are you willing to take care of my daughter for the rest of your life?"
Huo Shenyan looked at him without even a second of hesitation.
"I do."
Chapter 71
Ni Jingxi stared longingly as Huo Shenyan held her hand. Ni Pingsen chuckled beside her and stepped onto the stairs, saying, "Alright, I'm tired, I'll go upstairs and rest first."
She and Huo Shenyan stood there, watching Ni Pingsen's figure gradually recede into the distance until it finally disappeared around the corner of the stairwell.
Ni Jingxi took a light sniff; it tasted sour and astringent.
"What's wrong?" Huo Shenyan turned his head to look at her, his face full of worries.
Ni Jingxi narrowed her eyes and let out a long sigh: "I'm just a little worried about Dad."
Ni Pingsen is not at the age to retire yet, so it's not surprising that he would feel bored if he stayed at home all the time. But Ni Jingxi couldn't bear to see him work too hard.
Huo Shenyan held her hand, looking down at her: "Are you worried that Dad will be too bored at home?"
Ni Jingxi looked up, her face full of astonishment. She really hadn't expected Huo Shenyan to guess her thoughts so easily. She blinked and pinched his fingers: "Mr. Huo, you can read my mind."
Huo Shenyan was so angry at her description that he laughed.
However, Huo Shenyan paused for a moment and then offered a suggestion: "Dad used to run a Chinese restaurant in Vietnam, so why don't we help him open another one? We can prepare the premises and staff for him, and he just needs to go and inspect it every day."
I have things to do so I don't have to stay home all day. I can compete with the nanny to cook, and I won't be too tired from work.
Ni Jingxi hadn't thought of it before, but after Huo Shenyan brought it up, she considered it carefully and thought it was actually a great suggestion. So, she excitedly pulled Huo Shenyan to the doorway and started brainstorming.
Huo Shenyan listened to the gentle breeze in the air and the slightly muggy temperature of the early summer night, and pulled her into the living room by the hand.
“Xiao Yichen is very familiar with side businesses. He has invested in quite a few bars and clubs. I’ll ask him to help out then.” Huo Shenyan couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her enthusiastic look.
He just didn't tell Ni Jingxi that Xiao Yichen's side businesses were worth millions or even tens of millions of yuan, and now, to open such a small shop for Ni Pingsen, they had to use Xiao Yichen's resources.
Huo Shenyan didn't mind using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Ni Jingxi seemed to have some self-awareness; she frowned slightly and asked, "Isn't it a bit too much trouble to open a shop for Dad?"
Her idea was really simple: hire a few waiters and a chef for a small restaurant, and the initial investment would be about the same as the money she had saved up over the years.
Huo Shenyan looked at her and said calmly, "Xiao Yichen is just idling around anyway. Something this meaningful is better than him spending his days in bars, right?"
Ni Jingxi nodded, "Yes, it's such a meaningful thing."
Xiao Yichen, who was sitting alone in the bar, suddenly sneezed. The bartender across from him, seeing him sitting there for so long, grinned and said, "Boss, are you eating vegetarian today?"
Xiao Yichen glanced at him sideways and snorted, "I'm not eating anything."
As soon as he finished speaking, he sneezed again. Xiao Yichen rubbed his nose and wondered if he was going to catch a cold in the middle of summer.
*
After two days of preparation, the meeting finally began. Since a meeting had already been held the day before, this meeting was of a very high standard, with formal dress requirements for the participating journalists.
So Ni Jingxi wore a formal suit today, a shirt and suit trousers.
As she stood in front of the dressing mirror tidying her clothes, Huo Shenyan happened to come over. He glanced at her, and although he had already gone into the dressing room, he turned back to look at her and asked, "Do you have something important to do today?"
The newspaper doesn't usually have any special requirements for reporters' attire, and Ni Jingxi always dresses casually and comfortably.
This is truly the first time I've dressed so formally.
Ni Jingxi then remembered that this gentleman was also attending the economic forum today, but she didn't intend to tell him that she could give him a surprise if they met later.
After all, this was the first time the two of them had met in a work setting.
"It's nothing, it's just a requirement from the newspaper," Ni Jingxi said casually.
Huo Shenyan assumed it was some event at her newspaper and didn't think much of it. But before leaving, he told Ni Jingxi to take her suit jacket with her: "The office is air-conditioned now, so take your jacket."
Ni Jingxi originally thought that since she was out all day, she probably didn't need it, but since he had said so, she figured she could just leave her coat in the car anyway.
So Ni Jingxi grabbed her coat and went out with him.
When they arrived at the door, Ni Jingxi went into the garage and drove the car out. Huo Shenyan's driver was also waiting outside. He didn't get in the car directly but stood by and waited for her.
Ni Jingxi rolled down the car window. "What's wrong?"
Huo Shenyan bent down and kissed her on the lips: "Have a good day at work."
Ni Jingxi smiled. She had recently noticed that Mr. Huo was becoming increasingly clingy. She reached out and touched his dark hair, which felt a little fluffy.
Like some kind of large dog.
Huo Shenyan looked up at her, his brows furrowing slightly. His proud eyes revealed a hint of displeasure, as if he also felt that Ni Jingxi's way of touching him was really wrong.
Ni Jingxi quickly covered up her tears and looked up to kiss him.
"Honey, I hope you have a good day at work."
She rarely called Huo Shenyan "husband" directly, but when she did, the man's lips curled up and he gave a soft "hmm."
After the car drove out, Ni Jingxi didn't go to the newspaper office but went directly to today's work meeting venue. This was because reporters needed to arrive early to prepare, as they not only had to queue to enter but also have their credentials checked.
The newspaper sent a car for the interview today, but Ni Jingxi didn't ask them to pick her up and drove there herself.
Upon arriving at the location, Ni Jingxi finally found a parking spot and then met up with her colleagues. Besides Song Yu, there was another cameraman and a male reporter.
The interview team consisted of four people.
Song Yu waved to her from a great distance, saying, "Sister Jingxi, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to see us."
"Are you starting to check IDs for entry now?" Ni Jingxi asked.
Song Yu nodded and glanced around: "There are so many people, I'm getting a little nervous."
Many media vehicles and colleagues with press credentials had already arrived. Ni Jingxi rarely participated in such events, but fortunately, she was someone who had even seen a real battlefield, so this large-scale scene did not intimidate her.
As Ni Jingxi walked forward, she hung her press pass around her neck: "It's okay, maybe they have the same thought as you."
Song Yu cautiously glanced at her media colleagues who were chatting and laughing around her. Did they also feel nervous?
"Sister Jingxi, although I know you're just trying to comfort me, I feel much more relieved," Song Yu said with a smile.
A male reporter standing nearby laughed and said, "Song Yu, you're making your nervousness too obvious, or you'll embarrass Xinhua News Agency."
Actually, the interview team was mostly young people. Apart from the photographer, who was a bit older, the others didn't seem to have much experience with such large-scale events.
After they had all registered, they began to wait for the important figures attending the meeting to arrive.
The sun outside was getting stronger and stronger. In the early morning, the sunlight wasn't so intense, and it didn't bother me when I was standing outside. But now, I was starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded from the heat.
Song Yu was frantically fanning herself with the conference brochure in her hand.
"When will they arrive? I'm going to die from the heat."
Ni Jingxi was discussing shooting footage with the photographer when suddenly a police siren sounded. Looking up, she couldn't see the car at first.
As the sirens grew louder, blue and white police motorcycles lined up on both sides and drove towards them.
The reporters, who had been casually standing around, suddenly became alert, like soldiers on a battlefield who had heard a bugle call. At this moment, the cameras were also ready, waiting for the other party to appear under the lights at the entrance of the venue.
Reporters quickly gathered around, hoping to capture firsthand photos the moment the attendees got off their vehicles.
Ni Jingxi and the photographer reacted the fastest, standing at the very front and keeping their eyes fixed on what was ahead.
Soon after, someone maintained order, and Ni Jingxi also took out her phone, since the photographer only had one lens, and she could help capture important shots.
People kept pushing from behind, and Ni Jingxi felt helpless, trying her best to maintain her balance.
Suddenly, a noticeable commotion broke out in the crowd, with a constant sound of camera shutters and flashes that almost turned the surroundings into a silvery haze. Clearly, the first attendee had arrived.
When Ni Jingxi saw the other person, she quickly searched her memory until she confirmed that the other person was a government official.
Song Yu and another reporter next to her also took out their phones. In this era of streaming media, short videos have become one of the main means of news reporting.
Because short videos contain a lot of information, and even if you click to watch them, it won't take too much time, they are becoming increasingly accepted by netizens.
Ni Jingxi had previously instructed them to collect as much material as possible, so that they could brainstorm and perhaps gain a better media perspective.
As one participant after another appeared, the reporters' enthusiasm did not diminish, because the later participants were increasingly familiar with entrepreneurs and government officials.
Until a gasp rang out, Ni Jingxi looked over and froze.
Huo Shenyan, dressed in a very crisp and well-fitting suit, walked slowly from not far away. Beside him were not only Tang Mian but also another official who looked to be in his fifties.
As the two walked and talked, the reporters on the other side were already in an uproar.
"It's Huo Shenyan, hurry up and film him. His videos always get a lot of views." Someone nearby said, and all the reporters' equipment was waiting for them.
Ni Jingxi didn't move; she simply watched the man walk over quietly.
She had ruffled his short, jet-black hair this morning, but now it was neatly combed back, revealing his full forehead. His face was narrow, with thick eyebrows and bright eyes, making him incredibly handsome.
His back was ramrod straight, and even with hundreds of cameras pointed at him and countless lenses capturing his every move, he maintained a calm and composed expression.
Song Yu, who was next to her, muttered softly, "He's so handsome. How come his legs are so long?"
Ni Jingxi smiled, but actually looked over there. His long legs, encased in black suit trousers, were indeed too eye-catching, especially since he was a full head taller than the official next to him.
It's too conspicuous.
As Huo Shenyan approached, everyone's cameras were pointed at him. Ni Jingxi figured that in such a crowded situation, he probably hadn't even seen her. So, without hesitation, she also took out her phone and started filming him.
Even when she looked at him through her phone, she could feel his imposing presence.
The reporters behind kept pushing and shoving, as if some wanted to get closer to take pictures, until Song Yu complained, and suddenly Ni Jingxi felt a piercing pain on the back of her foot.
She was wearing high-heeled flats today, with her insteps almost completely exposed.
At that moment, someone stepped on my foot, directly on the instep.