Xiao Qiqi glanced at her watch. "Well, it's about time. I'll go back and change. I have a new suit with me. I think you're about the same size, so why don't you come with me?"
Xiao Ning looked down at his toes. Xiao Qiqi knew this child had a strong sense of self-respect, so she laughed and said, "Stop dawdling. Are you acting like a man? I've already made it clear that there's a price for lending you these clothes, and you'll have to pay me back double in the future!"
Xiao Qiqi and Xiao Ning were waiting for the elevator when Wang Pingru barged in with a coquettish laugh. She greeted Xiao Qiqi and then grabbed a mirror. "Oh dear, how annoying! President Wei didn't even tell me he wanted me to accompany him to the party. I could have gone to New World earlier to pick out a nice dress. I don't have time to get ready right now!"
Xiao Qiqi laughed, and Xiao Ning winked at her with a smile, flattering her, "Sister Wang is naturally beautiful. She's already stunning even without makeup. If she keeps dressing up, we men will really have no chance to live."
Wang Pingru giggled and turned to hit Xiao Ning, "Xiao Ning, your words are getting sweeter and sweeter!" Her two basketball-sized breasts trembled incessantly, barely contained by her simple suit. When Xiao Ning saw her turn around and lean straight against his chest, his face flushed. Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle to himself and turned to look at the elevator's digital display screen.
President Wei always had these peculiar quirks. He'd somehow heard that the general manager of Huayuan Group, who was hosting a cocktail party tonight, had a penchant for mature women, so he dragged along Wang Pingru, the company's most "familiar" beauty, as his date, leaving Wang Pingru alone and forced to go with Xiao Ning. Thinking of Huayuan, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but bite her lip. Would she run into Chen Yuanxing? Was he alright? That night, seeing a car similar to his and a similar habit of reckless driving, she was habitually worried and kept calling until her phone died. The next day, she finally asked Jiang Yilan, and after learning he was at work as usual, she hesitated several times before finally hanging up. Perhaps they'd already given each other too many chances; their path had always been lukewarm, so even their breakup was so ambiguous and lingering. This time, his rejection of her greetings—had he truly made up his mind?
"Sister Xiao, we've arrived!" Xiao Qiqi was suddenly jolted out of her reverie, only to find Xiao Ning standing outside the elevator looking at her strangely. She forced a smile and stepped out of the elevator.
Xiao Ning stood in Xiao Qiqi's room, looking around curiously. She picked up a bottle of liquor from the bar. "Sister Xiao, you don't drink, but you've collected so many good bottles?" Xiao Qiqi took out a complete suit, shirt, and tie and handed it to Xiao Ning. "Take this to the bathroom to try. Stop looking around, we don't have much time left." All those bottles were bought by Chen Yuanxing. He liked to collect liquor and also liked to throw things around, so the small bar, which was originally just for decoration, was filled with all kinds of liquor.
When Xiao Ning emerged, Xiao Qiqi was momentarily stunned. Indeed, clothes make the man; dressed in exquisitely crafted, top-quality designer clothes, Xiao Ning seemed like a completely different person. His tall, upright figure, youthful face, and boundless energy clearly made him a dashing young man, though a touch of childishness remained in his eyes. In a few years, wouldn't this young man grow up like someone who forever cherishes a childlike spirit? Xiao Qiqi was momentarily lost in thought.
"Sister Xiao, what's wrong? Doesn't it look good?"
Xiao Qiqi shrugged and teased, "Very beautiful! If I were ten years younger, I would definitely be smitten with you." Xiao Ning's eyes welled up with tears, and she was about to speak when Xiao Qiqi turned around and said, "Wait for me for a moment."
Xiao Qiqi closed the door, glanced at the beautifully packaged dress, and ultimately tossed it into the closet. She found a black, knee-length halter-neck dress; she already had a chain around her neck, so no further accessories were needed. Her hair... it's gotten so long! It's almost covering her eyes. Xiao Qiqi opened a drawer; in a jewelry box, there was a fluttering blue butterfly, its central diamond sparkling. Xiao Qiqi tucked it into her hair, looked at it for a while, and then put it down. She applied light makeup, and unintentionally noticed the darkness and light at the corner of the table. She sprayed on a little—a dreamy, alluring look.
She went out, grabbed her bag, and changed her shoes. Xiao Ning followed awkwardly behind her. As Xiao Qiqi bent down to put the shoes away, she frowned. "Xiao Ning, wait a minute." She turned and went inside to get a pair of dark blue socks. "Put these on." Xiao Ning looked at her white socks, puzzled. "Black shoes and white socks!" Xiao Qiqi shook her head. "Unfortunately, we don't have any suitable shoes at home. Just make do with your own."
"Sister Xiao, I have a question for you." Xiao Ning's curious eyes betrayed him, but Xiao Qiqi had been trying hard to ignore him the whole way. "Do all these things belong to your boyfriend?"
"Yes, that was true before. But he doesn't need it anymore, so you don't have to worry." Xiao Qiqi was unusually patient with Xiao Ning. Perhaps she was just naturally drawn to little boys, Xiao Qiqi comforted herself in a melodramatic way.
"Wasn't Sister Xiao's ex-boyfriend very handsome?"
"Um!"
"Is it the person from Renlaiju?"
"Um!"
"...Are you very rich?"
“…Hmm!” Xiao Qiqi honked the horn with a “snap,” startling Xiao Ning. She turned her head and stared intently at Xiao Ning. “What else do you want to know? Name, age, home address, hobbies, when did you break up, and why did you break up?”
Xiao Ning quickly shook her head, "No... I don't want to know."
Hua Yuan's cocktail party was held at the Shangri-La Hotel. As soon as she got out of the car and took a few steps, Xiao Qiqi began to regret it. The shoes were brand new and hurt her feet. But as long as she didn't walk too much, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?
Thirteen, Cocktail Party (Part Two)
Xiao Qiqi, with Xiao Ning on her side, greeted everyone she passed with a smile, regardless of whether she knew them or not. Xiao Ning kept reporting the backgrounds of these important figures to her. Xiao Qiqi nodded secretly; in fact, she knew or was familiar with most of these real estate celebrities, and having Xiao Ning remember them was simply for her own good. Finally, they met President Wei and Wang Pingru. President Wei was the understated gentleman of a middle-aged businessman, while Wang Pingru was like a peacock, wearing a bright red dress with a green shawl. She wondered where the idea for this combination came from—how could red and green be so easy to match?
Mr. Wei looked around and said, "Xiao Xiao, a small company like ours isn't qualified to attend a party of this caliber. I only got in through a friend's help. I must find a chance to see Mr. Chen from Huayuan later." Before Xiao Qiqi could answer, Wang Pingru took Mr. Wei's hand and said with a sweet smile, "Mr. Wei, don't worry, Pingru will definitely keep a close eye on Mr. Chen for you."
Xiao Qiqi frowned and took a step back. The perfume was too strong. President Wei smiled awkwardly, clearly realizing his mistake. Not wanting to shake off his female companion, he simply instructed Xiao Qiqi, "Xiao, you're our company's best operations director. You must seize this opportunity! Yanshan Renjia is a tempting target." Xiao Qiqi nodded. She knew this all too well, but Huayuan was someone she had avoided for years. However, being in that position, she couldn't refuse.
As Xiao Qiqi watched the faces she usually only saw in magazines or business publications appear at the party, her heels began to ache. She slowly retreated to a corner, with Xiao Ning following her. "Sister Xiao, shall I get you a cold drink?"
"lemonade!"
After taking a big gulp of lemonade, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but sigh. Xiao Ning, on the other hand, was quite excited. It was her first time entering such a place, and nervousness, excitement, and curiosity were inevitable. "Sister Xiao, it seems like General Manager Chen from Huayuan is here. Shouldn't we go over and say hello?"
Xiao Qiqi looked around, annoyed. "Damn hotel, where are all the chairs? What are they for? If President Wei is so capable, he can go and curry favor with him himself. Humph, what's with being late as the host and acting like such a big shot!"
"Wow, what can we do? She's the boss, so it's no big deal! But Sister Xiao, are we really not going to say hello? Look, so many people have already gathered around!"
Xiao Qiqi smiled, but didn't know how to answer Xiao Ning. Should she go, only to be rebuffed? Or should she not go, to the company?
"Wow, he seemed to be looking this way just now." Xiao Ning was unusually talkative tonight. "His girlfriend is so pretty, like a little fairy. Oh, and she has a little butterfly in her hair, or maybe a diamond, it's so sparkly!" Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but look in the direction Xiao Ning was looking. A girl in a black dress, with short, playful hair, and a pair of clear, gem-like eyes accentuated by a blue butterfly pendant, looked refreshing and radiant, yet still charming. She was holding Chen Yuanxing's arm, her head constantly glancing this way.
Xiao Qiqi's fingers trembled, and she quickly averted her gaze, pretending to drink water casually. Through the glass, however, she saw a pair of smiling eyes. "Xiao Ning, could you pour me another glass of water?"
Zhou Zijian said something to his female companion Gu Lian, and after watching Xiao Ning walk away, he walked up to Xiao Qiqi and said, "Miss Xiao, it's been a long time."
Xiao Qiqi smiled politely, "Hello, Mr. Zhou! I just didn't expect your company to expand so quickly and also enter the real estate engineering industry?"
"Not at all, I would like to, but I'm not capable enough. I'm just here to support you, young master, and to make a casual appearance."
"Mr. Zhou, you are too modest. If you say that we are not capable enough, wouldn't we little people be ashamed and starve?" Zhou Zijian founded Langya at the age of nineteen. Langya is now a world-leading online platform that is listed both overseas and in mainland China. Zhou Zijian is only twenty-eight years old today.
"It's been a while, Miss Xiao, you're still as sharp-tongued as ever!" Zhou Zijian chuckled. "Still at Yongcheng Engineering Company? I heard you're doing quite well, a true career woman, a real go-getter."
"What achievements, what elites? Even Yongcheng is nothing in your eyes, let alone a nobody like me?" Xiao Qiqi looked at Xiao Ning carrying water and looking this way, and nodded politely to Zhou Zijian, "My colleague is over there, let's talk later, Mr. Zhou."
Xiao Qiqi went to greet Xiao Ning, who looked behind her and asked, "Sister Xiao, who was that person you were talking to just now? They looked so familiar."
"Hmm, I don't know him. We just bumped into each other and exchanged a few words." Xiao Qiqi was too lazy to explain. What would President Wei think if he knew that she knew someone like Zhou Zijian?
"President Wei is over there, talking to the CEO of Jianhua. He wants you to come over." Xiao Qiqi took the lemonade from Xiao Ning and nodded.
Yongcheng Engineering Company was merely a small to medium-sized company in the decoration industry, but its momentum had surged in the last two years, propelling it to a mid-level position. Therefore, the bigwigs in the real estate and engineering sectors were unfamiliar with the name Yongcheng. Take, for example, the CEO of Jianhua, the second-largest construction company in the world. He only exchanged a few pleasantries with CEO Wei out of politeness before making an excuse to attend to a friend. CEO Wei wiped the sweat from his brow. "Xiao, it's really hot. You young people are full of energy; why don't you go over there and say hello to CEO Chen?"
"Mr. Wei, why don't you go yourself?" Xiao Ning blurted out, which earned him a fierce glare from Mr. Wei. Mr. Wei smiled awkwardly at Xiao Qiqi, "Young people always like to have fun. Xiao, you're the best at making friends with young people, so why don't you go and give them a heads-up?"
Xiao Qiqi just held the cup and swirled the water around to look at it; her heel was sore, it must have been scraped.
"President Wei, I just saw President Xiao talking to that handsome guy over there for a while. Could it be that President Xiao likes that kind of gentle and melancholic man?" Wang Pingru looked Xiao Qiqi up and down and chuckled. Sure enough, President Wei followed her delicate finger and looked over. It was not Zhou Zijian.
Xiao Qiqi smiled bitterly to herself. This Wei Chenqi was a shrewd businessman! Wei excitedly patted Xiao Qiqi's shoulder, "My God, Xiao, you know Zhou Zijian? Why didn't you say so sooner? I heard he's good friends with President Chen. Getting him to introduce you to President Chen wouldn't be cheap!"
Xiao Qiqi was unexpectedly hit hard by President Wei. Her body, which had been hunched over, involuntarily tilted. Her high heels were already too high, and she lost her balance and fell backward. Before Xiao Qiqi could even utter a curse, she felt a tightening around her waist, and the familiar, faint scent of perfume and her unique fragrance wafted into her nostrils. She quickly straightened up and, without turning her head, hurriedly said, "Thank you, President Chen!"
She turned her head, smiled faintly, nodded politely, and said in a deep voice, "You're welcome! It's my honor to serve such a beautiful lady!" She lowered her eyes, her long, butterfly-shaped eyelashes casting a shadow, and said, "Good evening, Miss Xiao."
"Hello, Mr. Chen!" Xiao Qiqi politely extended her hand, their fingers intertwined, brushing against each other briefly. The coolness and warmth of their fingertips formed a cross, leaving only a tiny point of intersection. "This is our General Manager Wei, and our colleagues Wang Pingru and Ning Ruiming," Xiao Qiqi introduced politely. Chen Yuanxing politely shook hands with each of them and greeted them.
After the introductions, Chen Yuanxing took the slender, fair hand behind him and said, "Su Yan, my girlfriend." He smiled faintly, glancing at Xiao Qiqi and then at Xiao Ning, before turning away as if nothing had happened. A strange emotion seemed to linger in his lowered eyes and faint smile.
Xiao Qiqi nodded with a smile that maintained the appropriate curve, "Hello, Miss Su."
Su Yan had met countless people that night, and after feeling restrained, timid, hesitant, excited, and shy, all she could say was "Hello!" But the woman in front of her seemed different. Her polite smile, neat short hair, aloof and refined temperament, and an indescribable scent made Su Yan feel a little dazed. Just now, Chen Yuanxing had shaken off her hand and put his arm around this woman's waist.
"Mr. Chen, I am Wei Chenqi, the person in charge of Yongcheng. It's an honor to meet you." Mr. Wei, who had been eagerly anticipating the meeting, couldn't resist stepping forward. "..."
Chen Yuanxing nodded politely, "Yes, I know, I understand." "How about this, Mr. Wei, give me your business card, and we can discuss this in detail in my office tomorrow?"
"Oh, that would be great!" President Wei hurriedly smiled and handed over his business card with both hands. Chen Yuanxing did not take it, but nodded to the back. A serious-looking man in his thirties stepped forward and politely accepted the business card.
"This is the former secretary. Mr. Wei, please go to Huayuan to see him tomorrow."
"Secretary Yuan..." came the pleasantries. Taking advantage of their lively conversation, Xiao Qiqi slowly backed away, feeling inexplicably down. It was all because of those damn shoes, wasn't it? Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but frown; she had twisted her ankle earlier.
"Sister Xiao, are you alright?" Xiao Ning helped Xiao Qiqi up. Xiao Qiqi felt a piercing pain in her heel and let Xiao Ning support her. "I remember there's an open-air balcony over there. I don't know if it's locked right now. Can you help me over there?"
Chen Yuanxing watched as Xiao Qiqi limped slowly disappeared into the crowd. His eyes narrowed, and he gave Secretary Yuan a meaningful look. Secretary Yuan then pulled away Wei Chenqi, who had been chattering incessantly. Just as he was about to turn around, Wei Chenqi suddenly turned back and said, "President Chen, haven't we met before? No, I'm sure, we definitely have." Chen Yuanxing was annoyed, but he still maintained a smile. "President Wei has a good memory. We met once three years ago."
"I knew it! I always felt Mr. Chen looked so kind..."
"Excuse me, some friends have arrived over there. Please excuse me for a moment."
The former secretary followed and whispered in Chen Yuanxing's ear, "It's Xia Xuan, the eldest son of Xia's Enterprise, and Xia Rui, the third daughter."
Chen Yuanxing paused, and Su Yan, also preoccupied with her own thoughts, stopped and said, "I'm going to talk to Gu Lian for a bit."
Chen Yuanxing nodded, "I'll come find you in a bit."
The Xia family is renowned throughout Asia and even the world. The family patriarch, Xia Haolin, is among the top 100 richest people in the world. Their businesses span finance, construction, real estate, light industry, retail, and many other sectors. Xia Xuan was the eldest grandson, relatively unknown in the early years of the Xia family. He grew up in mainland China with his mother, not with his biological father, Xia Yexin, in Hong Kong. He later moved to Hong Kong and quickly established himself within the family, becoming one of the patriarch's most trusted third-generation elites. Xia Rui is Xia Yexin's third daughter, born to his second wife. Few members of the Xia family are as fortunate as Xia Xuan to be recognized as part of the family, perhaps because his mother was Xia Yexin's first legally wedded wife. Besides the children of Xia Yexin's three officially recognized wives, most of his other children lived in obscurity, bearing their mothers' surnames.
Xia Xuan and Chen Yuanxing stood opposite each other, sizing each other up. Undercurrents of tension lived on in their smiles; unspoken resentment lingered in their handshakes.
Xia Xuan smiled gently, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, which, behind his glasses, held the clear light of a lake. "At the Peak of the Wind God, we've known each other for a long time."
"Night Tadpole, nice to meet you!" Chen Yuanxing's smile was bright and clear, as pure and clean as white clouds. Xia Xuan's smile was like the wind in the dark night, carrying homesickness and longing.
Xia Xuan and Chen Yuanxing exchanged knowing smiles, and those around them were also infected by their joy, laughing and joking.
Xia Rui, only nineteen years old, was clearly not satisfied with such small talk and shook Xia Xuan's arm, "Big brother!"
Xia Xuan patted Xia Rui's hand with a smile, "My third sister, Xia Rui. She insisted on coming to BeiX City with me during the holiday, and she drove me crazy."
Chen Yuanxing handed Xia Xuan a glass of wine. "Hello, Miss Xia, I am Chen Yuanxing."
Xia Rui pinched Xia Xuan's side cheek in annoyance, but elegantly raised her other hand. Chen Yuanxing took her hand, bowed, and gently kissed her fingertips. "Miss Xia, you are so beautiful!"
Xia Rui immediately beamed, "Xingxing knows how to talk."
Chen Yuanxing was speechless, but Xia Xuan secretly winked at him, "A gorilla? Hmm, very creative!"
Chen Yuanxing smiled and shook his head, "I'll give you a riddle to guess."
Xia Rui asked curiously, "What riddle?"
"A monkey, a gorilla, and King Kong are picking bananas from a coconut tree. Who will pick one first?"
Xia Rui frowned her slender eyebrows and shook Xia Xuan's hand. "Brother, which one do you think it is? I think it's the monkey. Monkeys are the best at climbing trees. King Kong is too clumsy. His feet are so big that he can stomp on a tree with one foot..." Before she could finish speaking, she noticed that the two of them were already laughing so hard that their faces were contorted. "Am I wrong? Why are you laughing so hard?" Her innocence and cuteness were on full display.
Bruce couldn't help but cough. "Miss, there are no bananas on the coconut tree."
Xia Rui then realized that Chen Yuanxing had deliberately teased her, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed. If she weren't wearing a cute princess dress, she might have kicked him already. The atmosphere was thus lightened.
"Young Master Chen, um, I remember everyone called you that when we were in school, right?"
"It's just a misnomer," Chen Yuanxing said with a modest smile.
"I think he's a true playboy." Xia Rui kept sticking out her tongue and frowning at Chen Yuanxing, clearly holding a grudge.
Xia Xuan suddenly turned around and tapped Xia Rui on the head. "Xiao Rui is just being childish, Young Master, don't take it to heart. But she's been clamoring to go out and play these past few days. I'm not familiar with BeiX City, so she's been really bored." As she spoke, her gentle eyes glanced lightly at Chen Yuanxing, then looked away without leaving a trace.
Chen Yuanxing understood Xia Xuan's meaning perfectly well. This was the first time that Xia's Enterprise had interacted with Hua's Enterprise, so he couldn't very well refuse to be the host. He smiled and said, "Then I wonder if I would have the honor of showing Miss Xia around?"
Xia Rui was furious with Chen Yuanxing and was worried that she would never have a chance to get revenge, so she quickly agreed, "Then thank you, gorilla."
Chen Yuanxing shook his head with a wry smile. Xia Xuan smiled and raised his glass, the dark red of the wine concealing a hint of smugness in his eyes. Chen Yuanxing also raised his glass, a fleeting, unpredictable cloud passing through the dark liquid.
Everyone has their own way, their own path, and their own future. Like Xia Xuan and Chen Yuanxing, regardless of their past, their inner conflicts and calculations, they can still smile and clink glasses like this. No one knows whether tomorrow they will be smiling happily, or dying!
XIV. Cocktail Party (Part 3)
Fortunately, the terrace door was unlocked. Lifting the thick down curtains revealed the closed door. With Xiao Ning's help, Xiao Qiqi slowly walked to a corner of the terrace. Surprisingly, the terrace wasn't flat; there were wooden tables and chairs on the other side. Xiao Qiqi sat down and rubbed her feet.
"Sister Xiao, I'll go find you some disinfectant cotton and gauze. How are you going to get home tonight?" There were no lights on the terrace, only the dim yellow light from the hotel windows. Xiao Ning's complexion was unclear, but it was definitely not good.
Xiao Qiqi felt a jumble of emotions in her heart. She simply hummed in response and looked up at the twinkling lights in the night sky.