Chapter 126: When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth.

After being with Duan Xi for more than ten years, Duan Jingyao has never guessed what she is thinking.

Now that he had heard what his elder brother said, it did make some sense. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Then what do you think Duan Xi wants to do by planning this cocktail party?"

"Who knows?"

Lu Heng took a sip of red wine. Even Duan Jingyao, who was raised by Duan Xi, couldn't see through her, let alone himself who had never met her?

No matter what Duan Xi is up to, we can only deal with him accordingly.

"Meng Anran will go too." he said suddenly.

Upon hearing this name, Duan Jingyao was obviously stunned for a moment, as if some very distant memories flooded into his mind.

He hasn't seen Meng Anran since his high school graduation ceremony five years ago.

We both stayed in Beijing to attend university, and our two schools were only separated by a street, but we had never met.

He could only learn about her recent situation through her circle of friends.

Unfortunately, she is not a person who likes to share her life, and only posts photos of family dinners during festivals.

Will she...come to this cocktail party?

Lu Heng studied Duan Jingyao's expression thoughtfully, understanding something but not saying it out loud. After a while, he spoke again, "Not only Ruiming Group, but Yunduan Group has also received an invitation."

Duan Xi has a deep hostility towards the Lu family. If he just invites him to Hai City, he might want to take the opportunity to get rid of him.

Without him, the Lu Group would undoubtedly collapse.

However, Meng Anran, who had no relationship with the Lu family, also received an invitation, as well as Qin Mu, who had a close relationship with Meng Anran.

They were the only three companies in the Beijing circle that received invitations from the Qinghe Club, which made the matter even more bizarre.

Duan Jingyao lowered his eyes in deep thought. He had no idea what Duan Xi was planning. "She's been asking me from time to time lately if I can find out when Lu Qingcheng will return to China. I guess besides the cocktail party, she has a backup plan."

After finishing his steak, Lu Heng put down his knife and fork and drank the red wine in one gulp. "When the enemy comes, we will fight them; when the water comes, we will block it with earth."

He didn't know how to care for his younger siblings, which led to somewhat difficult relationships between him, Lu Yi, and Meng Anran.

Ever since Meng Anran left the Lu family and repeatedly refused to go with him, he began to reflect on how to be a real brother.

He thought there was no chance for him to change, but unexpectedly he found his biological brother Duan Jingyao. He wanted to try to get his brother back to him without any harm.

So, no matter what Duan Xi wants to do, he will accompany him to the end.

*

The next day, Xiao Han made an appointment with Meng Zhen to have lunch at a Japanese restaurant opposite the private hospital during her free time.

Meng Zhen was very surprised. The interior designer she once admired the most was now sitting in front of her, and they were eating alone. It looked like... a date.

"Look at what you want to eat." Xiao Han handed over the menu.

Meng Zhen thanked him, took it and started to read it.

Xiao Han took this opportunity to look at the woman in front of him.

She is indeed very beautiful, and looks more like her father Meng Rong, with softer facial features, unlike Meng Anran's somewhat aggressive appearance.

Her skin is fair with a rosy glow, and at the age of 28 she is still as beautiful as a girl. She wears a simple white T-shirt and a low ponytail, looking like a college graduate.

Meng Zhen looked up at her. Xiao Han pursed his lips, smiled, and tactically took a sip of tea.

Staring at others is indeed not polite.

After ordering the dishes, Meng Zhen also drank a sip of tea to hide the nervousness that she hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't know how to start the conversation for a while.

She wasn't good at interacting with the opposite sex, let alone facing the designer Xiao whom she had admired for a long time. Being able to sit here calmly and drink tea was already her greatest skill.

Since it was Xiao Han who invited everyone out, he naturally couldn't let the atmosphere cool down. He was the first to speak: "I'm sorry, I asked you out so hastily. I hope I didn't disturb you."

Meng Zhen shook her head and smiled lightly, "No, it's more like... quite an honor. Ever since I was twenty, I've loved your designs. The color schemes are fresh and the layout is unique. Didn't you participate in a house renovation program at the time? I watched that episode so many times. The use of vertical space for the structure is really amazing!"

After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment, as if she had just realized something, and said awkwardly, "Sorry, did I... talk too much?"

"No, no!" Xiao Han waved his hands quickly and breathed a sigh of relief. "An Ran said you have a rather dull personality. I was worried you'd feel awkward, but now that you've said that, I feel a lot more at ease. Let's chat freely. I hope you don't think I'm noisy later."

Meng Zhen chuckled. She had indeed heard her sister complain about Xiao Han's chatter, and the tension in her heart was much relieved by Xiao Han's words.

Seeing her relax, Xiao Han felt that it was almost time to get to the point.

He started by bringing up a topic: "You're so beautiful and capable, there must be a lot of men in the hospital who want to pursue you, right?"

Meng Zhen's smile faded a little, her eyes flickering as she hesitated, "Actually... I'm quite troubled. There are many people who show interest in me, but I always feel like they approach me with a strong purpose, never truly considering my feelings from my perspective. I don't think that's pursuit, it's more like harassment."

Xiao Han stared at Meng Zhen in silence for a moment. He seemed to understand what Meng Anran meant when she said "Meng Zhen is quite dull". It didn't mean that this person was taciturn, but that Meng Zhen was too serious, so serious that he was a little old-fashioned.

She doesn't know how to reject advances from the opposite sex and is not good at expressing herself, so she doesn't know how to find topics to talk about when interacting with others. In the end, other people's excessive enthusiasm towards her only causes her trouble, which she defines as harassment.

After realizing this, Xiao Han burst out laughing, "Oh my god, you're so funny!"

Meng Zhen was confused, "Did I... say something wrong?"

“No, no!”

Xiao Han waved his hands and laughed non-stop, his chest heaving with laughter.

"People approach you because they want to pursue you, which is a purposeful behavior. But you're quite right. If they cling to you without considering your feelings and without any sense, that's definitely harassment. It's normal that you don't like it.

"Let me tell you, I often encounter this kind of client when I'm doing interior design. They rely on their little money to disrespect others. They're always bossing me around. They don't know shit. They keep saying 'I'm the manager of XX company' and think I have to be grateful to them just because they give me a business. I usually scold this kind of person and kick him out. Next time, he won't dare to show up in front of me.

"You have to be like this too. Those stinky flies, like dog-skin plasters, always want to eat swan flesh. You always act coy and try to please them, but you can't get rid of them!"