Chapter 48 Jealousy Rescues Her From the Situation A long, beautiful hand caught her at just the right moment...

Dinner was arranged at a farmhouse restaurant near Qinglong Bay Scenic Area, with six tables filling the entire hall.

After resting at their guesthouse, Zhu Liushuang and Zhuang Xiaoqian took a stroll along the lakeside boardwalk in high spirits. On their way to the farmhouse, they happened to meet a few people from the Human Resources Department and joined them.

Although we weren't particularly close on a daily basis, we were all respectable people and had to maintain a facade of harmony. Plus, it was a rare opportunity for us to go on a group trip, so we were in much better spirits than when we were at work. And since we were all girls, we gradually started to hit it off.

Zhu Liushuang walked on the far right, with Zhuang Xiaoqian on her left, and Li Jingjia and several other girls from the HR department on Zhuang Xiaoqian's left. As they walked, they found themselves linking arms, as if their previous disagreement had never happened.

"Xiaoqian, I heard your husband works at Zhonghe. Does their firm have any eligible single men? Could you introduce me to one?" Li Jingjia's voice was high-pitched and easily recognizable.

"And me... We're all single, Xiaoqian, could you help me set someone up?"

While the others were discussing, Zhuang Xiaoqian turned to Zhu Liushuang and whispered, "Look at you, girl, everyone else is eager for me to introduce them. And you're the one who backed out at the last minute..."

Zhu Liushuang dared not refute, and could only wave her hand to beg for mercy, pleading with Zhuang Xiaoqian to stop teasing her.

"Alright... then I'll introduce them to them. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Zhuang Xiaoqian gestured to her with her eyes.

Zhu Liushuang breathed a sigh of relief, continuing to act as if she were invisible, and silently followed the others forward.

When the group of seven arrived at the farmhouse restaurant, several tables were already full.

At first glance, all she could see were people from Zhonghe. Zhu Liushuang quickly scanned the whispering strangers, then casually lowered her head.

"Mr. Guo is quite the ladies' man, the company is full of beautiful women..." a middle-aged man wearing glasses said loudly as he looked towards the doorway.

Zhu Liushuang glanced up at the middle-aged man, a sense of disgust rising in her heart: using women as gossip fodder, he's no good. She wondered how their CEO, Mr. Guo, would respond.

In the minds of ordinary working people, all capitalists in the world are probably the same, so when Guo Yang stood up to speak for them, she was surprised, but also reasonable.

"Mr. Qian is too kind. Women hold up half the sky, so don't underestimate their abilities. Being pretty is just one of their least significant advantages. At Ruixin, we value comprehensive abilities when hiring..." Guo Yang raised his teacup with a slight smile, neither offending Mr. Qian nor refusing to speak up for his employees.

"Where are the people from your company's technical department this time? I remember there was this guy who was really good at drinking last time... Oh, right! Xiao Wang... Why isn't he here?" Even though Mr. Qian and Mr. Guo were sitting very close to each other, he spoke with an extremely loud voice.

Upon hearing the name "Xiao Wang," Zhu Liushuang felt nauseous. She knew without guessing that Xiao Wang was Wang Yizheng, whom she disliked.

What she didn't know was that Guo Yang also disliked Wang Yizheng.

After He Ming's reminder, he subtly inquired with a few people about the situation. Only then did he learn how Wang Yizheng had been spreading rumors about him behind his back.

Originally, he wanted to find a reason to fire Wang Yizheng, but after thinking it over, he felt that he couldn't let that kid get more compensation for nothing, so he decided to use some means to force him to resign on his own.

His decision to have the technical department work overtime during this team building activity was intentional.

"We've been facing some tough challenges lately, so all the men in our technical department have stayed behind to work overtime!" Guo Yang explained slowly, taking a sip of tea.

“President Guo, that’s not very fair of you…” President Qian shook his head in disapproval, then turned to his subordinates at his table and said, “Look everyone, compared to this, we at Zhonghe are much more considerate. No one is allowed to be absent from group activities, and even family members can be brought.”

The onlookers dared not utter a sound, offering awkward rather than polite smiles.

If it weren't for Mr. Guo's good temper, it would be questionable whether we could even finish this dinner, right? Zhu Liushuang looked at Guo Yang, whose expression was slightly gloomy, and thought to herself: How can someone like this become a general manager? Doesn't Zhonghe have a leader with higher emotional intelligence to smooth things over?

"Don't you think we can go over and sit down? It's kind of awkward standing here at the door." Zhuang Xiaoqian was good at reading people's expressions.

"Let's go, let's tell Mr. Guo a few jokes to ease the tension," Li Jingjia said, tossing her hair.

For this road trip, Ruixin brought twelve people, including Guo Yang and three men from the sales department.

Zhu Liushuang and the others took their seats one after another.

Having worked in the workplace for a long time, everyone becomes incredibly shrewd, and Li Jingjia is especially so. She proactively poured tea for Guo Yang and then, with a charming smile, picked out a few interesting anecdotes to tell, instantly making everyone at the table laugh.

"Mr. Guo, when can we eat? We've been traveling all day, and I'm starving..." After telling the funny story, she rested her chin on her hand and asked in a coquettish voice.

Zhu Liushuang sat opposite Li Jingjia, watching her every move with admiration. If she were sitting next to Guo Yang, she would probably be quieter than a quail.

"Wait a little longer. Look, that table is still empty. We'll start eating as soon as everyone's here." Guo Yang spoke without any airs, and was quite approachable. "Jingjia, if you're really hungry, have some nuts to tide you over." As he spoke, he turned the plate of nuts in front of Li Jiajing.

The other people at the table exchanged glances and, sensing the situation, turned away to chat in hushed tones.

Zhuang Xiaoqian lowered her head and sent a WeChat message to Zhu Liushuang under the table.

[Sister Zhuang: Do you think there's something going on between Li Jingjia and President Guo? They seem to have a lot of presence between them!]

Zhu Liushuang took out her phone and glanced at it, not knowing how to reply, so she silently shook her head at Zhuang Xiaoqian.

Zhuang Xiaoqian suddenly felt bored, so she sent another message.

[Zhuang Jie: Fine, I won't get anywhere with someone as dense as you. I used to think Mr. Guo might be interested in you, but now it seems he's just being nice to every beautiful woman.]

Her phone vibrated. Zhu Liushuang tapped on Zhuang Xiaoqian's WeChat profile picture again, then exited with a look of panic. She muttered to herself, "Sister Zhuang, your imagination is too wild..."

He Ming walked into the restaurant at this time, along with eight or nine other people.

Zhu Liushuang suddenly stopped talking.

The man and woman walking at the front looked quite old; they were probably high-ranking members of Zhonghe. Among the people following behind, besides Gu Xufeng and his sister, and Zhuang Xiaoqian's husband, there was another person Zhu Liushuang recognized: Yu Huan.

Yu Huan wore a modified silk cheongsam that accentuated her exquisite curves, and her long, wavy hair added to her allure. She was even more beautiful and captivating than when she had seen her a few years ago.

Zhu Liushuang's eyes inexplicably stung.

Yu Huan and He Ming entered side by side. They walked and talked, like a beautiful and pleasing couple.

Although she didn't know what they were talking about, Zhu Liushuang suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis based on her woman's intuition.

She was certain that Yu Huan had feelings for He Ming.

"I heard... she likes guys who are younger and better looking than her..." Zhuang Xiaoqian's gossip still echoed in my ears.

Only one voice remained in my mind: "When you like someone, you will unconsciously want to get closer to them."

When Yu Huan spoke, her eyes would be fixed on He Ming, and when she sat down, she would sit directly next to him.

Zhu Liushuang found that the more carefully she observed, the more concerned she became.

My heart felt like a jar of vinegar had been overturned, and that sour feeling gradually spread.

"Sister Xiaoshuang! I'd like to eat at the same table as you..."

Zhu Liushuang's attention was entirely on He Ming and Yu Huan, and she didn't even notice that Gu Xuting was sitting behind her.

Startled by the sudden sound, she appeared calm on the surface, but her mind was in turmoil.

“We can’t fit everyone at this table…” Zhu Liushuang said with difficulty. “Anyway, we’re so close together, you can just lean back in your chair if you want to talk to me.”

Gu Xuting said disappointedly, "Okay... if Brother He Ming and the others hadn't been delayed by their business, I wouldn't have come so late."

Zhu Liushuang reached out and touched Gu Xuting's cheek reassuringly, but her mind was still on the words "talking about business".

So...they were talking as they walked, they were obviously discussing work, right?

Zhu Liushuang knew that if she continued to overthink like this, she would be unable to hide her jealousy, so she hastily looked away and forced herself not to care.

"This charcoal-braised old hen is pretty good, the chicken soup is quite flavorful, and the dried bamboo shoots inside are also delicious... Hey, Liu Shuang, why are you just using chopsticks and not picking up any food?" As the hot dishes were served one after another, Zhuang Xiaoqian had already started to enjoy her meal.

"With a table full of dishes in front of me, I'm forced to choose whichever I don't like," Zhu Liushuang replied dryly. Then she turned the plate and ladled half a bowl of chicken soup for herself, taking small sips. "Hmm, it's pretty good."

"Try this crispy tofu, it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside." Before she had even finished the chicken soup, Zhuang Xiaoqian picked up two more pieces of tofu coated in honey-colored sauce and put them on her plate.

"Thank you, Sister Zhuang. You can eat it yourself, don't worry about me." Zhu Liushuang took a bite of tofu, the salty and sweet flavor mixed with the pungent taste of ginger and chili filling her mouth. She frowned almost imperceptibly, and seeing Zhuang Xiaoqian looking at her expectantly, she forced herself to eat the rest of the tofu.

"It's delicious too." With a forced smile on her face, Zhu Liushuang picked up the teacup next to her and drank half a cup of tea in one go to suppress the discomfort in her throat.

When dining out, drinking is an inevitable part of the social interaction.

Zhu Liushuang has a low alcohol tolerance; after just one glass of red wine, her cheeks turned pink, like she had applied a layer of peach-colored rouge.

Fortunately, there were more women than men at their table. Apart from a few men drinking with Guo Yang, the remaining girls only drank a little.

Halfway through dinner, Guo Yang stood up with his wine glass in hand: "Come on, which few of you will come with me to that table to offer a toast?"

That table, of course, refers to the table where He Ming and his group were sitting. The two partners of Zhonghe were seated there.

The young men in the sales department had excellent alcohol tolerance and were used to socializing. They picked up their glasses and prepared to "charge into battle."

"The four of us probably can't outdrink them! What about the ladies?" Guo Yang's gaze swept across the faces of each female employee. "Jingjia, you're good at drinking, why don't you go too?"

“Okay.” Li Jingjia stood up readily.

"Xiaoqian, is your husband at that table too?"

Zhuang Xiaoqian, whose name was called, shrank back and quickly waved her hand: "President Guo, please spare me! I can't drink it."

"Liu Shuang, you've been the one with the most business dealings between the two companies lately, are you here too?"

Zhu Liushuang, who was engrossed in eating and trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, stood up with a forced smile: "President Guo, I can only drink about three glasses of red wine, and I've already had one."

"It's alright, just follow along and show your presence. It's more lively with more people!" Guo Yang was in a good mood.

Li Jingjia raised her wine glass to Zhu Liushuang, who then moved her chair and walked over to her.

"Don't be afraid—we're all good drinkers, you stay in the back," Li Jingjia whispered, while also having Zhu Liushuang walk beside her.

Zhu Liushuang gave Li Jingjia a grateful smile and said nothing more.

Her emotions, which had finally calmed down, started to fluctuate wildly again. "Director Zhang, President Qi, how was the food tonight? Did you enjoy it?"

"Xiao Guo, you've finally arrived! Old Zhang just told me you invested some money in this agritainment business... The food is really good. I heard it's doing very well?"

The pleasantries had already begun, and Zhu Liushuang focused on being the background figure, her eyes uncontrollably darting towards He Ming.

“That Director Zhang is a relative of our General Manager Guo…” Li Jingjia whispered to Zhu Liushuang.

"Since you're here, let's properly pay our respects to our General Manager Qi. Ah Yang, why don't you quickly fill General Manager Qi's cup?" The old man, known as Director Zhang, said with a ruddy face.

Zhu Liu turned his head to look at the situation ahead, and saw Guo Yang pick up the Moutai on the table and fill up President Qi's glass, then raise his own glass and drink it all in one gulp.

"I'll drink first as a sign of respect, please feel free to drink as you like."

The leaders started by toasting each other, and then the subordinates followed suit. Zhu Liushuang awkwardly followed behind, copying what the others did. However, while others drank half a glass or a full glass at a time, she only took a small sip each time she was toasted.

When Zhu Liushuang raised her glass to He Ming, she was a little nervous, but she still had to say the polite words: "Teacher He, there will be many troubles in our business in the future. I toast to you."

He Ming had probably drunk quite a bit tonight; from Zhu Liushuang's angle, she could see the slightly reddened corners of his eyes. He sat lazily, while she stood stiffly.

"Miss Zhu, I see you've already walked around the room with this glass of red wine. That's not very sincere!" Gu Xufeng leaned closer and said, making a move to refill Zhu Liushuang's glass.

Zhu Liushuang nervously tugged at her skirt. With people watching from both sides, she dared not refuse.

All around were sounds of drinking contests, cheers, and jeering.

You could faintly hear Gu Xuting's dissatisfaction: "Brother, you're not allowed to bully Sister Xiaoshuang..."

Having drunk too much, Gu Xufeng naturally wouldn't listen to the kid's opinions.

The wine bottle was aimed at Zhu Liushuang's glass, and she waited for the glass to be filled with the mindset of "I might as well get drunk."

The next second, a slender and beautiful hand timely grabbed the wine bottle in Gu Xufeng's hand and turned it around.

The deep red liquid gurgled as it poured into another glass.

The owner of that hand slowly stood up, glanced at Gu Xufeng expressionlessly, and then turned to Zhu Liushuang and said, "I drank it. If you can't drink, just have a little."

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The author's note: For people with a very low alcohol tolerance, social drinking is the most, most, most, most annoying thing!

The next chapter will continue to be sweet...