dinner party

Friday was a clear, cloudless day, with the sun blazing down on the earth.

Because Lu Yushi was coming, the dinner party was changed to lunchtime.

Su Di didn't really want to see Lu Yu and kept putting it off, but now that she was Gu Nan's assistant, Gu Nan asked her to be there, and she couldn't refuse.

Reluctantly, she took the bag, followed Gu Nan with short steps, and answered her question.

"It's not bullying."

The advertising manager disliked all female mid-to-senior level leaders equally, especially those with connections.

It was probably because she asked Lu Yushi to come and support her that Wu Feng held a grudge against her.

This hatred, however, is truly inexplicable.

It's truly a miscarriage of justice.

That day, she casually complained to her senior sister, and coincidentally, the teacher overheard their conversation. The teacher was known throughout the academy for being protective of her own students. Upon hearing that she had been bullied, the teacher contacted Lu Yushi without hesitation.

Poor thing, the person she saw the least during her entire graduate studies was Lu Yushi, and the person she feared the most was also Lu Yushi, and she didn't know how to deal with Lu Yushi.

She refused the day before, and Lu Yushi came the next day. She was completely unprepared and forced herself to say a few words. Although Lu Yushi's tone was cold, he was at least willing to help.

I thought the vice president position was a done deal…

She sighed silently, staring at Gu Nan's retreating figure with regret. Why did she have to make that bet?

Now look what's happened. She didn't get the vice president position, and instead became Gu Nan's assistant. I wonder how those people will laugh at her behind her back, and I have no idea what Gu Nan is planning.

She initially thought Gu Nan was trying to humiliate her, but after spending a week together, Gu Nan seemed to treat her quite well.

Gu Nan seemed to sense something and turned around. Their eyes met, and Gu Nan couldn't look away. She silently rubbed the tip of her nose.

"Are you cursing me in your heart?" Gu Nan asked.

Sudi snorted, neither admitting nor denying.

Gu Nan chuckled and said casually, "If anyone bullies you in the future, tell me and I'll take care of it."

Her light, airy tone carried an immense weight. Sudi stopped in her tracks, awkwardly smoothing her hair, and said haughtily, "What, you'd kindly help me get revenge?"

“Tsk,” Gu Nan blinked, slowly patted her clothes and walked out of the elevator, saying, “You are my assistant now. If they bully you, it’s like slapping me in the face.”

She hesitated for a moment: "Mainly... I need to save face."

"you!"

Sudi glared angrily at her back, squeezed in front of her, and pushed open the glass door first.

Gu Nan raised an eyebrow and slowly swayed forward.

The automatic sensor door on the first floor slowly opened, and a wave of heat rushed out, causing Gu Nan to quickly retreat.

The leisurely smile on his face disappeared immediately afterward.

The indoor temperature is 18 degrees Celsius, while the outdoor temperature appears to be 38+ degrees Celsius.

She stood at the doorway, watching a puddle of water disappear on the ground in an instant, and said irritably, "Is your senior brother sick?"

What are you doing here in this sweltering heat?

Sudi turned around, seemingly agreeing with her, but not wanting to say it directly, she pursed her lips and muttered, "I'll go get the car."

"No need." Gu Nan turned and entered the elevator without saying a word, pulling Su Di in with her.

"Hey you."

Ignoring Sudi's exclamation, she looked down, opened her phone, found a number, and dialed: "B2, pick me up."

After saying that, she casually picked up a piece of chewing gum and popped it into her mouth. She looked up and saw Sudi staring intently at her.

?

I handed him some chewing gum and asked, "Do you want some too?"

"No," Sudi muttered. "Aren't you... being a little disrespectful to President Ji?"

Gu Nan smiled and said, "Really?"

After a half-second pause, while the call continued, she said, "Please come pick me up at B2."

Sudi: ...

That's the CEO, not the driver.

G63 sped along under the scorching sun and stopped in front of the Platinum Restaurant half an hour later.

It was still the 28th floor, and the people present were exactly the same as last time. Even the crickets they were cricketing together were still her and Sudi.

The only difference...

As soon as the cigarette burned out, Gu Nan pushed open the door, and everyone in the room turned their gaze to the doorway.

Their gazes held curiosity, envy, jealousy, and so on, except for one person.

Gu Nan shifted her gaze to the main seat, her breath caught in her throat, and her right hand, which was pressed against the seam of her pants, stiffened for a moment.

The man in the main seat stopped tapping the table, slowly raised his eyes, and his unhurried movements inexplicably conveyed a sense of ease and composure. His well-fitting suit further accentuated his noble and elegant demeanor.

He sat there, gazing into the distance, his dark pupils gleaming with a deep, unfathomable light, as if he could see right through people's hearts.

When their eyes met, Gu Nan felt uneasy. Her stiff right hand hadn't warmed up yet, and her heartbeat started racing again.

Not wanting to be outdone, she secretly took even breaths and greeted everyone with a smile.

The man nodded slightly, a barely perceptible movement that carried an imposing aura of authority, his sharp and indifferent eyes further enhancing his commanding presence.

The room was quiet.

Gu Nan lowered her head, disrupting the rhythm of her steps.

Just a step too late, Wu Feng entered from behind her. He was stunned when he saw the man in the main seat. He quickly came to his senses and greeted Lu Yushi, Qiu Jingxun, and Ji Yuanyu in turn. He then sat down in the empty seat next to Qiu Jingxun to show his closeness.

For the first time ever, Lu Yushi replied with an "Mm".

Because of that "hmm," and because of Wu Feng's intentional or unintentional attempt to please, the room gradually became lively.

Some of the suppressed emotions were suppressed.

Wu Feng raised his chin and scanned the crowd one by one, finally meeting Gu Nan's gaze from afar. His eyes were full of pride and smugness, as if this position and Lu Yushi and Qiu Jingxun's answers were a great honor.

Gu Nan nonchalantly spat out her chewing gum, gestured to Su Di with her eyes that she didn't need to move, and was about to sit down nearby.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a chair scraping against the ground.

Then Qiu Jingxun suddenly stood up, turned around and looked at Lu Yushi. It was unclear what they exchanged in their eyes, but he quickly turned back to Gu Nan and greeted her, "President Gu."

"Young Master Qiu," he said as he sat down.

Before he even sat down in the chair, Qiu Jingxun said urgently, "President Gu, please sit here."

Gu Nan turned her head leisurely, while Qiu Jingxun stood behind the chair, his gaze eager.

She glanced at Lu Yushi's indifferent expression, pondered for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on her lips as she said, "I'm so sorry."

As she spoke, she walked to Lu Yushi's side.

Qiu Jingxun was about to speak when her actions interrupted him. He opened his mouth, thinking, "Excuse me, what are you doing here? And that..."

Her gaze shifted to Lu Yushi, and she gave him a subtle glare. Couldn't you just say you wanted someone to sit next to you? Why did you kick me?

Do I look like someone who's easy to bully?

With so many people in the room, he couldn't openly reprimand Lu Yushi for being inhuman, so he could only vent his anger on Wu Feng, glaring at this ungrateful man.

What? Does Lu Yushi know you? Or do I know you? What are you trying to prove!

Feeling the intense gazes, Wu Feng was completely bewildered. Looking around, he realized the last empty seat was at the very back. If he stood up now, he would become the laughingstock; if he didn't…

His heart sank, and his face burned with embarrassment. He couldn't possibly let Qiu Shao sit in the last seat.

He stood up and said, "Young Master Qiu, please."

He took a step back, coughed lightly with his fist to his lips, and the person next to him gritted his teeth and reluctantly moved to the empty seat at the end.

Wu Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the flush on his face gradually faded.

"Don't sit down." Gu Nan stopped Qiu Jingxun from pulling out a chair and explained, "Excuse me, my assistant needs to take care of me."

After saying that, regardless of whether Qiu Jingxun agreed or not, he waved to Su Di and said, "Come sit next to me."

Qiu Jingxun: ?

Sudi, who finally managed to get a seat near the back: ?

The two exchanged a glance, neither of them seeming quite dissatisfied with the arrangement.

Of course, the most dissatisfied was Wu Feng, who choked on his own breath.

Wu Feng had no choice but to give up his seat to Qiu Jingxun again. This time, the person next to him did not get up, so he could only walk dejectedly to the seat that Su Di had previously occupied, constantly imagining in his mind how he had embarrassed himself in other people's eyes.

The more he tried to straighten his back and pretend nothing had happened, the more out of control the images in his mind became. In the end, he lowered his head deeply, clenched his fists under the table, and almost ground his back teeth to maintain the stiff smile on his face.

Ultimately, it's all Gu Nan's fault.

The instigator didn't spare a single thought from beginning to end.

Gu Nan's mind was completely focused on Lu Yushi, and she couldn't notice any changes in other people's expressions.

She glanced at Lu Yu for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "The scent of sandalwood is so strong."

The disdainful tone fell into the rather quiet room like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan.

It boiled over instantly.

Everyone in the room fell silent, all subtly observing Lu Yushi's expression.

Lu Yushi's face remained expressionless as he slowly shifted his gaze, slightly lifting his eyelids without uttering a word.

It's impossible to tell whether they are happy or not.

Wu Feng pressed his hand to his chest, asking himself how he could possibly feel happy if someone publicly humiliated him.

But Gu Nan was courting death, and his mood instantly improved. He said, "Agarwood is very good, both in terms of its aroma and its effects. Mr. Gu, everyone has different tastes. Just because you dislike it doesn't mean others can't use it."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Everyone looked at each other, pretending to be stupid and lowering their heads.

I heard that Gu Nan beat up one of Wu Feng's men for no reason, and even did so in front of Wu Feng.

These two are probably irreconcilable enemies.

They dared not side with Wu Feng, after all, they were with the New Times, while Gu Nan always had Ji Yuanyu behind her.

They dared not side with Gu Nan, lest they offend the young master of the Lu family.

The situation reached a stalemate for a moment.

Su Di glared angrily at Gu Nan, her expression one of disappointment and frustration. She forced herself to speak, her voice trembling slightly, "Senior brother, President Gu…"

Lu Yushi glanced at Su Di expressionlessly, and Su Di silently bit her lip and shut up.

"reason."

Gu Nan picked up a small cake and put it in her mouth. As if she were oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room, she relaxed and said, "It tastes too bad, it affects my appetite."

Lu Yushi stared intently, his eyes like cold stars.

The room fell silent, as if chilled to the bone.

Su Di's heart tightened, and she secretly tugged at Gu Nan's sleeve under the table, whispering a warning: "Gu Nan."

Ji Yuanyu covered his mouth and coughed lightly, before he could speak to defuse the situation.

Lu Yushi gave a light "Mmm".

Three seconds later, he pulled out a tissue and handed it to Gu Nan.

Gu Nan: ?

"Mouth."

Sudi stared at Lu Yushi for half a minute as if he were a ghost, then turned to look at Gu Nan and whispered, "There's cream on your lips."

"You wipe it for me." It sounded like she was replying to Sudi, but her gaze remained fixed on Lu Yushi.

The air seemed to freeze. After a long while, Lu Yushi threw the tissue on the table and stopped looking at her.

Sudi resignedly picked up the tissue, but before she could do anything, Gu Nan took it and wiped herself, her calm and composed demeanor showing no sign of embarrassment at being rejected.

Halfway through the meal, her plate was piled high with dishes that Gu Nan had served her. She couldn't tell whether she was taking care of Gu Nan or Gu Nan was taking care of her.

She stared at the mountain of plates, her mind a jumble of thoughts. Surely Gu Nan couldn't be trying to stuff her to death.

She paused, then glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Gu Nan hand Lu Yu a piece of cake. She leaned closer and whispered, "Do you like my senior brother?"

Gu Nan: ...

When did you go blind?

Sudi glanced at Lu Yu's expression and said, "You're always trying to get his attention. He seems to be in a good mood today; if he were in a bad mood, maybe..."

"He won't be in a bad mood when he's with me."

"Why?"

Gu Nan smiled mysteriously and whispered, "Your senior brother is pursuing me."

Sudi was shocked. She looked at Lu Yushi, then at Gu Nan's twitching lips, and swallowed hard, trying to process this earth-shattering news.

Gu Nan glanced at her amusedly, then, feeling the urge to smoke, went outside for a smoke.

"Smack."

Opening the window, the sweltering heat outside hits you, and a sense of restlessness rises from your heart.

The lighter flame flickered wildly; she stared at it for a moment, then lit the cigarette.

Take a deep breath.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

The scent was detected before the person's voice.

She didn't turn around, knowing the answer already, and asked, "Young Master Lu, are you out for a smoke too?"