Meeting

[Another last-minute emergency?]

This is the third meal you've skipped from my meals this month.

We don't need to meet again without two nautilus shells.

Gu Nan's phone kept vibrating. She glanced at the man in the main seat of the conference room, then looked out the window.

Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared, instantly turning day and night upside down, and torrential rain poured down on the earth like boiling water.

Steam rose from the floor-to-ceiling windows, clearly reflecting the woman's face.

Her features were delicate, and her slender swan neck was slightly curved. The bun she had casually tied before entering the room was now showing signs of loosening, with a few strands of hair silently breaking free and falling onto her lustrous left neck. A small mole was faintly visible where white and black intersected.

Above the small mole, the fishbone chain had faded slightly. Gu Nan rubbed it with one hand before looking away.

[Ji Yuanyu's dinner party, he just told me.]

Is the vice president's position secure?

Gu Nan gave a mocking smirk.

【no. 】

After sending the message, she turned her phone face down and put it down, her gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone at the conference table.

Tonight, almost all the senior executives of the New Times were present, except for the one who disliked her. They were all dressed in suits and ties with serious faces, and their eyes were fixed on the PPT as if they were looking at a bloodthirsty beast.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somber. The hydroponic pothos on the table had lost its luster and looked lifeless.

Everyone held their breath, seemingly more desperate than the pedestrians trapped in the storm.

The celebration banquet turned into a trap, which was unexpected by everyone.

Two weeks ago, the New Times published a report that was eye-catching enough to successfully get the New Times into the North City market.

Because of the complex sphere of influence in Beicheng, the New Times was able to stand out among the powerful and influential. As the actual person in charge of the New Times, Ji Yuanyu immediately decided to personally hold a celebration banquet for the reporters who covered the story.

The reporter returned to Xuncheng yesterday and attended a dinner party tonight. Everyone in the company had mentally rehearsed every word of celebration countless times, but before they could even show their skills, they suddenly received another message.

A big shot from the north city arrived in Xuncheng this morning and will be attending the dinner tonight.

Everyone gasped in shock.

They were busy checking each step of the process to see if any of the names listed in the report belonged to powerful figures in Beicheng.

The meeting lasted three hours, and nothing was found.

Gu Nan remained expressionless, her bright eyes dark and deep.

She had no interest in the position of vice president of the New Times. If it weren't for this big shot suddenly appearing out of nowhere, she wouldn't have wasted three hours here. She cursed inwardly and picked up her phone again.

The system switches to a completely black interface with only a Buddha hand icon for the contact.

I can't get away from my dinner engagement tonight, and I'm not sure when it will end. I'll try to reschedule with the other party.

The Buddha's Hand avatar replied instantly.

They came all the way from out of town and paid a hefty sum to book with us two months in advance; we probably won't agree.

Gu Nan unconsciously tapped the table with her knuckles, her eyebrows lowered, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes.

He typed without any intonation, as arrogant as ever.

Either stick to my schedule, or get him out.

"Does Mr. Gu have anything to add?"

Ji Yuanyu suddenly turned his head, and everyone in the office followed suit, their gazes fixed on Gu Nan as if rooted to the spot.

She wasn't used to being the center of attention in any situation. She frowned slightly, kicked the man's leg under the table in annoyance, and said coldly, "No."

Meeting adjourned.

The attendees filed out, and as the last person left, Ji Yuanyu shed his imposing demeanor, loosened his tie, leaned back to relax, and glanced at her.

"What are you talking about, so enthusiastically?"

Gu Nan glanced at him sideways, deftly switching between phone systems with one hand, opening a chat window with a friend in front of his own phone screen, intentionally letting him see the chat messages, then closing the screen, crossing her arms over her chest, and curling her lips into a mocking smile.

"If the big boss of the New Times can't even control his own dinner party, you can step down."

Ji Yuanyu straightened his expression and spoke very slowly, as if he were thinking: "Beicheng..."

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Nan, looking uninterested, asked casually, "What do they want to do?"

"I don't know. But it's alright, as long as we don't clash with them, I still have the final say in Xuncheng." Ji Yuanyu paused slightly, looked up at her, and hesitated, "The vice president's matter..."

Gu Nan: "Not interested."

With her left hand, she subtly moved her phone under the table, quickly switched the system interface, and deftly hung up the voice call from the Buddha's Hand icon.

Before any further action could be taken, the phone rang again.

Despite being hung up three times in a row, the Buddha's Hand head persisted.

Her eyes gradually darkened with a fierce glint, and she hissed impatiently.

Ji Yuanyu's dark eyelashes fluttered slightly, his handsome and resolute profile was framed by raised sword-like eyebrows, and the majesty in his pupils gradually faded as the two spent more time alone together.

The heavy rain outside showed no sign of stopping. He sat with his back to the window, his broad shoulders seemingly intended to shield the person in front of him from the wind and rain.

He leaned forward toward Gu Nan and said solemnly, "Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be a dinner party. As long as you're willing, it doesn't matter whether others agree or not. I can handle it."

"I don't want to," Gu Nan answered immediately, turning off the screen and tossing her phone back into her pocket.

Her part-time job at the New Times happened to be that reporter's direct supervisor. Ji Yuanyu didn't say it explicitly, but she probably guessed that Ji Yuanyu would promote that reporter and then take the opportunity to promote her to the position of vice president.

The vice president? She's too busy, she doesn't have time.

She lazily lifted her eyelids and said indifferently, "I said I'm not interested. Sudi is quite capable, you can consider her."

After being rejected by Gu Nan repeatedly, the light in Ji Yuanyu's eyes dimmed slightly, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. He quickly regained his smile, since he was the only woman in Gu Nan's life. If Gu Nan was considering marriage, he would be the first choice no matter what.

"Then I won't mention it tonight."

Gu Nan hummed thoughtfully. The incandescent light shone down, making her skin appear as white as jade. Her curled eyelashes cast a half-circle shadow under her eyes. Her nose was delicate and straight, and her lips were thinly pursed.

Ji Yuanyu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he advised, "Don't worry, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. They won't rashly interfere in Xuncheng."

Gu Nan calmly shifted her gaze, finding it hard to understand which pore on her face showed any worry.

She paused, then slowly raised an eyebrow: "Do you know why they came to the victory celebration tonight?"

Before Ji Yuanyu could speak, she lightly mocked, "Instead of hoping you can find out news about Beicheng, I might as well recite a couple of lines of 'Hurry, hurry, as the law commands,' that might be faster."

"..."

She stood up, her eyes filled with pity, and patted Ji Yuanyu on the shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"It's my fault. You don't even understand what's going on in Xuncheng. I actually dared to expect you to inquire about Beicheng. I went too far. I'll punish myself with a drink."

After saying that, he picked up a paper cup from the table, drank it all in one gulp, and turned to leave.

His figure faded into the darkness, and a mocking smile played on his lips.

The empty stairwell amplified the sound of footsteps. Outside the window, the rain poured down, and the howling wind lashed against the window frame. Beads of condensed moisture slid down the windowpane, leaving streaks of white.

The water that had accumulated on the windowsill flowed down the wall to the floor, leaving a puddle.

Gu Nan stood beside the water stain, her pale wrist pressed against the windowsill, the blocked veins turning a deep crimson, like a red spider lily blooming on ice, its vibrant red adding a touch of desolation.

Her gaze fell upon the empty expanse of the rain curtain, her delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly, her beautiful peach blossom eyes deep, cold, and devoid of warmth.

No matter how pretty a face is, it can't hide the cold arrogance in her bones.

On rainy days, every cell in my body seems to be screaming and acting strangely.

The voice call came for the nth time, and her irritation intensified. She raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose hard, looked around, leaned against the wall, and pulled out her earphones to answer the call.

"explain."

The Buddha's Hand icon did not back down because of her tone, and gently persuaded, "This person paid 30 times more for the hypnosis meeting. You think you can just not come? Will I refund the fee?"

Gu Nan, fiddling with her earphone cord, said sarcastically, "Tell him that we don't return the paper money that's been burned for the dead."

They had originally agreed to do it online remotely, but the other person insisted on meeting in person for hypnosis. She disagreed because meeting in person risked exposing herself, so the other person started spending money little by little.

Not only did they spend money on her, but they also charged her exorbitant exchange rates, making it comparable to a bank that operates on a completely different level.

"Huh?" The Buddha's hand head said earnestly, "I think this person is a fool with too much money. Aren't you short of money? Why are you turning your back on money? Just take 10 minutes to come over and deal with this first. I'll handle the rest, okay?"

“I can’t go,” Gu Nan said casually, her voice leaving no room for argument. “I have something to do, I’m hanging up.”

"Wait a minute, how about we split the cost 30/70 this time? I'll take 30% and you take 70%, or 20/80 is fine too. But please, don't ruin my reputation, my dear. It's been years since I've had a big order that someone's willing to spend money on. My whole family is counting on this order to make a living."

Gu Nan's eyes flickered, but she remained silent.

“If they hadn’t specifically asked you to come, I definitely wouldn’t have bothered you. I’ve been good to you all these years, haven’t I? You don’t want people to know your identity, so not only do other people not know what you look like, but even I don’t know what you look like. I always get 60% of other people’s profits, but you’ve always gotten 60% between us.”

“It’s not that I’m forcing you, but this morning a lady contacted me and offered to pay double the fee to hire you. I know you’re not taking any orders lately, so I refused. She had already made arrangements with you. Getting a refund is a small matter; she’d rather have someone ruin her reputation.”

Footsteps suddenly echoed in the hallway, approaching from afar. The sound of leather shoes clicking on the floor was crisp and clean, reminiscent of the composure of someone accustomed to a high position.

Gu Nan focused her gaze to pinpoint the source of the sound. She put away her nonchalant attitude and lowered her voice: "After 11 o'clock."

After saying that, he pressed the hang-up button, and the cheers on the other end stopped abruptly.

The "clack-clack" of leather shoes on the marble floor stopped at the same time.

"Why are you standing here?" Ji Yuanyu asked, returning in surprise.

Gu Nan lazily raised her eyelids, slumped against the wall, supported herself with one leg, and slowly twirled the headphone cord, a hint of restlessness in her eyes.

After finally pressing the last bit of the earphone cord back in place, she let out a soft sigh, gestured with her chin toward the window, and uttered two words.

"Enjoying the rain."

No more than five people knew that she hated rainy days, and Ji Yuanyu happened to be one of them.

Despite being clearly brushed off, Ji Yuanyu still smiled broadly.

Gu Nan smacked her lips, amused by the excuse she had blurted out, and changed the subject: "I have something to do at 11 o'clock, so I need to leave early if it's too late."

"Is something wrong at 11 o'clock?"

Gu Nan casually remarked, "For me, nothing is more important than sleeping."

She scoffed inwardly, but someone was determined to waste her time. They'd rather wait until after 11 p.m. than wait until the next day.

Along with dissatisfaction, a sense of strangeness arose. That person was clearly not short of money, so how could he have developed an incurable sleep disorder?

Ji Yuanyu nodded: "I heard that person doesn't sleep very well, so it shouldn't be too late. If I can't get away then, I'll have them take you home first."

Gu Nan was lost in her own thoughts and didn't hear what was said, so she just nodded perfunctorily.

She had seen many patients with sleep disorders who came to her by word of mouth, but none of them were as bad as that person.

During remote conversations, she could sense that the other person was trying their best to cooperate, but whether it was because the person's self-protective instincts were too strong or their living environment was too unbearable, the hypnotic state was always difficult to maintain until the end.

She's not a compassionate person; if it weren't for the money, she would have quit long ago.

Send the address for the Buddha's Hand image.

[Platinum Club 1901.]

Gu Nan raised her delicate eyebrows slightly.

Tonight's dinner is at the Platinum Palace Restaurant. The restaurant and the club are both under the Platinum Palace brand and are separated by a small path.

It saved her the trouble of traveling.

The Buddha's Hand icon sent another message.

[That lady this morning raised the price five times; why don't you consider it?]

Gu Nan glanced at the messages, too lazy to reply, switched her phone to her usual system, opened the chat window with her friend, ignored the three Nautilus logos, and started typing.

Please call a car to deliver my clothes.

The other end of the line called directly. Gu Nan glanced at Ji Yuanyu, took a few steps further away, and answered the call.

A cheerful female voice came from the other end of the phone: "Aren't you going to Ji Yuanyu's dinner party?"

Gu Nan: "Go."

"Going to finish the dinner? You're so ethical as a doctor?"

Gu Nan wanted to explain again that she was not a doctor, but she held back because Ji Yuanyu was present.

"I ran into a rich, sick idiot."