Chapter 88

Time is short, China is efficient:

At daybreak, a group of exhausted employees, exhausted from their all-night work, emerged from Huagang's office, replaced by a new batch of employees who had just caught up on five hours of sleep. CEO Li, setting an example himself, simply slept in the office.

After arriving with Daniel, Guan Ying quickly got to work. Although she was merely Daniel's assistant, she was now fully utilized, automatically becoming a helper to the entire team, proactively taking on tasks like researching information, verifying information, communicating and translating, and sorting and organizing. Her collaborative efforts made Daniel even more happy to be "walking side by side" with her, and he couldn't help but feel a secret joy in the midst of his busy schedule.

After a busy day, it was lunchtime. Mr. Li, sympathetic to everyone's hard work, had his secretary order a sumptuous lunch and have it delivered to the conference room. As the meal arrived, Guan Ying suddenly remembered Zheng Juyong. She wondered if he was really that foolish, waiting for her on an empty stomach... Alas, she had been so stubborn last night that she had actually agreed to his request over the phone!

"Daniel, I suddenly have a headache and want to go back to the hotel for a nap." She had to find an excuse to ask for leave.

"Did you not sleep well last night? Do you want to see a doctor?" Daniel put down his food and looked at her worriedly.

"Maybe. But it's not serious, there's no need to see a doctor." She stood up, as if in a hurry.

"Then I'll take you home." Daniel stood up with her.

"The team needs you more than me right now, and the hotel is right next to us, so don't worry." In order to reassure him, Guan Ying tried hard to put on a smile.

When other colleagues heard about this, they came over to show their concern: "At this level of intensity, we men can barely endure it. We've been so grateful for your constant support from this morning. Miss Guan, if you're not feeling well, please don't push yourself. You need to rest well so you can fight this long battle with us!"

Guan Ying just wanted to slip away quietly at this moment, but after working with everyone for a few days, she received more care and concern than ever before. She felt guilty but very grateful and said, "Thank you, I'm really fine. I think I can be back in an hour." She only planned to go and see if Zheng Juyong was hungry, and did not want to waste time with him for a long time.

"Then you have to eat something first." Daniel picked up a lunch box and handed it to her.

Well, I can just take it back to that person, so I can be considered to have kept my word.

"Thank you. I'll take it back and eat it. See you later." Under everyone's concerned eyes, Guan Ying felt even more guilty when he took the lunch box, and his steps seemed weak and staggering as he walked out the door.

Fortunately, Zheng Juyong will leave here early tomorrow morning. As long as she can get through this day, everything will be fine!

She swiped the backup room card he left for her and rushed into room 1205 at almost lightning speed.

There was a sound of running water in the bathroom.

"I've been working myself to death outside, and you're still sleeping in? Zheng Juyong, you're incredible! Look, let me make it clear I can only stay with you for half an hour, so please don't waste your time trying to be naughty or mean to me, or say I'm heartless and mean to you. I've even given you all my food!" Guan Ying, carrying the lunch box, walked straight past the bathroom and into the room. Suddenly, she caught sight of a small suitcase on the table and said without hesitation, "Don't you have a hiking bag? Why are you carrying a suitcase too? Besides, purple doesn't suit you at all!"

"That's mine."

These words almost made Guan Ying drop the lunch box she was opening.

"Long time no see, Sister Guanguan." The other person shook the water droplets on his hands, stood in the passage outside the bathroom, and stopped about seven or eight meters away from her.

Guan Ying was dizzy and slow to react, she just repeated the words woodenly: "Long time no see, Qiao Qi."

The other party smiled politely, walked slowly closer, dragged the small purple suitcase from her feet, opened it on the floor in the corner, and methodically picked out a towel to wipe her hands carefully. She appeared in his room, but seemed to have more restraint and did not seem to touch anything in his room.

"Ju Yong went to the restaurant to cook porridge for me. The car was driving unsteadily on the way here, and I felt a little carsick, so I could only drink porridge... It's not on the hotel menu, and I didn't want to eat it originally, but he said he could find a solution in the kitchen... I think he might be trying to avoid me..." Qiao Qi squatted next to the suitcase with his back to Guan Ying.

Guan Ying had personally experienced the traffic conditions from the Saudi airport to downtown Riyadh, and she was probably carsick. The water in the bathroom was running so fast, she must have been vomiting in there for quite a while. Zheng Juyong was still the same for Qiao Qi, willing to do anything. His so-called "never leaving the house" nonsense was nothing.

Guan Ying felt a bitterness she had never felt before. She silently placed his room card on the table and walked out the door with a forced smile. "Haha, why would he avoid you? You should have asked him to pick you up at the airport! Oh, by the way, I'm just here to bring you food. I still have a lot of work to deal with, so I won't bother you here anymore. Bye!"

"He's waiting for you." Qiao Qi stood up.

"Aha, he's not waiting for me, he's waiting for food! Hey, you said he's so lazy!" Guan Ying shook his head and was still in a hurry to open the door and leave.

"Don't you want to know about Yunnan?"

"..." Guan Ying stood at the door, struggling to move forward.

Qiao Qi: "Sister Guanguan, I'm sorry. I know what I did was shameless, selfish, and hateful... But please help me, persuade him to come back to China with me, okay?"

What? Doesn’t Qiao Qi know that he will be returning to China tomorrow?

Qiao Qi walked behind Guan Ying and said, "I can tell from what you two are like now..."

Guan Ying turned around and said, "There's nothing wrong with us." But she seemed to be arguing, unwilling to directly tell her that Zheng Juyong would be returning to China tomorrow. She said in a roundabout way, "I think he won't go back on his promise to you. I can't influence what's going on between you two, so there's no need for you to ask me for help."

"It's necessary." Qiao Qi, after going through so much, had become somewhat unfamiliar. He walked around her, blocking her path, as if risking his life. "After leaving Yunnan, Ju Yong never paid any attention to me again. Even just now, he didn't even look at me straight in the eye! I think he must hate me to death. Sister Guan Guan, please have pity on me and help me. You're the only one who can help me here. I have nothing left. I can't afford to lose my career. If I return empty-handed, I might as well jump from this hotel!"

Guan Ying frowned. "He always agrees to whatever you ask for, and he has no boundaries... How could he hate you? You're overthinking it."

Qiao Qi was silent for a few seconds, then she burst into tears of regret. She slid down the door panel weakly and sat down. She lowered her head and hugged her knees, choking, "It's me, it's me..." The way she choked and spoke intermittently didn't make her look like a rapper at all.

Guan Ying was afraid that she would break down and do something stupid, so she squatted down and patted her shoulder: "Are you okay?"

Qiao Qi wiped away her tears, raised her head, and blamed herself: "I destroyed all this with my own hands."

The long journey, coupled with motion sickness and emotional agitation, had left Qiao Qi pale and colorless, and her condition had taken a turn for the worse. Guan Ying helped her to her feet, slowly set her on the sofa, and then poured her a glass of water.

"Your body doesn't look like it's fully recovered yet. It's really dangerous for you to come to Saudi Arabia alone. How could Sister Ling agree to this? Are you carrying her on your back again?"

Qiao Qi shook her head and put down her water cup. "The day after I won the show, there was an accident at Xicheng Steel. Sister Ling couldn't contact the Zheng family. There were so many unpredictable circumstances, and she couldn't predict my future. She was also worried that the next change would be beyond her ability... While I was still a hot topic and still valuable, she planned to transfer my agency contract for the next few years to Lido Culture... I don't blame her. No one can stay with anyone forever."

Guan Ying held her forehead. Lately, she'd been so busy juggling her studies and legal battles abroad that she'd barely paid attention to news back home. Why had she returned to the show, and even won? Why was she so nervous after already winning? The agency transfer was even more unexpected... Suddenly realizing, she exclaimed, "Lido Culture... Zhang Rong?"

Qiao Qi nodded.

Guan Ying was shocked and said seriously, "Qiao Qi, there's still time. I'm seriously reminding you to stay away from her! Do you know how she...how she treats you...how she..."

Qiao Qi lowered her head: "I know."

Guan Ying: "You know?"

"I knew it the moment I checked into that military hospital," Qiao Qi said with a wry smile. "Qian Shaowei and I have been together for so long, how could I be so foolish as to not know anything... His wife is the daughter of a prominent figure and Zhang Rong's backer... Qian Shaowei said they no longer have feelings for each other, but because it was a military marriage, unless she filed for divorce... they would have already been living separately, and his wife is infertile."

Guan Ying was puzzled: "You believe what he said?"

Qiao Qi said angrily, "If I don't believe it, there will naturally be others vying to believe it."

Guan Ying disagreed: "...You have talent and ability, why take such a shortcut?"

Qiao Qi sighed. "You must be well-loved by your family. But not everyone is as lucky as you. My mother had a past marriage before she married into Yunnan. Her ex-husband was a gambler, and she was sold off. My father wasn't much better. In his early years, he ran his jade factory poorly and owed a lot of high-interest loans. He was almost killed by creditors in the south. It was my uncles and aunts who pooled their money to save him from his creditors. He survived, but he fell into alcoholism again. He couldn't find a wife, and my uncles were afraid he would be a problem when he got old... And so, two people who had no love for each other gave birth to me. Haha, don't you think it's ridiculous? My existence has dragged down my mother, so she doesn't love me. She loves the son who was left behind by her ex-husband's family to carry on the family line. She used the money I gave her as a filial gift to buy her son a house, a shop, and stocks in Guangzhou... She felt she had let her precious son down. Haha, hahahaha..."

Recalling that time in the hospital, Guan Ying felt that the relationship between the mother and daughter was tense, but she didn't know there was such a complicated situation behind it, and she couldn't help but feel sad for her.

"Sister Guanguan, don't look at me like that. I'm not someone you can easily bully. That son of hers is utterly stupid. He actually dared to threaten Qian Shaowei with just a little evidence of hospitalization. He's just like his father who gambled his life away, he's crazy about money! I called the police... My mother came to beg me, haha, I took the opportunity to make her sever ties with her precious son. I know she used my money to support her son, but she still expects me to take care of her in her old age! I really should thank that idiotic son of hers. Thanks to him, I have the opportunity to return to the stage..." When talking about his career, Qiao Qi finally squeezed a trace of satisfaction on his face and continued:

"If he hadn't been so relentless and tried to trick Sanhua's Aqiao, the relationship between Aqiao and Qian Shaowei wouldn't have been facilitated. Ah Qiao wasn't pregnant with a child for Mrs. Qian to vent her anger on, so Zhang Rong found me... She said Mrs. Qian had decided to divorce Qian Shaowei, but she couldn't bear the humiliation any longer. As long as I obeyed, Mrs. Qian would support me in dealing with Aqiao... Aqiao lost miserably, and Chongqing Lizi was finished... Qian Shaowei went into hiding in Japan, effectively banning him from the industry... You see, this is how things are in this business. Today they're friends, tomorrow they're rivals; today they're enemies, tomorrow they're benefactors; today they're fine, tomorrow they're gone... Knowing all this, I still want to cooperate with Lido. You must think I'm spineless, right?"

Guan Ying was stunned for a moment and asked worriedly, "Have you ever thought about your future situation?"

Qiao Qi didn't expect Guan Ying to be worried about her. She smiled and stroked her hair stubbornly: "As long as I want to sing in the future, I have no choice. Sister Ling is right. I can only be a good artist in Lido. They will always make money from me. I just have to be obedient."

Guan Ying shook her head: "That's not what a rapper should be like."

"Heh..." Qiao Qi instantly became dejected again, as if he had been exposed.

By now, Guan Ying probably understood her intention: "Zhang Rong wants you to do something in order to protect your future."

Guan Ying sympathized with her plight, but she didn't simply feel pity for her. Qiao Qi must have considered everything before agreeing to such a bloody deal. Was she simply asking Zheng Juyong to come back and play house with her in a fake wedding?

A flash of panic crossed Qiao Qi's eyes, and she revealed the truth: "Zhang Rong could have used money and influence to deal with those paparazzi digging up information for me. But because Ah Qiao's situation had become such a big deal, the audience and fans were still skeptical of the rumors about Qian Shaowei and me... She wanted Ju Yong and I to remain married for at least three years."

Three years! How could she even say that? Is other people's time worthless? However, thinking of the infatuated man who was busy making porridge for her in the restaurant, Guan Ying was secretly angry, but she was unsure. God knew how low his bottom line was for Qiao Qi!

Guan Ying couldn't sit still anymore and stood up. "Four years and three years, that's a full seven years! Qiao Qi, do you think this is fair to him?"

Qiao Qi collapsed on the sofa and broke down crying, "I have no other choice, I really have no other choice..."

Guan Ying was upset by her crying and said angrily, "Qiao Qi, listen, Xicheng Steel doesn't want to have anything to do with Zhang Rong's Lido Group, and I don't want you to drag him into these things again. But if he agrees to you, I will never stop him... This is all I can do for you, take care." After that, she turned around and was about to leave.

Qiao Qi sank to her knees behind her. "Sister Guan, I beg you. Are you going to watch me jump from here? Can Xicheng Steel withstand the negative news now?"

"You're threatening me?" Guan Ying turned around in disbelief. "Why are you threatening me? You should be threatening Zheng Juyong. He's most afraid of you doing something stupid. Didn't he even run all the way to Yunnan for you? I really don't understand why you're trying to embarrass me."

Qiao Qi collapsed to the ground, trembling. "Yunnan... At that time, I was so depressed that I couldn't see what he did for me... My family had always owed money to my uncles, and I'd been relying on them all these years to pay it back. When everyone knew I was finished, my uncles were fine, but my cousins, sisters-in-law, and brothers were not resigned to the fact. The jade factory hadn't seen much improvement since they took it over. Why should they be held responsible for our father's debts?... Around that time, news broke that Xicheng Steel had secured billions in financing with the support of the Jingxi government, and Ju Yong had just promised Sister Ling not to break off the engagement. So they detained Ju Yong at the jade factory, giving him only half an hour a day to reply to emails, and even that was under surveillance... If Sister Ling hadn't intervened for him and reminded me that my family members shouldn't push people too hard, lest both sides suffer, he might have been in trouble at the jade factory... My mother didn't tell me until many days later, and I was afraid my cousins ​​would come after me. I... I was the one who got him locked up for over 20 days... I didn't save him. I'm a jerk."

No wonder when she contacted Sister Ling, she was asked not to call the police. Guan Ying angrily said, "He has done so much for you, do you still expect him to repay your family's debt?"

Qiao Qi wept bitterly, "At that time, every day was like being dead. I couldn't care less about him... Later, I heard that a wholesaler named Zhao suddenly came to the jade factory. I don't know how he secretly took Ju Yong out of the jade factory at night. My brothers and sisters-in-law came to force me, and Zhang Rong also contacted me at this time. Sister Ling had no choice but to comfort my family for me and took the risk of arranging for me to appear on the show..."

Jade wholesaler? It seems that Lao Zhao was behind this. Sister Ling must have been cooperating at the front desk to avoid making things worse.

Zheng Juyong had such a big incident in Yunnan, yet he never mentioned it! Could it be that he was trying to cover it up for her?

Guan Ying's anger boiled over, and she couldn't bear to listen any longer. "You knew he wouldn't agree to your promise this time, so you're kneeling down to beg me? No, you're threatening me with Xicheng Steel?!"

At this time, the door was opened and Zheng Juyong came back with a bowl of hot porridge. Seeing the situation in the room, he stood at the door in surprise.

Oh, he didn't think he was bullying Qiao Qi, did he? Although it was Qiao Qi who threatened her, it was Qiao Qi who collapsed to the ground, weeping and kneeling before her, her face pale! Thinking of his indulgence of Qiao Qi, thinking of his fear of her getting into trouble and being able to endure what ordinary people couldn't... She just wanted to slap him!

"She wants to jump off the building, you can do whatever you want!" She pulled him away, opened the door angrily and ran out.

"Jump off the building? The windows on the upper floors here are all closed..." Zheng Juyong realized that something was wrong, and took a few quick steps to bring the porridge into the room and put it on the table. Then he quickly glanced at Qiao Qi who was kneeling on the floor, "I'll go out for a while and be back soon." After that, he turned around resolutely and chased after him.

"Heh..." Qiao Qi fell backwards weakly.

In the hotel lobby, Zheng Juyong finally caught up with Guan Ying and grabbed her from behind: "Guan Ying, listen to me, I didn't know she would come. Zhang Rong contacted Dong Zhiqiao, and Dong Zhiqiao accidentally let it slip. Who knew that she and Zhang Rong..."

"You don't have to explain to me what happened between you and her! I still have work to do. You know how busy I am. Just let me go!"

"Guan Ying!" Zheng Juyong refused to let go.

"Mr. Zheng, please let her go."

Daniel had stood in front of her at some point, holding a box of headache medicine in his hand.

"Juyong!" Qiao Qi also staggered out from the elevator entrance at this time.

The four of them faced each other in the huge hotel lobby, which was so cramped that it made them feel suffocated.