Chapter 50 Distinguishing Between Public and Private Interests

Huo Zhiyun's impression of Jiang Yu remained that of the pale-faced, quiet boy behind Lian Yi.

Jiang Yu and Lian Yi's parents lived in the same neighborhood, but strangely, there were no adults at home.

No one knows how Lianyi met him. When she was three or four years old, he always silently appeared by her side.

Logically speaking, a child who is so pretty should be quiet, well-behaved, and easy to like.

But in Huo Zhiyun's heart, he felt that Jiang Yu had been scheming since childhood and was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

He calmly observed Lian Yi's antics, and could vaguely see Jiang Yu's shadow in them.

Unlike others, Huo Zhiyun did not believe that all the blame lay solely with Lian Yi. He always believed that Lian Yi was not at fault in many things, and that the fault lay elsewhere.

It would be difficult to distance myself from this seemingly harmless man in front of me.

In Huo Zhiyun's view, Jiang Yu's disappearance from Lian Yi's side was a good thing. He did not want Lian Yi to have such a scheming person by her side.

"I have no old friendship with President Li. President Zhao has already arranged all sorts of hospitality, and I believe he will make President Li feel the importance that Huo Group attaches to him."

Huo Zhiyun crossed his long legs, a faint smile playing on his lips. "President Li might as well follow President Zhao's arrangements and experience the local culture of Yunhai before returning to Qingbei."

Jiang Yu's dark eyes seemed to gleam with an arc, and he smiled, "President Huo, there's no need to be so polite. Although I wouldn't call myself a local expert in Yunhai, I did grow up here."

"Besides, next week is the old man's birthday banquet. As a junior, since we have come to Yunhai, there is no reason not to pay our respects and offer our congratulations."

"I don't think it's necessary."

"Whether it's necessary or not, is it up to President Huo to decide?"

Huo Zhiyun's words were devoid of any anger, and Jiang Yuyi's reply was equally unsharp.

But when each word in the sentence is put together and they come together, it's like invisible weapons clashing in mid-air.

Huo Zhiyun narrowed his eyes slightly, "Xiaoyi has her own life, has made a lot of friends, and recently started dating someone. I know you used to be inseparable from her, but people always change."

"Since President Li has been able to remain silent for two years, why bother Xiaoyi by showing up at this time?"

He knew all too well that Lian Yi was soft-hearted, while Jiang Yu was adept at using his appearance and words to disguise and conceal his true feelings.

Despite his disapproval of Lian Yi's boyfriend, Huo Zhiyun didn't want to see Jiang Yu, who was two-faced, back with Lian Yi again, compared to someone like Jiang Yu.

Although the Li family has declined with each generation, it has shown signs of resurgence in recent years.

Huo Zhiyun didn't believe that someone who had disappeared for two years and then reappeared could really be so simple-minded as to only want to see old friends.

No matter what, Lian Yi is backed by the Lian family and is Lian Decheng's only daughter. Just that identity alone is enough to make many people have ulterior motives.

"In what capacity does Mr. Huo speak to me like this?"

Jiang Yu raised his eyes, his expression always revealing a calm and detached indifference to worldly affairs.

"However, it's normal for Mr. Huo to have some misunderstandings. After all, you and Yi Yi can't be as open and trusting as she and I are."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled lightly as if pleased by it.

"Yi-yi knows what I went there to do, so there's no such thing as disappearing without a trace. My return is not a disturbance to her, but a pleasant surprise. Why does President Huo need to judge others by his own standards?"

"As for that 'boyfriend'."

“It’s perfectly normal for Yi Yi to look for something to do when she’s bored without me by her side.”

Huo Zhiyun looked at his blindingly smiling face, his eyes suddenly turned slightly cold, and then he chuckled.

"It's clear that President Li came prepared."

"Mr. Huo is too kind."

Jiang Yu met Huo Zhiyun's gaze politely, inwardly mocking him.

They spout platitudes, but they're just using a facade to trap themselves and deceive others.

He smiled slightly, "There's no need for your company's hospitality; I appreciate your sincerity. I believe President Huo understands my eagerness. In Yunhai, there is an old friend I'd like to reminisce with."

Huo Zhiyun gritted his teeth slightly, but his face remained calm and composed.

"Oh."

"Of course I understand."

"Let's stop here for now." Jiang Yu stood up and nodded politely.

"Seeing Mr. Huo again, I was quite moved by his composure. I hope that you can continue to take care of me and Yi Yi as an elder brother, just like in the past."

"..."

Huo Zhiyun paused for only a moment before his thin lips parted slightly, his tone indifferent, "Trying to establish a connection through kinship? President Li, you'd better distinguish between public and private matters."

"That's true."

Jiang Yu's gaze fell into his eyes, becoming meaningful.

“Mr. Huo is busy with official business, so I won’t bother you any longer.” He chuckled and said, word by word, “I have some urgent personal matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”

As the conference room door opened, the secretary and a group of senior executives who were qualified to appear immediately smiled and stopped their previous hushed conversation.

"Secretary Xu, see President Li off," Huo Zhiyun instructed calmly.

"Yes." Secretary Xu suppressed her slight surprise and walked methodically to the composed young man, bowing slightly. "President Li, please go first."

Jiang Yu smiled politely, "Thank you for your trouble."

Just as he was about to take a step, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Huo Zhiyun, who was surrounded by a group of senior executives.

"Mr. Huo, I look forward to seeing you again next time."

Huo Zhiyun's aura suddenly turned somber, but his tone remained impeccable: "President Li, take care."

The atmosphere between them, while seemingly harmonious, also exuded an odd sense of unease, as if their personalities clashed.

What contradiction is it said?

One had a smile on his face, the other had a calm expression, and there was no hostility between them.

Everyone maintained their professional demeanor and smiled kindly at the customers, but inwardly they kept having doubts.

Is this a pleasant reunion of old friends, or is there something that those who have rendered meritorious service to the Huo family cannot bear to hear?

...

Yunhai is a city nestled between mountains and the sea. Driving from the city center, it takes less than two hours to see the seemingly endless coastline.

The seawater, which has been well-managed, is very clear, making it a popular tourist destination in China.

The reason why so many people responded to Lian Yi's impromptu gathering last night was not only because of her own appeal, but also because she agreed to an additional condition.

That means I'm going out to sea with a group of friends today.

She didn't care, thinking that Xie Ling had made an impression on this group of people, so she didn't bring her along.

Our accommodation was at the most famous five-star hotel in Liujin Bay, with a fitting and simple name: Ocean Hotel.

When Lian Yi finally arrived at the hotel suite, several people were already standing or sitting in the lobby, chatting animatedly.

"Lian Yi!"

The first person to notice her coming in was Xu Qingyao. The young girl stood softly next to Lian Suning, her misty eyes brightening the moment she saw her.

They were specially invited by Lian Yi. The dedication of Xu Qingyao and her eldest sister during this period made Lian Yi feel uneasy, even though she was not optimistic about the project.

What surprised Lian Yi the most was Xu Qingyao's change.

She has always been sensitive, even somewhat insecure and timid, which can be seen from the fact that she has never been able to integrate into Lian Yi's circle of friends over the years.

During this period, Xu Qingyao was like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Although her appearance could not be changed and she still gave people a feeling of being weak and helpless, her confidence and generosity from the inside out became more and more obvious.

Lian Yi was happy to see her change; it was better than her constantly following her around, looking like she was about to cry.

She walked over, and several people greeted her warmly one after another. Lian Suning smiled gently, "Yiyi, why did you take so long to arrive?"

They were all there, but another group went to prepare things, planning to go sea fishing while the weather was good.

Gu Xin and the others couldn't help but chuckle. In any case, one of them didn't mind, and no one else dared to say that Lian Yi was late.

"Big sister, I'm already here. It doesn't matter if I'm a little earlier or later." Lian Yi walked over, her eyes crinkling, and leaned down beside her like a limp rag doll, half-lying in her arms.

His eyes, however, were sharp as knives, piercing his gloating friends.

"Sit properly, what kind of behavior is this?" Lian Suning said gently, but she didn't push her away. She raised her hand and tucked the strands of hair that had fallen beside Lian Yi's cheek behind her ear.

Xu Qingyao, separated from Lian Suning by a window, peeked over and looked at her expectantly, speaking very softly, "Miss Lian Yi..."

"Relax when you're out having fun. Also, didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Lian Yi said lazily.

Xu Qingyao gave a soft "oh".

Lian Suning chuckled, "Don't talk about her. Qingyao did very well; you just didn't come and see it."

"Oh?" Lian Yi was not convinced.

“She was chatting with your friend while you were away,” Lian Suning said softly.

At first, she keenly noticed that Xu Qingyao and Lian Yi's friends didn't seem to have a good relationship. Although they didn't have any ill intentions towards Xu Qingyao, their habitual neglect was still very obvious.

Lian Suning actually had some doubts about this.

After all, during the time she spent with Xu Qingyao, she could feel that although the girl was sometimes a little naive in her conduct and actions, she matured very quickly.

However, in Lian Suning's observation, Xu Qingyao took the initiative to chat with some people, which was somewhat unexpected.

The other person was clearly even more surprised than she was, and replied with a strange expression. Somehow, they gradually became familiar with each other.

Hearing her elder sister praise her so highly, Lian Yi asked in surprise, "That amazing?"

"Actually... not really." Xu Qingyao was reluctant to admit that she had been waiting for Lian Yi to say this, her eyes crinkling with laughter as she shyly pursed her lips.

Deep down, it was even more smug, its tail wagging proudly.

These are all future customer groups, so it's essential to manage them well in advance.

She is no longer the Xu Qingyao of the past.

She has evolved!

Lian Yi nuzzled her older sister's arm, ignoring Xu Qingyao's obviously insincere words.

"Hey, Lianyi, I have a question for you." Gu Xin leaned over mysteriously, glanced at Lian Suning, smiled at her in a friendly manner, and then gently nudged Lianyi's arm.

"Speak," Lian Yi said, raising her eyes.

"Let me get straight to the point: are you really going to take Xie Ling with you to Grandpa Lian's birthday banquet?" Her question reflected the doubts in her friends' minds as well.

No matter how outrageous things get in private, it's still just private stuff, and everyone can pretend they know nothing about it in public.

Therefore, they couldn't understand why Lian Yi would do this. Could it really be true love?

Lian Yi's lips suddenly curved slightly, her eyes quietly fixed on Gu Xin. After a moment, she asked curiously, "How did you find out about this?"

"It's all over the industry now!" Gu Xin frowned. "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Of course something's wrong—

When she gathered these friends together, it was just to let them meet Xie Ling; she didn't go into details, and she never explained anything further.

The people who knew for certain that she was taking Xie Ling to the birthday banquet were, in fact, her current relatives.