Chu Fang walked into the office and said, "Ms. Zhong, I need to go out for a bit."
"Ah?" A hint of panic flashed in Zhong Tingyue's bright eyes. "Where are you going? Take me with you."
With Chu Fang not around, she felt insecure, surrounded by people like Ye Zhijie.
"I'm going to see some friends, it's not appropriate for you to come," Chu Fang explained.
He has to attend social events.
When Zhong Tingyue disappeared, Chu Fang mobilized his extensive network of contacts and searched for her through various channels. Relying on these connections, Chu Fang even found Zhong Tingyue before the police.
Now that things have come to a close, Chu Fang naturally wants to treat many friends to a meal to express his gratitude.
"You don't want to take me with you."
“No,” Chu Fang continued to explain, “it’s because those friends are very warm and hospitable. You didn’t want to deal with those kinds of situations, so this is what I was thinking.”
Zhong Tingyue is a rather introverted and pure person. Compared to socializing, she prefers to bury herself in design.
"Alright then." Zhong Tingyue thought for a moment, "Then come back early to pick me up from get off work."
"No problem." Chu Fang gave an 'ok' sign.
Seeing Chu Fang's figure disappear, Zhong Tingyue pouted slightly, revealing a girlish demeanor.
... ...
Chu Fang left the studio and soon arrived at a hotel.
Upon seeing Chu Fang, a waiter at the door ran over and said, "Mr. Chu, the guests have all arrived."
He tossed the key to the waiter and immediately went inside.
At this moment, the hotel was already filled with friends, chatting and laughing together, creating a lively atmosphere.
Chu Fang appeared at the doorway, and the crowd teased him:
"Brother Chu, you've finally arrived."
"You, the host, are actually late. That's unacceptable."
"That's right, you need to drink a few more glasses."
“... ..."
"It was my fault, please forgive me, brothers." Chu Fang clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Hey, where's your sister-in-law? Why didn't she come?" a friend asked.
“She just left the detention center and wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t come,” Chu Fang said with a smile. “She was very apologetic and asked me to tell you all that she’s sorry and hopes you will forgive her.”
"Oh, I see. Then let your sister-in-law take good care of herself." Many friends smiled.
With the arrival of the Chu delegation, the banquet began, and the hotel was bustling with activity.
Chu Fang, holding a wine glass, moved among his many friends, expressing his gratitude for their generous help.
Without everyone's help, Ye Zhijie wouldn't have been able to find Zhong Tingyue so quickly, and he didn't even dare to think about what would have happened afterward.
He was sincerely thanking everyone.
After walking around, Chu Fang drank more than a pound of liquor.
"Brother Chu, take care of yourself." Guo Yi walked over with his female companion.
Chu Fang nodded.
Guo Yi's female companion giggled, "Brother Chu has a great capacity for alcohol. Let's have a drink together sometime."
Chu Fang: "Okay."
Upon hearing this, Guo Yi's female companion's eyes lit up: "Then let's do it tonight. I know a good bar with a great atmosphere and lots of beautiful women."
Chu Fang glanced at Guo Yi and said with a smile, "Okay, another day."
After saying that, he left.
"Brother Chu, what's going on?" Guo Yi's female companion asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Shut up!" Guo Yi frowned, staring at his female companion. "You may be shameless, but I still have my pride."
Guo Yi always had to ask Chu Fang's opinion before inviting him to drinks, and the latter often declined. Yet his female companion spoke to Chu Fang in such a tone.
Guo Yi felt utterly humiliated by the fleeting glance Chu Fang had given him as he left.
"I'm warning you, don't interrupt again, don't have any more schemes, and don't try anything underhanded," Guo Yi said seriously. "I brought you here only to be a figurehead and ease the atmosphere at the banquet, not to let you spout nonsense or build connections. A person should understand their place and role, understand?"
Guo Yi's female companion was stunned and timidly said, "I, I understand, Brother Guo."
... ...
The banquet continued into the night, after which everyone dispersed.
Chu Fang sat at the hotel entrance, gazing outside at the light drizzle.
"Mr. Chu, shall I drive you home?" The hotel manager bowed slightly.
The hotel manager assumed Chu Fang had drunk too much and couldn't drive, so he offered to help.
"I'll sit here for a while," Chu Fang waved his hand.
"OK."
The hotel manager was shrewd enough to know that Chu Fang had something on his mind, so he stopped bothering him.
... ...
Drizzling...
A light drizzle was falling, adding a touch of coolness.
Inside the studio.
Zhong Tingyue stretched, revealing her graceful waist, as alluring as a water snake.
"Ah, finally finished."
After spending several days in the detention center, I have a lot of work to do in various aspects.
The studio is now quite large, with dozens of employees. Zhong Tingyue not only has to handle design matters, but also has to be responsible for management matters.
This is a big challenge for her.
However... Zhong Tingyue didn't care.
She enjoys her work; it's a way for her to realize her self-worth.
Zhong Tingyue turned to look outside. The huge studio outside was empty at the moment. The employees had all gone home, but the lights were still on, illuminating the entire studio.
Still no sign of Chu Fang, Zhong Tingyue's tone was filled with frustration: "Why hasn't Mr. Chu come to pick me up yet? We had already agreed on everything."
She then called Chu Fang, but no one answered the phone.
"Never mind, let's get back to work." Zhong Tingyue didn't dare leave the studio, so she had no choice but to continue working.
I worked until after 9 p.m.
"Why haven't you come back yet?" Zhong Tingyue's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. "Has Mr. Chu forgotten about me?"
After pondering for a long time, Zhong Tingyue decided to go home by herself.
She put on her coat and then walked out of the studio.
When she arrived at the building, she realized it was raining outside, with a light drizzle. Her initial thought of going home was immediately abandoned.
She recalled that it was raining that night, and she was kidnapped by Ye Zhijie while taking a taxi.
The scene from that night is still vivid in my mind.
"Beautiful lady." Suddenly, a flamboyant voice appeared in her ear, "I'll take you for a ride."
The flamboyant man then saw Zhong Tingyue's aloof face, deep eyes, and straight, delicate nose; her figure exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
The flamboyant man instantly realized that he couldn't handle such a cold and aloof beauty, and he even felt somewhat inferior just to get close to her.
"Sorry, I wasn't calling you," the flamboyant man explained, quick-wittedly.
"That's me?" The security guard at the building entrance pointed at himself, his eyes filled with disbelief.
At this moment, there are only three people in the building: Zhong Tingyue, the flamboyant man, and the security guard.
The flamboyant man: "... ..."
If there were a crack in the ground, he really wanted to crawl into it.
Zhong Tingyue stood at the entrance of the building, gazing at the night sky, thinking to herself, "Mr. Chu, where are you?"
... ...
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