Chapter 6
Xu Zhuwen ate her meal in silence, and after a while asked, "Can you bring a companion to the party you're attending?"
Qian Song was taken aback. "What, you want to go?"
"Well, I'm free anyway, can I go out with you?"
Qian Song lowered his head and ate his rice, avoiding Xu Zhuwen's expectant gaze. "The people attending that day are all business people, and they'll be discussing business topics. You might get bored if you go."
“No, I can play on my phone if I’m bored,” Xu Zhuwen interrupted him. “I also want to meet the important people who support your career.”
"I don't know if I can bring a partner, I need to ask the organizers." Qian Song was clearly flustered and politely declined, "Those kinds of occasions are actually quite boring..."
"Qian Song." Xu Zhuwen put down her chopsticks and looked directly into his eyes. "Is there anything at the party that I can't see?"
Mr. and Mrs. Xu also sensed the awkward atmosphere between the two and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Qian Song's phone suddenly rang. He grabbed it as if he had been granted a pardon. "It's a company matter. I have to take this call."
He strode towards the balcony, carefully closing the glass partition door in the middle, but Xu Zhuwen watched his lips intently and roughly guessed a few words, "...It's not convenient right now..."
"I know……"
"OK……"
Xu Zhuwen sat at the dining table, looking at the sumptuous meal in front of her, and felt a strange sense of peace.
From the moment they met at the coffee shop that afternoon, she had been in a state of restless anxiety, filled with doubts, anger, and fear... Now, all of these had connected in a line: Qian Song's frequent overtime work and business trips, his avoidance of the topic of taking her to the cocktail party, the mysterious information on his computer... And now, she was starting to have a guess.
When Qian Song returned to the Xu family restaurant, Xu Zhuwen had already composed herself and was chatting and laughing with Xu's parents.
"Something urgent has come up at the company," he said apologetically. "I need to go back and take care of it."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu hurriedly asked with concern, "Is it in such a hurry? Can't we deal with it after we finish eating?"
"It's quite a rush." Qian Song picked up the unfinished wine glass on the table. "Uncle and Aunt, thank you for your hospitality today. I'll come to see you again when I have time."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu wanted to persuade him further, but Qian Song had already kicked away the chair and was about to go to the sofa to get his clothes and bag.
Xu Zhuwen remained seated, asking, "Are we going straight to the company?"
Qian Song, who was getting dressed on the sofa, seemed to just remember her, "Ah, right, the car, I..."
"Go on, work is important." Xu Zhuwen smiled understandingly. "You've been drinking and can't drive. I'll drive back myself later."
Qian Song seemed somewhat surprised by her reaction, but still quickly put on his coat and left.
The moment the door closed, Xu Zhuwen stared blankly in the direction he had left for a while.
Seeing her silence, Xu's mother tried to persuade her, "Has Songsong been this busy lately?"
"Hmm." Xu Zhuwen didn't know how to explain to her mother, so she could only give a vague reply.
"It's good to be busy, it's good to be busy." Xu's mother was happy. "Songsong is so busy, the company must be making a lot of money. With the money, hurry up and settle on a house. Take advantage of the current drop in housing prices and buy a bigger one."
"Why would the two of us need such a big house?"
"What do you mean, 'living together'? You're still young. Hurry up and get married and have children, then you'll have more family members."
Xu Zhuwen felt a mix of emotions. Listening to her mother repeating the same words over and over again, she couldn't suppress her irritation any longer. "Mom, can't you say something else?"
Mrs. Xu paused for a moment, "If you think I'm annoying, then I'm not your mother, so why should I care about you..."
Amidst her mother's grumbling, Xu Zhuwen quickly finished her rice, grabbed her car keys and bag, and rushed out of the house.
Once she got in the car and closed the door, she dialed Gao Yinxi's number. "Xixi... I need you to do me a favor."
"What kind of help? Tell me."
"Qian Song is going to a cocktail party next Wednesday... He doesn't seem too keen on taking me with him. I was wondering if you have any connections to get me in."
On the other end of the phone, Gao Yinxi was silent for a moment, then said, "Give me the name, location, and time of the party, as well as the name of the organizer. I'll try to find out for you. If I'm not sure, it'll definitely work."
"It's okay if I can't go. I just want to give it a try."
"Okay, send the message to my phone later."
"Okay." Xu Zhuwen sat in the driver's seat, looking at the night outside the car window, and felt that his heart was as heavy as the night.
Back home, looking at the empty house, Xu Zhuwen quieted down. At times like this, she needed to be alone.
As night deepened, after taking a shower, Xu Zhuwen didn't sit on the sofa watching variety shows as usual. Instead, she sat in front of the computer, organizing all the evidence she had collected that day.
With each photo she looked at, each email she read, her heart grew colder.
Strangely, the shock and pain were much less than she had expected; what occupied her heart more now was an eerie calm.
...
Gao Yinxi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the president's office, overlooking the city lights.
There were many official documents piled up on the desk behind her. In the past, she would have kept a cup of black coffee by her side to witness another night of working overtime.
But not anymore. In order to prepare for pregnancy, she has given up tea and coffee for several months.
"Mr. Gao, this is the event proposal that the public relations department just submitted." Assistant Xiao Zhang knocked lightly on the door and placed the folder on the corner of the table. "Director Lin said that you need to review it today."
Gao Yinxi turned around, her fingertips brushing against the gold-embossed words "Six Senses Hotel Third Anniversary Celebration" on the document cover.
Turning to the first page, the planner's signature is prominently printed with the three characters "Lin Nana," even larger than the title.
"The budget has increased by 40% compared to last year?" Gao Yinxi frowned and stopped at the financial budget page. "Hiring celebrities? That wasn't in our original plan."
Xiao Zhang lowered his head. "Director Lin said... this is Chairman Gao's intention."
Gao Yinxi's fingernail unconsciously left a white mark on the paper.
It's always like this.
Since three months ago, when her father, or more accurately, her adoptive father Gao Shanhai, promoted Lin Nana from a lowly hotel receptionist to public relations director, these kinds of things have been happening all the time.
"I understand, you can go now." Gao Yinxi closed the file, picked up her phone, and dialed that familiar number.
"Dad, about the anniversary celebration plan..."
“Yinxi.” Gao Shanhai’s voice on the other end of the phone was tinged with laughter. “Nana explained to me in detail that this celebration is very important for us to enhance our brand image. Money is not a problem, just approve it.”
Gao Yinxi took a deep breath, "But our hotel's cash flow..."
"Alright, alright," Gao Yinxi interrupted her. "I'm having dinner with some important people tomorrow, and Nana will be with me. You should come too, and dress nicely."
The busy tone of the call ending echoed in my ears.
Gao Yinxi put down her phone and took out a stack of photos from deep inside the drawer. They were intimate photos of Gao Shanhai and Lin Nana on vacation in the Maldives, dated last month during what they claimed was a trip to Germany for business.
The private investigator's report revealed that Lin Nana not only slept with the chairman of the board, but was also secretly contacting several of the hotel's major clients.
The knocking sounded again.
This time it was CFO Zhao Ping, a veteran who has served the Gao family for twenty years.
“General Manager Gao, the public relations department has gone over budget again.” Zhao Ping handed over the report. “Director Lin spent a whopping 80,000 yuan on a meal for ‘clients’ last week, but the invoice was very blurry. When I questioned her, she directly called Chairman Shen…”
Gao Yinxi looked at the flamboyant "Gao Shanhai approved" signature on the report and felt a tightness in her chest.
She remembered that when Lin Nana had a meeting last Monday, she was carrying a new designer bag and wearing a designer bracelet.
This woman finally managed to get close to her adoptive father, and now that she owns a few designer items, she wants everyone around her to know. She receives gifts from her adoptive father on the weekend, and on Monday, she wears them all when she comes to the hotel to show them off.
She was afraid others wouldn't know she was Mr. Gao's mistress.
She founded and built Six Senses Hotels from scratch; it's no exaggeration to say she was its child. Yet now, she's having her operations interfered with by someone like this.
A cold glint flashed in Gao Yinxi's eyes.
“Sister Zhao.” Gao Yinxi suddenly looked up, “Help me check the list of clients Lin Nana has been in contact with recently, and the backgrounds of the people she planted.”
Zhao Ping's eyes flashed with surprise, then she nodded in understanding.
...
The second day, the sunlight on the golf course was blinding.
Gao Yinxi looked into the distance and saw Lin Nana, dressed in a white sports skirt, affectionately linking arms with Gao Shanhai, introducing the so-called "new cooperation plan" to the client.
She gave a sarcastic smile, never expecting that her adoptive father would bring Lin Nana to this private club.
What she was introducing to the client was clearly a membership system reform plan that she had been preparing for half a year, but now Lin Nana was praising it as her own achievement.
She had only discussed this plan with her adoptive father before.
"Yinxi, come here." After hitting a ball, Gao Shanhai beckoned to Gao Yinxi. "President Wang is very interested in our new proposal. You should talk to him about it."
Lin Nana stood obediently beside her adoptive father, her face, made up with a full face of makeup, looking quite beautiful, with a slight smile on her red lips. "President Shen might be too conservative, always worried that our new membership model will affect our old customers. But the hotel industry also needs innovation, right, President Wang?"
Mr. Wang's gaze darted back and forth between Lin Nana and Gao Shanhai. "Director Lin is right! Young people do have ideas."
Gao Yinxi gripped the golf club, a relaxed smile on her face. "Any new model requires risk assessment. For example, Director Lin's suggestion to lower the membership threshold might lead to a decline in service quality..."
"Oh dear," Lin Nana interrupted playfully, "President Shen was just saying you're too cautious. When I worked at the Yuetai Hotel..."
“You’re just a receptionist at Yuetai,” Gao Yinxi calmly pointed out. “You were also a receptionist at our hotel. You were promoted to public relations director just a month ago. You’re still in the observation and learning period. There are many things you don’t understand yet. You need to observe, listen, learn, and accumulate more experience.”
The people present were all shrewd and experienced, and Gao Yinxi had dealt with them quite often. Naturally, Gao Yinxi wouldn't hide anything from them.
But this was the first time Lin Nana had met these people. When she introduced herself earlier, she was quite proud of her current position as the Public Relations Director of Six Senses Hotel, and she was praised by several well-known business people from Xianghai City. She was feeling quite flattered, but unexpectedly, Gao Yinxi was so disrespectful and directly exposed her as an incompetent parachuted-in employee.
A pretty face froze on the spot.
Since the person was brought by him and was young and enthusiastic, Gao Shanhai was still in high spirits with Lin Nana and was willing to take care of her a bit more. Upon hearing this, he immediately laughed and said, "Yinxi, Nana is ambitious and smart. I think she has made a lot of progress recently. You should give her more opportunities to practice when there is a suitable chance."
Gao Shanhai's kind words saved Lin Nana some face.
A smile returned to her face, and a hint of smugness even flashed in her eyes as she looked at Gao Yinxi.
Her adoptive father had always been kind to her and would never embarrass her in public, yet today he was so protective of Lin Nana.
Gao Yinxi turned her head and looked at the caddie retrieving the ball and the lush green field not far away, her casual and lazy demeanor as if she were admiring the surrounding scenery.
When he turned back to look at Lin Nana, he raised an eyebrow slightly, as if watching a clumsy circus performance. "Dad, of course I will take good care of the person you've chosen."
Gao Yinxi's cooperation and understanding pleased Gao Shanhai. He put his arm around Lin Nana and, as if showing off, earnestly instructed her, "My daughter started training with me at the company when she was sixteen. Over the years, she has handled many projects and done them very well. If you work hard by her side, even if you can learn just a fraction of her skills, it will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
Lin Nana, held in his arms, had a hint of jealousy in her eyes, but a sweet smile on her face. "Chairman Gao, don't worry. It's a great honor for me to have you personally teach me. I will definitely cherish it, study hard, and live up to your expectations."
Seeing that Gao Shanhai was willing to flatter his little lover, the others present were also willing to give her a few more smiles and chat with her a few more words.
Besides, young and pretty girls, even if they're not smart, aren't really an eyesore.
Even more surprisingly, one or two CEOs, seeing that Lin Nana didn't know how to play golf, patiently taught her a few strokes, which made Lin Nana even more beautiful, her smile becoming even brighter and her clear, cheerful laughter wafting far away.
After playing for a while, Gao Yinxi excused herself that she was tired and returned to the rest area to rest.
Gao Shanhai followed her over shortly after and sat down next to her. The father and daughter leaned back on the sofa, watching the people playing ball in the distance. "Xixi, Nana is one of us from Six Senses. If we make her lose face, it will make us look bad too."
Gao Yinxi didn't turn to look at her adoptive father, but instead gently placed her hand on the armrest of the chair. "Dad, President Shen and President Wang are both old acquaintances of ours, so there's nothing wrong with being frank, right?"
"Human hearts are unpredictable, so it's best to be cautious."
Gao Shanhai's tone was calm, but Gao Yinxi knew that the fact that he was talking to him alone at this time meant that he still cared about Lin Nana to some extent.
Gao Yinxi felt utterly disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly.
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