Chapter 51 It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Xia.
Chapter 51
The melodious cello music echoed in the air, and the glass chandeliers on the hotel ceiling reflected dazzling light. A tall figure, both familiar and unfamiliar, was slightly tilting his head to listen to the person next to him. His eyes were cold and aloof, and he attracted countless eyes just by standing there.
Xia Zhiyu's heart trembled. The young man who had waited downstairs at her house all night, his shirt slightly wrinkled, the bottom of his crystal jar covered in cigarette ash, and whose eyes were filled with stubbornness, seemed to have shed his arrogant temper. Although his brows were still indifferent, his overall demeanor was peaceful and calm.
Four years had not left a mark on Jiang Zhiyan. Instead, it had added to his noble and aloof demeanor, making him exude the elegance and humility of a mature man. It would have been hard for her to imagine that Jiang Zhiyan would one day have such a hidden edge.
Even without making a fuss, Jiang Zhiyan's youth is enough to make him stand out among the many powerful figures with fine lines around their eyes. In particular, he subtly exudes an air of being the center of attention, and the gazes of others may contain envy or wariness. However, when Jiang Zhiyan's gaze sweeps over them, all of these expressions turn into a smile with a hint of flattery.
How could they not try to please them? Under Jiang Zhiyan's leadership, the Jiang family has extended its reach into all walks of life, with its business scope becoming increasingly broad and its international reputation growing. Putting aside everything else, the Jiang family is undoubtedly the leading enterprise in Beicheng.
Especially since Jiang Zhiyan, as the person in charge, was only thirty years old, a time when he was full of vigor, daring and enterprising. In recent years, Xia Zhiyu had heard many people say that Jiang Zhiyan had once again made a shrewd investment in a certain industry when she went to social occasions. He has always had a sharp eye. Eight years ago, when Xia Zhiyu first got together with him, she bought shares in several companies under Jiang Zhiyan's guidance. Without exception, they all soared, and when she sold them, they had multiplied several times over.
When Jiang Zhiyan was at Huawan, he successfully made Huawan the first listed company law firm in China. Not to mention that in recent years, he has completely shifted his focus from Huawan to Jiang's, and has led Jiang's to new heights.
Not long ago, Xia Zhiyu discovered that Jiang's stock price had risen by several points again, and even the stocks she had bought in her early years had increased tenfold. Xia Zhiyu was so shocked that she immediately sold them and went to the temple to offer incense money to the Fourth Master.
It felt like suddenly finding 200,000 yuan inside a coat you haven't worn in ages.
Fang Xinle jokingly remarked at the time that this couldn't be considered as her ex-boyfriend's windfall.
Fragments of memories shimmered like tiny pieces of gold in her mind, and Xia Zhiyu's thoughts seemed to freeze for a moment. Her mind seemed to be thinking, yet also blank.
Jiang Zhiyan suddenly turned his gaze in her direction, his deep eyes sweeping over her. Xia Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat. Her heart, which had been calm for many years, was suddenly rippled as if a stone had been thrown into it. She hurriedly turned around and unconsciously grabbed Andy's arm tightly, trying to hide herself between her male companion and Yang Yu.
In such a large venue, how could Jiang Zhiyan possibly notice a nobody like her? And even if he did notice her, so what? She's just an ex-girlfriend. Everyone here is an adult in the world of fame and fortune; they naturally know what's more important.
Xia Zhiyu raised her hand to touch her chest, her heart still pounding like a drum. She exhaled softly, trying to calm herself down and telling herself that she and Jiang Zhiyan had broken up for so many years, and she had dated new boyfriends. Someone of Jiang Zhiyan's status and position would naturally not be single, and since they both lived in the social scene of Beicheng, it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other.
There's nothing to worry about.
Yes, there's nothing to worry about.
"Hurry up!" Yang Yu grabbed Xia Zhiyu's wrist and rushed forward. "Show me your business card. I'm the organizer, he'll definitely give me some face."
Before Xia Zhiyu could react, her body, accustomed to the constant clinking of glasses, had instinctively kept up with Yang Yu's pace, and she even remembered to put on her signature social smile.
Yang Yu's ability to invite Jiang Zhiyan was naturally due to her own connections. Her company had recently completed an effective promotional campaign for Jiang's new car line, so she had interacted with Jiang Zhiyan a few times. Leveraging the strong social skills inherent in self-media personalities, Yang Yu exchanged a few pleasantries with Jiang Zhiyan and then proactively mentioned Xia Zhiyu beside her:
"This is Xia Zhiyu, the founder of Yuxia. She recently collaborated with Beicheng Cultural Tourism on several promotional advertisements. I wonder if President Jiang has seen that video."
A gentle smile played on Jiang Zhiyan's lips. His gaze lingered briefly on Xia Zhiyu, then remained impassive, as if he were looking at a stranger.
"Of course I've seen it. This promotion has been among the top-ranked videos on major video websites recently."
He smiled slightly and extended his hand, saying, "Miss Xia's idea is indeed refreshing. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The surrounding noise suddenly seemed to have stopped, as if the toy in a music box had been wound up to its limit. Everyone's movements were slowed down infinitely, and in the small world, it seemed that only Xia Zhiyu's slightly rapid breathing could be heard echoing in her ears.
"I have long admired General Jiang's name," Xia Zhiyu heard her own light and practiced greeting ring in her ears. Her fingers, which had been pressed together, were loosely grasped and then quickly released.
Her palms were slightly hot, and she subconsciously clenched her knuckles, as if she could use this to break free from Jiang Zhiyan's warmth.
Xia Zhiyu was somewhat impressed with her own strong heart that her lovers, who had once argued fiercely, could now communicate so calmly.
She even chatted with Jiang Zhiyan for a couple of sentences before ending the conversation, acting almost like a stranger.
The chandelier's soft glow reflected on Jiang Zhiyan's sharply defined profile, casting deep, dark shadows. The two, one elegant and beautiful, the other reserved and aloof, stood together, surprisingly well-matched.
Andy keenly sensed the undercurrents between the man and woman. He liked Xia Zhiyu, so naturally he focused all his attention on her. His sixth sense told him that Xia Zhiyu and the man in front of him seemed to have some inexplicable connection.
The moment the two let go of each other's hands and looked at each other, Xia Zhiyu subconsciously avoided her gaze. Even though she still had a social smile on her lips, her eyes were enough to tell that there was some unspeakable secret between them.
Andy pursed his lips, raised his hand and loosely draped the women's suit jacket he was carrying over Xia Zhiyu's shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his actions were exceptionally considerate.
Xia Zhiyu suddenly snapped out of her reverie. Just then, Yang Yu steered the conversation towards work, and several sports brand companies with similar development goals to Andy gathered around to discuss their marketing for the next quarter. Xia Zhiyu quickly joined the discussion.
"What a coincidence, our Andy is a model in this field."
"..."
"Yes, he's Italian, with exceptional work skills and a great sense of the camera."
Xia Zhiyu socialized among the crowd with a charming smile, handing out business cards with gold lettering one by one. For someone in the self-media industry like her, getting to know more people is equivalent to broadening a development path and increasing the chances of survival. Xia Zhiyu has always enjoyed these kinds of occasions.
This is assuming Jiang Zhiyan is not present...
Perhaps it was because she had seen Jiang Zhiyan today that she thought of him so often. Taking advantage of the moment when she raised her glass, Xia Zhiyu secretly glanced at him, her gaze lingering on him almost imperceptibly for a moment, and a faint feeling of emotion welled up in her heart.
Yang Yu suddenly came over excitedly, accompanied by an unfamiliar face wearing thin gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp suit.
"Xia Zhiyu, you absolutely have to treat me to a meal this time!"
Yang Yu's eyes sparkled.
Before Xia Zhiyu could ask anything, the young man who had come with her handed over his business card and said with a smile, "Miss Xia, hello, I'm Song Ziqing, the person in charge of Youmu's trendy menswear brand this year."
Yumu is a subsidiary of Jiang's, specializing in the apparel business. If we could get access to Yumu's product line... Xia Zhiyu's eyes lit up, and she quickly exchanged a glance with Yang Yu.
She took the business card, her smile becoming even more genuine. "Hello, Mr. Song."
Song Ziqing got straight to the point, "Andy's image fits our publicity plan perfectly, and Ms. Xia, your creative design is also very inspiring for us. However, there's one thing: our theme this time needs to be filmed on the coast of Venice, Spain. Is that acceptable to you?"
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