Chapter 57
Coco, despite appearing proud and aloof, was actually a defenseless little creature. Wen Zhenni barely had to lift a finger to successfully hold her in her arms.
She stroked the shiny kitten again and again, as if talking to herself, or as if asking the kitten: "Why are you here? Where is your daddy, Mr. Hawthorne?"
"Are you looking for me?" Hawthorne appeared silently in their sight.
He seemed to have just come down from upstairs, leading two maids in uniform. An apologetic smile played on his face. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to scare you. I just made some arrangements and will have the maid take you to your room to rest."
Hawthorne was polite and gentlemanly, glancing back and forth between Wen Zhenni, who was holding the cat, and Ciheng. "Ciheng and I have been friends for many years. Please treat this place as your home. If you need anything, just let the servants know and they will meet your needs."
Hawthorne personally escorted them to their room and said good night before leaving.
Because tomorrow is the crucial signing day, Ciheng held a brief online meeting with the negotiation team before going to bed, allowing Lu Fangyang to confirm the preparations for the last time.
The signing took place at Taraf’s National Convention Center. The next morning at 9:00 sharp, the couple set off on time, joining the Hawthorne couple’s motorcade to the venue.
As Wen Zhenni's personal translator, Lucy had done her homework in advance.
She told Wen Zhenni, "Today's guest lineup is very impressive. In addition to the core members of our Thai-Chinese negotiation team, there are also local ambassadors, senior leaders from Taraf-related fields, and the Crown Prince and his wife will be present as special guests to witness this moment together."
"Will the Crown Prince come too?" Wen Zhenni was surprised.
"The princess was supposed to be there, but she's on official business abroad and can't return for the time being."
Lucy's tone became excited as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future. "Anyway, this cooperation is of extraordinary significance. It can be said that after this battle, the business landscape has changed dramatically, and Taihua's status has risen to new heights."
Just listening to Lucy talk about those great people makes one's heart beat faster.
This wasn't the first time Wen Zhenni had heard of Ciheng's excellence. In her eyes, he had always been calm and powerful. But what she didn't know was that, behind her, he had quietly stepped onto a larger stage, even making decisions that would impact the future of the world.
Wen Zhenni took out her cell phone from her bag and turned on the camera.
She was taking pictures of the venue's building when Lucy suddenly touched her arm: "Boss Ci and the others are here."
Because it wasn't a private social event, the main venue restricted access to non-related personnel. Wen Zhenni and Lyra, as family members, naturally followed the rules and would be in the lounge later, watching the proceedings via livestream.
It was time to enter. Wen Zhenni stood at the edge of the square, her gaze sweeping towards the entrance. Reporters from all major media outlets were busy, and a huge crowd, armed with cameras and cameras, followed the guests into the venue.
Tzu Heng and Minister Taraf, the core group, were the last to arrive. As they emerged, they were quickly drowned out by the crowd. The clatter of shutter clicks and footsteps blended into a cacophony, no less savory than a red carpet event.
Under the harsh white flash lights, Ciheng stood tall and straight in the center. He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, which made his brows look sharper. He answered reporters' questions with confidence.
But time was running out, and at his assistant's urging, Ciheng politely raised his hand to decline the media's inquiries. Just as he was about to enter the venue, he suddenly turned back, his gaze piercing the throng in the direction of Wen Zhenni, and then walked into the venue with a determined stride.
Lucy didn't see it clearly and asked uncertainly, "... Mr. Ci seems to be looking for you?"
Wen Zhenni saw it, but didn't respond.
She took Lucy's arm and quickened her pace: "It's about to start, we have to hurry over."
Under the guidance of the staff, they were taken to a lounge arranged in advance, and the live broadcast on the screen was already turned on.
The entire process is preliminarily estimated to take half an hour, because the live broadcast signal itself has a delay, and the picture on the screen is the result of a lag.
Lucy and Lyra were already in the zone, occasionally whispering about the key points mentioned in the speeches.
Wen Zhenni sat aside, not understanding what was said and not interested in further investigation. All her thoughts were occupied by that familiar and dazzling figure, and she could not spare any more attention.
She watched intently as Ciheng delivered a three-minute speech in a solemn and sacred atmosphere, and then watched him solemnly sign his name under the guidance of the assistant.
At the final moment of exchanging texts, he stretched out his bony fingers, firmly grasped the other representative's hand, faced the media cameras, and captured this historic moment.
The ceremony concluded successfully amidst thunderous applause, and the scene of opening champagne and taking group photos began on the screen.
Wen Zhenni couldn't wait to see him, to praise him, to congratulate him. She grabbed her bag and stood up abruptly. Lyra stood up almost at the same time. Their eyes met, and without further words, they left the lounge together in tacit understanding.
The corridor was quiet, a stark contrast to the bustle of the venue. They returned to their previous seats, waiting for their husbands to finish their joint interview and return home to celebrate this significant day.
Although Lyra did not show her excitement, the smile lines at the corners of her eyes never disappeared.
She shook her head and said with a hint of regret, "I should have brought my child to witness it, but he's too young."
Wen Zhenni smiled and replied, "There will be more opportunities in the future. Legendary figures like Mr. Hawthorne will continue to create more myths."
That was true. Lyra looked at her and smiled. "Wen, you are the same. Mr. Ci is a visionary and outstanding entrepreneur. His wise mind is changing the world."
As soon as she finished speaking, the main venue seemed to suddenly open its gates, and the crowd poured out like a tide, instantly filling the empty, previously spacious corridor. This scene was too exaggerated, and it looked like it might stay there for a while.
Lyra said helplessly, "Looks like we need to get back to the car quickly."
Before Wen Zhenni could react, she and Lucy had already been stuffed into the car by the bodyguards.
She was a little confused. Through the dark car window, she saw security personnel blocking the media ten meters away to leave a passage for the guests to leave. When Hawthorne came over, Lyra threw herself on his shoulders and gave him a passionate kiss.
Wen Zhenni followed suit. When Ciheng bent down and sat next to her, she quickly kissed him on the cheek: "Hubby, you look so handsome and awesome today! I love you even more than yesterday."
She is so easily infected by emotions. When she is excited, she has to express it outwardly and show all her enthusiasm immediately. It seems that even a second slower is not enough to prove how excited she is at that moment.
Ci Heng was caught off guard and subconsciously held her body down, coughing to cover it up: "Sit still, don't let others laugh at you."
He glanced forward, indicating that there were other people around, and then Wen Zhenni saw Assistant Director Lu sitting in the passenger seat.
Even though the other person was sitting upright and trying very hard to make himself invisible, Wen Zhenni still blushed. She immediately retreated to her seat and pretended nothing had happened.
Lu Fangyang couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. Although it was inappropriate, he still spoke up to smooth things over for her: "Boss Ci is indeed very handsome today. Even in the entertainment industry, he has to be of a certain level."
Wen Zhenni nodded like a chick pecking at rice, not a bit modest. "That's for sure. Without any filter, it will dominate the trending search list for a day."
She silently held her phone, not daring to say that she had a lot of photos of him stored on her phone, but unfortunately she couldn't openly post them on social media. Today's daily plog was all standard landscape photos and selfies.
Ci Heng found it amusing to hear the two people's exaggerated flattery: "You are so good at supporting roles, why don't you two form a crosstalk group and debut?"
Wen Zhenni smiled dryly, quickly changed the subject, and asked him, "Um, are we going back to the villa to rest now?"
"Go straight to the celebration banquet." Ciheng replied.
As for why now, Wthorne said that tomorrow is Lyra's interview time and he wants to spend some quality time with his wife tonight.
Of course, it is also time for the couple to celebrate.
Ci Heng glanced at Wen Zhenni and said to Lu Fangyang in the passenger seat, "Today's celebration banquet is over. Starting tomorrow, you will start your annual leave."
When Lu Fangyang heard this, his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had heard a fairy sound that could prolong one's life. "Thank you, boss."
Since they happened to be in a holiday resort, Ciheng took the opportunity to give all the team members a holiday, including Lucy.
So after the celebration party, Lucy and the others disappeared in the blink of an eye as they had agreed in advance.
Without Lucy to accompany her, Wen Zhenni was bored at the villa and walked out to the balcony.
On the nearby beach, the sun was shining brightly, and groups of tourists were playing in the waves in the shallows. Feeling inspired, she dragged Ciheng along for a walk along the beach.
The sea surface sparkled under the sun. Wen Zhenni took off her sandals and stepped onto the wet beach barefoot. The soft white sand instantly squeezed into the gaps between her toes.
Ciheng followed her half a step behind. Seeing her walking deeper into the water, he waved and called out from afar, "Zhenni, come back!"
Wen Zhenni reluctantly walked back to his side and brushed away her hair that had been messed up by the sea breeze: "You're so bored. We're already at the beach, what else can we do if not play in the water?"
Ci Heng's eyes swept over her calves soaked by the sea water, and he grabbed her wrist, saying as he walked: "It's not difficult if you want to play in the water. I'll take you snorkeling the day after tomorrow morning."
Wen Zhenni was skeptical: "Can I rest the day after tomorrow?"
Ciheng nodded: "Lyra will come over tomorrow to do an interview with Global Celebrity. We will stay in the villa all day."
Wen Zhenni covered her mouth, a little bit unbelieving: "I don't need to appear on camera, right?"
Ciheng looked at her and asked, "Is the big star stage fright?"
Being a celebrity, camera performance is a fundamental quality. Wen Zhenni wasn't worried about that. "I don't have any clothes that would suit me."
Ciheng was puzzled: "Didn't the designer come to match it?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned it, but when he did, Wen Zhenni thought of the colorful dresses in the cloakroom. "Other family members are all dressed formally, and I'm wearing a candy-colored dress. Isn't that inappropriate?"
The men around him didn't think there was anything wrong: "There's no requirement to wear anything, so you can wear anything."
“…” Wen Zhenni choked.
But looking at the bikini-clad beauties on the beach, and then at her own long-sleeved swimsuit, she pouted: "But why do swimsuits have to be so old-fashioned? The colors and styles aren't as pretty as bikinis."
She was feeling a little down, and tried to persuade him: "I have such a great figure, it would be a shame not to wear a bikini for photos. Why don't you prepare a bikini? Don't you want to see me in a bikini? The opportunity to wear a bikini is really rare, it would be a shame to miss it."
The man next to her was dressed in a light-colored shirt and shorts, looking fresh, with sunglasses covering half his face. Hearing her repeatedly mention "bikini," he turned and looked at her: "Your clothes were chosen by a designer, and I haven't seen them before."
No matter how Wen Zhenni looked at it, it didn't seem like the designer's fault. She was convinced this was Ciheng's scheme: "You gave the pot to the designer, did the designer know?"
Ci Heng spread his hands, a wicked smile on his lips: "I can accept you not wearing any clothes. As long as you are not afraid of being on the hot search."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Wen Zhenni punched him on the arm and wanted to punch him a second time, but Ciheng not only dodged it, but also ran to the front relying on his height and long legs.
The two chased and played until they fell on their backs, breathless, in the soft sand. Wen Zhenni took the opportunity to retaliate by grabbing a handful of sand and stuffing it into his shirt.
Ci Heng took advantage of the situation and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the two of them quietly embraced each other, feeling the sea breeze and enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.
"What a comfortable breeze." Wen Zhenni murmured, looking up and meeting the eyes behind the lenses. Her heart was moved for a moment, so she took off his glasses, held his face and kissed him.
Ciheng's palm almost subconsciously tightened around her waist, giving her the initiative.
The touch of a dragonfly on the water instantly ignited the heat in the sea breeze.
She was no longer satisfied with this, so she closed her eyes and patiently tried to trace the shape of her lips.
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