Harbor
Bai Yeliang walked over with a smile and hugged his daughter. "I haven't been back to Vietnam and Hong Kong much these past two years. She doesn't miss her dad at all."
Bai Yi gave a slight smile: "The lab is busy."
Bai Yeliang knew his daughter was thoughtful and stubborn, so he coaxed her gently, "We specially invited a chef today, what would you like to eat?"
She sat back down on the sofa: "Just make some classic Vietnamese and Hong Kong dishes."
Bai Yeliang nodded to Li Wan, signaling her to make the arrangements. He sat down, and Zhou Qi made him some tea.
With Zhou Qi present today, Bai Yeliang naturally asked Bai Yi about his future plans.
The group is going through a lot of trouble right now. A few days ago, Vice Chairman Zhou mentioned that Zhou Qi is not young anymore, and the father and son had another fight because of the pressure to get married.
Bai Yeliang knew, of course, that this was a plea for him to go home and persuade Bai Yi to arrange the marriage of the two children.
Bai Yeliang peeled a few wampee fruits for his daughter and handed them to her, asking, "This time you're back, would it be good for you to stay in Yuegang? Dad is getting old."
Bai Yi frowned almost imperceptibly, but did not reply.
Chen Zhaoyang added, "Xiaoyi, Yuegang also has a pretty good Chinese medicine research team and laboratory. Your family is very worried about you staying in Xiangcheng."
Bai Yi glanced over, and Chen Zhaoyang shut up in frustration.
"I'm coming back this time to stay for two years, and it's hard to say what will happen after that." For her to say that was already a huge concession.
Bai Yeliang laughed: "Don't be too busy with work. When you have time to rest, let Zhou Qi accompany you shopping."
Zhou Qi quickly smiled and said, "Okay. I'll be there whenever you call."
Bai Yi didn't want to say a word. Ever since he sat there, he had felt an inexplicable sense of suffocation, which had reached its peak at this moment.
At the dinner table, she remained as sparing with her words as ever.
After dinner, she stood in the study, looking at her father expressionlessly: "Dad, I will not marry Zhou Qi. Don't make empty promises to him if you can't make a decision. If things get out of control, you and Chen Zhaoyang can't afford the consequences."
Bai Yeliang pondered for a moment: "Tiansheng is in a very troublesome situation right now, and it will most likely need to be restructured. Vice Chairman Zhou is very important to Dad's position in Tiansheng."
Bai Yi chuckled softly.
Bai Yeliang continued, "Your father is doing this for your own good, considering Zhou Qi's family background..."
“I don’t care about his family background, I don’t like him.”
Bai Yeliang remained silent. If they continued arguing like this, his daughter would become even more resentful of the family and less likely to listen to him.
He lowered his head, raised his hand to his forehead, and sighed, "It's nothing."
Bai Yi bluntly said, "Dad, don't try to morally blackmail me. Once Tiansheng is restructured, what can Vice Chairman Zhou still promise you? You know best whether you're doing this for your position or for Chen Zhaoyang. How long do you think you can cover for the rotten things Chen Zhaoyang has done at Tiansheng all these years? I won't interfere if you're willing to be ripped off by your aunt's family, but I won't care whether he lives or dies."
She didn't plan to stay overnight; she was going downstairs to drive home to the affiliated hospital.
Bai Yi had just backed the car out of the garage when she saw Li Wan standing in the yard with her clothes gift box. She rolled down the car window, and Li Wan handed her the gift box: "Xiao Yi, how has Jingjing been lately?"
Bai Yi didn't reach out to take the clothes, but simply replied, "Okay."
She didn't know if Li Jing had told Li Wan about the engagement and her plans to pursue a doctorate in the UK, and she didn't bring it up much.
"I'm not bringing my clothes." She didn't even bother to make up an excuse.
Li Wan froze for a few seconds, watching her roll up the car window, before quickly taking a few steps back to make way.
After driving home to the family compound and parking in the garage, Bai Yi didn't get out of the car; he just sat quietly in the driver's seat, lost in thought.
My cousin Chen Zhaoyang is a good-for-nothing. He casually went to a vocational college back then, but his father went to great lengths to get him into Tiansheng, where he got close to Vice Chairman Zhou. His father supported him without any principles in the company and even thought that someone like Zhou Qi was a good match for him.
She anticipated her situation upon returning to Vietnam, but still overestimated her ability to cope. Perhaps she had stayed in Xiangcheng for too long, living too comfortably, and had become less tolerant of many things.
When her senior brother Lu called, she hung up, afraid that her voice would tremble if she spoke.
Lu Xin immediately sent a message: Junior sister, are you busy?
She replied: It's not convenient to talk on the phone.
She stared at the chat box with Lu Xin for a long time, which showed "typing is in progress".
My senior only typed two lines: I've made a reservation at the East Tower on Hong Kong Island. How about we have lunch together tomorrow? Maybe we can also arrange a blind date.
Bai Yi replied: "I'm fine with having dinner, but I'm not interested in blind dates."
Zhou Qi alone has given her PTSD regarding love and marriage.
Lu Xin: What if we could just get a marriage certificate right away? Interested? Aren't you supposed to be avoiding unwanted romantic advances?
Bai Yi suddenly laughed.
Reply: Senior, your enthusiasm is like that of a scammer.
Lu Xin: ...You have no conscience.
She pressed the lock screen and got out of the car.
As soon as she entered, Li Jing was watching a variety show. She smiled and handed her some snacks. She ate a few bites, changed her clothes, and went downstairs for a walk.
If I don't exercise, I probably won't be able to sleep well tonight, given my current mood.
The next morning, she organized some work materials, and at noon she drove to the East Tower of Hong Kong Island to meet her senior colleague.
Lu Xin had booked a private chef to serve authentic Yuegang cuisine, and even brought a bottle of white wine. As soon as the two sat down, Lu Xin started talking non-stop: "When it comes to food, Yuegang has to be the best. Seafood, steamed dishes, sweet soups—everything about them is enough to make Xiangcheng look down on us. Xiangcheng's food is all bland and relies entirely on dipping sauces; only academic madmen like Professor Wu, who have no sense of taste, would like it."
Bai Yi took the towel handed to him by the waiter, wiped his hands, and smiled, "Next time, say it in front of Teacher Wu."
Lu Xin was both sarcastic and cowardly, yet also flexible: "I wouldn't dare."
The menu was handed over, and Bai Yi pushed it to Lu Xin: "You order, the guest should follow the host's lead."
Lu Xin looked at her for a few seconds: "Junior sister, when you're not picky, it's a sign that you're not in a good mood."
Bai Yi was staring blankly at the vase on the table when he heard this and smiled.
Lu Xin took the recipe. "In Xiangcheng, the senior students are most afraid of hearing you say the word 'whatever.' Even Professor Wu is afraid. When designing experiments, they are not afraid of you arguing a bit, but if you say 'whatever,' they dare not move forward."
Bai Yi looked up and simply reached out to take it: "Fine, I'll order. Are you serious? You have to label me just for ordering food."
The two were too familiar with each other, so Bai Yi didn't hide her feelings or force a smile to pretend to be happy.
Lu Xin then laughed: "I just wanted to interact with you more. You just sit here in front of me with a cold face and don't say a word. It makes me look like a sycophant."
"Senior, has no one ever told you that you're a bit of a jerk?"
Lu Xin retorted: "I call this a warm guy. A scumbag is someone like you, who ignores people and plays games with their mindset."
Bai Yi: ...
After a long while, Bai Yi finally spoke: "Me, a jerk?"
Lu Xin shook his head repeatedly: "I didn't say that."
"Then why do you still dare to introduce someone to me for marriage registration? Do you have a grudge against that person?"
Lu Xin ladled out a bowl of seafood porridge for her and handed it to her, casually saying, "Not really."
Bai Yi's outstretched hand paused. If there's no grudge, then there's no grudge. What do you mean by not counting? If it doesn't count, then it doesn't count. Is it really not counting?
That means there's a grudge.
Seeing her stunned, Lu Xin realized he had said the wrong thing and laughed first, "My loose tongue."
Bai Yi put down her chopsticks. "You think I'm a jerk, and that the other person has a grudge against you? Lu Xin, you want us to get a marriage certificate? Are you trying to raise a treacherous snake here?"
When this little temper flares up, he doesn't even call me "senior brother" anymore. Lu Xin chuckled and covered his eyes, saying, "Let's eat first, let's eat first."
He then gestured to the waiter to open the wine.
Bai Yi rolled her eyes at him. He was already in a bad mood, and then she made him angry.
After dinner, Lu Xin wanted Bai Yi to accompany him to the rooftop garden of the East Tower on Hong Kong Island, but was refused without hesitation. Bai Yi had just returned from Xiangcheng, where the Southwest has the most complete and diverse plant species in the country, and she had no interest in indoor plants from Vietnam and Hong Kong.
She stood at the restaurant entrance, refusing to budge: "Coffee."
Lu Xin turned to face her, his eyes filled with resentment. He had gone to great lengths to get the tickets.
In the end, Lu Xin naturally gave in. He knew his junior sister's temper well; she didn't care how much effort or money you spent on things she didn't want to do.
Bai Yi pointed upwards with her finger: "88th floor, BETTY."
BETTY is the most stylish café on the East Tower.
Lu Xin sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll have coffee with you."
When they reached the 88th floor, Bai Yi handed her handbag to Lu Xin to carry, asked him to order her a black tea latte, and then went to the restroom.
When I returned, I saw Lu Xin sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window near the terrace. As I got closer, I noticed a man sitting on the sofa opposite him.
Bai Yi froze, pausing for two or three seconds to the side and behind him. The man, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, leaned back on the sofa with his legs crossed in a relaxed manner, looking down at the coffee in his hand. The dark blue dial of his watch was dappled by the scattered sunlight, making his originally understated and composed demeanor appear as a silent display of luxury.
The sliver of Bai Yi's jawline and nose bridge that can be seen have clean and clear contours, giving him a particularly deep, quiet, and noble aura.
She walked over to Lu Xin and said, "Senior brother."
Lu Xin then looked up, put down his phone, and pushed the drink he had ordered towards her: "Your black tea latte."
The man opposite raised his eyes, his gaze lingered briefly on Bai Yi, then he nodded slightly and turned to Lu Xin, seemingly waiting for him to introduce the two of them.
Bai Yi then saw the man's face clearly. What was truly shocking was his pair of standard phoenix eyes. He seemed to be deliberately concealing the sharpness and cool charm that phoenix eyes should have, revealing only politeness and aloofness.
Bai Yi lifted her skirt and sat down next to Lu Xin.
Lu Xin pointed to the man opposite him and said to Bai Yi, "Zhong Yunxi is my childhood friend. He works on the 108th floor. I was just thinking that since we're already at the East Tower of Hong Kong Island, I should call him down for a cup of coffee."
Zhong Yunxi: ...
Bai Yi's lips curled slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips.
If the word "working for someone" can describe this kind of person's aura, then what about the real beasts of burden?
Zhong Yunxi glanced at Lu Xin, indicating that he was not very satisfied with those few sentences of introduction.
Lu Xin then introduced Bai Yi to Zhong Yunxi, "This is my junior sister, Bai Yi. She just returned to Yuegang from Xiangcheng."
Zhong Yunxi didn't look at Lu Xin again. He put down his coffee, leaned forward slightly, and extended his hand to Bai Yi: "Miss Bai, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Bai Yi reached out and gently grasped his fingertips: "Nice to meet you."
Neither of them are talkative in front of people they don't know well, but Lu Xin is a chatterbox and doesn't worry about awkward silences.
Lu Xin's phone vibrated slightly. He picked it up and saw that both of them had sent him messages.
Zhong Yunxi: Didn't you say you didn't want to introduce your junior sister to me?
Bai Yi: Is this the person you have a grudge against?
Lu Xin: ...
He didn't even say anything, yet he already knew it was a blind date? The two of them together must be at least two thousand cunning minds.
Zhong Yunxi got up from his seat and headed towards the front desk.
Bai Yi vaguely felt that Zhong Yunxi probably deliberately gave her and Lu Xin a few minutes alone so that she could adjust to the sudden appearance of a strange man on the table.
Bai Yi turned to look at Lu Xin, but didn't say anything.
Lu Xin smiled guiltily and took a sip of coffee: "I'm really afraid that in your desperation to avoid bad romantic prospects, you'll end up marrying someone unreliable."
Bai Yi raised her hand and touched her forehead. "Thank you..."
Lu Xin, never one to shy away from gossip, asked, "Junior Sister, what kind of rotten romance is this?"
Bai Yi was too lazy to explain in detail, "It's a marriage alliance."
Lu Xin was taken aback: "In this day and age, arranged marriages are illegal, right?"
Bai Yi didn't want to waste time arguing with him. She gestured with her chin toward the empty seat left by Zhong Yunxi across from her and said, "With your qualifications, don't go around saying you have a grudge against someone. People will think you're just jealous."
To be honest, the man opposite her was indeed objectively superior.
Lu Xin: ...
"I'm your own senior brother, and you only saw him for less than ten minutes. Are you already siding with outsiders? Fine, I'll just assume you're in a bad mood and not hold it against you. So, are you still going to find someone to get a marriage certificate or not?"
Bai Yi frowned, staring blankly out the window, and replied dismissively, "Go ahead and take it from me?"
Lu Xin: "Zhong Yunxi, otherwise why would I go through all this trouble to bring him here for your audition?"
Bai Yi glanced at the empty seat opposite her, recalled those phoenix eyes from just now for a second, and was slightly startled, but quickly calmed down. Being with a man like that was too challenging, and she had no energy left at the moment.
However, it is challenging for her, but it is adversarial for Zhou Qi.
Zhong Yunxi, carrying two cups of warm water, had just walked over when he heard Lu Xin's words and couldn't help but stop and stand diagonally behind him.
Hearing the clear, cold female voice, she said calmly, "Didn't I say we're from different generations?"
She wasn't deliberately nitpicking; she was just in no mood and casually refused.
Lu Xin: ...
Zhong Yunxi: ...
One sentence subtly implied the true nature of both individuals.
They think they're too old.
Zhong Yunxi took a breath before lifting his foot and placing a glass of warm water next to her coffee cup. Lu Xin reached out to take the other cup from his hand, but Zhong Yunxi ignored her, picked it up himself, sat down, and took a sip.
Lu Xin: ...
After Zhong Yunxi sat down, Bai Yi finally realized what was happening and said, "Thank you."
The man opposite her looked directly at her without any attempt to look away. Bai Yi was startled for a moment, but she still managed to remain calm as he spoke: "Miss Bai, would it be convenient to exchange contact information?"
Bai Yi had to admit that she was still young, and the nature of her work limited her social experience; she couldn't even immediately find a tactful reason to reject him.
Slide your phone open and hand over the QR code from the social media app.
As Zhong Yunxi scanned her business card, he still looked at her with a calm smile.
Lu Xin's gaze swept between the two of them. The clash of their auras created an indescribable eeriness. Lu Xin was both afraid that the two had no story and afraid that they did, so he was very uneasy.
He knew best that his junior sister had a bad temper; she would vent her anger on the spot, and a single sarcastic remark could drive someone to a heart attack. Zhong Yunxi was an old fox who had navigated the world of fame and fortune; he was cold on the outside but cunning on the inside.
However, after weighing the pros and cons, he still felt that his junior sister was more likely to suffer a loss.
Lu Xin swiped his phone and sent Zhong Yunxi a message: "Don't be a dog."
Zhong Yunxi ignored him and waited for Bai Yi to accept his friend request before sending her a message: "How old are you, Miss Bai?"
Bai Yi was speechless. Was this person being polite?
It was obvious that he had overheard her words. She glanced at him casually. The man opposite her remained relaxed, holding a coffee in one hand, his elbow resting on the sofa armrest, and his phone in the other, his eyes slightly downcast, waiting for a message.
She's usually the one who manipulates other people's minds, what's going on today?
Bai Yi made up his mind and replied: I'm seven years younger than you.
They were just short of typing "old man" out.
However, she seemed to see the man opposite her smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
