Harbor
Ren Xiao sat next to Bai Yi, looking through the information of several pharmaceutical companies with her, and asked her, "Which company is Boss Zhong supporting? Is it Runhe? It's not like he'll take control of whichever company you're cooperating with on the spot, is it?"
That can't be that scary.
But Zhong Yunxi sat quietly with his legs crossed on the second row of chairs around the conference table. He wasn't really hanging around with Runhe's people. He didn't even have a document in his hand. His eyes were glazed over, and he seemed to be lost in thought as he looked at his phone's screen saver. It was quite intimidating.
Bai Yi was also conflicted, and said listlessly, "He has always been a shareholder of Runhe."
Ren Xiao: ...
No wonder when she called Bai Yi to tell her that Runhe's HR was trying to poach her, Bai Yi didn't say anything and even asked her to come to Xiangcheng to see the meeting.
Ren Xiao asked her, "So, does that mean you're not considering Runhe anymore?"
Bai Yi stared blankly at the smooth document in his hand.
Ren Xiao didn't hear her speak for a long time, then sighed resignedly. Judging from her appearance, she was most likely going to cooperate with Runhe.
Bai Yi confirmed with her: "Meng Shuang said that Runhe is treating you very well."
Ren Xiao nodded, "Yes, more than Si Jian gave."
"That's good." Bai Yi was quite gratified. Meng Shuang was right; everyone was a winner.
But she was conflicted; Zhong Yunxi was everywhere, and she was getting annoyed to death.
In the afternoon, Zhong Yunxi accompanied Professor Wu and a leader from the Chinese medicine management department to the meeting.
Professor Wu's seat was arranged at the front, but she looked towards Runhe's seating area several times. He Cheng pulled her to the front, saying, "Look, Professor Wu must be looking for you everywhere."
The two sat down next to Professor Wu, who smiled and asked Bai Yi, "Did you find a suitable partner for your project with He Cheng this morning?"
Bai Yi nodded, "Runhe is still the best option. But when signing the contract, could the project manager only be listed as Senior Brother He?"
He Cheng explained to Professor Wu, "Zhong Yunxi is a shareholder of Runhe, and my junior sister doesn't want to run into him on the project."
Professor Wu glanced to the other side. Next to him was Deputy Director Zhou, the leader of the management department, and then Zhong Yunxi.
Professor Wu laughed and said, "He came here specifically for your project, right?"
Bai Yi frowned, lowered his head, and remained silent.
Zhong Yunxi was discussing the scale of the traditional Chinese medicine industry in Xiangcheng with Deputy Director Zhou. He turned his head and saw Bai Yi looking aggrieved, while Professor Wu was smiling, as if he was coaxing her.
"I heard that Deputy Director Zhou and Professor Wu have a very good personal relationship," Zhong Yunxi said with a smile.
“That’s right. He was my roommate for four years in college. My family wasn’t well-off, and he was a local. I would always go to his house for meals and drinks during holidays.” Deputy Director Zhou said with a smile as he recalled his student days decades ago.
Zhong Yunxi nodded: "This is my first time attending the conference this year. Runhe is very honored to have secured two projects from Professor Wu's team."
Deputy Director Zhou leaned closer to Professor Wu: "Old Wu, let's look out for each other in future collaborations. Yunxi came all the way from Beijing."
Professor Wu knew about his relationship with Bai Yi. He Cheng and Lu Xin had differing opinions about Zhong Yunxi in front of him, and even embellished the story. While they admired his character and actions, they still had reservations about him personally.
He glanced at Bai Yi, who was still agonizing over Runhe's matter, and refrained from speaking too favorably of Zhong Yunxi in front of her. "I wouldn't dare say I'm taking care of him; he's a capitalist. I'd better not make things difficult for my students."
Zhong Yunxi smiled and chatted with Professor Wu: "Professor Wu, you've wronged me. This morning, five or six pharmaceutical companies were vying for Xiaoyi and Senior Brother He's project. We were the contractor, and we had to fight tooth and nail to get it."
Professor Wu glanced at him: "Really? Then my Xiaoyi looks unhappy. She even said she doesn't want to do the project anymore."
Bai Yi: ...
She tugged at Teacher Wu and whispered, "Don't say anything."
The contract hasn't been signed yet, but Runhe has already given too much. She doesn't want Zhong Yunxi to know that she's going to nominally withdraw from the project.
There were two people between Zhong Yunxi and Bai Yi. He pressed his hands on his knees, leaned forward, and turned his head to talk to Bai Yi: "Xiao Yi, how about we add each other on WeChat? If you have any opinions on the project, you can give me feedback, okay?"
He Cheng interrupted him: "I'll add you."
Zhong Yunxi smiled and turned to look at He Cheng, who was sitting behind Professor Wu. "Senior Brother He, I sometimes don't see your information."
He Cheng: ...
Bai Yi: ...
Deputy Director Zhou found it strange that they addressed each other so intimately, yet they didn't even have each other's WeChat accounts.
Professor Wu asked Bai Yi with a smile, "So you really did spend money to get the project for you? You agreed to Runhe's offer because of your senior brother He, right?"
Bai Yi explained to Professor Wu, "The reason for terminating the contract with Si Jian is probably because of me. Senior Brother He is so diligent, we need to find him a partner who can pay more."
Bai Yi hesitated for several more minutes before opening the business card with the QR code and handing it to Professor Wu. Professor Wu smiled and took it, then gave it to Zhong Yunxi.
Zhong Yunxi swiped open his phone, and a photo of Bai Yi was prominently displayed on the screen.
Professor Wu's expression remained indifferent towards Zhong Yunxi, seemingly ignoring his presence. Deputy Director Zhou, standing between them, saw everything clearly and couldn't help but smile and glance at Professor Wu and Bai Yi again.
The two left the venue after staying for more than an hour. Deputy Director Zhou even praised Bai Yi to Professor Wu: "Your student is amazing. Zhong Yunxi has so many resources in Beijing and Hong Kong. If he could become a son-in-law of Xiangcheng, our Xiangcheng GDP would increase by several percentage points."
Professor Wu chuckled: "Would you like this good fortune if your daughter had it?"
Deputy Director Zhou also laughed: "If he likes it, I will definitely want it."
Professor Wu laughed and scolded him a couple of times; it was common for two old friends to bicker.
After Zhong Yunxi and the other two elders left, he opened Bai Yi's chat window and sent an emoticon.
The message indicated that the message had been successfully sent, and he smiled at her.
Bai Yi heard her phone vibrate, swiped to see the message, and frowned. At that moment, He Cheng was sitting between them. Bai Yi opened the settings and used the hidden/folded functions.
She turned her head and saw Zhong Yunxi smiling, and instantly became angry: "Don't send me messages except for project work. Or find someone else to be in charge."
Zhong Yunxi said in a serious tone: "I am fully responsible for Runhe's liaison with you."
After all, this project was just using Runhe as a shell; the funding behind it all came from Leading Venture.
"Then you should contact Senior Brother He."
Zhong Yunxi looked at her and said, "My phone is picky. It doesn't show your Senior Brother He's messages."
What is the answer?
Bai Yi: ...
"Are you crazy?" Bai Yi thought he really was sick.
Zhong Yunxi didn't say anything more, he just looked at her with a helpless and pitiful look in his eyes.
He Cheng stood up and pulled her along, saying, "Let's go, let's go to the small conference room."
Zhong Yunxi added her on WeChat, knowing he wouldn't be deleted anytime soon, and was afraid of bothering her again, which would annoy her.
He stayed in the main conference room without moving, moved to a seat on the side, and listened to the speech on stage in a nonchalant manner.
He opened Bai Yi's WeChat Moments. She had only posted twice recently. Once was to complain about a failed experiment, accompanied by a photo of Bubble looking dejected after taking a bath.
Another time, she posted a photo of a hot pot in a courtyard, which looked like a private courtyard. There were five people in the photo, but only one of the men was someone she didn't recognize. In the photo, Yu Shiyuan was sitting next to her.
"What's going on? Bai Yi and Yu Shiyuan are so close?" Lu Lin and Ren Xiao came to find him and saw on his phone screen a magnified photo that only showed Bai Yi and Yu Shiyuan.
He tapped the screen, shrinking the photo back to its original size. He turned off the screen. "Aren't you going to discuss projects? Why are you coming to chat with me?"
Then he asked, "Do you know Yu Shiyuan?"
"Yes, we know him. Runhe is his big spender. His social media account, which focuses on outdoor science popularization, was operated by a public relations company that Runhe paid real money to run."
Zhong Yunxi's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Ren Xiao sensed something was amiss. Why would Zhong Yunxi be staring at Bai Yi's photos from a few days ago on WeChat Moments? "Boss Zhong, you and Xiao Yi don't have some new conflict, do you? Don't misunderstand her. There's solid evidence of your relationship with Wen Ying. I know best what kind of person she is towards Yu Shiyuan."
Zhong Yunxi looked at Ren Xiao: "What solid evidence?"
Ren Xiao: ?
"You still haven't explained things clearly to Xiaoyi? She hasn't mentioned you and Wenying at all?"
Lu Lin looked on with a gossipy expression.
Zhong Yunxi: ...
He stood up, slightly nodded, and gestured for Ren Xiao to follow him out.
The two stood at the back door of the conference room. Zhong Yunxi asked, "I forgot that Xiaoyi was with you before she left Yuegang. I was so focused on calling you to ask where she was that I forgot to ask what happened that day. You were the one who told her about the Sijian project, right?"
Zhong Yunxi put his hands in his pockets, his brows furrowing more and more, his tone turning cold. Ren Xiao was almost scared out of his wits by his questioning.
She argued, "That screenshot clearly shows that you agreed to Wen Ying's decision to cut the Chinese medicine division. She would definitely understand if she saw it. Wen Ying also set the background image like that. Even if I don't tell her, Wen Ying will have someone else tell her. If it becomes public knowledge, Xiao Yi will be very embarrassed. It's better for me to tell her."
"What picture? Send it to me."
"I deleted it..."
Zhong Yunxi: ...
Ren Xiao described it: "Your chat history with Wen Ying, the decision to lay off an important business unit of Sijian, the background picture is a screenshot of a surveillance camera, it should be overseas, you are hugging Wen Ying downstairs in the apartment building."
Zhong Yunxi was furious. No wonder Bai Yi said he was holding Wen Ying.
He raised his hand to support himself against the wall, glanced at Ren Xiao, and said, "I'm the person involved. You got some random stuff and instead of coming to me, you went to Xiao Yi first? Do you even have a brain?"
Ren Xiao: ...
Zhong Yunxi sighed deeply: "You guys are drinking coffee on the 88th floor, and I'm on the 108th floor. Why don't you just call me down here right now to confront me?"
Ren Xiao was also helpless: "I didn't know Xiao Yi would keep it to herself like this. Besides, what right do I have to confront you about what happened between you two? I'm afraid that if it's true, and you really choose to break up with Wen Ying, it would be so embarrassing for her if I were there."
Zhong Yunxi went to the small conference room to find someone. Bai Yi was chatting with several pharmaceutical company executives around a corner of the conference table.
When Bai Yi saw him come in, she unconsciously clenched the paper cup in her hand, wondering what he was up to. She then turned her face away from him.
Zhong Yunxi walked straight to her side and put his hand on her arm: "It's something urgent, I need to talk to you for a bit."
Bai Yi remained seated, then slightly raised her head: "Go on."
Zhong Yunxi looked at her: "Xiaoyi, it's a private matter."
Dear friends present: ...
Bai Yi: ...
She silently got up and left the meeting room. In this kind of situation, she was too thin-skinned. As long as Zhong Yunxi was shameless enough, she was helpless.
She shook off his hand at the door: "Zhong Yunxi, the contract hasn't been signed yet. If you continue to be so casual, I'll switch to another pharmaceutical company to cooperate with anytime."
Zhong Yunxi grabbed her wrist again and led her to the stairwell.
She almost raised her hand to slap him, and angrily took out her phone to delete his WeChat account.
Zhong Yunxi pressed down on her phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. "Xiaoyi, don't you trust me that much? You sentenced me to death based on just one chat background image? You didn't even ask me."
Bai Yi was stunned.
He held the person in his arms, took out his phone, and scrolled through his chat history with Xue Meng.
“In northern Xinjiang, that morning, when I woke up I replied to Wen Ying’s message, but not just her.”
He showed Bai Yi his chat history with Xue Meng: "I told Xue Meng that I would give him full control of that project, and I even sent him Wen Ying's contact information, telling him not to bring that kind of thing up in front of me again. Now, do you know how I feel about Wen Ying?"
Bai Yi pushed his phone away and pried his arm off: "Who wants to see this? Let go."
He cornered the man against the wall. "I won't let you leave until I've explained everything today, and you can't refuse to listen even if you don't want to. It's not about asking you to forgive me, it's about telling you to stop getting upset about these things."
Bai Yi was furious that he had seen through her thoughts and scolded him, "I'm not angry at all. Who do you think you are? I don't care what kind of relationship you have with any woman."
In front of him, Zhong Yunxi made a phone call to the housekeeper of Boyuntan. After the call was connected, he put the phone on speakerphone: "Uncle Feng, go to New York immediately. A few years ago, when I returned to China, a few days before I left New York, I went to a bar to see Wen Ying. She was drunk, so I took her home and then went home. Find as much surveillance footage or photos as possible of my itinerary from when I left home to when I returned home that day."
He hung up the phone and hugged Bai Yi again. "I did hug her, but only that one time. She was drunk, and I had no choice. From the time I got out of the car to the time I took her inside and then went downstairs, it was less than five minutes. You can wait for Uncle Feng to bring back the evidence to see. If I really had feelings for her, I wouldn't have stayed for only a few minutes. When you made a scene at Qiwu Mountain Residence, I carried you back. Do you know how long I stayed by your side?"
Before Bai Yi could raise her hand to cover her ears, he pressed her hand down and placed it on his waist, letting out a slow sigh: "I know that there are other people involved between us, and you can't forgive me right away. But, like the Princess and the Pea, I have to deal with every little detail, otherwise you'll bring up old grievances whenever you remember."
Bai Yi kicked him: "You're the princess and the pea. Who's going to bring up the past with you? You wish! I won't see you again."
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