Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Lu Ye held the bottle of Moutai, filling three glasses with the rich, lingering sauce-flavored liquid. He took the lead, calmly responded to a few opening remarks, and then drank it all in one gulp.
He had changed his clothes on the way. His dark blue silk wide-sleeved shirt was fitted and smooth, and a Hermès frosted buckle belt hung loosely around his narrow waist. His blended trousers outlined a pair of straight and firm long legs.
In such an occasion, such pretentious flattery with the local boss would have been seen as hypocritical and pedantic by anyone else, but when Lu Ye spoke of it, it completely lost its greasy air. He complimented without being fawning, sought friendship without being coercive. Even though the other party repeatedly crossed the line, he smiled lightly and raised his glass, responding appropriately.
In front of An Jiyue was a goblet with scarlet liquid remaining in it for a long time without diminishing at all.
This red wine is actually of good quality, but An Jiyue likes to drink it in small amounts and rarely goes to the wine table.
She had seen Lu Ye's truly happy look, but at this moment, there was a hint of courtesy in his half-closed eyes, and he seemed to hate this occasion as much as she did.
Lu Ye seemed to have forgotten her again. She thought angrily, every time he raised his glass, he would drink and chat happily with the two people opposite him, completely ignoring her.
A plate of peeled shrimps was pushed in front of her. His bony fingers rested on the edge of the bone china plate, and his ring fingertip tapped lightly on the table, as if reminding her to eat quickly.
An Jiuyue looked up in surprise, but the man next to her was still facing the Liao brothers, holding a cup in his other hand, chatting and laughing with them.
Could this man be a mind reader? She lowered her head in frustration, unable to guess where she had revealed her complaint.
Not long after, another of her favorite Typhoon Shelter Fried Crabs landed in front of her. An Jiyue took one and just as she was about to place it on the plate, Lu Ye gently pulled it over and began to peel it for her with natural movements.
Although his hands were busy, he still chatted with the two bosses about business, occasionally lowering his head to carefully select a few times. Finally, he took out a bowl full of white and tender crab meat and delicious crab paste and handed it back to her.
"Manager Lu also said that he and President An were just old classmates, but it seems they have a very close relationship."
Liao Feng, having spent years across the country interacting with a wide range of people, naturally had a keen eye and a keen eye. His company had been pursuing an IPO for a long time, and he had previously established a relationship with Lu Ye through an industry summit. After several interactions, he discovered that Manager Lu didn't drink or accept invitations to treat.
He had thought this connection was dead, but this morning, he suddenly received a call from Manager Lu. He realized that there was a business misunderstanding between his brother and an old classmate of Manager Lu's, and he quickly agreed to mediate.
Unexpectedly, Manager Lu, who usually regarded himself as aloof, would show such respect to them and even personally arrange a banquet for them in City G. Liao Feng was overjoyed, yet also deeply terrified, and had already secretly decided to return the favor.
Since the principled Manager Lu personally brokered the deal, this "old classmate" must be no ordinary person. Therefore, Liao Feng had already instructed his younger brother, Liao Xiong, to be courteous and maintain harmony with the other party. Unexpectedly, Lu Ye personally went to the factory to pick him up. According to Liao Xiong's account, he hadn't even exchanged a single word with Mr. An.
From the moment he entered, Mr. An, dressed in a capable manner, seemed completely oblivious to the situation. Shortly after sitting down, he immersed himself in picking up his food. His long, slightly curly chestnut hair fell halfway over his cheeks, and when he occasionally glanced up, it was hard not to notice his gentle, beautiful face.
Her star-like deep brown eyes were either examining the dishes in front of her or glancing at the resolute and cold figure beside her.
Lu Ye was toasting with them at the table, without mentioning Mr. An behind him. He seemed to be indifferent, but his intention to protect him was obvious.
Liao Feng played along, unfazed. After all, it was his brother who had been at fault, greedy for a small profit. It was only after three rounds of drinks, seeing Manager Lu's hands meticulously peeling crabs and shrimp, as he charted the stock market, that he couldn't resist a few more jokes.
An Jiyue had just put a spoonful of crab meat into her mouth when she choked and coughed violently after hearing the joke. Two blushes appeared on her rosy cheeks, as if she had confessed something.
Lu Ye put down the cup, reached out and patted her thin back without any hesitation, and handed her the Ganpu tea that he had left out for a while.
He even jokingly joked with the two, "We're quite close indeed. Back then, I almost climbed onto Mr. An's high horse."
An Jiyue was immediately furious.
She realized that Lu Ye had long since let go of everything that happened back then, which was why he had been hinting at it repeatedly in recent days, and even talking about old times as a joke.
But she hasn't yet.
The icy, piercing words he'd spoken on the phone that year, each one like a freshly sharpened knife stabbing into her heart, every time she recalled them, she shuddered in pain. To this day, she still doesn't dare remove the needle, fearing that the slightest movement would cause blood to spurt out.
An Jiyue's face was livid, and she didn't hide her anger. "Thank goodness Manager Lu didn't climb up the ladder at Anshi, otherwise how could he have such a great reputation today?"
Lu Ye's hand, patting her back, hung in the air, his face frozen in shock, as if he hadn't expected her to flare up so quickly. The Liao brothers also stopped laughing. In the awkward silence, An Jiyue raised her hand, gently brushed off Lu Ye, and sat up straight.
"Mr. Liao Xiong, I'm not here today on behalf of Anshi Capital, but on behalf of the Any brand. I'm sure you're well aware of Mr. Zhan's character. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, but as long as there aren't any more problems, we're willing to continue this business for a long time."
"Any's brand shipments will soon more than double, and Xinfeng Garments is in urgent need of a representative product. Cooperation is a win-win situation. I hope General Managers Liao Feng and Liao Xiong will reconsider this. That's all I can say today. Tomorrow, General Manager Zhan will come to visit in person with orders for the next three years."
An Jiyue stood up, tossed her hair behind her, and raised her pointed chin. She lifted the still glass of red wine, shook it gently, and took a deep breath.
"This is my sincerity."
Her slender white neck rolled over as she drank the red wine in one gulp, then gracefully raised her hand to wipe the deep red residue from her lips.
An Jiyue picked up her bag and walked out of the box resolutely.
Before the dinner started, Lu Ye had told her to be less talkative. But she not only spoke, but also acted so arrogantly.
It wasn't her fault; she'd been eating quietly. It wasn't the Liao brothers' fault either; they were actually quite respectful and polite. If anyone was to blame, it was Lu Ye.
It was he who comforted her along the way, and it was also he who ignited her emotions.
Even when he just noticed that she was in a bad mood, he subconsciously wanted to put his arm around her shoulders.
She was transported back to college, when Lu Ye would always rush over to comfort her over trivial matters. Her annoyance would often fade within a minute, dissolving into soft grumbling that would dissipate against his chest.
They were only a few feet away at that time. She had just called him, and before she could finish her angry words, he would appear ten meters away, his handsome figure facing away from everyone, smiling warmly at her.
But the last time, it was the same call, and she stubbornly called again and again, only to receive a few icy replies in return, and finally the ruthless sound of hanging up spread in the false chaos.
Now, is he going to treat the breakup five years ago as the same as before?
Bitter tears welled up in her eyes, and An Jiyue plunged into the rain without looking back. The soft soles of her lambskin high heels were soaked in seconds, but she kept moving forward, unconcerned.
"Hello!"
"Wait a minute!"
The man strode up from behind with his long legs. In a moment he caught up with her and grabbed her arm.
"An Jiyue! What's wrong with you?" he scolded. "Where are you going in such heavy rain?"
Her heart trembled, but she held her breath and turned away with a cold face. It was just a rain of cicadas, nothing compared to the flood that was raging in her heart.
"You're still mad at me, aren't you?"
Lu Ye looked down at her. Her high-end, handmade suit, soaked in water, felt extraordinarily heavy, pressing against her thin shoulders and making her look even smaller. Her long, slender eyelashes dripped with raindrops, which slid down her warm face into her collar. Her pale lips trembled, as if from cold or a hesitation to speak.
He couldn't help but reach out to touch her rain-soaked face, but she dodged him like a frightened bird.
"Leave me alone."
"Of course I can survive in the rain."
Her dark eyes dimmed, and Lu Ye's hand, suspended in the air, gradually clenched into a fist, hanging at his side. She remembered his bitter and tragic farewell so vividly.
"Jiyue..."
She interrupted him and stubbornly repeated her memories: "Lu Ye, I don't need your help, not even if it's the end of the world. Do you understand?"
"Jiyue, listen to me..."
Her expression was cold and her smile was pathetic. "Thank you for your blessing. Look, now you and I are both flourishing."
It seemed as if they had returned to that day again, but this time, they were finally no longer at the ends of the earth.
Lu Ye firmly opened his palms to hold her face, and his warm palms tried his best to transfer the warmth to her.
"Jiyue, forget it."
The rain washed away the remaining warmth, but the heart-wrenching spasm from her chest rebounded into his heart. Lu Ye pressed his forehead against hers, nose touching nose, repeating clearly and firmly amidst the sound of the pouring rain.
"Jiyue, forget it."
An Jiyue closed her eyes with trembling hands, and followed his instructions into the darkness, where she saw the daggers in her heart piercing in a neat row.
She gripped the knife handle tremblingly, a cold busy tone sounded, blood gushed out, and she threw it away in pain.
Lu Ye was pushed hard by her with all her strength, and the two people who were almost overlapping just now suddenly separated by half a meter.
An Jiyue regained her composure briefly, steadying herself. She brushed her wet hair away from her face and stared at Lu Ye exhaustedly.
His hair fell in clumps between his eyebrows, his stern features darkened in the rain, his complexion like a layer of ink on rice paper. He stared at himself in confusion and heartache, his usually dark eyes now filled with an unfathomable tenderness.
An Jiyue let herself indulge in his gaze, forcing a pale smile, "Do you think breaking up is just like the past, and that you can just coax her for a few minutes and get back to normal?"
"Of course it's different." Lu Ye's tone softened. He walked forward helplessly but patiently, took her hand and held it against his chest. "Tell me, how do you want me to coax you? No matter how long it takes."
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