Chapter 60 Chapter 60
On a warm spring night, the Li River meanders with its emerald green waves. The night breeze ripples the water like wrinkled emerald green silk.
S City has always been exquisite and elegant, a fashion pioneer. Handsome men and beautiful women roam the vibrant streets along the Li River, clutching expensive bags and sporting the latest limited-edition shoes.
It should be a warm and peaceful night, perfect for a stroll along the river with the opposite sex, a drink with friends, or a low-key visit to high-end social venues.
But for Shen Xingyu, every step of the night was thrilling.
Qin Jianhe, who had just finished a business dinner, got into his car with a unhappy look on his face.
He asked in a low voice, angrily: "Where is Lu Ye? Hasn't he come back yet?"
Shen Xingyu's heart trembled. He quickly replied, "Not yet," and hurriedly pulled a bottle of Evian from the car's refrigerator. "Mr. Qin, have some water. I'll continue to contact him."
His trick was quite effective. Qin Jianhe reacted and surveyed the car's luxurious interior. The leather seats were soft and comfortable, and the curves around the waist and neck were perfectly shaped to support the most tired parts. Qin Jianhe took the water from Shen Xingyu and weighed it several times.
"What's the situation now? Are you still using this kind of car?"
The Bordeaux red car's body was striking even in S City, a city teeming with luxury cars. Qin Jianhe was a cautious and experienced driver. If his driver hadn't called in for the day, leaving the company's low-key limousine unavailable, he definitely wouldn't have gotten into this blazing Panamera.
Qin Jianhe leaned back in displeasure, his face gloomy and he said angrily:
“There is no such thing as a fuel-efficient lamp.”
Yes, yes, yes. Mr. Shen, who always did his own thing, humbly lowered his head and listened to the criticism from his leader. It's just a car, I'll change it tomorrow.
Mr. Qin, who had scolded him, did not let go of the topic of Lu Ye and said unhappily, "Mr. Shen is so generous, why don't you just book a plane ticket for Lu Ye."
Shen Xingyu argued for Lu Ye: "Boss Qin, he came back yesterday and went to P City this afternoon. Lu Ye can work anywhere, so it's okay for you to call him back..."
Qin Jianhe glared. "How is he okay? The new public offering will start fundraising next week, and so many institutions are begging him to go on the roadshow. Just now, several big sellers at the table were asking when he'd be free. At this critical juncture, I really don't understand why he'd go to P City."
Shen Xingyu knew it very well, but he didn't dare to say it. He racked his brains to find an excuse for Lu Ye.
"The major institutions in East China have almost finished their roadshows, but the underwriting situation in South China is relatively weak. He might be trying to attract clients there..."
Shen Xingyu's fabrication was so poor that Qin Jianhe's sullen expression silenced him before he could even finish his words. It would have been nice if he hadn't argued, but after the debate, Qin Jianhe had reached the limit of his patience.
——Company Z is based in City S, and its main market is originally the East China region. The market share in the South China region has been divided up by other friendly competitors. How could Lu Ye alone reverse the situation that has existed for many years?
Qin Jianhe turned his head and glanced out the window. His face, a face steeped in experience, was covered in deep and shallow wrinkles. Because he always wore a friendly and smiling face, he was known as the "Smiling Tiger" by his circle, but at this moment, his expression was particularly stern and solemn.
In fact, he rarely asked about Lu Ye's work schedule.
Lu Ye's uncompromising work ethic and tireless work ethic are well-known to everyone, from the chairman of company Z to the young security guard at the door. Even though he's constantly traveling to various project sites and roadshows year-round, no one has the slightest objection to his schedule.
But this time, Qin Jianhe was unusually uneasy. Perhaps it was because of Lu Ye's unusual attitude, or perhaps it was because of the unpleasantness with the Lijiang Financial Group that had just been resolved.
That time at the West Bund Art Museum, Zhong Xinli was turned down. As expected, the Lijiang Consortium repeatedly delayed confirming the details of the intended collaboration, making it seem like they had broken their promise.
Qin Jianhe first dealt with Lu Ye coldly, and then personally brought Shen Xingyu to the door, but was left alone in the reception room for two hours by the usually humble and polite Zhong Xinli. She arrived late and was serious, and sent them away with a few perfunctory words, "I need to think about it again."
Qin Jianhe was heartbroken and was about to lose the big order he had just obtained. At this time, the real chairman of the Lijiang Group, Zhong Xinli's father, actually came out in person to mediate.
Mr. Zhong not only spoke to him on the phone, he even apologized on behalf of his daughter in a slightly guilty tone, saying that he had spoiled his daughter too much, which led to her being so willful.
"I'm guilty of not raising my daughter well. How can business matters get mixed up with romantic relationships? Now that we've reached an agreement on cooperation for next year, we should just move forward with it. Don't hesitate. I've discussed this with her mother. Ah Li still needs more experience, so she won't be involved in company matters for the time being. I've already sent her home to rest."
This is how the intended cooperation was barely preserved.
Qin Jianhe was not the kind of leader who would hold on to others' weaknesses, so he called Lu Ye back that same day and asked him to put aside his mental burden and devote all his energy to preparing for the new public offering.
He tried his best to display his magnanimous and tolerant leadership, speaking of minor punishments but stern warnings, and also spoke earnestly about his many years of experience in dealing with people. However, even though Qin Jianhe was talking until his mouth was dry, he could not ignore Lu Ye's overly calm attitude.
Lu Ye sat across from him, his posture straight and upright, his eyelashes drooping, his brows calm, and a subtle curve at the corner of his lips. Noticing he was tired, Lu Ye self-consciously and gently refilled his tea, remaining silent throughout, seemingly impeccable.
Qin Jianhe asked: "Do you remember?"
He didn't know what he wanted Lu Ye to remember. The social etiquette he had just described was too smooth, and he didn't need Lu Ye to answer. He knew that this young man would never accept everything he said.
Lu Ye's arm, which was hanging in the air, remained in place. He frowned, raised his eyelids calmly, and looked at Qin Jianhe without blinking, with a layer of light floating in his clear eyes.
Qin Jianhe sighed. He could already foresee that the next time something happened, Lu Ye would remain silent as if demonstrating his opinion. If he was forced to express his position, Lu Ye would push back without being servile or arrogant.
He cherishes talent and is willing to protect a young man like Lu Ye who is full of vigor and ambition. But it is precisely because of this love that he does not want to see him being tripped up by his own edges at such a young age.
"Call Lu Ye and ask him to come back tomorrow." Qin Jianhe gave the order in a firm tone.
-
P City. It was late at night, and An Jiyue, who had slept all day, felt a little disgusted with her own vigor.
The apartment that Lu Ye rented was quiet in the bustling city, not only because of its location away from the main road, but also because of the green areas in front of and behind the building.
The banyan tree directly below the apartment building is towering and lush, its aerial roots like an elder's drooping beard. It even has a sign proclaiming it a century-old tree. It's said that to protect the tree, demolition and reconstruction efforts have bypassed it over the years.
This banyan tree has housed countless birds and butterflies, and it accommodates countless sounds from all directions, yet it remains calm and peaceful, like an old man breathing calmly and freely.
She opened the window and leaned over to gaze at the vast grove of trees. Coincidentally, the moon was shining through the gaps between the tall buildings, casting a gentle, clear, silver glow.
The lush, old banyan tree suddenly took on an air of immortality. An Jiyue's heart seemed to be illuminated by the moonlight, and a clear light shone in her eyes.
In a city full of neon lights, it is so rare to see the bright moonlight and graceful shadows of the trees.
In such a beautiful scene, she could do nothing but hold her cell phone.
An Jiyue turned her head with regret and saw Lu Ye leaning on the sofa with his legs bent, staring intently at the laptop on his lap.
In the past, An Jiyue would have simply pulled out the chair opposite him without a word, spread out her electronic devices on the table, and worked face-to-face with Lu Ye until the middle of the night. But now, that wasn't possible. She had left the company very late the night before and hadn't brought anything back with her.
Even her cell phone became useless and uninteresting after she reported her safety to Yue Hui and explained her work matters to Xu Mu.
With nothing to do, An Jiuyue could only stare at his focused profile in a daze, feeling depressed.
The phone is not good-looking, but Lu Ye is still good-looking.
You get tired of looking at a banyan tree after a while, but Lu Ye never seems to get tired of looking at it.
Lu Ye seemed to react to her staring gaze and raised his head unexpectedly.
The girl in front of the window was wearing a pure white cotton nightgown that he had bought temporarily. The fragmented light and shadow outside the window were reflected on her plain and clean face, which made her look even more pitiful and lovely because of her sickly look.
When he looked up, he happened to meet her beautiful eyes, which were wide open and infatuated. An Jiyue was stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses. However, she did not show any shyness, but smiled at him with relief.
"I'm a bit bored," she admitted honestly and frankly.
Lu Ye closed the computer and listened to her boredom carefully. The expression on his face was more focused than when he was working just now, but his eyes were no longer serious and deep, but had a bit of tenderness.
"Are you done with your work?" An Jiuyue's brown eyes were as bright as morning stars, revealing a bit of undisguised expectation.
Lu Ye stared at her beautiful and lively features, lost in thought. It turned out that she was still as calm and distant as ever, without any shyness, and never a trace of sadness in her heart, like the eternally light and bright wind.
After a long while, he slowly nodded, his tone hesitant: "Actually, I just received a notice that I need to rush back to S City tomorrow."
An Jiuyue raised her eyebrows, her face distorted a little.
The financial world is truly perverted. She nearly blurted out this complaint in her mind, but then she remembered that Lu Ye was probably running back and forth to take care of her, so she swallowed it down.
Lu Ye saw through her unpredictable thoughts and smiled casually, "Nothing much. Last year, I rushed to Pingjiang after a morning meeting in S City. After the roadshow in Pingjiang, I immediately took a flight to a factory in a third-tier city in the north for research. In the evening, after having drinks with the factory's CEOs, I had to go to the airport to catch the last flight back to S City because I had a summit to address the next morning."
An Jiyue had an expression as if she was listening to a fairy tale at first, but when she heard the end, her heart and eyes were filled with uncontrollable heartache.
She almost wanted to take action again and offer to help Lu Ye find a lighter job.
But Lu Ye, who was still a student back then, had to reject her kindness. How could he, who had worked his way up to become the top rookie today, possibly accept it?
An Jiyue bit her pale, blood-red lips, lowered her eyes cautiously, and gently advised, "This job is too physically demanding. You... maybe find a suitable time to consider a way out."
Unexpectedly, the man responded: "Well, you're right."
An Jiuyue blinked and saw Lu Ye looking at her, her smile deepened.
Lu Ye changed the subject: "I'm back in City S this time to prepare for the new public offering. It should take a long time, so I won't have time to come over this weekend."
He paused, and when he saw the girl nodded sensibly, there was some apology in his dark eyes: "Jiyue, is there anything you need me to do?"
An Jiyue was confused for a moment: Is there?
Then his eyes lit up, and he shook off his sick air, saying with full energy: "Yes!"
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