Chen Qiao entered the company's temporary office and immediately sensed something was wrong.
She smiled and said, "Why are you all staring at me?"
Colleagues stood up one after another and applauded, filling the entire office with enthusiastic applause.
Chen Qiao's smile widened: "What are you all doing? It's not a holiday..."
"Stop playing dumb," the office manager laughed. "Everyone knows you secured the lease for the new office building, doing the company a huge favor!"
"I didn't expect that, Director Chen, you have such a good relationship with the Lin family."
"It's more than just good; I saw her having dinner with the old lady of the Lin family with my own eyes."
"Having dinner with the Lin family's matriarch? Good heavens!"
The women present couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
The patriarch of the Lin family, what kind of person is she? Chen Qiao being able to have dinner with her, does that foreshadow something?
“Don’t overthink it,” Chen Qiao waved her hand, “It’s just a meal, it doesn’t mean anything.”
As they were talking, Gu Fanyan walked in.
Seeing everyone talking to Chen Qiao and no one doing anything, she was a little puzzled.
However, when she arrived, no one rushed back to their workstations. One of the women even stepped forward and grabbed her arm: "President Gu must know what's going on. President Gu, Chen Qiao can have dinner with the Lin family's matriarch. What do you think that means?"
Gu Fanyan then realized that they were talking about the lease.
"Does this mean Chen Qiao has a chance to marry into the Lin family?" the woman asked.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Chen Qiao immediately interrupted her, but her cheeks turned red.
The women immediately started jeering, "I told you things weren't that simple! You're still pretending! Keep pretending!"
Gu Fanyan pursed her lips and said calmly, "Alright, it's working hours now. If you all want to celebrate for Director Chen, let's wait until after get off work."
She restrained her anger.
However, none of the people present could tell that they were all founders of the new company, recruited by Gu Fanyan, and their lack of formality compared to the junior employees was understandable.
Moreover, if Chen Qiaozhen were to marry into the Lin family, it would be a huge and earth-shattering piece of gossip!
Putting everything else aside, just look at their identities: from now on, Chen Qiao and Gu Fanyan will be in the same circle!
"President Gu, please tell us," the women pleaded with Gu Fanyan, "This will determine how we address Director Chen from now on!"
"Yes, maybe from now on we'll have to call Director Chen Mrs. Lin!"
A strange feeling arose in Gu Fanyan's heart.
But on second thought, there's some truth to that.
If Chen Qiao and Lin Zhibai really get married, even she will address Chen Qiao as "Mrs. Lin" when she sees her.
"Young Master Lin is here!" someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone was stunned in disbelief and hurriedly turned to look at the door.
This is not a prank!
I'm not kidding!
Lin Zhibai really walked in, holding a document in his hand!
“The office building lease…” he said as he walked, glancing toward Chen Qiao.
"Wow!" someone in the crowd exclaimed quietly, "Young Master Lin has personally delivered the lease to Chen Qiao!"
"Is he afraid we won't believe that Chen Qiao got the lease?"
"Young Master Lin, is it really necessary to be so protective of her?"
Chen Qiao couldn't believe it either; her palms were already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
But Lin Zhibai was indeed walking towards him.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Chen Qiao heard her own heartbeat and felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest!
Lin Zhibai approached, and got even closer, but he passed her and walked to Gu Fanyan, who was behind and to the side of her.
His gaze was fixed on Gu Fanyan, not wanting to miss a single second.
“If you want something next time, just come to me,” Lin Zhibai said, placing the contract in her hand. “There’s no need to have someone relay the message.”
Gu Fanyan stared at him blankly, not understanding why he suddenly did this.
She was so close to him that he could almost feel her soft breathing and smell the faint fragrance in her hair.
A surge of impulse welled up within him, and he longed to pull her into his arms and knead her as he pleased.
But he still managed to maintain a sliver of rationality, pulling himself back a step before turning and leaving.
He had just taken a step when he stopped.
He turned back, reached out, and ruffled her hair before finally leaving.
The entire place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were on Chen Qiao, and the way people looked at her was rather strange.
They heard from her assistant that she had secured the contract...
But now...
Gu Fanyan snapped out of her daze and smiled slightly at everyone: "The new office has finally been signed. Thank you all for your hard work in coming up with solutions. This deal was mainly made possible by Director Chen. On behalf of the company, I would like to thank Director Chen."
She was the first to clap after she finished speaking.
Everyone joined in the applause.
Chen Qiao smiled, but the awkwardness in her smile was impossible to shake off.
Gu Fanyan had just sat down in the office when Chen Qiao followed her in.
“President Gu,” Chen Qiao laughed self-deprecatingly, “Look at me, I’m caught in the middle.”
Gu Fanyan looked at her. "I didn't know Lin Zhibai would come. But the contract is indeed your doing."
Chen Qiao shook her head: "Do you think I care about that?"
She took a step closer, staring intently into Gu Fanyan's eyes: "President Gu, tell me the truth, what is your relationship with Lin Zhibai?"
Gu Fanyan thought for a moment, "There's no need to hide it from you. He and I had a relationship before, but we broke up three years ago."
Chen Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, having guessed that was the case. "Why?"
Gu Fanyan lowered her eyes, "Why? Our fate has run its course."
"But I don't think Lin Shao's feelings for you... seem like things have come to an end."
Anyone with eyes could see that if there hadn't been so many people around, Lin Zhibai might have done something to Gu Fanyan.
Chen Qiao's self-mockery deepened: "I was even fantasizing about Young Master Lin in front of you before. I wish I could slap myself. I was so overestimating myself."
Gu Fanyan, being kind-hearted, said, "Many people covet him, so this is nothing."
"Besides, it's over between us. Whatever you think, you don't need to consider my opinion."
Chen Qiao kept shaking her head: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. What do I have to compare with you? Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm going back to my office to do the accounting."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Gu Fanyan thought to herself that she hadn't misjudged Chen Qiao after all; Chen Qiao's mind was simple.
As night fell, Lin Zhibai returned home and heard a woman's voice coming from the living room.
"...I really didn't know that Young Master Lin and our President Gu had such a past. Aunt Lin, I was overestimating myself before, please don't laugh at me."
He stopped at the entrance and recognized the figure in the living room as Chen Qiao, Gu Fanyan's subordinate.
Lin's mother frowned: "Did Gu Fanyan send you?"
Chen Qiao quickly waved her hand: "I came here by myself. I didn't know anything before and felt like a clown."
Lin's mother snorted, "What do you mean? Just because I talked to Gu Fanyan, does that mean my son can't have contact with other women anymore?"
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