Chapter 14 Public Response
They had agreed to discuss the wedding upon their return, but before Cheng Hexi could even set off, she was bogged down by a terrible situation.
It's not that it's unsolvable, but it's making her a little upset.
A leader's emotional management is very important and is directly linked to the company's image. Although Cheng Hexi is still growing, she is almost able to keep her emotions hidden.
She never showed any displeasure at the company and was very approachable to her subordinates. She was poised yet assertive in public, considerate and tolerant at home, yet still possessed a sharp edge that tolerated no dissent.
She has a cousin, surnamed He, but when it comes to being related to Cheng Hexi, it's a long and complicated process, and they have absolutely no real relationship.
There are many people in the company who do better than him, and the words "unworthy of his position" are written all over his face.
Cheng Hexi and the He family have never had a close relationship. She also knew that some of the so-called relatives in the company had taken advantage of He Chongguang's influence but had not actually done anything and had no real ability. These people were a burden to Xilin, and she began to purge these "parasites" after taking on the powerful position of CEO.
This distant cousin introduced his mistress to suppliers, creating a mess that Cheng Hexi had to clean up herself. Two announcements were issued, causing a lot of trouble for people.
Cheng Hexi remained calm throughout the meeting, decisively bringing the matter to a close. Finally, she looked at the report on the table and ordered him to leave.
After the meeting, He Chu went to the general manager's office and caused a scene.
The bodyguards were at the door, but Cheng Hexi didn't let them in. Instead, she splashed water all over He Chu's face to wake him up.
He Chu and He Zhouyan are close friends, and He Chu has always been resentful of her. When she meets her at the company, she is very reluctant to call her "President Cheng" and wishes she could be the CEO herself.
Cheng Hexi had always known, but she didn't really care.
Because she's on a high vantage point, she often only hears the wind and doesn't notice personal emotions.
But this person in front of me lacks both ability and emotional intelligence. At thirty years old, he still can't control his emotions and wears his likes and dislikes on his sleeve. He can only be described as "immature".
He changes lovers more often than clothes, throwing money at them, only to end up with a mess of his own making. That's stupid.
Cheng Hexi's hesitation to act against He Chu was not because of his close relationship with He Zhouyan, but simply because she had only recently taken over Xilin and did not want to make a big fuss. Besides, he had only had a bad attitude before and had not made any major mistakes.
The saddest thing is when a person has an inaccurate self-perception. Cheng Hexi uttered this last sentence before having her bodyguards take her out.
That evening, she received a call from He Chongguang.
At that time, she and You Yue had just returned home from her maternal grandmother's house. Her driver was driving, and she was in the back seat with her head propped up and her eyes closed.
Cheng Hexi didn't know if the call was about He Chu, so she didn't want to answer and let her phone vibrate.
You Yue knew the person next to her wasn't asleep, and she also knew she had her reasons for not wanting to answer, so she didn't say anything.
After that, He Chongguang called You Yue.
Cheng Hexi then opened her eyes.
She never sleeps in the car, but perhaps she was just too tired lately and was actually quite drowsy just now.
You Yue glanced at the lit screen, didn't answer, and turned to look at her.
Their eyes met in the quiet car.
You Yue said, "If you don't want to listen, I'll hang up now."
Cheng Hexi leaned back in her seat and chuckled softly: "You can answer it. I'm actually a little curious about what he'll say."
So You Yue answered the phone and put it on speakerphone.
Cheng Hexi initially thought that He Chongguang's call was because of He Chu.
Although she and He Chu were not related by blood, He Chu was He Chongguang's favorite nephew, so it was expected that he would make this call after such an incident.
But He Chongguang didn't mention He Chu's matter at all.
He said on the phone that his grandmother was hospitalized and wanted Cheng Hexi to visit her, as the old lady had the same old ailment and her condition was not good this time.
"After all, she is her own grandmother."
You Yue didn't speak, but turned her head to look at Cheng Hexi, trying to find her answer.
She kept her eyes closed and showed no intention of speaking.
You Yue understood her attitude, looked away, and felt unhappy as she recalled He Chongguang's words.
He said, "He Xi is asleep. I will pass on the message when she wakes up. Please don't call her again."
The call was disconnected, and silence returned to the car.
Cheng Hexi opened her eyes; the car had already entered the gate of the villa area. The streetlights cast a brilliant, bright light, and the summer night breeze rustled the shadows of the trees.
She suddenly spoke up and asked You Yue, "Don't you think I'm cold-hearted?"
After returning to Beijing and taking over Xilin's care, she extricated herself from a loveless family, truly becoming a lone leaf in a small boat.
"Why do you think that?" You Yue's tone was calm, yet carried a subtle reassurance: "If it were me, I would do the same."
Cheng Hexi chuckled softly, feeling she should thank him, but ultimately didn't say anything.
-
After returning home, the two went upstairs together again.
When they reached the second floor, Cheng Hexi suddenly asked him to wait a moment, saying she had something for him.
You Yue stood there without moving, a thought flashing through his mind about what she had gone to get.
Cheng Hexi didn't keep people curious for long; she brought out a box in less than two minutes.
Before she even opened it, You Yue could guess what it was.
He wasn't too surprised that she had it in her hands. He simply stood by the dark wooden staircase, composed, wanting to hear what Cheng Hexi had to say.
She spoke quickly, her style remaining concise and to the point.
“If I didn’t accept it, I was afraid Grandma would have a problem with it, so I accepted it that day. But I still feel a bit uneasy about it not being proper.” Cheng Hexi raised her eyes and said, “So, you’re here to keep it?”
This bracelet is naturally incredibly valuable, but its significance is even greater.
She and You Yue will likely never fall in love in this lifetime; they will only fulfill their responsibilities and be bound by interests. Naturally, they are not each other's ideal marriage partners, and therefore, they do not meet the old lady's original expectations.
"This is for you."
You Yue looked down at her, showing no intention of reaching out.
"Whether or not we have feelings for each other doesn't affect the legal validity of our marriage." He asked sharply, "Why do you feel that our marriage is illegitimate?"
Cheng Hexi looked up at him under the corridor lamp.
You Yue must have understood what she was saying, but he still said it that way.
She was originally carefree, but now she seems to have an added burden.
"I won't fall in love with anyone else, and we didn't get married with the intention of getting divorced someday." You Yue's tone was indifferent, but his words sounded like a promise: "What's given to you is yours."
"Then I'll keep it."
Cheng Hexi glanced at the jade bracelet in the box again, then carefully put it away.
She realized that she liked the feeling of being trusted and recognized.
It was inexplicable, completely inexplicable.
-
Cheng Hexi has always kept a low profile, never giving interviews, never appearing in public, and never giving others a chance to talk about her.
It's similar to swimming.
But his behavior has nothing to do with being low-key; he simply finds it troublesome.
This morning, she had just finished a meeting at the company when the public relations department came to her and showed her You Yue's interview after the Hongsheng press conference.
If I'm being contacted by PR, then it must be related to her.
What does a new drone product launch have to do with her?
Cheng Hexi gestured for him to put the laptop on the table, and then slid the touchpad to open the video.
As usual, there was a Q&A session with reporters after the press conference.
You Yue is known for his sharp and decisive style in business, but he doesn't even plant any insiders during these Q&A sessions. As an industry journalist who has worked in various internet companies, he also has his own unique insights into products.
He himself is willing to listen.
You Yue rarely gives interviews and is very passive in promoting his work. However, at the first developer conference after taking over Hongsheng, he showed great patience to reporters, which changed many industry insiders' opinions of him.
In fact, You Yue's personality has always been the same; it's just that he doesn't resist external opinions, and the company culture isn't rigid.
This is his style as a leader.
Cheng Hexi was very interested in this video.
You Yue himself studied computer science and has his own views on technical issues. He is not the kind of person who dumps everything on his subordinates. During his years of advanced studies at Stanford, many success stories gave him a lot of inspiration.
He didn't talk much, but what he said was meaningful. Cheng Hexi appreciated his approach to answering questions.
The vice president of public relations tried twice to remind them to let President Cheng slide the progress bar, but gave up both times.
About three or four minutes later, Cheng Hexi didn't see the important part and didn't want to waste his time, so she looked away from the screen and said, "Can you help me find the time point you want me to see?"
The vice president skillfully moved the progress bar to the last position.
The press conference had already ended, and many industry professionals had left. You Yue casually straightened his cuffs and glanced down at his watch.
The way he raised his left wrist made his wedding ring on his ring finger very conspicuous.
The press conference was already accompanied by flashes and camera shutters, so this caused a small stir at the scene.
Cheng Hexi was also surprised to learn for the first time that the wedding rings he had chosen were so eye-catching.
People have a natural curiosity about the love stories of wealthy families.
Then, a reporter who was still at the scene boldly brought it up: "Everyone knows that you got married in a flash recently, which surprised us all."
Upon hearing this, You Yue glanced over and looked at him with interest.
Asking this kind of question is actually quite disadvantageous, because it's inappropriate for the occasion and makes one appear very unprofessional.
But it's also a kind of adventure.
Once a response is received, it becomes firsthand information with the biggest selling point.
The man in the spotlight slightly raised an eyebrow: "What do you want to ask?"
"Could you please tell us whether Hongsheng and Xilin have reached a relevant cooperation agreement?"
Surprisingly, You Yue didn't seem to mind the topic.
Aside from the official announcement of the CEO's marriage by Hongsheng, he has indeed not expressed his attitude towards the marriage in public.
Without hesitation, he said, "There are certainly vested interests involved, I don't deny that, but the outside world cannot deny the feelings between us because of that."
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
A commotion broke out below.
Someone asked, "You have never revealed your private life before, and you have never responded to other rumors."
"I already said it's just a rumor, why should I respond?" You Yue's attitude lasted only half a minute before he reverted to his usual self.
He adjusted the microphone: "Everything before was just sensationalism by some media outlets trying to grab public attention. Mr. Cheng and I have a stable relationship, so there's no need for everyone to worry about it."
-
Cheng Hexi had only two thoughts after reading it.
Firstly, she genuinely didn't understand what You Yue had done when he first took over Hongsheng to leave the media with the impression of being arrogant and cocky.
This man is clearly very good at using witty remarks.
Secondly, why didn't he become an actor back then?
The forty-year-old vice president was still standing at the table waiting for her response. Cheng Hexi handed the laptop back to him and smiled, "It's alright, leave everything to Hongsheng."
A note from the author:
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The next chapter will be available for purchase! There will be a combined two-chapter long chapter on Sunday! Please give me your support, my little angels! Thank you all for keeping me company on this serialization! *bows*
Let me recommend my upcoming novel, "Good Times Arrive," by Chi Yu'an and Ying Zeqing (synopsis below). It's part of a series about childhood sweethearts from a wealthy family, with the male lead harboring unrequited love. Please add it to your favorites if you're interested! My author page also has various other upcoming novels to choose from. [rice emoji]
Synopsis for "Good Times Arrive":
Childhood sweethearts locked in a tumultuous relationship | A long-planned scheme | A carefree and bright young woman x A noble and powerful man with a commanding presence | The hidden love of a high-ranking official
Chi Yu'an and Ying Zeqing were childhood sweethearts who met when they were young. Although their personalities were very different and they had nothing in common in their careers, they remained very close.
According to their mutual friends, there is an atmosphere between them that no one else can break.
On one occasion, when the young lady returned to China, her friends gathered for a small get-together. However, the interaction between the two was completely different from usual. Chi Yu'an seemed very awkward, ignoring her completely and avoiding her whenever they bumped into each other. The ignored man, meanwhile, kept his eyes down, drinking, his attitude unreadable.
After the event, their mutual friends, as if watching a spectacle, inquired with President Ying about the following:
What happened?
"You finally couldn't keep up the act and confessed, scaring everyone away?"
Ying Zeqing glanced at him indifferently: "No, Yu'an said he wanted to marry me, but I didn't agree."
friend:? ? ?
He was always calm and composed, but this didn't apply to Chi Yu'an. His friends, who knew him well, were even more curious: "So what are you doing? Are you playing hard to get or using a retreat as a strategy?"
Ying Zeqing remained silent.
He didn't want her to compromise or make concessions.
He stubbornly craved her love.
-
To be honest, their relationship wasn't exactly innocent.
I still remember the scene of the confession half a year ago. Chi Yu'an looked shocked and had a hint of sadness.
She asked him, conflicted, if he had misunderstood her, mistaking her protectiveness and friendship for liking and love.
Ying Zeqing thought, "After loving you for so many years, how could I not understand my own heart?"
He calmed down and told her, "I dreamed about making love with you."
Chi Yu'an opened her eyes wide.
She also avoided it for a while. Ying Zeqing gave her enough time and space to politely retreat to the boundaries between friends and brother, and not to cross the line again.
It was Chi Yu'an who took the initiative to ease the tension, saying that she hoped to be friends with him and asking him if that was okay?
Ying Zeqing would agree to whatever she said, and this time was no exception.
But Chi Yu'an knew perfectly well that she couldn't leave him. No matter how high or far she flew, he would always be there to protect her. They had known each other for many years, like two planets locked in by the tides.
For me, winning her love was a stroke of good fortune.
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