Chapter 78 Dispute: "Tonight can be yours too."
After the site visit, the charity project concerning Orange County and similar rural primary schools was on track. The temperature in City A also plummeted in November; the wind felt like a blunt, razor-sharp knife cutting into my face.
The project proceeded steadily, and Tang Yi took even better care of Fang Zhen, helping her get acquainted with the new job, business trips, and meetings. After being in charge of hosting foreign guests for the first time, Fang Zhen collapsed at her workstation.
Only after personally experiencing various trivial arrangements and handling emergencies could Fang Zhen truly understand why Tang Yi was regarded as the pillar of the secretariat by her colleagues.
Under Tang Yi's hands-on teaching, in just one or two months, Fang Zhen transformed from a timid and hesitant girl into a capable chief secretary, gradually becoming able to handle things independently.
In addition, there is another major change.
Zhang Minglang still remembered Li Linna, who had inexplicably drenched him with water. As a result, he held a grudge against the Li Group and frequently tripped them up. Quite "coincidentally," he intercepted their company's suppliers several times, causing chaos within their organization.
Tang Yi remained completely indifferent to this, after all, deep down she still remembered the young lady's arrogant attitude.
Zhang Minglang is, after all, the president of a group. Just because he doesn't act like a big shot doesn't mean he doesn't have a temper.
After so many coincidences, even the slow-witted other side eventually realized that Zhang Minglang was deliberately trying to annoy them and make things difficult for them.
So the president of the Li Group sent a message to Tang Yi's email address, inviting them to a gathering at a manor that evening to have a good chat and shake hands to make peace.
When Tang Yi told Zhang Minglang about this, he scoffed and pressed the rapidly spinning pen onto the table, making a crisp sound.
Zhang Minglang raised his head and said smugly, "I'm the winner, why should I go? You can refuse."
Tang Yi thought for a moment and then said, "I think you should go."
"Why?" Zhang Minglang straightened up and accused, "Didn't you say last time that I was yours, and now you're trying to push me away?"
Upon hearing those four words, Tang Yi's brow twitched violently, and she naturally recalled that decadent night.
Her eyes darted around for a moment, then she said seriously, "There are no permanent enemies. If we embarrass them, there's no guarantee they won't retaliate more fiercely in the future. It's better to take this opportunity to draw a line and avoid unnecessary conflicts in the future."
Zhang Minglang leaned back, looking disappointed. "I thought..."
"Don't think this is a big deal, let's get to work. I'll send you the location in a bit." Tang Yi was afraid he would say something shocking or outrageous again, so she quickly interrupted him and turned to leave.
Before leaving get off work in the afternoon, Tang Yi informed Fang Zhen in advance, asking her to go with them to experience a drinking party that evening.
Fang Zhen was nervous all afternoon. After get off work, her colleagues got up one by one to say goodbye, and she became even more restless. She simply walked up to Tang Yi and asked, "Secretary Tang, do I really have to go today? What do I need to do there?"
Tang Yi pushed up her glasses, and it took her a while to shift her gaze from the computer screen to her face: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Fang Zhen waved her hand: "I'm not feeling unwell, just a little nervous..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yi lowered her head and thought for a moment, then reached out and took a few documents, handing them to her: "There's still plenty of time. If you're really in a rush, take these and organize them."
Fang Zhen took the document blankly, unable to understand how it had anything to do with being nervous.
Seeing that she didn't move, Tang Yi looked up and said, "What's wrong? I used to feel better when I was in a bad mood by forcing myself to do a few documents. You can try it."
...What a vicious and bizarre way to relieve the pain.
Fang Zhen obediently sat back down, still holding the documents.
However, whether it was psychological or not, Fang Zhen felt inexplicably calm after reviewing these documents.
Tangyi is a god.
Fang Zhen was thinking this as he handed her the document.
It was almost time to leave. After Tang Yi coordinated with the driver, she got up to call Zhang Minglang. The three of them got into the private car and headed to the manor.
Tang Yi could sense that Fang Zhen was sitting on pins and needles, so she decided to explain the precautions to her one by one during the journey.
Upon entering, quickly scan the room and try to remember everyone present; pay attention to the air conditioning vents and temperature, and avoid serving food to the boss; proactively pour tea and wine, if there are waiters available, you can skip this step; never interrupt during the meal; if there are any issues, consult the other party's secretary first...
Fang Zhen nodded repeatedly as he listened, while Zhang Minglang shook his head repeatedly. He remarked with a sigh, "There are so many rules."
Tang Yi: "It's my duty."
The car stopped in front of a huge estate. Tang Yi had contacted the owner's secretary beforehand, who was waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing the car, he quickly went down a few steps to greet it.
Tang Yi and Fang Zhen shook hands with him and introduced themselves to each other before he led them into the manor.
The room was decorated in a lavish and opulent style, perfectly matching Zhang Minglang and Tang Yi's stereotypical impression of the Li Group as a whole, based on Li Linna: nouveau riche.
However, while thinking this in her heart, Tang Yi praised him outwardly without showing any emotion: "President Li is indeed a worldly person. The interior decoration has its own unique style."
Wang, the secretary in front, turned around and smiled so hard his eyes were almost closed: "Secretary Tang has a discerning eye! President Li doesn't have many other hobbies, he just likes to study all kinds of gold and jewelry, so of course his interior design reflects that distinctive style."
He turned around and continued walking. Tang Yi looked up and exchanged a glance with Zhang Minglang.
Zhang Minglang shrugged, looking disdainful.
Tang Yi smiled and looked away.
The heavy door was pushed open, revealing a huge round table. Mr. Li, with a face full of fat, sat in the center of the table. Seeing Zhang Minglang enter, he quickly stood up, walked to him, and bowed, saying, "Mr. Zhang! It's an honor to meet you!"
Zhang Minglang graciously extended his hand and nodded.
Mr. Li turned his head and saw Tang Yi standing to the side. His eyes lit up, and he wanted to reach out to greet her. However, Zhang Minglang subtly moved a step to the side to block her, and said in a flat tone, "Please sit down."
Mr. Li's hand paused in mid-air for a moment, then he immediately withdrew it, accepting without any embarrassment. Tang Yi, standing behind Zhang Minglang, smiled and looked around, suddenly catching sight of a familiar figure.
Zhao Li, the one I met at the charity gala.
He's also a shareholder of the Li Group?
Zhang Minglang took his seat, with Tang Yi sitting beside him. President Li stood up and introduced everyone present to him. When he mentioned Zhao Li, his voice suddenly rose: "This is Zhao Li, one of my younger brothers, and also a shareholder of the group! President Zhang, look, you and he are the same age, both so young and accomplished!"
Not only Tang Yi, but even Fang Zhen thought to himself, who would compare their company's shareholder with the president of the other company? Isn't this blatant mockery?
As Fang Zhen thought this, she looked up and secretly glanced at Zhang Minglang's expression. His lips were pursed, and he looked somewhat displeased. Just as the atmosphere was about to freeze, Tang Yi, who was beside her, suddenly smiled and said, "President Li is too kind. Fang and I will certainly learn from you."
Zhao Li glanced at her with amusement, then casually looked away.
Mr. Li quickly chuckled and urged everyone to serve the food and eat first.
After a round of toasts, General Manager Li, his face flushed, urged Secretary Wang, "What are you standing there for? Pour General Manager Zhang a drink! It's a rare get-together, we must drink to our hearts' content!"
Secretary Wang obediently carried the wine bottle over and was about to pour it into his glass when Tang Yi's hand covered the rim of the glass.
She looked up and stared into his eyes: "Mr. Zhang can't drink too much, so please eat some vegetables."
"Hey! Secretary Tang!" President Li jumped up and yelled at Tang Yi, "That's not right of you! Your President Zhang and I finally have a meal together, and you're ruining it!"
Upon hearing the words "your President Zhang," Tang Yi's eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly. She looked up and met President Li's gaze, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhao Li staring at her quietly, his eyes filled with a mocking expression.
For some reason, it reminded her of Zhao Linrui.
This idea gave her a jolt.
Zhao Linrui, Zhao Li.
Before he could think about it carefully, Zhang Minglang's casual voice rang out: "I have a poor alcohol tolerance, please excuse me."
Seeing his clearly resolute attitude, Secretary Wang turned to ask the boss for his opinion. General Manager Li waved him away impatiently, and he retreated with the wine bottle.
Tang Yi moved her hand away, and when she looked up again, both President Li and Zhao Li turned their gazes to her simultaneously. President Li looked at her, then chuckled, his voice slightly cold as he said to Zhang Minglang, "President Zhang, Junmao intercepted so many of our raw materials, what, you won't even give us this much face?"
Zhao Li's glasses gleamed on the bridge of his nose, making it difficult for Tang Yi to even see his eyes from her angle. As soon as President Li finished speaking, Zhao Li looked at Tang Yi like he was eyeing prey and said, "President Zhang, how about this? If you can't drink it, have your secretary drink it for you. Whether it's you or someone else, Junmao needs a representative, don't you think?"
They've all set their sights on Tang Yi.
Zhang Minglang sneered, his voice as cold as if it had been soaked in ice water, enunciating each word clearly: "Whether you can get the raw materials or not depends on your own abilities. Our company has never had this kind of boring drinking culture, and we certainly don't make our secretaries drink on your behalf."
"So protective, huh? Mr. Zhang's reputation for caring for his employees is well-deserved." Mr. Li glanced at Tang Yi casually, his flippant tone causing the air to freeze.
Tang Yi's smile gradually softened, her fingers tightening slightly under the table. Suddenly, a chair was pulled aside beside her, and Fang Zhen stood up. Holding her wine glass in both hands, she looked firmly at President Li and Zhao Li: "President Li, I'd like to propose a toast to you."
As she spoke, she tilted her head back and downed the entire glass of wine. Her brows were furrowed, but she closed her eyes and drank the wine in one gulp.
Tang Yi hurriedly reached out to stop her, but Fang Zhen was a stubborn person. Only after the wine glass was emptied and the bottom of the glass was shown to President Li and Zhao Li did she reach out and pull back her chair to sit down.
Mr. Li laughed loudly and exclaimed that the younger generation was truly formidable, reaching out to pat Zhang Minglang on the shoulder.
Fang Zhen drank too quickly, and her face flushed red. Tang Yi glanced at Zhang Minglang, then turned to President Li and said, "President Li, I'll take her to the restroom first. Please drink slowly."
Seeing this, he looked up as if to say something, but Tang Yi's cool gaze froze him, and he forgot his words of dissuasion.
Tang Yi led Fang Zhen out, and the moment the door closed, Zhang Minglang turned to look at her, his gaze sharp as a blade.
“Mr. Li,” Zhang Minglang twirled his wine glass between his fingers. His voice was soft, but it instantly silenced the entire private room. “Since you appreciate young people so much, why don’t I have a drink with you?”
He slowly rose, his tall, slender figure exuding a particularly imposing aura in the light. He picked up the wine bottle on the table and leisurely filled the empty glass in front of President Li, almost overflowing it.
"This glass is for you," Zhang Minglang said, but he reached for his empty glass and tapped it on the round table, making a crisp sound. "It's for your generosity. After I took so many things from you, you still opened your heart to organize this gathering and brought in some pretentious people. How dare you compare yourself to me?"
Mr. Li's face stiffened, and Zhao Li, who was sitting next to him, suddenly clenched his fist under the table. He looked up at Zhang Minglang, but Zhang Minglang's expression was indifferent, and he didn't even bother to glance at him.
"Besides that, I admire your way of educating your children; it's truly impressive," Zhang Minglang said with a smile, but his words were increasingly piercing. "The industry is small. If people in the industry knew that you were so negligent in even the most basic matters of parenting, I really couldn't imagine how your company would survive."
Completely bewildered, Mr. Li forced a smile and said, "I wonder what Lina did..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Minglang suddenly raised his hand and splashed the glass full of wine in his face. Secretary Wang, who was standing nearby, immediately stood up.
However, the wine glass stopped steadily at the tip of Mr. Li's nose, the wine sloshing around, with only one or two drops spilling out and landing on Mr. Li's trousers.
Zhang Minglang raised an eyebrow and said in a calm voice, "Your daughter, this is what you made."
At the sink, water gushed from the faucet, concealing Fang Zhen's uncomfortable vomiting sounds.
Tang Yi patted her back worriedly, her tone anxious and slightly reproachful: "You can't drink, why did you drink so fast?"
Fang Zhen, regaining some composure, replied weakly, "I was just worried they would make things difficult for you and President Zhang..."
Tang Yi's heart skipped a beat, and she said with a smile, "We're still playing a game; it's not certain who will make things difficult for whom."
The sound of water stopped, and Fang Zhen was still leaning against the sink, feeling uncomfortable. Tang Yi sighed, crossed her arms, and said, "These kinds of drinking parties are things you'll have to attend in the future. You need to learn to decline, to be tactful, and not just keep rushing in. If you recklessly drink, people will figure out your drinking capacity, and you'll be easier to manipulate later."
Ten minutes later, Tang Yi returned to her seat with Fang Zhen. After being swayed and intimidated by Zhang Minglang, President Li had become much more restrained, and the atmosphere at the dinner party calmed down considerably. No one was shouting for drinks anymore.
Tang Yi arranged for the driver to take Fang Zhen home first, and then dropped them off at the company. Both of them had been drinking, so they had to call a designated driver to take the car back to Tang Yi's house.
Tang Yi had been lost in thought since leaving the manor, and Zhang Minglang called her several times but received no response.
"What's wrong? You seem lost in thought." Zhang Minglang helped Tang Yi put her high heels under the shoe cabinet, then hugged her from behind, trying to draw her attention back to himself.
Tang Yi pushed his face away, disgusted by his smell of alcohol, and went to take a shower first.
"First?" Zhang Minglang nuzzled his chin against her neck. "And then what? What do we do next, hmm?"
Tang Yi smiled gently: "I'll tell you when I'm done washing."
This time, Zhang Minglang didn't need her to urge him; he took a bathrobe and went into the bathroom on his own.
The door closed, and everything fell silent except for the soft patter of water from the bathroom. Tang Yi slowly entered the room, sat down, and turned on her computer to begin her research.
Zhao Linrui, Zhao Li.
Is it a coincidence that they share the same surname?
Tang Yi remained focused on the screen, her chin resting on her hand, until Zhang Minglang walked in, wiping his hair with a towel. She didn't even notice the door opening.
Zhang Minglang slowly walked over, bent down and embraced her, placing a warm, wet kiss behind her ear. Tang Yi was startled and turned to look at him.
Taking advantage of her turning her head, Zhang Minglang stepped forward and gently kissed her lips.
She had drunk some wine. When their lips met, their tongues were filled with the slightly bitter taste of the wine.
Tang Yi momentarily forgot what she was doing. She closed her eyes, reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, and tilted her head back to kiss him. Zhang Minglang held her legs around his waist and easily lifted her up.
He stepped back, sat on the edge of the bed, and chuckled softly, "This time you can't scold me for wearing my coat to bed."
Tang Yi moved her legs up a little: "But I didn't change my clothes."
Her leg movements were too large, causing Zhang Minglang to break the knot he had painstakingly practiced, which was supposed to make the entire garment slip off with a gentle pull.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He leaned back slightly, supporting his upper body with his arms. His white bathrobe was naturally open, even slipping down from his shoulders to his upper arms, revealing his meticulously sculpted abdominal muscles.
Tang Yi's eyes, beneath her long eyelashes, lit up, slowly moving from his gaze to his abs.
"Are you satisfied?" Zhang Minglang's voice was seductive. He straightened his supporting arm a little, and his lips were only a few centimeters away from Tang Yi's lips.
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, placing her hand on his abs, and whispered in her ear, "It's all yours."
Tang Yi's vision was a little blurry. She looked up at his lips, then moved her eyes to his eyes.
Her hand slid down along the lines of his waist and abdomen, stopping abruptly at a certain point. Zhang Minglang dared not look down; even the thought of it made his blood boil.
He raised his head, his Adam's apple prominent against his thin skin. Zhang Minglang let out a heavy breath, as if he couldn't bear it any longer, and asked, "Tang Yi, do you really have to do this?"
Tang Yi chuckled, then moved her hand down an inch, as if she had touched some switch, successfully triggering Zhang Minglang's second gasp.
She asked, "Is this part mine too?"
"Wasn't it already yours?" Zhang Minglang chuckled softly, then lowered his voice, "It can be yours tonight too."
Tang Yi raised her eyebrows: "I didn't take a shower."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglang used a little force to lift her up and walked out the door without saying a word.
Tang Yi punched him: "What are you doing?"
He lowered his head and smiled, "I'll wash it for you."
Before Tang Yi could refuse, the bathroom door had already closed. Steam filled the air, and the sound of water in the bathtub overflowed like waves. Her bathrobe fell to the floor, her hair was disheveled, and the bathroom's snow-white wall tiles were covered with handprints.
I couldn't sleep all night.
When the alarm rang in the morning, Tang Yi moved slightly and felt a pain all over her body. She looked down at the owner of the arm that was lying across her chest. Some tired resentment mixed with morning grumpiness made her not care whether he was awake or not, and she lowered her head to bite his wrist.
"hiss......"
A breath hit the back of her head, and the man's chest pressed against her back, intimately against her smooth skin.
"Why are you biting me?"
He was still sleepy-eyed, and although his voice was languid, it carried a hint of calculating authority.
Tang Yi loosened her teeth, and a ring of red teeth marks instantly appeared on his wrist. Without turning her head, she said somewhat angrily, "Where are my pajamas?"
"I can't find it." He replied casually, scooting forward to press himself even closer to her.
Tang Yi felt a heat between her legs. Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly turned around, pushing him away by his chest: "Why didn't you...?"
Zhang Minglang, however, acted as if it were perfectly normal: "I couldn't find my pajamas either."
Tang Yiyang looked up and glanced at the chair next to him, where his pajamas were clearly draped.
Not wanting to argue with this person any longer, she angrily pushed him again: "Turn around! I'm changing my clothes."
It can't be pushed.
He laughed, "I've seen every inch of you, and you still need to change clothes..."
Tang Yi: "Are you going to turn around or not?"
Zhang Minglang wisely shut up and turned his back to her.
Even so, he was still unwilling to settle down. He crossed his arms and listened to the rubbing sound of Tang Yi's hands while dragging out the countdown for her.
In the end, he received a pillow thrown to him by Tang Yi, who was already dressed. By the time he hastily pulled the pillow off his face, Tang Yi's fluttering clothes had already disappeared through the crack in the door.
Tang Yi dragged her aching body into the bathroom. The drawer under the sink was open, and as she reached to push it open, she suddenly noticed several small boxes lying quietly inside. One of the boxes had been haphazardly opened, revealing a corner of a plastic bag.
Why does Zhang Minglang leave things haphazardly everywhere?!
Everything that happened here last night flooded back into her mind in an instant. The sound of the plastic bag being torn open and the waves of water being pushed out and then coming back beneath her all jumped into her head.
She felt her blood rushing up with the water from the bathtub last night, making her cheeks burn.
She bent down with all her might, intending to take all the boxes out. But the moment her fingertips touched them, she unconsciously pulled them back.
Tang Yi glanced towards the door, trying to cover her tracks, but no one was there.
So she straightened up, bent her knees and pushed forward, and the drawer was pushed back in untouched.
It's only human nature.
There's nothing wrong with going against my conscience.
Tang Yi blinked, silently preparing a few reasonable excuses for herself.
Too much time has been wasted. She quickly grabbed the car keys and urged Zhang Minglang to hurry up. After getting into the car and buckling her seatbelt, Tang Yi was about to start the car when she suddenly caught Zhang Minglang's hand reaching out to grab some tissues.
Her wrist peeked out from under her shirt, and the teeth marks from her mouth were clearly visible.
Tang Yi's pupils dilated in shock: "Zhang Minglang! Where's your watch?"
Zhang Minglang casually withdrew his hand, his tone light and airy, as if he were just saying how nice the weather was: "Oh, I forgot to bring it."
This attitude was clearly intentional. Tang Yi turned her head while holding the steering wheel: "Go up and get it now, I'll wait for you."
“We’re going to be late, Secretary Tang,” Zhang Minglang said slowly, leaning against the car door as if he had been prepared. “Do you think it’s more likely for them to speculate that I’m not wearing a watch, or that we’re both late on the same morning?”
Tang Yi stared at him silently for a few seconds, then resignedly turned the car key. Her voice was weary: "Then roll up your sleeves and stop fastening those lousy cufflinks."
Having achieved his goal of teasing her, Zhang Minglang took out his wristwatch from his pocket and calmly fastened it on his wrist.
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