Chapter 38
"This hotel sofa is quite comfortable to sleep on. Brother Xu has made a big bet this time. By the way, Engineer Li called this morning and said he had met with Engineer Chen. It turns out that the driver Engineer Chen sent to pick you up at Bao'an Airport was from his company, but he was intercepted by Brother Xu's people on the way. The two people who picked you up are both Brother Xu's people."
"Oh..." Zheng Juyong had just woken up from a hangover, his mind still a little fuzzy. He stopped thinking about the mess he had made last night after hearing her talk. He scratched his sleep-squeezed hair, trying to sober himself up as quickly as possible. "No wonder Engineer Chen called the other day, asking if we were settled. It was as if no one had informed him, and after that he just hid and didn't answer our calls."
"Engineer Chen couldn't do anything even if he found out afterwards. Although he contacted us for the benefit of Fenghua, Engineer Chen still felt a little sorry for Brother Xu." Guan Ying opened a bottle of mineral water, gulped down a few gulps, and was glad that he had made a fool of himself by pretending to be her boss.
Zheng Juyong nodded thoughtfully, then stood up and went to the bathroom. Passing by her, he saw her still gulping down water. He stopped and asked curiously, "Why are you so thirsty?"
"Oh..." Guan Ying nearly choked, took the water bottle from her mouth, turned around and sat on the purple velvet sofa by the window, deliberately avoiding him and keeping a distance from him. "What are you going to do next? Yesterday was an emergency, but I can't be with you every day."
This sofa is a chaise longue. Every ten centimeters or so, a downward-pointing hole is nailed into the fabric cushion, creating tight, prismatic blocks that don't collapse or sink. Lying on it is firm and comfortable, but if you sit on it and happen to press into one of the holes, it tends to tilt sideways.
In her haste to avoid him, Guan Ying's attention wandered as she sat, and she tilted against the high back of the chaise longue. The mineral water bottle tumbled, spilling water. Although it was clean water, her immediate reaction was to worry about soiling the hotel sofa, so she lunged in the direction of the water, trying to steady the bottle.
The more he tried to steady it, the hotter it became, toppling over and over again. It was a small, insignificant sway, but because of the opened bottle in his hand, it became a ridiculous, catastrophic jolt.
It was just a little water, no big deal. But seeing her fall, Zheng Juyong instinctively rushed over to help her. She was on her toes, chasing the water bottle, and she tripped over his leg...
When Aquarius stood up, his entire upper body was pressed against her back, his chin resting between the back of the chaise longue and her neck.
"ah!"
Guan Ying screamed in shock as he knocked her down, and the two of them, confusedly, became one. For a moment, the soft, sweet sensation beneath him, like a cloud or cotton candy, made Zheng Juyong's mind wander.
"Zheng Juyong, you're just making things worse!"
"Oh..." He opened his hands, pointed them to the sides, and held them up in panic.
"Ah, where are you pressing!" Guan Ying's left arm was pressed hard from behind by his big, bony hand, which pressed her left chest ribs into the hole in the sofa.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Zheng Juyong quickly shifted the direction of his force, first pushing himself away from her back, then slipping his hands under her ribs, lifting her up and helping her stand. For a moment, he felt as if he had experienced this action before.
"What's wrong with you!" Guan Ying was a little annoyed, thinking that he was meddling in her affairs and causing trouble.
Zheng Juyong took a half step back and pointed at her feet: "It's because you tripped me... There's something wrong with the design of this sofa. It's not comfortable at all!" After saying that, knowing that he had offended her, he hurriedly turned around and went to the bathroom.
After washing his face, he was alone in front of the dressing mirror when he lost consciousness again. Why had his heart been beating so fast? Was it the hangover? But that feeling, that scent, that movement... it was so real, like a dream all over again. But wasn't the woman in last night's dream Qiao Qi? Actually, Qiao Qi's face hadn't been seen in that dream. Could it be that, subconsciously, he was having the same dream he had with Guan Ying?! How could it be, how could it be...
"Knock! Knock, knock, knock!" There was the sound of knocking on the door outside.
"Here you are, who is it?" Guan Ying walked quickly.
The bathroom was near the door, and he listened carefully. It must be Guan Ying looking out through the peephole. A moment later, the door opened and a woman's voice came from outside: "Wow, Manager Guan is so beautiful! I'm Cui Shanshan, Brother Xu's assistant."
The Mandarin, accented with Cantonese, sounded familiar. Zheng Juyong, hearing this, draped his towel over his face, pushed open the bathroom door, and leaned out. "Cui Shanshan? It really is you!"
"Oh, Mr. Zheng, good afternoon!" Xiao Cui was not embarrassed at all when they met again. Instead, he acted like he was meeting an old acquaintance. He even stepped inside and said, "How was your stay at Dameisha, Mr. Zheng? This hotel is better than the Sheraton. I picked it carefully!"
She looks like she is drunk and has lost her mind, like she has never told a lie, and like she is happily taking credit for it. What a wonderful Cui Shanshan!
Zheng Juyong had been fooled for days, and now that he was a rich fool, he decided to be a fool all the way, pretending to be dumb but actually trying to embarrass her: "Cui Shanshan, you've really confused me. You work for Fenghua Company, so how did you become Brother Xu's assistant? It's only been a few days, and you've already changed jobs?"
Cui Shanshan closed the door with a smile and waved her hand without any shame. "Mr. Zheng, I'm just an assistant. It doesn't matter which company I work for. Besides, I came here today to apologize to you. Hehe, for the next few days, I will be your exclusive tour guide. Just follow my orders!" She knew it very well and simply didn't answer Zheng Juyong directly. Instead, she turned around and took Guan Ying's hand. "I heard that Manager Guan has traveled a lot, unlike me, who hasn't seen much of the world. I'm afraid I'm not treating you well enough. I've been feeling very nervous since this morning! In the next few days, if I do anything wrong, Manager Guan, don't be polite to me. Just tell me what you have to say!"
Oh, Cui Shanshan had deceived him, and after being ridiculed by him, she had become angry. Was she trying to point fingers at Guan Ying? It seemed that everyone from Manager Xu to this assistant looked down on this idiot. Zheng Juyong smiled bitterly, closed the bathroom door, and handed the socializing outside to Guan Ying.
Cui Shanshan wasn't very old, but her conversation spoke with a certain confidence and temper. Manager Xu, a sophisticated man, not only employed her as an assistant but also sent her on social functions. Guan Ying suspected she must have some connections, so she couldn't be too dismissive. She took the initiative, warmly greeting her, and took the conversation. "Shanshan, you're too polite. We're guests. We've already made you spend money a few days ago. How can we continue to trouble you? I see you're a few years younger than me, so why don't you just call me Sister Guan?"
Unexpectedly, Cui Shanshan smiled and declined: "Oh, no, I dare not! Manager Guan, you are all bosses with big businesses, I am just a small assistant, we can't mess up the generations~"
Guan Ying tilted her head and listened to her carefully, thinking that her Mandarin was not standard, so she said "duty" instead of "generation". Her words were full of humble words, but it was clear that she was very opinionated and would not be manipulated by others, nor was she afraid of any occasion. This was really inconsistent with her age and appearance. She was worthy of being trained by Manager Xu.
For a moment, Guan Ying couldn't see where Cui Shanshan came from, so she didn't say anything more. Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it and let her arrangements for now.
When Zheng Juyong finished washing up and the group went downstairs, a Mercedes-Benz private car had already stopped at the hotel entrance. Leaning against the car door was a young man. Although he had changed his clothes, Zheng Juyong still recognized him. He was the man who had accompanied Cui Shanshan to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport that day.
Cui Shanshan seemed not to have expected him to come. She trotted over and pulled him aside. The two of them muttered something to each other. The male colleague said a few nice words with a playful smile and tugged at her sleeve before he coaxed her into silence.
When they came back, the male companion was already walking ahead of Cui Shanshan. Unlike in Shenzhen, he obviously had more say in Guangzhou.
"Hello, Mr. Zheng, Manager Guan! I'm sorry that I didn't have time to introduce myself last time. My name is Dong Zhiqiao, and I'm the son of Dong Wei of Southern Steel Plant. I'd appreciate your guidance." It turned out that he was the son of Director Dong of Southern Steel. He looked younger than Zheng Juyong, and had the clear temperament of a college graduate. "There was a misunderstanding before. I apologize to Mr. Zheng on behalf of Shanshan. I hope you don't mind." He was upright and did not hide anything.
Cui Shanshan stood behind Dong Zhiqiao, her head turned away, looking unhappy.
Zheng Juyong had come to Guangzhou this time, pretending to be a wealthy fool. They'd been cheating each other, and honestly, there wasn't much to blame. Besides, Dong Zhiqiao looked even younger than him. "Little Boss Dong, you're welcome. It's nothing to worry about. I was wondering how Engineer Chen from Fenghua Technology could afford our expenses for so many days. It turns out it was Brother Xu and you guys who were the ones entertaining us. I was so clueless, I'm so ashamed!"
"I told you, it's all a misunderstanding. Mr. Zheng won't mind, haha~" Dong Zhiqiao turned around to tease Shanshan, but Shanshan glared at him.
Guan Ying watched from the side and found it interesting.
On Sundays, the show had to be done in full, so Guan Ying accompanied Zheng Juyong the whole time. They were arranged by Dong Zhiqiao and Cui Shanshan to visit Guangzhou City. The group first went to Shamian Island to have a meal of the internet-famous overseas Chinese food curry crab, which was to accommodate Zheng Juyong who got up late, and it was considered as an afternoon tea.
When eating, they sit opposite each other in pairs.
Dong Zhiqiao kept picking up dishes and pouring water for Cui Shanshan beside him. He didn't take the guests seriously at all. He only had eyes for the people around him. Anyone could see what was going on.
"That's enough! I can't eat that much!" Cui Shanshan thought he was being tactless. "Why don't you ask Mr. Zheng if he wants to drink anything? You said you were here to help, but I think you're just here to cause trouble."
"Haha, Mr. Zheng, what would you like to drink? We have barley tea, scented tea, and English tea." Dong Zhiqiao obviously had not had many social events, so he did not recommend alcohol, only tea.
This was exactly what Zheng Juyong wanted: "As long as it doesn't conflict with the curry crab, I'm fine with it."
Cui Shanshan frowned.
After a refreshing meal, Guan Ying and Shanshan sat around and went to the bathroom together, leaving the two men waiting outside.
Dong Zhiqiao suddenly sighed, "Guangzhou is very hot and humid this season. You northerners must be very uncomfortable with it, right?"
"It's okay. I just got here, so I don't feel anything yet. Do you feel stuffy? Do you want to sit back inside the restaurant and enjoy some air conditioning? There's always a line for the women's restroom anyway."
"No, I'm afraid Shanshan will get anxious if she doesn't see me. Hehe..." Dong Zhiqiao lifted the collar of his shirt, letting in some warm air. "Mr. Zheng, how did you manage to win over Manager Guan? She's five years older than you and seems to have a lot of aura. It must have been very difficult for you back then, right?"
"..." Like the ladies discussing how to win the hearts of their husbands who are away on business, Zheng Juyong felt a little awkward. Thinking about the situation between him and Qiao Qi, he replied ambiguously, "You still have to be persistent..."
"Yes, I only have perseverance, love and patience now, but Shanshan just won't give in! She said she only sees me as a younger brother, but I have liked her since I was a child. She is only one year older than me, but I have never seen her as a sister! Hey, Mr. Zheng, do you think I look childish?" Dong Zhiqiao looked curious.
"Ha... When it comes to love, it's enough to try hard, but you can't force the result."
"Mr. Zheng, you're wrong. I, Dong Zhiqiao, have to force my choice of someone!" Dong Zhiqiao couldn't help but feel hot, and he kept shaking the collar of his shirt. He probably didn't usually wear such formal clothes, which was why he felt so uncomfortable now. His carefree attitude made him look more and more like a child wearing adult clothes, or even more like a little brother pestering his sister for candy.
"You said you have liked her since you were a child? But how can a child understand love? Have you ever thought that you may just be used to having a sister taking care of you. In fact, you may not be suitable for her. Be more open-minded." Zheng Juyong persuaded him like this, which made Dong Zhiqiao a little unhappy.
Dong Zhiqiao was unconvinced and fanned his collar even faster. "You're a full man who doesn't know the hunger of a hungry man! You have a girlfriend as good as Manager Guan, and I don't have one. I wanted to learn from you, but you're trying to persuade me to be more open-minded? Tsk, that's boring and not very nice!"
Zheng Juyong thought he was indeed childish and that they were not on the same page, so he simply kept quiet.
Zheng Juyong ignored him for a while, and Dong Zhiqiao said dejectedly, "My dad has delayed all my affairs. He should have arranged a marriage for Shanshan and me long ago, but now he's pushing me. He doesn't even think about how powerful my current rivals are... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
Boss Dong is straightforward, has no scheming, and is not cunning at all.
"You said your father, Director Dong, urged you?" Zheng Juyong found it strange. Cui Shanshan was just a small assistant, how could she have won over the head of the Dong family? Moreover, what small assistant, had she grown up with the young master of the Dong family?
"Yeah! My mom's pushing me too hard." Dong Zhiqiao eagerly looked towards the bathroom, but still couldn't see her. He complained, "Shanshan is Lao Xu's nephew, and Lao Xu is my dad's sworn brother. It's obvious that just one word from the elders would make everyone happy! Now, they have to test me. I don't know anything, and I'm not as smart as Shanshan. Shanshan will definitely look down on me! It's no use for them to push me. I wish I could turn 30 in the blink of an eye!"
"Shanshan is Brother Xu's niece?"
"Yeah, didn't she tell you?"
In private enterprises, the second generation always has to marry into the family in order to inherit, continue, or expand. The only difference is that Dong Zhiqiao likes Cui Shanshan, but Zheng Juyong likes Qiao Qi.
What Zheng Juyong had at his fingertips was exactly what the other party longed for. He couldn't help but sigh that fate always liked to play tricks on people. He smiled and said, "You are very brave to talk about an older woman and a younger man. Keep going."
"Haha, Mr. Zheng, we're the same!"
A word of encouragement re-energized Dong Zhiqiao.
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