Chapter 42
"Since you are so worried about Qiao Qi, why don't you go find her tomorrow? You are both in Guangzhou." Guan Ying held the business card in her hand, read both sides several times, and comforted him without raising her head.
Zheng Juyong's back was full of the smell of blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing plaster, and he couldn't help but sneeze.
"Have you noticed that your bronchitis has healed since arriving in Guangzhou?" Guan Ying turned around and looked at him. "Your condition might really suit you to living in the south. By the way, is Qiao Qi from Hunan or Sichuan?"
Zheng Juyong rubbed his nose and said, "She's from Yunnan... You don't have to point me out. I won't go to Yunnan to live with Qiao Qi, and Qiao Qi doesn't want to go back to her hometown either."
"Why not? Yunnan is so beautiful." Guan Ying asked him seriously.
Zheng Juyong frowned. "Maybe when I'm older... but not now. I told you, you don't need to provoke me here. I'm very clear about my responsibilities."
Qiao Qi and the steel mill, like the two ends of a scale, held Zheng Juyong in a balance. He couldn't let go of either, and he couldn't lift either. This wasn't much different from her many years ago, when she first entered society, wanting to do everything but knowing nothing. Guan Ying smiled and said, "Hey, why are you so sensitive tonight? After you marry Qiao Qi, it's not impossible for you to go live with her in Yunnan. I was just saying it casually."
Zheng Juyong muttered, "Don't I know you? You never speak casually."
Guan Ying laughed: "Haha, I'm not that complicated, you really wronged me!"
Zheng Juyong couldn't laugh at all: "You didn't follow Daniel to live in Canada..."
Guan Ying took a deep breath, suppressed her smile, and said seriously, "Even if it's not Yunnan, it could be Shanghai or Guangzhou... How confident are you in keeping Qiao Qi in Jingxi? Even I know she won't give up music for you or the child, and you know her better than I do... Wait until the show goes online next Sunday, and you'll know how big the impact will be. The production team has focused the topic on her. No matter what, she'll become famous overnight and will no longer be the obscure Qiao Qi she is today. If you two want to grow old together, I'm afraid one of you will have to sacrifice."
He didn't want to admit it, but he had to admit that when that day really came, it would definitely not be Qiao Qi who would be sacrificed.
Seeing that he remained silent, Guan Ying sighed, "Alas, since you know what the steel mill's reforms mean, and you know what choices you will make in the future, why do you still have to push yourself into a dead end? It's better to let go as soon as possible. Uncle Zheng may be disappointed and upset for a while, but it's better than both of you being stuck in a difficult situation in the future. Why don't you come back to Jingxi with me tomorrow morning and admit defeat to Uncle Zheng... It's not shameful for a son to lose to his father!"
Zheng Juyong frowned. He really didn't want to disrespect Qiao Qi. Besides, he still hoped that his marriage would receive his parents' blessing. "You don't understand me. If that happens, the engagement party won't happen, and the wedding will be delayed indefinitely."
Guan Ying was puzzled. "I don't understand. Is an engagement party that important? Young people nowadays don't even have formal weddings; they just travel and get married! Given your current situation, is it necessary to stick to these conventional rituals? Besides, you two already have a child, don't you? In my opinion, neither of you are the kind of people who follow the rules. Why not just get the marriage certificate secretly? Once the child is born, as time goes by, the uncle and aunt will recognize him sooner or later."
This remark touched his sore spot.
Zheng Juyong stood up from the sofa. "Guan Ying, you can say whatever you want about me, but I won't allow you to be so arbitrary about Qiao Qi! The songs she sings sound very unconventional, but you can't misunderstand her for that reason... She's different from you. In short, I can't treat her casually!"
Guan Ying felt that his anger was inexplicable. "That's different... Are you trying to say that I'm a heretic because I've had seven or eight boyfriends? Haha, that's funny. Even if you didn't want to treat her casually, didn't you still get her pregnant out of wedlock?"
Zheng Juyong was in the wrong, so he stood there, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
Guan Ying was originally irritated by him, but suddenly thought of Jiawei, and her temper immediately subsided. She could only sigh: "Heh... She is luckier than Jiawei."
"...sorry."
"It's okay... You're right, she is different from me. I shouldn't be so self-righteous, and I shouldn't meddle in what's going on between you two." Guan Ying didn't know if she was irritated by his words or because she thought of Jiawei, but her face was gloomy, and she fell silent as if she had come to her senses and blamed herself.
"Guan Ying, I'm sorry." He apologized again carefully.
Guan Ying suddenly smiled, looked up at his eyes, and said politely but distantly, "It's really okay. And the one who should say sorry is actually me. I'm sorry for what happened just now."
She smiled at him with an unfamiliar smile, unlike the one he'd known since childhood... For a moment, he felt panic. The few blunt words he'd said to defend Qiao Qi were like Pinocchio's nose, growing longer and longer due to his inexplicable lies. The distance between him and Guan Ying had instantly widened to the ends of the earth.
Why on earth did he always show such a lack of emotional intelligence in front of her? Even he himself regretted this!
In the awkward silence, the heavy, soundproof and peeping-proof door of the VIP room was pushed open by two people from the outside.
"Are you two really here?!" Dong Zhiqiao came in first, and Cui Shanshan said thank you to the manager on duty outside the door. The manager on duty led the way and retreated.
"Have you met General Manager Zhang? Where is General Manager Zhang?" Dong Zhiqiao was obviously disappointed that he did not see General Manager Zhang in the room. "Hey, where is the manager..." When he turned around to ask the manager on duty, he was stopped by Cui Shanshan at the door.
Shanshan pushed him and whispered, "Why are you so anxious? Shouldn't you first ask if Mr. Zheng is injured?"
Dong Zhiqiao paused and hurried over to Zheng Juyong, "I was just trying to get them to come over and explain. How could they be so careless? Mr. Zheng, let me take a look. Where did you twist it? Is it serious?"
Zheng Juyong replied simply, "It's okay. I just strained my shoulder muscles a little. I put on some plaster and I feel much better now."
"Strained shoulder? Oh, so serious!" Dong Zhiqiao was indignant. "The manager suddenly came to me and said she'd give us a waiver for tonight's meal, and we just heard about your injury. I strained my shoulder playing basketball before, and if it's not treated properly, it can lead to frozen shoulder. How can they just apply some plasters and call it a day? Who cares if she waives that little bit of money? I think we should call their boss over to have another chat!"
Zheng Juyong didn't want them to know about Qiao Qi's situation, so he shook his shoulders and said, "Forget it. Look, I'm really fine."
"It's okay now, but it will be swollen tomorrow! Hey, they are just bullying you two outsiders. Don't worry, leave it to me!" After a few words of concern, Dong Zhiqiao turned around and went out to find the manager on duty.
Guan Ying was sitting on the sofa by the door, holding out a business card to him, blocking his way. "The duty manager is just an employee, too. Since Boss Xiao Dong doesn't care about compensation, why bother her anymore? This is the business card that Mr. Zhang left behind when he left. Just take it."
Dong Zhiqiao is young and energetic, with immature acting skills. In front of Guan Ying, who is experienced in socializing, his thoughts are obvious.
Seeing Dong Zhiqiao standing at the door, speechless for a moment, Cui Shanshan smoothed things over for him, saying, "Manager Guan is right. Why are you making things difficult for an employee? Why are you taking advantage of his good looks to get close to him? If you really want to fight for Xiao Zheng, why don't you just go talk to their boss directly? Speak in local Cantonese, which Xiao Zheng and the others won't understand, and it's annoying to listen to their chatter. Just take your business card and go out and make the contact yourself!"
Dong Zhiqiao took the business card, went out, and did not return for a long time.
During this time, the duty manager arranged for someone to bring in more food and wine. However, Zheng Juyong and Guan Ying were still awkwardly discussing their differences. Only Cui Shanshan moved her chopsticks. She had heard from her uncle that there was a little awkwardness between the two of them, and she was too lazy to try to bring them together. After all, she felt that Zheng Juyong was not worthy of Guan Ying.
Zheng Juyong was worried that Mr. Zhang would tell others about Qiao Qi, which would expose his relationship with Guan Ying. He stood up and walked around nervously, but every time he stood up, Cui Shanshan's gaze followed him and he couldn't leave.
Guan Ying was certain that Mr. Zhang would never casually reveal any information, and Dong Zhiqiao would never truly pursue the matter. He had chosen this place specifically tonight, and now seemed eager to see Mr. Zhang. He must have come here with someone specifically to see Mr. Zhang, but had been rejected before. Tonight, Zheng Juyong had unexpectedly broken his plan.
This is something she has never figured out. Why would Mr. Zhang rush over just for Zheng Juyong's little trouble?
"Shanshan, I have decided to return to Jingxi early tomorrow morning. Thank you for running around for me. I toast you with this glass of wine. Please also thank Brother Xu for taking care of him these days on my behalf." Guan Ying stopped discussing with Zheng Juyong and picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Shanshan's drink glass.
Zheng Juyong, who was walking around in the distance across from Cui Shanshan, stopped and was stunned when he heard the words.
Cui Shanshan also blinked: "Has Manager Guan decided?"
Guan Ying wore that polite smile. "Well, now that things have come to this, I think I should explain. Mr. Zheng's girlfriend is indeed in Guangzhou, but I don't know if they have had any trouble. But I'm definitely not his girlfriend. You lied to us once, and we lied to you once, so let's call it even."
Why did my uncle cause such a big mistake? Cui Shanshan asked cautiously, "Then why did Manager Guan come to Guangzhou?"
Guan Ying didn't intend to continue acting: "I am indeed doing this for Fenghua's fine desulfurization system."
Cui Shanshan did not expect Guan Ying to suddenly reveal her cards at this time. She was really unprepared and regretted that she had listened to Dong Zhiqiao and called her uncle. She now wished that her uncle, Manager Xu, would come over immediately.
Seeing Shanshan's panic and helplessness, Guan Ying smiled and drank the wine in her glass. "However, you may have missed the point. This matter is entirely under the control of Mr. Zheng, and I am just cooperating with him."
Cui Shanshan asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Guan Ying intended to retreat: "Of course, otherwise why would I leave so early tomorrow morning? Tomorrow is a very important day."
Guan Ying wasn't Zheng Juyong's girlfriend, and her attitude seemed inclined to give up the competition, which were two good things. Shanshan almost blurted out: "That's great!"
Zheng Juyong knew that he had offended Guan Ying tonight, and Guan Ying would no longer help him without a clear line. She had also made it clear that she did not support this grand adventure. Ultimately, of course, it was because she knew that he would sooner or later give up the West City Steel Plant for Qiao Qi.
From both her and Uncle Guan's perspectives, cutting losses immediately was undoubtedly the most rational decision. But he was Zheng Dongfang's son... he couldn't just be rational. He certainly wouldn't give up Qiao Qi for the steel mill, but he also wouldn't give up the steel mill for Qiao Qi. He knew his father too well; the Xicheng Steel Mill was Old Zheng's lifeblood. The moment Guan Ying announced his departure from Guangzhou, he suddenly felt the same feeling Old Zheng had felt when Uncle Guan filed for bankruptcy liquidation: loss, loneliness, bitterness, and reluctance...
Zheng Juyong hung his head and secretly clenched his fists. He had already made a decision: he would definitely get Fenghua Technology's fine desulfurization system for him!
As for the relationship between Qiao Qi and him, he believed that true love could create miracles and did not believe that there would be no way out in the future.
Guan Ying treated love too much like a game. He had wanted to persuade her since their time in Dubai, but a hundred words were worth less than one action. This time, he wanted to prove to her that as long as you put enough sincerity into it, nothing was insurmountable.
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