Chapter 83
"Brother Zheng, don't hesitate! I'll tie up these two bodyguards later, and you can find a chance to break in!"
Dong Zhiqiao did what he said, but his tactics were a bit of a double-edged sword: he swiftly took off his belt and suit pants, threw the pants at the head of one of the bodyguards, and hit the belt at another at the same time. This provocation was not very lethal, but it was indeed insulting.
"Come on, come on if you don't agree!" Dong Zhiqiao, wearing cartoon boxer shorts, smiled playfully and stuck his butt out, asking for a spanking: "Hey, I'm worried that no one will reimburse my medical expenses!"
Dong Zhiqiao's voice caused the guests passing by downstairs to stop and look up at the spiral staircase on the second floor.
Zheng Juyong had no time to react: "You..."
How could the two bodyguards tolerate Dong Zhiqiao's absurd behavior in front of them? They surrounded him and wanted to drag him away, but they couldn't use too much force in front of everyone. This was exactly what Dong Zhiqiao wanted. They grabbed hands and feet and started a random wrestling... The three of them were entangled together by their pants and belts.
During the fight, Dong Zhiqiao caught a glimpse of Zheng Juyong's surprised expression and shouted, "Leave me alone! Charge!"
At this moment, if he still hesitated, he would be sorry for Dong Zhiqiao's bravery... Zheng Juyong "jumped over" the bodyguards' bent backs, took two steps at a time and ran into the corridor, and suddenly pushed open the heavy door of the conference room.
There was a buzzing sound in my ears.
In front of him, Daniel was intimately holding a woman's waist, shaking hands and chatting with Mr. Li and others, and the woman's back... shouldn't be here at all!
Everyone heard the noise and looked towards the door. Daniel and the woman turned around, smiling together, looking like a radiant couple. Even the misty scarf on her shoulders was carefully matched to the same color as Daniel's tie!
"Isn't this Mr. Zheng?" Mr. Li was the first to react. He smiled and stepped forward to shake hands. "Haha, Mr. Zheng, you are really efficient and thorough. We at Huagang are optimistic about you and even more optimistic about the future of Xicheng Steel. It will be a pleasure for us to work together in the future!"
Since she is here now, she must have made some decision.
But this decision hadn't been discussed with him, let alone communicated... And he suddenly realized he had no right to criticize or blame her. She had always been independent and free. Why did he ask her to discuss it with him? He didn't lose his temper, and quickly suppressed his breath, which was short from running. He smiled and shook hands with Mr. Li and the others from Huagang with restrained courtesy, quickly accepting everything. Just like he had treated Dong Zhiqiao, who had shamelessly stripped off her pants in public, he didn't want to let her "sacrifice" down, even though none of this was what he wanted...
When he sat down, he couldn't help but look up and stare at her waist, and Daniel, as if in retaliation, moved an inch closer to her waist and tightened his grip.
Zheng Juyong smiled bitterly and withdrew his gaze.
His reckless intrusion, yet his restrained silence, made her uneasy. She observed Daniel's reaction from the side, unsure if this was a test specially arranged for her.
At this moment, a bodyguard came running in breathlessly. Daniel immediately smiled and waved his hand, and the bodyguard retreated with a sense of relief. Seeing the bodyguard rushing in, she believed that Zheng Juyong was really an uninvited guest, but this was Daniel's home turf, so she still had to keep her distance from him.
Her deliberately distant behavior almost broke his heart.
He was so foolish as to think he still had a year to slowly strive for it, but suddenly realized that it was too late! Mr. Li was talking enthusiastically and gratifiedly beside him, but he didn't hear a word. He just numbly put on a smile that was uglier than crying.
"It's time for me to go downstairs to start the show. Are you interested in joining me?" Daniel asked her with a smile, deliberately in front of him.
"The occasion downstairs is too grand. If people knew that I work with you, they would definitely come to dig up my background. Once they find out that I'm not a lawyer at all, it will probably be detrimental to your career." She declined tactfully.
Daniel certainly knew how smart she was and gently lifted her chin: "I came here not for my career, but just for you."
Mr. Li and the others nearby exchanged glances, unable to bear to stay any longer and stood up to say goodbye. "Since Daniel has agreed, we don't need to communicate with the other lawyers here tonight. It's time for us to take our leave. Daniel, Manager Guan, I look forward to seeing you in Riyadh tomorrow! And Mr. Zheng, thank you for your support and understanding from Xicheng Steel. We've had a pleasant cooperation!"
At Daniel's signal, the waiter stepped forward to lead Mr. Li and his companions out. Taking advantage of the crowd, Dong Zhiqiao swooped in from the outside, holding his belt and two pairs of leather shoes. His hair was disheveled, his collar was upside down, and he looked very embarrassed.
The two bodyguards followed in, also looking a bit disheveled. They'd run into a slippery guy today, and the one accompanying him had been treated very kindly by Daniel. Unsure whether the guy was friend or foe, the two of them relaxed their attack.
"How come these two idiots don't understand Chinese? He's my bro!" Dong Zhiqiao plopped down on the sofa behind Zheng Juyong and pointed at Guan Ying: "She's my sister!"
She hadn't expected Dong Zhiqiao to show up, and with that look on his face. She couldn't just ignore it anymore, so she turned around and gave the bodyguards an awkward smile, "Sorry, it was all a misunderstanding." She acted like the hostess when she spoke to Daniel's bodyguards.
Daniel had also met Dong Zhiqiao before, but he pretended not to know him this time, or perhaps he simply didn't want to deal with such a ridiculous young man, so he just stared at Guan Ying, as if he didn't care about her decision.
Dong Zhiqiao put on his pants and shoes as if no one was around, mumbling, "I told you I wasn't mistaken, it's Manager Guan inside!"
Zheng Juyong had no choice but to stand in front of him.
Guan Ying was actually grateful for Dong Zhiqiao's recklessness, which gave her an excuse to Daniel: "Since they're here, I have to explain. Give us some time, okay?"
Daniel had never looked at Zheng Juyong straight in the eye from beginning to end. Only then did he turn his head and glance at him and Dong Zhiqiao meaningfully, with the look of a strong man who disdains to argue with the weak.
"Okay. You know, I always respect you." Daniel kissed her cheek gently and left.
Dong Zhiqiao straightened his clothes and jumped off the sofa. "Why are you two sitting so far away? Come on, talk! Aren't we all doing fine in Bahrain?"
Zheng Juyong turned away as if to escape.
"No, I was dragging the bodyguard outside just now. Why didn't you beat him up inside to get revenge?!" Dong Zhiqiao just wanted to fight: "I did that just now!" There was no shame, only the passion to stand up for his brother.
Guan Ying chuckled.
Dong Zhiqiao couldn't pry him open, so he turned around and tried to pry Guan Ying's mouth open for him: "Stop laughing, and don't tell Shanshan!"
"You know this will embarrass Shanshan?" Guan Ying spoke to Dong Zhiqiao as usual.
"Hey, I listen to Shanshan in everything!" Dong Zhiqiao said with a smug look on his face when mentioning Cui Shanshan. He pointed at Zheng Juyong, who had his back to him, and said, "Brother Zheng suffers because he's too proud! In my opinion, a man's dignity is nothing in front of his woman!"
The words were so harsh and blunt that the two people on his left and right lowered their heads.
Seeing that the two of them were silent, Dong Zhiqiao continued to talk non-stop, "Manager Guan, you're not really going to agree to that guy, are you? He's so old, and he acts like a big shot every day, what's the point? I've seen how he changes his face. These lawyers are all powerful, always right, and always get into lawsuits... If you live with him, won't he control you?"
"Uh... Zhiqiao, you misunderstood. I only agreed to be Daniel's assistant temporarily. After all, the tariff case is not the responsibility of Huagang alone, it also involves the interests of all our steel companies..." Guan Ying tried to explain as he listened to his increasingly outrageous remarks.
Dong Zhiqiao, however, refused to listen. "Hey, you're thinking about the tariff case, but they're thinking about you! It's obvious what that person is planning!" He immediately thought about it, grabbed Zheng Juyong's shoulders, and said excitedly, "Brother Zheng, did you hear that? Manager Guan doesn't have that idea! So what are you waiting for? If I were you, I would just snatch her away and run away with her! Are you going to just watch her act like a fool?"
Compared to Dong Zhiqiao's youthful impetuosity and recklessness, Zheng Juyong can be said to be law-abiding, mature and steady.
Seeing Zheng Juyong was undecided, Dong Zhiqiao pushed him hard and said angrily, "The foreign devils have raided their lair, and you're still waiting foolishly. Are you a man?!"
The phrase "Are you a man?" is extremely lethal to northern men.
Encouraged by Dong Zhiqiao, Zheng Juyong finally got carried away and made up his mind. He could no longer think about whether this was respectful to Guan Ying. He grabbed Guan Ying's hand and rushed out.
.....
The white pickup truck sped along, Zheng Juyong held the steering wheel with a tense face.
Guan Ying sat in the passenger seat, taking off her high heels with a look of pain on her face. She lifted one of her calves, lowered her head and rubbed her ankle, muttering, "How could you listen to Dong Zhiqiao? Drive slower, calm down, ouch, my feet... You can run fast, but I'm still wearing high heels. Can you talk to me first? Ouch..."
Zheng Juyong only turned his head to glance at her fair but red ankles, then looked back at the road and continued to drive fast, even stepping on the accelerator to increase the speed, as if he was deliberately going against her.
Guan Ying was thrown back by inertia, grabbed the handle on the roof, and was thrown back against the back of the chair. Now she was a little confused about his temper. She realized that he was angry and she was afraid that if he was provoked further, he would have a road rage. It would be better to keep quiet for now.
The car drove all the way back to the dormitory building, and Zheng Juyong didn't say a word the entire time.
He braked suddenly, jumped out of the car, roughly opened the passenger door, and with a sullen look on his face, lifted Guan Ying up by her arms and then violently kicked the door. Under the force of the rebound, the door slammed shut behind Guan Ying, shocking her so much that she suddenly felt uneasy. She inexplicably felt like she had done something wrong outside and was being brought home by him to teach her a lesson.
He carried her upstairs, his neck veins bulging, his face ashen, his lips clenched and his teeth clenched. The breath rushing from his nose was hard and rough and violent. She had never seen him like this before... When he returned to China after learning that Qiao Qi had betrayed him, she went to Guangzhou South Station to pick him up. His face was as unfamiliar as when they first met, but it was only tired and sad, not irritable.
When turning in the corridor, her back was hit hard by his knee, so she had to hold his shoulders and climb up. As he panted as he climbed the stairs, she could feel more clearly the suppressed anger rising and falling in his chest.
He opened the door and kicked it shut violently. He threw her directly onto the sofa, which was originally piled with some messy folders, and now "Pilibala" fell all over the floor.
"Hehe!" Mixed with the sound of papers sliding, flipping and falling left and right, he finally gasped heavily and stuffily above her head.
She pushed against his left chest, which had been bumping against her, but felt his heartbeat instead. Hastily pulling back, she raised her eyes in embarrassment and met his gaze. He had one hand on the sofa, the other resting behind her back, so of course she couldn't push him away. Guan Ying leaned forward, her back raised, waiting for him to pull his hand away. Seeing his indifference, she dodged awkwardly, turning slightly to the side, trying to face away from him.
In his eyes, this was like disgust.
While gasping for breath, he punched the sofa pillow in front of her, then withdrew the hand behind her back, lowered his head and sat on the floor behind her feet.
She slowly sat up and saw that he had one knee bent, his upper body curled up on his knee and moving with his rapid breathing. His tie had been torn open and hung diagonally, and his left hand, which was supporting himself on the floor, was clenched into a fist.
"Would you like...would you like some water?" She had been a little nervous since she got off the car, and her voice was trembling as she spoke in front of him for the first time.
As she stood up, he grabbed her twisted ankle.
"Ah, it hurts." She fell down again.
He looked up, took a deep breath, stood up, went to the kitchen to pour some water, and handed the cup to her.
"I...I'm not thirsty. I'm just looking at you. You drink."
He looked at her, silently put down his cup, sat down opposite her, lowered his head for a moment, stared at her ankles, and finally said, "I'm sorry."
"Huh? Oh, I twisted my shoe. It's not serious actually, hehe."
He sighed, stood up and took out an ice pack from the refrigerator, took off his tie, wrapped it around the ice pack a few times, knelt on one knee at her feet, and lowered his head to apply the ice to her.
To stabilize his position, he pinched her calf with one hand, making her feel a little uneasy. She then bent down and held out her hand: "I...I can do it myself."
He lowered his head but didn't let go: "Have you decided?"
"What? You mean Daniel?" Why did she suddenly feel sorry for him? Guan Ying swallowed her saliva, her throat feeling dry. She picked up the water cup and took a gulp. "Didn't Mr. Li tell you everything?"
He pinched her leg, still with his eyes downcast: "I didn't hear a word you said."
Guan Ying drank the water again until the cup was empty: "Oh... Mr. Li speaks with a bit of an accent..."
"Do you want more water?"
"Oh? Oh... That's enough, that's enough."
"...Aren't you going to study anymore?"
"Oh! Daniel asked Professor Wilson for leave on my behalf. When he heard about the tariff case, he was very interested and asked me to do a case study with him remotely. As for the regular courses, Jiawei will temporarily take over for me. She will send me the course notes every day..."
He kneaded her calves with varying strength, sometimes light and sometimes heavy. Guan Ying, who had already drunk a glass of water, still felt dry in the mouth.
"He even your professor..."
"No, no, no, they didn't know each other before, but they are both lawyers, so they can talk about the details of the case more clearly. Professor Wilson was recommended by Xiao Weiyan, you know." Daniel is already sensitive, and it is even more inappropriate to mention Xiao Weiyan at this time. Guan Ying turned her head away and pinched herself secretly.
Zheng Juyong: "...Actually, I've always wanted to ask you, are you studying law because you like the legal profession?"
"No!" Guan Ying said firmly. "I just think it's a necessary skill, especially for steel foreign trade. We need to master the rules of the international trade game. Once Xicheng Steel's high-end product line is fully established, our products will not only enter the Middle East, but also be exported to more countries. We need to prepare early, don't we?"
He looked up and asked, "Is it for Xicheng Steel?"
"certainly!"
"Didn't you promise Mr. Li to go to Huagang?"
"How could I possibly change jobs? That would be like asking for my uncle and aunt's life. How dare you think that? Am I that incapable of knowing my own place?"
She is very clear about her status in the Zheng family...
Guan Ying frowned. "You really didn't listen to a word I said. I only agreed to be Daniel's assistant on this tariff case, but only if he was willing to take on Huagang's tariff case. We offended him before, and you even provoked him to attack you, so I wasn't sure at first and just wanted to give it a try. I didn't expect him to agree so easily... Mr. Li from Huagang might have misunderstood. He thought you were the one who persuaded me behind my back. I heard him say that he had already promised you that we would share some high-end sales channels in the Middle East with Xicheng Steel in the future. There was no reason to refuse, so there was no need for me to explain the behind-the-scenes story to him. That's why he kept talking to you when he saw you. Hey, don't tell me, this is really an unexpected gain. You're really capable of making such an offer."
Zheng Juyong was stunned for a moment: "Do you think I would use your business to negotiate business terms?"
Guan Ying became interested when talking about business. "Ah, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that I could bring such great benefits to Xicheng Steel alone! I can borrow money from Mr. Wu in China and get mature channels abroad. This business is worth doing!"
Zheng Juyong sighed, then lowered his head to rub her ankle. "I didn't set the conditions. But you're definitely worth it."
Guan Ying said proudly, "Ha, let alone staying for half a month, even staying for half a year would be worth it! At worst, I can change my enrollment to next spring. Opportunities are fleeting!"
"That day, you didn't board the plane... Actually, during that hour... Have you ever thought... Forget it..." His eyelashes fluttered, not daring to hear the answer.
"Uh, so you are blaming me for this?" Guan Ying finally understood what he was angry about.
He buried his head beside her legs, feeling aggrieved, and whispered, "How dare I blame you."
I don’t know if I was seeing things, but his eyelashes seemed to become wet and split into several small clusters in an instant.
He'd been so sullen all the way, practically scaring her to death, and now he was starting to feel wronged! Speaking of which, since he'd grown up, she'd only seen him cry drunkenly in the bathtub for Qiao Qi once. She'd never seen him sober and sore, shedding tears in front of her! Oh my god, how could he always make her feel guilty and distressed? This time, she'd truly committed a heinous crime...
"Listen to me... Oh, I'm not hiding this from you on purpose. If I discuss it with you, you definitely won't agree! You might push me against the window like last time... Before I'm sure Daniel really agreed to Huagang, I'm afraid he'll go back on his word again, so I can only not tell you yet... If you want to blame someone, blame my dad. It's him who won't let me go back to Seattle!" Guan Ying didn't dare to look him in the eye. She turned her head away and looked out the window: "Although my dad is in the United States, he's actually always concerned about what's happening back home... Nothing is more important than Xicheng Steel. With such a big thing happening at home, dealing with the aftermath is the most important thing. So many people are watching us. Uncle Zheng can't fail, and neither can you. None of us can fail."
Their thoughts drifted back to the country, and they both fell silent for a moment.
"Guan Ying." He called her name softly from behind.
"Um?"
The moment she turned around, he kissed her gently.
Their eyelashes touched, and she was sure he had really cried, but he had simply wiped away the tears when she turned her head away. And a man's tears are the best stimulant for a woman...
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