Chapter 89 I'm not just going to win this...
Xia Zhiyao's fingertips tightened little by little, pressing hard on the edge of the folder. The leather surface made an almost inaudible sound under her fingernails, and her knuckles turned white from the force. Yet, she felt as if she were nailed to the chair and couldn't move.
Zheng Xiaotian's words shocked her so much that she froze. She tried to straighten her shoulders, but she could feel a slight chill creeping up her neck, down her spine, and onto her shoulders.
Of course, she knew she shouldn't panic. To her, Zhang Luyuan was not just an old colleague, but also her most familiar and tacit partner from back then.
Countless late nights, they revised plans side by side, their fingers interlacing on the same draft paper, their eyes meeting to read each other's next move. The tacit understanding they had developed over the years made her feel that no words were needed; it was the strongest collaboration.
It was precisely because of this familiarity that he knew her methods and her weaknesses all too well. He knew at which points she was most likely to lose her composure and which words could provoke her emotions.
Conversely, she also understands Zhang Luyuan best. She knows what kind of calculations might be hidden behind every smile he shows, what methods he is used to create pressure, and can even predict where his next line will fall.
This deep, mutual understanding is like a sword in her heart; once pulled out, blood seeps through the puncture site. But at the same time, it is also her clearest source of confidence before going on stage today. She knows this opponent better than anyone else.
"Zheng Xiaotian." Her voice was crisp and clear, each word seemingly carved out, "What exactly do you mean?"
Zheng Xiaotian slowly raised his eyes, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, his voice lower than usual: "I'm wondering how you'll feel when you see him."
Xia Zhiyao suddenly looked up, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, sharp as a blade slicing through the air: "You make it sound like I'd collapse if I saw him."
Zheng Xiaotian did not immediately refute her, but stared at her. His eyes, which were usually filled with a casual smile, were unusually serious at this moment. His eyebrows were slightly lowered, and all the frivolity faded away at this moment, leaving only composure, restraint and worry.
His voice was lower and slower, as if he was slowly breaking down her defenses: "I'm not afraid of you losing, I'm afraid that you... really care."
Xia Zhiyao's smile deepened, but her lips tightened. Her speech quickened, and her voice turned cold: "So what? You're afraid I'll care, afraid I'll affect the company's bidding, is that it? You also think I'll lose my composure and embarrass the company whenever I see him?"
Zheng Xiaotian frowned slightly, casually tossing the pen on the table with a soft, crisp sound: "Xia Zhiyao, do you know what you look like right now? Like a hedgehog."
“We’ve been through tough times together, I know you too well. If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t be in this state now. Think about it, if you actually met him at the bidding site and he said something that really hurt you, wouldn’t you be capable of losing control of your emotions?”
Xia Zhiyao was stunned for a moment. She suddenly felt as if she had been hit where it hurt, and even the words of rebuttal were stuck in her throat. "Am I really that emotional?" she finally spoke, her voice lowered, with a hint of disbelief and a touch of self-questioning.
Zheng Xiaotian looked at her, his expression softening slightly. He sighed, his voice becoming gentler: "It's usually fine. But every time something like this happens..." He paused, his gaze slightly averted, "...it just gets a little bit like that."
Xia Zhiyao turned her head away, not wanting him to see the hint of panic that flashed in her eyes.
Zheng Xiaotian continued, his tone no longer sharp: "Zhiyao, you don't need to pretend nothing's wrong in front of me." He looked at her, the sharpness in his eyes gradually fading, his voice half an octave lower than before: "I'm not trying to make the decision for you."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her eyelashes slightly, her breathing gradually calmed down, and the tension that had been so intense finally relaxed.
A moment later, she raised her head, her eyes clearing, and her voice crisp and resolute: "Don't worry, I have a complete plan and I'm confident of winning."
She raised the corners of her lips slightly, her smile carrying a sharp confidence: "I will not only win this match, but I will win it beautifully, after all, he was once my defeated opponent."
Zheng Xiaotian looked at her, leaned forward slightly, twirled the pen in his hand, and softened the usual sharpness in his eyes. His voice was no longer so harsh, but rather warmer: "How about... we try another way?"
Xia Zhiyao remained seated, shoulders straight, but the sharp scrutiny from before was replaced by a calm inquiry. She looked up at Zheng Xiaotian, her gaze fixed on his face, as if assessing him or counting down to the next move.
He paused, a hint of helplessness and a sigh in his voice: "I know you are strong, but I also know that there are some areas where you are more vulnerable than anyone else."
“I’ll go with you.” Zheng Xiaotian looked directly at her, his gaze steady and resolute, and said each word slowly and deliberately, “You’re in charge, and I’ll be on the sidelines. If there are any problems…” He paused, his voice lower, but his restrained tone conveyed reassurance and determination, “I’ll take over the situation on-site.”
Xia Zhiyao looked at him, her lips pressed tightly together, her gaze slowly sweeping over his face, as if weighing his features, or perhaps confirming that long-lost sense of security. A few seconds later, she finally let out a soft breath, her voice slightly hoarse: "Okay, it's settled then."
Zheng Xiaotian leaned back in his chair, let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and a faint smile flickered across his lips, as if he had hidden some secret persistence within his composure: "Then it's settled."
She has always been good at handling storms alone, and everyone has assumed that she is. But Zheng Xiaotian's words, "I'll go with you," were like a nail driven into the high wall in her heart: she was no longer fighting alone, but had a partner to lean on.
Zheng Xiaotian turned his head, looking at her drooping eyelashes. His gaze lingered on her profile for a few seconds, confirming that she was finally no longer as tense as before. "Zhiyao," he called her name softly, his tone more steady than usual, "Don't try to handle this alone. We're a team."
Xia Zhiyao looked up and her eyes met his. In that instant, she could almost see the weariness and unspoken sense of responsibility that flashed across his eyes. It felt like someone had gently pressed her chest. It was the tacit understanding between comrades, not ambiguity.
She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and smiled slightly. "I know."
Zheng Xiaotian smiled, but didn't say anything more. The silence between them was no longer sharp; instead, it was a quiet agreement that had been reached, carrying weight and the reliability of walking side by side.
The following morning, the summer sun was bright and dazzling, and the air was filled with heat and the smell of newly laid asphalt. Xia Zhiyao closed her laptop, packed the prepared proposal materials into her briefcase, and walked out of the office with Zheng Xiaotian, getting into the same car.
The air conditioning in the car was on full blast, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat outside. Xia Zhiyao sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scenes flash by outside the window—road signs, crowds, billboards receding into the distance. Her heart tightened with the rhythm of the wheels, her nerves on edge, like those of someone on the verge of battle.
As Zheng Xiaotian drove, he glanced at her sideways, saying nothing, but reaching out to tighten her seatbelt at a red light. That small gesture, without further explanation, conveyed a silent consensus: in this battle, they were fighting side-by-side.
In the hall of the convention center, Xia Zhiyao and Zheng Xiaotian walked forward along the corridor, their name tags swaying gently on their chests. A cool breeze crept into their collars from the back of their necks, carrying a faint scent of coffee mixed with printed paper.
As I turned the corner, a familiar figure suddenly came into view. Zhang Luyuan was standing on the other side with his team, holding documents in his hand. He was dressed in a sharp suit, and his name tag on his chest reflected tiny glints in the cold light.
He was as clean and neat as someone who had stepped out of an advertising brochure. His hair was combed back, his sideburns were sharply trimmed, his eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and he had a smile on his lips, but there was a hint of aloofness in his expression. His smile seemed appropriate, but it was like a thin film that kept his true feelings and emotions at bay.
The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stretch out, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop by a degree.
“I didn’t expect you to be working on this project too.” Zhang Luyuan said with a smile. “You’re still working so hard, Zhiyao.” His tone was almost impeccably gentle. On the surface, it was a friendly greeting, but there was a subtle sharpness hidden between the lines. It sounded like a rekindling of old feelings, but also like a provocation.
Xia Zhiyao sneered inwardly. He couldn't possibly be unaware that a project of this scale that Tianxing was taking on would inevitably be led by her. He was just making conversation out of nothing, deliberately using this "old friend" tone to deflate her arrogance in this setting.
She slowly raised her eyes, calmly meeting Zhang Luyuan's gaze, and smiled faintly: "This isn't the place for reminiscing. Although we have indeed worked together before, we're not that close, are we?"
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze unwavering. "Shouldn't you call me President Xia, President Zhang?"
Zhang Luyuan's smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he quickly regained his composure: "Then let's go with President Xia."
Zheng Xiaotian glanced at Zhang Luyuan with narrowed eyes, then took another document from Xia Zhiyao's hand: "It seems everyone is taking this bidding quite seriously." His tone was calm, but he naturally stepped in front of her.
Zhang Luyuan smiled slightly and snapped the documents in his hand shut: "Then see you on the field." His tone was impeccably gentle, but the last syllable of his voice was like a hook, lingering in the air with a hint of ambiguous provocation.
Xia Zhiyao took a deep breath, raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair behind her ear, and refocused her gaze on the distant conference hall door. A brief shadow fell over her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a layer of cold light. This was today's battlefield, not the prison of the past.
After registration and security checks, all teams were guided to a small waiting area in the convention center. Xia Zhiyao and Zheng Xiaotian lined up in front of the lottery table, and a staff member handed them a sealed lottery tube.
Xia Zhiyao reached out to draw lots, and her breath caught in her throat as she unfolded them. They were the second to go, while Zhang Luyuan's team was ahead of them and got the first order.
"What good luck!" Zhang Luyuan walked over, his smile perfectly timed, and slightly raised the lot in his hand to her. "Let's warm things up first."
Xia Zhiyao simply smiled faintly, folded the note back into her pocket, and turned to walk with Zheng Xiaotian towards the waiting area.
Zhang Luyuan led his team into the conference hall, the hem of his suit jacket swaying slightly, his steps steady and powerful, exuding an aura of charisma. The heavy conference room door slowly closed behind them with a dull thud, as if shutting out the entire world.
The outside suddenly fell silent. The air in the waiting area seemed to have lost its warmth, leaving only cold air seeping in through the cuffs, the smell of paper mingling with the air conditioning. Xia Zhiyao sat on the bench, a folder on her lap, her fingertips gently stroking the edges, feeling the slight resistance of the leather against her fingertips, as if setting a rhythm for herself.
Xia Zhiyao sat on a bench in the waiting area, a folder resting steadily on her lap. The heavy door was closed, blocking out the lights and voices in the conference hall. Only a faint sound of the projector turning pages and muffled applause seeped out from the cracks, like the echo of distant tides.
The cold air seeped in through her sleeves, raising goosebumps on her arms. She took a deep breath, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the closed door. Her expression was calm on the surface, but she was like a string that could be pulled at any moment.
Just then, my phone screen lit up with a WeChat message from Zhou Yue: [Has the rotating savings and credit association started yet? Is it going smoothly?]
That line of text was particularly eye-catching, instantly dispelling the coldness of the waiting area. Xia Zhiyao looked down at the screen, and at that moment, she briefly felt a touch of warmth slip through her heart from the serious and tense reality.
She let out a soft breath and typed a short reply on the screen: [The draw is over. Waiting for Hopewell to give its presentation first.]
Almost immediately, her phone vibrated slightly again, and the screen lit up in her palm.
Zhou Yue sent another message: [I remembered to ask you halfway through my meeting, it's good that you're alright.]
Keep it up, let me know when you're done.
Xia Zhiyao stared at the screen, her thumbs flying across the keyboard: [Heyi sent Zhang Luyuan...]
The cursor blinked in the dialog box. Her fingertip hovered over the send button. Her breath caught in her throat as Zhou Yue's expression flashed through her mind, along with the thought that she didn't want to distract him.
A few seconds later, she deleted the words one by one, leaving only a blank dialog box.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com