Chapter 86 This time, it was me personally again…
The air in the room was ambiguous. The woman leaned against the headboard, her fingertips unconsciously fiddling with her wine glass, her eyes moist, waiting for him to approach.
Just then, his phone vibrated suddenly. Zheng Xiaotian's face darkened, and he silently cursed. He still looked down at the screen, where the name was clearly displayed: [Xia Zhiyao].
The woman on the bed gave him a cold glance, her eyes full of annoyance at being interrupted, but he didn't dare to pay any attention to her, feeling so frustrated he was about to explode.
Zheng Xiaotian took a deep breath, suppressing the last shred of his rationality, and gritted his teeth as he asked, "What's wrong with you?! Calling me in the middle of the night, do you have something important to say?"
Xia Zhiyao said lazily, "Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong? I have to report to my boss. There really isn't anything wrong today." She paused, then slowly added, "And, by the way, I'm getting revenge for you for leading Zhou Yue astray last time."
"..." Zheng Xiaotian almost died of anger on the spot. He gripped his phone and threatened through gritted teeth, "You just wait!!"
Xia Zhiyao replied lightly, "Looking forward to it!"
The next second, she abruptly hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Zheng Xiaotian froze for several seconds. He took a deep breath, slammed his phone onto the coffee table, and turned to walk back to the bedside.
The woman was still sitting there, leaning against the pillow, giving him a cool glance with undisguised impatience: "Can't you concentrate for a second?"
Zheng Xiaotian's hair was a mess, like a clown who had been dragged out. He reached out to get closer again, but the blood in his chest was still stagnant, and he was restless. The woman's perfume should have been alluring, but it made him frown. He forced down his anger, but his movements were stiff and unromantic.
The woman quickly lost her patience and pushed him away, saying, "Forget it, you should deal with your phone call first."
Zheng Xiaotian forced a smile, trying to say something, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with pebbles, and he couldn't utter a single word. The ambiguous atmosphere from before had long since vanished, leaving him only with a feeling of being both amused and exasperated.
He simply lay down on the bed, covered his eyes with his hand, and sank into the soft mattress. Only one thought popped into his mind: today was ruined by Xia Zhiyao.
The thought of her nonchalant tone made his chest clench, and he gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath: "Zhou Yue, you're really shameless. When you two were having a falling out, I was running around helping you out, and now that you're back together, not only are you all lovey-dovey, but you're also teaming up to swindle your buddy?"
Zheng Xiaotian was naturally unwilling to swallow this insult. He held back for several days, and finally seized the opportunity on a weekend night to stage a so-called "counterattack."
Xia Zhiyao was yawning and packing her things, preparing to go home after work, when her phone on the table chimed. Looking down, she saw it was a restaurant location sent by Zheng Xiaotian, followed by a message: "[Come quick, I have some huge gossip for you.]"
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, picked up her bag and went downstairs, just to watch a show and see what kind of trouble he was up to this time.
Inside the restaurant, Zheng Xiaotian had already reserved a window seat. A large number of dishes had been ordered and arranged on the table. As soon as Xia Zhiyao entered, he immediately smiled like a puppy seeing its savior and waved frantically, "Over here, over here!"
Xia Zhiyao strolled over, plopped down, and glanced at him sideways: "Tell me, what's the biggest gossip ever?"
Zheng Xiaotian leaned closer mysteriously and lowered his voice: "I heard that your boss, Mr. Zhou, was almost targeted by a female investor recently."
"That woman was incredibly ruthless, constantly inviting me to meals, inviting me to projects, using every trick in the book to win me over..."
Xia Zhiyao slowly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, her expression nonchalant, a smile playing on her lips: "Oh? Is that woman pretty?"
Zheng Xiaotian: "..." Damn, this script is wrong!
Zheng Xiaotian was so speechless he almost rolled his eyes, then quickly added, "She's beautiful! I heard she has a captivating charm and is the center of attention wherever she goes. If it weren't for my CEO Zhou's amazing self-control, he would have already..."
He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and even raised an eyebrow to glance at Xia Zhiyao, waiting for her face to darken.
Xia Zhiyao simply scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and remained as calm as if she were listening to an unimportant chat: "Hmm? Amazing composure? That's good."
"..." Seeing that his offensive was failing, Zheng Xiaotian gritted his teeth and simply intensified his efforts: "But that woman is incredibly patient, constantly finding opportunities to meet up every few days, with a whole repertoire of methods. I heard she also..."
"You were invited to come along too?" Xia Zhiyao didn't even lift her eyelids, her calm words effectively shutting him down.
Zheng Xiaotian: "..." Damn, is this woman invincible?
Zheng Xiaotian was speaking with great enthusiasm, gesturing wildly as he embellished the story: "...Anyway, that woman practically pounced on him right there and then. If my boss Zhou hadn't been quick-witted, tsk! he would have..."
Before he could finish speaking, and was about to add more fuel to the fire, a glance out of the corner of his eye caused him to freeze in his tracks.
Zhou Yue looked like he had just gotten off work. He was dressed in a suit and tie, his shoulders were straight, and he had a cold and aloof air about him. He stood at the door without saying a word, his face was frighteningly cold.
Xia Zhiyao happened to turn around, and her eyes met his dark gaze. Zhou Yue was stunned, and the gloom in his eyes seemed to be peeled away instantly, and his cold mask collapsed at a visible speed.
The next second, the corners of his lips curved into a restrained yet genuine smile.
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow and lazily beckoned with her finger: "Come here."
Zhou Yue strode over, pulled up a chair and sat down next to Xia Zhiyao without saying a word. His voice was low and hoarse, filled with an uncontrollable possessiveness: "What are you doing messing around with him?"
Xia Zhiyao leaned against him, tilting her head back and smiling: "We ate and gossiped, so I just happened to invite you over too."
Zheng Xiaotian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he pointed at Zhou Yue's nose and complained loudly, "You brat, didn't you try to chat with me when you were so anxious? Now look what you've done, you're kicking me while I'm down!"
Zhou Yue's face stiffened, and he frantically winked at him. Zheng Xiaotian paused, then suspiciously pulled out his phone. Sure enough, there was an unread message: "Sorry, bro, please don't find out. Otherwise, I'll be kneeling on a keyboard when I get home."
Zheng Xiaotian: "..." Good grief, you two are showing off your love and I have to cover for you?
He gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his sentence, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace on his face: "Alright, alright, sit down and eat. Forget I said anything."
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, gave Zheng Xiaotian a meaningful look, and smiled as if she knew everything.
Zhou Yue picked up a wet wipe and wiped his hands: "Zhiyao told me you were here and asked me to come along. I also want to talk about that new energy project."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaotian immediately swallowed his complaints, sat up straight, and became more composed: "This project is a key clean energy demonstration zone supported by the city. It involves a large investment and a long cycle. The government's signal is very clear: they want to use this project to create a benchmark. So not only energy companies, but also consulting, financial, and infrastructure companies are all eyeing it."
As he spoke, he gestured with his chopsticks on the table, his expression unusually serious: "Preliminary estimates suggest that the total investment may exceed 10 billion yuan, with the first phase of investment alone requiring at least 5 billion yuan. The initial planning, investment and financing, and technology implementation are all part of a complete process."
Zhou Yue's eyes darkened, and he replied in a low voice, "I heard that several companies have already submitted letters of intent, and even Xia Zhiyao's former employer, Heyi, is preparing to participate in the bidding."
Xia Zhiyao paused for a moment, but her expression remained calm: "New energy is the trend, and it's normal for Heyi to enter the market. Anyway, everyone is in the same race, so it's all about who is better prepared."
Zheng Xiaotian nodded repeatedly, his tone slightly teasing: "Don't underestimate them. Heyi has a solid foundation and connections. Zhiyao, you'd better come up with something really strong this time."
Xia Zhiyao smiled and said calmly, "That's perfect. It's a good opportunity for the old employer and the new team to meet and see how it goes."
Zhou Yue then spoke, his tone calm and serious: "I heard that the city is going to set up a special review panel, and the process will be more detailed than before. A plan alone is not enough; we also need to demonstrate the ability to implement it and provide financial support."
"Therefore, everyone needs to prepare in advance."
Zheng Xiaotian interjected, "I've heard rumors that foreign consulting firms and several local funds are also eyeing this project. If we really want to win it over, we need to integrate our resources in advance, instead of scrambling at the last minute after we've entered the market."
Zhou Yue nodded and turned to Xia Zhiyao: "Your company is good at project planning, so you can first make the preliminary plan solid. I will oversee the funding at the head office and have a meeting with your new director later. Tian Ge, you go and make external contacts. With all three parties working together, we can at least ensure that we have the most complete hand."
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Sounds pretty reliable. Let's set up the framework first, and then the three of us will go over the details once the official announcement is released."
Zheng Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief, raised his teacup and grinned: "Alright, that's the important thing! The three of us stick together, and if anyone dares to try and take it from us, we'll show them what a true trio is."
After a few dishes, the three chatted as they ate, discussing everything from project plans to industry trends, and cracking jokes along the way, creating a light and relaxed atmosphere.
When the party ended, Zheng Xiaotian was about to get the bill when the waiter smiled and handed the receipt to Zhou Yue.
"It's already settled."
Zheng Xiaotian was stunned for a moment, then immediately glared at him: "Hey? How can I let you treat us? We didn't get to gossip, and instead you two made us do all the work for a project meeting. You should be the ones paying for this!"
Zhou Yue rarely smiled, his tone was light but sincere: "This meal is on me, thank you for your suggestion."
Zheng Xiaotian was speechless for a moment, scratched the back of his head, and still said defiantly, "Tch, at least you have a conscience."
Xia Zhiyao looked at the two of them, and one of them couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Stop being so dramatic. They at least said thank you, so just accept it."
Zheng Xiaotian muttered something, but finally waved his hand with a smile: "Okay, then I'll treat you next time. We're the Iron Triangle, we can't always let you guys take advantage."
The three of them walked out of the restaurant laughing and joking. The night breeze was blowing on their faces, and the atmosphere was as relaxed as a gathering of old friends.
Just then, Zheng Xiaotian's phone vibrated. He looked down and saw a message from his brother: "[The head of Heyi's new energy bidding team has been confirmed as Zhang Luyuan.]"
Zheng Xiaotian froze, her fingertips hovering over the screen for several seconds. The words "ex-boyfriend" almost reflexively popped into her mind. She subconsciously looked up, her gaze falling forward.
Xia Zhiyao and Zhou Yue were walking side by side, their fingers naturally intertwined, talking about something. Zhou Yue was saying something in a low voice, and Xia Zhiyao turned her head, her smile bright.
Zheng Xiaotian sighed, turned his phone over and held it in his palm without saying a word. "Fine, I'll lead the team myself this time. Xia Zhiyao... better not to show her face."
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