Chapter 1: A Step-by-Step Maneuver, A Cunning and Clever Arrangement—A Business Marriage Between the Lu and Lu Families…
"Brother Wen, who's your wife? Can you show me a picture?"
"You haven't seen it either, have you?"
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, skyscrapers stand side by side, adorned with neon lights, while the elevated highways, bustling with traffic, meander like flowing fire. On the sixty-first floor, the lights are off, and the dim environment only amplifies the vibrant night view.
Wen Qi leaned lazily against the edge of the table, one hand in his pocket, his shirt and trousers slightly loose.
The shirt buttons weren't fully fastened, revealing a silver necklace dangling from her neck. The necklace was long, and the pendant was hidden, making its design completely indistinguishable.
Her wispy hair obscured her eyebrows and eyes, but her high, straight nose was striking. Her untamed wildness only accentuated her颓废气质 (颓废气质 is a Chinese word that means decadent, listless, or dispirited) demeanor, making her stand out in the deserted office.
Fortunately, the noise coming from the phone eased the tension.
On his phone, the playboy Ji Cen was yelling at him about the gossip news that had just broken out twenty minutes ago but was quickly shut down by the public relations department.
[The CEO of the Wen Group marries the daughter of the Lu family]
Although the PR team acted quickly, everyone in the industry who needed to know already knew, with Ji Cen being the most gossipy, as he was the first to call and ask.
The reason Wen Qi didn't hang up was that her phone kept receiving incoming calls.
If it's a group of close friends, they'll probably tease him for using underhanded tactics.
If you've worked with them before or had dealings with them, you'll usually try to subtly inquire about the authenticity of their claims.
If it's a reporter's...
In short, he didn't want to accept any of the offers, so he figured he might as well let Ji Cen waste his time.
"Brother Wen, guess who I just ran into? That young lady from the Gu family, she had such a gloomy face, I went up to say hello and got scolded."
"She just said that her good friend, a beautiful and famous star, was coming to pick her up, but when I asked which star she was, she wouldn't say. The door to the private room almost slammed in my face!"
"Hello? Brother Wen, are you still listening? Hello?"
Ji Cen is the nephew of Ji Ran, a good friend of Wen Qi. He is innocent and naive, having not been hardened by society. He likes to pester them, but he knows his limits and is not annoying.
Now, after three years of playing around, I've lost all sense of propriety and become even more naive.
He talked too much and too frequently, and it was unclear whether he was talking about something or if it was his playful tone that tickled Wen Qi's already limited funny bone.
Wen Qi actually smiled, then leaned down slightly and took the phone into his hand: "I'll be there in a bit."
Press the hang-up button, shut down the computer—all in one smooth motion, and the world is quiet again.
In the empty office, only the mechanical sound of the second hand ticking could be heard.
Monotonous, calm, and routine.
Meanwhile, a promotional video for a high-end jewelry brand was playing on the giant LED screen of the building across the street.
Chaotic, vibrant, and dazzling.
A woman walks into the scene with long, wavy hair like seaweed and a slender waist like a willow branch. When she turns around, her eyes are charming, yet she is full of vitality.
She gently touched the sparkling gemstone necklace around her neck; the 6.1-carat pink diamond shimmered brilliantly, reflecting her youthful vigor.
This is Zhu Qingzhi, a currently popular female celebrity in the entertainment industry who was just officially announced as LR's global brand ambassador last month.
This advertisement, released by LR early this morning, is a promotional video for their new wedding collection, "TRUE LOVE." In less than 24 hours, it has been widely broadcast across various media platforms, garnering hundreds of millions of views.
He also remembered that this advertisement had popped up on the projection screen before the departmental reports at the morning meeting today.
Rumors circulate online that the high-end colored gemstone set worn by Zhu Qingzhi was sold immediately after the promotional video was filmed, and the matching men's jewelry was also pre-ordered.
With such a powerful endorsement, I wonder if LR's revenue will increase significantly this year?
Wen Qi watched quietly until a perfume advertisement appeared on the big screen, then got up and picked up the black coat hanging on the walnut coat rack next to him.
It's early winter, and Beijing has already had two snowfalls. It's snowing again today, but this time it's heavier than before.
Snowflakes fluttered, the streets were shrouded in mist, and people hurried by.
As soon as the car stopped at the "Xisha" entrance, before the neatly dressed doorman could even come to greet her, Zhu Qingzhi pushed open the car door and went straight to the front desk.
She doesn't live in Beijing often, and in recent years, due to her busy work schedule, she's only been able to return a few times a year. Therefore, she's not very familiar with the area and can't find anyone she knows to help her, so she can only ask the front desk for help first.
Zhu Qingzhi buried her face even deeper into her scarf and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, which private room is Miss Gu Qiao in?"
Xisha is a well-known entertainment venue for the wealthy in Beijing. Those who come here to spend money are either rich or powerful, so the staff are very discreet.
The receptionist was also very perceptive, only glancing at Zhu Qingzhi once.
Katrina's limited-edition cashmere coat, Serein's best-selling scarf... this outfit must cost at least 100,000 yuan, clearly indicating that she's someone who's not short of money.
But she probably isn't a local, otherwise she wouldn't be unable to find even one acquaintance. Besides, people in their line of work are very careful about revealing their clients' privacy.
She maintained a polite smile: "I'm sorry, we cannot disclose the guest's information. You can contact them yourself first."
It would be a miracle if she could even get in touch with her.
Since getting off the plane, Gu Qiao's phone had been missing. She made more than a dozen calls, but no one answered. She was about to give up, but she was worried that Gu Qiao would be drunk and no one would take care of her, so she still rushed over.
"There's a sofa over there where you can sit and wait. It's cold, let me pour you a cup of hot tea to warm you up."
Zhu Qingzhi didn't mean to make things difficult for her, but Gu Qiao couldn't be contacted, so who could possibly drink tea?
She was holding her phone, deep in thought, when she caught a glimpse of a woman walking towards her. She was impeccably dressed, wearing a well-tailored suit and high heels that clicked loudly on the ground.
Upon seeing her, the receptionist immediately and respectfully stepped aside, saying, "Manager Yang."
Zhu Qingzhi hurried forward, her voice tinged with anticipation: "Hello, I'm Gu Qiao's friend, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, the manager nodded and smiled, "Hello, I am Yang Luo, the manager of Xisha. Miss Gu is drunk and is resting in the private room."
She knew it! This young lady was most likely drunk!
Zhu Qingzhi quickly took out her phone to show Yang Luo the call log: "I'm her friend, you can tell if it's her just by looking at the number."
Yang Luo glanced at it symbolically and smiled, "Miss Gu informed me beforehand." After saying that, he handed over a card with both hands, "Miss Gu is in V601. Turn left from here and go up to the 18th floor. This is the elevator card."
As soon as she finished speaking, the receptionist frowned.
V601? Isn't Miss Gu's private room V14? But Manager Yang couldn't possibly be wrong.
Her curious gaze had barely landed on Yang Luo when she was startled by a sharp glare from him.
Well, let's pretend she knows nothing.
Zhu Qingzhi was also a little confused. Now, you need to swipe a card to access the elevators in entertainment venues in Beijing?
However, she didn't ask any more questions, since the manager had already given it to her. But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she was truly stunned.
There is only one private room on this floor, V601. The dark corridor is unusually quiet, with blue lights on both sides flickering to indicate the location of the room door.
Anyway, it doesn't look like a place for Gu Qiao, who loves to join in the fun.
Zhu Qingzhi stood in front of the door, hesitating to open it, but the phone call she had just made to Gu Qiao went unanswered.
She closed her eyes briefly, thinking, "Never mind, I'll just have to see how it goes."
She cautiously pushed the door open a crack, the subtle shifts in light and shadow not disturbing the person inside.
The sounds of billiard balls clattering, mahjong tiles clicking, glasses clinking, and the laughter and shouts of the crowd all filled her ears. This lively atmosphere was very much in line with Gu Qiao's personality.
She squinted and looked carefully, but couldn't find Gu Qiao's figure among them. Instead, she met another gaze.
The man was leaning against the corner of the sofa, facing the door, and could see all her movements, but the lighting there was dim, and she could only vaguely make out that he was a man.
Zhu Qingzhi blinked twice and cursed inwardly. Being caught spying was truly embarrassing, and her behavior was indeed very impolite.
She simply pushed the door open, and countless eyes focused on her, but no one stopped what they were doing.
Zhu Qingzhi quickly performed a facial recognition scan to confirm that Gu Qiao was not there, and then sincerely said, "Sorry, I came to the wrong room." Only then did she leave.
The room suddenly fell silent. The impact of Zhu Qingzhi's face was truly overwhelming, like a pure ice crystal under the warm winter sun. Even these worldly young men were momentarily stunned.
Ji Cen, who was playing billiards, was the first to stop. Because he was in the corner, he couldn't see Zhu Qingzhi's face clearly at all: "How could you go to the wrong place? There's only this one room on this floor."
Gradually, people came to their senses and echoed their sentiments.
"Without Brother Wen's card, who could get into this private room?"
"Even Ji Cen doesn't have this card. Did someone sell Brother Wen's card? Or is the receptionist just not following the rules?"
"Looks like Brother Wen needs to thoroughly check the security measures."
Ji Cen, leaning on his golf club, teased, "Brother Wen, you didn't deliberately give the card to them, did you?"
However, it was just a joke, and no one took the incident to heart.
Who in this circle doesn't know Wen Qi?
He's universally acknowledged to be exceptionally good-looking, but also exceptionally bad-tempered, with a face that keeps strangers at bay. You might not see a woman within a hundred miles of him. In short, "dating" is simply not a part of his life's KPIs.
As Ji Cen was thinking about this, he caught a glimpse of Wen Qi putting down his wine glass. Only then did he notice that Wen Qi's coat was still draped over his arm, indicating that he did not intend to stay long.
Before anyone could react, Wen Qi had already turned and walked out, without explaining or giving any instructions.
Ji Cen's cue stick slammed to the ground with a clang.
Seriously? His jinx is actually blessed? And he really came true?
He couldn't play the ball anymore, so he took off trying to catch up.
The young master next to him grabbed his arm and said, "Don't go and join in the fun."
In this private room, Ji Cen is the only one who can be considered to have a relationship with Wen Qi.
They only got to Wen Qi's private room today because of Ji Cen, so none of them wanted to speculate too much about Wen Qi's thoughts, and they dared not interfere.
Ji Cen was pulled so hard he couldn't move, and he regretted not having seen the woman's face clearly: "Hey, did you guys even see clearly?"
A young man suddenly slapped his forehead: "I think that person looks a bit like that celebrity on the big screen."
Ji Cen still didn't understand: "Who?"
"That's her, Zhu Qingzhi. She's not wearing makeup today, I almost didn't recognize her."
"LR's new spokesperson is featured in all sorts of advertisements, including on my company's LED screen. I have to say, it's really beautiful."
"What's the use of being pretty? You still get replaced in movie roles, don't you?"
Ji Cen paid no attention to the noisy gossip and discussions, his mind was filled with thoughts of his Brother Wen.
So, Brother Wen's unusually proactive visit today wasn't for him, but for this celebrity? Brother Wen wouldn't go that far, would he?
A few years ago, Ji Cen had contact with several female celebrities. In the beginning, he helped them secure resources and made connections with some big shots in the industry.
Out of respect for the Ji family, the other party was quite polite, raised their hand, and asked for something in return. After a few exchanges, Ji Cen got a clear understanding of their situation.
The intricacies and shady dealings of the entertainment industry are no less ruthless than those in the business world. Even if someone goes in innocent, they might not become black, but they can certainly be tainted yellow.
He was a spoiled brat who didn't even want to earn money, and having to use his brain to do these things was too much of a hassle, so he never came into contact with the entertainment industry again.
Ji Cen knew in his heart that with their family background, almost none of the elders would agree to a junior entering the entertainment industry and stirring up trouble.
People like them, who don't do anything productive, are basically just decorative mascots for the family. The elders might be lenient and turn a blind eye as long as they don't cause any big trouble.
But someone like Brother Wen, who can shoulder heavy responsibilities, is out of the question. Besides, Brother Wen just got married into the Lu family. If he were to get involved with a female celebrity now, the Lu family might make a move before the Wen family even has a chance to act.
Most importantly, he organized this game today, and all those eyewitnesses were people he specifically invited to Wen Ge's private room to show off. If this gets out, does he even care about his life?
The thought sent chills down Ji Cen's spine.
Brother Wen absolutely cannot get involved with the entertainment industry, especially not today! What should we do?!
Oh, right, didn't Miss Gu say she has a friend in the entertainment industry? Maybe we should pin it on her?
Ji Cen had an idea and immediately covered for Wen Qi: "It's Gu Qiao's friend. Someone probably led us astray."
A note from the author:
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Qingzhi [covers face and laughs while crying]: Hmm?
Wen Qi [Okay]: Mm.
Ji Cen [bursts into tears]: I'm scared
Lu Yao [cracks open]: You wait.
Author [Dog Head Holding Rose]: Please add to your favorites~ Please comment~ Please water the water~
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Reconciliation After a Broken Mirror | The Cradle of Winning Back One's Wife
On the first day after their marriage, Shen Huaixi did not return home.
In the first year of her marriage, Yu Yin slept with a man.
Under the influence of alcohol and clouded reason, Yu Yin went with the flow and didn't regret it. She just suddenly felt that staying with someone who never came home was rather pointless.
*
Girls raised in luxury from a young age are well-mannered, polite, and so sensible that they're almost boring. People around them always say, "Third brother, your wife is so obedient."
Shen Huaixi did not refute it.
Until one day, I received the divorce papers from her.
Ha, obedient? When has she ever been obedient?
Making her love him is harder than making her die.
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