Chapter 13 I'll accept any amount of news, even if it's 16800; I'll leave it to you. ...
The power of these words was no less than that of the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Long Island in 1945. Zhu Qingzhi's eyes, hidden behind her sunglasses, widened like saucers.
“Last month, my mother asked to meet, but I declined, citing work.”
The implication is that it would be impolite to refuse again.
"If it's inconvenient for you, I'll refuse again."
Oh, what a thoughtful leather jacket.
But never mind.
"I'm fine with anything, whatever you say." She smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.
Wen Qi tightened his fingers; the abrasions on his wrists stung, and his chest ached.
A few days ago, he and Lu Yao were competing with each other, using projects to trip each other up. At first, they were both carried away and wanted to fight to the death, but in the end, reason prevailed and they each took a step back.
Wen's Group didn't lose the land reclamation project in Haicheng, but in order not to make the government uncomfortable, they voluntarily gave up three percentage points of profit.
The Lu family didn't gain much either; they not only won the intelligent project at the lowest price but also guaranteed to shorten the construction period by one month.
The day after he landed in Beijing, he heard that there were communication problems with the overseas project, and he had to transfer flights again to get there.
Foreign countries are not as good as domestic ones. Dealing with problems abroad is time-consuming and laborious. In the end, it turned out that it was Lu Yao who had dug the pit.
They had just returned to the country today, and the two of them got into a fight as soon as they met. Lu Yao didn't hold back, and he took several solid punches. But Lu Yao wasn't much better off, since one of the punches landed right on his eye.
Ji Ran and Gu Huaichuan just watched from the sidelines. Ji Ran even filmed several videos before trying to break up the fight. In the end, he summarized their childish behavior in one sentence: "They hurt the enemy a thousand, but they also hurt themselves eight hundred."
Currently, within their small circle, he's known as "Wen Yiqian" and Lu Yao as "Lu Babai"—a rather sarcastic yet fitting nickname.
Zhu Qingzhi was lost in her own thoughts and didn't pay much attention to Wen Qi's little actions. After thinking for a moment, she still asked, "What do you and your aunt like? I'll prepare something for tomorrow."
"No need, I've already prepared it." Wen Qi changed the subject, glancing at the cup holder on the center console. "I got a serving of red bean dumplings from Hanyuelou. Eat them if you're hungry."
She was indeed a bit hungry, and the red bean dumplings were incredibly tempting, so Zhu Qingzhi didn't stand on ceremony and took a sip from her thermos. It was the perfect temperature to drink.
It must have been cooled down before being poured into the cup. If he made it himself, then Wen Qi is quite meticulous.
Most people just use hotel takeout containers when packing food, without worrying about the temperature before drinking. Better service involves putting it in a thermos, so you just have to be careful when drinking from it.
But very few people can do something like that. It seems like being his girlfriend would be a really great experience.
Although Wen Qi said that everything in the bridal chamber was prepared for her, she subconsciously felt that he had someone he liked, so he must have a girlfriend, right?
But she didn't show these doubts.
Wen Qi drove slowly, so smoothly that there wasn't even the slightest bump.
Zhu Qingzhi stayed up late these past few days reading the novel "Yunshuiyao" and also read the script several times. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep without realizing it.
When she woke up, the car was already parked in the yard. Wen Qi was sitting in the driver's seat with an iPad on his lap. He was wearing headphones and seemed to be giving instructions to his assistant.
The car window was slightly ajar, letting in a breeze that ruffled his hair. He exuded a cool, aloof, noble elegance. Perhaps sensing her gaze, he turned to her and softly asked, "Did I disturb you?"
"No, no." Zhu Qingzhi shook her head, immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, and looked embarrassed. "Just wake me up next time. I'm not grumpy when I wake up."
"I just arrived." He turned off the iPad, opened the car door, and got out.
Just arrived...
It's already midnight, it will take at least two hours to get home.
When Zhu Qingzhi entered the room, Wen Qi was already sitting on the sofa, with dense text on the iPad in front of her. Just glancing at it gave her a headache.
She didn't go upstairs; instead, she got a glass of warm water and gently placed it beside him, just as Wen Qi reached for the coffee table drawer.
Caught off guard, his knuckles brushed against her wrist, then her palm, and finally her fingers. A fleeting, sudden, brief, unintentional touch.
Wen Qi said "Sorry," and Zhu Qingzhi smiled to indicate that it was okay. Not wanting to disturb his work, she turned to go upstairs. At this moment, he handed her a plaster, his eyes falling on her slightly swollen ankle, but only for a glance, without lingering for long.
This happened when she took a big step on stage and twisted her ankle slightly. It didn't hurt much, and she didn't pay attention to it, but he did.
Zhu Qingzhi's eyes flickered. She took the ointment and chose to sit next to him. The sofa sagged slightly. Wen Qi was engrossed in his iPad and seemed not to notice her movements.
Without hesitation, she took his hand. Perhaps for some reason, Wen Qi turned to look at her, but she didn't meet his gaze. She focused on treating the wound on his wrist without saying a word, though her ears turned red.
Wen Qi's gaze lingered on him for a long time. Her heart was pounding, but she knew exactly how much force to use. The scent of peppermint oil slowly spread, and although it was supposed to be a cool touch, her fingertips felt burning hot. She didn't look up until she finished treating him and even after going upstairs.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ao, sitting across from the iPad, had already broken down.
He always reported to Wen Qi via video conference. The text on the iPad was a proposal he had just finished and projected onto the screen, so Wen Qi couldn't see his expression, but he could see Wen Qi's expression clearly.
He was already going crazy when he heard the female celebrity's voice coming from Wen Qi's side, and now he was even more dumbfounded when he saw Wen Qi being so tender with the female celebrity.
Mr. Wen just returned to the country and he's already contacting female celebrities again? It's so late, are they really staying together? Does that mean he doesn't want to continue his relationship with Mr. Lu?
If you don't want it, you have to tell him in advance, otherwise if you launch a surprise attack like this time, he really won't be able to handle it.
Xiao Ao clenched his fists, relying on his exceptional qualities and his firm belief in never interfering in President Wen's private affairs, and continued to report on his work.
But Wen Qi suddenly called a halt.
"The meeting tomorrow night is canceled; I'm going back to my old house for dinner."
"Also, prepare a cheongsam and have it delivered to the villa tomorrow morning."
*
The hashtags 【Yunshuiyao Official Announcement】, 【Pink Ocean】, and 【Beauty Trailer】 trended on social media overnight. For a time, Xiao Tang and Zhu Qingzhi were equally popular.
Furthermore, marketing accounts captured Xiao Tang's expressions during several segments, including walking the red carpet, waiting in the wings, receiving awards, and Zhu Qingzhi going on stage, and posted them on Weibo.
The nine-square grid, with its clear timeline, coupled with the subtle changes in her expressions, has prompted hundreds of analyses from netizens in the comments section.
Just as the hype was starting to build, the Weibo account suddenly became invisible, clearly indicating that someone had intervened to quell the situation. Marketing accounts didn't make any extreme comments, and the matter was effectively suppressed.
Zhu Qingzhi had no time to care about these things. Ever since Wen Qi suggested last night that they go back to the old house today, she had been feeling uneasy.
Although she's been in the entertainment industry for a long time and has seen all sorts of big events, the thought of meeting her nominal in-laws... anyone would be scared, okay?!
She suddenly admired Wen Qi for her courage in going to her house for dinner by herself that day.
Zhu Qingzhi was so worried that she didn't sleep well all night. Fortunately, when she woke up the next day, Wen Qi had already left, saving her from a "social" engagement.
After breakfast, someone brought over a simple and elegant cheongsam, clearly prepared by Wen Qi for her return to the old house that evening. After some thought, she decided to go home and retrieve a pair of jade earrings and a string of nanmu beads as a backup.
Zhu's mother immediately noticed that something was wrong with her and found out the reason as soon as she asked.
"You and Wen Qi have been married for almost three months now, it's time to go back and meet them. They're a very easy couple to get along with, so don't be too nervous."
Zhu's mother replaced the jade earrings in her hand with a bracelet of better quality. Seeing that she was still half-dead, she knew that she was under great psychological pressure and decided to give her another strong dose of medicine: "Do you know about the fight your brother had with someone yesterday?"
? ? ?
Zhu Qingzhi was full of questions, doubting her own ears, and her voice unconsciously rose a few decibels: "He was fighting with someone?"
"When he came back yesterday, he had an injury on his face, and he went to the company wearing sunglasses this morning." Seeing that she had successfully diverted her attention, Zhu's mother calmly picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.
The expression on his face was even more vivid, as if it wasn't his own son who was injured, and he even had a detached sense of detachment, like a bystander watching a melodrama. "Since it's still early, why don't you go and ask for me?"
"And while you're at it, go home and ask Wen Qi how he's injured?" Zhu's mother raised an eyebrow at Zhu Qingzhi, though it was unclear whether she understood what she meant.
Zhu Qingzhi didn't have time to ponder her thoughts. She rushed to Lu's Group and called Lu Yao, but no one answered. She had no choice but to contact his assistant, Lian Shang. Lian Shang personally escorted her into Lu Yao's office: "Miss, Mr. Lu is in a meeting. Please wait a moment."
Zhu Qingzhi's eyes darted around, deciding to start with him and cut straight to the point: "Brother Lian, my brother got into a fight?"
Lian Shang pushed a cup of coffee towards her and asked with a smile, "Really? Where did you find out, Miss? I'd like to verify it."
OK, let's pretend she didn't ask.
She didn't drink her coffee; instead, she immediately opened the magazine on the table and began to stare blankly, completely absorbed in her thoughts.
When Lu Yao pushed the door open, Zhu Qingzhi was sitting in his chair, looking intently at the computer. For a moment, the several subordinates who were following behind him to report on their work were stunned.
He then remembered what Lian Shang had said about Zhu Qingzhi's arrival, and waved them off. The more serious they were when reporting, the more serious they were when running away.
Lu Yao walked expressionlessly to Zhu Qingzhi's side, pressed the back of the chair to turn her around, and at this moment, the Minesweeper game on the screen had only moved two steps before displaying Game Over: "Childish".
Zhu Qingzhi snatched off his sunglasses, noticed a bruise near his eye, and retorted, "Isn't it childish for you to fight with someone?"
Lu Yao ignored her and closed the Minesweeper game: "You're bad at it."
"You got beaten up like this, so your skills can't be that great either." Zhu Qingzhi kicked off the chair, which slid back, just in time to avoid his hand that reached out to pinch her cheek.
Lu Yao wasn't annoyed. He leaned against the table, turned around, and spoke to her: "Did he tell you?"
"What business is it of yours who told me?" Zhu Qingzhi assumed he was just changing the subject, holding her sunglasses in her hand with a look of disdain. "Young Master Lu, you're thirty years old, be more mature!"
It seems that Wen Qi wasn't the one who avoided the important issues.
Lu Yao took a cigarette from the drawer, put it in his mouth, but didn't light it: "Did Mom tell you? You went back today? What happened?"
A note from the author:
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Qingzhi [transformed]: Heavens above! Earth below! The waters of West Lake, my tears!
Wen Qi [hugs]: Mm. (Two pixels rise at the corner of her mouth)
Brother [splitting]: ...
Author: Please give me stars, please water my blog! [starry eyes][pity][heart eyes]
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