Chapter 66 Holding her hand and fiddling with it, yet still acting awkwardly. Miss Zhu looks very beautiful today. ...
When Zhu Qingzhi returned to the dressing room to touch up her lipstick, she felt uneasy under Xiaoling's meaningful gaze. Upon entering the lawn, Dani, with the same meaningful look, first draped a brown coat over her shoulders, then led her to Katrina and began socializing with her.
Half an hour later, she went to the lakeside dessert table and first met Ji Cen's meaningful gaze, but she didn't care anymore.
When Gu Qiao saw her, she quickly moved aside to make room for her, then replaced the champagne in her hand with fruit-flavored sparkling water. After giving a vivid and animated explanation of how "Gu Huaichuan treated her like a dog," she ended with a disdainful question: "Why are you so slow? What have you been doing?"
Zhu Qingzhi remained expressionless: "I'm working."
Gu Qiao: "......"
Such an official response definitely indicates that someone has something to hide.
Just as she was about to press for details, Ji Cen rubbed his nose with his index finger and smoothed things over: "Where are my uncle and the others?"
"Ignore them, they all ran away as soon as they showed up." Gu Qiao shrugged, unconcerned. "They're probably too lazy to socialize. Who's ever seen so many men at a fashion show? Just now on the runway, when those people saw them, their eyes lit up with greed."
“That makes sense.” Zhu Qingzhi agreed and clinked glasses with her. “You’re truly amazing.”
"Of course!" Gu Qiao raised her eyebrows triumphantly, pouted and acted cute, then slipped over to the dessert table to pick out a small cake, preparing to have Zhu Qingzhi take a picture of her.
Zhu Qingzhi was genuinely looking forward to it and made the outrageous comment, "Aww, you're cuter than the cake!"
Ji Cen forced a weak smile. These two are truly best friends; their perfect chemistry is so good they should be performing stand-up comedy.
He glanced at the time; he knew he would have to leave in half an hour at most to attend Chairman Liu's birthday banquet, and only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
He wasn't used to being in such a setting. If it weren't for his desire to come and watch the excitement, and his uncle's order for him to get an invitation, he would probably still be lying at home like a corpse.
Just as he looked down at his phone, a deep male voice came from behind him.
"Miss Zhu."
The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Since it wasn't directed at him, he didn't bother to pay attention. Ji Cen opened the game interface, and while waiting for the progress bar to finish, he suddenly realized that a man was trying to pick him up.
He's flirting with Zhu Qingzhi again! If he doesn't do anything about it, Brother Wen might have to teach him a lesson.
Ji Cen immediately turned off his phone, and when he looked up, he was even more stunned.
Why is it him? What's he doing here? Is he trying to poach someone or sabotage Brother Wen? But judging from Zhu Qingzhi's obvious lack of knowledge about him, and her awkward and reserved demeanor, it seems to be their first meeting.
Let him, the "messenger of light," save us!
"Brother Shi Yan".
Ji Cen's personality is such that he treats everyone, whether he knows them well or not, like an older brother. He has no idea how important a "surname" is to Zhu Qingzhi.
Zhu Qingzhi couldn't very well call him "brother" too; if her brother found out, he'd be sarcastic for days. But she also couldn't refer to him as "the man behind Xiao Tang." So she gave him an official smile and said, "Hello."
Zhao Shiyan had a melancholic temperament. Even when the sunlight shone down, it couldn't dispel the gloom in his eyes. A blooming red rose was tucked into his dark gray woolen coat, more vibrant than his lip color.
"Miss Zhu looks beautiful today."
Perhaps it was because his expression and tone were so restrained, but Zhu Qingzhi didn't find his old-fashioned polite words greasy at all.
However, the person he was promoting was Xiao Tang, and she didn't want to have much contact with him. After all, this wasn't a completely closed place, and there were media present. If photos were leaked, there would be trouble.
"Thank you," she replied with a smile, but still leaned slightly towards Ji Cen.
This meant they were seeking help, and Ji Cen understood.
It's true that he leaked the news of Zhu Qingzhi and Wen Qi's marriage, but because Brother Wen instructed him, it was only made public within his small circle. As for anything related to the Zhao family, he didn't reveal a word.
He even issued a "gag order" to everyone in his inner circle, and if anyone didn't keep their mouth shut, the Wen and Lu families wouldn't let them off the hook. So even now, Zhu Qingzhi's "identity" is still a mystery, and Zhao Shiyan probably doesn't know either.
Ji Cen casually made a phone call, then squinted his eyelids, making conversation as if he had nothing to say: "Is Brother Shi Yan interested in fashion design?"
Zhao Shiyan looked at him, his eyes were hard to describe, not empty, but you just couldn't see anything in them, which gave people goosebumps.
He looked away, involuntarily swallowed, and was about to change the subject when he heard Zhao Shiyan say calmly, "Not interested."
Ji Cen's heart, which had been in her throat, calmed down a little. Just as she relaxed her grip on the wine glass, she heard him add the second half of his sentence: "I am interested in Miss Zhu."
Unlike the previous monotone, almost mechanical tone, this sentence clearly carried personal emotion.
Is Zhao Shiyan interested in Zhu Qingzhi? That's neither scientific nor reasonable. The Zhao family is at a crucial stage of "dividing the family property and fighting for power," so how could Zhao Shiyan possibly be interested in Zhu Qingzhi?
Ji Cen slowly formed a question mark in his mind, and his eyes also turned to Zhao Shiyan. Without needing to delve deeper, he could see the playfulness and inquiry in Zhao Shiyan's eyes.
Seriously? They're really trying to poach his players? What is he supposed to do?
How can one reasonably step forward and act as a protector of Zhu Qingzhi without revealing her identity?
Ji Cen felt like his CPU was about to overheat. He forced out a smile that was somewhere between "Are you kidding me?" and "Are you alright?", trying to make a joke and help Zhu Qingzhi out of the predicament.
But Zhu Qingzhi directly said what he dared not say: "Please don't joke around."
She was never one to swallow her anger, especially since this person had so rudely come up to her. Why should she be polite? And Shi Yan, wasn't he the one from the Zhao family?
Zhu Qingzhi placed the wine glass on the table, a faint smile curving her lips. "President Zhao, I never had the intention to compete with Xiao Tang for anything before, I don't now, and I never will in the future."
The polite tone masked an impolite meaning, implying that he was nothing more than a "thing," and a "thing" she disliked.
Zhao Shiyan's eyes flickered slightly as he slowly twirled the wine glass in his left hand. The slight creaking sound of the glass rubbing against the marble countertop seemed to be his response to her "inability to respond," and the playful glint in his eyes did not fade despite her bluntness.
None of the three spoke, and a brief silence fell over the room.
Ji Cen, who was standing next to him, was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
This woman is really brave, daring to speak to Zhao Shiyan like that. The Zhao family's current dire situation is all thanks to him, and almost everyone who offends him ends up in a bad way.
But she did have the confidence, and thinking about this, Ji Cen felt that what she said wasn't too harsh.
Suddenly, someone tugged at his arm, causing Ji Cen to lose his balance and stumble, creating an opening.
The gap was immediately filled.
OK, Brother Wen has arrived at the scene, all alarms are off!
Wen Qi had a faint smell of smoke and alcohol on him, which was on his wool coat, but it wasn't very noticeable. He must have just come from a social event and hadn't had time to clean it up yet.
Zhu Qingzhi adjusted her coat collar, adopting an attitude of "it's none of my business," and handed the stage over to him.
Wen Qi was just getting bogged down by several bosses when Ji Cen called. He thought it was just another boring sharing of his daily life, but it turned out that there was a problem with Zhu Qingzhi.
His gaze fell on Zhu Qingzhi for only a moment, carrying a barely perceptible question. Seeing that her expression was normal, he then turned to Zhao Shiyan.
Wen Qi's voice was much calmer than his actions, as if it were just a chance encounter and a casual greeting: "I didn't expect to meet President Zhao here."
"I saw President Wen being blocked in the porch, so I didn't go up to disturb him." Zhao Shiyan didn't seem surprised by Wen Qi's appearance, and the cold smile on his lips remained.
"It's rare to see Mr. Zhao showing interest in such a fashion event."
Compared to Ji Cen's clumsy question, this question, posed by Wen Qi, carries a completely different weight and intention, tinged with a hint of inquiry and a subtle skepticism.
Zhao Shiyan's expression was much richer than before. As he swirled his wine glass, his voice was tinged with a faint smile: "I'm not interested in fashion."
Then his gaze drifted seemingly casually to Zhu Qingzhi, clearly implying something, "I just came to take a look since I had nothing else to do, but now I find... it's actually quite interesting."
Ji Cen stood to the side, barely daring to breathe, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
"Not interested," "Interesting"—Zhao Shiyan's abacus beads were practically slamming into his face.
"And what brings you here, Mr. Wen?" Seemingly out of politeness, Zhao Shiyan tossed the question back, his eyes carrying a hint of knowing provocation. "A free spirit like me? Or are you interested in fashion?"
Wen Qi's gaze darkened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.
Zhu Qingzhi's identity, his strange tacit understanding with Lu Yao, and their joint efforts to completely block the news all depended on Zhu Qingzhi's wishes.
Since she doesn't seem to want to go public with the whole thing, he can't show too much possessiveness first, especially in front of Zhao Shiyan.
He raised an eyebrow slightly: "I suggest Mr. Zhao ask Mr. Gu about this."
"President Gu is in dire straits himself right now, so I won't go and join the fray." Zhao Shiyan didn't press further, and Wen Qi accepted the offer of a way out.
Zhu Qingzhi was bored listening to the conversation. Looking at Gu Qiao, who was still lingering between two dessert tables not far away, she had an urge to "pull her back".
In fact, she did just that, but as soon as she took a step, someone nudged her back with an elbow.
"Mr. Zhao and Mr. Wen, what are you talking about? You seem so engrossed."
Immediately afterwards, Lu Yao reached out a hand between her and Wen Qi and naturally took the champagne from the table. He also leaned in and pushed Zhu Qingzhi aside even more naturally, successfully becoming the "third party".
Zhu Qingzhi: "..."
Tie Q.
Lu Yao ignored her reaction, and after standing still, he pushed her glass of wine on the table to the side. His tone was different from his previous indifference; it was now hostile and dissatisfying as he interrogated her, "You didn't all come here for Miss Zhu, did you?"
Ji Cen: "..."
"If you're not family, you won't be family." These three people, even though they're not exactly close, are really good at acting.
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Author's note: Kiyoshi [shrugs]: fine.
Wen Qi [angrily]: The one surnamed Zhao?
Lu Yao [helplessly]: A sister-obsessed brother.
Ji Cen [fear]: 666.
Zhao Shiyan [clapping]: I didn't mean anything by it.
Gu Qiao [cracked]: Why am I not here?
Ah Mei [Vegetable Dog]: [Dog head holding a rose][Dog head holding a rose][Dog head holding a rose] A warm welcome to Young Master Zhao's dazzling appearance!
Everyone's inner monologue: [Question mark][Question mark][Question mark]
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