HYAT - 3

Unlike Shen Qianzhan’s thunderstruck reaction, Jiang Yecheng and Ai Yi stopped their conversation almost simultaneously and turned to look at the doorway.

Under the large cascading crystal chandelier, a young man stood tall and straight in a sharp suit.

He wore narrow, gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, the frames casting half an inch of shadow on either side of his bridge. His brow ridge was sharp, yet the lines of his brow bone were unexpectedly soft.

Beneath the frames, his eyes were deep-set, and when the corners slightly drooped, their sharpness was completely veiled.

Despite his inherently imposing and aggressive handsome features, he shed three points of his sharp coolness upon entering. The remaining few points of detachment and indifference blurred his overly refined and handsome face, surprisingly giving him an air of sophisticated abstinence.

Ai Yi was somewhat surprised.

She had imagined that the investor representative, so highly valued by Jiang Yecheng, wouldn’t be an old fox who had navigated countless worldly affairs, but certainly not this young man who looked like an intergenerational friend.

But thinking is one thing; speaking the truth is another, utterly impossible one.

She put down her wine glass and, with a beaming smile, was the first to break the almost eerie silence in the private room: “I find this distinguished guest somewhat unfamiliar; it must be our first meeting. Mr. Jiang, tonight, I must trouble you to preside over the gathering and introduce him to Qianzhan and me.”

As she spoke, her gaze, as if inadvertently, lingered on Shen Qianzhan’s face for a few seconds. Then, she curved her lips into a very subtle smile. Shen Qianzhan looked so smitten at the sight of a handsome man, as if her soul had been taken.

If she remembered correctly, this was precisely the type of man Shen Qianzhan liked.

However, at the moment, Shen Qianzhan had no time to heed either Ai Yi’s meaningful, amused gaze or Su Zan’s frantic winks, which were causing a tic.

She kept her eyes fixed, almost critically scanning the man with a gaze akin to a scanner, starting from the faint mole at the corner of his eye, comparing the differences between him and the man she met in Xi’an a few months ago.

Unfortunately, retribution, once it arrives, is always a precise strike.

Shen Qianzhan confirmed with utter despair that this man, in both facial features and height and build, perfectly matched the one-night stand from her memory.

The man she had spent a night with now overlapped with the identity of an investor beyond her reach. This blow was too immense for Shen Qianzhan to digest at once.

So much so that when Jiang Yecheng stood up to make introductions, her consciousness was still somewhat hazy, as if all sounds around her receded. Before her eyes, the scene played out ten times slower, like a fisheye lens, with fragmented edits and layered light and shadow.

One moment, it was this man in his proper, cold, and dignified attire; the next, it was this man’s Adam’s apple bobbing, unable to control his improper desires.

As the two scenes intertwined, Shen Qianzhan disgracefully...got hard.

But in this unclear “friend or foe” situation, Shen Qianzhan utterly despised herself for still being full of lewd thoughts.

She gritted her teeth, cursing herself for being lust-blinded and foolish, but more than that, she felt indignant, thinking how unlucky and jinxed she was... Who would have thought that sleeping with a man a thousand miles away would result in an “express delivery” online, right to her doorstep?

But then she reconsidered.

They were all adults. They were genuinely invested in the moment they slept together, and walking away afterwards was simply reality.

They were both people of standing. Now, unexpectedly reunited, she was afraid her carefully built reputation would crumble if her past was revealed, and he probably feared her clinging to him even more, inviting trouble.

Thanks to her experience handling Xiang Qianqian’s “dating scandal” PR years ago, Shen Qianzhan almost immediately analyzed the pros and cons and the best course of action.

If time hadn’t been limited, she could have even written a whitewashing essay, passionately and eloquently defending her one-night stand.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tumultuous waves within her that hadn’t completely subsided. She stood up as if nothing had happened, lining up behind Ai Yi, waiting to shake hands with the money bags.

Jiang Yecheng’s introductory speech finally drew to a close. Shen Qianzhan barely caught the phrase “Executive Director of Buzhong Sui China Region.” She raised an eyebrow, recalling how this scoundrel had once claimed to be a professional rich slacker, with a family “grocery store” that sold everything. She couldn’t help but sneer inwardly: his family’s grocery store truly sold “everything,” from high-end luxury to jewelry and watches.

Ai Yi was the first to chime in, covering her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes full of admiration. Even her normally firm and sharp voice was now as gentle as a soft breeze: “Mr. Ji is truly young and accomplished.”

Su Zan followed closely, flattering endlessly: “Mr. Ji is truly an outstanding role model for our generation of young people. I always thought I worked hard enough, but now it seems my horizons were too narrow.” As he spoke, fearing that Shen Qianzhan’s flattery would fall behind, he fiercely and silently passed the next speaking opportunity to her.

Shen Qianzhan: “...”

It felt like an illusion of a microphone relay without an actual microphone.

Under everyone’s gaze, she slightly raised her eyes to look at Ji Qinghe, who hadn’t uttered a word since entering the private room.

The latter was raising his hand to unbutton his suit jacket, the suit fabric at his elbow creasing from the fold and stretch, revealing a small section of his white shirt with a subtle pattern sewn onto the cuff.

That slender, well-defined hand, set against the cool gray and white tones, made his skin appear like jade. From the lines of his wrist bone to his finger joints, every detail exuded an artistic sense of pampered refinement.

Shen Qianzhan tutted.

Usually, in such welcoming and warm-up segments, she was always in a league of her own, unmatched by others.

But today, the main guest’s identity was special. She didn’t want to be too enthusiastic, making others mistakenly think she was an emotionless sycophant in real life, nor did she want her professional ability to appear subpar due to her subjective awkwardness.

After much thought, the most appropriate remark seemed to be a compliment on his hairline: “Mr. Ji is exceptionally gifted, both intelligent and not bald.”

After her words, the entire room fell silent.

Only Ji Qinghe, with a cold yet polite demeanor, finally gave her a direct look.

Just as the atmosphere threatened to become awkward, Su Zan, as one of her own people who had to step in, timely saved the day: “Mr. Ji has had a long and tiring journey. Perhaps we should all sit down and talk.”

Standing there felt like everyone was listening to a leader’s lecture. The leader might not be tired, but he was exhausted mentally.

________________________________________

Work matters, once outside the office environment, always lacked a certain full-throttle atmosphere. Moreover, being outside the office environment while also having a table full of delicacies and rare foods certainly didn’t help.

Shen Qianzhan conceded that she couldn’t dedicate her full work enthusiasm tonight, nor could she let the feast go to waste, so she simply ceded the stage.

Without her participation, the conversation quickly progressed smoothly, and the dining atmosphere gradually improved.

However, Shen Qianzhan wasn’t idle. Due to her occupational habit, she could still divide her attention to analyze the conversation even while elegantly sweeping through the dishes.

This habit initially developed because industry bigwigs enjoyed chatting and exchanging harmless gossip over drinks and meals. Just as young people outside the industry enjoy scrolling through Weibo anecdotes and gossiping while eating, usually by the time Shen Qianzhan had taken a round of dishes, the bigwigs would have already moved from discussing the side effects of a certain celebrity’s new thread lift to the romance between a certain young actress and a young male idol.

Later, Shen Qianzhan rose through the ranks and gained a foothold, gradually upgrading to a key player in the content production camp. Not only did she have to timely whitewash and clarify for her own artists, but she also had to throw out some quality bait to get firsthand information.

Being a real producer is tough; you must have offended the Milky Way in your past life.

After Ai Yi and Jiang Yecheng discussed the General Administration’s review standards for half an hour, they suddenly found tonight’s dinner party a bit dull. Upon reflection, Shen Qianzhan, after taking her seat, had been quiet as a mouse, almost unnoticeable, except for politely raising her glass for toasts.

She wasn’t her usual charming self, enlivening the atmosphere, nor was she as relaxed and easygoing as at private gatherings.

Even Ai Yi could tell that Jiang Yecheng was trying to curry favor with Ji Qinghe. If not for her senior status, she probably would have acted like Su Zan, completely shedding her inhibitions and constantly flattering him.

Instead, the producer who urgently needed the investor’s favor had been sitting quietly, eating for half an hour?

Such a smooth meal was simply bland.

Ai Yi retracted her gaze, and while pouring wine for Jiang Yecheng, she seemingly casually brought up Shen Qianzhan: “I suddenly remembered, Qianzhan went to Xi’an several times before going abroad?”

Shen Qianzhan glanced at her but didn’t deny it: “Yes, I did go a few times.”

“The clock exhibition at the Shaanxi History Museum is a rare occurrence. Since we’re doing a clock restoration theme, we should learn about it, regardless of ancient or modern.” She skillfully dodged the main point, even taking the opportunity to project a dedicated professional image.

Ai Yi rested her chin on one hand, her peripheral vision observing Ji Qinghe, who was nonchalantly twirling his glass with one hand. She continued, “I heard from Su Zan that you intended to invite Master Ji to be a specially appointed consultant. How’s that progressing?”

Damn it, this is true plastic sisterhood driven by self-interest. Breaking up the “golden partnership” is quick, ruthless, and merciless.

Shen Qianzhan instantly regretted her earlier slip of the tongue that had revealed the school district housing resource. She shot a fierce glare at the loose-lipped Su Zan, then quickly put on a professional fake smile and sweetly replied, “Master Ji is a titan among clock restorers. While I do intend to invite him to be a specially appointed consultant, it also depends on Master Ji’s own wishes.”

Ai Yi acknowledged with an “oh,” then turned the conversation towards Ji Qinghe, who seemed to have been detached throughout: “Mr. Ji, are you from Xi’an?”

Ji Qinghe paused his movement of playing with the cup, and nodded slightly: “My ancestral home is Xi’an.”

Table culture is actually full of art, behavior, and ritual. Smart people know how and when to seize opportunities to facilitate cooperation and achieve goals.

So, first and foremost, one must be good at observing.

For example: if she needed to collaborate with Shen Qianzhan, she would need to figure out what she wanted—young flesh, supreme prestige and power, or enough money to buy vanity.

The prerequisite for knowing what the other person needs is to pick topics that interest her. At the very least, one shouldn’t discuss parenting, marriage views, or mother-in-law-daughter-in-law relationships with a charming and glamorous woman who exudes feminine allure.

And this process is not achieved overnight; it requires continuous exploration.

Ai Yi had been observing Ji Qinghe since he appeared. The title of Executive Director of Buzhong Sui China Region, in her eyes, was essentially linked to top-tier business resources and RMB.

Not only did Jiang Yecheng want to get closer to him, but she was even more eager to cling to this powerful connection.

However, just now, when she talked with Jiang Yecheng about industry investment trends, film and television review standards, and even entertainment gossip, Ji Qinghe remained unmoved. Only when Shen Qianzhan was involved did he momentarily divert his attention from his indifferent state.

Adhering to the principle of making reasonable use of any potential gain, Ai Yi unhesitatingly presented Shen Qianzhan to Ji Qinghe: “Qianzhan highly values this meeting. She just discussed project preparations with me and intends to set the filming location in Xi’an. Perhaps Qianzhan could tell Mr. Ji about it?”

Shen Qianzhan had been wary ever since Ai Yi suddenly cued her. After patiently listening to her roundabout intentions, she almost pinched Su Zan under the table until he had a heart attack and muscle necrosis.

She smiled, picked up a warm towel, and dabbed her lips: “I know very little about Xi’an. Mr. Ji grew up in Xi’an, so the difference between me and Mr. Ji is probably like a ‘one-night stand’ versus ‘homesickness.’ How can they be compared?” As she spoke, Shen Qianzhan feigned annoyance, adding, “I was merely asking Sister Ai for a suggestion between Xi’an and Beijing, but you went ahead and decided on Xi’an for me.”

Ji Qinghe had initially been looking at Su Zan.

The private room had a thermostat, and the temperature was comfortable. The air purifier and humidifier were also working efficiently, ensuring the indoor air was moist and fresh.

Yet, only Su Zan was profusely sweating, his face flushed.

He was truly an eyesore.

It wasn’t until Ji Qinghe heard Shen Qianzhan say “one-night stand” that his gaze finally moved from Shen Qianzhan’s hand, which was hidden under the table. He repeated with a half-smile, “One-night stand?”

His eyes were deep-set, and his gaze gradually darkened. Just by looking at his emotionless face, it was impossible to discern his mood.

Only Shen Qianzhan seemed to receive some kind of danger signal. Her eyes fell on his lips, which held a mocking smile, and her entire nape went numb.

It was over.

She was about to crash and burn.