Water and Fire~Chapter 108.2: The Black Dress

 

Chapter 108.2: The Black Dress

The next day, Chu Qianmiao made an appointment with Wang Jun. Wang Jun happened to be in Financial Street on some business, so they simply decided to meet at Litong Securities.

As Chu Qianmiao led Wang Jun to the small conference room, they passed Ren Yan's office. As they passed, she saw Ren Yan look up and see them.

Entering the conference room, Chu Qianmiao briefed Wang Jun on the project. Wang Jun expressed his interest and expressed his willingness to collaborate if possible.

After expressing his interest in collaborating, he smiled and said to Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, no, I should call you President Chu now. When I first saw you when I came in, I almost didn't recognize you. You're so beautiful and capable now."

Chu Qianmiao felt that everyone she met lately had to praise her for being beautiful and capable. She'd heard it so often that she was almost losing interest.

But she still smiled politely, thanked Wang Jun, and said, "Just call me Qianmiao. Calling me President Chu makes the relationship seem distant."

Wang Jun smiled and nodded. Then he thought for a moment, and before leaving, he asked Chu Qianmiao one more question.

"Qianmiao, can I ask you why you wanted to work on this project with me?"

Chu Qianmiao knew there was a hidden meaning behind his words, because he knew she would understand it. "I was brought up by Qiao Zhixin, and Qiao Zhixin once coveted you, so why did you want to work with me?"

Chu Qianmiao had already prepared the answer to this question.

"Remember when Lawyer Zhang jumped ship? After he left, I was adrift in the firm. You contacted me then, and I still remember what you said."

Wang Jun contacted her then and said, "I know you might be reluctant to join my team for personal reasons, but I want to tell you that Lawyer Qiao is Lawyer Qiao, and I am me. Also, He Wei might not be as loyal as you think."

"At that time, I didn't believe you. I thought you were being hypocritical and even badmouthed He Wei." Chu Qianmiao smiled apologetically. "But looking back now, everything you said was actually true and well-intentioned. Over the past two years, while working on projects, I've heard people talk about you and Qiao Zhixin. You're certainly different from him. And He Wei isn't exactly a man of integrity."

Chu Qianmiao looked at Wang Jun with a sincere gaze. "So, looking back now, I'm grateful for your kindness when I was in such a complicated and passive situation. I'm also deeply sorry that I misunderstood your kindness. I hope that through this opportunity to work together, we can get to know each other better."

Wang Jun smiled. He nodded. After a moment, he couldn't help but nod again.

He stood up and extended his right hand to Chu Qianmiao. "Thank you for correcting your impression of me. So, Ms. Chu, I wish you a happy future together."

That evening, when Ren Yan took Chu Qianmiao home, he followed her upstairs.

As he kissed her until she was dizzy, he grilled her, "Wang Jun, who came to the company today, is a partner at Xinfeng, right? Why are you working with Xinfeng's lawyers? What are you planning?"

After being tempered by countless p*rnographic stories, Chu Qianmiao withstood this wave of sl*tty attacks. She said to Ren Yan, "You said you'd let me handle this project on my own and you wouldn't interfere."

Ren Yan wanted to ask more, but she hurried over.

She immediately employed the exaggerated techniques of er*tic fiction, planting strawberries on his neck, rubbing against his legs like lice, and teasing his calves with her feet. She hadn't expected these earthy seductions to actually captivate Ren Yan, causing him to gradually reveal a state of despair.

Finally, breathlessly, he grabbed her and asked, "Where did you learn all this?"

She completely deflected the question of why she chose Xinfeng as her partner.

After Ren Yan left, Chu Qianmiao leaned against the window, enjoying the spring breeze and the night view. This city seemed especially vulnerable at night, its filth swallowed up by the day by the darkness.

Some of this filth was gradually forgotten, each night. Some, however, remained.

She would never forget how Qiao Zhixin had hurt her.

Just because she hadn't mentioned Qiao Zhixin in the past year didn't mean she had forgotten the incident. She had been secretly monitoring the movements of Xinfeng Law Firm, Qiao Zhixin, and Wang Jun. She was constantly searching for a way to defeat Qiao Zhixin.

Qiao Zhixin had initially used the surveillance video of Ren Yan and Tan Shen beating him, threatening to sue them. Because of this, she negotiated with him, each side making concessions and refusing to pursue the other.

But now, a year had passed. The statute of limitations for personal injury had expired. The surveillance video in his possession no longer threatened Ren Yan and Tan Shen, and she could find a way to seek justice for herself.

But how could she seek justice by suing him for sexual harassment? That was too difficult. Over a year had passed; it was too long. Furthermore, her recorder had broken on the day he assaulted her, leaving her with no evidence.

The recordings she had previously recorded were merely suggestive words; they wouldn't punish him severely, at most damaging his reputation. And he would undoubtedly try to smear her, accusing her of a failed seduction and a retaliatory blow. This society and the workplace are incredibly tolerant of male sexuality. In comparison, the status of female sexuality is merely a minor feature. So, in the end, her reputation would be damaged more than Qiao Zhixin's.

Rather than risking her own reputation and imposing a mild punishment, it would be better to make a major move, bringing ruin to his reputation and the punishment he deserved.

So, she decided she had to find another way to punish Qiao Zhixin.

Recently, while out on a business trip, she ran into a former colleague from the firm. She heard that Qiao Zhixin had once asked Wang Jun to take the blame for a project. Fortunately, Wang Jun had a good reputation, and the company didn't investigate further.

At the time, she thought, Wang Jun must be unwilling to accept this. He might be a force to be won over and united with.

She gradually realized that Wang Jun hadn't lied to her. He was truly different from Qiao Zhixin. He had a strong reputation on projects, and his approach was very different from Qiao Zhixin's. Indeed, he was Wang Jun. He hadn't lied about that.

She figured that Wang Jun must know more about Qiao Zhixin's actions over the years, both legal and illegal.

So, Wang Jun was the key to defeating Qiao Zhixin.

After finalizing the various intermediary partners with Zhufeng Auto Parts, they set a date for a joint on-site due diligence next week.

This meant Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan had another weekend to spend together.

On Friday, Hanhai Home Textiles' Zhou Hanhai personally invited Ren Yan and the original project team members to a five-star hotel for their spring/summer product launch, followed by a dinner reception.

Ren Yan told Chu Qianmiao that Hanhai Home Textiles' performance had declined slightly last year and this year, and to generate momentum, they were making this launch extra grand.

He also specifically told Chu Qianmiao, "Dress formally for the dinner."

Chu Qianmiao wore her black V-neck dress to the dinner that day.

This was her second time wearing the dress; the last time was at the Hanhai Home Textiles launch reception.

She thought the dress and Hanhai Home Textiles were destined to be together. She had worn it twice, both times to Hanhai Home Textiles's events.

To avoid suspicion, she and Ren Yan walked separately, arriving at the dinner separately.

She entered the banquet hall and found their table. Ren Yan was already seated. She sat across from him, next to Qin Qianyu.

She took off her coat and windbreaker, straightening her back.

The neckline of her dress was a sharp V-neck, opening at the neck, revealing a vast expanse of her fair skin and delicate collarbone. It then tapered downwards, ending seductively at the subtle cleavage of her chest.

The moment she looked up, she met Ren Yan's gaze. His eyes fixed on her, their dry fire ignited into a fire, burning with undisguised intensity.

He quickly looked away.

Some time after the dinner began, Zhou Hanhai arrived to offer a toast. Ren Yan drove the car, and while they chatted for a while, drinking tea, Ren Yan said to Zhou Hanhai, "Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry, I have some work to do on the project. I have to leave now." He glanced at Chu Qianmiao.

Zhou Hanhai personally escorted him out of the banquet hall.

After Ren Yan left, Chu Qianmiao sat at the table and chatted with Qin Qianyu. Qin Qianyu relentlessly pressed Chu Qianmiao for the shade of her lipstick, saying his wife would look stunning in it.

Chu Qianmiao learned the lipstick shade from Gu Miaoyu and shared it with Qin Qianyu.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated again. She thought it was Gu Miaoyu talking to her.

The message turned out to be from Ren Yan.

She quickly dimmed the screen and took the phone under the table to read.

Ren Yan's texts seemed to have been dripping with emotion for fifteen minutes. Why didn't she come out and see my wink?

Chu Qianmiao suppressed a smile. It was a sweet, suppressed smile.

Of course, she understood the meaning of his glance before he left. But she just wanted to tease him.

She texted Gu Miaoyu to call her, then announced to everyone that her childhood friend had urgent business and she had to leave.

She slipped away without a hitch.

Leaving the banquet hall and walking outside the hotel, she lowered her head to send a message, wanting to ask Ren Yan, "Where are you?"

A hand wrapped around her arm. Someone tugged her, dragging her into a dark, shadowy huddle.

The man leaned against the wall, wrapped her in his windbreaker, and hugged her tightly.

"Last time you were wearing a skirt, I wanted to do the same to you," he whispered in her ear.

Her heart pounded. She thought, this night is going to be a disaster.