Chapter
113.1: I Can't Say It Now
Chu Qianmiao stepped off the plane, the scorching hot wind
of a June summer evening in Beijing lashing her in the face. Even the nights
were unbearably sweltering in this season.
After collecting her luggage and exiting the arrivals gate,
she saw Ren Yan waiting there. Standing among the airport arrivals, his hands
tucked into his pockets, he looked strikingly handsome. They hadn't seen each
other for a week or so, and every reunion was a rekindling of freshness.
Looking at that man, Chu Qianmiao's heartbeat always took on
a different rhythm. She walked towards Ren Yan, handing her suitcase over to
one of his hands and herself to the other.
She let Ren Yan lead her as they walked to the parking lot.
Once in the car, he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt.
Her face flushed slightly. She blamed the sweltering heat
outside for the change in temperature.
"Senior, I'll do it myself," she said to Ren Yan.
Ren Yan ignored her. He pulled the seatbelt back into the
buckle, leaning slightly forward, and accurately blocked her "I'll do it
myself" with his mouth.
It had been just a gentle rubbing of his lips. Chu Qianmiao
moved her lips, wanting to speak. As her lips parted, Ren Yan's tongue entered.
The kiss suddenly deepened. Chu Qianmiao sensed a subtle
difference from the past. In the past, Ren Yan's attacks on her had been so
wild and unrestrained that she could barely bear them. Today, his lips and
teeth lingered with an incomparable tenderness. She felt like she was melting
on his tongue.
For a moment, she was distracted, wondering how he could
tease her in so many different ways. She would have to continue studying that
erotic novel and extract from it the wonderful techniques that would also make
him dizzy and overwhelmed.
That night, Ren Yan took Chu Qianmiao out for Bobo Chicken
and then drove her back to the apartment.
Chu Qianmiao was stunned when she saw the "change of
toiletries" Ren Yan mentioned on WeChat.
Not to mention the slippers, pajamas, and towel, he'd even
prepared a change of underwear for her. A wave of heat washed over her.
That night, Ren Yan was incredibly gentle with her.
The next morning, they went to the company separately.
Ren Yan drove, and she took a taxi.
Arriving at the company and entering the office, Chu
Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu immediately began chatting animatedly. They hadn't seen
each other in a while, and it felt like they could have spent half an hour just
chatting about the weather.
After chatting for a while, the front desk called them on
the landline to inform them that the kernel meeting was about to begin.
Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu quickly grabbed their computers
and laptops and headed to the meeting room.
Entering the conference room, Chu Qianmiao saw Wu Jin, the
head of the Beijing Investment Banking Department, and the heads of various
project departments: Ren Yan, Li Si, Kan Qingzhou, and He Yihui from Project
Department 4. They were joined by several senior insurance agents.
This place was home to nearly all the company's top
executives. Previously, Chu Qianmiao could only observe these people from
outside the conference room, but now, she could step inside and join in the
fun. She felt a surge of excitement and emotion, but even more of awe. She
needed to work harder.
Ren Yan glanced up at her, nodded, and gestured for her to
find a seat. Li Si also looked over and greeted her, "Qianmiao is
here."
She quickly called out, "Mr. Li," and returned the
greeting.
Kan Qingzhou didn't even glance at her, snorting softly, a
hint of disdain. Chu Qianmiao understood what he meant. "You've driven my
people away. You don't even know how you got to your position. The only thing
you can do is look at your face."
Chu Qianmiao ignored his snort and let him be.
He Yihui, the head of Project Department 4, glanced up at
her and then looked away. That glance made Chu Qianmiao look down on her. Chu
Qianmiao realized she was probably being treated like a mere flower vase again.
Several other senior insurance agents shared the same look.
They thought she was pretty, but not necessarily capable. Chu Qianmiao told
herself it was okay, she would change their expressions.
After finding a seat and sitting down, Chu Qianmiao noticed
Li Tang, a member of the Quality Control Department, was also there. As Chu
Qianmiao glanced over, she saw Li Tang's lips curled up at her. It was a smile
that seemed to indicate understanding.
Chu Qianmiao smiled back, openly and honestly, not giving
her any clues.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
She flicked the screen open and saw a message from Ren Yan.
She took the phone under the table to read it.
"If you see any problems, just tell us. No need to hide
them. This is your chance to demonstrate your abilities."
Chu Qianmiao replied, "Got it."
The project was under Kan Qingzhou's department. Although
this was Chu Qianmiao's first time attending an internal review meeting, she
addressed the project's issues with sharpness and experience.
"Among our company's shareholders, we've introduced two
institutional investors, both limited partnerships. Mr. Kan, I'd like to ask
you if the project team has conducted a thorough review of the shareholder
qualifications of these limited partnerships."
Kan Qingzhou said, "Of course, the number of
shareholders is definitely no more than 200."
"But your materials don't reflect this. Therefore, I
suggest you have the project team provide some basic information on the natural
persons who indirectly hold shares in the company through institutional
investors, including their identity information, work experience over the past
five years, their employers and positions, and whether they qualify as
shareholders." Chu Qianmiao's words were powerful, citing irrefutable
examples. "Last week, another company attended the meeting, and one of its
shareholders was a limited partnership. This information, which requires
review, is the feedback provided by the China Securities Regulatory
Commission."
"Also, Mr. Kan, the company's inventory is continuing
to grow, while its gross profit margin is also increasing. This is a very
contradictory phenomenon. After all, inventory growth means that the goods are
not selling well, while an increase in gross profit margin indicates that the
company's products are popular with downstream customers. This is quite
contradictory. Therefore, with these two phenomena coexisting, we must
investigate whether the company has operational problems and is using financial
means to conceal this problem from us."
Chu Qianmiao raised a series of questions. At first, Kan
Qingzhou argued with her, with a rich vocabulary and a firm tone. But later, he
gradually quieted down. The more he explained, the more loopholes Chu Qianmiao
found in his explanations.
The people in the conference room, those who were not
familiar with her before, now began to recognize her abilities. They discovered
that this new young female insurance agent, besides her beauty, also had
considerable professional skills.
Before the meeting ended, Wu Jin spoke up, "A lot of
questions were raised today, especially from Xiao Chu, who raised many crucial
questions. Xiao Kan, you need to lead the project team to explain all these
issues clearly later, otherwise this project won't be approved."
Kan Qingzhou's face was almost burning with anger, and he
kept saying "yes, yes."
Wu Jin adjourned the meeting.
Back in the office, Chu Qianmiao received a message from Ren
Yan.
"You did a great job today."
Chu Qianmiao smiled, clutching her phone. Hearing his praise
always made her particularly happy.
During lunch break, the front desk called Chu Qianmiao and
said there was a package she needed to sign for.
Chu Qianmiao rushed over and saw it was an international
package. The sender's name was "Tan Shen." The box was medium-sized
and not too heavy, making it hard to guess what it contained.
Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment and said to the courier,
"Let me open the box and take a look."
She was startled when she opened it.
Tan Shen had also sent her a brand-name bag worth tens of
thousands of yuan.
She suddenly felt fed up. Why did everyone around her give
such expensive bags?
She put the bag back, sealed the box, and, under the
wide-eyed gaze of the receptionist, handed it back to the courier. "Please
return it for me."
Back in the office, she messaged Tan Shen, "Shen, your
package arrived. But it's too expensive, so I didn't sign for it. I had the
courier return it. Just letting you know."
Tan Shen's reply was immediate, "Qian Miao, it's just a
bag worth tens of thousands of yuan. It's really nothing to me. Why are you
being so calculating with me? You got a promotion. I just wanted to give you a
little gift to celebrate."
Chu Qian Miao thought, yeah. A bag worth tens of thousands
of yuan wouldn't mean anything to him or Ren Yan. But to her, it was just one
square meter of their house. They measured the world by their material means,
and considered gifts worth tens of thousands of yuan to be natural. But they
forgot that she was still a working-class renter, and a gift worth tens of
thousands of yuan would be a burden to her. Perhaps in a few years, when she
had accumulated enough capital and achieved financial independence, she would
accept such a gift with equanimity, as if it were just a small, ordinary item,
and then return it with a small, ordinary item worth tens of thousands of yuan.
But not now. She was far from considering a gift worth tens
of thousands of yuan as an ordinary item.
Besides, Tan Shen and she had long ceased to have a close
relationship, so how could she possibly accept such a gift from him?
Chu Qianmiao replied to Tan Shen, "Ah Shen, but our
relationship is not something we can disentangle. Thank you, I appreciate the
kindness, but I can't accept the gift."
Qin Qianyu returned from lunch and rushed into the office.
Without even closing the door, he said to Chu Qianmiao, "How come you've
become such a hot topic while I was out for lunch?"
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
She asked Qin Qianyu what had happened.
Qin Qianyu said, "When I came back, I heard a few
female employees outside talking about a mysterious suitor for President Chu
who had given her a bag worth tens of thousands of yuan. But the goddess,
President Chu, returned it without batting an eyelid."
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
This new receptionist is such a big mouth! She spread the
news so quickly.
"Who is this mysterious suitor?" Qin Qianyu asked
curiously.
Chu Qianmiao: "No one, not a suitor."
She tried to brush the subject off.
Qin Qianyu suddenly had a wise word. "Could it be that
Tan Shen from Yingji Capital?"
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
"No," Chu Qianmiao denied, glaring.
"My wife says women always say yes when they say no. Oh
my god, it's him! He's so loyal!"
Chu Qianmiao: ""
I'm your brother, right? How come I'm a woman now?
Qin Qianyu was still sighing to himself, "That guy is
so handsome. Qianmiao, why didn't you go along with him?"
As he spoke, Ren Yan was standing at the office door.
He knocked on the open door. The sound of his knuckles
clicking against the glass was crisp and cold.
Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu turned to look at the door at
the same time.
Ren Yan stood there, his hands in his trouser pockets, his
face expressionless.
Chu Qianmiao's heart skipped a beat. He must have heard her
conversation with Qin Qianyu.
Ren Yan stood at the doorway, his chin tilted towards Qin
Qianyu. "Let's book a flight later. You can return to the project
tomorrow."
Qin Qianyu asked, "What about you, Boss?"
Ren Yan: "I have some stuff to deal with here. You can
leave first."
Qin Qianyu said, "Okay."
Ren Yan turned to look at Chu Qianmiao again, his face
expressionless and his voice cold.
"Come into my office for a moment."
Chu Qianmiao followed Ren Yan into his office.
Ren Yan said to her, "Close the door."
Chu Qianmiao obeyed and closed the door.
After sitting down, she and Ren Yan stared at each other.
She waited for Ren Yan to speak, but he seemed to be waiting
for her to speak first.
"Boss," she called tentatively, wanting to know
what Ren Yan wanted to talk to her about, whether it was business or personal.
Ren Yan interrupted, "It's lunch break. you calling me,
Senior."
Chu Qianmiao thought, "Okay, personal."
She called out, "Senior, did you hear about me
returning the package?"
Ren Yan nodded.
Chu Qianmiao frowned. "What do you want to ask
me?"
Ren Yan looked at her for a long moment, then asked,
"Is he still pursuing you?"
Chu Qianmiao nodded. "But I've clearly rejected him,
more than once."
Ren Yan's expression turned sour.
"Senior, if you're unhappy, I'll just tell Tan Shen I
already have a boyfriend, okay?"
Ren Yan immediately said, "you can't tell him." He
paused, "Not yet. Wait a minute. Listen to me."
Chu Qianmiao sighed silently. "Then, Senior, what can I
do to make you feel better?"
Chu Qianmiao suddenly felt a surge of indignation. She felt
so innocent. Tan Shen had given her a package, and she had clearly rejected it,
yet he wasn't happy. Li Tang was always hovering around him, so how could he
say that seeing her staring at him, whether for no reason or not, and then
glaring at her with a sinister look every day, made her feel comfortable?
When Chu Qianmiao came to her senses, she realized she had
already blurted out what she had been thinking.
To her surprise, Ren Yan's expression brightened, and the
corners of his mouth seemed to be about to rise.
"Didn't you say you're not jealous of Li Tang?" he
asked with a look of despair that seemed to clear up.
"I'm not, of course I'm not. When have you ever seen me
jealous?" Chu Qianmiao checked her watch and said to Ren Yan, "Mr.
Ren, it's time for work. I'm going out."
She stood up and left. Ren Yan watched her leave, his lip
curling.
She was still jealous.
Chu Qianmiao stayed in Beijing for two more days. She didn't
stay at the apartment for those two nights; she went back to her rented place.
First, she wanted to spend some time with Gu Miaoyu. She
couldn't let their childhood friendship be ruined by prioritizing love over
friendship. As for the other reason, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
It felt like there was something wrong with her and Ren Yan hanging out in the
apartment every night. But she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
It was simply too l*stful. Ever since they'd started having
s*x, they'd been doing it constantly. She didn't know why Ren Yan's body was so
good, and they'd do it multiple times a night, sometimes making her wonder if
she was just using it for s*xual gratification.
She found that too much physical contact made her mind lazy,
and the spiritual sweetness of love was often overlooked.
She didn't want the sweetness and heartbeat of love to be
numbed so quickly by the whirlwind of s*xual intimacy.
Ren Yan would let her live wherever she wanted.
0 Comments