Water and Fire~Chapter 129: Let's Chat

 

Chapter 129: Let's Chat

Chu Qianmiao was reviewing project materials in her office when someone broke down the door and blew in a gust of wind.

Qin Qianyu was carried in by the gust of wind, his face agitated. "Hey, Ms. Chu, I'm sorry, I didn't knock in time."

He slumped down in the chair in front of her desk, slung his arms over it, and leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with the gossip of Chicheng. "Qianmiao, on behalf of everyone, I'm asking privately: You and Mr. Ren are working together on the Hanhai Home Textiles project, so are you two back together?"

Chu Qianmiao leaned back, her back slumped into the leather chair, a faint smile playing on her lips. "No."

That hardcore straight man, when he called her, actually complained that calling her "Mr. Ren" was too polite. Fine, she obliged, calling him "Senior" rather unceremoniously. Instead, he politely spent twenty minutes discussing work with her, inviting her to collaborate on a project.

She pinched her temples to soften her tone, going over the project details with him from beginning to end.

Before hanging up, she tightened her grip, forcing the words out through her teeth to sound less menacing. "Did you call just to discuss a project collaboration? Is there anything else?"

Your brother spent the entire afternoon drinking a bellyful of Pu'er tea, from strong to weak. When he left, the slightest movement was enough to make the sound of water gurgling in his stomach. They've sacrificed so much to give you this chance to explain, and you're just going to squander it?

The straight man on the other end of the line took long, drawn-out breaths after this question. Then he said, "I have a lot to say, but I want to say it to you in person."

Here, her hand, squeezing her temple, was soothed, and she let go.

She didn't know whether to praise herself or irritate herself. Her tolerance and understanding for straight men were truly immense.

That steely straight man had, up to that point, been solely focused on talking to her about work.

What the hell was a reconciliation?

Chu Qianmiao saw the gossipy glint in Qin Qianyu's eyes dim after her succinct denial. "Is that so?"

He stood up and said, "Excuse me."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

He seemed to regard the fact that she couldn't be his sister-in-law as a major regret in his life.

Qin Qianyu left.

Chu Qianmiao lowered her head and continued to read the project documents.

Suddenly, the door blew open again, and the person brought in by the wind was once again Qin Qianyu.

He slumped down in her chair again, slapping his forehead and saying, "I was so excited just now that I forgot to talk about business." He placed his arms on the table again and leaned forward, his eyes gleaming brightly and determinedly. "Qianmiao, I'll go with the Hanhai Home Textiles acquisition project."

Chu Qianmiao leaned back in the leather chair, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "Brother Qin, with all due respect, this project doesn't require two insurance agents to be on site at the same time, especially since both of us are CEOs."

Qin Qianyu's thick eyebrows knitted together. "I don't care. I want to do this project. I think CEO Ren is going crazy over it, okay? Qianmiao, I'm telling you, if you don't let me go, I'll just jump ship to Hanhai Home Textiles."

Chu Qianmiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She wondered why that straight man was so charming.

"What do you miss about him?" she asked Qin Qianyu.

"I think he's the best leader ever. He does everything quietly, never boasts about his achievements, cares nothing for himself, and shares all the benefits with everyone. Oh no, I can't say any more. If I continue, I'll have to quit and go to Hanhai this afternoon."

Chu Qianmiao agreed with every word Qin Qianyu said. Her admiration for Ren Yan stemmed from his dedication to action. But what was once his strength at work now became a weakness in his private interactions with her.

A quality can be a double-edged sword, commendable but also prone to drawbacks.

Chu Qianmiao asked Qin Qianyu, "Okay, Brother Qin, besides you, has anyone else reached a conclusion on this project?"

Qin Qianyu said, "Qianmiao, how about this? When we go to the Hanhai meeting, it'll still be me, Sun Yi, Lu Zhonger, and Wang Sian. After all, we're the original team that worked on Hanhai IPO and are more familiar with Hanhai's situation, so we'll be able to do mergers and acquisitions with less effort."

Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment, "But we don't need that many people."

Qin Qianyu: "Then go and tell them who you don't want to go. If you're not afraid of their yelling, just go ahead and recruit more people."

Chu Qianmiao felt a headache. She thought, why not just let them all work on the project first? If there's a shortage of people for the subsequent backdoor listing project, she'll transfer more people there.

She said to Qin Qianyu, "Okay, then let's all work on it first."

Qin Qianyu's face lit up. After a pause, he looked like he was discussing something, and asked Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, according to Mr. Zhou Hanhai's custom, I think he'll have to host a dinner before the meeting. So, during the dinner, could we bring along the remaining people, like Old Liu and the others? As long as they can go, we'll pay for the meal."

Chu Qianmiao smiled.

"I'll discuss this with Mr. Zhou."

The final result of the discussion with Zhou Hanhai was that he warmly invited everyone to join him for dinner. Chu Qianmiao offered to pay the bill, but Zhou Hanhai refused. "I'd also liked to meet Mr. Ren's former subordinates, and this is a good opportunity. Seven or eight people can eat, or ten or so. A few pairs of chopsticks and bowls won't matter. As the saying goes, 'A family should be neat and tidy.'"

Chu Qianmiao smiled and asked Zhou Hanhai where he'd learned that phrase. Zhou Hanhai laughed heartily over the phone, "I have a Weibo account too. I'm a trendy guy, too. Ever since you told me about the internet, Qianmiao, I've been researching it. Now I'm a proud veteran online user. There's no generation gap between us."

Chu Qianmiao smiled and offered a stream of high-end flattery, which made Zhou Hanhai laugh even louder.

They finally agreed to have lunch together the next day at noon. Chu Qianmiao introduced Zhou Hanhai to the lawyers and accountants she was working with—Tang Jie and Wang Jun, with whom she had a rapport. They would have lunch together the next day for a preliminary meeting and to get to know each other.

The restaurant was still booked at the same hotel, and the private room was surprisingly still the same.

The next day, Chu Qianmiao and the rest of the department attended the banquet together.

They took three taxis. After getting off, as they passed the parking lot outside the building, Chu Qianmiao felt a surge of emotion. It had been five years since she'd last volunteered to direct parking and backing in this spot.

Five years had flown by. Five years ago, she was just a small-time employee at the law firm, and now, five years later, she had achieved her goal and become the Ren Yan of five years before.

As she passed a parking space, her heart pounded.

Five years ago, she'd been directing a black Mercedes-Benz back into place right here.

Qin Qianyu, walking alongside her, sighed. "Ah, Qianmiao, isn't this the spot you used to help me back in? I remember when I was scrambling here, some nasty guy took the spot. It was you, with your wisdom and courage, who had to get him out."

Chu Qianmiao smiled.

That's right. Back then, she was incredibly passionate, feeling like she was failing her life if she didn't do something good or fight for justice every day.

She took the opportunity to examine herself. Was her passion still there? Yes, it was, and thankfully it was.

Hou Lin chattered to the side, asking Qin Qianyu what was going on. Qin Qianyu recounted how Chu Qianmiao had outsmarted the unreasonable, slender man who had been trying to seize his territory. The others gathered to listen in. They all exclaimed, "Our President Chu has truly become even more powerful than before."

Hou Lin's face was filled with admiration, and she confessed to Chu Qianmiao, "Boss, you're incredibly smart, wise, courageous, and invincible."

Chu Qianmiao smiled and patted her head.

Qin Qianyu said to Chu Qianmiao, "By the way, Qianmiao, President Ren was actually in the back seat of the car when you were fighting with Slender. He even asked me to get out to help you. He told me to protect the girl."

Chu Qianmiao paused.

He must have recognized her by then.

Chu Qianmiao walked with everyone to the entrance of the private room.

It was the same room, unchanged. The two magnificent bamboo-carved doors remained.

Two waiters, one on each side, opened the doors. Chu Qianmiao's eyes were opened to another world, one familiar yet unfamiliar. The same large, revolving dining table, covered with a blindingly white tablecloth, and the chairs surrounding it, each as imposing as a single sofa.

She stepped into the room. Looking up, she saw the face of the person sitting at the round table, facing the door.

In that moment, time and space five years ago seemed to overlap.

It was the same room, he was sitting there, and she walked in, looking up and seeing him.

Five years hadn't carved wrinkles into him, but they had imbued him with a masculine charm. He sat there, his shirt crisp, his eyes clear, his demeanor calm, his handsomeness like a transcendent master.

His gaze had been fixed on her face since the moment she opened the door, unwavering.

She remembered the last time they were here, she stood while he sat, and he had looked indifferent, as if he didn't recognize her.

This time, he stood up and walked towards her, unconcerned with the presence of Zhou Hanhai, his former colleagues, and other intermediary partners.

He walked straight to her side, stopped, and called out softly, "Qian Miao, you're here."

His voice was slightly hoarse, as if he was nervous.

He raised his hand, almost as if unsure where to put it. He paused in mid-air, then pointed in the direction of the seat next to his own, "I'll take you there."

Chu Qian Miao nodded and followed him. Ren Yan politely pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down naturally, smiling and greeting Zhou Hanhai, and began chatting.

Zhou Hanhai sighed, "Qianmiao, I have to call you Ms. Chu now. It's quite bizarre to think about it. Five years ago, you were just Little Chu, and now, five years later, you've taken over the role Mr. Ren played five years ago. And I finally got what I wanted, poaching Mr. Ren. Haha."

Chu Qianmiao quickly said, "I wouldn't dare talk about replacing him. No matter what position I rise to, or where I go, I'm still Mr. Ren's disciple."

Ren Yan stared intently at Chu Qianmiao, unblinking.

Qin Qianyu and the others stood at the door, stunned. Tears welled up in their eyes upon seeing Ren Yan, and they nearly rushed over to him. But when they saw their former, high-flying leader, suddenly come down to earth and openly show their courtesy to their current leader, leading her on the way and bringing her a chair,

they were so stunned they forgot to rush over to him.

Until Ren Yan waved at them, "You guys, come here!"

They rushed to his side, tears welling in their eyes, each one poised for action.

Ren Yan looked at them, wary, "You guys, talk nicely, don't touch me."

Before he finished his words, Qin Qianyu was the first to lunge forward, choking with sobs. "Never mind, Boss, I know you don't want anyone touching you, but you can't deduct my salary right now. I don't care. I just want to hug you. Oh, Boss, I miss you so much!"

The others followed suit, rushing forward, each one uttering the words "I miss you so much."

Several grown men huddled together, Ren Yan at the center, a look of patient disdain on his face, but he didn't push them away.

Chu Qianmiao smiled and shook her head, feeling it was unbearable to watch. Yet, her heart was filled with an incomparable warmth.

In a workplace rife with intrigue and deception, it's truly rare to find such genuine affection.

Ren Yan, who had enveloped himself in a cold shell, rejecting human emotions and human nature, now found himself on the ground, embraced by everyone in such a down-to-earth way. How wonderful!

She turned to Zhou Hanhai and explained, "Excuse me, Mr. Zhou. They haven't seen Mr. Ren since he resigned, and they couldn't help but feel a little emotional seeing him."

Zhou Hanhai smiled and winked, "Don't laugh. I understand perfectly. I'm one of those people captivated by Mr. Ren's charisma."

Chu Qianmiao laughed too. "Look at them, each and every one of them, as if I'd mistreated them since Mr. Ren left."

Zhou Hanhai laughed heartily.

Before the meal began, everyone took their seats. Chu Qianmiao sat between Ren Yan and Zhou Hanhai.

The waiter brought hot towels to both Ren Yan and Chu Qianmiao. Chu Qianmiao turned to take it, her eyes meeting Ren Yan's. His gaze burned like fire, and she felt a surge of heat throughout her body.

Zhou Hanhai was ordering more dishes from the waiter.

Chu Qianmiao took the opportunity to ask Ren Yan, "You're glaring at me, what do you have to say?"

Ren Yan stared at her, unblinking, his voice low and hoarse, a hint of pleading, "Don't leave until after dinner." He looked at him, his eyes blazing. "Let's chat."