"That man is quite important to your father," Gao Dengfeng said, lighting a cigarette and taking a leisurely drag. "He’s the newly promoted General Director from headquarters, the one taking over my position. In a little while, I’ll be free to transfer over to Kyoto."
"No way! A General Director at his age? What kind of background must he have? He looks like a college student."
"You’re not wrong. He’s even a year younger than you," Gao Dengfeng couldn’t help but tease. "Look at what he’s doing with his life. All you do is shop and play."
"Well, I’m a girl! Dad, you only answered one of my questions..."
"What, are you interested in him or something?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the main hall flashed subtle smiles and looked over at Gao Tongyu.
"You know, the two of them are the perfect age for each other. It could be a wonderful match. What do you say, Gao?" a close family friend said, his eyes lighting up.
"Don’t be ridiculous... I just think he’s handsome, I was only curious," Gao Tongyu quickly clarified.
"I wouldn’t want her to marry up. That kind of life is exhausting," Gao Dengfeng said, shaking his head unexpectedly. "I’d rather my daughter find someone from a similar background. That way, she won’t be mistreated when she joins their family."
Marry up?!
Hearing this, Yu was utterly shocked.
She had been a princess in everyone’s eyes since she was a little girl. Her family was exceptionally well-off. She was chauffeured in luxury cars, and she flew first class whenever she traveled. To put it simply, in her social circle, she had never met anyone whose family was better off than hers. Her father was the Regional General Director for a powerful domestic energy company, managing all aspects of energy distribution across five provinces. ’And someone with *my* family background would be considered marrying up?’
"The man in the seat of honor just now was President Jiang, the sole future heir to Mrs. Jiang. He’s certainly a brilliant young talent. Are you sure you’re not interested in getting to know him?"
"No, I’m not! I was just curious!" Gao Tongyu stood up. "Dad, I’m going to bed. Bye!"
"Tsk... How could she leave after just a few words?"
Gao Dengfeng felt rather helpless. The older his daughter got, the more willful she became, and there was nothing he, as her father, could do about it. Fortunately, aside from her love of spending money and her childish, capricious nature, Gao Tongyu didn’t have any more serious flaws.
...
「In the underground garage of Lanjing’s Fengting District.」
Only two figures stood in the bright elevator lobby, their noisy bickering echoing intermittently. It was nearly dawn, and most of the residents were fast asleep. It was a good thing no one saw them.
Otherwise, Jiang Ning would have wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide.
She supported Chen Yuan, her face a mask of frustration. She had a strong urge to just dump him and walk away.
"Where are you trying to go now? It’s so late! You were fine just a moment ago. How did you start acting crazy after a short nap?" she asked Chen Yuan with a frown.
The Chen Yuan before her had glazed-over eyes and swayed as he walked. If she weren’t holding him up, he wouldn’t be able to stand at all.
The alcohol in his stomach had fully taken effect, making it churn violently. The back of his head throbbed with a dull ache. But the bizarre thing was, even though his body was uncomfortable, his spirits were exceptionally high. He felt an excitement bubbling up from within and had a powerful urge to talk.
"I don’t wanna go home. I wanna go find... HIC... my girlfriend."
"Isn’t that where I’m taking you to find her?" Jiang Ning gritted her teeth, struggling to support Chen Yuan’s weight.
But arguing in the elevator lobby wasn’t going to solve anything.
’If we’re going to argue, I should at least get him home first.’
More importantly, Jiang Ning now understood how Mrs. Jiang viewed Chen Yuan and what she intended for him. In the future, he was bound to walk a path unimaginable to ordinary people. Perhaps he would replace Jiang Zhengfeng and become the public face of the company, or perhaps he would become a tool for Mrs. Jiang’s internal reforms... Regardless of which path he took, Chen Yuan needed to be mindful of his behavior and stop being so reckless.
’Okay, that’s me thinking as his secretary.’
Jiang Ning thought to herself, realizing she was subconsciously looking out for him.
"Where is she?" Chen Yuan asked, leaning against Jiang Ning.
"She’s at home. You’ll see her as soon as you get in the elevator with me."
"I don’t wanna go. You’re lying to me. There’s no one at home... I’ll go find her myself."
"Where are you going to find her in the middle of the night? Stand up straight!" Jiang Ning scolded him, her expression dark. But this time it had no effect; Chen Yuan just tilted his face up and grinned at her.
A brilliant, innocent-looking smile that made Jiang Ning want to punch him.
"Get in the elevator!"
The open elevator doors had been beeping insistently for a while.
Jiang Ning had to practically drag him inside by force.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they were in the elevator, Chen Yuan threw himself at her and hugged her tightly.
"So dizzy... I think I’m gonna be sick."
"Hey, you didn’t feel sick outside, but now you pull this stunt in the elevator? Please don’t throw up... or I’ll have to call property management to clean it up at this hour."
"But my stomach really hurts." Chen Yuan didn’t seem to be faking it; his brow was tightly furrowed.
He felt his stomach churning violently, and something was about to surge up his throat.
"Don’t, don’t, don’t—just hold on for a little bit!"
"I can’t hold it in!"
"You can do it! Once we’re home, you can puke your guts out, my dear young master," Jiang Ning blurted out in a panic. "Where does it hurt?"
"Here," Chen Yuan said, pointing to his stomach. "And it feels so tight. It’s the kind of nausea that makes it hard to breathe."
"Let me rub it for you. Just hold on for a few more seconds." Seeing the elevator’s floor number climbing, Jiang Ning quickly started rubbing Chen Yuan’s stomach. "It’s okay, we’re here. It won’t feel so tight in a second..."