The wine had already been opened, and the waiter stood behind the two of them, holding the wine bottle.
Although Lu Jiaying knew that her unsolicited kindness was suspicious and that she couldn't drink much, she couldn't refuse directly.
Adult social interactions were often like this; if you didn't actively engage with others, they would approach you for various reasons.
For the sake of long-term considerations and maintaining appearances, even if she was so annoyed she wanted to curse, she still had to maintain her composure.
"Director Xu, you've spent too much. It's just that my stomach hasn't been cooperating lately, and I'm afraid I can't drink much."
"How would I dare to reject your offer? Of course, I will drink, but at most one glass."
Before Xu Lei could speak, she preempted her.
"Please be understanding and accommodating. When we return to Nan Cheng in a couple of days, I will definitely find time to apologize to Director Xu. I hope you'll grace me with your presence then."
Lu Jiaying's words left Xu Lei speechless. She could only personally pour a full wine glass for her, pouring and speaking sarcastically.
"You, the dignified Director of the Marketing Department, claim you can't hold your liquor. Sigh, all in all, it means my influence isn't great enough."
Lu Jiaying knew she was provoking her and wasn't falling for it.
She had decided not to drink, and she wouldn't drink, no matter what Xu Lei said. She wouldn't engage with her.
Xu Lei then went to pour for Jiang Jingyu.
"Xiao Jiang, you've worked hard these past two days. I hope you'll continue to support my work in the future, get officially hired soon, and settle down at Ge Rui Electric. It's not easy to help Director Lu find a suitable assistant."
Jiang Jingyu didn't say much, smiling and agreeing, "Thank you, Director Xu."
She then went to pour for the other two. They chatted about other topics, laughing and talking, and another glass of wine went down.
Xu Lei's eyes darted. Seeing that Lu Jiaying had finished her drink, she prepared to pour more, but Lu Jiaying quickly placed a hand over her chest.
"Excuse me, everyone. I'm not feeling well. I need to go to the restroom."
With that, she pushed her chair away and hurried out.
Seeing his leader in such a state, Jiang Jingyu quickly stood up.
"I'll go check on her."
As the two left, the remaining three exchanged glances and started discussing in hushed tones.
Xu Lei said, "You two have been following them for the past couple of days. Have you noticed anything? Is the company rumor true or not?"
Vice President Li replied, "It's hard to say. Who is Lu Jiaying? She's so good at putting on a show. Anyway, she seems perfectly normal at work. Who knows what she's like in private? Even though their rooms are adjacent, we can't keep an eye on them 24/7."
"I say, you two, why aren't you trying to find out the truth with such a good opportunity? Don't you have any curiosity?"
Vice President Wang chimed in, "What are we investigating this for? Even if they do have something going on, what does it have to do with us?"
Vice President Li agreed, "Exactly. Even if Lu Jiaying isn't with him, she'll be with someone else. It's not like it's one of us, so why bother?"
Xu Lei wore a knowing expression and smiled at the two of them.
"Indeed, if she's not with him, she'll be with someone else. But does it really have nothing to do with you?"
"Haven't you considered your ages and her age? What's your annual salary, and what's hers? Why should she have it? Who helped her get promoted?"
"She's more than ten years younger than you, yet she's superior to you in every way. Don't you feel anything at all?"
Upon hearing this, the jealousy simmering in their hearts was ignited, but they couldn't express it directly.
"What does Director Xu mean by that?"
Xu Lei said, "I don't consider you outsiders, so let's be frank. As far as I know, Lu Jiaying has something going on with Director Hu as well. The reason Director Hu is protecting her is that he doesn't know about her affair with this young assistant yet."
The two men exchanged glances and suddenly understood why Xu Lei was here today.
The story about taking their parents out for a trip was just an excuse.
She was truly far-sighted.
Since someone was paving the way, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Vice President Wang also smiled, "Director Xu, if you have something to say, just say it directly."
Xu Lei pushed her wine glass aside. "Fine, at this point, I won't hide anything from you."
She then laid out her plan.
"I can't stand people like her who pretend to be innocent while acting otherwise. Hu Jiasheng is protecting her without understanding the facts. Do you really like seeing despicable people succeed?"
"If we can catch her red-handed and embarrass her, and by extension embarrass Hu Jiasheng, wouldn't that be immensely satisfying?"
Her sole motive was to embarrass Lu Jiaying, but the other two had different objectives.
The production department was tough, tiring, and unprofitable. Wang, the vice president, had long coveted the position of Marketing Department Director.
However, Lu Jiaying performed exceptionally well and was young, making it almost impossible to oust her and take her place, so he hadn't dared to fantasize about it before.
Today, hope was rekindled!
The restaurant they chose was of high caliber, and even the restrooms were luxuriously decorated.
Jiang Jingyu followed her. He glanced into the women's restroom and saw Lu Jiaying hunched over the sink, vomiting.
After a day of walking around in high heels and tight work attire, and then having to deal with insincere social interactions in the evening.
Seeing her tired and disheveled appearance, and hearing the heart-wrenching sounds of vomiting, Jiang Jingyu felt a pang of distress.
Regardless of gender boundaries, he walked in and handed her a bottle of mineral water.
"Director Lu, rinse your mouth and take it easy."
Lu Jiaying's head felt light, her stomach burned, and she felt unwell all over. However, she couldn't vomit anything out.
Taking the mineral water, she drank a couple of sips and leaned against the sink, closing her eyes in exhaustion.
A few strands of her jet-black, lustrous hair fell down, and her chest heaved.
From Jiang Jingyu's angle, her eyelashes were really long, and her nose was so well-defined.
She looked tired yet soft, exuding the gentle and obedient charm of an ordinary 26-year-old girl.
A strange feeling surged through him; he suddenly had the urge to pull her into his arms and hug her tightly.
Lu Jiaying closed her eyes and rested for a few seconds before tucking her hair behind her ears, her voice returning to normal as she instructed Jiang Jingyu.
"The dinner cannot continue. Listen to me."
"This woman, Xu Lei, most likely came for me specifically today. She won't rest until she gets me drunk. But what good would getting me drunk do? She simply wants to see me make a fool of myself."
"I've endured enough. There's no need for me to go back. Go get the room key and my phone, and let's leave. If they don't ask, fine. If they do, just say I'm still vomiting."
Jiang Jingyu understood her intentions and knew that the people in the private room were not good people, so he immediately agreed.
"I'll go back now."
After taking a couple of steps, Lu Jiaying reminded him again.
"Remember, no matter how much she tries to make you drink, don't drink anymore."
"I understand."
Jiang Jingyu walked back quickly. On the way, his breathing and the air felt hot.
In his entire life, this was the first time he had drunk so much. Although his reaction wasn't as dramatic as Lu Jiaying's, his limbs felt unusually hot and uncomfortable.
He entered the private room, and all three looked at him.
Xu Lei smiled and stood up, "Why are you back alone? Where is Director Lu?"