Ke Teng wore a crisp black suit and a black shirt, his hair meticulously styled, exuding the aura of a high-society elite – elegant and composed as he gazed forward.
He didn't notice Jian Fei.
But the moment Jian Fei recognized him, she couldn't help but call out his name.
"Ke Teng!"
The three men in front of him paused, all turning their heads to look at her.
Upon seeing it was her, Ke Teng's elegant demeanor softened slightly, a smile appearing in his eyes.
"Jian Fei? What are you doing here too?"
Fortunately, despite her ordinary attire and the visible marks on her face, which made her look rather embarrassed, Ke Teng didn't seem to mind.
It wasn't until they made eye contact that Jian Fei realized her disheveled state, feeling a belated sense of embarrassment.
"My supervisor is discussing work here, I came to deliver something for him. What brings you here?"
It was a redundant question; judging by his appearance, he was clearly here on business.
But Ke Teng still answered her, "I'm here for something. Which floor are you going to? We can go together."
Seeing that she knew such a high-ranking boss, the server naturally didn't stop them, and they all entered the elevator together.
Ke Teng turned to speak to her, and as he looked down, he noticed two bruises on her clean and fair face.
One was on her left cheek, and the other was above her right forehead.
They didn't look like injuries from a fall; they clearly indicated she'd been hit.
His gaze sharpened, "What happened to your face?"
Jian Fei wasn't one for making friends. She focused on her work at the hospital, never dressing up, and had a quiet personality, a mere nobody.
After a full day at the hospital, no one had noticed anything unusual about her face, and Ke Teng was the first.
Seeing the marks, Jian Fei felt a bit awkward.
"It's nothing, I just bumped into something."
As a doctor, telling such a flimsy lie clearly showed a lack of forethought.
Ke Teng pursed his lips, but not wanting to expose her in front of others, he didn't say anything.
Coincidentally, they were going to the same floor, and upon exiting the elevator, they found the private room Jian Fei was looking for.
She bid farewell to Ke Teng and knocked on the door.
Soon, the door was opened.
On the sofa directly opposite sat two tall men dressed casually.
A beautifully and meticulously dressed female colleague sat beside them.
A pile of liquor bottles sat on the coffee table in front of them, and the director, flushed and with a strong scent of alcohol, was clearly inebriated.
Jian Fei glanced briefly, then handed the item to the director.
"Is this what you were looking for?"
The director took it and looked, "Yes, it's good you came promptly. You're not needed anymore, you can go back."
Jian Fei nodded and turned to leave, but the tall man directly facing her suddenly extended his hand.
"Why are you letting her go so soon? Since you're here, why don't you come in and sit for a bit."
During her doctoral studies, Jian Fei had bought a white shirt and a black, knee-length skirt to fit in at formal occasions.
She had washed them countless times, and now she wore them as work attire.
On her feet were unremarkable black heels with a three-centimeter heel, her hair casually tied back, and no makeup.
By all appearances, she wasn't the kind of woman who would leave a man with a deep impression at first glance.
Her sudden invitation to stay surprised not only her but also the director.
However, the director quickly adjusted.
The world was full of surprises, and everyone had different tastes. What if she was exactly to Mr. Li's liking?
"That's true. Since you're here, come in and sit for a while."
Ke Teng walked past Jian Fei, following her gaze as she looked inside.
Although he didn't recognize anyone, that brief glance was enough for him to discern the situation within.
Jian Fei was not suited for such an occasion, but she braced herself and went in.
The door closed in front of Ke Teng, and his assistant reminded him.
"Mr. Ke, let's go."
However, he paused for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Go and find out who those people inside are."
As Jian Fei entered, she instinctively sat next to her female colleague.
Before the director could introduce the two men, the man who had invited her in, smiling, spoke.
"Miss Jian, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."
This statement startled Jian Fei, her colleague, and the director.
He knew her?
Her female colleague cast her a jealous glance, but Jian Fei, too preoccupied, looked utterly bewildered.
Seeing her reaction, the other man also smiled and spoke.
"Miss Jian doesn't have a good memory, does she? We just met a few days ago, and you've already forgotten?"
A buzzing sound filled her head, and Jian Fei suddenly remembered.
When she returned to her hometown last weekend, her father had an altercation with someone, and the fierce man who had confronted them in a Porsche – wasn't he one of these two?
Having changed clothes and put on a smiling face, combined with the dim lighting of the private room, she only recognized them now.
No wonder they had asked her to come in.
They were likely here to cause trouble.
She had naively believed the matter was settled once the police intervened, but fate, it seemed, was playing a cruel trick.
Hearing the man's words, the director, though unaware of the details, showed a hint of relief.
"So, you all know each other. Jian Fei, you didn't mention it beforehand. That's perfect. Come, Jian Fei, you can discuss today's matter with Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li."
Jian Fei had only recently started at the hospital and was assigned to peripheral tasks. She had never negotiated business outside the hospital and had no idea what kind of business they were discussing.
The director's unexpected transfer of responsibility to her naturally caused her to panic.
"Director..."
"Don't rush into business just yet. Miss Jian must be tired from rushing over. Come, have a drink to relax."
The man opposite interrupted her, considerately pouring her a glass of wine.
She had never had a drop of alcohol in her life, and as a medical student, she knew the consequences of drinking such a large glass were hard to predict.
However, she couldn't find a reason to refuse.
A powerless woman, offending such local figures, had no other recourse but to apologize profusely and beg for less trouble.
Taking the full glass of foreign liquor, Jian Fei sighed inwardly, stood up, and bowed respectfully to the two men.
"I apologize, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li. I was ignorant a few days ago, and if I offended you in any way, please bear with me."
"I'll drink this glass, and you can do as you please."
The two men remained silent, watching her with playful eyes.
Jian Fei downed the drink in one gulp. As soon as she put the glass down, the man reached for the wine bottle again.
"You're quite good at finding opportunities. Your director clearly meant for you to discuss the project with me, but you used this chance to bring up that incident."
"Fine, if you're apologizing, you need to show the proper attitude. Who apologizes with just one drink?"
Jian Fei often saw lines like "I'll penalize myself with three drinks" on television.
Did they expect her to drink three glasses in one go?
"I'm truly sorry, I don't usually drink, so I fear..."
"You have such great influence that one drink can solve the problem?"
The man, seated comfortably on the sofa, looked at her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.