Zhang Danni continued, "...His family specializes in paints, and they're quite a good match for our family. Our relationship has been good after marriage, so we decided to have a child this year. I'm already six months along. Ms. Ye, could I... could I talk with you?"
After speaking, Zhang Danni looked up, her gaze full of anticipation towards Ye Zhi, as if afraid of being refused.
Ye Zhi really wanted to say that they weren't close, so what was there to talk about?
"I'm quite busy..." Ye Zhi said evasively.
"Alright..." Zhang Danni's face fell.
Ye Zhi ignored her and turned to the sales associate, "Do you have any tie clips here that look valuable, but without that nouveau riche vibe?"
"Ah, this..." The sales associate was instantly bewildered. Valuable, yet not ostentatious? This customer's request was truly peculiar.
"Ms. Ye, you could actually consider custom-made tie clips," Zhang Danni suggested from the side. "You can choose your favorite style, then have someone inlay rubies or sapphires on the tie clip, or even versatile diamonds. This way, it can appear exceptionally valuable and also possess an artistic flair."
Ye Zhi looked at her in surprise. Not bad! Zhang Danni was much better than her when it came to aesthetics and styling.
"Thank you," Ye Zhi nodded slightly. "Let's go for a drink together later, my treat."
Zhang Danni was overjoyed, saying excitedly, "Ms. Ye, Th-thank you..."
Afterward, Ye Zhi picked out a few tie clips she found appealing and asked the sales associate to pack them. Then, she and Zhang Danni went to a nearby coffee shop. Ye Zhi ordered two cups of hot milk and two small cakes.
"You came to find me today because you need something from me, right? Just tell me directly," Ye Zhi said calmly.
Zhang Danni's expression immediately turned incredibly awkward. So, Ye Zhi had seen through her all along.
Ye Zhi glanced at her calmly without saying anything.
In fact, she had seen that Zhang Danni needed something from her a long time ago. Although Zhang Danni seemed like a changed person, with a much gentler temper, their past interactions hadn't been pleasant.
If she didn't need anything, Zhang Danni would likely have pretended not to see her and walked away directly, rather than eagerly approaching. Moreover, Zhang Danni had confessed everything upfront, clearly signaling that she had no more contact with Cen Ya or Ou Minghan.
Zhang Danni's face was flushed with shame. She spoke with some guilt, "Ms. Ye, I'm truly sorry... I was so immature before, making things difficult for you everywhere, and even deludedly seeing you as a love rival. Thinking back now, I was really too naive and narrow-minded. Compared to you, I was just a frog in a well..."
Ye Zhi: ...
Although Zhang Danni's apology was very sincere, Ye Zhi really wasn't accustomed to being flattered like this.
"Let's get to the point," Ye Zhi exhaled softly. "I'm in a bit of a hurry."
Zhang Danni hesitated for a moment, then as if making a decision, finally spoke, "Ms. Ye, I heard that Taoxun Games recently developed a home decoration simulator game?"
Ye Zhi was slightly taken aback. No way? So many people wanted this game?
"Are you also looking for the Jinshi Home Furnishings special edition?" Ye Zhi raised an eyebrow. "The game is officially launching next year. I suggest you just wait for the official launch next year."
"No, that's not what I meant," Zhang Danni quickly waved her hands. "I wanted to ask, I heard that game allows for brand integration, right? My husband's family runs a paint business, specializing in wall paint. Their products are environmentally friendly, non-polluting, and of excellent quality, making them very suitable for in-game implantation!"
Ye Zhi suddenly understood. So it was about this.
She asked curiously, "Your husband's company is..."
"Boqi," Zhang Danni replied.
Ye Zhi nodded slightly. It was indeed an established brand, but old enterprises often encountered development bottlenecks after operating for a long time.
Boqi was a Chu family enterprise. Their market share had been shrinking over the years, and the Chu family was gradually declining. The Chu family had wanted to expand their business, but the previous heir was conservative, fearing that any move might accelerate their demise.
It was heard that the newly appointed heir was quite bold, but unfortunately, the Chu family seemed to be preoccupied with internal struggles, making it difficult for the current heir to progress.
However, the Zhang family's reputation had also plummeted last year due to the batch of building materials, leading to a downturn. Their two families were indeed a good match in terms of background.
"Is your husband the current president of Boqi?" Ye Zhi asked.
"Yes..." Zhang Danni nodded.
"Then his situation is not very good," Ye Zhi mused, resting her chin on her hand.
"Yes..." Zhang Danni's expression dimmed slightly. The next moment, she mustered her courage and said, "Ms. Ye, I hope you can agree to integrate our family's wall paint into Taoxun's decoration game. The price is negotiable, and you can name any other conditions. Even if I have to be your workhorse, I'm willing!"
Ye Zhi was somewhat surprised. Zhang Danni's transformation was truly beyond her expectations. She could see that Zhang Danni's words were very sincere, and she was genuinely willing to do it.
It seemed Zhang Danni was living a good life after marriage, and her husband must treat her very well. Otherwise, given Zhang Danni's personality, it would be difficult for her to bow to her former enemy so proactively.
Ye Zhi spoke with some difficulty, "...Let's forget about being your workhorse. You're already so far along, and even normally, you're not as useful as my assistant."
"I, I might be a bit slow, but, but I'm willing to learn..." Zhang Danni said uneasily. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something and asked incredulously, "Ms. Ye, you, you agreed?"
Zhang Danni's face lit up with joy. Ye Zhi hadn't refused Boqi's integration; she had only refused her being a workhorse!
"Don't get too excited yet," Ye Zhi frowned slightly. "I recall carefully, among the brands that applied to cooperate with Taoxun, there doesn't seem to be Boqi. Cooperating with Taoxun is such a significant matter, is your family truly willing?"
"We are very willing! As for not submitting a cooperation application through the normal channels to Taoxun before..." Zhang Danni said somewhat awkwardly, "That, that's because I was honest with my husband about having offended you before, and we were worried you might still remember those things, so we didn't apply... But now I know I was wrong, Ms. Ye, you are magnanimous, and we judged you with our own small minds!"
Ye Zhi: ...
Being praised like this felt quite peculiar.
"I understand," Ye Zhi suddenly said.