Ye Zhi let out a long sigh of relief.
Normally, with Qi Xuan around, she was quite restrained. In front of this important business partner, she paid close attention to her image.
But then…
Since he wasn't here now, could she perhaps let loose a bit?
“Yo! Drink! Ha!” Ye Zhi playfully threw a couple of clumsy punches.
“Snap—”
The lights in front of her turned on. Ye Zhi spun around abruptly, looking towards the room, and found herself meeting Qi Xuan’s gaze directly.
Ye Zhi froze. Her current pose was rather odd. Would this important business partner think she was mentally unstable? Or, should she consider herself lucky, lucky that she hadn't done anything even stranger?
Qi Xuan’s lips twitched, but he walked over calmly and asked, “Exercising?”
“Yes…” Ye Zhi laughed it off, sheepishly lowering her arms. She then tried to change the subject, “Ahem, didn’t you say you were going on a business trip?”
“The matter is concluded, so I returned early,” Qi Xuan stated plainly.
“Then will you be attending tomorrow’s reception?” Ye Zhi asked eagerly.
“Likely so,” Qi Xuan nodded slightly, then he observed Ye Zhi, “Have you prepared your evening gown for the reception?”
Ye Zhi immediately froze. Evening gown? What was that?
She had attended banquets twice before, but one time she was there to cause trouble, and the other time she was also there to cause trouble. So, she had simply worn a dress and gone. Of course, no matter how ordinary her attire, at both those banquets, she had been the most dazzling presence.
Therefore, she had indeed made considerable preparations for this reception, but they did not include preparing an evening gown for herself.
“Cough…” Ye Zhi said somewhat uncomfortably, “It shouldn’t be too late to buy one tomorrow, right?”
Qi Xuan sighed helplessly. He had only asked casually, not expecting that she truly hadn’t prepared one.
He sighed again and said, “Coincidentally, I haven’t prepared one either. Tomorrow, we can go visit a few brand stores together and see if we can find something suitable.”
“Okay, okay!” Ye Zhi quickly agreed.
She knew Qi Xuan was helping her. After all, someone like Qi Xuan, who frequently attended such events, how could he not have a few evening gowns?
But she wouldn’t refuse this. She had absolutely no experience in this area. If she wore an unsuitable gown, it would be even worse. It was better to let Qi Xuan choose for her directly; she believed his choices would definitely be right.
The matter was settled. Qi Xuan then asked, “At tomorrow’s reception, is there anyone you particularly want to meet?”
“Yes,” Ye Zhi immediately straightened her back, “I heard the owners of the W family and M company will both be there. I’d like to get acquainted with them. And perhaps discuss their flagship models with them…”
A hint of surprise flickered in Qi Xuan’s eyes. Both the W family and M company were domestic mobile phone manufacturers, and their development had been quite good in the past two years. Ye Zhi approaching them didn’t surprise Qi Xuan, but…
“Are you planning to cooperate with them?” Qi Xuan asked with a frown. “Although both companies are developing well, the domestic mobile phone market share is still dominated by foreign brands H and A. Aren’t you considering them?”
“It’s not that I’m not considering them,” Ye Zhi leaned against the railing, analyzing seriously. “Indeed, these two brands hold a larger market share, but for our newly established company, cooperating with them would require giving up even more. Of course, the most important thing is that although domestic mobile phone manufacturers are temporarily behind them, I believe in the potential of domestic companies. In the initial stages, it’s best for us to proceed with a steady approach, to first expand the market before thinking about anything else.”
Qi Xuan’s gaze flickered. Ye Zhi truly surprised him.
This was likely her preparation for this reception. She thought far ahead, had made her plans, and was not acting on impulse or blindly following the strong.
“Since you have a plan, let’s stick to your plan,” Qi Xuan said softly.
They chatted for a few more minutes. Upon learning that Qi Xuan had just returned from his business trip, Ye Zhi wisely urged him to rest.
The next day, Ye Zhi had breakfast at Qi Xuan’s place again, and then they left together for shopping.
The butler, upon hearing that the two of them were going to buy clothes, was so delighted he couldn’t stop smiling, constantly reminding Qi Xuan not to be stingy.
They arrived at a brand store together. Qi Xuan had the sales assistants bring out all the evening gowns, but he wasn’t particularly satisfied with any of them.
“I think these all look quite good…” Ye Zhi said, perplexed.
“These are all too flashy,” Qi Xuan said calmly. “You’re going there to discuss business, you can’t wear something that makes people think you’re there to…”
He felt the remaining words were inappropriate and didn’t continue.
“Catch a man?” Ye Zhi completed his sentence with a smile.
Qi Xuan nodded.
“Alright,” Ye Zhi sighed. She casually picked up a magazine from a nearby shelf. “You take your time picking. Call me when you’re done, and I’ll try them on.”
Qi Xuan: “…”
Who exactly were these clothes being bought for?
He suddenly understood the feeling of boyfriends shopping with their girlfriends, where the girlfriend spent a long time picking out clothes, only to turn around and find her boyfriend playing on his phone.
He sighed helplessly, called over a sales assistant, and stated his requirements.
The sales assistant went to find suitable evening gowns for them, while Ye Zhi was engrossed in reading the magazine.
“Qi Xuan, Qi Xuan,” suddenly, Ye Zhi, her face filled with excitement, tugged at his arm and handed him the magazine she was holding. “Is this gossip true?”
Her sudden closeness made Qi Xuan’s heart flutter slightly. But when his gaze fell upon the magazine and he saw the characters Ou Ming Han, he felt an instant sense of calm.
“You’re quite concerned about your future brother-in-law!” he said with a touch of jealousy.
“Of course, I have to be concerned about him, otherwise what if he strikes from behind?” Ye Zhi replied as if it were obvious.
Qi Xuan: …
What she said made so much sense that he couldn’t refute it!
“But the main character of this article isn’t him, it’s someone else! Look!” Ye Zhi pointed at the article.
Qi Xuan gathered his thoughts, picked up the magazine, and read it carefully.
“Is what’s written here true?” Ye Zhi asked with anticipation.
After briefly scanning the entire article, Qi Xuan nodded and said, “It’s true.”
“Then why couldn’t I find it online before?” Ye Zhi asked, somewhat confused.
Qi Xuan closed the magazine, pointed to the date on the magazine, and said, “But this happened two years ago. In the past two years, Ou Ming Han has gained control of this Qian Bai company and also the narrative. There’s almost no discussion of this matter online anymore.”
“I see…” Ye Zhi suddenly understood. She then continued, “Qi Xuan, it’s been two years. Do you think if I go looking for that person, I’ll be able to find them?”