Xu's was Xu Wanwan's family company, but Xu Wanwan couldn't return from Hai City for the annual meeting this time. As her best friend, she definitely had to go.
The next morning, Qin He slept in. Around nine o'clock, Di Shishi arrived at the Qin residence.
Qin He took her, and the two went to the Xu's annual meeting venue.
Xu's annual meeting did not have strict dress code requirements.
Upon entering, Qin He saw many familiar faces.
The venue was lively, with many female celebrities attending. Qin He spotted Yin Zi in the crowd. After greeting Yin Zi and chatting for a while, she found a place to sit.
The spot was in a quiet corner, very peaceful. Qin He liked to take it easy. This spot was conveniently next to a Roman column draped with a curtain.
Qin He sat behind the curtain, sipping a glass of juice, intending to kill time.
Soon, footsteps sounded outside the curtain.
Qin He held a snack in one hand, listening to the giggling voices of several women outside.
She wasn't paying much attention until she heard Gu Qishen's name from their conversation.
Her hand paused slightly, and the women's voices became clearer.
"They all say Gu Qishen and Qin He were married, and then divorced."
"We know that, but how is Qin He pregnant now?"
"How do you know she's pregnant?"
"Oh, didn't you see? Look at her stomach when she came in! I saw her at the last wine reception, and I thought she looked a bit plump then. Now, looking at her, how can that be just being plump? Her stomach is big, but the rest of her isn't!"
"Is she really pregnant? Whose child is it? Qin He hasn't remarried after divorcing Gu Qishen, has she?"
"Even if she hasn't remarried, wasn't she rumored to be involved with Lu Mingxi before?"
The women chattered on, their voices laced with gossip.
"You say Qin He's belly looks quite big. Is the child Gu Qishen's or Lu Mingxi's?"
"Nonsense, it must be Lu Mingxi's. The Gu family wouldn't let their own child be out in the wild!"
"That's not necessarily true. Maybe it's neither of them. Qin He is so beautiful and loves to flit around. Didn't you see that she, a proper rich young lady, insisted on doing live streaming and even got a handsome young idol to help her?"
The women's sarcastic remarks made Qin He frown slightly. She reached out to pull the curtain, wanting to see who was talking about her behind her back.
It was fine for them to talk about her, but when they insulted her unborn baby, she couldn't stand it!
The moment the curtain was pulled open a crack, Qin He heard the chattering voices outside suddenly fall silent.
Gu Qishen's voice came through the curtain, with a hint of distortion, his tone cold and imposing.
Seemingly deliberately not restraining his oppressive aura, his voice rang out, "Who gave you the courage to gossip about her like this?"
The women stammered, "Mr. Gu, we were just joking!"
"Mr. Gu, I'm so sorry! We only heard it from others, it was just idle chat!"
Qin He's hand gripping the curtain tightened slightly. Gu Qishen didn't know she was here, and she didn't want to come out now.
Amidst the women's apologies, the man's voice carried an icy chill, "Why are you explaining anything to me? You weren't talking about me. You should apologize to Qin He."
"Apologize to Miss Qin?!" the women exclaimed in hushed surprise!
How could they apologize to someone face-to-face after gossiping about them behind their back?
It's not like they could go up to Qin He and say, "Qin He, I'm sorry for saying your unborn child might not be yours!"
Gu Qishen's voice was indifferent, "You can also choose not to leave, as long as you bear the consequences of these words today!"
"I, we apologize!" someone said, their voice trembling.
Qin He waited until the voices outside dispersed and the women's hurried footsteps faded away. She pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair.
She tilted her head slightly, resting it against the Roman column, and looked down at the juice in her hand.
Gu Qishen didn't know she was here, yet he was defending her and her unborn child.
A complex emotion stirred within Qin He, unfamiliar yet warm. But thinking of Gu Qishen's past scumbag behavior, she forced herself to harden her heart.
Never mind. Perhaps this was just Gu's company protecting the reputation of its partners. In Gu Qishen's eyes, this might also fall within his responsibilities.
Qin He's mood was complicated. She sat there for a while before getting up to leave after Xu's chairman appeared.
Xu Wanwan's parents knew about their daughter's relationship with Qin He and liked her very much. They pulled her aside and chatted for a while.
After Qin He left Xu Wanwan's parents, she saw several women hesitantly approaching her.
They were all in their early twenties, their eyes darting nervously.
Qin He understood what was happening. The women pushed one of them forward.
"Miss Qin, I'm sorry."
Qin He's expression was calm, "Sorry for what?"
The woman hesitated, and the others pushed her again.
"I, we shouldn't have been speaking ill of you just now, I'm sorry!"
Qin He's eyes flickered, "What did you say about me?"
The women clutched their hands, smiling awkwardly and explaining in a jumble of voices.
"It was just people outside spreading rumors. They said you were pregnant, so we discussed it for a bit. We now feel it was very wrong to have discussed you behind your back, so we specifically came to apologize."
Qin He glanced at them. Since these women could attend Xu's annual meeting, their families' companies likely had some cooperation with Xu's.
She couldn't control what people said. For Xu Wanwan's sake, she didn't press the issue.
Qin He gave them a stern look, "I don't want to hear such rumors outside in the future. Today, for the sake of Xu's annual meeting, I won't hold it against you. I hope you all behave yourselves."
The women exchanged glances, their faces sheepish.
"Thank you, Miss Qin!"
"Miss Qin is magnanimous! We won't listen to outside gossip anymore!"
Their fawning flattery was unbearable. She watched the women walk away.
Immediately, a tall figure cast a shadow on the floor in front of her. A powerful, undeniable aura emanated from behind, drawing the attention of those around them.
This reaction—
Qin He sighed. She could now almost sense the man's presence and the scent of agarwood.
This almost sixth-sense feeling made her extremely annoyed. She turned, and sure enough, Gu Qishen was standing behind her.
Qin He's expression remained unchanged as she greeted him calmly, "Mr. Gu, you're here too."
Gu Qishen's gaze flickered, and he responded with a simple "Mm."
The two stood together. Their relationship alone was already drawing considerable attention, and many eyes immediately turned their way.
Qin He felt a little uncomfortable, but thinking of how Gu Qishen had just stood up for her, she remained in place.