"No need, I'll escort you," Fang Xingzhi said.
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback. "You just got here."
"I came over just to greet you," Fang Xingzhi said. "And now that I have an excuse to stay, let's go."
Xiang Qingwei nodded, naturally accepting his kind gesture. Suddenly remembering something, she looked up at Fang Xingzhi and asked, "Did I smudge my makeup?"
Fang Xingzhi turned to look at her. Her fair cheeks seemed to glow, her dark eyes shone as she gazed at him, and although some of the colors on her face had been wiped away, it didn't significantly alter her appearance. The hair by her forehead was damp and stuck to her cheek, giving her a dewy look.
"No, it looks fine," Fang Xingzhi said, averting his gaze.
Xiang Qingwei smiled, fixing her hair once more, and said, "All right, let's go."
Fang Xingzhi walked alongside her.
They tried to make their way out of the banquet hall as inconspicuously as possible, but people's gazes still swept over time and again.
Xiang Qingwei also scanned the banquet hall but didn't see Jiang Rong. She must have already left.
"What happened? Is Miss Xiang all right?" Mr. Zhou asked, walking over and looking at them in surprise. His expression changed slightly when he saw Xiang Qingwei wearing Fang Xingzhi's coat.
Xiang Qingwei wrapped the suit coat around herself, then discreetly moved closer to Fang Xingzhi. Just as she was about to speak, Fang Xingzhi draped an arm casually around her shoulders, a perfect smile on his face. "She accidentally stained her dress, so I'll be taking her back home first."
Xiang Qingwei glanced at the arm over her shoulder, then looked up at him.
"Then I'll see you later, Miss Xiang," Mr. Zhou said immediately.
Fang Xingzhi smiled and walked out of the banquet hall with Xiang Qingwei by his side.
Mr. Zhou watched the two depart, clicking his tongue. They had pretended to be strangers just a moment ago, but the second they were out of sight, they embraced each other.
Once outside, Fang Xingzhi let go of Xiang Qingwei.
The elevator arrived, and Fang Xingzhi allowed Xiang Qingwei to enter first before following himself.
They walked toward Fang Xingzhi's car.
The driver got out to open the door for them, addressing Fang Xingzhi as Mr. Fang, then quickly glancing at Xiang Qingwei before diverting his gaze politely.
Once they were seated in the car, Fang Xingzhi showed no intention of conversing, and Xiang Qingwei, tactfully, said nothing either. She wasn't sure what had caused this sudden change in Fang Xingzhi's attitude; though he had never been particularly warm in their previous interactions, he had still been amiable, even friendly. Why was he so distant today?
The driver was a professional, not prying into his boss's private affairs, and drove without any distractions, never once peering into the rearview mirror despite the strange atmosphere in the back seat. At most, he muttered a few words under his breath.
Fortunately, Xiang Qingwei had always possessed a thick skin and could keep her cool; she didn't find the lack of conversation between the two of them awkward, only a bit odd.
In the silence, Xiang Qingwei's phone, which was inside her purse, rang.
"My apologies," Xiang Qingwei apologized and took her phone out from her purse. Her expression froze momentarily upon seeing the caller ID, drawing Fang Xingzhi's attention; he turned to look over.
Xiang Qingwei turned to look out the window as she picked up the phone, her voice cool, "Hello, Mom, what's up?".
A familiar yet also very unfamiliar voice rang from the other end of the line, "Qingwei, have you eaten yet?"
"I have," Xiang Qingwei responded curtly, unwilling to engage in small talk.
"Oh." The voice on the other end responded dryly, a brief silence before she continued, "Your Aunt Du called, wanting to ask about you and Fang."
Fang?
Xiang Qingwei unconsciously turned her head to glance at Fang Xingzhi, who was sitting beside her. She felt that his demeanor and image seemed quite incompatible with the nickname "Fang."
He wore a light blue shirt with a black tie neatly tied around his neck, his black hair slicked neatly back, revealing a deep profile. He looked every bit the part of a business elite, the type that everyone in the company would bow to upon sight.
Fang Xingzhi turned his head slightly toward Xiang Qingwei, confusion in his gaze.
Xiang Qingwei smiled briefly before diverting her gaze.
On the other end of the phone, Lin Qingwan didn't receive a response from Xiang Qingwei and asked in confusion, "Qingwei, are you there?"
"Uh-huh," Xiang Qingwei answered.
"Then do you still keep in contact with Little Fang?" Lin Qingwan asked.
Xiang Qingwei glanced at Fang Xingzhi. "I don't think he's interested in me... We've only had one meal together, and we haven't been in touch since... Mm, I understand."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xingzhi said, "You shouldn't always wait for the man to take the initiative; you can be a little more proactive yourself. Don't women want equality now? You're not getting any younger, and Little Fang is such a good match; he's also your Aunt Du's nephew, so his family background is very reliable. Your aunt has already called me twice to ask about our progress."
Xiang Qingwei didn't respond, her gaze instead drifting outside the window as she absentmindedly mumbled, "Okay, I understand. Please thank Aunt Du for me."
Aunt Du.
Fang Xingzhi confirmed his suspicion.
The person she had mentioned earlier, who wasn't interested in her type, was Fang Xingzhi.
Xiang Qingwei hung up the phone and turned her head, inadvertently glancing at Fang Xingzhi, whose deep black eyes met her gaze. She smiled apologetically. "Sorry, it was my mom."
"Was she asking about our progress?" Fang Xingzhi asked.
Xiang Qingwei startled slightly before answering, "Mm-hmm."
Fang Xingzhi's gaze was fixed on her as he asked, "How did you know I like this type?"
Xiang Qingwei fell silent for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled up slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly like the wings of a butterfly. "Could it be that I misunderstood? Does Mr. Fang actually like my type?"
The driver kept his eyes on the road, his mind elsewhere as he concentrated on driving.
Fang Xingzhi gave an ambiguous smile but didn't respond to her question.
The car stopped at the entrance to the residential area.
Fang Xingzhi stepped out of the car and opened the door for her, his mannerisms those of a gentleman.
"Thank you today," Xiang Qingwei said with a smile, "I'll treat you to dinner sometime."
"No need for sometime," Fang Xingzhi countered. "I'm free this Sunday."
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback, her lips parting slightly.
Fang Xingzhi's lips curled into an almost-smile, his eyes fixed on her. "What, was that just a polite gesture?"
"Of course not." Xiang Qingwei hurriedly corrected herself, pausing before she continued earnestly, "But I'm not sure if I'll be free this Sunday."
"That's fine." Fang Xingzhi plainly refused to give her an out. "Let's set the date first, and if you're not free, we can reschedule."
Xiang Qingwei could no longer find an excuse. "All right," she said, then added, "I'll return your suit then."
"All right," Fang Xingzhi agreed.
"Then I'm heading back now. Goodbye." Xiang Qingwei flashed him a smile before turning and walking into the residential area.
Fang Xingzhi remained standing next to his car, watching her depart, until she disappeared from his line of sight. Only then did he chuckle softly and turn to open the car door, sliding inside.
It's said that a woman's heart is as deep as the bottom of the sea, but Xiang Qingwei found Fang Xingzhi's thoughts even harder to fathom.
Objectively speaking, Fang Xingzhi was indeed an uncommonly attractive prospect for a romantic partner. He was mature and steady, spoke with eloquence, and had an impeccable appearance. There was no need to worry about his financial status either.
The only downside was that they'd been introduced by their elders.
In such a case, if one discovered the relationship wasn't working out, the parents would inevitably become involved, making it difficult to disengage.
Just thinking about it gave Xiang Qingwei a headache.
She removed the suit jacket, hung it up on a hanger, and prepared to have Xiao Wu take it to a dry cleaner tomorrow morning.
As her slender fingers brushed against the suit, she recalled the focused expression on Fang Xingzhi's face while he helped her wipe her face on the balcony earlier tonight. Despite herself, she felt a twinge of regret.
If they hadn't been thrust into a position of quasi-relatives, she would have truly been smitten with this Fang Xingzhi from today.
What a pity.
She hung the jacket in her closet, took out her pajamas, closed the door, and turned around to walk toward the bathroom.
The next morning, Xiang Qingwei stepped out of the car parked below the company building.
"Xiao Wu, remember to take the suit in the back seat to the dry cleaner's for me," Xiang Qingwei reminded the secretary before leisurely entering a coffee shop at the bottom of the building. He ordered a large iced coffee.
"Has Agent Jiang come to the office yet?" Xiang Qingwei asked the front desk girl.
"Yes, he just went upstairs," the front desk girl responded.
"Okay, thank you." Xiang Qingwei smiled at the front desk girl, then carried his coffee toward the elevator.
"Agent Xiang is so gentle and has such an elegant smile. I hope I can be as attractive as him when I'm past twenty-five," the front desk girl, who had turned twenty-one two days ago, said wistfully as she watched Xiang Qingwei's back.
Another girl next to her said, "But you're younger and prettier than Agent Xiang!"
Even the front desk girls of Huaying were typically more beautiful than those of other companies.
The front desk girl shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."
Just as the elevator door was about to close, a stocky woman with a black knit sweater and shoulder-length bob squeezed in. The moment she saw Xiang Qingwei, she feigned a smile. "Oh, isn't this Agent Xiang? How come you've decided to grace us with your presence amidst your busy schedule today?"
The other passengers immediately looked on with faint smirks, ready to feast on the ensuing conflict.
Xiang Qingwei, coffee in hand, glanced over and smiled slightly. "Oh, hello, Agent Zhang, long time no see. You don't seem to be doing so well? Ah, that's right, is it because of Yan Ling's situation? Has the storm stirred by her WeChat facial mask store endorsement finally settled?"
Someone beside her turned away, lips pressed together to hold back a laugh.
Everyone knew that due to Yan Ling's endorsement of a shady WeChat facial mask store, Agent Zhang had suffered public ridicule.
Critics mocked Yan Ling for being too desperate for money, claiming she'd stooped too low to endorse a product that had caused numerous cases of severe skin irritation online.
The product was later exposed as a fraudulent, unlicensed product, and the ensuing scandal had dragged Agent Zhang into the muck as well.
She had since been the target of scathing criticism from Yan Ling's fans, and the company had also held her accountable, even issuing an internal disciplinary notice.
The storm had settled only a few days ago, but Xiang Qingwei's question once again brought it all back to mind; Agent Zhang's face reddened instantly.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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