Chang Yu secretly rejoiced, thinking that Ou Minghan, who was usually unreliable, had actually come up with a decent idea this time!
She knew Ou Minghan, but they weren't close. Previously, when Qian Bai encountered problems, Ou Minghan had used his connections to get to know her and pretended to be pursuing her, hoping her father would invest in Qian Bai.
Chang Yu discovered his intentions not long after and was understandably furious. Why would he pretend to be dating her to secure an investment?
Although she found Ou Minghan utterly unappealing, she still thought he was out of his mind.
Her father had initially intended to invest, but she had persuaded him against it. Little did she know, that decision saved the Chang family from losses.
Since then, she had come to dislike Ou Minghan. Especially the last time she attended a banquet hosted by the Cen family, intending to meet Qi Xuan. Not only did she fail to see him, but Ou Minghan had also disgusted her. It was only due to her upbringing that she hadn't stormed out immediately.
However, this encounter with Ou Minghan had yielded a rather good suggestion. He advised her to feign drunkenness and "accidentally" bump into Qi Xuan, then play the emotional card, hoping to get Qi Xuan to escort her back to her hotel.
She hadn't held out much hope, but to her surprise, it had gone remarkably smoothly.
"Qi Xuan, could you help me? I'm a bit unsteady," Chang Yu said weakly.
"There is a distinction between men and women, and it would be inconvenient for me. It would be best to let a server assist you," Qi Xuan replied calmly.
Chang Yu glanced at the server and quickly said, "But she doesn't seem to have much strength..."
"Miss, please don't worry, I have plenty of strength!" The server said, placing a hand on Chang Yu's arm and then directly hoisting her onto her back. The server added with a hint of pride, "Miss, you probably don't weigh over a hundred pounds, do you? Let alone you, I can carry a man weighing a hundred and forty or fifty pounds!"
Chang Yu: ...
Stop talking, just leave quickly, this is too embarrassing!
She had miscalculated. In such an event, there were bound to be many people drinking, so the servers hired, even if female, would surely have some strength to handle drunkards.
She buried her face in the server's back, wishing that fewer people would notice her.
The server carried Chang Yu, with Qi Xuan following behind them, and they left the wine reception like that.
Zhan Ruoqing, with her sharp eyes, spotted this scene. She was somewhat bewildered. What was going on? With her innate gossip radar, she immediately gave chase without hesitation.
Soon, Qi Xuan and the other two arrived at the parking lot. Earlier, he had already confirmed Chang Yu's hotel, room number, and the hotel's phone number.
He was in the city for a conference, and the branch of Qi Corporation had arranged a car and a driver for him. The driver was already waiting in the car.
Qi Xuan opened the car door and looked at Chang Yu. "Get in."
Chang Yu's heart swelled with joy, surprised that Qi Xuan was so considerate and even opened the car door for her.
She happily hummed in acknowledgment, got down from the server's back, and got into the car. And then...
She saw Qi Xuan close the car door expressionlessly, with no intention of getting in himself.
Chang Yu looked at him blankly, only to see him tell the driver Chang Yu's hotel address, then instruct, "Take Miss Chang back."
"Wait!" Chang Yu quickly rolled down the car window, her face a picture of bewilderment. "Aren't you taking me back?"
"No, I am neither a driver nor do I know the way."
Chang Yu opened her mouth, and in a flustered tone, she said, "But, but if you don't take me back, and something happens to me on the way, what then?"
"Please don't worry, the driver's driving skills are excellent," Qi Xuan said calmly. "On your way back, I will also call the hotel and ask them to arrange for staff to receive you, ensuring you are safely escorted back to your room."
Chang Yu looked at him in a daze. Could it be like this?
This was not what she intended at all! But Qi Xuan's reason was too valid, and she couldn't find any good excuse to refuse!
"But if that's the case, you won't be able to get back. I can't be so selfish..." Chang Yu put on a guilty expression. "How about this, you take me back first, and then the driver can take you back to your hotel."
"No need for the trouble, I can ride with a friend," Qi Xuan said, then directly looked at the driver. "Let's go."
The driver agreed and started the car.
"Hey..." Chang Yu wanted to say more, but Qi Xuan turned around and walked back into the wine reception without looking back.
His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Ye Zhi, who was seeking quiet in a corner.
He smiled slightly and walked over.
"Manager Ye seems tired?" he asked gently.
"Yes," Ye Zhi complained with a smile. "Everyone is too enthusiastic, and I'm a bit overwhelmed. What about you?"
"I'm also a bit tired. Shall we head back? Ye Zhi," Qi Xuan asked with a hint of distress, "my car has been borrowed. Could you give me a ride?"
"Sure, it's on the way," Ye Zhi sighed. "Shall we go now?"
"I'm ready anytime," Qi Xuan said with a slight curl of his lips.
"I'm going to find Ruoqing. We'll leave together," Ye Zhi said, showing her phone.
Qi Xuan's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
Ye Zhi soon found Zhan Ruoqing, who looked at Qi Xuan with a complex expression.
She had witnessed the entire scene. She could only say that Qi Xuan was indeed Qi Xuan—both a gentleman and cunning!
Although she wanted to continue being a third wheel, wouldn't she incur his resentment for that?
Facing Ye Zhi's invitation, Zhan Ruoqing waved her hand. "You guys go ahead. My brother is here too, and I'll have him take me back later."
"Alright," Ye Zhi agreed. Afterward, she and Qi Xuan found the chairman, bid him farewell, and left together.
Seeing the two of them leave in the same car surprised many.
It turned out Qi Xuan and Ye Zhi were that familiar with each other! They had even been rumored to be romantically involved before. Although the Qi family had clarified, it now seemed their relationship was far from just being friends!
Ou Minghan, who had been eagerly anticipating Ye Zhi's embarrassment, was so furious he almost gnashed his teeth to pieces!
Cen Ya said in a low voice, "It seems this method didn't work..."
"What do you know?!" Ou Minghan impatiently interrupted her. "There are too many people here. Qi Xuan cares about his reputation and is deliberately acting like a gentleman to maintain his good image!"
Cen Ya's eyes immediately reddened from his outburst.
Ou Minghan noticed and became agitated, but he had to suppress his anger. He grasped Cen Ya's hand tightly and said with a pained expression, "Ya Ya, I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that you care so much about Qi Xuan, and I'm jealous. I'm afraid you might fall for him! Ya Ya, you belong only to me, and no one can take you away!"
Cen Ya was instantly moved. She playfully chided him, "Don't you trust me?"
"No, I don't trust myself!"
Zhan Ruoqing, whose gossip radar was still active: ...
Help me, why did I have to see this scene! If I had known, I would have preferred to be a third wheel!
Still waiting for Zhan Ruo Feng, let's run!