Rong Jingyang's pupils constricted slightly. He said in a low voice, "I'll treat you to hot pot tonight."
Ai Wei was from Sichuan. She had once said that when she was nervous, she craved spicy food.
"Okay, but you can't go back on your word," Ai Wei said with a triumphant smile. "For this meal from Mr. Rong, I'll risk it all!"
The handover ceremony officially began, and Ai Wei hosted the work process with great fluency.
Introducing the attendees, the ribbon-cutting ceremony, speeches from the delivering party, Rong Jingyang's speech, the mayor's and principal's speeches, and so on. All the procedures were completed by noon.
Ai Wei announced that they would have lunch first and continue touring the delivered project in the afternoon.
The group was led to the cafeteria by the hostesses.
Rong Jingyang and Qin Yunxi had lunch in a private room with the mayor, principal, and others. Just as the meal began, a woman rushed in and went straight to Rong Jingyang's side. "Mr. Rong, Miss Ai has fainted."
Rong Jingyang's pupils narrowed slightly, and he immediately asked, "Where's the doctor?"
The woman replied, "I've called for one."
Rong Jingyang asked again, "What happened?"
The woman stammered, "Uh... why don't you go take a look? The doctor said it's best to go to the hospital, but no matter how much we persuaded her, Miss Ai refused."
Rong Jingyang furrowed his brow. He apologized to the mayor, excused himself, and then, in his wheelchair, went to the lounge.
Qin Yunxi's sharp gaze appraised the woman. Wasn't she Ai Wei's assistant?
Why was she looking for Jingyang? What was Ai Wei up to now?
Also offering an apology, Qin Yunxi stood up and followed them.
"Creak—"
Rong Jingyang pushed open the door, and a strong smell of blood hit him. His tightly furrowed brow deepened. "Ivy."
Ai Wei lay on the bed, receiving an IV drip of saline. Her face was pale and bloodless.
"What's wrong?" he met her gaze.
Seeing Rong Jingyang, Ai Wei quickly covered her lower leg. "Nothing."
She managed a smile and said, "Aren't you busy? Why did you come out?"
Rong Jingyang noticed that the woman's face was as white as snow, and she was still trembling and sweating. He turned and asked the doctor, "Did she suffer from heatstroke?"
The doctor glanced at Ai Wei. "It's not heatstroke. It's just that her foot is almost ruined."
Rong Jingyang was confused. "Hmm?"
The doctor pointed to Ai Wei's foot, which was covered by the blanket. "Her ankle was already injured. Instead of resting properly, she got a pain-blocking injection, wore high heels, and walked for half the day."
The doctor concluded with a grave expression, "Miss Ai is trying to cripple herself."
Rong Jingyang: "?"
He remembered how she had twisted her ankle last night and was dragged into the pool and beaten by Du Ruoxin. The man's deep gaze fell upon her.
Ai Wei immediately smiled. "It's not as serious as the doctor says. I'm fine, really. I can host the afternoon event."
Rong Jingyang's pupils narrowed. He said with imposing authority, "If you were fine, would you have fainted?"
No wonder he felt something was off about Ai Wei.
So she had gotten a pain-blocking injection to participate in the event!
The doctor added fuel to the fire. "Mr. Rong, look at Miss Ai's foot. The skin is all broken, and blood is everywhere. If she continues to push herself, she won't be able to get out of bed for at least ten days to half a month."
Rong Jingyang's sharp gaze intensified. "Lift it. Let me see?"
Ai Wei tightly clutched the blanket and forced a smile. "It's not that exaggerated. I'm fine, really."
Rong Jingyang reached out directly.
"Ah—"
When the blanket was lifted, her fair and delicate feet were covered in bloody wounds, swollen like steamed buns, evoking pity.
Rong Jingyang's gaze froze. "Why?"
Why was she so badly injured, yet still came to participate in the event?
Ai Wei pouted, her heart feeling bitter. Because I love you, because I don't want to miss any chance to see you.
But she couldn't say these words aloud.
"Several judges for the airport design competition attended today's event. I had to be here," Ai Wei said.
With no power, no influence, and no background, she could only make connections with high-ranking officials and the upper class through repeated commercial activities.
Leveraging influence and creating momentum had always been Ai Wei's means of climbing the ladder.
"You could have asked me..." Rong Jingyang stopped himself mid-sentence.
For the past year, Ai Wei had repeatedly asked him, both openly and secretly, when he would introduce her to people involved in airport design, but he had refused every time.
So she was forced to find opportunities herself?
Rong Jingyang's throat felt tight. "Rest well. I'll take you to meet them tonight."
Forget it.
Since Ai Wei was so open-minded and could accept failure, what was wrong with him doing her a favor?
Qin Yunxi walked into the lounge just as she heard this. "Meet whom?"
Seeing Ai Wei lying on the bed, looking pitiful and feigning weakness to gain sympathy, she couldn't help but interject, "Old Yang, aren't you going home to appease your wife tonight?"