Huo Jin didn't know what to say. "You..."
"Jin, I need to take a few days off to travel abroad," Shu Yan said with a mysterious smile. "I found out Qin Tianyi is going abroad next week, and I want to follow him secretly to see if there's an opportunity."
"Are you still having people keep an eye on Qin Tianyi?"
Shu Yan nodded. "I don't believe there's anything I want that I can't get."
Huo Jin felt a headache coming on, but she also knew that even though they were best friends, neither of them could convince the other when it came to matters of the heart.
"If I don't approve your leave, will you still go?"
Shu Yan hooked her arm around Huo Jin's and smiled at her coquettishly.
Huo Jin said helplessly, "I'd advise you to stay away from him. You'd better treat going abroad as a way to relax, understand?"
"Oh, I get it. Then, while I'm gone, I'll have to trouble you to mind the shop alone."
Huo Jin worried that Shu Yan would cause more trouble. She wondered if she should tell Uncle Shu, perhaps he could stop Shu Yan.
"By the way, don't tell my dad, or I'll never speak to you again," Shu Yan said, reading Huo Jin's thoughts.
Huo Jin was at a loss with her. She then reminded her, "Then you must contact me immediately if anything happens to you abroad."
"No problem," Shu Yan gave her an okay gesture.
...
The next day she was to fly abroad with Qin Tianyi, Gu Susu was still in the office organizing the design drafts.
Lu Zhiming had already approved her leave yesterday, only asking her to properly hand over her current work to her colleagues.
She sorted the design drafts into categories and attached different colored sticky notes so that the colleagues temporarily taking over her work would have a clear overview.
As soon as she finished organizing and turned off her computer to leave, Qin Tianyi called her.
"Darling, are you all packed? The flight is early tomorrow morning. How about I have Xiao Anjing pick you up, and we can set off from the seaside villa together tomorrow?"
Gu Susu remembered she had plans to have dinner with Yang Sijie and Su Kangxi tonight, so she said, "No need, I'm still at the company. After I finish, I still need to go back and pack some things. We'll meet at the airport tomorrow morning to avoid running back and forth."
"That works too," Qin Tianyi instructed, "Don't work too late, pack up and get some rest early. I don't want to see you with big panda eyes tomorrow morning. People might think I didn't let you sleep all night."
Gu Susu said shyly, "What are you talking about? Can you be more serious? I'm still at the company."
"Alright, who told me I have such a capable wife? I just have to accept my fate," Qin Tianyi said in a wronged tone.
Gu Susu found it amusing and asked, "Are Xiao Xingxing's things all ready? Bring more of his favorite snacks, in case he doesn't get used to the food abroad, they can tide him over."
"Don't worry, Aunt Chen is more meticulous than us. She's already packed all of Xiao Xingxing's food and essentials. It's a huge suitcase, more than my own things."
Gu Susu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Oh, and don't forget to bring some common medicines."
"I know, when did you become so naggy? You're almost catching up to Aunt Chen."
Gu Susu ignored his complaints and continued, "Let me think of anything else that must be brought. I'll text you if I think of anything."
At this moment, a colleague who had finished working overtime passed by her desk and greeted her, "Xiao Gu, I'm leaving. Haven't you finished yet?"
She covered her phone and said, "Okay, you go ahead. I'll be done soon."
After her colleague left, she spoke into the phone again, "Then have you arranged everything for your group's matters? You'll be gone for half a month, can you put your mind at ease?"
"Xiao Anjing is still at the group. It's fine. No matter how they suppress me, it can only go this far now. It's impossible for them to bankrupt me completely."
"That's good then." Gu Susu was actually more worried about his affairs.
Qin Tianyi said, "I won't bother you anymore. Hurry up and finish your work, don't work too hard."
"It's fine, I'll just catch up on sleep on the plane tomorrow."
"See you at the airport tomorrow." Qin Tianyi hung up first. He was also still in his office at the group.
He looked at the computer screen displaying some information about Yang Sijie from abroad. He already knew where to start investigating Yang Sijie once they arrived abroad.
...
After Gu Susu finished talking with Qin Tianyi, she left the company not long after. She followed the address Su Kangxi had sent her during the day and took a taxi there.
When she arrived, she found it was a French restaurant. She figured a place like this must have been chosen by Yang Sijie.
As she walked in, she found it completely empty, not a single guest at any table. She wondered if she had come to the wrong place.
Such a high-end restaurant shouldn't be without customers. If the business was this bad, wouldn't it have closed down long ago?
She took out her phone to call Su Kangxi to confirm the address again, but before she could dial, a waiter walked towards her and said respectfully, "Are you Miss Gu? Mr. Yang has been waiting for you for a long time."
Gu Susu nodded and asked, "Are they all here already?"
The waiter was slightly taken aback, then quickly smiled and said, "Yes, they've arrived. Please come this way."
Gu Susu followed the waiter towards a private room and asked, "But why are there no customers here?"
The waiter smiled and replied, "Mr. Yang has booked the entire place tonight."
Gu Susu said "oh," thinking he was too extravagant, booking an entire restaurant on a whim.
When she entered the private room and didn't see Su Kangxi, only Yang Sijie, she asked curiously, "Brother Sijie, why hasn't Kangxi arrived yet?"
"He just told me he had an urgent matter and couldn't make it."
"How could that be? He sent me the location," Gu Susu said, taking out her phone to contact Su Kangxi.
Su Kangxi answered quickly, "Sister Susu, what's wrong?"
"Aren't you coming to dinner tonight? You didn't tell me," Gu Susu asked.
"I'm sorry, Sister Susu. Ya Nan's father's company suddenly had an urgent matter, and he can't get away. I've already told Brother Sijie. Please represent me and bid Brother Sijie farewell." Su Kangxi's voice was low and hurried, as if he was speaking with difficulty.
Gu Susu didn't want to pry, so she said, "Okay, then you go ahead and be busy."
"I didn't lie to you, did I?" Yang Sijie smiled, a flicker of something in his eyes, still as gentle as before.
Gu Susu still treated him like family and said, "Brother Sijie, I didn't mean anything else, I'm just a little worried about him, wondering if something happened on his end."
"Don't worry, nothing will happen. It's just some urgent work matters," Yang Sijie reassured her.
She thought about it and chose to sit opposite him, saying, "Kangxi said you're going back abroad. When do you plan to leave?"