On the weekend, Qin He went directly to the West District United Department.
Recently, the work at the West District United Department had entered its final stages. Many staff members had already moved back to the company, making the place much quieter.
Qin He first went to find her master.
Liu Xing'an was still reporting for duty on time. Through the glass door, Qin He watched her master's leisurely demeanor and felt a pang of hesitation. When the project in the West District was completely finished, would her master find life in Qingcheng rather boring?
She pushed the door open. Liu Xing'an was brewing tea inside.
"He'er, come and try this Longjing tea my friend just sent."
The refreshing aroma of tea filled the air.
"Drinking tea in winter is truly a kind of enjoyment," Qin He sighed after taking a sip of the hot tea.
She took the pastry box Liu Xing'an offered and took a flaky pastry, nibbling it in her mouth.
"Master, after the work at the West District United Department is finished in a while, what are your plans?"
"What plans could I have?"
Liu Xing'an replied casually, "I've gotten used to staying here. Coming to work and leaving every day without much to do, and still getting paid for it, I'd be reluctant to leave."
Qin He couldn't help but laugh at Liu Xing'an's words.
"Master, you're speaking the honest truth."
The master and disciple chatted while drinking tea.
Qin He knew that many elderly people were very afraid of being idle, so she discussed the idea of opening a mortise and tenon art exhibition hall with Liu Xing'an.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xing'an's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Is this feasible?"
"There are already such exhibition halls in the country, but looking at the works displayed in those halls, they are still far inferior to what you make, Master," Qin He said with a smile, flattering him. "Moreover, Qingcheng doesn't have a similar exhibition hall yet. If you agree, I'll go and inquire about the procedures for setting one up."
Liu Xing'an immediately agreed.
As Qin He was leaving the West District United Department, she received a call from Lu Mingxi.
"You heartless little girl, if I didn't call you, would you never have contacted me in your life?" Lu Mingxi's voice carried a hint of amusement.
Qin He chuckled, "I heard from my brother that you went abroad to discuss projects recently. How did it go?"
"Are you showing concern for me?" Lu Mingxi's voice on the other end of the phone was somewhat flippant.
Qin He felt a little helpless. Lu Mingxi was a good friend, intelligent and inherently kind.
"If thinking so makes you feel happy, I have no objections," Qin He said, a bit impatiently.
On the other end, Lu Mingxi's voice became gossipy, "As soon as I got back, I heard a lot about the Gu Corporation. The several vice-presidents of Gu Corporation are fighting for power, and Gu Qichen isn't doing anything about it. They say he's completely given up. Did you break up with him?"
Qin He sneered. Why did everyone immediately link Gu Qichen's decline to her after his downfall?
She said irritably, "You're thinking too much. You should spend more time worrying about the Lu family."
"That's exactly why I'm calling."
Lu Mingxi's voice was laced with a smile, "My mother wants to invite you to dinner."
"Perhaps not. Don't you remember the atmosphere last time we had dinner?"
Qin He still felt a shiver when she recalled how Lu's parents had scolded Lu Mingxi that day.
"It's really fine this time. It's mainly because the Lu Corporation and the Qin Corporation have a new cooperation recently. Your brother is busy, so you can just represent the Qin Corporation and attend the dinner."
Qin He felt a sense of relief, "You mean your family is hosting a banquet?"
"What else? Do you think it's to meet a daughter-in-law?" Lu Mingxi continued his teasing.
Qin He didn't respond to him, "Since it's a company matter, if my brother is unavailable, then it's fine for me to go. Send me the time and address."
"Alright, just a moment." Lu Mingxi didn't hang up.
A few seconds later, a message quickly popped up on Qin He's WeChat.
She glanced at it. It was an invitation from Lu Mingxi to the Lu family's residence, for today.
Qin He said into the phone, "I understand. I'll be there on time. I won't disturb you any further."
"You're not disturbing meβ"
Lu Mingxi's voice sounded from the other end, but Qin He had already hung up.
She didn't intend to leave any room for interpretation.
After hanging up, Qin He went home to change her clothes.
Lu Mingxi had sprung this on her rather suddenly, and she wasn't prepared.
She stayed at home until the evening, dressed herself up, and left when it was time.
This banquet was being held at the old Lu family residence. Qin He had been there once before and easily found her way to the entrance.
The Lu family was hosting this banquet not just for the cooperation with the Qin Corporation, but likely for other reasons as well.
Qin He watched the endless stream of guests entering, some familiar, others she had never seen before.
She got out of the car and walked alone towards the Lu family courtyard.
The news of this banquet hadn't been completely suppressed, and with some celebrities attending, a few tabloid reporters were present.
As Qin He approached the gate, she was stopped by a man.
"Miss Qin, could you answer a few questions for me?"
"I'm sorry, but it's not convenient for me right now," Qin He said with a smile, trying to move past him.
To her surprise, the tabloid reporter pushed closer, as if he hadn't heard her refusal.
He thrust the microphone towards Qin He's lips, "Miss Qin, what are your thoughts on Mr. Gu Qichen's romantic setbacks?"
Seeing his rudeness, Qin He's expression turned cold.
"I have no opinion. Also, I'm waiting to go in. Could you please move aside?"
The tabloid reporter had been following the news about the Gu Corporation closely. After some private analysis, he believed Qin He would be the breakthrough.
If he could get such a major scoop, he was sure to be promoted to editor-in-chief!
"Miss Qin, after your previous marriage with Mr. Gu Qichen ended, did you really have amnesia, or were you feigning it because you were tired?"
Qin He let out a cold laugh, "In the eyes of you media reporters, is there even fake amnesia?"
She frowned, feeling that the reporter in front of her was looking for trouble. However, the reporter even knew about her amnesia, indicating he had done his research.
"According to my investigation, Mr. Gu divorced you at the time for Song Nuan. You also caused a scene at Mrs. Gu's birthday banquet, accusing Song Nuan of being a mistress, is that correct?"
Qin He narrowed her eyes. These were matters from years ago. What exactly did the reporter want to dig out of her?
She decided to stand her ground.
"What else do you want to ask? Ask quickly. I need to go in after you're done."
"You and Mr. Gu Qichen started dating again recently. You know that after Song Nuan interfered in your relationship back then, her career took a nosedive. Now she's disappeared, and Gu Qichen has ended up in this state. Is this all part of your calculated revenge?"