"Don't you see she was just putting on an act?" Yu He interrupted Alice.
"An act?" Alice was shocked. "This is a serious business negotiation. How could she possibly take it lightly?"
"If it were that easy, would Catherine have handed this opportunity over to us?" Yu He countered.
Alice was momentarily speechless. Right, Catherine had spent half a year trying to secure a collaboration with XS Group without success. When she’d passed the buck to them, she’d seemed smug about it. Now, after only a few days in China, even though their initial appointment had been difficult, they'd managed to connect with the niece of Lord Qin. It did seem a bit too easy.
"Perhaps Catherine just didn't find the right person before? What should we do now?" Alice was at a loss, this was beyond her capabilities.
Yu He didn't answer, calling for the waiter to order food.
Seeing this, Alice anxiously said, "Esther, you're still in the mood to eat?"
After ordering what she wanted, Yu He handed the menu to Alice. "Since we're here, let's have a meal before we go back. I've heard the food at Emperor One Hotel is quite good."
Alice sighed. This was just how Yu He was; apart from those two children, nothing else seemed to faze her.
Seeing the waiter waiting, Alice reluctantly placed her order.
"Don't mention this to Zuo Ye for now. Pretend we're proceeding as she instructed and keep in touch with her," Yu He said.
Alice understood what she meant. Yu He didn't believe Ye Zi Su and wanted to test the waters, to see what Ye Zi Su would do next.
"But what if it's real? Won't it be too late then?" Alice asked. "Also, I heard President Zuo is coming to China these two days, apparently to attend XS Group's new product launch."
"I'll handle the negotiations with XS Group," Yu He said, picking up her coffee that the waiter had just delivered and taking a sip.
"How are you going to do that?" Alice was curious. She hadn't even managed to see Qi Xi Feng these past few days, let alone Qin Bei Ting.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just do as I say," Yu He said calmly.
Soon, the dishes arrived.
As they were halfway through their meal, a commotion suddenly erupted near the entrance. A group of bodyguards in black uniforms pushed back the surging crowd, clearing a path for a man emanating a chilling aura.
"Lord Qin!" Alice exclaimed, catching a glimpse of Qin Bei Ting from a distance. Her gaze was filled with adoration. "He's truly a darling of God, just as the rumors say. He's breathtakingly handsome, a hundred times more attractive in person than in photos!"
Yu He calmly finished her meal, put down her chopsticks, and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
Seeing her composure, Alice felt anxious for her. "Esther, it's Lord Qin!"
"Mm, I know," Yu He replied indifferently. The XS Group new product launch was the day after tomorrow, and Qin Bei Ting reportedly attached great importance to it, so his presence here these days wasn't unusual.
"Shouldn't we seize this chance to go find him? Lord Qin is elusive; this is a golden opportunity," Alice urged.
At the entrance, Qin Bei Ting entered the VIP elevator, and the bodyguards dispersed.
"You continue eating. I'll go meet him," Yu He said, getting up and heading towards the elevator with her bag.
Alice watched her leave with a hint of worry.
Yu He glanced at the VIP elevator, which stopped on the tenth floor, and entered the adjacent passenger elevator. Access to the tenth floor required a special card to select the floor, something not easily obtained by ordinary guests. However, this didn't faze Yu He. She opened her phone, typed in a string of code, and held it to the card reader. After a beep, she pressed the button for the tenth floor.
...
Tenth floor, Chairman's office.
Qin Bei Ting stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the traffic. Chen Dong entered with the store manager and reported the progress of the launch event setup.
"Mm, you may go," the man nodded.
The store manager left. Chen Dong stayed behind. "Lord Qin, Sixth Master invited you for dinner here tonight."
Qin Yong Yi occasionally invited him for meals, but it had become more frequent lately. Qin Bei Ting knew his intention was nothing more than to rush him into marriage. He felt a flicker of annoyance. "I know."
Chen Dong's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately said nothing and left. If his sister-in-law hadn't had an accident back then, he and his brother would probably have children by now. Now that his sister-in-law was back, but he didn't remember her, it was indeed troublesome.
In the office, Qin Bei Ting took a necklace from the pocket of his shirt with his fingertips. It was a classic hollow heart-shaped necklace in pale gold, adorned with tiny canary yellow diamonds that sparkled, very exquisite. The small diamonds gleamed in the sunlight, echoing the gleam of the canary diamond cufflinks on his cuffs. This necklace was what Yu He had dropped on his bed that night. Four days had passed, and the woman still hadn't come looking for it, which left him somewhat displeased. Had she not even realized she'd lost the necklace?
"Knock, knock." The office door was then knocked upon.
Qin Bei Ting pressed the unlock button on the remote. The office door swung open from the outside, revealing a woman with a cool demeanor. Seeing her exquisite face, Qin Bei Ting felt an irrepressible surge of joy, drowning out his displeasure. He knew they would meet again! She would come looking for him. He put the necklace back into his pants pocket and sat down at his desk expressionlessly. "You're here."
These two words made Yu He pause. Did he know she would come looking for him?
"Shall we talk?" she asked, stepping into the office and closing the door behind her, not forgetting to lock it.
Qin Bei Ting noticed this detail, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and he rose abruptly. Yu He’s back was pressed against the door as she looked at the man advancing towards her, her heart skipping a beat. Alice was right in one respect; this man was truly a darling of God, so handsome that it was almost offensive, perfect from every angle.
They were very close, their breaths mingling. Just as Yu He thought he was about to kiss her, the man’s deep, magnetic voice sounded in her ear. "You're looking for this?"
Qin Bei Ting said, pulling the necklace from his pocket. Yu He glanced down, then touched her bare neck. "Oh, when did it fall off?"
Qin Bei Ting: "..." He realized with that tone that the diamond necklace was merely a dispensable accessory to her! No wonder she hadn't come looking for him for four days!
"Thanks," Yu He said, reaching out to take the necklace. This necklace had always been with her, perhaps it had some connection to her past, which was why she always wore it. It wasn't that she'd just discovered it was missing, but rather that she couldn't show too much concern, lest she give him leverage. However, even with her nonchalant demeanor, Qin Bei Ting didn't return it, clutching it tightly.
"Want it back? Save your contact information first," he said, holding his phone with the dial pad displayed out to Yu He.
"..." Yu He was speechless. Was this man really going to cling to her?