Xu Hehe was pulled out of her memories by the steady sound of footsteps. Now that she thought about those three days so many years ago, she still found it unbelievable.
"Director Hao Lianfei, the president wants you to go to his office immediately." The man who spoke was tall and straight-backed, with an expressionless face.
He was Qi Che's most mysterious personal assistant, Du Jue. He listened only to Qi Che, and the Human Resources Department didn't even have any information about him.
"Hurry up and go, your big boss wants to see you!" Xu Hehe urged her friend on, afraid of disturbing her work.
Hao Lianfei stared at Hehe with a thoughtful gaze. She suddenly realized that Hehe probably didn't know that the unassuming young master Qi was already the Qi family's business leader. He occupied the highest point of the Zifeng building and lived in the Sky Villa on the top floor all year round.
Hehe hadn’t asked about Qi Che's recent situation. Should she tell her?
"Hehe, wait for me. I'll come down as soon as possible." Hao Lianfei smiled apologetically and left quickly.
Du Jue looked at Xu Hehe with sharp eyes full of questions.
Xu Hehe felt uncomfortable with him staring at her. She raised her head and looked at him. "May I ask you if there's anything else, sir?"
Du Jue was stunned. He did not expect her to not only dare to look into his eyes but also to speak to him so calmly. Her gaze was clear and did not show any signs of panic or subterfuge. She shouldn’t be as unbearable as the rumors had said.
"Hello, Miss Xu. Director Hao Lian has something urgent to attend to. I feel the obligation to send Miss Xu back to her residence," Du Jue said unexpectedly.
Xu Hehe was surprised. Feifei hadn’t introduced him just now. "Do we know each other?"
Du Jue shook his head.
"Who doesn't know of Xu Hehe's great name? Many people know you." A slightly sharp voice sounded behind him.
Xu Hehe raised her head and suddenly saw the young woman who had pushed the door open and was entering. She was wearing the latest Chanel suit, accentuating her slim figure and her elegance. Her exquisite makeup and beauty made people lose focus from just a glance. Her beautiful red lips, her straight nose, her fair skin; every part of her was a perfect work of art.
However, there was too much sharp mockery in her bright eyes at this moment.
"Yan Chuqing!" Xu Hehe blurted out, shocked.
This face had left a deep impression on Xu Hehe. She had been one of the two campus belles of the university, and her name had been mentioned together with Xu Hehe’s since the first year. All along, the focus of everyone's discussion had been on who was the most deservingly the campus belle title. Xu Hehe had always felt that this kind of comparison was very boring, and she had never minded it too much. But Yan Chuqing had secretly competed with her, and after going back and forth a few times, they had become familiar with each other.
Back then, she had been an arrogant princess, thinking herself to be high and mighty. But now, her temperament had changed a lot. She was no longer as high and mighty as before, but more shrewd and powerful.
The cold smile on Yan Chuqing's lips deepened, and the eyes that looked at Xu Hehe pierced into her skin like steel needles.
"When I heard the rumors just now, I didn't believe it. I didn't think that you would really have the courage to come back! Even worse, you chose this time when our senior is about to get married. But it's also good. In the past, you were too highly praised by him. Now, you should get a taste of failure."
Although Yan Chuqing didn't say anything more unpleasant, every word was harsh to Hehe. She immediately staggered and Du Jue helped her up in time. After making sure that she was fine, he took a step back.
"I'm sorry. Excuse me." Xu Hehe's face was pale. She bit her lower lip tightly, before picking up her bag and leaving in a panic.
Yan Chuqing looked at Hehe's miserable figure with indifference. A trace of pleasure rose in her heart. Then, she turned her head and stared at Du Jue. Her delicate facial features were filled with mistrust.
"Special Assistant Du?”
Doubts rose in Yan Chuqing's heart. With Du Jue's identity, he would definitely not pay attention to Xu Hehe.
A trace of dissatisfaction flashed in Du Jue's eyes but soon disappeared. He smiled at Yan Chuqing. "Since Manager Yan is here, there's no need to inform anyone else. The president is already waiting for everyone in Conference Room No. 13, on the 60th floor."
Conference Room No. 13. The conference room that was only activated under special circumstances.
Xu Hehe ran out of the Zifeng building in a sorry state and stood in the crowded square. She took a deep breath to cheer herself up and tried to tell himself, "Xu Hehe, you can definitely do it. If you can't even bear this little bit..." She might as well die outside.
Hehe suddenly turned her head, feeling a burning gaze chasing after her. The wind blew her long hair, and the magnificence of her gaze was so beautiful that it could not be withstood.
"Miss, is there anything I can help you with?" the man in the white suit asked politely with a confident smile.
"There's no need." Xu Hehe shook her head in disappointment. She turned around and hailed a taxi to leave.
"President." Leng Yunfeng stood behind Qi Che and spoke in a low voice. "Everyone has been waiting for you for half an hour." Qi Che's thoughts were becoming more and more difficult to guess. Sometimes even Yunfeng, who had been his good friend for more than ten years, didn’t know what he was thinking.
Half an hour ago, Qi Che had urgently summoned a number of senior executives to the 13th meeting room to meet him. However, for the first time, he was in his own private elevator on the first floor, staring at the square outside its glass walls without moving. He looked like a sculpture that had been there since ancient times.
Leng Yunfeng thought of how Hao Lianfei had mentioned Xu Hehe just now, and nodded in understanding.
Qi Che's figure was tall and slender in his black suit. He turned around, expressionless, and selected number 60 from the floor buttons.
"You left. Why did you come back?” His voice was ice-cold with a faint hatred.
Leng Yunfeng awkwardly curled the corners of his lips with disapproval. "Maybe that rich American businessman abandoned her because he was tired of her." There was a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.
The temperature in the elevator seemed to have suddenly dropped to zero. Qi Che's handsome face was as deep as water. The elevator door opened, and Qi Che stepped out of the elevator, before coming back again. He pressed the button for the first floor again and patted Leng Yunfeng's shoulder. His ink-black eyes became even darker. "Chris is on his annual leave. You can fly to Switzerland tomorrow and invite him back."
The specially emphasized 'invite' made Leng Yunfeng despair internally. "Young Master Qi, can I not go?" It would be strange if Chris, that pervert, would come back willingly— unless he used his trump card of kidnapping.
"It's settled then."
"President, my ex-girlfriend is in Switzerland. Can I not go?"
"Your ex-girlfriend is everywhere in the world." The elevator door opened and Qi Che quickly walked out.
Leng Yunfeng called out desperately. "President, where are you going? Everyone is waiting for you!"
"Then let them continue waiting," Qi Che stated simply.