The Orchid Hotel, Y City.
A woman in her silver evening dress walked into the hotel lobby, gaining the stare of others who happened to be around.
Tang Shi Yi ignored everyone's attention and walked further into the building. She scanned the area but could not find anyone she was familiar with.
Noticing a hotel staff walking over, Tang Shi Yi took a step to stop the young boy. "Hello." The corner of her lips curled up into a smile.
"Hello." The young man looked back anxiously. "Miss, is there anything I can assist you with?" Heat crept to his face, turning his cheek red.
"I was wondering if you could show me where is the grand ballroom?"
"Miss, are you heading to the banquet?" The light in his eyes lit up. "Miss, I can lead you there."
Tang Shi Yi heaved a breath of relief. "Thank you." She watched as the young man turned around and followed him closely.
They entered the elevator and finally reached the fifth floor.
As soon as the elevator slid open, Tang Shi Yi could already hear the people's chattering voice coming from the outside.
Tang Shi Yi thanked the young man before walking out of the elevator. She looked around and heaved in relief upon noticing a few familiar faces.
She glanced at her wristwatch before entering the ballroom.
A lot of people were already gathered in the hall. The atmosphere was lively with the sound of soft music and people's chattering.
Tang Shi Yi walked around the area and finally stopped when she saw a group of people gathered around at the center of the ballroom.
As she walked closer, Tang Shi Yi noticed the tall man standing in the middle of the group.
Even when he was surrounded by many people, Quan Lian would always stand up.
The look on Tang Shi Yi's face turned softer.
She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and adjusted her skirt before walking over.
Noticing a server walking past her with a tray of drinks, Tang Shi Yi grabbed a glass before joining the others around the group.
She was planning to stay still and listen to the tall man talking about business when the man noticed her appearance.
Their gazes met and the young man flashed her a smile. "Miss Tang, you are late."
Tang Shi Yi lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. She had thought that the man might not notice her tardiness. Unfortunately for her, the man had noticed her from the moment she arrived.
She looked up again and composed her thoughts. "President. Quan. I'm sorry. I'll drink this to apologize."
Tang Shi Yi was about to raise the glass in her hand when Quan Lian already snatched it away from her.
"You don't need to drink."
The people around them began to shift their eyes on Tang Shi Yi. A puzzled look appeared on their faces, noticing that they had never seen the woman before.
However, from her brief interaction with President Quan, everyone could see that their relationship was quite close. They were still surprised to see Quan Lian taking the glass away from her.
"President Quan," one of the men who came to talk to him could no longer hold back his curiosity. "This is..."
Quan Lian waved his hand to Tang Shi Yi, motioning for her to come closer.
Tang Shi Yi stood beside Quan Lian and faced the others.
"Let me introduce..." Quan Lian placed a hand on Tang Shi Yi's arm. "This is my partner, Miss Tang Shi Yi."
The people's gaze around her began to change.
Tang Shi Yi stood confidently and smiled as she greeted the people around her. She had to admit that she was a bit anxious, finding that everyone's eyes were on her.
A slightly elder man patted Quan Lian on the shoulder. "President Quan, what do you mean a partner? A business one? Or a lifetime partner?" His voice contained a hint of teasing.
Everyone began to laugh upon hearing the older man's question.
Some of them began to give Tang Shi Yi a scrutinizing look.
They had never seen her before and were skeptical about her background. Some of them were wondering if Quan Lian was serious about her.
Of course, those people who looked at Tang Shi Yi unhappily were mostly women who were interested in Quan Lian.
Quan Lian's gaze turned gentler as he looked at the woman beside him. Tang Shi Yi was wearing a sleeveless dress and his palm was in contact with her soft skin.
He was about to answer the question when the woman beside him answered.
"President Ren, of course, President Quan and I are only a business partner." She glanced at Quan Lian and smiled.
The elder man looked at Tang Shi Yi with a hint of surprise. "Miss Tang, you know me?"
"Of course." Tang Shi Yi nodded. "President Quan often talked about you."
Quan Lian heaved a helpless sigh. He should have known that that would be Tang Shi Yi's answer. He had thought that if he could answer a little faster, Tang Shi Yi might have no choice but to give him a chance.
However, it seemed that Tang Shi Yi was too ruthless.
She was determined to set a line between them.
He had pursued Tang Shi Yi for a few years, but this woman was determined not to give him a chance.
Quan Lian turned to President Ren again and nodded. "It is what she said."
This time, Tang Shi Yi noticed that the others' gaze on her had changed again. She did not know what the others had in mind and she did not care what their opinion they had about her.
"Part of the reason this banquet is held is for me to introduce Miss Tang as my partner," Quan Lian spoke. "It was not easy for me to finally be able to recruit her into the company. Everyone, please go easy on her."
Tang Shi Yi exchanged a glance with Quan Lian before she started to interact with the others who were curious about her.