Murong Feng heard a voice and looked up to see a woman standing by the table, smiling at him. The woman was wearing a red dress, with big waves of curled hair cascading over a delicately made-up face. Under the dim and slightly hazy lighting of the bar, her slender eyes with a hint of a smile looked alluring and seductive.
Murong Feng nodded in confusion and instinctively stood up. "Excuse me, do I know you?" He was certain he had never met this woman before. Her smile deepened, dimples appearing as she extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Murong, I'm Xiao Qiang, a reporter for the Financial Weekly! I didn't expect to meet you here!" Murong Feng shook her hand lightly, still bewildered. A reporter for the Financial Weekly?
Seeing his confusion, Xiao Qiang explained with a smile, "Mr. Murong, I attended the press conference when TOM Media's Beijing office was established. I saw you then! You probably don't remember." Murong Feng then understood. Xiao Qiang pointed to Murong Feng's table and smiled, "Are you alone, Mr. Murong? Do you mind if I join you?"
Even if Murong Feng did mind, he couldn't refuse such a beautiful woman asking with a smile. He laughed, "Of course, please sit down. Miss Xiao, would you like something to drink?" Xiao Qiang smiled elegantly, "Red wine is fine." She had already noticed the bottle of red wine on Murong Feng's table.
Xiao Qiang had come to Huaxia Group for an exclusive interview about their successful expansion into overseas markets. To escape the enthusiastic attentions of the marketing director who was hosting her, she had come to this bar to relax. While idly sipping wine, she noticed Murong Feng nearby, smoking a cigar and drinking elegantly, and found him familiar. When she realized it was indeed Murong Feng, she was pleasantly surprised.
The young boss who had suddenly appeared in Beijing's media circle had a mysterious background. He co-founded TOM Beijing Media with TOM Group's boss Bao Zixian and served as the executive director. He was low-key and rarely interacted with the media, so she hadn't expected to meet him here tonight.
Xiao Qiang's interest in Murong Feng began early. After the airing of "Struggling Youth," his portrayal of Huazi, with its unique blend of unruliness and aloof charm, captivated her. She collected information about him and discovered he was the third-largest shareholder of Huayou Film Company. Later, she saw gossip photos of Murong Feng and Huo Siqi in Hong Kong media, which piqued her interest further. When TOM Beijing was founded, she contacted the company for an interview with Murong Feng but was politely declined.
Xiao Qiang was one of the top reporters in Beijing, known for her beauty and extensive experience interviewing top business figures. Unfortunately, Murong Feng was more familiar with figures from fashion magazines and had never heard of her.
As a seasoned journalist, she could talk calmly with renowned business figures. However, sitting next to Murong Feng now, she felt an unusual nervousness and quickly sought to break the ice. "Mr. Murong, besides being a reporter, I'm also a fan of yours!"
Murong Feng smiled slightly and nodded, "Really? Thank you." He quietly sipped his red wine as soft jazz music played in the background, its melody gentle and beautiful with a touch of melancholy.
Murong Feng's indifferent attitude made Xiao Qiang feel a bit uneasy. She had always been at ease in various social settings, relying on her beauty and reputation, but now she felt awkward and curious. She rarely encountered such a reserved and distant young talent like Murong Feng.
Sensing his disinterest in her being a reporter, Xiao Qiang smiled warmly and said, "Mr. Murong, since we've met by chance, let's just chat like friends. Drinking alone can be lonely."
Murong Feng thought to himself that he didn't feel lonely drinking alone. He had just arranged to meet with Ye Zi the next day and was in a good mood. Seeing a fleeting look of loneliness on her delicate face, he felt a bit of pity.
"Miss Xiao, do you work at Financial Weekly?" Murong Feng felt it was rude to ignore her and started a conversation. Xiao Qiang nodded and smiled, her earlier sadness gone. She was good at hiding her emotions. "Yes, I'm responsible for each issue's financial feature interviews." Despite their initial unfamiliarity, the setting was perfect for conversation, and Xiao Qiang quickly eased the atmosphere, making their conversation natural and pleasant.
Murong Feng, a graduate of the literature department, had written articles before, making them somewhat colleagues. Their topics ranged widely from magazines to publishing, finance to fashion, and soon they were discussing why he was at Huaxia Group.
Murong Feng casually mentioned he was there to learn about Huaxia Group's corporate culture. Xiao Qiang shared her insights on integrating local hires into the unique corporate culture of Huaxia Group's overseas branches, a key topic in her interview about their overseas market expansion. This topic interested Murong Feng, and they had an in-depth and enjoyable conversation.
At this moment, Li Suyan entered the bar with a distinguished young man. The staff quickly greeted and led them. Li Suyan noticed Murong Feng in the corner, happily chatting and drinking with a beautiful woman. Her already cold expression grew even colder, and she headed straight to a private room upstairs without greeting Murong Feng.
The young man, familiar with her, noticed her mood and asked with a smile, "Little sister, what upset you?" This was Li Suyan's brother, Li Zhenjun. Li Suyan frowned and said discontentedly, "That Murong Feng, who refused Old Qin's evening entertainment, saying he was tired from the flight, is here picking up girls!"
Li Zhenjun, surprised, stood up and looked down, seeing Murong Feng and Xiao Qiang. His expression changed slightly as he sat down, saying, "That's Murong Feng? Quite handsome. The woman he's with is Xiao Qiang, a renowned reporter for Financial Weekly." Li Suyan's frown deepened. "How do you know her?" Li Zhenjun, fearing her temper, quickly explained, "I'm in charge of the marketing department now, and I was responsible for hosting that reporter. She's here for an interview on the group's overseas expansion." Li Suyan sighed, "Brother, your flirtatious ways won't earn you Father's trust to take on more responsibilities." Li Zhenjun laughed nonchalantly, "Isn't Big Brother here to help Father manage the company? I'm not capable enough for that."
Li Suyan shook her head, thinking how fortunate it was that her eldest brother was there to help their father. Li Zhenjun, wanting to change the subject, asked, "Why are you conducting research with Murong Feng? What kind of person is he? Do you have feelings for him?"
Li Suyan glared at him, "Nonsense! He's Professor Chen's prized student, and his research aligns with mine, so we were paired together. He has a solid academic foundation and some remarkable ideas, as seen in his reports."
Li Zhenjun laughed, "Oh, really no relationship at all? You were so angry just now!" Li Suyan snapped, "I was angry because he doesn't prioritize things properly. In the afternoon, I heard him asking Director Qin where he could rent a car, and he even told me he needed a day off. Now he's here at the bar looking for women. How can such a person work well with me on the research project?"
Li Zhenjun smiled indifferently, thinking to himself that just because a man likes to flirt doesn't mean he's incompetent. But inwardly, he cursed Murong Feng, "You have my talented, beautiful little sister by your side and you don't make a move on her. Instead, you go after Xiao Qiang, whom I fancy. How can you show such little respect for me?" If Li Suyan knew his thoughts, she would have smacked him on the head for his perpetual unseriousness.
Li Suyan herself didn't understand why seeing Murong Feng and Xiao Qiang laughing and talking made her so angry. Coming from a prestigious family and being highly talented, she was doing her PhD under the guidance of the renowned Professor Chen and participating in a national research project, so her standards were naturally high. Few people met her expectations, but Murong Feng was one of them.
Although Murong Feng only attended the project group discussions once a week, he was well-acquainted with Professor Chen, Chen Ke, Zhao Jianning, and others, who often praised him during casual conversations. She watched as he progressed from a regular editor to an actor and company owner, gradually maturing. His reports contained some brilliant and unique insights that even she, as a PhD student, found admirable. Li Suyan gradually came to appreciate Murong Feng's talent and character.
This time, they were assigned to the same research team and came to Huaxia Group, a place she was familiar with. She couldn't help but have some inexplicable expectations. However, Murong Feng's behavior from the moment they arrived made her inexplicably angry.
Murong Feng didn't notice Li Suyan and her brother. He had been listening to Xiao Qiang's previous interviews and found them quite insightful. Xiao Qiang was equally enthusiastic, and as they chatted and laughed, they finished a bottle of red wine. Seeing Xiao Qiang's blushing cheeks and increasingly charming demeanor, he realized they had drunk quite a lot. Checking his watch, he saw it was almost 11 PM and said to Xiao Qiang, "Miss Xiao, it's been a pleasure talking with you, but it's getting late. How about we continue another day?"
Xiao Qiang nodded with a smile and stood up with Murong Feng, saying lightly, "Mr. Murong, chatting with you is a pleasure too. I really hope we can meet again, and you must give me an exclusive interview next time!" Murong Feng smiled noncommittally. After shaking hands with Xiao Qiang, he turned and left the bar.
Xiao Qiang stood there silently, the blush on her face slowly fading. As a reporter, she was no stranger to alcohol. Her earlier act of being slightly tipsy had a hint of seduction. A romantic setting like this bar, with a single man and woman drinking wine together, could easily lead to a romantic encounter. Subconsciously, she was somewhat attracted to Murong Feng. She was proud of her beauty, her slightly drunken eyes, and her flirtatious lips, but he seemed unaffected by her charms!
Biting her red lips lightly and stomping her foot, she murmured, "I don't believe you're really such a block of wood!" After thinking for a moment, she left the bar. She seemed to have forgotten that her initial purpose was just to arrange an interview and instead began to care about the attraction between men and women, feeling unwilling that she couldn't seduce him.
Upstairs, the conversation was becoming sharp. "Little sister, since you're back this time, Father will be very happy. When do you plan to see him?" Li Zhenjun understood why Li Suyan preferred staying at Baicao Garden and not going home. Their father had always doted on her, and knowing she would bring someone for research, he readily agreed and was likely waiting anxiously at home.
"Forget it, maybe later. I'm not ready to face that stepmother yet!" Li Suyan's voice turned colder. Thinking of her loving father, she certainly wanted to go home, but the house now had a new mistress. Her face grew frosty at the thought. "Little sister!..." "Alright, enough. Second brother, I'll stay at Baicao Garden for now. When I'm ready, I'll go home." Li Suyan said firmly. Li Zhenjun was speechless. Knowing his sister's temper, he understood that she didn't want to continue this topic.
"Alright then, you can stay at Baicao Garden. I'll have Old Qin arrange everything. By the way, do you need me to deal with Murong Feng?" Li Zhenjun thought of Murong Feng downstairs chatting and drinking with the woman he fancied, and peeked downstairs, but they had already left. Li Suyan shook her head, "Forget it, we're just colleagues, let him be." Her mind was still occupied with their earlier conversation, and she wasn't in the mood for petty jealousy.
Li Zhenjun smiled, even though his sister couldn't be bothered, he was still annoyed.
Murong Feng had no idea that Li Suyan, who came to Huaxia Group for research with him, was actually Huaxia Group's little princess, or that meeting Xiao Qiang at the bar would inadvertently provoke Li Zhenjun. As he walked along the tree-lined path by the lakeside of Huaxia Industrial Park, heading towards Baicao Garden Apartments, his mind was filled with the sweet, smiling face of Ye Zi.
Thinking of Ye Zi always brought him endless joy.