"Though Secretary Qiao is a bit cold, that face, those legs, that waist! Tsk! Truly a human marvel! Axiu, don't take this the wrong way, but everyone appreciates beauty, and us guys are really envious of you."
Fu Yuxiu swirled his drink, speechless, as Qiao Zhaoyue's face involuntarily appeared before his eyes.
If it weren't for the knowledge of her blandness, that face alone would've likely attracted countless men, ready to fall at her feet.
Of course, she wasn't without passion either.
Those secrets and intimacies that belonged just to them, the quiet depths of the night, the flower blossoming beneath him…
Fu Yuxiu suddenly felt an inexplicable heat rising!
"Superficial." He took a sip of his wine, quelling his noisy emotions, and dismissed the matter in two words.
"Ah, Axiu, you're blissfully unaware of your fortune," Hu Peng had heard some secrets; though engaged to Qiao Zhaoyue, there was actually no affection between Fu Yuxiu and her.
The stunning beauty of Qiao Zhaoyue, fluttering daily in front of Fu Yuxiu yet leaving him unmoved, truly earned Hu Peng's admiration!
He himself would never have that kind of self-control.
Thinking of Qiao Zhaoyue's face, he felt an itch he couldn't quite scratch.
It wasn't that he wanted to steal his brother's girl, but these days, marriages can end in divorce, let alone mere engagements.
Seeing Fu Yuxiu's attitude, it seemed he wasn't particularly attached to this engagement, and if the two of them were to split up in the future…
Hu Peng decided to inoculate the situation, to avoid hurting their brotherhood if that day indeed came.
"Axiu, your family seems quite disapproving of Secretary Qiao being with you," Hu Peng pretended to lament, "Just if, I mean no offense and surely not wishing anything bad upon you two, but if you and Secretary Qiao were to break up, you wouldn't mind if I pursued her, right?"
Fu Yuxiu gave Hu Peng a look that was more a sneer than a smile, making Hu Peng's scalp tingle, almost wishing he could slap himself for having the audacity to voice his inner thoughts.
"Axiu, I was just saying, don't take it personally," he quickly took a swig of his drink, trying to suppress the fear welling up inside, "and after all, Secretary Qiao is still your fiancée now."
Fu Yuxiu looked up, his gaze falling on Hu Peng, his lips gradually straightening into a serious line, his usually JOVIAL appearance now lacking any trace of a smile, sending shivers down one's spine.
"You know that she is my fiancée now."
Clasping his glass tightly, the rim hit the table with a sound that was neither light nor heavy, signifying to the two that he was angry.
Since taking over the Fu corporation five years ago, Fu Yuxiu had always been masterful at hiding his emotions, even when, in the beginning, somebody had purposely spilled wine on him to embarrass him, he had just smiled.
Although that person's company soon went bankrupt after suddenly losing orders from their clients – all within half a month.
But now, because of a Qiao Zhaoyue, he had visibly changed his expression in public.
Were the rumors false, or did Qiao Zhaoyue hold significant weight in his heart?
Gou You pointed to two figures not far off and hastily interrupted the tense atmosphere, "Axiu, look over there, isn't that Secretary Qiao?"
Fu Yuxiu followed his gaze, and there she was, Qiao Zhaoyue who should've been at home, appearing here for some unknown reason, followed by a swollen-faced Su Ruoyan.
His first instinct wasn't to notice that Su Ruoyan had cried.
Rather.
It was that Zhaoyue was always precise about these things, throughout the year they were together, every few days, she would always seem sickly, even if she forced herself to be with him, she'd be listless.
He had seen Qiao Zhaoyue looking ill these past two days and assumed she had relatives visiting, which was why he brought Su Ruoyan to the cocktail party today.
Unexpectedly, she still showed up here.
Are you not feeling unwell?
With a slight arch of the brow, he strode after her.
On the second floor, in a room, Zhang Ting, the president of Huarui, was resting while several people from different companies clustered around, currying favor in hopes of signing an order with Huarui for the next quarter.
Qiao Zhaoyue waited for a moment, found an opening, and walked up, "President Zhang."
Zhang Yan, who had built his business from scratch when he was young, had an imposing demeanor. With just a casual glance, he radiated an overwhelming presence, "Whose family are you from?"
Not far away, Su Ruoyan already regretted why she followed them inside.
Qiao Zhaoyue was neither servile nor overbearing, "President Zhang, I am from Wansheng. There was a bit of an accident with the report that was supposed to be presented to you tonight. However, you can rest assured, I have thoroughly researched Huarui's cash flow, market share, profits, and sales forecasting data. I believe that even without the report tonight, my summary will not be inferior to anyone else here."
"Young lady, you are very arrogant and haughty," laughed Zhang Yan, "I appreciate your arrogance and haughtiness, it shows you have ability. When I was young, I was just like you, a calf unafraid of tigers, seizing opportunities when they came, and creating opportunities when they didn't."
Qiao Zhaoyue didn't get a chance to breathe a sigh of relief.
Zhang Yan's words took another turn, "But, everyone here has come fully prepared. You don't even have a summary data report. Perhaps you could indeed bring something new to my ears, but why should I give you the opportunity?"
Whispers could be heard from the side, as if mocking Qiao Zhaoyue's wild ideas.
Who wouldn't want to catch a ride on the Huarui big ship?
By pushing out a competitor, they would have another chance to collaborate.
Someone immediately kicked her while she was down, "President Zhang, I have a well-prepared report ready to show you right now."
Qiao Zhaoyue knew that Zhang Yan wouldn't be willing to listen to her, accepting the fact of collaborating, just because she said a few exciting words without even having a report prepared.
She was undismayed, "President Zhang, a report is merely a summary of data. At the end of the day, the process of how to carry it out is what's most important. If you're willing to give me this chance, I can guarantee that after hearing my presentation, you won't consider anyone else."
"So confident?" Zhang Yan was intrigued.
He studied Qiao Zhaoyue carefully; the girl's face was cool and composed, her spine straight, not bending in the slightest despite the varied discussions around her, rather she was like a steadfast bamboo, tough and unbending under his scrutiny.
She showed no intention of shrinking back in fear.
One must know that businessmen, especially someone like Zhang Yan who had struggled through the industry for over a decade, naturally intimidating, ordinary people would likely find their legs softening and averting their gaze after locking eyes with him for more than ten seconds.
Putting aside whether Qiao Zhaoyue's proposal could move him, just the fact that she remained unfazed in the face of danger was enough for Zhang Yan to take notice of her.
Zhang Yan asked, "Which department are you in at Wansheng?"
"President Zhang, I am Secretary to President Fu, Qiao Zhaoyue."
The surrounding people erupted into laughter, their words filled with more or less belittlement and crude jeering.
"What? Secretary to President Fu? Has Wansheng run out of people that they've sent a secretary to discuss collaboration?"
"Fu Yuxiu's secretary, huh? Nowadays, secretaries take on a lot of tasks. I wonder if Miss Qiao is a 'proper' secretary, or the 'improper' kind."
"Miss Qiao, this is a man's world, it's not suited for a woman. You should let someone else do it!"