Chen Qian spread the blueprints out on the table.
Wendell Training Ground.
The old warehouse on the south side.
The old road on the east side.
Further out was a light blue shaded area marked "Future Residential Comprehensive Development Area."
Victoria's face darkened.
Isabella took a look and asked directly,
"Where did this come from?"
Chen Qian turned the ledger to the last page.
"It's an old project package from Gray Architectural Consultants. I only found the cache last night; I just found the complete version by following the file number."
Jiang Lin looked at the blueprints.
"Hall Capital didn't intend to just buy the Training Ground."
"Correct."
Chen Qian pointed to the light blue area.
"They want to connect the Training Ground, the old warehouse, and the old road into one piece. The Training Ground is just the entrance."
Victoria sneered.
"Does Edward know?"
Chen Qian hesitated for a moment.
"There is a forwarding record from the Count's office in the blueprint attachments."
The room fell silent.
Isabella picked up the wine glass on the table.
"That's enough."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"How are we going to play this tomorrow?"
Jiang Lin folded the blueprints.
"Make it public before the game on Saturday."
"Why not now?"
"If we make it public now, Hall will have time to change their story. If we make it public on game day, with fans, the media, and the club all there, they won't be able to suppress it."
Chen Qian lowered her head to take notes.
Isabella glanced at her.
"You don't need to take notes anymore."
Chen Qian was startled.
"Madam?"
"No more talk tonight."
Jiang Lin checked the time.
It was indeed very late.
Victoria walked to the window, watching the lake surface outside, wet from the rain.
"Then what are we talking about tonight?"
She turned around, her gaze landing on Jiang Lin.
"Let's talk about Mr. Jiang."
Isabella slowly set down her wine glass.
Chen Qian, clutching the ledger, was just about to retreat.
Jiang Lin spoke,
"Chen Qian, stop."
Chen Qian stopped at the door.
"Mr. Jiang?"
"Why are you running away?"
Her face was a little flushed.
"I'm not running away."
Victoria laughed.
"Miss Chen, your footsteps are very honest every time you hear a dangerous topic."
Isabella looked at her.
"Come here."
Chen Qian looked up.
"Me?"
"Come over and sit."
Chen Qian walked back slowly and sat in the chair at the very edge.
She sat very properly, her back straight and her hands on her knees.
Jiang Lin saw this and smiled slightly.
Isabella spoke directly,
"Sitting like that, it's like you're waiting for an interrogation."
Chen Qian whispered,
"I'm nervous."
Victoria picked up the wine bottle and poured half a glass into a small cup.
"Drink a little."
Chen Qian immediately shook her head.
"I can't hold my liquor."
"Half a cup."
Isabella looked at Victoria.
"Don't tease her."
"This is called relaxing."
Jiang Lin took the wine glass and placed it in front of Chen Qian.
"Just take a sip."
Chen Qian looked at the three of them, then finally picked up the cup carefully.
She took a small sip.
Her face quickly turned red.
Victoria's smile deepened.
"That was fast."
Isabella looked at Chen Qian.
"In the future, when you are out, don't drink if others urge you to."
Chen Qian nodded.
"I'll remember."
Jiang Lin leaned back in his chair.
"Does she even have to listen to you about drinking now?"
"She belongs to the Montclairs."
Victoria slowly walked to Chen Qian's side.
"Miss Chen, do you want to always belong to the Montclairs?"
Chen Qian held the cup, her eyes darting around in confusion.
"Madam is very good to me."
"I can be very good to you, too."
Isabella raised her eyes.
"Mrs. Wendell, poaching my people right in front of me."
Victoria leaned over, her fingers lightly tapping the blueprints in front of Chen Qian.
"She is very useful."
"Which is exactly why I can't give her to you."
Chen Qian was sandwiched between the two, her face becoming redder and redder.
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"What do you think?"
Chen Qian looked up, then quickly lowered her head again.
"I follow Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Montclair."
Victoria gave a soft "En."
"The order is very interesting."
Only then did Chen Qian realize she had mentioned Jiang Lin first.
Her face burned up instantly.
Isabella looked at her.
"Chen Qian."
"Madam..."
"Look up."
Chen Qian looked up.
Isabella's voice was low.
"Do you like him?"
The room suddenly went quiet.
Chen Qian almost dropped the cup in her hand.
Jiang Lin also looked at Isabella.
Victoria stood to the side, her eyes brightening slightly.
Chen Qian's lips moved.
"I..."
Isabella didn't press her.
"Tell the truth."
Chen Qian's face flushed to the corners of her eyes, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"I like him."
After she finished, she immediately lowered her head.
Victoria laughed.
"Miss Chen is very brave."
Isabella looked at Jiang Lin.
"Did you hear that?"
Jiang Lin nodded.
Chen Qian hurriedly spoke,
"I don't mean to fight with Madam, I just... I just..."
She got stuck halfway through her sentence.
The more she tried to explain, the messier it got.
Isabella walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be anxious."
Chen Qian's eyes turned red.
"Madam, I know my place."
"I wasn't asking about your status."
Isabella looked at her.
"I was asking about your heart."
Chen Qian was stunned.
Victoria held her wine glass and walked to Jiang Lin's side.
"Mrs. Montclair is very generous tonight."
Isabella didn't look at her.
"She is different."
"How is she different?"
"She is too pure."
Chen Qian raised her eyes.
Isabella withdrew her hand and walked back to Jiang Lin's side.
"So we can't let her keep hiding."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"Mr. Jiang, it's your turn."
Jiang Lin stood up.
Chen Qian immediately stood up.
"Mr. Jiang, I just..."
"Come here."
Chen Qian stopped.
"Huh?"
Jiang Lin reached out.
"Come here."
She walked over, step by step.
When she reached him, her fingers nervously clutched the edge of her skirt.
Jiang Lin looked down at her.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Chen Qian shook her head.
"Afraid of them?"
She glanced at Isabella, then at Victoria, and gave a small nod.
Victoria laughed out loud.
Isabella couldn't hold back either, the corners of her lips twitching.
Jiang Lin gripped Chen Qian's wrist and pulled her lightly closer.
She stiffened completely.
"Mr. Jiang..."
"You like me."
Chen Qian blushed, not daring to look at him.
"Yes."
"Then don't just know how to hide."
Her breathing became ragged.
Jiang Lin lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.
It was very light.
Chen Qian was stunned instantly.
Isabella didn't make a sound.
Victoria's eyes flickered slightly.
Jiang Lin let her go.
"Now you can sit back down."
Chen Qian, as if scalded, retreated a step.
Her face was even redder.
"I, I'll go get the file."
Isabella stopped her directly,
"You're not allowed to run."
Chen Qian stopped, her eyes red, looking a bit at a loss.
Victoria walked over and pressed her back into the chair.
"Sit."
This time, Chen Qian really sat down.
Her fingers covered her forehead, as if she hadn't recovered yet.
Isabella looked at Jiang Lin.
"You're very skilled."
"Did you teach him?"
"I didn't teach you to kiss young girls."
Victoria spoke slowly,
"Mrs. Montclair, you taught something bolder last night."
Isabella looked at her.
"You heard that clearly?"
"The room next door is very quiet."
Isabella walked up to Jiang Lin and raised a hand to straighten his cuffs, which had been wrinkled by Chen Qian.
"Then I'll change rooms tonight."
Victoria raised an eyebrow.
"Change to where?"
"Here, with him."
Chen Qian looked up instantly.
Victoria also paused.
Jiang Lin looked at Isabella.
"Madam is coming tonight?"
"Why, is it inconvenient?"
Victoria chuckled.
"Convenient. Miss Chen just said she likes him, and since Mrs. Montclair wants to stay the night, me living next door is indeed redundant."
Isabella said faintly,
"Mrs. Wendell can move further away."
"I'm not moving."
The two women's gazes met.
Chen Qian sat in the chair, her face red enough to smoke, but she couldn't help but sneak looks at Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin set down his wine glass.
"That's enough for tonight."
Victoria: "You say it's enough, so it's enough?"
Isabella: "I have the final say tonight."
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"You had the final say last night, too."
The room was silent for a moment.
Chen Qian lowered her head, her ears burning red.
Victoria laughed until the wine in her glass shook.
Isabella's face heated up too, but she didn't look away.
"Tonight is the same."
She stepped closer, her fingers trailing from Jiang Lin's chest downwards, tapping lightly.
"Do you have an opinion?"
Jiang Lin held her hand.
"No."
Victoria walked to the door.
"Then I really should go tonight."
Walking to the door, she stopped again.
"But Mr. Jiang, I heard that 'like' from Miss Chen just now, too."
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"So?"
Victoria smiled.
"You can't just give her your forehead."
Chen Qian looked up abruptly.
"Mrs. Wendell!"
Victoria laughed and pushed the door open to leave.
The door closed.
Three people remained in the room.
Chen Qian stood up, panic-stricken.
"I'll head back first, too."
Isabella looked at her.
"Come here."
Chen Qian stiffened completely.
"Madam?"
"Come here."
She walked over.
Isabella raised her hand and wiped a little moisture from the corner of her eye.
"If you like him, you like him; don't cry."
Chen Qian bit her lip.
"I'm afraid Madam hates me."
"If I hated you, I wouldn't let you sit here."
Chen Qian's tears almost fell.
Jiang Lin walked behind her and placed a palm lightly on her shoulder.
"Go back to sleep tonight."
Chen Qian nodded.
"Okay."
Isabella added another sentence,
"You're not allowed to hide tomorrow morning."
"...Okay."
Chen Qian lowered her head and left.
After the door closed, Isabella turned to look at Jiang Lin.
"Satisfied?"
"What?"
"The young girl likes you, Mrs. Wendell is pining for you, and I was in your bed last night."
Jiang Lin walked closer.
"Is Madam jealous?"
"I'm stuffed."
Jiang Lin laughed.
Isabella grabbed his shirt and pulled him in front of her.
"Don't laugh."
"Then what should I do?"
"Shut up."
She kissed him.
It was fiercer than last night.
Not hiding.
Not avoiding.
It was as if she were pressing all the emotions stirred up by Victoria and Chen Qian back onto Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her directly against the desk.
Isabella let out a low gasp, her nails digging into his shoulders.
"Be gentler tonight."
"Afraid of the next room hearing again?"
"Let her hear it tonight."
After she said that, she was stunned for a moment herself.
Jiang Lin looked down at her.
Isabella's ears were red, but she didn't take it back.
"What are you looking at?"
"Madam is very ruthless tonight."
"Forced by you all."
She raised her hand and undid his shirt buttons.
One.
Two.
Then she stopped.
"Jiang Lin."
"En?"
"You're not allowed to mention files tonight."
"Okay."
"And you're not allowed to mention Hall."
"Okay."
"And definitely not allowed to mention Mrs. Wendell."
Jiang Lin lowered his head to kiss her.
"Okay."
Clothes fell onto the carpet.
The hallway outside was quiet.
In the next room, Victoria sat on the edge of the bed, holding a book in her hand.
She flipped two pages, then raised her eyes to look at the wall.
This time, that side didn't deliberately suppress the sound.
First, there were low kissing sounds.
Then came Isabella's voice, filled with tremors.
Victoria closed the book and leaned against the headboard.
"Mrs. Montclair, you really are bold."
At the other end of the hallway.
Chen Qian lay on the bed, covering her face with the quilt.
The kiss on her forehead was still hot.
The sounds from next door drifted over vaguely.
She didn't move.
After a long time, she finally revealed half her face from the quilt.
Her eyes were moist, her cheeks burning.
She whispered a sentence:
"Can I really not hide tomorrow morning..."