Fang Mian opened her eyes helplessly. “Heaven values life and cherishes all living beings. Everything it bestows upon humanity should be treasured. Especially one’s face!”
She laid the clothes flat on the large bed. “Please get dressed properly, President Gu. I need to go pack my own luggage.”
After saying this, she closed the door and left.
Gu Tingye glanced at the door with a mocking curl of his lips.
What a shameless woman!
Playing hard to get with him again.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Gu Ziqian calling.
Without even thinking, he knew the call was to inquire about Fang Mian.
The thought of that overly sweet social media post and photo…
Gu Tingye felt no inclination to answer, letting the phone ring incessantly.
After ringing twice with no response, the phone finally fell silent.
Half an hour later.
Having changed into his suit, Gu Tingye, looking dashing and composed, knocked on the door of the adjacent room. “Assistant Fang, are you ready?”
He knocked several times, but there was no response.
Gu Tingye glanced at his wristwatch. There were still thirty minutes before the banquet began.
Considering that women usually took time to apply makeup and dress up, he patiently waited another ten minutes.
Then he knocked again. “Assistant Fang?”
Still no answer.
Gu Tingye took out his phone and dialed Fang Mian’s number.
It connected.
A faint ringing sound came from inside the room.
Frowning, he knocked on the door with much greater force. “Fang Mian, if you don’t come out now, we’ll be late.”
“Fang Mian?”
Gu Tingye’s eyes turned cold. Could something have happened to her?
He immediately dialed the hotel’s customer service line. “Bring the spare key for Room 886…”
“No need.”
Fang Mian, wearing a white off-the-shoulder fishtail gown, opened the door and interrupted him.
Gu Tingye was momentarily stunned, then narrowed his eyes. “If you were fine, why didn’t you open the door earlier?”
He had thought…
“How could I open the door when I wasn’t even properly dressed?”
Fang Mian gave him a cool glance. “If I didn’t know President Gu’s character somewhat, I might have thought your anxious demeanor just now was out of concern for me. Fortunately, I’m not that presumptuous.”
She adjusted her curled long hair, picked up her pearl handbag, and confidently linked arms with Gu Tingye. “Let’s go, President Gu.”
Let’s go…
The phrase itself was ordinary.
But at that moment, it sounded exceptionally pleasing to Gu Tingye’s ears.
The earlier displeasure instantly dissipated.
He turned his head to examine her carefully adorned appearance.
The strapless evening gown perfectly hugged her graceful and well-proportioned figure.
The silver-white satin fabric seemed to shimmer with a soft glow.
It made her already fair skin appear even more radiant.
Gu Tingye remarked in a low voice, “Dressed like this tonight, who are you planning to seduce?”
Fang Mian retorted, “When a woman wears clothes, it’s called attraction. Only when she takes them off does it become seduction. Understand, President Gu?”
Gu Tingye: “…”
Her words seemed to carry a sting…
What had he done to provoke her?
Inside the banquet hall, the lights were dazzling, and the elite gathered in abundance.
This was not merely a symbol of status and position.
It was also a glorious feast showcasing power and wealth.
As soon as Gu Tingye and Fang Mian entered the hall, the sharp-eyed President Chen immediately approached with a beaming smile.
“Ah, President Gu! I’ve been waiting for you for so long. I’m glad you finally made it. I was starting to worry you might stand me up.”
Gu Tingye replied with ease, “You flatter me, President Chen. I hear you’ve got several major projects in hand, making quite a splash in the industry lately! Congratulations.”
“You’re too kind, President Gu,” President Chen suddenly leaned closer and lowered his voice. “The small fish and shrimp I have can barely fill my stomach. How could they compare to Tianyu’s Heiyao Technology Research Center?”
Gu Tingye’s smile instantly faded, his gaze turning cold.
Heiyao’s existence was Tianyu’s top-level secret.
Its name had never been publicly disclosed to the media.
How did President Chen know about it?
“President Gu, what an honor to meet you!” The CEO of Hengyu Group walked over with a smile, holding two glasses of red wine. “Would I have the honor of sharing a drink with you?”
President Chen laughed heartily. “Well then, President Gu, I’ll leave you to it. I should go greet some other guests.”
Gu Tingye gave a slight nod.
As President Chen turned away, a flicker of coldness passed through Gu Tingye’s eyes.
This old fox has quite the appetite…
He’s not afraid of choking on it.
And he dares to set his sights on Heiyao.
I’ll deal with him properly when I have time in a few days!
“Dear nephew Gu, long time no see! How has Elder Gu been lately? It’s been a while since I last played golf with him—I miss him dearly!”
“My father has recently taken a liking to fishing.”
“President Gu, could you consider our company for the batch of materials you need…”
For a moment, Gu Tingye found himself surrounded by people.
Fang Mian, meanwhile, found a quiet corner with fewer people and sat down to rest.
She leisurely ate and drank while lazily observing the center of the banquet.
She suddenly realized that no matter how lively the occasion, as long as Gu Tingye was present, he would inevitably become the focus of everyone’s attention.
With his 188cm frame, he looked noble and extraordinary in anything he wore.
Standing tall and elegant among the crowd, he appeared aloof and cold, carrying a sense of solitude as if all storms and snow had ceased.
Several female guests gathered together, gazing at him with admiration and infatuation.
Fang Mian shook her head and clicked her tongue.
Who would believe that Gu Tingye, who seemed as pure and radiant as the moon, was actually a vulgar rogue in private?
But then again, it was impressive that Gu Tingye had broken away from the prestigious Gu Group and single-handedly founded Tianyu on his own. That certainly took some backbone.
After all, the influence of the Gu Group in Longguo was almost all-encompassing.
He could have easily enjoyed a life of luxury as a wealthy heir, free from worries about food and clothing.
Yet he chose to rely on his own abilities and fight tooth and nail to carve out his own empire.
Now, Tianyu had developed quite maturely, with its total profits over the past three years ranking among the top five in the country.
But Gu Tingye’s ambitions were far from satisfied.
He wasn’t married, had no wife or children.
What did he need so much money for anyway?
“Beautiful lady, are you alone? Would you like to have a drink with me?”
Fang Mian looked at the newcomer—a young man of average looks.
She politely declined, “Sorry, I’m not much of a drinker.”
To be honest, the guy wasn’t bad-looking.
But after having two handsome men like Gu Ziqian and Gu Tingye constantly around her, her standards had unconsciously been raised quite high.
As a result, men of ordinary appearance could no longer catch her eye.
She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Unexpectedly, the man had quite strong mental resilience and continued the conversation. “You’re President Gu’s assistant, right?”
Seeing that he recognized Gu Tingye and herself, Fang Mian had no choice but to put in a bit of effort, forcing a smile as she exchanged a few pleasantries with him.
After all, as an assistant, her words and actions indirectly reflected on Gu Tingye and the company’s reputation.
She couldn’t help Gu Tingye much in business matters, but at the very least, she shouldn’t cause any trouble that might hold him back.
Just as she was chatting and laughing with the unfamiliar man, Gu Tingye suddenly looked over from across the crowded room.
This fickle woman was actually flirting around.
And she was smiling so brightly at another man.
Why did she always wear a sour face for him?
“Excuse me, I need to step away for a moment.”
After finding an excuse to slip away, Gu Tingye headed in Fang Mian’s direction.
A waiter suddenly bumped into him by accident, spilling wine from his glass all over Gu Tingye’s clothes.
“I’m so sorry! My apologies!”
The waiter quickly grabbed a clean napkin to wipe him down.
After a few moments of cleaning up, Gu Tingye looked up only to find that Fang Mian had disappeared.
Strange.
She was just here a moment ago.
Where did she go now?