Because the boutique was on the second floor, Jiang Chiyu had to lift her skirt slightly as she stepped onto the escalator. She was terrified of the hem getting caught; the resulting embarrassment would be more than she could handle.
Chen Mo was only a step behind her. Seeing that she had finished picking out her clothes, he quickly followed. Because they had spent some time at the mall, Chen Mo drove a bit faster to make sure they didn’t fall behind schedule. Otherwise, they likely would have been late for the celebration. While it wouldn’t have been a catastrophic issue, it would have given the impression that she didn’t take the event seriously.
Ji Yan had messaged Chen Mo early on, asking roughly what time Jiang Chiyu would arrive so she could come out to greet her. Her messages made it clear that she held Jiang Chiyu in high regard. Chen Mo didn’t understand why she was so deferential to someone who had just taken office, but he gave her the time nonetheless.
The moment Jiang Chiyu pushed open the car door, Ji Yan walked toward her.
“President Jiang, let me lead you inside.”
Ji Yan’s smile was respectful. She wore a deep purple qipao and looked like an older sister standing next to Jiang Chiyu. Seeing Ji Yan’s attire, Jiang Chiyu was a bit surprised. She suddenly felt that she didn’t look much like a company president; she looked more like a wealthy young lady brought to a gala by her sister for fun. However, Jiang Chiyu didn’t care much about such things. When Ji Yan offered to lead the way, she didn’t refuse. She honestly didn’t know where she was going.
Global Entertainment’s tenth-anniversary celebration was held on the first floor of the Sofia Hotel. There was no need to take an elevator. The venue could accommodate over a thousand people, making it clear that Global took this anniversary very seriously.
Originally, Ji Yan had intended to show Jiang Chiyu around after bringing her in, but her duties meant she was destined to be busy. After repeatedly apologizing to Jiang Chiyu, she was pulled away to attend to other matters.
Jiang Chiyu wandered around the room on her own. Chen Mo had disappeared at some point as well, as if he had vanished into thin air. But since Jiang Chiyu had no immediate need for him, she didn’t care where he had gone and simply strolled around aimlessly.
Because she had arrived quite early, there weren’t many people inside yet. Although many cast frequent glances her way—likely out of consideration for the setting—no one came over to strike up a conversation.
Feeling bored, Jiang Chiyu walked toward the first-floor balcony, thinking she would catch a breeze. But as she approached, she realized someone had beaten her to it. More coincidentally, she recognized this person. Or rather, she didn’t truly “know” him, but she had seen his photo just moments ago.
It was the man currently at the top of the trending topics.
Gu Sinian.
Yes, the man smoking like a madman on the balcony was Gu Sinian.
As an artist under Hengfa, why would he appear at a tenth-anniversary celebration for a company under Hengchuang? That was Jiang Chiyu’s first reaction. She didn’t immediately move to gossip, nor did she instinctively associate the man before her with the rumors on the hot search.
“Why are you here?”
Gu Sinian’s first reaction upon hearing her voice was to turn and leave. He tossed the cigarette between his fingers into the balcony’s trash can, pulled his cap down lower, and turned to walk away.
But the person who had spoken reached out to block him.
Gu Sinian’s brow furrowed, and his raspy voice carried a hint of suppressed anger. “Where I am shouldn’t be any of your business, right?”
As he spoke, he looked up to meet the eyes of the person in front of him. He found himself staring into a pair of eyes like calm, still water. The girl’s gaze was peaceful; she looked at him with neither affection nor disgust, and certainly none of the prying curiosity he had encountered countless times lately. She was simply puzzled—puzzled as to why he was here.
Jiang Chiyu knew the situation this man was in and didn’t get angry at his remark. She repeated what she had just said. “Aren’t you a Hengfa artist? Global is a subsidiary of Hengchuang. Given the terrible relationship between Hengchuang and Hengfa, would they invite someone from Hengfa to their tenth-anniversary celebration?”
She was genuinely curious. Or perhaps Gu Sinian was close with someone at Global.
Although the girl’s question was perfectly reasonable, Gu Sinian knew his current status. Anyone who associated with him now would be scrutinized by countless eyes with a magnifying glass. He lowered his head again and whispered, “Sorry, I took a wrong turn.”
In reality, he hadn’t taken a wrong turn at all; this was exactly where he intended to be. His close friend was an artist at Global, and knowing his recent situation, the friend had wanted him to come and clear his head. In truth, the friend hoped he might find someone here who could help resolve his current crisis. After all, Global was under Hengchuang, and the people invited to the anniversary gala were no ordinary figures.
To avoid disappointing his friend’s kindness, he had agreed to come. His plan was to leave as soon as the celebration officially started, but he hadn’t expected to be found even in such a secluded corner.
Gu Sinian tried to leave after speaking. Seeing his haste, Jiang Chiyu grew even more interested in the man. She stood right in front of the balcony’s sliding glass door. The moment Gu Sinian stepped forward, she put her hands behind her back and forcefully slid the door shut.
With a loud thud, Gu Sinian’s exit was blocked.
She then took two steps toward the door handle, positioning herself directly in front of it. Her intention was unmistakable: she wasn’t letting him leave.
“You aren’t a spy sent by Hengfa, are you?” Jiang Chiyu stared at the man, talking nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
She knew with every fiber of her being that such a thing was impossible. Why would Pei Su send Gu Sinian here? To ruin Global’s anniversary? What benefit would Pei Su gain from that?
Because of Jiang Chiyu’s actions, the expression on Gu Sinian’s face gradually turned cold. The tiny bit of apology he had felt earlier vanished. “What do you want to hear? I can tell you.”
“Then tell me about your situation. Did you really solicit a prostitute?”
Gu Sinian, who had been ready to clash with her, was suddenly stunned by the question.
“Someone is trying to set you up, right? How much are the liquidated damages? And how much does Pei Su need to pay?”
Jiang Chiyu’s questions came in a rapid-fire sequence, leaving Gu Sinian momentarily unsure of how to react.
“Who are you?” Why did she even know about Pei Su?
“Me? I’m a manager here at Global. I can help resolve your situation, but I have requirements. First, you have to answer the questions I just asked.”
Before coming here, Jiang Chiyu had been in the entertainment industry herself. However, she had been an actress, which had nothing to do with being a manager. But it didn’t matter. An actor’s job was to act; she could fake it.
“Why should I believe you?” Gu Sinian raised his head, his gaze burning as if trying to see through Jiang Chiyu’s mask.
Jiang Chiyu accepted his gaze calmly. Her response was so blunt it made Gu Sinian wince.
“Do you even have a choice?”