Ye Tong’s face remained entirely expressionless as she replied to Xiao Ziyu, “Don’t worry, it’s a piece of cake.”
Despite her confidence, Xiao Ziyu couldn’t help but choke slightly upon hearing those words. There was more alcohol on the table than actual food, and she called this a piece of cake? Xiao Ziyu stared at Ye Tong several times, her eyes filled with newfound admiration.
Since LT and HJ maintained a partnership, the hosts immediately beamed with smiles upon seeing Lin Su, stepping forward to shake her hand and exchange warm pleasantries. Five people had come on behalf of HJ three men and two women among whom a young man dressed in a sharp suit was exceptionally enthusiastic.
“My father is doing very well. He often speaks of you, President Lin. Thank you for asking after him.”
Lin Su shared a deep history with the chairman of HJ. In terms of generational hierarchy, Huang Dan, who was only in his early twenties, was considered a junior in front of Lin Su. His tone naturally carried a hint of deference. “President Lin, is the beautiful lady beside you Director Ye of XM Group?”
“Let me introduce you.” Lin Su turned her gaze toward Ye Tong.
Ye Tong stepped forward at the perfect moment, shook hands with Huang Dan, and greeted him with a smile, “Hello, General Manager Huang. I am Ye Tong from XM Group.”
“Hello, I am Huang Dan.” Huang Dan assessed Ye Tong, offering a somewhat bashful smile. “I didn’t expect Director Ye to be so young and beautiful. It looks like we’re about the same age.”
Before Ye Tong could speak, Lin Su’s cool, flat voice cut in: “Director Ye is two years older than you.”
“Two years older? I really couldn’t tell. You look even younger than I do.” Huang Dan possessed handsome features and polite manners, and his thick eyebrows and large eyes gave him a slightly comical, endearing look that made it impossible to find him annoying.
A soft curve touched Ye Tong’s eyes, and she generously extended her hand to Huang Dan once more. “General Manager Huang, I look forward to a successful partnership.”
Direct, efficient, and straight to the point. Lin Su cast a glance at Ye Tong, raising an eyebrow as her lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.
Huang Dan instinctively glanced at Lin Su before taking Ye Tong’s hand, laughing heartily. “It is truly a pleasure to collaborate with such a beautiful director. Here’s to our future partnership, Director Ye.”
Inside the spacious private dining room, the atmosphere remained light and easy. Free of any verbal sparring, the deal was struck smoothly, and both companies successfully finalized their cooperation.
Ye Tong knew that if it weren’t for Lin Su’s backing, securing this partnership would not have been this easy or swift. The other party trusted Lin Su, which meant they placed unconditional trust in XM Group.
Having hitched a ride on Lin Su’s ship, Ye Tong felt she owed her a favor. Consequently, she proactively stepped up to shield Lin Su from toasts only to find out that drinking was, in fact, not a piece of cake. Although Lin Su kept an exceptionally low profile as a president, she was still a highly renowned figure in the business world. The fact that she had personally attended a banquet for a minor contract signing was already a massive gesture of respect to HJ Group. As a result, once the HJ executives finished their initial pleasantries, the glasses of alcohol were eagerly pressed upon them one after another. Ye Tong intercepted them all, barely managing to hold her ground.
General Manager Huang was the most enthusiastic with his toasts, frequently tossing the name “Lin Sheng” into the conversation. Lin Sheng was Lin Su’s young niece.
Huang Dan didn’t mind Ye Tong drinking on Lin Su’s behalf. Once again, he raised his glass toward Lin Su, his face splitting into a respectful smile. “President Lin, my niece had the honor of inviting you here tonight. Allow me to toast you once more.”
Lin Su smiled faintly. “In our future collaboration, I will trouble you to take good care of things.”
“Please rest assured, President Lin. That is a given. Win-win cooperation means we’re all one family.”
Before Ye Tong could step in to block the toast, Lin Su had already clinked glasses and drained hers.
In their eagerness to build a closer relationship with Lin Su, the representatives from HJ continuously offered her drinks. Ye Tong shot a meaningful look at Xiao Ziyu, signaling her to keep an eye on the old fox so they wouldn’t have a major headache on their hands if she actually got drunk.
During the introductions earlier, the person who had caught Ye Tong’s interest was Vice President Zhong of HJ Group. Similar in age and career trajectory, both women had earned their current positions through sheer talent and hard work, which naturally fostered a sense of mutual respect during their conversation.
“I am in charge of the fabrics. Director Ye, would you mind if we exchanged WeChat contacts? It will make it easier for us to communicate when you visit our company tomorrow.”
Faced with Zhong Lingyun’s request, Ye Tong had no reason to refuse. She nodded in agreement, retrieved her phone, exchanged numbers with her, and added her on WeChat.
Zhong Lingyun was humorous and lively, and Ye Tong matched her open energy, leaning sideways to smile at her. “Once the contract is successfully signed tomorrow, the fabric order will be emailed to your company.”
“You’re welcome anytime.” Zhong Lingyun raised her glass. “Come, let’s have a drink.”
While talking to Ye Tong, Zhong Lingyun couldn’t shake the sensation of a cold gaze directed her way. Looking up, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes sitting diagonally opposite her. She gently swirled her wine glass and raised it in acknowledgment, taking a sip without caring how Lin Su might react.
Compared to Lin Su, Zhong Lingyun was clearly more drawn to the approachable Ye Tong. Ye Tong possessed a gentle temperament and a soft demeanor, whereas Lin Su’s first impression was one of coldness and aloofness distinctly the portrait of a proud, high-and-mighty woman.
As the two of them conversed happily, Ye Tong paid no attention to Lin Su. With Xiao Ziyu accompanying the old fox, she felt perfectly at ease. She continued drinking and discussing fabric specifications, pricing, quality, and production with Zhong Lingyun. By the end of the half-hour, Lin Su’s brow was locked in a tight frown, and almost every single person who had toasted her had passed out on the table.
A heavily intoxicated Huang Dan stumbled over to offer yet another toast, but Xiao Ziyu hurriedly blocked it for Lin Su. She bent down and whispered urgently in her ear, “Boss, stop drinking. Take it easy, or you’re going to be completely drunk.”
Lin Su sat with her spine perfectly straight, holding her red wine glass between her fingers. Her face was devoid of expression, but her eyes continuously drifted over to Ye Tong. Xiao Ziyu let out several loud coughs, desperately hoping Ye Tong would look back.
Hearing Xiao Ziyu’s coughing fit, Ye Tong turned her head as desired, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with Lin Su. Her eyelids gave a sudden twitch. Lin Su’s face was deeply flushed, indicating she had consumed quite a bit of alcohol, while Huang Dan had already collapsed onto the table, completely dead to the world.
Ye Tong glanced at her watch and realized it was time to wrap things up. She stood up and offered Zhong Lingyun a soft smile. “Vice President Zhong, I’m terribly sorry, but it’s getting late. Let’s catch up again next time.”
Zhong Lingyun smiled and extended an invitation: “Director Ye, let’s grab dinner together when you have the time.”
“I’d love to,” Ye Tong said, extending her hand. “It was truly an honor to meet you today.”
Zhong Lingyun replied, “Likewise.”
Once the representatives from HJ Group had all departed, only the three of them remained in the private room. Ye Tong let out a quiet sigh of relief, took a few steps over to Lin Su, and gently took the wine glass from her hand, setting it down. “The signing shouldn’t be an issue. Come on, let’s go back.”
Lin Su sat motionless, looking up at her with shimmering, watery eyes that seemed to carry a heavy trace of drunkenness. Ye Tong’s gaze swept rapidly over the empty bottles on the table. Her brow furrowed instantly, and she quickly pulled Xiao Ziyu to the side, whispering, “Did she drink all of that?”
Xiao Ziyu nodded. “The HJ people kept toasting the boss, and I couldn’t stop them! Meanwhile, you were completely engrossed in discussing fabrics with Vice President Zhong, so the boss just sat here drinking by herself.”
Ye Tong froze, feeling utterly helpless. “I was doing that for work.”
“The boss drank for work, too.”
Ye Tong instinctively looked back over her shoulder. Lin Su’s gaze was still locked onto her. Ye Tong paused for a second before breaking eye contact, asking in a low voice, “Is she drunk?”
“Probably…”
An alarm blared in Ye Tong’s mind. She exchanged a look with Xiao Ziyu, who shrugged with a thoroughly exhausted expression. If the domineering president drank too much, it was bound to be an unstoppable “disaster.”
“Let’s get back first,” Ye Tong instructed Xiao Ziyu. She sat down beside Lin Su and asked tentatively, “You aren’t drunk, are you?”
Lin Su shook her head. “No.”
Ye Tong: “Alright, let’s go.”
Lin Su asked, “Where are we going?”
Before Ye Tong could utter the words “back to the hotel,” Lin Su looked at her. Her gaze softened, her eyes conveying a deep, tender warmth, and a slow smile blossomed across her face. She reached out, took Ye Tong’s hand in her own, and murmured softly, “Are we going home?”
“…”
The old fox was indeed completely drunk.
Seeing Ye Tong’s utterly defeated expression, Xiao Ziyu leaned in and whispered in her ear, “The boss seems really out of it. Why don’t you just coax her the way you used to? Besides, when she wakes up tomorrow, she definitely won’t remember a single thing that happened tonight.”
Lin Su was holding Ye Tong’s hand. A wave of coolness traveled from Lin Su’s palm, stimulating Ye Tong’s skin and causing her to reflexively squeeze back. Lin Su was not a flawless, invincible being; once she drank too much and her mind became foggy, her temperament regressed to that of a child, completely shattering her usual cool image. This was precisely why she rarely made appearances at business banquets.
Lin Su shot a brief glance at Xiao Ziyu, her expression still seemingly calm, yet her fingers tightened firmly around Ye Tong’s hand, refusing to let her break free. Pulling her up, she said, “Let’s go. We’re going home.”
“…” Xiao Ziyu watched in silence as Lin Su led Ye Tong out the door, silently marveling that the domineering president had finally acted domineering for once.
Ye Tong couldn’t shake off Lin Su’s grip. Even pulling away or biting her arm proved useless; the intoxicated Lin Su seemed to have developed selective amnesia.
After getting into the car, Ye Tong endured it as best as she could. However, she finally reached her limit when Lin Su took things a step further leaning over her, wrapping her arms tightly around Ye Tong’s neck, and pressing her cheek firmly against Ye Tong’s.
“Lin Su, get off me!”
The words were practically roared.
Xiao Ziyu, who was driving, felt her heart skip a beat and couldn’t help but shudder.
Startled by the shout, Lin Su blinked her sleepy eyes and looked up at Ye Tong. The hands around Ye Tong’s neck loosened, then tightened, then loosened again, repeating the motion several times before she finally sat back upright obediently. Before Ye Tong could catch her breath, Lin Su lowered her head and murmured dejectedly:
“Tongtong, you yelled at me. You are always so gentle; you never used to yell at me.”
Hearing the domineering president speak in such an unprecedented, aggrieved tone, Xiao Ziyu pursed her lips tightly, nearly suffering internal injuries from holding back her laughter. Ye Tong, on the other hand, was nearly exasperated to the point of passing out.
Crossing her arms, Ye Tong leaned against the car window, choosing to distance herself from the drunken Lin Su.
In the past, Lin Su rarely got drunk, and whenever she did, Ye Tong was always by her side. When intoxicated, she didn’t throw tantrums or cause a scene; she simply threw childish fits if things didn’t go her way. Ye Tong was currently highly suspicious of whether Lin Su had gotten drunk on purpose.
Casting a sideways glance at Lin Su, Ye Tong saw her sitting quietly and obediently, looking entirely different from her usual cold, detached self. Miraculously, more than half of her anger evaporated.
Ye Tong had also consumed a fair amount of alcohol. Feeling dizzy and increasingly drowsy, she closed her eyes to take a light nap against the backrest during the forty-minute drive.
She hadn’t been asleep for long when the hem of her woolen sweater was lifted. Just as she felt a soft, warm body cuddle up against her, a sudden chill hit her abdomen. Opening her eyes instantly, she was met with Lin Su’s face.
“Tongtong, my hands are cold. Warm them up for me.”