When Jiang Man walked out of Huaiba, she immediately spotted the black sedan parked by the roadside.
Through the dark window tint, she could vaguely see a blurry silhouette sitting in the back seat.
Upon entering the car, she indeed found Qi Zhicheng inside.
She set her bag down and unwrapped her scarf, asking, “Why are you here? Didn’t I say you didn’t need to wait for me?”
“We agreed that I would pick you up.”
“I sent a message saying that an extra class was added today at the last minute, so it would be a bit late.”
“I haven’t waited long,” Qi Zhicheng replied flatly, “I just finished up myself.”
Sitting in the front seat, Song Yang silently grumbled to himself.
Yes, he hadn’t waited long, it had only been about three hours. He had waited from the time the daylight was still faint until the neon lights outside the windows lit up one by one.
Jiang Man also noticed Song Yang sitting in the passenger seat, “Special Assistant Song?”
Hearing her voice, Song Yang turned his head slightly to offer his respects, “Madam.”
She felt a bit surprised. Usually, when Qi Zhicheng came to pick her up, he would not bring his assistant along unless they needed to attend some business functions.
She turned to the man beside her and asked, “Where are we going?”
Qi Zhicheng tilted his head to look at her, “There is a charity gala tonight, I am taking you out for a stroll.”
“I don’t have much interest in that,” Jiang Man leaned against the back of the seat, her gaze losing focus as it fell upon the flowing neon lights outside the window.
The sky was gloomy, and the dark clouds pressed down heavily without a single gap, matching her current mood exactly.
Qi Zhicheng said, “The organizers have prepared quite a few auction items. I have looked over the auction catalog, and the styles and craftsmanship are all very good, so you should like them.”
Jiang Man remained uninterested, still staring at the street scenery rapidly receding outside the window.
The city neon lights were brilliant and colorful, but the interior of the car was filled with a low, oppressive pressure.
As the warm air from the car’s air conditioner circulated, Qi Zhicheng’s gaze lingered on her profile for a few seconds.
“Alright, let us not talk about that,” he changed the subject, “This gala is for public welfare, and all the proceeds will be used for medical projects for children in mountain regions. Just think of it as keeping me company to go through the motions and do some charity work, alright?”
The charity gala was held in one of the few classical hotels in Huaicheng.
In the penthouse ballroom, Jiang Man followed Qi Zhicheng and took a seat in the front row. She wore a simple black long dress, and the deep black velvet gown complemented the single pearl earring at the tip of her ear perfectly.
In truth, for this particular gala, the charity auction in the second half was the core segment. It was mainly held to raise funds for a medical assistance foundation for children with rare diseases.
The lights dimmed, and the host went up to the stage to introduce the foundation and the stories of the children receiving assistance.
A documentary about the sick children played on the screen, and the innocent yet resilient eyes of the children flashed through the frames.
The auction officially began, and the auctioneer, wearing a professional smile, started introducing the first auction item.
As the auction progressed, the sounds of bidding paddles being raised rose one after another from below the stage.
Qi Zhicheng seemed to have no interest whatsoever in those competitions. Only when an item was displayed would he tilt his head and ask her in a low voice, “Do you like it?”
Jiang Man’s gaze was empty, feeling nothing toward the items the auctioneer was enthusiastically introducing on stage, so she merely shook her head gently.
“You don’t like a single one?”
Jiang Man continued to shake her head.
The auctioneer began to introduce the next item. When a waterfall necklace inlaid with jadeite cabochons and diamonds was displayed, Jiang Man could not help but take an extra look.
She remembered that her mother also had a similar piece.
Just as she was thinking about it, the host had already announced the starting bid. Qi Zhicheng raised his eyes slightly and gave a signal to Song Yang beside him.
Song Yang immediately raised his paddle.
“Mr. Qi bids.”
The entire room fell quiet, and no one else competed for the bid.
For the next few auction items, Qi Zhicheng signaled for the paddle to be raised every time.
Following that, items appeared on the stage one after another. Jiang Man did not know how many he had bought, she only knew there were many, so many that she could no longer remember what the first item they bought was.
The numbers on the electronic display screen kept jumping, followed by a long string of zeros.
Jiang Man silently counted the units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten-thousands in her mind several times before she could count it clearly. She closed her eyes and could not help but suck in a cold breath.
Having remained silent for most of the event, Jiang Man finally moved closer on her own initiative, reached out, and gently tugged Qi Zhicheng’s sleeve.
Qi Zhicheng turned his head to look at her.
Jiang Man kept her voice low, “That is enough, stop buying.”
The voice of the auctioneer on stage came through the sound system, exceptionally loud.
Right in the midst of this wave of sound, Qi Zhicheng did not hear clearly for a moment, so he lowered his head slightly, “What?”
Jiang Man tilted her face up, moving even closer to him until she was right against his ear.
As the distance closed, he smelled the faint, light fragrance from her hair.
“I said, stop buying, you have already bought a lot.”
For a moment, Qi Zhicheng only felt a tickle in his ear.
The warm breath wrapped around his ear like a fine, soft feather, scratching squarely against the most agonizing spot.
His fingers resting on his knee curled slightly as he restrained the urge to pull her over and hold her tight in his arms.
His clenched fingers tightened and then loosened again.
Taking advantage of the situation, he also lowered his head to get close, asking in her ear with a breathy voice that carried a half-smile, “Are you helping me save money?”
Jiang Man knit her brows and nodded, “It is too much.”
He smiled and lightly tapped her forehead, “Silly girl.”
Jiang Man said, “Ah?”
Qi Zhicheng replied, “Don’t you want to help those little children? Just consider this money as doing charity work.”
At this time, a bracelet was being displayed on stage, strung together with various rare gemstones. It was colorful, and the design was full of childlike innocence.
The auctioneer explained that this represented the smiling faces of the children the foundation had helped.
Jiang Man suddenly remembered the medical care for children he had mentioned before they came, and she thought of the pairs of clear, innocent eyes of those children in the documentary.
These funds were all donated to children in the mountain regions, meant for children suffering from rare diseases in areas lacking medical resources. A single auction item here could allow them to receive professional treatment support and improve their physical condition.
Jiang Man pursed her lips and did not reply further.
The auctioneer brought out another item, a jadeite bracelet of glass-like texture and transparency.
Looking at that set of jewelry, Jiang Man tugged Qi Zhicheng’s sleeve once more.
Looking into his eyes, she spoke with a serious expression, “I like this one.”
Qi Zhicheng immediately lifted his chin toward his assistant, and Song Yang, who was on the side, instantly raised his paddle.
“Mr. Qi bids.”
The moment the auctioneer’s voice fell, there were no other bidding sounds in the entire room.
“I like this one too.”
“Alright.”
“Mr. Qi bids.”
For the remaining half of the auction, Jiang Man would tug his sleeve from time to time, expressing her liking for a certain auction item with a serious face.
“I don’t seem to have earrings in this style yet.”
“This one looks good too.”
“This Paraiba necklace set is so beautiful.”
“I like the color of this pigeon blood ruby.”
As the auction reached its end, the host held the microphone, their voice excited, “All the auction items for this event have been sold out. Thank you to all the guests for your generous donations! Next, I announce the total amount for this auction,”
When Jiang Man heard that number, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
She silently glanced at the man beside her, who still maintained that calm, breezy demeanor.
Facing that accumulated bill, which was undoubtedly an astronomical figure, he did not even wrinkle his brow, as if as long as she showed even a tiny bit of liking, he would immediately pluck the stars from the sky for her.
She knew very well in her heart that the vast majority of the bids here were his doing. And her few statements of liking just now had probably made no small contribution.
She lowered her head and silently picked at her fingers.
Although it was to help those children, still, she seemed to be a bit of a spendthrift.
After the auction segment concluded, it was time for the live targeted donation segment.
Qi Zhicheng turned his head to look at Jiang Man, his fingers gently tapping the armrest, “How much do you want to donate?”
Why was he asking her how much he wanted to donate?
Could it be that he would donate whatever amount she said?
Just as she was thinking this, a voice landed from beside her, “I will donate whatever amount you say.”
Jiang Man choked on her words.
She was still immersed in the shock of her huge spending from just now, and thinking of the money spent, her heart still could not help but leap with fear.
After hesitating for a moment, she tentatively reported a conservative amount.
Qi Zhicheng let out a light laugh.
Jiang Man found it baffling, “What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing, I just didn’t expect that my Manman would be quite good at saving money for me.”
Qi Zhicheng said with a smile, “However, if you only donate this amount, then the extra charity funds the foundation raises for those children tonight will probably be much less than expected.”
“Why?” Jiang Man was puzzled, “Won’t there be other people donating as well?”
“Because among the people present, no one will dare to donate more than me.”
Jiang Man was slightly stunned.
She realized something a bit late.
The people present were not refusing to donate, it was just that no one dared to surpass him and donate more than he did.
If he donated less, the others would only follow suit and donate less, as no one dared to cross the line.
Qi Zhicheng’s bid was their standard.
The amount of his donation, to a certain extent, set the upper limit for others to show their goodwill. If he donated a small amount, then out of various considerations, others would only fluctuate below this baseline, and the fundraising would naturally be less.
The worldly wisdom and human relations involved in this were much more complicated than she had imagined.
Jiang Man pondered for a moment, then reported a new amount that was quite a bit more than before.
Qi Zhicheng nodded to Song Yang, who immediately stepped forward to register it.
When the donation segment ended, the lights in the ballroom softened once again.
The host wore a warm smile, “Dear guests, please allow me to share a special piece of news. Just last week, among the first batch of children with rare diseases sponsored by our foundation, a seven year old boy named Xiao Bin from the southwest mountain region successfully underwent a stem cell transplant surgery. This morning, we received the latest video sent by the hospital.”
The large screen directly in front of the ballroom lit up.
In the frame, a little boy whose face was still visibly pale leaned against the hospital bed, smiling shyly at the camera.
His eyes were bright, and he spoke softly in accented Mandarin, “Thank you, thank you, uncles and aunts. The doctor said I will be able to go home and go to school very soon.”
The video was very short, lasting only about a dozen seconds.
The softest place in Jiang Man’s heart was deeply touched.
Her consistently low mood was swept away at this moment by the smiles of these children, and a shallow smile spread across her face as well.
“Are you in a better mood now?”
Jiang Man withdrew her attention from the screen, “I wasn’t in a bad mood.”
“Yes, you weren’t in a bad mood, it is just that you haven’t smiled at me for a whole day.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. But now, you are finally smiling,” Qi Zhicheng curled his lips, “How to make my wife happy is something I need to learn for the rest of my life.”
Jiang Man forced out a smile, “Anyway, thank you today.”
“Thank me for what?”
“Thank you on behalf of those children,” she remembered the host’s speech just now, and imitating the host’s passionate voice, she repeated it, “Thank you for your generosity and love, it is your support that ignites the hope of life for the children.”
Qi Zhicheng was amused by her serious look.
The promotional video was still playing on the screen, and Jiang Man stood up to leave for the restroom.
Qi Zhicheng watched her disappear around the corner, and the gentle smile on his face completely faded away, leaving him expressionless.
He raised his hand to signal the assistant waiting not far away.
Song Yang immediately approached, “President Qi.”
Qi Zhicheng’s gaze still fell in the direction Jiang Man had left, his tone flat and without ripples, “Go check what other similar charity projects there are, especially those aimed at children, and filter out a few influential ones.”
Song Yang responded and quietly withdrew.
Qi Zhicheng rested his chin on his hand, looking at the children playing on the screen without any emotion.
If donating money could make his Manman happy, then this was undoubtedly the most worthwhile deal in the world.
She would be moved by the smiles of those sick children on the screen, so he could very well create a hundred or a thousand such smiles for her to see.
As for who the recipients of the help were, or whether they lived or died, he did not care at all.
As for those poor children, what did they have to do with him?
The snow in Huaicheng had been falling continuously for several days.
Jiang Man finished her work and walked out of the dance troupe’s main gate. Before she had gone a few steps, a figure suddenly rushed out fiercely from the shadows on the side, lunging straight toward her.
Jiang Man was startled and took several steps back.
The man in front of her wore a wrinkled suit, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot. The whole person was in a state of extreme agitation and collapse.
“Miss Jiang! Miss Jiang! You are Jiang Man, right?”
The security personnel of the dance troupe reacted quickly, immediately stepping forward to pull him away.
Jiang Man did not know him at all, so she frowned and prepared to leave.
That person seemed frenzied, still struggling and shouting behind her, “Do you know what kind of person your husband Qi Zhicheng is? He is a monster who eats people without spitting out the bones!”
Hearing Qi Zhicheng’s name, Jiang Man’s steps paused, and she turned around.
Seeing her stop, Lu Wenqian became even more emotional, his saliva flying as he continued to curse, “He forced me into a dead end! My company is going to be ruined! He knows very well in his own heart how many dirty methods he used!”
“Is he satisfied now! He destroyed everything of mine! My career, my home, what about my wife and children! Do you people still have a shred of humanity?!”
At this time, the driver also noticed the disturbance here and hurriedly got out of the car, “Madam, are you alright?”
Jiang Man shook her head, bent over, and got into the car.
The car gradually drove away, and the man’s shouting also became blurred and unclear. She looked through the rearview mirror and saw the man kneeling on the ground, covering his face and crying in collapse.
The next time she saw news of this man was two days later.
That night was New Year’s Eve, and Qi Zhicheng had sent her a message saying he had reserved a table at a restaurant so they could have dinner together in the evening.
She finished early, so she had the driver send her directly to Qiheng Headquarters.
In the car, she saw a news flash pop up on her phone.
Guided by some strange impulse, she clicked into it and found that it was about the man from two days ago.
Today’s Finance: Mr. Lu Wenqian, the founder and CEO of Woshi Technology, suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage late yesterday evening and has been rushed to the city central hospital for emergency rescue.
The news mentioned that Lu Wenqian fell ill due to the company falling into a severe operational crisis, after being under high-intensity work and mental pressure for consecutive weeks.
Before this, all the real estate he had personally mortgaged had entered the judicial auction process because he could not repay the loans.
There was a short video snippet in the news, showing frames interspersed with Lu Wenqian being hurriedly pushed into the emergency room, and his wife crying with her head in her hands in the hospital corridor, fully displaying the collapse of an elite business family.
Jiang Man clutched her phone, suddenly feeling very suffocated in her chest.
She rolled down the car window, letting the cold wind pour into the car before the irritation in her heart quieted down slightly.
The Alphard arrived at Qiheng Headquarters.
Walking into that building that soared into the clouds, the receptionist quickly recognized Jiang Man, a warm yet respectful smile hanging on her face.
“Mrs. Qi, are you here to see President Qi?”
Jiang Man froze for a moment, then nodded.
The receptionist led her toward the exclusive elevator.
The numbers leaped silently, and very soon the elevator arrived at the top floor.
“This way, please.”
The elevator opened, and the secretary at the reception desk immediately stood up from behind the workstation, “Mrs. Qi.”
A man who was answering a phone call covered the mouthpiece with his hand, nodding to Jiang Man in greeting, his mouth silently forming the words “Mrs. Qi”.
Another person hurried past holding documents, also saying in a low voice, “Mrs. Qi.”
“Hello, Mrs. Qi.”
Jiang Man asked, “Does everyone here know me?”
The secretary smiled properly, “You used to come to find President Qi frequently before, so of course we know you.”
It turned out she used to be a frequent visitor here.
No wonder the people at the front desk and the secretariat all recognized her.
However, Jiang Man felt puzzled. What did she always come here for in the past? She didn’t understand anything about his work.
Could it be that before her amnesia, she was this clingy?
“President Qi just finished a meeting, he should be in the office now.”
Jiang Man stopped her steps in front of the door, “Should I go straight in? Is that not very good, do I need to announce my arrival?”
“President Qi said that if you come, you can go straight through,” the secretary made a gesture of invitation, “Every time you came before, you never needed to be announced either.”
Jiang Man nodded silently and pushed the door open to enter.
Right at the moment the door opened, a strange man’s voice happened to carry over, carrying a hint of lazy laughter.
“On Lu Wenqian’s side, is it considered a complete liquidation?”
Immediately following that, she heard that familiar voice.
she heard the man reply lazily, “I have already sent people to contact the liquidation team to take it back at the lowest price.”
Faint conversation sounds and indistinct laughter came from inside.
Jiang Man walked inward, passing the glass partition, and the spacious, luxurious office came into view.
The various neon lights of the city spilled in from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Qi Zhicheng sat with his back to her, leaning against the sofa in a leisurely posture.
Beside him sat a man also wearing a well-tailored suit, and both of them held a glass of amber whiskey in their hands.
Jiang Man saw that man raise his glass.
Qi Zhicheng also smiled and raised his glass in response, the glass cups clinking gently together.
Jiang Man froze on the spot.
They, were they celebrating?