Wanqing quickly waved her hands.
“No, no, no, Second Master, there’s no need to be so polite. We each get what we need—it’s mutually beneficial.”
Qi Yan seemed to have heard the biggest joke of all time. “Mutually beneficial? Are you sure?”
“Five billion, placed under my family trust fund, would allow my descendants—my daughter, my daughter’s daughter—to enjoy endless returns generation after generation, living comfortably for eighteen lifetimes without lifting a finger. But in my hands, I can double it in half a month.”
Wanqing struggled to maintain the curve of her lips.
Alright, in front of such a financial genius who dominated the industry, she really had no right to talk about money.
Qi Yan simply watched as the woman, who had just been animatedly boasting about herself, saw her smile gradually stiffen.
Her small, palm-sized face also took on a faint, delicate pink from the awkwardness, like a plump, juicy peach—crisp, tender, and clear, making one urgently want to take a bite.
He swallowed twice, his long legs striding over to a row of dark-colored cabinets.
Casually, he took out an expensive bottle of French Louis XIII, the amber liquid slowly pouring into an intricately carved Austrian crystal glass.
Immediately after, his cold, pale hand moved to his collar, loosening his tie.
“Teacher Wan, what should I do? I feel like I’ve suffered a huge loss.”
When a man loosens his tie, it’s like tearing off a mask of cultivated refinement, exposing the inherently aggressive nature of a man in front of others.
The arm that loosened the tie had a cold-toned, pale complexion, with faintly visible veins.
It reminded her of not long ago, when this same hand had brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to her cheek, unhurriedly gliding over her neck, shoulder blades, and the curve of her waist, where a fine layer of sweat had formed.
Moreover, she always felt that the way he was looking at her now wasn’t exactly proper.
She was like a little lamb that had fallen into the wolf’s mouth—no matter what she said, it seemed like an invitation.
Come and eat me!
She asked, with great understanding, “Then, do you want to change to a different partner to cut your losses in time?”
The man sitting by the window tightened his grip on the glass upon hearing her words.
The fragrant, rich wine in the crystal glass swayed precariously, threatening to spill but not quite doing so.
It made one’s heart involuntarily tighten along with it.
“No change.”
The man took a sip of wine, his thumb slowly rubbing the smooth rim of the glass, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes.
“I’m very busy. I don’t have the time or energy to invest in a relationship with no future.”
“I’m a businessman. I won’t let myself get caught up in the sunk cost fallacy. But I’m also an adult. I have worldly desires. So, why shouldn’t I find someone pleasing to the eye…”
As he spoke, he casually rested his long legs on the footstool, lazily watching her as if he were fishing.
“Teacher Wan, you are very pleasing to my eyes.”
Wanqing: “…”
How could this person say such things without blushing or his heart racing?
She might as well take it as a roundabout way of complimenting her looks.
Wanqing swallowed hard and shrank further toward the wall.
“Second Master, please have some self-respect.”
Qi Yan laughed, the tail of his tone carrying a teasing note. “You’ve already come to my home, and you still want me to have self-respect? Teacher Wan, aren’t you being a bit unreasonable?”
For a moment, Wanqing couldn’t tell whether he was teasing her or if he truly had worldly desires.
Discussing such matters face-to-face like this always gave her an indescribable sense of shame.
Just as she was about to explain something, Qi Yan’s phone suddenly rang.
She immediately fell silent.
Qi Yan answered the call, reverting to his usual serious and upright gentlemanly demeanor.
“Yes, I’ve reviewed that proposal. It doesn’t quite meet expectations, and the operational process carries too much risk.”
Hearing that Qi Yan was discussing work matters on the phone, she quietly played with her phone for a while and even posted a Weibo update.
Suddenly, as if she had seen something, she abruptly threw down her phone, buried her head in her hands, and curled up in the large chair, looking utterly defeated.
Ahhhhhhh!
She felt like crying but had no tears left!
At that moment, a bodyguard approached her, holding a tightly wrapped box, wearing protective gloves.
“Miss Wan, a gentleman surnamed Su at the foot of the mountain asked me to pass this to you. Would you like me to open and inspect it for you?”
“No—!”
Without a second thought, Wanqing jumped off the sofa and snatched the box.
“Just give it to me!”
She clutched the box tightly, afraid that someone might see the unspeakable contents inside. The blush on her face had already spread from her delicate earlobes to the fair nape of her neck.
Her heart began to crumble.
Now she had no face left to show anyone.
It had to be said that Su Sili truly “understood human affairs” in certain aspects. After all these years in the entertainment industry, he hadn’t learned anything worthwhile—only these kinds of things.
Suddenly, she recalled someone’s disdainful expression and evaluation of such items.
Vulgar!
She instinctively glanced toward the window. The elegant and refined man had clear, focused eyes as he started a conference call, completely ignoring her.
Although interrupting someone’s call was impolite, she had filming scheduled for the next day. If she slept too late, her face might swell, which wouldn’t be good for the shooting schedule.
She typed two lines of text on her phone and held it up in front of him.
“Second Master, I want to take a shower, but my suitcase is still in your car. Could you give me your car keys so I can go down and get it myself?”
A great idea—this was the perfect chance to throw away all this messy stuff!
Qi Yan lifted his eyelids slightly, his gaze sweeping over her phone screen, his expression showing no change.
“Go to the room.”