Chapter 29

Chu Yu let out a slight sigh, looking at Chi Xiting’s innocent expression as he stood up and walked towards the bedside table. He glanced down, casually picked up a watch, and walked over to Chi Xiting.

“Hold out your hand,” Chu Yu said, lowering his head to adjust the watch. The circle of small diamonds embedded around the dial reflected a dazzling light under the lamp.

Chi Xiting, maintaining his composure, pursed his lips and, while raising his hand, hesitated, saying, “Is that really okay?”

Looking at Chi Xiting’s hand now raised in front of him, Chu Yu’s lips curled into a half-smile, “Your hand went up pretty fast.”

Chi Xiting smiled shyly. “Well, I’ve always had quick hands.”

Chu Yu: “…”

Chu Yu didn’t argue further. He reached out and slipped the watch onto Chi Xiting’s wrist, adjusting the band slightly with his fingers.

Chi Xiting’s wrist was thin, and his bone was quite prominent. The watch band just fit below the bone. Chu Yu’s fingers pulled away from the band, and his hand rested gently on the inside of Chi Xiting’s wrist. As his warm fingertips touched Chi Xiting’s cool arm, he looked up and asked, “Cold?”

Chi Xiting’s gaze was still on the watch, and he simply shook his head, saying, “It’s fine.”

Chu Yu didn’t ask further. He lowered his eyes and fastened the watch into place.

Chi Xiting’s interest in the watch quickly faded. After a few glances, he looked away, and as his gaze shifted upward, he realized that his hand was still held by Chu Yu.

Chi Xiting quickly glanced up at Chu Yu.

Chu Yu’s gold-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, his eyes slightly lowered behind the lenses. His thick, dark eyes were half-covered by his long lashes. Below, his high nose and slightly pursed crimson lips were clearly visible.

From this close, Chi Xiting could even make out a small, light brown mole on the side of Chu Yu’s nose.

So handsome.

Chi Xiting was easily mesmerized.

His fingers unconsciously curled, grazing lightly in Chu Yu’s palm.

Chu Yu looked up at Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting’s heart skipped a beat, and then, as if snapping back to reality, he quickly turned his eyes away and pulled his hand out of Chu Yu’s grip.

The cool watch band against his wrist revived the feeling of Chu Yu’s warm palm, and even after pulling his hand back, Chi Xiting could still feel his wrist tingling.

It felt… strange.

Chu Yu, unaffected, pulled his hand back and walked back to his desk, saying calmly, “Get up earlier tomorrow and pack your things. After the lunch banquet, we’ll return to M City.”

Chi Xiting forced himself to wake up fully and asked, “In such a hurry?”

Even if they flew back to M City in the afternoon, it would be around seven or eight at night by the time they arrived, and getting home from the airport would make it past ten.

Chu Yu nodded. “There’s a meeting tomorrow morning.”

Chi Xiting nodded and didn’t ask further.

It made sense.

Chu Yu’s schedule was tight, and taking a few days off for a business trip was already a lot. It was clear that he valued this project.

Chi Xiting glanced down at the watch in his hand, his thoughts briefly drifting.

—-

The next morning, Chi Xiting got up early, packed his things, and followed Chu Yu out the door.

As they entered the hotel lobby from the elevator, Chi Xiting immediately spotted Huo You Shen waiting for them at the front desk.

Huo Youshen had also changed into a suit.

Clearly, Chu Yu hadn’t forgotten about him this time.

Huo You Shen’s gaze swept past Chu Yu and directly landed on Chi Xiting. In his usually indifferent eyes, there was a rare flicker of admiration.

Chi Xiting was indeed handsome, though perhaps still young, and even though he had been with the Chu family for nearly half a month, he still carried the youthful aura of someone just out of the ivory tower.

While other interns were gradually learning to switch into their professional roles, dressing up in suits and becoming part of the corporate world, Chi Xiting remained true to his original self, wearing casual clothes day in and day out. With his innocent and clean look, paired with his student-style attire, he didn’t look like someone in the professional world at all.

But now, in a proper suit, Chi Xiting gained a slightly different air.

It suited him well.

Huo Youshen’s gaze swept directly over Chi Xiting’s face, scanning him from top to bottom without much courtesy. Then, as if noticing something, his gaze abruptly paused on Chi Xiting’s wrist.

Hmm?

Huo Youshen furrowed his brows, sensing that something was off.

Isn’t that watch Chu Yu’s?

Huo Youshen instinctively looked at Chu Yu, and their eyes met by chance.

Chu Yu had styled his bangs back with gel, exposing his sharp, refined features. His cold eyes seemed indifferent and detached when looking at people.

Especially with this look.

Huo Youshen pulled his gaze back, feeling suspicious. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the look from Chu Yu carried an ambiguous warning or aggression.

Seeing Huo Youshen looking away, Chu Yu also nonchalantly diverted his gaze, walking out of the hall and heading toward the car to the banquet hall.

Chi Xiting and Huo Youshen followed closely behind.

Huo Youshen’s eyes were fixed on the back of Chi Xiting’s head. The more he thought about it, the more something didn’t sit right with him. His previously somewhat appreciative gaze toward Chi Xiting slowly changed in flavor.

He was aware that the workplace had its unspoken rules.

He just didn’t expect it to apply to Chi Xiting and Chu Yu.

Without any discussion, Chi Xiting and Chu Yu silently sat in the back, while Huo Youshen sat in the front passenger seat, glancing back through the rearview mirror at Chu Yu and Chi Xiting. He felt somewhat uncomfortable.

He cared a lot about appearances and admitted to being superficial, so when he saw Chi Xiting, he couldn’t help but feel some attraction. Plus, Chi Xiting’s performance in the meeting had been impressive, making Huo Youshen interested in getting to know him better.

But now…

Huo Youshen withdrew his gaze, lips curling downward, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes.

Now he suspected that Chi Xiting’s performance at the meeting might have been influenced by some backstage maneuvering.

However, Chi Xiting remained unaware of Huo Youshen’s thoughts. He was still focused on calculating his time of arrival, estimating that he should be home by around 10:30 if nothing interfered.

Not bad.

Chi Xiting lazily yawned, turned to look out the window, and saw the scenery changing from dense trees to luxury cars.

Soon, he caught sight of a grand banquet hall.

The servers immediately approached, recognizing Chu Yu and standing beside him with a polite bow, guiding him and the others into the banquet hall.

The interior of the banquet hall was just as luxurious as the exterior. Golden translucent glass was embedded in the walls, with shadows of people faintly reflected on them. At the center, a dazzling crystal chandelier hung, surrounded by ambient lights, illuminating the hall brightly.

—–

On both sides were rows of buffet tables covered in pristine white silk tablecloths embroidered with delicate floral designs.

By the time Chi Xiting and the others arrived at the banquet hall, it was nearly midnight.

It was mealtime.

And, as luck would have it, they hadn’t had breakfast.

The moment Chi Xiting entered the hall, his attention was immediately drawn to the food on the buffet table.

The food, displayed with precision, looked even more tempting under the lights.

However, it seemed more like decoration.

After all, the “high-end people” at the banquet weren’t here for the food.

Only Chi Xiting was genuinely here for the meal.

After leading the two interns into the banquet hall, Chu Yu stopped acting as the “guardian” and was immediately surrounded by a large crowd. Each person wore a fawning smile, subtly trying to steer the conversation toward their own company.

Chu Yu’s company, Chu Shi, was growing at an incredible rate. The young man, Chu Yu, who was once not taken seriously by these older folks, had in the blink of an eye brought the company to a new level, leaving even those who were too proud to admit it to come and flatter him.

A force to be reckoned with.

His decisive style of leadership surpassed even the legendary Chu Yao.

“Mr. Chu, you’re really impressive.” Mr. Li smiled, his wrinkles stretching, raising his glass toward Chu Yu in a gesture of subtle inquiry. “I heard you’ve secured the Hu Shi project?”

Chu Yu smiled politely, clinking his glass with Mr. Li’s, the sound of the clink faint but clear. Then, his cool voice rang out, “I don’t deserve it, just good luck.”

Which, of course, implied that the deal had been secured.

Mr. Li’s expression faltered for a moment, his eyes quickly darting around, forcing a smile before saying, “Haha, Mr. Chu is too modest. We old guys can’t compare.”

Mr. Li, being quite the conversationalist, likely couldn’t swallow his pride. So, he dragged others into the conversation, trying to get some indirect jab at Chu Yu.

The people standing around were all well-known company heads, many of them older than Chu Yu by a few years, and some had witnessed his rise. While it was true that the younger generation often outshines the older, being publicly reminded of it still felt humiliating.

Chu Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he glanced at Mr. Li, seemingly unimpressed by Mr. Li’s low-class antics. With a slight chuckle, he said, “Mr. Li, you flatter me. Everyone here is my senior. I still have much to learn from you all.”

Mr. Li’s words caught in his throat. He avoided eye contact, raised his glass, and forced a laugh, “Haha, let’s not talk too much about it. It’s all in the wine.”

After speaking, Mr. Li drank the wine in one gulp and then casually found an excuse to leave.

Chu Yu didn’t say much either. His wine glass was still in his hand, and he didn’t seem to care much about giving Mr. Li face. He didn’t even take a sip but just nodded calmly and quietly allowed Mr. Li to leave.

Everyone else was silently calculating their moves. Seeing that Mr. Li had been put in his place by Chu Yu, they all tucked away their thoughts and naturally continued chatting with Chu Yu, though they deliberately avoided discussing work.

It would not be wise to bring it up.

Besides, this banquet was a celebration hosted by the Jiang family, and it would be inappropriate to talk about their own business in front of the invited guests.

Chi Xiting and Huo You Shen saw that Chu Yu was stopped by others, and with good sense, they decided to wander off. Chi Xiting didn’t hide his intention and headed straight to the food table, while Huo You Shen hesitated for a moment before following him.

“Are you hungry?” Huo You Shen asked after glancing at Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting slowly swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded. “Obviously.”

Huo Youshen didn’t respond.

Perhaps feeling that they were colleagues in an unfamiliar setting and it wasn’t right to remain silent, Huo You Shen thought for a long time before starting a new topic.

“What do you think of the Ruifeng project?” Huo You Shen asked.

Chi Xiting didn’t want to talk about work while eating. After frowning slightly, he answered vaguely, “What do you mean?”

Huo Youshen was concise: “The difficulty.”

“On the surface, it seems difficult,” Chi Xiting slowly spoke, “But in reality, it’s not that simple.”

Huo Youshen, who had been eagerly waiting for more, was left speechless.

Huo Youshen lowered his gaze and, after a pause, asked with some reluctance, “What does Mr. Chu thinks of this project?”

No room for discussion?

Putting aside the fact that the project was done by Jiang Zhimiao, Huo You Shen actually thought the project plan was quite perfect.

Chi Xiting looked at him with a confused expression and replied seriously, “How would I know what the leader thinks?”

Huo Youshen, quick to speak, replied, “Aren’t you two…”

He stopped midway and then corrected himself after a moment: “Aren’t you staying in the same room? You must hear some news, right?”

Chi Xiting frowned, his hand pausing slightly as he dug into the cake. He glanced at Huo Youshen and said, “Are you interested in this project?”

Huo Youshen’s fingers curled slightly, his gaze shifting as he avoided looking at Chi Xiting. “I think the original plan from Ruifeng doesn’t have any big issues.”

Chi Xiting subtly shook his head, a brief flash of disappointment crossing his eyes.

Due to the original depiction in the novel, he had stereotyped Huo Youshen, thinking that Huo You Shen’s personal abilities were strong enough to defeat Chu Yu at the last moment.

But is that really the case?

Not necessarily.

Chi Xiting stayed silent for a moment, then responded calmly, “I already mentioned the issue the other day.”

Huo Youshen furrowed his brows and leaned forward slightly, saying to Chi Xiting, “I’ve thought about these issues too. The original plan can be improved by adding sections, there’s no need to overturn everything. What you’re suggesting…”

Perhaps realizing he almost said too much, Huo Youshen suddenly stopped talking.

Chi Xiting finished the last bite of his cake and, looking down, slowly poked at his plate with his fork. He calmly said, “It’s no use telling me. Why don’t you go talk to Mr. Chu?”

He casually tossed the problem aside.

Huo Youshen’s brows tightened even further, his words coming out as if squeezed through gritted teeth, “You…”

“Forget it.” Huo Youshen clicked his tongue in frustration, lifted his eyes to glare at Chi Xiting with a complex look, then, after a moment, continued, “Forget I said anything.”

With that, Huo Youshen turned and left without looking back.

Chi Xiting watched him leave in a daze, too lazy to think too much about it. He turned back to the food table and started searching again. After picking out the best fruit, he planned to finish with a light dessert.

Just as he was about to bite into the dragon fruit, a clear voice sounded from beside him.

“Hello.” Jiang Zhimiao had a faint smile on his face. When Chi Xiting turned to look at him, his lips slightly curled up again, and his gaze quickly scanned Chi Xiting’s body.

The look was almost an overt examination.

It carried an unspoken hostility.

Chi Xiting, who caught this subtle emotion, was a bit confused.

“Hello,” Chi Xiting replied politely, nodding.

“I’m Jiang Zhimiao.” Jiang Zhimiao seemed like he wanted to shake Chi Xiting’s hand politely, but just as he stretched his hand forward, he realized he was holding two glasses of wine. After a brief pause, he smiled and looked up at Chi Xiting, “Look at me, I forgot.”

Jiang Zhimiao?

Chi Xiting’s brow twitched, his gaze quickly passed over Jiang Zhimiao’s face, and his mind suddenly recalled the scene he had seen at Huo You Shen’s room door the night before.

The person in front of him and the blurry profile from last night were slowly coming into alignment.

Chi Xiting was stunned.

Huh?

So the person with Huo You Shen last night was really Jiang Zhimiao?

Jiang Zhimiao lifted his gaze, his eyes sweeping across Chi Xiting’s face. When he furrowed his brows, he hid the disdain and contempt in his eyes, then smiled warmly as he handed the wine glass to Chi Xiting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I wonder if you could do me a favor?” Jiang Zhimiao raised his glass, staring directly at Chi Xiting, signaling him to take the drink.

Chi Xiting’s gaze fell on the wine glass in front of him.

The pale yellow liquid in the glass swirled slightly.

Before Chi Xiting could say anything, a hand reached out from beside him, the delicate watch on the wrist passing through Chi Xiting’s field of view.

Chi Xiting froze.

Chu Yu reached out to take the wine from Jiang Zhimiao. His well-defined fingers seemed to deliberately avoid touching Jiang Zhimiao’s hand, only gripping the base of the glass. His knuckles bent slightly, and his fingertips gently rested against the smooth surface of the glass. The wine’s movement reflected the noble aura he exuded, which was evident in every gesture.