Chapter 20.3

Competing for a project? How come she didn’t even know about it herself?

….

The contract with Chen Jubai was signed smoothly.

However, unlike the last time when they could leave right after, this time it was a partnership, so a dinner meeting was necessary.

The representative from Changyan was Yu Shao, who brought along two managers.

The restaurant was chosen by the other party, seemingly a local specialty establishment.

Yu Shao was nothing like Bi Xuyao, the previous representative. He was straightforward and didn’t show any prejudice against Guangnian despite it being an out-of-town company of smaller scale. That was one of the reasons Chen Jubai had chosen to work with them after just one meeting.

After a couple of bites, Yu Shao smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, we’ve made an enemy of Zhirui just to collaborate with you.”

The two companies were already competitors. Chen Jubai simply followed his words and raised a glass. “Mr. Yu, thank you for giving us this opportunity.”

Yu Shao replied, “I wouldn’t dare take credit. It’s only with approval from above that this collaboration could happen, and it’s also a testament to your own excellence.”

Guangnian couldn’t match many of the tech companies in Shenzhen in terms of scale, but their virtual reality technology was top-notch. More importantly, their collaboration costs were low—cost-effective, as they say.

This time, he even had to thank that old fox Bi Xuyao for passing up on such a great partnership.

“How is Professor Zhang doing these days?”

Professor Zhang, who had facilitated the connection between Chen Jubai and Yu Shao, had a distant familial connection to Yu.

“Professor Zhang is in good health,” replied Chen Jubai. “Mr. Yu, you’re welcome to visit Nan’an anytime. We’ll host you.”

“I’ll definitely visit after the Pilot Program wraps up.”

After exchanging a few more words, a female manager sitting beside them smiled and interjected, “Mr. Yu, isn’t it time to let Mr. Chen enjoy his meal after such a busy day?”

Yu Shao laughed. “Alright, alright, let’s eat—I’m starving too.”

After the meal, the female manager seated next to Chen Jubai introduced herself. “Mr. Chen, I’m the project manager who’ll be coordinating with Guangnian moving forward. My name is Fu Yaoqing.”

Chen Jubai nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Fu Yaoqing pushed a plate of desserts toward him. “Mr. Chen, this restaurant is a local specialty. These are called Chenpi Red Bean Chick Pastries. You should try them—they’re delicious.”

The pastries were shaped like little chicks and looked adorable.

Although Chen Jubai wasn’t fond of sweets, he didn’t want to reject her kindness. He picked one up and tried it. The outer layer was crisp, the inside soft, and the filling included a generous amount of tangerine peel, making it not overly sweet.

Seeing that he didn’t decline, Fu Yaoqing took the initiative to place a piece of taro puff on his plate. “This is a taro puff. You can find these anywhere, but this restaurant makes the best ones.”

Sitting nearby, Chu Qi was astonished. Whether the person involved noticed or not, as an observer, he could see everything clearly. This Manager Fu was definitely crossing professional boundaries with her behavior.

However, the recipient of her attention didn’t touch the taro puff. Instead, he stared at the pastries in front of him for a moment before calmly asking, “Manager Fu, how long can these pastries be stored?”

Fu Yaoqing didn’t understand the reason for his question but answered, “Generally two or three days.”

“They’ll still be good tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Chen Jubai called in a server and had two portions of the Chenpi Red Bean Chick Pastries and taro puffs packed to go.

His voice was quiet, but everyone at the table heard him clearly.

Fu Yaoqing seized the opportunity to ask, “Mr. Chen, are you taking these home as a local treat for your family?”

He replied earnestly, “Yes, my wife enjoys these.”

The room fell silent.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward him. Only then did Fu Yaoqing notice his left hand and the wedding ring on his ring finger.

She blushed deeply, feeling embarrassed.

Glancing at the man beside her, she found his demeanor composed. He had handled the situation tactfully, without embarrassing her outright.

Young, handsome, and successful, Chen Jubai had indeed caught her attention. But thankfully, he had subtly nipped things in the bud before it became more awkward.

Across the table, Yu Shao was surprised. “Oh? Mr. Chen, you’re married so young?”

“Yes, Mr. Yu,” he replied.

“Really couldn’t tell! What do they call it… early marriage for a successful man?”

The man smiled faintly, brushing off the remark.

The dinner lasted from six to nine. Although there wasn’t much pressure to drink, as the subordinate party, they naturally had to go along with their clients’ preferences. Socializing like this was undeniably exhausting.

Close to nine o’clock, Chen Jubai found an excuse to step out into the courtyard of the restaurant.

The weather had been pleasant these past two days. Spring had arrived in Shenzhen, and the temperature was just right.

A bright moon hung among the treetops, its light casting faint shadows.

Standing upright, his posture impeccable, the man gazed up at the moon and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, and a soft voice came through. “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

Song Wei replied, “I know it’s you.”

“What are you doing?”

“Working overtime.”

To be precise, she was studying—learning AR programming. She didn’t expect to become an expert, but she needed to grasp the basics and understand the terminology. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to argue with the tech team effectively in the future.

Song Wei asked, “What about you? Did you sign the contract?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Well done, President Chen. Congratulations!”

Hearing the genuine smile in her voice, the fatigue of the evening melted away.

“Thank you.”

Song Wei continued, “So what are you doing now? Networking?”

“Yeah, having dinner with the Changyan team.”

“Oh~” Song Wei suddenly drew out her tone. “What kind of venue this time?”

Chen Jubai chuckled softly. “Not a private club, just a local restaurant.”

“Really? What a pity. President Chen doesn’t get to be surrounded by admirers this time.”

“Song Wei, don’t make things up.”

Song Wei laughed brightly, her lively voice traveling through the line, striking his eardrums and reaching his heart.

In his mind, a scene formed automatically: she was lying comfortably on the bed, reading a book, her small feet swaying back and forth, with Snowflake lying beside her, also lazily stretching its paws.

“Tell me, were there women present?”

It was meant as a playful tease, but when he stayed silent for a while, Song Wei raised her voice. “There really are?!”

Chen Jubai explained, “It’s one of their managers.”

“Then why do you sound guilty?”

“…I’m not guilty.”

Song Wei, who had been in a slightly annoyed mood earlier due to unexpectedly being dragged into a workplace “conflict,” began to relax after a few exchanges. She lay on her bed, chatting with him. “Chen Jubai, do a lot of women like you?”

He had never been in a relationship, but he could detect a hint of danger in her tone. Without hesitation, he replied, “No.”

“Liar. I remember back in school, there were always people around me talking about you.”

The man stayed quiet for a moment before asking softly, “Really?”

Song Wei, unsure of the details, made something up. “Of course. They said you were handsome, a top student, and basically treated you like a campus idol.”

“What about you?”

“…”

The air seemed to freeze.

A faint trace of ambiguity lingered in the atmosphere.

Feeling like she had dug herself into a hole, Song Wei quickly spun the conversation. “Anyway, just remember, you’re a married man now. Behave yourself!”

Chen Jubai didn’t get the answer he wanted. After a brief pause, he replied in a low voice, “Okay.”

He glanced at his watch—eight minutes had passed.

“There are twenty-two minutes left tonight. I’ll call you again after I return to the hotel.” There were still clients inside, and he couldn’t leave them waiting for half an hour.

But she refused. “Don’t bother. I’m planning to sleep.”

Lowering his gaze, he said, “Alright. Good night.”

“Good night, good night.”