Shen Dan's tardiness really irritated Qi Tai.
On one hand, there was his old friend Shen Ping, who was hosting today, and on the other, there was Mr. Jiang, with whom he had just finalized a business deal. Having these two big shots wait for a few women made Qi Tai lose face.
Luckily, Shen Dan had high emotional intelligence and quick reflexes. She apologized profusely, promptly downed three glasses as a self-imposed penalty, and flattered both Shen Ping and Jiang Beicheng.
The two men didn't say much, and the stern expression on Qi Tai's face gradually softened.
However, Qi Tai didn't even glance at the two women Shen Dan brought along.
Shen Dan was undoubtedly in a tough spot, but since she had already brought them, she couldn't just send them away. She introduced them, saying, "Mr. Jiang, Mr. Shen, these are my juniors from school, Li Xingying and Zhou Yu."
Zhou Yu gave an awkward smile as she greeted the three bosses, "Mr. Shen, Mr. Qi."
When her gaze landed on Jiang Beicheng, she paused. Jiang Beicheng didn't look at her, engrossed in his phone, completely ignoring her presence.
But in such a setting, she still had to maintain proper etiquette.
Finally, she addressed him as "Mr. Jiang."
Li Xingying, smiling, stepped forward to shake hands with Shen Ping. "Mr. Shen, thank you for your help last time."
Shen Ping smiled back. "When Mr. Jiang speaks, how could I not give him face? To be honest, in that matter, Mr. Han from Xingxi was in the wrong."
Shen Dan, Zhou Yu, and even Qi Tai turned to look at Li Xingying.
They knew each other?
After thanking Shen Ping, Li Xingying walked over to Jiang Beicheng with a smile, casually placing both hands on his shoulders and affectionately calling him, "Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Beicheng took her hand and introduced her to Qi Tai. "Mr. Qi, my business partner."
"Mr. Qi, hello, I'm Li Xingying. Please take care of me," Li Xingying said respectfully.
Shen Dan was stunned.
She glanced at Zhou Yu beside her, who nodded.
This Mr. Jiang was the backer behind Li Xingying!
So handsome?
No, more importantly, was Mr. Jiang this good to Li Xingying? He generously introduced her to influential business figures, building her network.
He gave her money too—the sound of that two-million-yuan WeChat transfer from the afternoon still echoed in Shen Dan's mind.
The key issue was that Shen Dan had brought her two juniors to this dinner, only to find out that Li Xingying already knew the two bosses dining with Qi Tai.
And now, her own backer, Qi Tai, was Jiang Beicheng's business partner!
Shen Dan couldn't help but recall the words she had said to Li Xingying that afternoon, urging her to break free from Jiang Beicheng.
If Jiang Beicheng found out, it might ruin Qi Tai's business.
The consequences would be severe.
Before she could figure out how to handle Jiang Beicheng, Qi Tai was already clinking glasses with Li Xingying, smiling. "So you're Mr. Jiang's good friend. I owe you an apology. My words earlier carried some frustration—don't take it to heart."
Li Xingying was tactful, smiling as she toasted Qi Tai. "Mr. Qi, we were indeed late. I'm truly sorry."
Qi Tai nodded with a smile. "Mr. Jiang won't hold it against me, will he?"
Earlier, when scolding Shen Dan, he had used "you all," lumping Zhou Yu and Li Xingying into the criticism.
Who would've thought they were all acquaintances?
Qi Tai didn't want a small issue over a woman to cause friction with Jiang Beicheng.
Jiang Beicheng was pleased with Li Xingying's performance and joined in with a drink, smiling. "Mr. Qi, if I were that petty, would you still dare to do business with me?"
His words praised both himself and Qi Tai.
Both men were people of vision.
"Hahaha, I love Young Master Jiang's straightforward personality!" Qi Tai laughed, downing his drink in one go.
Shen Dan realized it was her moment to shine. After Jiang Beicheng took a few bites of food, she proactively raised her glass to toast him. "Mr. Jiang, I've long admired you. Allow me to toast you. Today was my fault for not managing time well and making you wait. I hope it hasn't affected your mood for dinner."
Zhou Yu had only told her that Li Xingying was being supported by a man, not who he was.
Zhou Yu couldn't possibly tell her, since it was her ex-boyfriend.
If Shen Dan found out, she'd probably be mocked again.
Couldn't even hold onto a man with such great qualities—what did you learn at that socialite training class?
Watching Shen Dan step forward to toast Jiang Beicheng, Zhou Yu felt that if there was a female lead at this dinner, it would undoubtedly be Li Xingying.
Her heart ached terribly.
Jiang Beicheng clinked glasses with Shen Dan, joking, "When we were playing golf this morning, Mr. Qi told me we'd be dining with a beautiful woman tonight. He wasn't exaggerating."
"Hahaha, thank you for the compliment, Mr. Jiang," Shen Dan said, seizing the moment to add, "Speaking of beautiful women, no one fits that description better than our junior, Xingying."
Li Xingying was overjoyed.
In this setting, her vanity soared and was fully satisfied.
**[Smile Count: 8/100]**
Her score jumped by two points. The afternoon transfer and tonight's dinner had allowed Li Xingying to bask in her vanity in front of Shen Dan and Zhou Yu.
The system recorded it all.
Li Xingying, equally emotionally intelligent, knew Shen Dan was deliberately trying to please both her and Jiang Beicheng, hoping to avoid offending Jiang Beicheng over her earlier comments and jeopardering Qi Tai's business.
"Young Master Jiang, Sister Shen Dan always took great care of me back in school," Li Xingying said in front of Qi Tai and Jiang Beicheng, signaling to Shen Dan that she wouldn't mention the afternoon's conversation.
But she also subtly reminded Shen Dan that her backer was different from others. She was now thriving in Jiang Beicheng's embrace, her career flourishing.
No need to talk about being trapped or bound by interests anymore.
Qi Tai laughed upon hearing this. "Young Master Jiang, by that logic, we should be calling each other brothers."
Shen Dan breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Tai's joke meant he had completely forgiven her for today's mistake.
Jiang Beicheng teased, "I'd have to call you Old Qi."
He then pulled Shen Ping into it. "Old Shen?"
The three men burst into laughter and shared a drink.
The atmosphere at the table lightened.
After the lively exchange, their attention finally turned to Zhou Yu.
Qi Tai said, "Almost forgot about this young lady."
He raised his glass to drink with Zhou Yu, but she suddenly stood up. "Mr. Qi, I'm feeling a bit unwell and need to go to the hospital. Sorry, enjoy your drinks. Mr. Shen, enjoy. Mr. Jiang, have a great time."
Qi Tai frowned and looked at Shen Dan. "This junior of yours isn't very tactful."
Shen Dan replied, "Don't mind her. Let's eat and drink well and not ruin the mood."
Zhou Yu ran out of the restaurant alone, crying as she went. Those few minutes sitting there, feeling ignored, were worse than death.
Her self-esteem was crushed.
Compared to her friend Li Xingying, the gap between them was like heaven and earth. She never wanted to see that despicable couple again.
…
After dinner, Shen Dan helped a slightly drunk Qi Tai into the car. Qi Tai, slurring, called out to Jiang Beicheng and Shen Ping, "Next time you're in Guangzhou, give me a call. I'll arrange everything."
"That's just how Old Qi gets when he's drunk. Sorry for the spectacle," Shen Dan said with a smile as she bid farewell, giving Li Xingying a final hug. "Looking at you now, you're luckier than me, Sister Dan. Keep doing well."
"You too, Sister Dan," Li Xingying replied as they parted.
Shen Ping left in his driver's car.
Left alone, Li Xingying hooked her arm through Jiang Beicheng's, smiling brightly. "Young Master Jiang, want to visit my new place? I've got a secret weapon prepared!"