Chapter 26: Sweet and Beautiful at the Business Annual Gala…

Bai Yuanzhi cashed the eight-thousand-dollar check Zhou Weihao had given her, then bought several basic pieces from major luxury brands, including professional skirts, professional trousers, off-season short trench coats, dresses, cardigans, and even gritted her teeth to buy two bags, two pairs of shoes, a delicate platinum necklace, and a pearl necklace.

The eight thousand Hong Kong dollars were spent down to the last cent!

But Bai Yuanzhi was already quite satisfied.

These outfits would be enough for her to use for two years.

In two years, she believed she would have the ability to buy her own outfits with her own money, no longer needing to carefully consider basic styles and off-season items.

As for her hairstyle and makeup,

Bai Yuanzhi did them herself.

Her advantage was her youth and excellent hair quality. She washed her hair the night before, let it dry, and combed it smooth.

On the day, she let her long, straight hair flow down, braided two small braids at the front, and tied them at the back—a princess hairstyle was done.

Makeup was even simpler.

She was only eighteen, with fair and rosy skin, so she didn’t even need to apply foundation. She just shaped her eyebrows with a pencil and moistened her lips—that was already good enough.

For her dress, Bai Yuanzhi wore a strapless apricot-colored dress, paired with a short puff-sleeved bolero and a black short trench coat over it, with black high heels on her feet.

When Zhou Weihao drove over to pick up Bai Yuanzhi, he was stunned.

He joked with her, “Wow, Ah Zhi has really grown up.”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled sweetly and joked back, “Today, thanks to Mr. Zhou, once we get to the venue, I’m going to start acting all high and mighty.”

Zhou Weihao, of course, understood what Bai Yuanzhi meant.

—She had already secured an order from Xu’s Enterprise, though the order was very small, she was still considered a supplier to Xu’s! Attending Xu’s Enterprise’s annual gala this time, she would definitely take the opportunity to expand her client base and order sources.

And Bai Yuanzhi’s confidence in expanding her client base came from her business card, which listed Zhou Weihao’s trading company, with her title as “Procurement Director.”

Zhou Weihao laughed, “No problem, I’ll take a cut anyway.”

Bai Yuanzhi laughed and scolded, “Capitalist!”

Zhou Weihao burst into laughter.

However, Zhou Weihao was still a bit uneasy. “Ah Zhi… once we get to the venue, you know what to do, right?”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled, “Mr. Zhou, don’t worry!”

She casually recited a few things Zhou Weihao had instructed her.

Zhou Weihao fell silent for a moment. “Won’t this be too unfair to you?”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “Take the money, bear the trouble—this is what I agreed to!”

Zhou Weihao sighed. “But this… will really ruin your reputation.”

Bai Yuanzhi said lightly, “Then Mr. Zhou will have to make it up to me in other ways!”

“In what ways?”

Bai Yuanzhi just smiled without answering.

Zhou Weihao didn’t press further.

When they arrived at the Xu’s annual gala, the place was packed with people!

Actually, Zhou Weihao rarely attended such events, but as soon as he showed up today, many people came over to greet him.

Bai Yuanzhi also became the center of attention.

Mainly because Zhou Weihao was just too, too famous in high society…

—Just the fact that a wealthy young master had been in a ten-year relationship with a Filipina domestic helper was already shocking enough.

And today, the young master actually brought a refined and beautiful Chinese girl to a business event?!

What about his Filipina domestic helper girlfriend?

Could it be that they broke up?!

This is explosive news.

Zhou Weihao is rather introverted. After being surrounded by people, he initially managed to patiently answer the questions everyone threw at him:

“This lady is not my girlfriend. Her name is Bai Yuanzhi, a woman who takes life seriously and works hard.”

“Huh? No, no, thank you for your concern. Duoluoxi and I have always been doing well. She wasn’t feeling well today, so she didn’t come…”

“Miss Bai currently works at my company, handling part of the procurement and sales work.”

“Yes, I admire Miss Bai very much, and Duoluoxi also likes Miss Bai very much… They are very good friends as well.”

…

Later on, Zhou Weihao began to grow impatient.

“Please pay more attention to the developments of the Zhou Group, and not overly focus on my personal emotional matters.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’m busy right now and don’t want to talk about this.”

“Sorry, it seems like a friend is calling me over there. Excuse me.”

“Let’s talk another time…”

…

And just like that, Zhou Weihao left with Bai Yuanzhi.

He found a very secluded corner and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Yuanzhi asked with a smile, “Brother Hao, do you… usually not enjoy attending these kinds of occasions?”

Zhou Weihao sighed, “Not just dislike! I’m practically fed up with them…”

Bai Yuanzhi asked again, “But your parents will grow old eventually and let go. If you don’t want to take over, what will happen to the Zhou Group in the future?”

Zhou Weihao didn’t say a word, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.

Bai Yuanzhi smiled again and said, “Brother Hao, I’m going to say something unpleasant, so please don’t get angry!”

“Do your parents hope that you… at least marry into a wealthy and influential family? Even if their future daughter-in-law doesn’t understand business, the in-laws must be capable of managing things to help you shoulder the burden of the Zhou Group?”

“Isn’t this the real reason your parents don’t approve of you being with Duoluoxi?” Bai Yuanzhi asked.

Zhou Weihao’s lips pressed into a tight line.

Bai Yuanzhi chuckled, “Brother Hao, you’ve been dating Duoluoxi for so long, and she has never gained your parents’ favor. Have you never thought about solving the problem at its root?”

Zhou Weihao took a deep breath—

He was about to say something,

But Bai Yuanzhi spoke first, “Brother Hao, I haven’t seen much of the world, and now that I’ve finally come to an occasion with so many big shots… I’m going to take a stroll!”

With that, she lifted her head, picked up her small bag, and walked away.

Zhou Weihao: …

He stared at Bai Yuanzhi’s retreating figure, watching her walk out with light, brisk steps.

Someone curiously approached Bai Yuanzhi to strike up a conversation,

She responded playfully yet earnestly, and in the end, the two exchanged business cards;

Then Bai Yuanzhi continued forward, encountering another person who came to talk to her. Once again, she engaged seriously with them and exchanged business cards once more…

Zhou Weihao kept his eyes on Bai Yuanzhi, but his mind echoed with the words she had just spoken:

[Have you never thought about solving the problem at its root?]

It was like—

A thunderclap ringing in his ears!

For the first time, Zhou Weihao thought, “How could I have wasted so many years like this?”

Indeed,

There were at least two reasons why his parents looked down on Duoluoxi:

First, Duoluoxi came from a poor background, with an unimpressive appearance and lacking dignified and graceful manners;

First, he truly wasn’t up to the task and couldn’t shoulder the responsibility of the Zhou Group. Yet, as the only son, his parents hoped he would marry a wealthy socialite to provide an extra layer of security for the family business.

So, over the past decade, it wasn’t just Duoluoxi who had been avoiding things—he had been avoiding them too.

Now, should he start serving the Zhou Group from this moment on?

No, no, no.

This was a question he couldn’t afford to dwell on!

Zhou Weihao tried to imagine it: himself in a suit, sitting in the CEO’s office, attending dull meetings with a group of people in suits and ties, while a mountain of documents piled up beside him, all waiting for his review and signature…

An inexplicable irritation welled up in his heart.

No way!

He simply couldn’t do it.

Zhou Weihao sank into endless frustration.

Until someone called out softly, “Brother Hao?”

Zhou Weihao looked up and his eyes lit up. “A Yao? Weren’t you already abroad? Why are you back?”

Ming Jiayao smiled at Zhou Weihao.

Yes, Ming Jiayao had already gone abroad to study.

But he couldn’t stop worrying about Bai Yuanzhi.

He was afraid she wouldn’t adapt to her first business gala;

afraid she’d be looked down upon for being Zhou Weihao’s contractual girlfriend;

and even more afraid… she might actually fall in love with Zhou Weihao.

So, as soon as he completed his enrollment procedures abroad, Ming Jiayao rushed back in a hurry.

Faced with Zhou Weihao’s question, Ming Jiayao panicked and told a lie, “…I changed my flight. I’m leaving tonight.”

Zhou Weihao didn’t think too much of it.

He was just happy—after all, among the hundreds of people at the event, every single one gave him a headache!

Only A Yao didn’t annoy him.

Still, Zhou Weihao found it a bit strange. “Didn’t you used to dislike attending events like this? Why are you here today?”

Ming Jiayao offered a cold smile. “Brother Hao, I sneaked in. Don’t make a fuss.”

After a pause, he gave the excuse he’d already prepared: “I heard Chen Shuojie was coming, so I came to see.”

Zhou Weihao suddenly understood.

—Chen Shuojie’s father, Chen Shen, was a big shot in the film industry. His mother, Xu Wenli, was Xu Wenrui’s older sister but had passed away early.

In other words, Chen Shuojie and Ming Jiayao were actually cousins. Chen Shuojie was eight years older than Ming Jiayao, making him twenty-five this year.

Due to his mother’s early death, Chen Shuojie had spent his childhood living between the Chen Family and the Xu Family.

Xu Wenrui had deep affection for her nephew Chen Shuojie.

Compared to Ming Jiayao, Chen Shuojie felt more like Xu Wenrui’s own son.

As for Chen Shuojie’s personality…

It was hard to describe.

He probably harbored some jealousy toward Ming Jiayao, so even when Ming Jiayao was very young, Chen Shuojie was the one leading the bullying.

Thus, though Ming Jiayao and Chen Shuojie were cousins in name, they were mortal enemies in reality.

Zhou Weihao asked Ming Jiayao with concern, “What did he (Chen Shuojie) do this time? He’s prone to throwing tantrums—don’t stoop to his level!”

Ming Jiayao reassured him, “Don’t worry, Brother Hao. I won’t cause any trouble.”

Zhou Weihao nodded, then suddenly remembered something and added, “A Yao, wait here. I’ll go get Ah Zhi and introduce you two. Ah Zhi is really nice…”

Ming Jiayao was startled!

Although he had come specifically for Bai Yuanzhi, he didn’t want to reveal his identity.

“Brother Hao, you better not go. What if Chen Shuojie sees me…” Ming Jiayao forced a bitter smile, “…then my mom will have something to say again.”

Zhou Weihao had no choice but to nod.

“But you can point out to me which one is Ah Zhi,” Ming Jiayao said, pretending to be casual.

Zhou Weihao raised his finger, “She… huh? She’s gone!”

At this moment—

Bai Yuanzhi had been stopped by an “acquaintance.”

This person was a well-dressed, handsome but pale-skinned young man.

“You… Xiao Bai? Ninth floor… Miss Bai?” the young man asked Bai Yuanzhi with interest.

Bai Yuanzhi also recognized this person.

—He was the strange young man she had encountered that day when Sister Marry, to let Duoluoxi humiliate Bai Yuanzhi, had pulled strings to transfer Bai Yuanzhi, who should have been on duty on the ninth floor of Songhe Tower, to the seventeenth floor.

Bai Yuanzhi quickly took a business card from her handbag, handed it to the young man with both hands, and introduced herself generously, “Hello, sir! I am both Xiao Bai from the ninth floor of Songhe Tower and Bai Yuanzhi from Dingfeng Trading Company… pleased to meet you!”

The young man took the business card, looked at it, and pondered for a moment, “What is your relationship with Zhou Weihao?”

“Mr. Zhou and I are very good friends,” Bai Yuanzhi replied, following the same pattern. “May I ask, sir—”

The young man stared at Bai Yuanzhi and asked word by word, “Don’t you know he has a girlfriend?”

“Sir, Miss Duoluoxi is also a good friend of mine,” Bai Yuanzhi replied politely.

The young man sneered.

After two encounters, Bai Yuanzhi could tell—this young man was not an easy person to get along with.

So, Bai Yuanzhi decided to look for the next person who might become her potential client.

“Sir, please carry on,” Bai Yuanzhi smiled slightly at the young man and prepared to leave.

“Stop,” the young man called out to her calmly.

Bai Yuanzhi was somewhat surprised and turned to look at the young man, “May I ask what advice you have, sir?”

She sensed that this young man seemed to have a natural hostility toward her.

“What kind of taste does Zhou Weihao have?” the young man mocked. “A Filipina domestic helper in one hand, a gold digger cleaner in the other… he really has an appetite!”

“Sir, I am Bai Yuanzhi, the director of Dingfeng Trading Company. May I ask who you are?” Bai Yuanzhi asked politely.

The young man snorted contemptuously through his nose.

Bai Yuanzhi showed appropriate surprise, “Wow, sir, so you’re unemployed? I’m different—at least I have two legitimate jobs!”

With that, Bai Yuanzhi smiled at the young man and left.

She didn’t value the job at Bilanting Hotel very much, so she wasn’t afraid this young man would cause trouble for her.

Besides,

if this young man really did cause trouble for her, she would at least know his background!

“Stop!” the young man shouted in a low voice.

Seeing Bai Yuanzhi walk away without looking back,

the young man, furious and embarrassed, actually chased after her, “Bai Yuanzhi! I told you to stop, are you deaf?”

With that, he overtook Bai Yuanzhi, using his body as a wall to block her path.

Bai Yuanzhi asked him with good temper, “So, sir, what exactly do you want?”

“Don’t you know that the way you’re acting now… really makes you look like a hooligan harassing a girl in public, vulgar and tasteless,” Bai Yuanzhi criticized bluntly.

The young man was amused by her retort. “I didn’t expect you to be so sharp-tongued! I only said one thing about Zhou Weihao, and you had to stand up for him?”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled. “I was standing up for myself… Goodbye, sir!”

With that, Bai Yuanzhi stepped around the young man, eager to leave quickly.

But the young man seemed to have taken a keen interest in her and actually followed her directly…

An elegantly dressed lady stopped Bai Yuanzhi and the young man.

The lady said to the young man, “Chen Shuojie, don’t be so rude…”

Bai Yuanzhi looked and saw that it was Mrs. Xu. She quickly greeted her, “Good evening, Mrs. Xu!”

Mrs. Xu warmly took Bai Yuanzhi’s hand. “There were too many people earlier, and I didn’t get a chance to say hello. Sorry about that, Ah Zhi.”

Then Mrs. Xu asked Bai Yuanzhi, “What were you and Shuojie talking about just now?”

Bai Yuanzhi glanced at the young man but only smiled without answering, thinking to herself: So your name is Chen Shuojie!

Chen Shuojie, standing nearby, was quite surprised to see that Mrs. Xu not only knew Bai Yuanzhi but also seemed protective of her.

Mrs. Xu added, “Ah Zhi, Shuojie is my husband’s nephew. If he offended you in any way, please be understanding.”

Bai Yuanzhi suddenly understood. She first gave Chen Shuojie a sidelong glance, then smiled sweetly at Mrs. Xu. “Of course!”

Chen Shuojie wore an awkward smile. “Aunt, I’ll leave you two to chat. I’ll go… look around elsewhere.”

After Chen Shuojie left,

Mrs. Xu said to Bai Yuanzhi, “Shuojie is the type who likes to joke around with young girls, but he knows his limits. Don’t take it to heart, Ah Zhi.”

After a pause, she added, “But it’s best if you keep your distance from him.”

“Ah Zhi, I’m not saying this to criticize you, but Shuojie… he…” As she spoke, Mrs. Xu looked troubled.

Bai Yuanzhi nodded. “Thank you for the reminder, Mrs. Xu. I understand.”

Mrs. Xu asked again, “Are you sure you really understand?”

Bai Yuanzhi thought to herself: Isn’t she just saying her nephew is a playboy?

However, Bai Yuanzhi didn’t say it out loud and simply nodded earnestly.

Mrs. Xu said, “That’s good.”

She observed Bai Yuanzhi for a moment and then asked, “Ah Zhi, I heard—”

Bai Yuanzhi explained seriously, “Mrs. Xu, I’m currently working two jobs. My main job is as a cleaner at the Bilanting Hotel, and my part-time job is as a salesperson at Mr. Zhou Weihao’s trading company.”

Mrs. Xu didn’t look down on her but was rather curious. “Ah Zhi, you’re working so hard?”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled. “Yes, I feel like being a cleaner doesn’t have much of a future, but the salary is stable. As for the part-time job at Mr. Zhou’s trading company, there’s a chance to succeed, but it depends on luck…”

“Mrs. Xu, I wonder if my luck is any good,” Bai Yuanzhi said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

How could Mrs. Xu not understand Bai Yuanzhi’s hint?

She laughed heartily. “Everyone here today… has good luck!”

Bai Yuanzhi seized the opportunity. “Thank you for your kind words, Mrs. Xu!”

Mrs. Xu still liked this young, emotionally intelligent girl and asked her in detail about her situation.

Bai Yuanzhi, wanting to win over this influential figure, didn’t hold back and explained her circumstances thoroughly.

—Of course, the most important thing to gain an elder’s attention and empathy is to play the sympathy card.

Thus, Bai Yuanzhi crafted her persona as a resilient young woman striving to earn more money to treat her ill cousin, and a diligent girl who, while juggling two or three jobs to better herself, still managed to study hard.

Mrs. Xu was indeed moved. “How about this—let’s set a time for you to come to my house again. I have other orders I can give you. By the way, those sauces I bought from you earlier received a lot of praise from my friends after I gave them as gifts! Everyone said they were delicious… so let me introduce a few new clients to you. They’re all my good sisters. Ah Zhi, you must do well!”

Bai Yuanzhi was overjoyed!

“Great, great, thank you, Mrs. Xu!”

After arranging a meeting time with Mrs. Xu, the hostess of the annual party busied herself with other matters.

Bai Yuanzhi continued to network and make new connections at the venue.

For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was secretly watching her from somewhere.

She glanced back several times but never managed to spot the person stealthily observing her…

Bai Yuanzhi could only tell herself it was probably because she had come with Zhou Weihao, so someone was keeping a covert eye on her!

Not far away—

A slightly plump woman in a server’s uniform lowered her head, avoiding Bai Yuanzhi’s gaze, and quietly slipped into the pantry.

Yes, she was—Duoluoxi.

Duoluoxi couldn’t stand Zhou Weihao’s proposal.

What nonsense about Bai Yuanzhi being someone he invited to highlight how good Duoluoxi was…

Could he even hear what he was saying?!

Clearly…

Clearly Bai Yuanzhi was younger, prettier, and had a better figure than her!

Hah, so what if Bai Yuanzhi was a gold digger?

If Zhou Weihao’s parents had to choose between Duoluoxi and Bai Yuanzhi as their daughter-in-law,

they would definitely pick Bai Yuanzhi!

Aside from Bai Yuanzhi surpassing her in every aspect, she also had an undeniable advantage—her reproductive value!

Duoluoxi and Zhou Weihao had been together for ten years, and she had never intentionally avoided pregnancy;

Zhou Weihao was young, energetic, and had strong needs, yet the fact remained that Duoluoxi had never conceived.

How could she not worry?

So—

When she heard that Zhou Weihao was bringing Bai Yuanzhi to Xu’s Enterprise’s annual party,

Duoluoxi couldn’t accept it.

She thought, since Zhou Weihao and Bai Yuanzhi had signed an agreement, why go through all the trouble of elevating Bai Yuanzhi?

If he wanted Bai Yuanzhi to play the fool to highlight how good Duoluoxi was…

Duoluoxi decided it would be better for her to determine just how foolish Bai Yuanzhi would become!

With this thought, Duoluoxi couldn’t help but slip her hand into the hidden pocket beneath her apron.

She had hidden a bottle of liquid there—a veterinary anesthetic used for cattle.

If she applied the liquid to the rim of a drink glass, and someone accidentally touched it and swallowed it…

they would lose consciousness!

Duoluoxi took a deep breath to calm herself.

She quickly pulled out the bottle, trembling as she opened the cap, dipped her index finger inside, coated it with a bit of the liquid, then picked up a glass and traced her finger around the rim.

Then—

She poured orange juice into the glass.

After completing all this, Duoluoxi’s heart began to pound wildly.

She looked around and called over a waiter. First, she handed him the orange juice to hold, then slipped him a twenty-yuan bill. Pointing at Bai Yuanzhi, who was sampling a fondant cake not far away, she instructed, “Mr. Zhou has ordered that this glass of orange juice must be delivered to that Miss Bai.”

 

The waiter, seeing Duoluoxi’s Filipino appearance, had no suspicions. After pocketing the banknote, he carried the spiked orange juice and walked toward Bai Yuanzhi.

Yes, Bai Yuanzhi was admiring the fondant cake.

This thing looked absolutely beautiful!

So beautiful…

that Bai Yuanzhi wondered if it was actually edible.

Before she could decide whether to try it or not,

a waiter approached with a tray, saying, “Miss Bai, Mr. Zhou asked me to bring you a glass of orange juice.”

Bai Yuanzhi was taken aback for a moment. She glanced around and asked, “Where is Mr. Zhou?”

The waiter pointed toward the pantry, “Mr. Zhou was just there a moment ago, but I’m not sure where he is now.”

Bai Yuanzhi let out an “Oh,” took the orange juice from the tray, and even thanked the waiter.

Then, Bai Yuanzhi swirled the orange juice in the glass and smiled faintly.