The night was dotted with stars, and a cool evening breeze brushed past Qin Hui's fingertips.
Qin Hui took out the key to his traditional Chinese medicine clinic, ready to open the door, when he heard a faint sound of footsteps approaching him.
Qin Hui's right hand, which was opening the door, stopped abruptly. As the footsteps drew nearer, he turned and swung a palm towards the sound.
However, Qin Hui controlled the palm just as it was about to connect, leaving it hanging in mid-air. Behind him, Jiang Yanxi's face was pale, her eyes wide with apprehension.
"In the dead of night, are you deliberately trying to cause trouble for me?"
"I thought it was a ghost."
Qin Hui couldn't help but grumble. He had expected some scoundrel with ill intentions, but it turned out to be Jiang Yanxi. He just hadn't expected her to show up here.
"You're the ghost, and your whole family are ghosts!"
Jiang Yanxi's chest heaved with anger. Luckily, she had stopped in time, or that palm would have struck her. If only she had brought Black Tiger to bite this Qin Hui.
"Alright, you win."
Qin Hui spread his hands, not bothering to argue with Jiang Yanxi. After all, she was a beauty, and Qin Hui was quite the gentleman.
"If you've come to see me this late, just say it quickly. I need to sleep."
Qin Hui found it rather unbelievable. Although he hadn't known Jiang Yanxi for long, he knew she wouldn't come to him without a reason.
"I was just out for a walk, and who knew I'd end up here. I'm leaving."
Jiang Yanxi would never admit, even to herself, that she had come to find Qin Hui for company. The fact that Zhang Ke had snatched the company's chosen spokesperson had given Jiang Yanxi a huge headache, but even the intelligent Jiang Yanxi couldn't come up with a solution.
Jiang Yanxi had spent a long time at the company racking her brain for a solution. She decided to go out for a walk to clear her head, never expecting to end up at Qin Hui's place.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Yanxi was used to being independent and didn't have many close friends; otherwise, she wouldn't have come to Qin Hui for comfort.
"Since you're here, don't rush off. Have some supper before you go."
Qin Hui knew Jiang Yanxi was stubborn. She was used to being proud and didn't have the habit of backing down. It was only because Qin Hui had a good temper that he indulged her.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanxi's expression remained unchanged, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly as she strolled leisurely into Qin Hui's courtyard.
Qin Hui didn't enter the courtyard. Instead, he went to a nearby restaurant, ordered a roast duck, a plate of peanuts, and a few bottles of beer, and returned.
When Qin Hui got back to the courtyard, Jiang Yanxi was already sitting at the table, her legs crossed in black stockings, drawing quite a bit of attention.
Qin Hui's courtyard wasn't very large. In the front was the clinic where he saw patients during the day. Behind the courtyard was a patch of grass with a red date tree, and behind the tree was the bungalow where Qin Hui lived.
After placing the late-night meal on the table, Qin Hui sat down opposite Jiang Yanxi.
Jiang Yanxi was wearing a very fitted work outfit, not her usual preferred attire. This suggested she had come directly from work, implying the matter was related to her company.
"Eat up, the roast duck from this place is really good."
Qin Hui opened a bottle of beer for Jiang Yanxi and then one for himself.
Jiang Yanxi didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up a duck leg with her left hand and the beer bottle with her right, drinking directly. Her "goddess" persona was completely cast aside.
Seeing this, Qin Hui smiled helplessly and joined her for the meal.
"What, you've never seen me like this before?"
Jiang Yanxi finished a bottle of beer, looking very relaxed.
Qin Hui didn't reply, only nodding.
"Who can't be lady-like? But that's all for show, isn't it?"
"This is much more refreshing."
Qin Hui blinked. "At least show me your lady-like side."
"Heh, you're not involved with me in any way, so why should I pretend like that?"
Jiang Yanxi's boldness increased. She grabbed a few peanuts with her hand and popped them into her mouth, making Qin Hui stare.
Clearly, Jiang Yanxi had completely abandoned her goddess image at this moment. If her suitors had seen this scene, their hearts would surely have shattered.
"Alright, my Miss Jiang, you're amazing. I concede defeat."
Qin Hui said this while digging into the roast duck, lest Jiang Yanxi ate it all.
Despite her hearty manner, Jiang Yanxi didn't eat much; Qin Hui consumed most of the roast duck.
After filling her stomach, Jiang Yanxi's gloomy mood lightened considerably. For some reason, she felt very relaxed not having to pretend in front of others.
"You know that Zhang Ke from before, the young master Zhang from whom you took five million?"
"He sent people to snatch the spokesperson for my new product. This will deal a significant blow to my new product launch. This move is akin to pulling the rug out from under me."
Jiang Yanxi's mood became much more somber. Her company had poured a lot of effort and capital into this whitening product. To have a problem arise at such a crucial juncture was devastating. Even with Jiang Yanxi's intelligence, she couldn't devise a solution in such a short period.
"Since it's a whitening product, why not endorse it yourself? Your reputation in Jiangnan Province is no less than that of any celebrity."
Qin Hui suggested, taking a sip of beer.
"If it were just that simple, it wouldn't have required so much effort from the company. I intended to launch this product nationwide."
"Although I have some fame in Jiangnan Province, it's useless in other provinces. I will settle accounts with Zhang Ke sooner or later for this!"
Jiang Yanxi gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with unwillingness. She could only blame herself for being too careless and not anticipating Zhang Ke's actions.
"It seems this Zhang Ke is quite formidable."
Qin Hui couldn't help but comment.
Last time, Zhang Ke had tried to deal with him, but Qin Hui had diffused the situation. This time, he was targeting the Jiang Group again. It seemed Zhang Ke's intentions were not simple.
If Zhang Ke had resorted to other, more nefarious means, Qin Hui might have acted to eliminate him. However, this was normal business competition, and Qin Hui had his principles. As long as no one crossed his bottom line, Qin Hui wouldn't resort to killing.
"Since your spokesperson was intercepted, I might have a good candidate. Would you consider them?"
Qin Hui quickly thought of Song Bingbing, whose fame was quite high.
"Oh, who? Could it be that you know celebrities?"
Jiang Yanxi scoffed self-deprecatingly at the thought. Even if Qin Hui knew celebrities, they would likely be second-rate ones. She could only blame herself for being too careless. Jiang Yanxi had always been proud and rarely placed her hopes on others. She had only come here to relieve her stress and have a drink with Qin Hui.
"What, you look down on me? How about we make a bet?"
"You know Song Bingbing, right? She's my friend, a very good one."
Qin Hui said, stroking his chin with a smug look.
Jiang Yanxi was taken aback and looked up at the sky.
Qin Hui was momentarily confused.
"Qin Hui, you should plan your boasts carefully. Don't treat this young lady like a naive idiot."
"If you can get Song Bingbing to come, I'll take your surname..."