Chapter 32 Who’s Mixing Personal Stuff into Work Hours?

Chapter 32: Who's Mixing Personal Business with Work?

"Xie Muchen's set, but I'm not," Ling Jue retorted coldly.

Ji Xiuhang was speechless—what's the difference between sooner and later?

"The Tao family is almost done preparing the dowry, and you've broken up with Qin Shuyi. Aren't you going to make things official with her?"

"What's it to me if she wants a title?"

He thought of the woman he had seen standing with Tao Wangxi at the restaurant that day, who hadn't batted an eye, and his tone carried a resentment he himself hadn't noticed. It even killed his interest in Tao Wangxi, an impeccable candidate for a marriage alliance.

Ji Xiuhang said, "...You're being particularly aggressive tonight."

Ling Jue sneered, "Tao Wangxi was chosen by the Ling family, not by me. Even if she's the most suitable, I've never publicly expressed any clear intention to marry her. The Tao family can't wait to act as in-laws—who do they think they're trying to intimidate?"

He wasn't a fool. In the past, he had let the Tao family's antics slide as long as they weren't excessive. But ever since Tao Wangxi returned to the country, there had been one "coincidental" encounter after another, wave after wave of public opinion—it was plain who was pulling the strings.

The Tao family could be a useful tool for him, but he was certainly not their possession.

Even before he and Qin Shuyi had broken up, the Tao family acting like they were already family had been truly grating.

Ji Xiuhang and Xie Muchen exchanged a glance, realizing the Tao family had kicked a hornet's nest this time.

No wonder Ling Jue had made such a big public display of defending Qin Shuyi at the welcome banquet—it was likely a warning.

No wonder he had recently cut off several business deals with the Tao family and hadn't met with Tao Wangxi privately even once.

Who would have thought? They could have secured everything by staying patient, but they got too big for their britches and ended up with nothing.

Ling Jue wasn't exactly easygoing.

If not Tao Wangxi, there could be Zhang Wangxi or Li Wangxi.

Ji Xiuhang crossed his legs. "The Tao family might not work out, but Tao Wangxi herself is still acceptable, right? She's quite close with Miss Zhao too. If they both end up marrying you two, they should get along well."

Xie Muchen smiled faintly. "Are you sure they'd get along, and not be at each other's throats?"

Zhao Jinyu boldly gossiped about Tao Wangxi in front of him every day, even urging him to sabotage their relationship.

If you asked him, Zhao Jinyu seemed to like Qin Shuyi more.

He had no idea what charm the woman Ling Jue was with possessed, but it was rare to find anyone who disliked Qin Shuyi.

He shot a look at the guy who was downing drinks. Oh, the one most infatuated with her was probably this guy.

Would this so-called marriage alliance really come to fruition?

"My engagement date with Zhao Jinyu is set. She said she wanted you to bring Qin Shuyi. With your situation... this is tricky for me," he said, pretending to be troubled as he dropped the bombshell.

Ji Xiuhang threw an arm around his neck. "Well, well, so you're the one pulling ahead."

Originally, Ling Jue had been the most likely candidate, with a clear choice in mind. But then he went off to fall in love, and for a whole year at that. Meanwhile, Xie Muchen had shot ahead in progress.

Xie Muchen adjusted his glasses. "If you two aren't up to the task, don't blame me for moving quickly."

The "not up to the task" Ling Jue ran his fingers over his wine glass, his long eyelashes casting flickering shadows under his narrow, peach-blossom eyes.

"Who you invite as guests is none of my business."

Xie Muchen chuckled. "Can't do that. With ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends involved, what if a fight breaks out at our engagement party? Would we even be able to proceed?"

"Maybe just leave Qin Shuyi out. After all, Zhao Jinyu isn't that close with her anyway."

Ling Jue's fingers paused. "She won't cause trouble."

Xie Muchen got the message.

"Alright, I'll have Zhao Jinyu send her an invitation separately then."

...

"Sis, what are you doing here?" Qian Youyou hurried over to Qin Shuyi in the bar's hallway, linking arms with her.

"Got lost," Qin Shuyi smiled.

"This place is a bit of a maze. Did you see something just now? Someone you know?"

Qin Shuyi shook her head. "No, a stranger. He was quite handsome, so I looked twice."

Qian Youyou burst out laughing. "If you say he's good-looking, he must be a real looker. So, what do you think? Want me to go get his contact info for you?"

Her sister was single and ready to mingle now, after all!

You have no idea how happy she was when Qin Shuyi told them she had broken up.

Ling Jue would have been a scary brother-in-law, but knowing they would never marry, Qian Youyou was always at a loss for how to introduce him to outsiders.

Besides, if they really flaunted his status, it would seem like they were showing off, as if their family was clinging to him.

In Qian Youyou's straightforward opinion, someone with an ambiguous status was destined never to truly fit into their family.

The breakup was a blessing for everyone.

In fact, her mother had even set aside some money for her and Jiang Yuzhou to take her cousin out to celebrate.

She had also overheard that Zhou Tinglan, having put one worry to rest, was already busily preparing to set Qin Shuyi up on blind dates.

Whether it led to anything or not didn't matter—meeting new people would help shake off the bad vibes.

Qin Shuyi shook her head. "No need. We're not from the same world."

Qian Youyou automatically interpreted this as the guy being a player.

"Alright then. Sigh, handsome men who also have their act together are such a rare breed."

Qin Shuyi nodded.

Men who were both handsome and hopeless romantics like her father, Qin Yuan, were indeed few and far between. Although she grew up watching her loving parents, she had always known that fairy-tale couples were rare. For most ordinary couples, it was more about the daily grind and making ends meet—there was no such thing as a perfectly flawless marriage.

Remembering the words "got bored" she had just overheard, she smiled.

For people who craved novelty, it was probably inherently difficult to commit to marriage.

How could two people spend decades together without growing tired of each other?

For such people, relationships bound by interests might actually last longer.

Fortunately, they were both clear-headed.

Qin Shuyi was wearing a red slip dress that Qian Youyou had picked out for her today, its hem hitting just above her knees.

With her fair skin, striking features, and excellent figure, she possessed a beauty that stood out starkly in the crowd. Yet her gentle and understated demeanor made people’s gaze linger on her unconsciously.

On stage, the handsome lead singer of the band strummed his guitar while his eyes followed the standout figure moving through the crowd.

As the song ended, watching her weave through the noisy bar hall, as she neared the other side of the room, he spoke with a hint of urgency,

“The next song is an original piece, dedicated to the lady in the red dress at three o’clock. It’s called ‘Heartbeat,’ and I hope you enjoy your night.”

His clear, bright voice rang out through the bar, immediately drawing cheers from the guests.

The stage lighting operator smoothly directed a beam of white light to land precisely on the stunningly beautiful young woman, who looked up in mild confusion.

As the melodious, cheerful music began to play, in a private room, someone pushed open the window. Ji Xiuhang poked his head out,

“Let me see who's doing a little personal business on company time.”

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