novelonline Chapter 1544 Not even qualified to be scolded
Chapter 1544 Not even qualified to be scolded
As night deepened and the city lights began to twinkle, the neon lights of the city cast dappled shadows through the car window. Qin Hao drove the car steadily to a stop in front of the Night Bar. The neon sign at the entrance flickered with an ambiguous glow, and the lively music emanating from inside could be faintly heard, mixed with indistinct voices, creating a lively atmosphere.
Liang Danning picked up her small bag, her fingertips just touching the car door handle, and was about to push the door open and get out when Qin Hao grabbed her wrist.
He turned his head and gently pointed to his profile with his fingertip, saying nothing, yet everything was understood without words.
Liang Danning instantly understood what he meant. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said with a mix of exasperation and shyness, "We've been together for so long, and you're still doing this. It's like we're still dating."
"Yeah, can you two be a little more mindful of your image?" Zhao Mei in the back row couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I'm still sitting here, openly showing affection like this, don't you respect me at all?"
Qin Hao glanced casually at the rearview mirror: "Generally speaking, at this point, a sensible person would smoothly get out of the car first and leave us some private space. You're still lingering in the car, which is a bit inconsiderate of you."
"Hmph, I won't!" Zhao Mei spat angrily, reaching out to pull Liang Danning's arm: "Danning, let's go, ignore him, let him be narcissistic in the car by himself."
Liang Danning smiled helplessly, quickly turned to the side, and planted a light, fleeting kiss on Qin Hao's cheek.
"Alright, we're going in now. You should go back and get some rest too, don't overwork yourself."
Qin Hao smiled with satisfaction: "Okay, have fun."
Liang Danning nodded and followed Zhao Mei out of the car. A gentle evening breeze carried the mingled scents of alcohol and perfume emanating from the bar as the two walked side by side into Nightfall Bar. Upon entering, deafening music filled the air, the dance floor was packed with swaying figures, and the flickering lights illuminated the liberated faces. Many wore masks, but that couldn't stop these young bodies from releasing excess energy and emotions after work.
Zhao Mei pulled Liang Danning through the crowded throng, went straight to the bar, found an empty seat, and turned to Liang Danning, saying, "Danning, sit here for a while, have something to drink and wait for me. I'm going to have a short meeting with the sales promoters on duty to explain tonight's work, and I'll be back soon."
"Okay, go ahead, don't worry about me." Liang Danning nodded with a smile. Actually, she hadn't been working the night shift for a long time. Qin Hao felt sorry for her staying up late, so he had already told Xu Yuntian that she didn't need to come to work. She was only here today to keep Zhao Mei company.
Looking at her gentle appearance, Zhao Mei's eyes flashed with a hint of envy that was hard to detect. How lucky Liang Danning was to be so cherished by Qin Hao, without having to struggle for a living or worry about work. On the other hand, she herself had climbed up step by step from the bottom as a sales promoter, taking each step carefully and giving her all to get to where she was today.
She suppressed her emotions, nodded, and turned to walk towards an empty private room in the corner of the bar, where several promoters on duty were already waiting for her.
The private room was much quieter than the noisy outside. Zhao Mei walked to the middle, her expression instantly turning serious, and addressed the sales promoters: "Tonight's customer traffic is higher than usual, everyone pay attention..."
Several sales promoters quickly nodded and replied, "Understood, Manager Zhao."
Meanwhile, Liang Danning was listlessly sipping a low-alcohol cocktail at the bar. The pale amber liquid swirled in the glass, carrying a faint fruity aroma. She rested her chin on one hand, her eyes somewhat vacant.
Just then, a figure slowly walked up to her, carrying a faint scent of cologne. Liang Danning looked up and saw a handsome man in a well-tailored suit, tall and straight, with a gentle smile, staring intently at her. She subconsciously frowned, thinking he was trying to pick her up, and spoke stiffly, deliberately adopting a boyfriend-like demeanor: "Excuse me, my boyfriend went to the restroom, he'll be back in a bit."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the other person's eyes lit up, and their tone was filled with surprise and respect: "Oh? President Qin is here too?"
Liang Danning paused, the stiffness on her face instantly fading, replaced by surprise. She looked the other person over again; delicate features, capable demeanor, yet she recognized no one. She asked疑惑地问道, "Who are you? Do we know each other?"
The other person smiled and extended their hand, speaking in a humble tone: "Hello, Ms. Liang, I am Dong Yue, the new sales manager of Ghost. I haven't been with the company for long, so you may not know me, but I have long admired you, Ms. Liang."
Liang Danning quickly extended her hand and shook his hand gently, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face: "Hello Manager Dong, I'm sorry, I haven't been to the company much lately, so I didn't recognize you."
Since Xingyao Yanxuan became Ghost's largest online distributor, Qin Hao's influence has grown significantly. To curry favor with Qin Hao, Xu Yuntian arranged a sinecure for her and often attributed some of the sales to her, paying her a considerable salary. Although this amount was negligible to Qin Hao, out of respect for Liang Danning, he would give Xu Yuntian some preferential treatment. For example, during quarterly sales targets, he would arrange for Xingyao Yanxuan's livestreamers to heavily promote Ghost products, helping Xu Yuntian successfully achieve her sales goals.
"It's alright, Miss Liang is usually busy, it's normal that she doesn't know me," Dong Yue said with a smile, his tone still humble.
Just as the two were chatting casually, Zhao Mei returned from her meeting with the sales promoters. As she approached the bar, she saw a handsome man standing next to Liang Danning. Upon closer inspection, she recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, "Dong Yue? What are you doing here?"
Dong Yue turned around, saw Zhao Mei, smiled, shrugged and said, "I came with President Xu to meet with a few clients and chat with President Shen about this quarter's sales. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Zhao Mei subconsciously looked towards the dance floor, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, but she couldn't find Xu Yuntian. She asked in confusion, "Where's President Xu? Isn't he with you?"
"President Xu is chatting with President Shen in a private room upstairs," Dong Yue said calmly, pointing towards the second floor.
Zhao Mei lowered her voice and leaned closer to Dong Yue, her tone tinged with doubt: "Hasn't this quarter's sales target already been met? Why did President Xu specifically come to talk to President Shen about sales? Does he want to push more inventory onto us?"
Dong Yue gave him a knowing look and lowered his voice, saying slowly, "President Xu is seeking the position of vice president. Now is a critical time, so naturally we need to make the sales figures look good and accumulate more performance. Only then will we have the confidence to apply for a promotion from headquarters."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mei's eyes lit up. The reason she was able to climb all the way up from the lowest-level sales promoter to the position of deputy director of the sales department was because she had closely tied herself to Xu Yuntian. If Xu Yuntian were to be promoted to vice president, her future career path would be even easier, and she might even be able to rise along with him and get promoted again.
"I see." Zhao Mei nodded with a smile, her tone filled with anticipation.
Dong Yue smiled, turned to Liang Danning, and said respectfully, "Miss Liang, if President Qin returns, please give him my regards. I have some other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer."
“Okay, no problem.” Liang Danning nodded with a smile. Dong Yue greeted Zhao Mei again, then turned and left the bar, heading towards the private room on the second floor.
After Dong Yue left, Zhao Mei pulled Liang Danning to sit down and asked in confusion, "Didn't Qin Hao go back?"
Liang Danning stuck out her tongue, a slightly embarrassed look on her face: "He suddenly walked up to me just now, and I thought he was trying to chat me up, so I made up an excuse that my boyfriend would be back soon. I didn't expect him to know me."
Zhao Mei followed her gaze and glanced in the direction Dong Yue had left. She smiled and said, "That's Dong Yue, the new sales manager at Guster. He's quite good-looking and capable. I heard he worked at another company before and did quite well."
Liang Danning nodded and agreed, saying, "He is indeed quite handsome and looks very capable."
Unexpectedly, Zhao Mei curled her lip in disdain, her tone somewhat dismissive: "What's the use of a man being handsome? Being handsome can't put food on the table; you have to have real skills."
Upon hearing this, Liang Danning couldn't help but laugh and teased her on purpose: "Hmm, you're right. So Li Dongming is still better. He's not only really capable, but also good-looking and highly educated. He's become a senior partner in a consulting firm at such a young age. He's so outstanding."
Hearing Liang Danning mention Li Dongming again, Zhao Mei felt a sudden surge of revulsion. Her face darkened instantly, and her tone became much colder: "Li Dongming? He's just so-so. He's not as good as you make him out to be."
"What's wrong?" Liang Danning asked, puzzled. "I think Li Dongming is a good person, and he cares about you a lot."
Zhao Mei waved her hand impatiently, her tone somewhat perfunctory: "So what if you're a senior partner? In the end, you're just a senior employee. You still have to put up with the boss's temper and work hard for performance. What's so great about that?"
"Oh, I know you mean well, but Li Dongming and I aren't at that stage yet. We're just seeing how things go and getting to know each other. Who knows, maybe one day he'll fall for someone else and dump me?"
Liang Danning thought about it and agreed, nodding, "Yes, that makes sense. You can't rush things in relationships. You have to get to know each other slowly and gradually to make it last. Anyway, you don't need to feel pressured. Just let things take their course."
Just as the two were chatting, the door to the private room on the second floor was pushed open, and Xu Yuntian walked out, beaming with a smug smile, clearly indicating that the conversation had gone very smoothly.
Dong Yue followed behind him, carrying a black briefcase, her head down, looking meek and submissive, completely unlike the capable demeanor she had displayed while chatting with them earlier.
Shen Mo was originally standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor, not planning to come down. His gaze inadvertently swept across the bar and he saw Liang Danning. His eyes lit up for a moment, and he changed his mind and followed Xu Yuntian downstairs.
When Zhao Mei saw Xu Yuntian coming over, she immediately stood up and quickly went to greet him: "Boss, you look great lately."
Xu Yuntian seemed to be in a very good mood. He waved his hand and said casually, "Alright, alright, we're all on the same side, no need for all this formality."
On the other side, Shen Mo completely ignored Zhao Mei, not even giving her a glance, and went straight to Liang Danning, saying in a humble tone, "Miss Liang, it's been a long time. Didn't President Qin come with you today?"
Liang Danning was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and made up an excuse: "Oh, he had some things to take care of at his company, so he left after dropping me and Zhao Mei off."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mo nodded: "Miss Liang has come all this way, so please make sure you have a great time. I'll pay for tonight's expenses."
Liang Danning said somewhat embarrassedly, "That's so embarrassing."
"Hey, Miss Liang, you're too kind," Shen Mo said with a smile. "Given my relationship with President Qin, I'll definitely treat you well since you've come to my bar."
As he spoke, he waved to the bar manager who was not far away. The manager quickly walked over, and Shen Mo leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.
Zhao Mei, standing to the side, witnessed this scene clearly, and felt a pang of jealousy. It wasn't that she cared about gaining this advantage, but rather that she was envious of Shen Mo's attitude towards Liang Danning. To put it bluntly, she didn't even have the right to be scolded by Shen Mo. This indifference, this disparity, was what hurt her the most.
Dong Yue witnessed this scene. He was dating Shen Mo's daughter, Shen Xing, and was quite familiar with Shen Mo's capabilities. Although Shen Mo's net worth had shrunk a few years ago due to the pandemic, he had weathered the storm. As the pandemic subsided and many of his peers went bankrupt, his bar business actually thrived even more than before.
Previously, he had always thought that Shen Mo and Qin Hao had just an ordinary working relationship, at most using each other and getting what they needed. But now, seeing Shen Mo's attitude towards Liang Danning, it was clear that he placed himself in a lower position. This made him think to himself, "It seems that this Qin Hao is even stronger than I imagined. Even someone like Shen Mo has to pay so much attention to the people around him."
After giving instructions to the bar manager, Shen Mo exchanged a few polite words with Liang Danning before returning upstairs. His reason for opening the bar wasn't primarily to make money, but rather to use it as a platform to expand his network and connect with more influential people.
After seeing Shen Mo leave, Xu Yuntian turned to Dong Yue and said a few words, probably asking him to continue following up on the cooperation with President Shen. Then, he couldn't wait to rush into the dance floor and quickly blended into the revelry, dancing to the music and looking like he was letting loose.
Looking at Xu Yuntian on the dance floor, Liang Danning couldn't help but frown and mutter to herself, "Does President Xu often do this? Doesn't his wife care about him?"
As soon as Liang Danning finished speaking, Zhao Mei and Dong Yue fell silent. Neither of them spoke. They both worked for Xu Yuntian, who was their boss. If this got back to Xu Yuntian, the consequences would be unimaginable. They didn't have the same confidence as Liang Danning, who had Qin Hao backing her up.
After a moment of silence, Dong Yue broke the awkward silence by coughing twice: "Ahem, well, I have some things to take care of. You guys continue chatting, I'll be leaving now."
He quickly made up an excuse and fled this troublesome place, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he might accidentally say the wrong thing and get himself into trouble.
After Dong Yue left, Zhao Mei spoke softly, her tone tinged with helplessness and sigh: "What can she do even if she knows? Mrs. Xu is just a housewife, she doesn't work, she can only open her palms and ask for money. As long as Mr. Xu doesn't go too far, she can only turn a blind eye."
Upon hearing this, Liang Danning sighed softly, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Seeing this, Zhao Mei quickly put away her helpless expression and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Why are you sighing? Isn't Qin Hao good enough to you? He just gave you a villa worth tens of millions without a second thought."
“It’s precisely because he’s so good to me that I’m worried,” Liang Danning said, her head bowed, her voice tinged with concern and unease. “With his qualities, he could easily find a woman who is more outstanding and more worthy of him, but he chose me. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t help him in his career, and sometimes I can’t even join in the conversations he has. What if one day he gets tired of me…”
Zhao Mei wanted to reassure Liang Danning, but she swallowed her words as soon as she opened her mouth. To be honest, if she were in Liang Danning's shoes, she would probably be even more worried and insecure than Liang Danning if she encountered a man like Qin Hao.
……
The following afternoon at three o'clock, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm glow on the bed in the bedroom. Zhao Mei removed her eye mask and slowly got out of bed, her head still a little fuzzy—she had been busy until very late the night before, and didn't get home until almost midnight, so she had slept until this hour. She picked up her phone from the bedside table to check the time, but the screen lit up, revealing a string of unread messages on WeChat, all from Li Dongming.
The first message came at 8 a.m.: "Are you awake? You must have been busy late last night. Remember to eat something, don't go hungry."
Immediately afterwards, several more messages came, all expressing concern and urging her to rest well and not to overwork herself. One of them was sent at noon: "Are you free this afternoon? I've booked a nice restaurant."
Looking at the message on her phone screen, Zhao Mei felt a warmth in her heart. Li Dongming was indeed very thoughtful and considerate. No matter how busy she was, no matter how cold her attitude was, he always persisted, silently caring for her, and never gave up.
She hesitated for a moment, then remembered what Liang Danning had said and realized that she shouldn't keep resisting him and should try to accept him slowly. So she sent Li Dongming a message: "If you're free, send me the address and I'll pack up and head over."
Li Dongming quickly replied to the message, sending her the restaurant's address and location, and specifically told her, "Don't rush, take your time. I'll wait for you at the restaurant. Be careful on the way."
Zhao Mei smiled, put down her phone, and got up to tidy herself up. She changed into a simple and elegant dress, put on light makeup, and after getting ready, went out to the restaurant that Li Dongming had booked.
Li Dongming had booked a high-end Western restaurant. The environment was elegant, quiet, and comfortable, with stylish decor and a subtle aroma of Western food filling the air. When Zhao Mei arrived, Li Dongming was already waiting there. He was wearing a casual suit, standing tall and with a gentle smile on his face. Seeing Zhao Mei enter, he immediately stood up and quickly went to greet her: "You're here. Please have a seat."
Zhao Mei nodded and sat down. Li Dongming poured her a glass of warm water and asked gently, "You were busy until late again last night, weren't you?"
"It's alright, that's how it is in our line of work, we're nocturnal." Zhao Mei smiled, her tone much gentler than usual.
While waiting for their food, the two chatted casually. Li Dongming was a very good conversationalist, with elegant speech and a wide range of knowledge. No matter what the topic, they could have a very engaging conversation, and he would occasionally tell some funny jokes, making Zhao Mei laugh several times. The originally somewhat dull atmosphere became more relaxed.
Soon, all the dishes were served. Li Dongming cut a steak for Zhao Mei and placed it in front of her: "Try this. The steak at this restaurant is very good. It's very tender. You should like it."
Zhao Mei took a bite and found it quite delicious: "Mmm, it's very tasty, thank you."
During the meal, Li Dongming remained very considerate, frequently refilling her water and serving her food, his tenderness undisguised. Looking at him, Zhao Mei's initial resistance gradually dissipated, and she even began to waver slightly, thinking that perhaps Liang Danning was right—Li Dongming was indeed someone worth befriending.
The two drank some red wine, and the slight alcohol made Zhao Mei's cheeks flush slightly, her eyes became a little hazy, and her gaze towards Li Dongming softened.
Just then, Li Dongming suddenly changed the subject: "Zhao Mei, what's your relationship with President Qin like?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly waking Zhao Mei up. The gentleness on her face vanished, her eyes cleared, and her tone turned cold: "You asked me out today just to ask this?"
Li Dongming noticed Zhao Mei's change and quickly waved his hand, explaining, "Zhao Mei, you misunderstood. I didn't mean it on purpose. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just asking casually. Don't be angry."
However, before Li Dongming could finish speaking, Zhao Mei directly called over a waiter and said in a cold tone, "Waiter, how much is this table? We'll split the bill."
Li Dongming panicked and quickly grabbed her hand, his voice urgent: "No, Zhao Mei, what are you doing? I promised to treat you, how can I let you pay?"
Unfortunately, Zhao Mei ignored his explanation, forcefully shook off his hand, stood up, picked up her bag, and was about to leave.
Seeing this, Li Dongming quickly paid the bill and hurried after them.
At the restaurant entrance, Zhao Mei was about to hail a taxi when Li Dongming quickly caught up with her, grabbed her wrist, and said breathlessly and urgently, "Zhao Mei, what's wrong with you? Just because I asked a question about your best friend's boyfriend, do you have to be so angry? I really didn't mean anything by it, you've misunderstood me."
Zhao Mei paused, slowly turned around, looked at him coldly, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Fine, then let me ask you, do you want to get to know Qin Hao through me and turn him into your client?"
Li Dongming did not deny it, but explained urgently, "I admit that I did have this idea. President Qin is the CEO of Xingyao Yanxuan, and he is very powerful. If I could turn him into my client, it would greatly help my performance. However, this is not the reason why I asked you out today. I really miss you and want to have a meal with you and have a good chat. My feelings for you are genuine and without any falsehood."
He spoke rapidly, his eyes full of sincerity: "Zhao Mei, you've never done sales before, so you might not understand. This is a professional habit of us in sales; we subconsciously utilize every favorable factor to improve our performance..."
Zhao Mei sneered, her tone still icy: "So, in the end, you're still using me, right? In your eyes, I'm just a tool to be used, isn't I?"
"No, that's not it!" Li Dongming said anxiously, his face turning red. "Zhao Mei, I don't think 'using' is necessarily a bad thing. People are only used if they have value. If you really mind, I promise you I will never have any business dealings with him."
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with unwavering determination: "Zhao Mei, that night, I was in a meeting in Singapore when I suddenly received a call from my dad saying that my mom's diabetes had flared up. I was so anxious, and the first person I thought of was you. The next morning, I took the first flight back and rushed to the hospital. I saw you in my mom's ward, giving me an OK sign. In that instant, I told myself that I would marry no one but you in this life."
Zhao Mei was caught off guard by Li Dongming's sudden confession and stood there stunned. The coldness on her face gradually faded, and her anger subsided considerably. Looking into Li Dongming's sincere eyes and at his flustered state, a warmth rose in her heart.
She was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, her tone much gentler: "Alright, I accept your apology. I also had problems; perhaps I was too sensitive and overreacted."
Upon hearing her words, Li Dongming instantly breathed a sigh of relief, a joyful smile spreading across his face. He quickly said, "It's alright, it's all my fault..."
Seeing his delighted expression, Zhao Mei couldn't help but smile. The coldness in her eyes vanished completely, replaced by gentleness: "Alright, don't be so nervous. I'm not really blaming you." (End of Chapter)