novelonline Chapter 1559 Vulgarity
Chapter 1559 Vulgarity
One week later, at the Huizhou seaside resort area.
The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept over us, and the palm leaves rustled in the wind. Ghost's senior executives gathered at the five-star hotel within the resort area. A check-in area was set up in the lobby, and staff in uniform were busily guiding guests through the check-in process.
Zhao Mei and Dong Yue each displayed their unique talents, busily handling the reception work. On the surface, they cooperated seamlessly, but behind the scenes, they were secretly competing. Whoever invited more clients, and whose clients were more illustrious, was demonstrating their respective strengths.
After the other executives had checked in, Bai Ruide called Zhao Mei aside.
"Call Mr. Qin again to confirm the time," he instructed in a low voice. "Don't be negligent."
Zhao Mei nodded repeatedly: "Okay, BOSS, don't worry."
Bai Ruide patted her on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the elevator. Zhao Mei watched him leave, then took a deep breath, took out her phone, and glanced at the time. Qin Hao said he would arrive at 3 PM, and it was now 2:40 PM. She put her phone away and hurried towards the hotel entrance.
Seeing this, Dong Yue followed, his pace neither hurried nor slow, with an enigmatic smile on his face.
"Looks like the boss has entrusted you with another important task?" he said tentatively, with a hint of teasing in his tone.
Zhao Mei rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "What do you mean by entrusting me with important tasks? It's just a chore."
She quickened her pace, trying to shake him off.
"Since it's such a tough job, why not give it to me?" Dong Yue wasn't angry and said with a smile, "I'm the kind of person who's always happy to help others."
Zhao Mei pursed her lips, not stopping her steps: "How dare I trouble you? I'll do it myself. I'm destined to serve others my whole life."
As the two were bickering, two cars slowly drove into the resort gate, one after the other. The one in front was a black Audi U8, and the one behind was a silver-gray Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The moment Zhao Mei saw the U8, she immediately greeted it with a big smile. She jogged over, her high heels clicking rapidly on the ground. Dong Yue paused for a moment, but quickly put on a smile and followed.
Zhao Mei cursed Dong Yue inwardly for being shameless. She had invited him, so why was he getting involved? Just as she was about to find an excuse to send Dong Yue away, she caught a glimpse of him walking straight to the second car, and the person who got out of the car was none other than Shen Mo.
Zhao Mei frowned. Had Dong Yue not broken up with Shen Xing? Or had they gotten back together immediately afterward? If so, it wasn't good news for her. After all, Liang Danning and Qin Hao had already broken up, and she had nothing to do with Qin Hao anymore.
Thinking of this, Zhao Mei's smile became even more respectful. She quickly walked to the side of the U8 and opened the car door.
"Mr. Qin, Ms. Qiao, this way please." She bowed slightly and said in a solicitous tone, "I'll arrange for someone to come and move your luggage right away."
Qin Hao got out of the car, wearing a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and sunglasses. He nodded slightly to Zhao Mei: "Thank you for your help."
Qiao Hailun got out of the car from the other side, wearing a floral dress, her hair loose, and a sun hat. As she got out, her gaze involuntarily fell on Zhao Mei, her eyes filled with a hint of pity.
Although Zhao Mei felt that Qiao Hailun was looking at her strangely, she didn't dare to ask. She suppressed her doubts and led the way.
"Mr. Qin, this way please."
Shen Mo was led to the lobby by Dong Yue. The arrival of two major clients simultaneously kept the front desk staff extremely busy. Ghost was very generous in this regard, arranging presidential suites for both Qin Hao and Shen Mo on the top floor of the hotel, with sea views right outside the windows.
Zhao Mei escorted Qin Hao and Qiao Hailun to their room, took out the room key from her bag, and handed it to them with both hands.
"Mr. Qin, Ms. Qiao, please feel free to contact me if you need anything." She bowed slightly. "My cell phone is on 24 hours a day."
Qin Hao took the room key and nodded. Qiao Hailun glanced at Zhao Mei, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing, and took Qin Hao's arm as they entered the room.
Just as Zhao Mei turned to leave, she saw Shen Mo leading Dong Yue down the corridor. Dong Yue was carrying a bottle of red wine, clearly there for a visit.
Zhao Mei reluctantly stepped aside, watched as Shen Mo knocked on the door, and then pushed it open to go inside.
Zhao Mei stood there, clenched her fist, then relaxed it. She took a deep breath, turned, and walked towards the elevator.
In the living room of the presidential suite, sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting on the shimmering sea.
"President Qin, this bottle is one I've treasured and haven't been able to bring myself to drink." Shen Mo said with a smile, "Today, I'm offering this as a toast to you."
Qin Hao sat down on the sofa, took the wine glass, and gently swirled it. The wine formed even streaks on the glass, its color deep red and its aroma rich: "Mr. Shen, you've been very thoughtful."
Shen Mo gave Dong Yue a wink. Dong Yue understood, poured a glass for each of them, then picked up a glass for himself and stood to the side.
Shen Mo took a sip of wine, put down his glass, and patted Dong Yue on the shoulder.
“Actually, your breakup with Shen Xing this time isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” He spoke casually, as if discussing something insignificant. “At least it put Bai Ruide’s mind at ease. I’ve sounded out Bai Ruide for you. After the recent public relations crisis surrounding Xu Yuntian, they’re more inclined to promote someone from within to replace Xu Yuntian.”
Dong Yue held his wine glass, his expression complex, and remained silent.
Shen Mo continued, "Zhao Mei is just a woman, and she's only been doing promotions for so many years. She doesn't have a stable sales channel, so she's nothing to worry about. Tang Lide is a cunning old fox, but his performance isn't as good as yours. As long as you do as I say, the position of sales director is yours for the taking."
Upon hearing this, Dong Yue's face turned bitter. He put down his wine glass, crossed his hands, and nervously twisted his fingers together.
"Mr. Shen, I've always been grateful for your guidance and support." His voice was low and hoarse, "But I really can't get back together with Shen Xing..."
Before Dong Yue could finish speaking, Shen Mo sighed. He leaned back on the sofa, looked up at the ceiling, and remained silent for more than ten seconds.
“I know Shen Xing has a bad temper and is indeed difficult to get along with.” His voice sounded much older. “It’s my fault as her father for not raising her well. Don’t worry, I will try my best to make it up to you in other ways.”
He turned his head and looked at Dong Yue with deep eyes.
"Even if you don't want to work for someone else and want to start your own business, I will support you unconditionally, whether it's funding or connections."
Qin Hao, holding his wine glass, watched this scene and couldn't help but sigh: "The hearts of parents are all the same."
Upon hearing this, Dong Yue was caught in a dilemma. He lowered his head, staring at the amber liquid in his glass, which shimmered slightly under the light.
Actually, when he started dating Shen Xing, he didn't know her father was Shen Mo. They initially met during quarantine due to the pandemic and lived in the same building. At the time, Shen Xing gave him a good impression, but as the pandemic eased, she became increasingly outrageous. Not only did she spend all her time in bars and nightclubs, but she also spent a fortune supporting gigolos. What he found even more unacceptable was that Shen Xing completely disregarded his parents' wishes; she even threw away the rice cakes his parents sent from their hometown.
“President Shen, I…” Dong Yue raised his head, his eyes slightly red.
Shen Mo saw Dong Yue's dilemma and said earnestly, "Dong Yue, I know you are an ambitious person. I have always admired your ambition. A person without ambition cannot do great business. I am already over fifty years old this year, and my health is not good, so I can't have any more children. Everything I have in the future belongs to you and Shen Xing."
He reached out and grasped Dong Yue's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"My request isn't high, I just want you to help take good care of Shen Xing. I will do my best to help you."
A hint of struggle flashed in Dong Yue's eyes.
In the end, he gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.
Shen Mo smiled broadly and patted his shoulder forcefully. "Haha, that's right! Don't worry, I always keep my word. The sales director position is definitely yours." He picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp: "Of course, this also requires President Qin's strong support."
Qin Hao accepted the wine glass from Shen Mo without raising any objections. He had worked with Shen Mo for many years, and he was simply doing Shen Mo a favor.
“However, Bai Ruide is already on guard against President Shen.” Dong Yue suddenly realized something, his brows furrowing. “I’m worried…”
A cold glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes, and he sneered, "Rhett Butler's ass isn't clean either. If you piss me off, I'll just remove him and replace him with Peter Du."
Upon seeing this, Dong Yue felt no joy, but rather a chill run down his spine. Shen Mo could easily bring down Bai Ruide; dealing with him would surely be effortless. He lowered his head, unable to meet Shen Mo's eyes.
……
Meanwhile, Zhao Mei felt uneasy after returning to her room.
She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the sea view outside the window, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, and subconsciously dialed her husband's video call.
Once again, the video call rang more than a dozen times before being answered. On the screen, Li Dongming's face appeared, against the backdrop of a dimly lit, white hotel room wall. He was leaning against the headboard, the blanket pulled up to his chest. Despite it being the hottest time of summer, he was covered with such a thick blanket.
What made Zhao Mei even more suspicious was that her husband's expression was very strange, as if he was suppressing something.
"Honey, how are things on your end?" Li Dongming asked, trying to sound calm as he changed the subject, his voice hoarse.
Zhao Mei sighed and expressed her worries: "The situation is very bad. It seems that Dong Yue and Shen Xing have made up again, and Shen Mo came here specifically to support him."
Li Dongming's lips twitched: "Don't you also have Qin Hao's support?"
Zhao Mei shook her head bitterly. "But my relationship with Qin Hao isn't enough to get his support. Besides, he's always had a working relationship with Shen Mo, so he wouldn't risk offending Shen Mo for my sake." She paused, her voice lowering, "Sigh, if Liang Danning were still here."
The two chatted for a few more minutes before Li Dongming hung up, citing an upcoming video conference.
Zhao Mei put down her phone, sat on the edge of the bed, and involuntarily recalled the details of the video call she had just had.
A chill ran down her spine. Suspicion sprouted in her heart like wildfire. Zhao Mei opened her WeChat friend list and found one of Li Dongming's subordinates.
"Has your boss been traveling alone lately?" she typed, her fingers trembling slightly.
The other party quickly replied: "No, there's also Qian Shasha."
"Qian Shasha? Do you have a picture of her?"
The other party sent a photo. The woman in the photo was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she knew how to dress. She was wearing a fitted dress that revealed her collarbone and shoulders, and her lips were painted with bright red lipstick.
Although there was no evidence, her sixth sense told her that Li Dongming was having an affair.
Anger, confusion, resentment, and indignation surged through her mind. Zhao Mei sat on the edge of the bed, tears streaming silently down her face. She picked up her phone, scrolled through her WeChat friend list, and realized there was no one she could confide in.
She scrolled through her previous chat history with Liang Danning.
She hesitated for a long time before finally typing a line.
"Liang Danning, can you come and keep me company?"
After sending the message, Zhao Mei felt even worse. Over the past two years, she had sent Liang Danning countless messages, but the other party hadn't replied to a single one. She guessed he had given up on the number. Leaning against the headboard, hugging her pillow, tears streamed down her face.
Just as Zhao Mei was overcome with grief, her phone vibrated.
She looked down and saw Liang Danning reply, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhao Mei was stunned. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. For the first time in two years, Liang Danning had replied to her message. She quickly typed, her fingers flying across the screen.
"Li Dongming... he might be cheating on me!" After typing this, she couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face.
"Where are you?"
Zhao Mei instinctively sent a location share. On the map, two small blue dots were hundreds of kilometers apart. Liang Danning immediately went silent, and Zhao Mei quickly sent several messages—"Danning?" "Are you still there?" But Liang Danning didn't reply.
Zhao Mei clutched her phone, curled up on the bed, tears soaking her pillow. She didn't know how much time had passed before she drifted off to sleep.
She was woken up by a phone call late at night. She sat up abruptly, picked up her phone, and initially thought it was a client calling, but when she looked at the caller ID, it was Liang Danning.
"Danning!" she answered the phone, her voice hoarse. "Where are you? Where have you been these past two years?!"
A tired but gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "I'm in the hotel lobby."
"Hotel lobby?" Zhao Mei jumped out of bed and rushed to the elevator without even putting on her shoes. The cold touch of her bare feet on the marble floor sent a shiver down her spine, but she didn't care.
The elevator doors opened, and she rushed out, immediately spotting Liang Danning.
Liang Danning stood in the center of the hotel lobby, wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was shorter, and she looked a little thinner than two years ago, but in good spirits. A suitcase was placed at her feet.
Zhao Mei was stunned. She stood at the elevator entrance, staring at Liang Danning with her mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Liang Danning turned around, saw her, and smiled.
"Long time no see." Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.
Zhao Mei's tears welled up again. She ran over and hugged Liang Danning tightly, crying like a child.
Liang Danning didn't move, but gently patted her back, just like before.
The next day.
Sunlight streamed into the restaurant through the floor-to-ceiling windows, shimmering on the sea. Qiao Hailun, arm in arm with Qin Hao, was about to go downstairs for breakfast. She wore a pale yellow dress that cinched at the waist, the hem above her knees revealing her slender legs. Her hair was loose, the ends slightly curled, making her radiant.
The elevator doors opened, and she took Qin Hao's arm as they entered the restaurant. A waiter led them to a window seat with a view of the entire sea. Just as Qiao Hailun was about to order, she noticed Qin Hao's gaze suddenly linger on a woman next to Zhao Mei.
Qiao Hailun followed his gaze. Zhao Mei was sitting at a table in the corner, with a woman sitting opposite her. The woman was wearing a simple white shirt, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she had no makeup on. She looked a little tired, but her features were regular and she had a good temperament.
Qiao Hailun glanced at the other woman's figure subconsciously and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She was confident that she completely outshone the other woman in this aspect.
However, the next second, Helen's heart jumped into her throat.
Qin Hao took the initiative to walk over and greet the woman.
"Liang Danning?" His tone held a hint of surprise. "When did you get back?"
Liang Danning looked up and saw Qin Hao, her expression calm. Her gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds, then shifted to Qiao Hailun beside him, giving her a once-over.
"Changed your taste?" Her tone was dismissive, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Or have you always liked this kind of thing?"
Qiao Hailun was almost furious. What did she mean by "like this"? What was wrong with her? Her chest heaved violently, and the neckline of her dress trembled slightly with her breathing.
"What's wrong with me?" she couldn't help but retort, "I'm still better than your flat chest!"
Liang Danning raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Qin Hao looked at Liang Danning and said calmly, "You disappeared for two years. Why did you suddenly decide to come back?"
Liang Danning leaned back in her chair and said in a forcedly relaxed tone, "There's no other way, I have to make a living. I'm planning to go back to work for Guster."
Qin Hao subconsciously looked at Zhao Mei. Zhao Mei quickly waved her hand, looking completely innocent.
“This wasn’t my idea. If I could persuade her, she would have come back long ago.”
Qin Hao nodded, not pressing for further questions. He turned around and patted Qiao Hailun's hand: "Let's go, didn't you say you were hungry?"
Qiao Hailun obediently followed Qin Hao and sat down at another table. She glanced back at Liang Danning and found that the other woman was also looking at her with a cryptic smile. She quickly turned her head away, pretending to look at the menu.
Zhao Mei watched Qiao Hailun's retreating figure and pouted, "Look at her, I don't know what's wrong with Qin Hao, his taste has become so vulgar..."
Liang Danning shook her head and chuckled: "Is it possible that he has always been this vulgar?"
Zhao Mei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. This was the best friend she remembered, the one who dared to love and hate.
"By the way, are you really planning to go back to work in Gust?" Zhao Mei asked.
Liang Danning nodded, picked up the water glass on the table, and took a sip.
"Yes, I've been taking my mom on trips all over the past two years. Although life has been quite easy, my mom still prefers Guangzhou. Older people are reluctant to leave their hometown, and I can't be so selfish."
She paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, the child is almost three years old and will be starting kindergarten soon. It's not good for him to be constantly wandering around outside."
Zhao Mei's eyes widened, and her mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.
"The...child?" Her voice trembled. "Could this child be...?"
Liang Danning didn't speak, but turned her head to look at the distant coastline.
Zhao Mei was overjoyed. If Liang Danning and Qin Hao had a child, perhaps they could reconcile? What would Dong Yue be then? (End of Chapter)