Chapter 286: Seeing an Object, Thinking of the Person

As for which friends to invite to her new home for dinner, Jiang Lai had some difficulty deciding on anyone other than Xiao Qian and Ke Zhongying.

She couldn't define her true relationship with the others.

Especially Ke Zhongyu.

But Ke Zhongyu was the one person Jiang Lai would never forget to invite.

Even if Jiang Lai didn't say anything, Mo Yi would arrange it herself and proactively remind her Young Master to leave work on time that day—there was simply too much work, so he might as well work overtime and sleep at the company the night before.

Jiang Lai heard it with her own ears and couldn't help turning her head to chuckle softly.

Ke Zhongyu wasn't actually as aloof and unapproachable as the outside rumors made him out to be.

Secretary Cen, Secretary Guan, and Assistant Zhou had been her colleagues for a month, and at first would subconsciously look after her, but these three were connected to Ke Zhongyu—they were his subordinates.

Would it be awkward to invite them all over together?

Doctor Chi was Ke Zhongyu's good friend and private doctor, and had helped her before; he normally called her Miss Jiang, but their conversations were like those between friends.

She had gotten to know Fu Daxiaojie through Doctor Chi.

She had contact information for all of them, but a "friendship" was a two-way relationship—it needed to be confirmed by both sides and couldn't be assumed unilaterally.

Mo Yi noticed Jiang Lai's hesitation, wiped her hands, and came over to ask, "Has Miss Jiang run into some kind of problem?"

Jiang Lai explained her concerns.

Mo Yi smiled and said, "This is Miss Jiang's housewarming dinner. You're the one inviting the people you want to invite over for a meal and to ring in the new year together. You don't need to think too much about others—just think about yourself."

"Besides, the people Miss Jiang wants to invite have no conflicts with one another. There are just some differences in status, but once they accept Miss Jiang's invitation, they all have only one identity: they're all Miss Jiang's friends."

"Don't worry, just invite them."

Jiang Lai's hesitation was smoothed over by Mo Yi's few words. To make it seem more formal, she sent each of them a private message, inviting them over.

Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan received Jiang Lai's invitation, their delight written all over their faces—Dr. Jiang considered them friends!

Assistant Zhou looked deeply honored.

Chi Ce was surprised for a moment, then took a screenshot and sent it to Ke Zhongyu: 【President Ke, Miss Jiang invited me, so I count as her friend now. President Ke, if you two ever have a disagreement, there's a high probability I won't be on your side.】

Ke Zhongyu wasn't angry at all—in fact, he thought it was pretty good.

Having more people on Jiang Lai's side was a good thing.

Walking alone had always been hard.

Fu Youqing, meanwhile, smiled and said to her younger brother, "Youlin, oh Youlin, I already have plans for New Year's Day. You don't need to include me in yours."

Fu Youlin's gaze was resentful: "What plans do I have? I'm working overtime. Assistant Qiao gave me a pile of materials, and I still haven't finished going through them."

Fu Youqing patted her brother's shoulder: "Just think—when you lead Star Universe Technology to dominate everywhere, Jiang Lai will look at you a couple more times."

Fu Youlin's eyes lit up: "Really? Sis."

Fu Youqing wasn't viewing her brother through rose-tinted glasses—he really was a one-in-a-million sunny, handsome sweetheart, and together with Jiang Lai, he'd definitely be better at making her happy than Ke Zhongyu.

It's just...

She frowned. "Fu Youlin, you've been chatting with your goddess for so long—how come there's not even a hint of progress?"

Fu Youlin hung his head: "I don't know either. She never replies to the messages I send, and I can't keep bothering her every day. I'm afraid she'll find me annoying and think I'm immature. Plus, I just started my new position recently, so I've been very, very busy—I haven't even had time to engineer a chance encounter."

Fu Youqing couldn't help feeling a second of exasperation, then said sympathetically, "Then I won't tell you how I'm spending New Year's Eve."

Fu Youlin looked up: "Don't tell me you're going with Jiang Lai?"

Fu Youqing: "Oh, you guessed it. Yes, your goddess invited me to her new home for dinner and to ring in the new year."

Fu Youlin's eyes lit up again, only to be rejected by his sister the next second.

"Don't even think about it. She already considers me a friend, so I can't just bring you along without permission just because you're my brother. But rest assured, I'll do my best to sell you. Besides, you wouldn't be able to get into this place—it's at Number Ten Courtyard on Yanping Road."

Fu Youlin's head drooped again.

"Then deliver a housewarming gift from me."

"Sure." That much Fu Youqing could do.

Fu Youlin started picking out a gift, and Fu Youqing reminded him from the side: "From what I know of Jiang Lai, she won't accept anything too valuable, and she won't use anything impractical. If she won't use it, it means she won't see it—and what's the point of something she can't see?"

Fu Youlin thought that made sense. Since it was so dry in winter, why not give her a humidifier? She could put it right in the living room, and wouldn't Jiang Lai see it every day?

So on December 31st, Fu Youqing had her driver carry the humidifier while she carried her own gift in her hands. After registering, she arrived at Jiang Lai's door and rang the doorbell.

Mo Yi opened the door.

"Miss Fu! You're here, come in, come in. Miss Jiang is still on her way back, but Doctor Chi has already arrived."

Fu Youqing changed into slippers and walked in, only to see Chi Ce sitting on the sofa with a coffee machine beside him.

"Fu Daxiaojie, so early." Chi Ce quickly stood up, his eyes scanning the gift she carried—he couldn't tell what was inside the gift box, but her driver was holding a humidifier.

He was surprised: "Two gifts?"

Fu Youqing: "None of your business."

Chi Ce didn't understand why she was suddenly throwing a young lady's temper, smiled, and stepped aside: "Please have a seat, Fu Daxiaojie."

Fu Youqing sat on the sofa and lifted her chin slightly: "Why are you gifting a coffee machine? You grew up studying Chinese medicine."

Chi Ce looked carefully at her gift—there were a few tiny words printed on it: "So Fu Daxiaojie is gifting coffee cups. What a coincidence—we really are quite alike."

Fu Youqing said nothing more.

At six thirty, Ke Zhongying arrived, also bringing a robot vacuum.

At seven, Jiang Lai returned, with Xiao Qian and Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan following behind her—everyone had brought gifts.

Ke Zhongying peeked outside: "Where's my brother? Didn't you come together?"

Secretary Cen: "President Ke and Assistant Zhou still have some things to take care of. They'll arrive in ten minutes."

Ke Zhongying went "Oh."

Since everyone already knew each other, without waiting for Jiang Lai to introduce them, they had already started greeting one another.

Fu Youqing stood up and said to Jiang Lai, "This humidifier is a housewarming gift from my brother. I hope you like it."

Jiang Lai froze for a moment: "Fu Youlin?"

Fu Youqing nodded.

Ke Zhongying's bottom had barely touched the sofa before she bounced right back up, looking around: "Young Master Fu is here too?"

Wasn't that her brother's rival in love?

Chi Ce: "He didn't come. The gift arrived, that's all."

Ke Zhongying quietly breathed a sigh of relief on her brother's behalf.

The doorbell rang.

No need to guess who it was—Jiang Lai walked over and opened the door. Sure enough, Ke Zhongyu and Assistant Zhou stood there, one behind the other.

Ke Zhongyu held in his arms a budding plain-heart cold orchid.

Slender leaves, a gentle blue-green.

Red stalks, tall and slender.

A faint sniff revealed a cold fragrance, pure and peerless.

"A gift." Ke Zhongyu held the orchid out and asked softly, "Is there room in the bedroom for it?"

That question was artfully phrased.

If he had asked "Can I put it here?" and Jiang Lai said no, the orchid would end up somewhere else.

By asking "Is there room in the bedroom?" if Jiang Lai said no, Ke Zhongyu could still follow up with—such a big place, it's impossible there isn't room for one pot of orchids.

In short, he was determined to make the orchid he gave forcefully appear before Jiang Lai's eyes.

Visible before sleep, and visible upon waking.

Thereby, seeing the object and thinking of the person.

Jiang Lai parted her lips slightly: "There is."

She carried the pot of orchids into the bedroom and gently set it on the wooden nightstand.

The quiet room instantly gained a touch of vitality.