Chapter 83: A Business Trip (Part 12)

People are visual creatures, and men are even more superficial creatures.

There is a famous saying that even a three-year-old child probably knows.

Inner beauty is true beauty; no matter how beautiful the exterior is, it cannot compare to inner beauty.

An ancient saying even goes: when choosing a wife, choose virtue over looks; when marrying a man, marry for his heart, not his wealth.

Yet in real life, how many people actually do this?

In the eyes of Zhou Xiaoru, that famous saying is meant to comfort people like her, who have an average appearance.

A woman like Fang Qingkong, even if her heart is rotten to the core, will still have plenty of people who like her.

Who told her to have looks, while she only has talent!

(Author's note: You have talent? How truly shameless! Have you learned the essence of Gu Liyan's shamelessness?)

In this era, when dating, people first look at your face, and then they look at your substance.

Have talent? Who cares!

Zhou Xiaoru completely ignored the woman who had become hideous, picked up a folder from the edge of the flower bed, and turned to shove it directly into the hands of the gentleman who had been watching the show all along.

Along with what was shoved into his hands was the remainder of a cup of coffee that had been splashed.

She dropped the line, "The documents you wanted are here; the coffee you wanted is now on your first love, go drink it."

After saying this, she wanted to retreat gracefully, and she couldn't help but think that her actions were simply cool to the extreme.

Just as she was about to leave, her arm was pulled by Gu Liyan.

The man seemed to have completely failed to see the woman opposite who was already furious with shame.

One only heard the gentleman say to the person about to leave, "I have to meet a client this afternoon; go back and bring your computer, I'll wait for you downstairs at the hotel."

Meeting a client again...

Zhou Xiaoru first complained a little in her heart, then replied out loud.

"I understand."

She then went back to the hotel to get her things, feeling somewhat unhappy.

She had originally wanted to go out and look around in the afternoon, but now it seemed there was no chance.

And Fang Qingkong, who was behind them, saw Zhou Xiaoru leave, rushed in front of the gentleman in anger, and scolded him.

"Liyan! What do you like about this kind of woman? Look at what she did to me?!"

Gu Liyan only swept a glance at the disheveled person, then said calmly and indifferently something that made Fang Qingkong want to erupt like a volcano.

"Did she do something to you? I've been here the whole time, how come I didn't see it."

After saying this, he even took a sip of the remaining coffee in his hand, then took the folder and turned to leave just as gracefully.

This left the woman standing alone, almost flying into a rage.

If it weren't for the many strange looks from the surroundings now, Miss Fang would probably have already fallen to the ground and thrown a tantrum.

She even more so did not expect that Gu Liyan would not care at all about her feigned weakness, or even completely ignore it!

This made her feel extremely unwilling and humiliated!

Coming to W City this time, she knew in advance that Tengyuan Company would participate in the Bidding Conference, so she deliberately asked for leave from her own unit to come here and have a chance encounter with Gu Liyan.

It's just that, whether it was facing her tears, her fragility, or her overtures, in that man's eyes, it was all insignificant.

How could she possibly be inferior to that Zhou Xiaoru! Where was she inferior to her!

Fang Qingkong could not figure it out, and the jealousy in her heart was like boiling water, bubbling up non-stop.

Zhou Xiaoru returned to the room to get her computer, and when she arrived downstairs, she met up with Gu Liyan right on time.

Sitting in the car, it was just like when they arrived, the same setup!

Xiao Chen driving, and her and him.

Zhou Xiaoru felt a bit strange; when she arrived yesterday, she hadn't run into any other colleagues at the hotel.

After asking Gu Liyan in the morning, she learned that the colleagues from other departments who came on this business trip were all staying at another hotel.

She had even suspected at one point that they were the only two people on this business trip.

It wasn't until the Bidding Conference in the morning that she saw a few colleagues from other departments.

Sitting in the car, the gentleman was already flipping through the documents in his hand.

After sizing him up for a long time, Zhou Xiaoru asked.

"Why didn't the colleagues from other departments stay at the same hotel as us?"

After saying this, she regretted it a little; what did she want to hear?

Was it that this person deliberately didn't stay with the other colleagues on the business trip because he wanted to be alone with her, or something else?

Just as she was feeling annoyed, the man's calm and waveless voice came from beside her.

"The hotel they are staying at was booked by the company in advance; I'm not used to staying there, so I rebooked this hotel, is there a problem!"

This answer was perfect!

It wasn't the answer Zhou Xiaoru wanted to hear, but it made her stop doubting Gu Liyan's intentions toward her.

It seems that after last night, this person has really returned to normal.

Suddenly feeling a tiny bit unhappy in her heart, she changed the subject and spread her hands.

"You still haven't given me the money for the coffee just now!"

A hint of a smile flashed in the man's lowered eyes, and the corners of his mouth hooked up, but by the time he looked up again, his expression had already returned to calm.

"How much?"

At this moment, Zhou Xiaoru puffed out her cheeks, looked at the scenery outside the car window next to her, pouted, and replied.

"Thirty-six!"

"Receipt."

Hearing this guy ask her for a receipt, Miss Zhou turned her head and said.

"I threw the receipt away just now."

The gentleman put on a business-like air, "Then how do I know if you aren't submitting a fake expense report? Besides, I only took one sip of that coffee."

The rest had all been splashed by her onto Fang Qingkong.

Zhou Xiaoru hadn't expected this guy to be so stingy!

"Boss! You are, at the very least, the president of a large enterprise; it's just a cup of coffee, surely it's not that serious!"

Asking her for a receipt? Is he really going to calculate it this clearly! This is being stingy to an excessive degree!

"You were the one who said it yourself last night, telling me to treat you professionally from now on and not to give you special treatment. What's wrong?"

Zhou Xiaoru, "......"

These words successfully choked her into speechlessness!

That's right! When buying things for reimbursement, the procedure requires a receipt as proof; otherwise, on what grounds would he reimburse her!

He wasn't wrong at all!

Moreover, for the sake of being cool for once, most of that coffee had already been poured onto Fang Qingkong.

Wait!

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoru realized she seemed to have forgotten an important detail!

Just now, this guy said he only drank one sip of the coffee!

Her head suddenly buzzed!

It seems that before she went to pour the coffee on Fang Qingkong, she had also tasted a sip of that bitter coffee!

Clearly, that guy had already arrived by then, so why did he still go and drink what she had drunk.

But then she thought about it again, excusing the gentleman, perhaps he hadn't seen her drink it from behind.

Zhou Xiaoru felt that she had been muddled and taken advantage of by this guy again.

Thinking about it, she decided to let it go; thirty-six yuan, just consider it money spent to buy a moment of coolness.

Mentioning money, she couldn't help but suddenly think of her salary!

Instantly, she was full of fighting spirit again!

Before asking this question, she first glanced at Xiao Chen, who was driving in front.

Just now, she seemed to have constantly caught glimpses of that guy secretly watching them in the rearview mirror.

This matter of salary counted as personal privacy, and besides, she was still in her internship period, yet she had already secretly processed her transition to a permanent employee.

It wouldn't be good if others found out.

After thinking for a moment, she took out her phone, intending to send a WeChat message to the person beside her.

"I've been forgetting to ask you, what about my salary! I've already been working for over two months, there should at least be a salary!"

As the phone in the gentleman's pocket vibrated, Zhou Xiaoru looked at him with anticipation, hoping he would check the message quickly.

But......

The person beside her continued to look at the documents in his hands as if he hadn't heard the vibration at all.

Zhou Xiaoru felt helpless and had no choice but to send another one.

"Salary salary salary!!!"

The phone vibrated again, and even Xiao Chen, who was driving in front, heard the sound.

But the gentleman just wouldn't look at his phone!

Little did she know, in the eyes of President Gu, who was looking down at the documents, a fox-like smile was brewing.

Zhou Xiaoru was out of options; after making faces for a long time, she simply gave up.

As for the salary, she would wait until work ended in the afternoon and ask again back at the hotel.

Just as she turned her head, intending to continue looking at the scenery.

The man beside her had already taken out his phone and was looking at the message she had sent.

The man's slender fingers moved, and he replied.

"Starting next month, your salary will be issued uniformly by the Finance Department. For details, check your salary statement then."

As soon as Zhou Xiaoru received the message, her eyes lit up instantly!

But after she opened the message, her originally bright eyes dimmed again instantly.

What is this! Having to wait until next month, why is it so hard to get a salary!

Just as she was about to put her phone away dejectedly, the person beside her sent her another message.

"What's wrong, out of pocket money at the end of the month?"

Gu Liyan was actually quite understanding of the difficulties of students.

Zhou Xiaoru didn't want to continue chatting with him anymore and replied with two words.

"No"

Afterwards, the car returned to its previous calm.

Xiao Chen, who was driving, flickered his gossiping eyes, observing the interaction and atmosphere between the two in the back, and couldn't help but guess......

Could it be that they had quarreled?

And this question troubled him until they arrived at a well-known local listed company, and he still hadn't received the answer he wanted.

In order for tomorrow's second half of the bidding to be successfully awarded to Tengyuan Company, Gu Liyan decided to take the initiative and meet with the partner company hosting this bid.

The entire afternoon of interviews and discussions was spent in the conference room on the top floor.

By the time both sides had negotiated everything, it was already evening without them realizing it.

In order to fulfill the duties of a host, the president of this company took the initiative to invite Gu Liyan to dinner together.

That gentleman, who originally disliked socializing, had no choice but to agree in order to secure this opportunity for cooperation.

And as soon as Zhou Xiaoru heard that the big shot and another big shot were going to eat together, she naturally intended to back out.

She was just a little follower, and a follower with a great deal of self-awareness at that.

How could she possibly go when big shots were dining?

But the other party's president was a very straightforward person; not only did he invite Gu Liyan, but he also invited her along.

This put her in a bit of a dilemma!

A big shot's dinner party was not something every small fry could attend.

If her behavior, manners, or speech were to have any faults, wouldn't that bring shame upon Tengyuan Company!

And if she caused Gu Liyan to miss this opportunity to enter W City...

She guessed that the handsome Gu would definitely kill her!

Just as she was thinking about how to refuse, that gentleman, having already sensed her thoughts, whispered something to her that made her nod and agree immediately.

"Since President Yan has already opened his mouth to invite you to this dinner, you shouldn't refuse; as long as you agree, I will have the Finance Department pay your salary when I go back tonight!"

Upon hearing about her salary, Zhou Xiaoru had already completely lost her reason and rationality!

Getting paid! Who doesn't like getting paid!