Chapter 1227: Business Over Feelings

She took a black card out of her bag and handed it over: "Charge whatever you want."

After saying that, she walked inside.

"I'm sorry, Miss, please stop. That area has been reserved by that gentleman; it's the same if you sit over here."

"It is not the same."

Ji Yingjie's voice suddenly rose several octaves; her last bit of patience was finally exhausted.

To think she would challenge her patience again and again?

When had Ji Yingjie ever suffered such grievances?

"I want to sit there. If you don't agree, I'll go to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce and report you for defrauding customers. You look down on people—what era is this, and you're still pulling that 'minimum consumption' routine?"

"Minimum consumption is one thing, but a thousand per person? Is this a crooked shop? What kind of coffee costs a thousand per person? I now suspect that you are using the name of a coffee shop to actually engage in shady business..."

The more Ji Yingjie spoke, the nastier it got.

She had come prepared, bringing her own voice-changing software, the kind independently developed by the Ji Family.

The software was made exceptionally well; although the voice was not her original one, it was very realistic and identical to the voice of a young girl.

As the sharp and mean words were spoken through the voice-changer, the voice was crisp and pleasant, but equally piercing.

At the entrance, a guest and a waiter were arguing.

Shi Ran glanced back, then turned around again.

She didn't care who was arguing with whom.

She was currently struggling with whether to stand up and leave or continue talking with Qi Heng, caught in a dilemma.

Qi Heng noticed.

He reached out to beckon the waiter over and said to him: "Tell them at the door to stop arguing. Let her sit wherever she wants, but tell her to keep quiet."

He could not let his important business be ruined by such an insignificant woman.

"Yes, sir."

The waiter went to the door, whispered a few words to his colleague, and then said to Ji Yingjie with a beaming smile: "I'm sorry, Miss, it was all our fault just now. Please choose the seat you like."

"Hmph! That's more like it."

Ji Yingjie swayed her waist exaggeratedly, walked gracefully to the seat diagonally opposite Shi Ran, and even cast a flirtatious glance at Qi Heng.

It almost made Qi Heng vomit in disgust.

The strong, cheap perfume scent kept drilling into both of their noses.

Shi Ran had her back to Ji Yingjie, her brows slightly furrowed.

Qi Heng asked: "I'll have someone remove her."

Shi Ran: "No need, let her sit."

With a woman like that nearby, it didn't matter even if she heard them talking; neither of them thought of her as someone with ulterior motives.

The topic Qi Heng had successfully invited Shi Ran out to discuss today was not about feelings, but about business!

He took the initiative to propose returning the Sheng Family's property in L Country unconditionally, but asked Shi Ran to give him some time to repay it in installments!

After the two met, before they could even start chatting, someone caused a scene.

Now that it had finally quieted down, Qi Heng took the initiative to bring up this matter.

He took a document out of his bag and handed it to Shi Ran: "Ranran, take a look. If there is anything you are dissatisfied with or don't understand, you can ask me."

Shi Ran didn't look at it, but pushed the contract back: "For this kind of thing, go directly to the Chairman. I don't handle the L Country business side of things." Her tone was entirely professional.

Qi Heng: "Ranran, is it necessary for us to be this distant..."

Shi Ran: "It is necessary."

Qi Heng:...

He sighed heavily and, unwilling to give up, tried to persuade her further: "Ranran, I know that matter was my fault. I regret it so much my guts are turning green. I know I was wrong now; can't you give me one chance?"

Shi Ran looked up at him: "The chance you wanted, I gave it to you, but you were the one who didn't want it, time and time again." She still remembered vividly the cold-bloodedness, ruthlessness, and the paranoid, icy attitude Qi Heng had back then.

Back when he issued a wanted warrant for her parents without distinguishing right from wrong.

Back when he used thunderous means to confiscate the Sheng Family's property.

He used his professional tone and attitude better than anyone, and now he wants to talk about personal connections?

Heh, he's thinking too much.

Did he think she couldn't see through it?

Qi Heng wanting to return the Sheng Family's property now was not at all what he claimed—that he knew he was wrong and wanted to change.

It was because the current economy of L Country was in a state of total collapse, and there was no one else who could turn the tide besides the Sheng Family.

Returning the property was just bait.

A step-by-step plan to lure the Sheng Family back to L Country to help him revitalize the national economy!

Shi Ran saw through everything, but she still came.

Some people and some things cannot be forgotten just because one wants to.

There was another reason: when she was in the hospital, she had said she owed Qi Heng a favor that had to be repaid!

A life-saving grace must, of course, be exchanged with something of weight and value.

She had her own calculations, but she couldn't agree to this matter easily.

Qi Heng: "Ranran, I know you won't believe anything I say now. I respect your thoughts. Before coming this time, I also thought that we would only talk about business and nothing else, but seeing you, I just can't control myself."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again in the future."

He also adopted a professional attitude, sitting upright; the two former lovers now began to negotiate like true business partners.

Qi Heng: "Miss Shi, I could of course talk to your father directly, but I require that the person I cooperate with in the future be you, not someone else. So I must tell you first; you should look at the contract, there's no rush to give me an answer."

The contract was handed before her, and this time she took it and began to read it carefully.

Over a dozen pages, with dozens of major items alone; the sincerity was overflowing.

Shi Ran finished reading it quickly, and she hesitated.

There was no way not to hesitate; the terms were too tempting, and it really was just as he said—it was just to repay the debt!

With such a contract placed before her, Shi Ran had no reason to refuse, but she could not make the decision alone, so she put it into her bag, intending to take it back for her father to decide.

At the next table.

Ji Yingjie ordered a cup of Blue Mountain coffee and kept stirring it with a silver spoon; she had heard every single word of their conversation, and several times she had almost jumped up to curse!

Shi Ran was young and could be blinded by surface appearances, but Qi Heng's intentions could not escape Ji Yingjie's eyes.

This brat was not simple.

He wanted both the person and the money.

If she jumped up now to expose him, perhaps it would be fine, but Ji Yingjie made a wrong decision—to endure it and wait until she went back to deal with it.

She secretly recorded the audio, capturing most of their conversation.

Shi Ran stood up to leave, and Qi Heng offered to see her off, but was refused.

"No need for you to see me off; this is my country, I can find my way home."

Qi Heng looked very hurt: "You can find your way home anywhere; are you afraid that if you are with me, others will take photos and make an issue of it?"

Shi Ran: "Think whatever you want, but I don't need you to see me off."

She was unwilling, so he truly obeyed and did not get up.

Shi Ran left, and Ji Yingjie wanted to leave too, but when she tried to stand up, she found she couldn't stand up at all!

It wasn't just her legs; her whole body was devoid of any strength, and even making a sound had become a difficult task.

Not good, someone had drugged the coffee.