Actually, Xu Yanxia was a bit surprised, because she remembered that when Lu Jingming entered the venue in the afternoon, he didn't have any flowers in his hands.
But whatever. At this moment, her friends, teammates, and family were all around her, and her lover was right in front of her, having carefully prepared such beautiful flowers for her.
She was truly happy.
Xu Yanxia smiled and accepted the flowers, then immediately gave her husband a hug. Unsurprisingly, a chorus of screams erupted from the crowd.
Some people started cheering and egging them on, "Kiss! Kiss!"
"Mr. Lu, Xiaoxia, hurry up and kiss!!! The atmosphere is perfectly set for it!!!"
...
Indeed, the atmosphere was perfectly set.
Lu Jingming immediately replied to the audience, "Okay," then wrapped his arm around his lovely wife's waist, lowered his head, and planted a kiss on her lips.
The crowd erupted into another round of screams.
The production team also very cooperatively played some passionate music for them.
Offstage, Mrs. Shen smiled and shook her head. "This boy, before he figured things out, he was like a block of wood. Now that he has, he's smoother than anyone!"
Chairman Lu, however, looked proud. "It must be genetic. He has quite a bit of my flair from back in the day!"
"Oh, you!"
Mrs. Shen smiled and shot her husband a glance. When she turned her gaze back to the stage, she saw that her eldest son had already taken the microphone handed to him by the host and was starting his speech.
"It is a great honor to witness my wife's championship moment with everyone today. Since joining the show, she has indeed worked very hard. I want to thank all the friends who helped and supported her, the judges, the production crew, and the vast audience. Of course, I also want to thank our elders and family members. This is a very meaningful program, and I hope it continues to thrive and run for a long time."
With that, he smiled and slipped in an advertisement. "After the new year, our Lu's Catering will successively open new branches in Jingbei, Shencheng, Xijing, and Rong City. We will also collaborate with the internationally renowned high-quality ingredient supplier, the Meyer Group, to launch a new restaurant brand. We welcome everyone to come taste and offer your guidance when the time comes."
"Finally, my wife and I have booked the entire Lianghu Club tonight, and we invite everyone to join us for a celebration banquet!"
"Wow!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of thanks rang out from both on and off the stage. "Thank you, Mr. Lu! Thank you, Director Xu!"
"Wishing you both booming careers and everlasting success!!!"
...
The production team cooperatively released confetti over the stage, turning the venue into a joyous ocean.
Amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, Ye Shu nodded with a face full of admiration. "As expected of Mr. Lu. With an ad like that, won't the sponsorship fees be recouped in no time?"
"Exactly."
Xiaozhen was also thoroughly impressed. "That's why he's rich. His brain just works well."
...
Once the cheers and applause died down again, the host read the closing remarks. Everyone on stage shouted "Happy New Year" to the camera together, and this recording finally came to a complete close.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and what followed was, naturally, a wild celebration.
Just as CEO Lu had said, he had booked the most famous local club and invited everyone to a lively celebration banquet.
Everyone ate, drank, talked, and laughed, while also watching traditional national arts performances. They had a thoroughly wonderful time.
By the time the banquet ended and they returned to their room, it was already very late into the night.
Xu Yanxia was still buzzing with excitement. She took off her coat and shoes at the entryway, put down her bag, walked a couple of steps barefoot into the room, and couldn't help but cheer again, "The competition is finally over, yay!!!"
Lu Jingming followed her with a smile. Pulling her into his arms, he sighed with a hint of heartache, "So it has been quite exhausting for you lately, hasn't it? Why did you never mention it to me?"
"It was hard work, but I gained a lot too!"
Xu Yanxia said earnestly, "With the current TV ratings, it's who knows how much better than spending money specifically on advertising! Just yesterday, my colleagues at Jiushan reported to me that our newly launched dishes have received an excellent response, and some even require advance booking to taste. With this momentum, opening more branches, especially in other cities, will be much easier!"
"Besides, what job isn't hard work? You're a CEO and you work overtime all day! And yet you still fly over every time to keep me company."
Saying that, she tilted her head up, stood on her tiptoes, kissed his cheek, and smiled, "You've worked hard, Hubby."
"Not hard at all,"
Lu Jingming's voice immediately dropped to a gentle register as he held her close and lowered his head to kiss her.
Xu Yanxia dodged slightly, blushing as she said, "I drank tonight. I need to take a shower first."
—She didn't usually have a habit of drinking, but because she was genuinely happy tonight, she couldn't help but have a few glasses of red wine at the celebration banquet just now.
Now that it was hitting her, she felt a little dizzy.
Lu Jingming, however, said, "I drank too. I don't mind you."
"But I mind,"
Xu Yanxia continued to dodge him with a smile, her cheeks as pink as apples, looking incredibly alluring!
"Then let's wash together."
Lu Jingming simply picked her up in his arms and headed to the bathroom.
...
Needless to say, it was another long night filled with surging passion.
In their most intimate moments, Lu Jingming gently kissed the tips of her ears and said in a husky voice, "I love you, baby."
"Mhm..."
Xu Yanxia's voice carried a slight hint of a sob, but she still hugged his shoulders tightly and let him capture her lips in a kiss.
...
The next day, Xu Yanxia slept in before getting up to have breakfast with her friends in the dining hall.
After all, all good things must come to an end. Once they finished this meal, everyone would be heading back to their respective homes.
Suisui said with some reluctance, "Although we hoped to win the championship in the finals right from the start of the competition, in the blink of an eye we've actually won it, and now we have to part ways! Who knows when we'll meet again!"
Ye Shu sighed and comforted her, "It won't be too long. When Xiaxia holds her wedding later, didn't we agree to attend together? It'll be very soon!"
"Exactly,"
Sister Gao also said with a smile, "It's just a little over a month. I'll go back and lose some weight so I can dress up beautifully to attend our captain's wedding."
"Then I'd better hurry up and hit the gym too,"
Bajin humorously stated, "Later on, in case the captain can't find an MC, I can step up and make a guest appearance!"
"That could actually work!"
Xu Yanxia smiled and said, "Your eloquence is really good, and the recommendation pitch you wrote yesterday was excellent. It earned us quite a few points!"
"Yeah,"
Everyone nodded in agreement, which made Bajin feel a little embarrassed. "My level is far behind yours, Captain. Your speech yesterday was the truly great one! Well-founded, logically clear, and incredibly comprehensive!"
"Yes, yes, our captain is super awesome!"
"When the show airs, that segment is definitely going to go viral!"
Seeing that the whole table of friends was showering her with praise again, Xu Yanxia had to quickly interrupt with a smile, "Every one of us is amazing. Winning this championship is the result of everyone's concerted efforts. However, I have some serious business I want to discuss with you all."
With that, she addressed everyone earnestly. "Just as our Mr. Lu mentioned yesterday, we will be opening new branches in several cities after the New Year. When that happens, we'll certainly be looking to recruit top talent. If any of you are interested in joining our team, please don't hesitate to reach out to me when the time comes. I will make sure to find the perfect position for you."
