The moment Lin Zhou returned to his office, he immediately called the person in charge of the Haishi Summit.
Mr. Wang of the organizing committee was a shrewd man. When he learned that Jiang Zongyan had changed his mind and would be attending the conference in person, he was practically overwhelmed with delight.
“Assistant Lin, please rest assured. We’ll make sure Mr. Jiang is completely satisfied!”
Lin Zhou pushed up his glasses, carefully considering how to phrase what he wanted to say.
“It’s like this. Miss Zhou of the Zhou Corporation is also attending the summit. The two families have been close for generations, and Mr. Jiang and Miss Zhou grew up together. They’ve always been very close, and Mr. Jiang has always treated Miss Zhou like his own younger sister.”
Lin Zhou delivered the lie without the slightest change in expression, deliberately emphasizing the words “grew up together.”
“This is Miss Zhou’s first business trip as team leader, and Mr. Jiang is worried about his little sister from the Zhou family… If it’s convenient, please arrange Mr. Jiang’s room next to Miss Zhou’s.”
He thought smugly: Since the president is too embarrassed to ask, he’ll do it for him.
“…”
Mr. Wang was stunned.
What was Lin Zhou trying to imply?
Lin Zhou hurriedly added, “There’s nothing else to it. Don’t read too much into it, please.”
Mr. Wang was an old fox who had made his way through the world of wealth and influence.
Childhood sweethearts? Rooms next door? And then an emphatic “don’t read too much into it”?
Who would believe that?
“Understood, understood!” Mr. Wang thumped his chest and promised, “Childhood sweethearts, right? Just a big brother taking care of his little sister. I’ll make all the arrangements properly. I guarantee Mr. Jiang will be satisfied!”
“Then we’ll leave it at that. Thank you for your trouble.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
After hanging up, Mr. Wang summoned the supervisor in charge of the hotel’s guest services. Grinning excitedly, he leaned over and whispered a few instructions into the man’s ear.
“Go take care of it immediately! Make the room as romantic as possible.”
Mr. Wang was grinning from ear to ear. “This time, we’ve finally managed to get on the good side of the Jiang Group!”
And so, thanks to Lin Zhou’s “skillful” delivery and Mr. Wang’s “overenthusiastic” interpretation, a misunderstanding was neatly brought to life.
Two in the afternoon.
Zhou Suisui’s flight landed at Haishi International Airport right on schedule.
The three of them had just collected their luggage when a private car from the organizing committee was already waiting outside the VIP exit.
“Miss, look at the weather here in Haishi. It’s so much more humid and stifling than in Tangcheng.”
Zhang Liang fanned herself with one hand as she chatted with Zhou Suisui.
Wearing sunglasses, Zhou Suisui had taken off her coat the moment she stepped off the plane. She nodded.
“I heard there are a lot of mosquitoes here too. Let’s ask the hotel if they have any mosquito repellent when we arrive.”
“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ve already prepared mosquito repellent.”
As soon as Zhang Liang finished speaking, Fu Jie added in his warm voice, “I also brought sunscreen. CEO Zhou said you only drink this particular brand of purified water, so I brought some of that too.”
“…”
The moment those words left his mouth, Zhang Liang’s eyes lit up.
Her gossipy gaze swept back and forth between the two of them like a radar.
Oh, there’s definitely something going on!
No wonder CEO Zhou had specifically arranged for Finance Director Fu to accompany them.
She had wondered about it before. She and Miss Zhou would have been more than enough to recruit a few engineers, so why bring along the finance director?
Zhou Suisui’s expression stiffened. She gave Finance Director Fu a polite but distant smile.
“Thank you, Finance Director Fu. I’m not that delicate.”
Fu Jie helplessly curled his lips. “Miss, please don’t misunderstand. I prepared the things Director Zhang needs as well.”
“Me? For me?”
Zhang Liang pointed at herself in disbelief.
Fu Jie nodded gentlemanly. “I heard Director Zhang is allergic to ultraviolet rays, so I prepared UV-protective clothing and a sun-protection mask.”
Zhang Liang was utterly flattered.
Even her own husband had never been this considerate.
For a moment, her feelings grew complicated.
As expected… when choosing a husband, you had to find someone attentive and thoughtful. This was the full princess treatment!
Could she still make time to change husbands?
Hearing that, Zhou Suisui relaxed. Perhaps she really had been overthinking things. Finance Director Fu was simply a considerate and genuinely kind man.
She felt a little embarrassed over her earlier “wishful thinking.”
Looking at him apologetically, Zhou Suisui said, “I didn’t mean anything by what I said just now. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s all right, Miss.”
From beginning to end, Fu Jie remained warm and elegant, making people feel as comfortable as if they were basking in a gentle spring breeze.
Zhang Liang watched the two of them.
She had apparently discovered something extraordinary!
Finance Director Fu liked Miss Zhou!
She suddenly remembered a short story she had seen online: Someone wanted to hug the person they secretly loved, so they went around hugging everyone present first…
Gentle, devoted Finance Director Fu… Ahhh, this pairing was too adorable. She would be the first to wave their banner!
—
The InterContinental Grand Hotel stood like a heavenly palace above the sea, famous for its unique design resembling nine flower petals.
The summit’s conference sessions would be held in the hotel’s reception hall.
After completing the check-in process at the front desk, Fu Jie accepted the three room cards and thanked the receptionist.
“You’re welcome. Please follow me.”
Mr. Wang had given the front desk staff instructions early that morning, and the receptionist personally led them upstairs.
Fu Jie assumed their three rooms would be next to one another. Zhou Suisui and Zhang Liang had thought the same.
Instead, after showing Fu Jie and Zhang Liang to their rooms, the receptionist turned respectfully to Zhou Suisui.
“Miss Zhou, your room is upstairs. Please follow me.”
“My room is upstairs?”
“Yes.”
The receptionist didn’t elaborate. She merely gestured for Zhou Suisui to follow.
Fu Jie looked at her worriedly. “We’re from the same company. Could you change the room arrangement? It would be easier for us to look out for one another if we stayed together.”
The receptionist maintained her professional smile.
“It’s like this: the Zhou Corporation is a distinguished guest of the organizing committee. We were specifically instructed to make sure Miss Zhou feels completely at home.”
“But…”
Fu Jie frowned, clearly uneasy.
Zhou Suisui quickly interrupted, “It’s fine. We’ll follow the arrangement made by the organizers.”
This was her first time attending a conference like this, and she didn’t want to leave people with the impression that she was demanding or difficult to deal with.
“Miss Zhou, this way, please.”
Zhou Suisui pulled her suitcase along and followed the receptionist.
Behind them, Fu Jie stood by the door, staring at her departing figure for a long time without coming back to himself.
He didn’t snap out of it until a teasing laugh sounded behind him.
“She’s already gone. You can stop staring now.”
Fu Jie met Zhang Liang’s mischievous gaze, and the tips of his ears instantly flushed with heat.
“I was only worried about Miss.”
“What’s there to worry about? She’s the eldest daughter of the Zhou family. Who would dare bully her?”
A teasing smile tugged at Zhang Liang’s lips.
“Finance Director Fu, you and Miss Zhou… Hehe…”
