Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 4: Meeting a Benefactor at the Cocktail Party

“Come on, Xiaowan, don’t blame me. I’ve already suffered the punishment I deserved!” Qi Xin'er said, sounding aggrieved. Judging by her expression, something must have really happened. The most likely scenario was... “Xin'er, did someone look down on you? Make fun of you? Tell me—who was it? I’ll go and teach them a lesson,” Li Xiaowan said earnestly. It was one thing for people to bully her, but they absolutely couldn’t bully her friend—especially not a best friend and close confidante she’d grown up with since childhood. “Uh! Never mind, I’ll tell you about that later. Right now, I have something really important to tell you,” Qi Xin'er said, her previously aggrieved expression instantly giving way to excitement. “What’s so big?” Li Xiaowan asked, feeling a bit curious about what Qi Xin'er meant by “big news.” “Look! Do you see that handsome guy up on stage surrounded by people? Do you know who he is?” Qi Xin'er teased, deliberately keeping her friend in suspense. “How would I know who he is!” As soon as Li Xiaowan heard the question was about the person on stage, she immediately lost interest in listening further. “He’s one of the organizers of tonight’s cocktail party—Feng Tianyu, Feng Lingzheng’s older brother. He rarely makes public appearances, but I’ve heard he’s an adopted child of The Feng Family, though they’ve long treated him as their own. Feng Lingzheng was supposed to attend tonight, but it seems she had a last-minute commitment and couldn’t make it to the party. It’s a real shame, but at least Feng Tianyu is here.” ” After Qi Xin'er finished speaking, she gazed at the figure on stage with a dreamy expression. “Qi Xin'er, snap out of it already!” Li Xiaowan said, waving her hand in front of Qi Xin'er’s face. “Oh! Right, I almost forgot to tell you something—he’s the one who helped us on the bus earlier.” Qi Xin'er slapped her forehead; she’d almost forgotten to tell Xiaowan something so important. “What? It really is a small world.” No wonder he was so aloof—in ancient times, he’d have been a prince or nobleman. But why would someone of such noble status be on a bus? Li Xiaowan was a bit puzzled. “Exactly, Xiaowan. Do you think we should take this opportunity to go over and offer him a toast to show our gratitude?” Qi Xin'er’s eyes sparkled as she said this. Li Xiaowan knew even with her little finger that Qi Xin'er had more in mind than just a simple toast. “I don’t think so. Didn’t we already thank her on the bus?” She decided to tease Qi Xin'er a little first. “That doesn’t count, Xiaowan. Just listen to me—let’s go over there together,” Qi Xin'er said, almost pleading. Just as Li Xiaowan was about to speak, a clear, pleasant voice suddenly rang out from the stage: “Good evening, everyone! Please allow Tianyu to take up just two minutes of your time.” Instantly, the entire hall fell silent. It seems, just as Qi Xin'er had said, the Feng Family truly commands considerable prestige, Li Xiaowan thought to herself. “Tianyu is deeply honored that everyone has taken time out of their busy schedules to attend The Feng Family’s cocktail party tonight. Please forgive us for any shortcomings! We had intended to announce a personal matter to everyone tonight, but since the person in question was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ve had to postpone it for now. We hope you’ll understand! Well then, Tianyu won’t keep you from enjoying yourselves any longer. I wish you all a wonderful evening,thank you!” Cheers erupted from the audience, ringing out without end. “Brother Tianyu, don’t leave yet... Wait...” “Brother Tianyu is my very own Prince Charming—don’t you dare steal him from me...” “Young Master Feng is truly full of vigor; he speaks and acts with such crisp precision, and Feng Er goes without saying! Sigh! We simply can’t compare to them...” There were all sorts of comments—it seemed that The Feng Family was indeed quite popular. “Xiaowan, come with me quickly!” Without waiting for a response, Qi Xin'er grabbed Xiaowan’s arm and headed in the direction Feng Tianyu had left. Li Xiaowan was dragged along by Qi Xin'er the whole way, and finally, just around the corner outside the hall, she caught a glimpse of Feng Tianyu’s back—but unfortunately, security guards were standing guard. “Feng… Brother Tianyu, please wait! Just give us a minute—we saw each other on the bus this afternoon,” Qi Xin'er blurted out. Her words successfully caught Feng Tianyu’s attention, and he stopped in his tracks. “Is there something you need?” Feng Tianyu asked, his tone devoid of any emotion. “No… nothing. Wait, no… actually, there is something. My friend and I came all the way here just to thank you. The bus was so crowded that we didn’t get a chance to properly thank you back then,” Qi Xin'er said, somewhat at a loss for words. “So it’s you two. I told you before—there’s no need to thank me. It was just a small favor,” Feng Tianyu said, turning around only now. Li Xiaowan had thought he’d just keep talking to them with his back turned! She really didn’t have a high opinion of someone like that—and certainly had nothing to say to him. “Brother Tianyu, we actually wanted to toast you to show our gratitude, but since we were so focused on chasing after you just now, we forgot to get the drinks. I’m really sorry,” Qi Xin'er said with a sigh of regret. “Don’t worry about it. I appreciate the gesture. But I’m actually quite curious about the beautiful lady standing next to you—don’t you have anything you’d like to say to me?” Feng Tianyu shifted his gaze to Li Xiaowan’s face. “I’m sorry, Young Master Feng, but I really don’t have anything to say to you. I said everything I needed to on the bus, and just now, my friend practically dragged me out here,” Li Xiaowan said calmly. “Straight to the point—I like that about you. May I ask the surnames of these two beauties?” Feng Tianyu asked casually. Qi Xin'er glanced at Li Xiaowan beside her. She was certain Li Xiaowan wouldn’t pay Feng Tianyu any mind, so she quickly replied, “Brother Tianyu, my name is Qi Xin'er. This is my best friend, Li Xiaowan.” “Mm-hmm!” Feng Tianyu didn’t say a single extra word; he simply turned and disappeared around the corner. “What kind of attitude is that!” Li Xiaowan said, clearly annoyed. “Xiaowan, you’ll have to get used to it. Rich people are usually like that—and he’s not just any rich person,” Qi Xin'er said kindly, though she actually felt pretty uncomfortable herself. But what more could she ask for? Just being able to see someone from The Feng Family up close and exchange a few words was a blessing she didn’t know she’d earned through how many lifetimes of good karma. “Fine, I don’t understand the world of the wealthy. Let’s go—it’s getting really late, and who knows if we’ll even be able to hail a cab back. At least we don’t have to work tomorrow; otherwise, this would be exhausting.” Li Xiaowan’s focus was no longer on the cocktail party. “You’re right. Let’s hurry out then—we still have to walk a few hundred meters to catch a cab.” After hearing Li Xiaowan’s words, Qi Xin'er, too, stopped worrying much about the cocktail party. The two hurried out the winery gates. Since it was already late fall, the air had turned chilly after dark. They both shivered involuntarily and huddled close together as they made their way toward the exit. Fortunately, they were able to hail a cab, which made them both ecstatic. This time, they didn’t skimp on the fare and had the driver take them straight to their doorstep—though “doorstep” was a bit of a stretch, since it was actually the rental apartment they shared. It was rather modest, but the main thing was that it was cheap. Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er had graduated from college less than two years ago. Although their university wasn’t exactly a prestigious one, it was passable enough. However, once they entered the workforce, they realized just how difficult it was to find a job. They’d worked at fast-food restaurants and auto parts stores, but unfortunately, they were both laid off during the off-season. The reason Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er were willing to leave their hometownstravel all the way to this big city was entirely because a resume they submitted on a whim caught the eye of the Company they work for now. Although they’re just junior assistants—the kind who spend their days sorting piles of documents to print, or idly wiping down desks and mopping the floor—the two have never lost heart. They truly cherish this hard-won job opportunity,Just think—how many people would kill to get into a multinational Company, yet the two of them managed to slip in by a stroke of luck? To say they’re content to remain ordinary is simply impossible—especially Li Xiaowan. To be precise, the fact that she’s alive today is entirely a gift from heaven, and she owes it in no small part to the help of her neighbors and fellow villagers. There are some parts of her past she’d rather not bring up,but now she only wants to work hard, step by step, to build a better tomorrow for herself. Perhaps because she was so exhausted, she slept soundly through the night without a single dream until dawn. “Xiaowan, why are you still sleeping? Get up already!” Early in the morning, Qi Xin'er was making a racket right by Li Xiaowan’s bed. “Come on! Miss Qi, the beauty, don’t wake me up!” Li Xiaowan mumbled sleepily before drifting back into a deep sleep. Qi Xin'er took a look at Li Xiaowan’s state and thought to herself: Looks like I’ll have to pull out all the stops. So she grabbed a magazine from the desk beside her, rolled it into a tube, and shouted into one of Li Xiaowan’s ears, “Xiaowan, time to get up!” It wasn’t a big deal until she actually yelled—the sudden outburst startled Li Xiaowan. “Did I get it wrong? Do I have to go to work today?” Li Xiaowan asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “Xiaowan, you’re not mistaken, but you seem to have forgotten something,” Qi Xin'er kindly reminded her. Li Xiaowan might have forgotten, but she certainly hadn’t. “Oh, that’s good. But what on earth is it that’s got you shouting so early in the morning? I was actually planning to sleep in this weekend. I don’t care! You owe me a good night’s sleep!” Li Xiaowan said in a petulant tone. “Make it up to you… I’ll definitely make it up to you… but before I do, could you please think about whether there’s something very important you need to handle in person tonight?” Qi Xin'er said, offering a gentle reminder. “Tonight… what could possibly be so important tonight? And I have to handle it myself! I say, Qi Xin'er, did you look at too many handsome guys last night and haven’t snapped out of it yet? What kind of nonsense are you talking about!” Li Xiaowan thought Qi Xin'er was acting strangely first thing in the morning and couldn’t figure her out. “High heels… the guy with the sports car…” Qi Xin'er offered another clue to jog her memory. “Oh... I’d completely forgotten about that if you hadn’t mentioned it. But I think that guy’s probably just a nutcase—he probably gets a kick out of messing with people. Let’s just ignore him. Xin'er, did you make something delicious? Let me guess… Could it be my favorite beef pan-fried buns?” Li Xiaowan said excitedly, her drowsiness vanishing instantly. “Xiaowan, I told you your nose is sharper than a dog’s, but you just wouldn’t admit it,” Qi Xin'er teased. She then turned and went into the kitchen, bringing the freshly made beef pan-fried buns to Li Xiaowan and adding, “Eat them while they’re hot—be careful, they’re hot!” No sooner had Qi Xin'er finished speaking than Li Xiaowan eagerly picked one up with her hands, held it to her lips to blow on it briefly, and then took a big bite. “Wow… so… so good… really delicious…” “Xiaowan, slow down. I’m not trying to抢 them from you. Don’t choke. Here, have a sip of water first.” Qi Xin'er poured a cup of lukewarm water from the water dispenser nearby and handed it to Li Xiaowan, who was wolfing down the buns. “Xin'er, whoever marries you in the future is definitely… going to be so happy!” With her mouth full of buns, Li Xiaowan could barely make out her words. Seeing Li Xiaowan like this, Qi Xin'er could only shake her head in exasperation. But then she suddenly realized something and said with a serious expression, “Xiaowan, have you thought about what I just said? Are you going or not?” Li Xiaowan hadn’t expected Qi Xin'er to become so serious in an instant, so she freed one hand to tug at Qi Xin'er’s sleeve. “Miss Qi, don’t look so stern. You’re making me feel like a storm is about to hit. Is it really that serious?” “Xiaowan, I’m not trying to scare you, but the young master of Fengyi Group is no pushover. There was an incident involving The Feng Family a while back—I vaguely remember the news headline read ‘The Feng Family’s Second Young Master Furiously Kicks Pregnant Girl,’ and the comments hit at least a million. There were condemnations, defenses, and expressions of sympathy—opinions were all over the place. but it eventually fizzled out. Even though it was just a rumor, some rumors are too credible to ignore.” Qi Xin'er spoke with such conviction, as if it were a true story, which actually made Li Xiaowan believe it to some extent. “That’s so heartless. After he dies, he’ll definitely be cast into the eighteenth level of hell,” Li Xiaowan said angrily.