Rong Yanqiao booked a barbecue restaurant that has a good reputation.
When we got there, there were no private rooms left; we heard you need to book them in advance.
Today, Rong Yanqiao was bare-faced, wearing a baseball cap and a tracksuit, but as a celebrity, she had an outstanding aura. Even without seeing her face, just from her silhouette, there emitted a strong, dazzling star presence.
Tang Xi suggested that we might as well take a private room for more privacy.
Rong Yanqiao took out her phone, preparing to call Rong Qingze, but at that moment Tang Xi took out a card from her bag. The waiter took it, saw it, and immediately arranged a private room for us.
Rong Yanqiao said with a smile, "Tang Xi, not bad at all, you really keep a low profile, huh?"
Tang Xi didn’t know what to say; after all, the card was Fu Tingzhou’s.
And herself, just a minor designer at Fu’s, using such a card, who would believe it...
However, Rong Yanqiao quickly changed the topic, "Would you like me to introduce some girlfriends to you? Have you met your KPI this year? How about the year-end bonus? I know a few friends in my circle. I can ask each of them to support your new designs and order custom sets from you."
Tang Xi was indeed happy; she really hoped her design works would be liked.
Who wouldn’t want to maintain more high-end clients?
"Miss Rong, we haven’t known each other for long. Why do you want to help me?"
Rong Yanqiao did give Tang Xi a familiar feeling, but ’feeling’ is such an abstract, elusive word. She had never met Rong Yanqiao before, rarely followed celebrity gossip, and thus was unfamiliar with showbiz. However, Rong Yanqiao seemed like an old friend, acting naturally without any awkwardness or stiffness.
This made Tang Xi somewhat puzzled.
She didn’t think she had any special beauty to attract celebrities to be friends with her...
Her designs were good, but in that respect, she was a newcomer.
Rong Yanqiao was grilling meat; she flipped a piece with tongs and placed it in Tang Xi’s bowl, "It’s just, I felt a connection. The moment I saw you, I thought you must be a good person, a kind-hearted girl. I just felt familiar with you, simply a matter of feeling a connection."
Tang Xi didn’t accept the kindness straightforwardly, "I really appreciate it, Miss Rong. I am grateful for your kindness."
Rong Yanqiao wasn’t upset by Tang Xi’s rejection. She seemed carefree as she started discussing the honey sauce of the barbecue restaurant.
The sudden change in topic made Tang Xi somewhat confused.
This Miss Rong is really...
One would think, given Rong Yanqiao’s prominent background and current star status, being rejected would provoke a temper, but she seemed to have no temper at all.
"Tang Xi, can I often invite you out for meals in the future?"
"Ah...sure...sure, but evenings would be better because I have to spend time with my daughter on weekends."
"Then bring your daughter along, I haven’t met your daughter yet. How old is she? She must be very cute."
"She’s four and a half years old, very cute."
"Then let’s plan for this Saturday. I also have time this Saturday. How about I take you and your daughter to Ocean Park? While talking, Rong Yanqiao took out her phone, glanced at her memo, "Hmm, let’s meet at nine in the morning; we can get there by ten or so. I’ll book the tickets now. Then we can have lunch together, and in the afternoon there seems to be an anime movie, we could take your daughter to see it."
In a few sentences, Rong Yanqiao had arranged the entire day’s schedule.
Tang Xi had no room for refusal.
Moreover, Rong Yanqiao was a major client she needed to maintain.
Additionally, there was nothing about herself that was worth courting favor from Rong Yanqiao. She was just an ordinary designer, while the other was a big star.
After the meal, Rong Yanqiao had her driver take Tang Xi home first.
Tang Xi gave the address of the intersection.
Rong Yanqiao watched Tang Xi’s departing figure, her eyes gradually filling with a tinge of sourness. She closed the car window and curled up in her seat. She began to look forward to Saturday, hoping to meet Tang Xi and her daughter. Tang Xi’s daughter must be very cute and beautiful, she had never seen her before...
The last time she parted ways with Tang Xi was almost five years ago.
She returned to the villa.
Rong Qingze was waiting for her in the living room.
Upon seeing Rong Yanqiao, he slowly stretched out his hand, "Come here."
Rong Yanqiao walked over and the man lifted his hand to grip her chin, "You came back late, had a fun time? Did you drink? Did you drink when having barbecue?"
Rong Yanqiao knocked his fingers away, "You had someone spy on me."
"You are a public figure after all, it’s necessary for me to ensure your safety."
"You can spy on me freely, but I hope, Uncle, that you do not disturb the lives of my friends."
"Caring so much about Tang Xi, I’m actually a bit jealous now," he said, his fingertips tightening slightly, but not enough to cause her pain, only enough to control her and prevent her movement.
"I know you’ve investigated Tang Xi. She was a good friend of mine, my life back then, you know, she was my only friend."
"If my investigation isn’t wrong, your friend’s identity isn’t simple, huh—Fu Tingzhou’s... mistress?"
"Uncle, so, you can’t use her to threaten me anymore, if you touch her, Fu Tingzhou will also come after you," she said, her face bright with a smile as she knocked Rong Qingze’s fingers away, as if she had calculated it—this man would use every vulnerability around her to threaten her and achieve his goals.
But Tang Xi, he couldn’t touch her.
"She’s your friend, why would uncle touch her, Yanqiao, you’re overthinking," the man said gently caressing Rong Yanqiao’s cheek, though his tone slightly shifting, "But Yanqiao, it’s already 10:05 now, you came back five minutes late, you should be punished."
Rong Yanqiao turned pale.
She also knew she couldn’t resist.
"Then be gentle, I still need to meet Huo Yanshu tomorrow, he’s coming back from An City tomorrow," she said just before she was thrown onto the sofa.
"Shut up! I don’t want to hear that name from your mouth again!"
Yet Rong Yanqiao insisted on speaking, the man’s actions were rough, like venting, she was not at all comfortable, but she was still smiling, as if provoking him, "Brother Yanshu said, he wants to talk about engagement, uncle, what do you think I..."
Latter, Rong Yanqiao’s words turned into a scream.
The man bit on her collarbone, causing her to sob in pain.
"Really naughty, A’Qiao, if you don’t learn to obey, you’ll always be punished, from now on, no staying out late and you’re not allowed to mention Huo Yanshu in front of me ever again!"