They got into the back seat separately, and the car headed in the direction of the hotel.
Glancing sideways at the Marquis Residence fading in the distance, Gan Yuan let out a slight sigh of relief.
Will quickly walked into the living room, scanning from left to right. Spotting Huangfu Jue coming out of the corridor, he immediately quickened his pace to meet him.
Seeing Will in only a shirt, Huangfu Jue raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Will caught his gaze and stammered an explanation, "Oh, this is... I accidentally got it dirty, so..."
How could he accidentally dirty his suit jacket?!
Huangfu Jue watched his assistant with a somewhat amused expression.
Annie, seeing him return, immediately hastened to greet him.
Annie had been anxious waiting for him ever since he and Gan Yuan had left for so long; had she not been worried about irritating him by going to check on him, she would have done so much earlier.
Now that she finally saw him return, Annie naturally wouldn’t miss the chance.
Taking two plates of drinks from a passing waiter’s tray, she lifted one and handed it to him.
"You seem to have not eaten anything yet. How about I ask the kitchen to prepare some supper for us, and we could eat and chat on the terrace... I mean, discuss the specifics of our collaboration."
She tried her best to appear strictly businesslike. Having interacted with Huangfu Jue on more than one occasion, she was keenly aware that this man did not like being pestered; discussing business might be the best approach to getting close to him.
"There’s no need to trouble yourself," Huangfu Jue said, ignoring the drink she had offered, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now!"
Annie, feeling snubbed, was secretly furious but didn’t dare to show it on her face. She immediately put down the glass and followed him, saying, "Let me escort you!"
She followed closely behind Huangfu Jue, maintaining a smile as she escorted him. As they approached the main door, she couldn’t contain her curiosity, and feigning an apologetic tone, she said, "To tell the truth, I am so sorry. I had no idea Miss Gan would come, so... I hope you don’t mind."
"It doesn’t matter!" Huangfu Jue shrugged indifferently. "It was a good opportunity to talk to her."
Annie looked cautiously at his face, "Duke, may I have a few minutes alone with you? I... I have something to ask for your opinion about. It concerns future cooperation between our two countries and is of great importance."
Huangfu Jue showed little interest, but considering the national interest, he waved Will over to wait at the bottom of the stairs.
Shifting his gaze from the car that drove up the stairs, he turned to look at Annie.
"Here’s the thing," Annie leaned in a little closer, "Father is preparing to have me run in the election. Given your high position in A Country, you must have abundant experience. What do you think... I should pay more attention to?"
Annie put on an eager-to-learn façade, but in reality, she deliberately intended to disclose this information to Huangfu Jue. First, it was a sign of her trust and closeness to him, and second, it was to demonstrate her exceptional qualities to this man.
If it were any other matter, Huangfu Jue might not have been interested at all. But as it concerned an election, he couldn’t help but pay extra attention.
"You’re preparing to run in an election?" he asked earnestly.
"Yes." Seeing his attitude become noticeably more attentive, Annie was secretly delighted, "It hasn’t been announced publicly yet, I’m just... telling you."