31: It's more lively with more people.

Lin Chao's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

He looked up and greeted them with a smile.

"Sister Mengya, you guys are here to eat too."

His gaze quickly swept over the faces of the people behind Xie Mengya.

There were men and women, all dressed in suits and leather shoes, with extraordinary temperaments.

It seemed they were the senior management of Hongzhi Group.

Lin Chao's smile remained unchanged as he explained casually.

"I just finished giving Sister Yanran a massage. I was a bit tired, so I came out for lunch."

This sentence contained a massive amount of information.

The words "Sister Yanran" clearly reached Xie Mengya's ears.

Her smile stiffened for a split second.

It felt as if her heart had been pricked by something, neither too light nor too heavy, suddenly making her a bit uncomfortable.

She looked at Lin Chao with a half-smile in her eyes.

"Oh, my little brother has become quite capable."

"It's only been a few days, and you've already found yourself another elder sister?"

As soon as those words came out, the atmosphere in the air changed instantly.

It was filled with a thick scent of gunpowder.

Lan Yanran had been sitting upright without saying a word.

Only now did she slowly lift her eyes.

She lightly arched her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows.

Before Lin Chao could speak, her cold and indifferent voice rang out.

"What's wrong?"

"Surely President Xie doesn't intend to control how others address each other in private?"

Lan Yanran's casual remark was like an invisible needle, accurately piercing through the aura Xie Mengya had meticulously maintained.

Xie Mengya's expression flickered slightly as she was rendered speechless.

But she was, after all, a woman who had spent years navigating the business world.

In an instant, the stiffness on her face melted away like spring snow, replaced once again by her flawless, charming smile.

"Hehe..."

She let out a string of bell-like laughter and gracefully tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"CEO Lan is indeed a straight talker; that's exactly what I admire about you."

Lin Chao watched from the side, feeling a bit puzzled.

Something's not right... Aren't these two women secretly preparing to cooperate?

And they're friends in private too!

Why is it that as soon as they meet, they act like they've swallowed gunpowder, with every word being a barb?

No matter how you look at it, this atmosphere is off.

It couldn't be... because of me, right?

Lin Chao's heart skipped a beat, feeling it necessary to smooth things over and extinguish the fire that was about to break out.

He immediately looked at Xie Mengya and took the initiative to speak.

"Sister Mengya, are you here to discuss business today as well?"

Xie Mengya's gaze immediately shifted away from Lan Yanran and landed on Lin Chao's face.

The sharpness and scrutiny in her eyes vanished instantly.

In its place was an undisguised softness and intimacy.

"It's not for business."

She shook her head with a smile, her voice softening by several degrees.

"I'm just here for a casual meal with a few friends."

Lin Chao understood immediately.

So they finished their business and were having a private celebration?

Xie Mengya's gaze swept around the restaurant again, as if she had just noticed the nice environment.

"I've heard for a long time that the food here is good, so I specifically booked a private room."

As she spoke, she looked at Lin Chao with a beaming smile, her gaze seemingly sweeping over Lan Yanran inadvertently.

The provocative intent in that look had faded, but it hadn't completely disappeared.

"Little brother, and... Yanran."

She changed how she addressed her, replacing the distant 'CEO Lan' with the intimate 'Yanran.'

"Why don't you join us? More people make it livelier."

Hearing this form of address, the coldness in Lan Yanran's eyes softened a bit.

One does not strike a smiling face.

She picked up the lemon water in front of her and took a small sip, her posture elegant.

"There's no need for today."

Her voice returned to its usual indifference, showing no emotion.

"We're almost finished eating anyway."

Lan Yanran put down the water glass, her gaze shifting between Lin Chao and Xie Mengya, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"When there's an opportunity another day, I'll host."

"I'll invite you, little brother, and you too, Meng Ya, for a proper get-together."

This single sentence was a masterful stroke of deflection.

She both accepted Xie Mengya's olive branch and subtly categorized Lin Chao as one of 'her own.'

Xie Mengya's goal seemed to have been achieved as well.

She didn't press further and simply smiled.

"Alright, then it's a deal."

"I've noted it down; you're not allowed to back out when the time comes, Yanran."

She waved playfully at Lin Chao, as if saying goodbye, yet also as if declaring something.

"See you later, little brother."

With that, she swayed her slender waist and walked toward the private room with a queen-like stride, followed by the group of executives.

It wasn't until that sultry figure disappeared around the corner...

...that Lin Chao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the Hongzhi Group executives behind Xie Mengya hadn't dared to breathe a word from start to finish.

Now, following behind President Xie, their hearts were in total turmoil.

My God!

What kind of battlefield was that just now?!

They had long heard that their President Xie and CEO Lan of Lantu Group were close personal friends, but those were just rumors without any real substance.

Seeing it with their own eyes today, they realized the rumors... were quite interesting.

If they were friends, they were snapping at each other from the moment they met, with a scent of gunpowder thick enough to ignite.

But anyone with a brain knew that if the relationship were truly distant, they would be as polite as strangers, with every sentence being 'Hello' and 'Thank you.'

This kind of seemingly impolite bickering actually showed that they were truly close.

And their relationship was definitely extraordinary!

Especially... the focus of their confrontation was actually that ordinary-looking young man!

Just what was this kid's background?!

These executives were all shrewd individuals.

Following Xie Mengya through the elegantly lit corridor, everyone's thoughts were like a lake into which a stone had been thrown, creating ripples.

Most of them belonged to the group of wavering 'fence-sitters' in the factional struggle between Zheng Guangzhi and Xie Mengya.

Or to put it more nicely, the neutral faction.

They didn't take sides or express opinions, leaning toward whoever was more powerful at the moment.

If Xie Mengya wanted to truly seize power in Hongzhi Group, she had to win them over.

And today's scene undoubtedly dropped a bombshell in their hearts.

One vice president with a balding head quietly nudged a colleague wearing gold-rimmed glasses next to him.

"Old Zhang, did you see that?"

"The relationship between President Xie and that one from Lantu... is not ordinary."

The man called Old Zhang pushed up his glasses, a sharp light flashing in his eyes behind the lenses.

"It's more than just 'not ordinary.'"

"Listen to those forms of address just now—'Yanran,' 'Meng Ya'... they're practically family."

"No wonder!"

The balding man suddenly realized, slapping his thigh.

"No wonder CEO Zheng's cooperation proposal with Lantu has been stuck!"

As soon as these words were spoken, several people immediately exchanged knowing glances.

Indeed!

These past few days, because of this matter, Zheng Guangzhi had been reprimanded by several old-timers on the board of directors until he could barely save face.

That was a win-win cooperation.

Once finalized, Hongzhi Group's performance this year could reach a new level, and Zheng Guangzhi's position would be completely solidified.