188: Chapter 188 Shen tide's Assistance

Lu Manqi lowered her eyelashes, watching the wine in her glass swirl gently, feeling as if her heart was being wrapped in something tender.

She pursed her lips, and when she looked up again, the admiration in her eyes was no longer concealed, her tone carrying a hint of the directness characteristic of someone after a few drinks.

"President Jiang, to be honest, I've learned more from being with you during this time than I have in the past few years combined. Today's meal is the happiest I've had all year."

"Then eat more," Jiang Chen smiled, using the serving chopsticks to place a piece of honey-glazed lotus root in her bowl, his tone warm and natural. "Don't just talk; you've barely touched the food."

This gesture of serving food caught Shen Xi's eye, and the corners of her lips curled ever so slightly.

She raised her hand to check her watch, knowing the timing was just about right.

The way Lu Manqi looked at Jiang Chen could no longer hide anything, and while Jiang Chen didn't give an obvious response, he also didn't reject her closeness.

This subtle lack of rejection was, for Jiang Chen, an attitude in itself.

Shen Xi set down her teacup and spoke up at the right moment, her tone carrying just the right amount of regret: "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. This meal was truly enjoyable."

As she spoke, she took out her phone and looked at Lu Manqi with a friendly and sincere smile.

"Manqi, we've hit it off so well today, why don't we add each other on WeChat? It'll be easier to stay in touch, whether it's for work coordination or just grabbing afternoon tea privately."

Lu Manqi had been thinking the same thing and immediately nodded in agreement, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "Sure! I was actually hoping to add Sister Shen as a friend, but I was too shy to ask."

The two of them scanned each other's QR codes and added each other on WeChat right there.

Shen Xi glanced down at her WeChat profile picture—a photo of her back taken in an art gallery, with a very artistic composition and color palette—and complimented her with a smile: "Your profile picture is shot so well. I can tell you're someone with a great sense of aesthetics."

Lu Manqi felt a bit embarrassed by the praise and laughed, "If Sister Shen likes it, I'll take one for you at the next exhibition."

The friend request was successful.

Shen Xi looked at the system notification that popped up in the chat box, a barely perceptible smile flashing in her eyes.

She hadn't added her on WeChat simply to make a friend, of course.

Lu Manqi was the gold standard for corporate business at Jiangcheng Bank, holding a vast amount of high-quality client resources, and she was Jiang Chen's exclusive account manager. Whether it was capital deployment or project credit in the future, having this personal connection would make things twice as effective.

Moreover, compared to those random women of unknown background, a woman who truly admired Jiang Chen and could help him in his career was someone Shen Xi was willing to keep close.

The dinner was drawing to a close, and the dishes on the table were mostly finished.

Shen Xi called the waiter to settle the bill and instructed the kitchen to pack a few signature desserts for Lu Manqi to take home.

When the three of them stood up to leave, Lu Manqi braced herself against the table, but her steps were visibly unsteady. Her body swayed slightly, and she quickly grabbed the edge of the table for support.

Her head felt heavy, her vision was a bit blurred, and she couldn't even stand steadily, yet she still laughed and waved it off self-deprecatingly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just that my legs are a bit numb from sitting so long... Okay, I really did drink too much. I'm not usually like this, but I was happy today and didn't hold back."

Jiang Chen was closest to her. Seeing her sway, he instinctively reached out to support her arm.

His palm was dry and warm, his grip just right—steadying her center of gravity without being offensive.

"Careful," he said, looking down at her with a hint of concerned reproach in his voice.

"I told you earlier to drink less."

Being held by him, the warmth from his arm made Lu Manqi's already flushed cheeks grow even hotter.

She looked up and met Jiang Chen's gaze. Her eyes, made exceptionally watery by the alcohol, held a touch of shyness and an irrepressible joy. She said softly, "I'm okay, I just stood up too fast."

Shen Xi stood to the side, watching Jiang Chen's hand steadily supporting Lu Manqi's arm while Lu Manqi looked up at him. The distance between them was much closer than what was normal for social interaction.

An undisguised smile finally appeared at the corner of her mouth—not a polite smile, but one of satisfaction and certainty after a successful calculation.

She knew that the goal of tonight's dinner had been exceeded.

Lu Manqi's feelings for Jiang Chen hadn't been hidden from the very first glass of wine, and Jiang Chen's lack of rejection already explained everything.

Based on her understanding of Jiang Chen, he wouldn't give a single extra glance to people or things he wasn't interested in.

Shen Xi picked up her handbag, her tone as natural as if stating an objective fact, without any hint of forced matchmaking: "President Jiang, look at how much Manqi has had to drink tonight. I'm really not comfortable letting her take a taxi or call a designated driver by herself like this."

She paused, looking at Jiang Chen candidly, making her excuse air-tight.

"I have to go back to the office to handle some urgent documents later and really can't get away. Why don't I trouble you to drop Manqi home on your way? It's not far from Jiangbin Road."

This was said thoroughly and appropriately.

It gave Lu Manqi a dignified way out while openly creating an opportunity for the two to be alone.

As Shen Xi said this, her expression was calm and open, as if she were simply arranging a perfectly normal concluding task.

But only she knew that her certain calculation had landed: keeping someone like Lu Manqi by her side was far more cost-effective than having one more opponent outside in the future.

Jiang Chen glanced at Lu Manqi, whose face was flushed and eyes were hazy with drink. Without hesitation, he gave a faint nod.

"Alright, it's only right to drop her off since it's on the way."

While speaking, he had already picked up his coat and draped it over his arm, his other hand still lightly supporting Lu Manqi's elbow, not in a hurry to let go.

Hearing this, Lu Manqi's heart skipped a beat, her drunkenness mixed with a bit of shyness and a secret joy.

She raised her eyes, which were particularly watery from the alcohol, to look at Jiang Chen. Her voice softened, carrying a slight post-drinking rasp that sounded even more genuinely charming than usual.

"Then... I'm really troubling President Jiang. I'm so sorry."

"It's no trouble at all, don't mention it."

Jiang Chen's tone was flat, yet it carried a reassuring steadiness.

Seeing this, Shen Xi packed her things at the right time, picked up her handbag, and said with a smile: "Then I'll take my leave and head back to the office. Manqi, take it slow on the road, and send me a message when you get home."

After saying that, she thoughtfully stepped forward and whispered an instruction to Lu Manqi: "Drink a glass of honey water when you get back before sleeping, otherwise you'll have a headache tomorrow."

Her behavior was considerate and gentle, her tone carrying genuine concern, perfectly capturing a sense of sensible and transparent propriety.

As she was leaving, Shen Xi looked back from the doorway of the private room.

Jiang Chen was standing sideways next to Lu Manqi, one hand lightly behind her, leaning down slightly to hear what she was saying.

Lu Manqi looked up at him with a soft, slightly tipsy smile, her admiration and closeness completely unguarded.

The two stood very close, and the light cast their shadows on the wall, almost overlapping.

Shen Xi withdrew her gaze, and the smile at the corner of her lips finally bloomed without reservation.

She was very satisfied.

A woman like Lu Manqi had professional ability, bank resources, and a genuine admiration for Jiang Chen, yet she wasn't the type of decorative 'vase' who only knew how to revolve around a man.

She was exactly the type Shen Xi was willing to accept.

Instead of wasting energy trying to block unknown women, it was better to proactively bring such a person in.

Throughout tonight's dinner, she had been paving the way for Lu Manqi, and Lu Manqi hadn't wasted a single opportunity.

Shen Xi gently closed the door.

The private banquet ended with both host and guests happy.

Without the cold rules of the workplace, there was a bit more human warmth and a perfectly measured hint of ambiguity.