78: Chapter 78 Executive Suite

Zhou Zhengtao also took out his phone.

"Right, let's add each other. A chinchilla starting at four million—I have to be part of the excitement."

Zhao Yong had already silently taken out his phone and presented his QR code to Jiang Chen.

"Add me. Let's stay in touch."

Several of them scanned each other's QR codes, adding each other as friends with a series of pings.

Jiang Chen noted down each of their names one by one, his demeanor calm and neither servile nor overbearing.

Lin Hao watched from the side and smiled with satisfaction.

"That's the way. We're all on the same side now. If anything comes up in the future, just give us a shout on WeChat."

As the intoxication deepened, the group went through several more rounds of toasts. The topics ranged from exotic pets to real estate, and from ports to cultural tourism, chatting about anything and everything under the sun.

Everyone had drunk quite a bit, and Jiang Chen also felt his head spinning slightly.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the clinking of glasses and hushed laughter.

When the hands of the wall clock slid past eleven, Lin Hao stretched, checked his phone, and then looked around.

"That's about it. Everyone has things to do tomorrow, so shall we call it a night?"

Zhou Zhengtao checked his watch and nodded.

"Alright, I have a meeting tomorrow, so I can't stay too late."

He sat up from the sofa. The intellectual and elegant girl beside him immediately stood up, picked up his coat, and gently helped him put it on, as if she were attending to her own husband.

Zhao Yong also stood up. The cool and elegant woman stood quietly by his side, holding his briefcase with a respectful posture.

Chen Jianguo wasn't in such a hurry. He slowly finished the last sip of wine in his glass, then stood up and patted the shoulder of the bright and beautiful girl beside him.

"Let's go. Big brother will take you for a late-night snack."

The girl's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, and she intimately took Chen Jianguo's arm.

Lin Hao looked at Jiang Chen and gave a meaningful smile.

"Jiang Chen, have a good time."

Su Xiaoxi stood beside Jiang Chen. Hearing this, the tips of her ears turned red again.

She lowered her head, her hands clasped in front of her, fingers twisting together. She felt nervous and... she couldn't quite describe it.

She didn't resist.

Nor could she.

From the moment she was chosen, she knew where tonight would end.

She took a deep breath and told herself in her heart.

This is work, this is a task, this is something you must do.

But when she stole a glance at Jiang Chen's profile out of the corner of her eye, a thought that shouldn't have been there popped into her head.

If it's him, it seems...

Not that hard to accept.

Lin Hao settled the bill, and the group walked out of the main entrance of Liujintai.

The night wind, carrying the unique damp air of Lanbei, blew against them, dispersing the lingering smell of smoke and alcohol.

Several black business vans were parked in the parking lot outside. Their headlights were on, and the drivers had been waiting for a long time.

Zhou Zhengtao held the intellectual girl as they got into a black Mercedes-Benz V260. The moment the door closed, one could vaguely see the girl being pressed onto the seat.

Zhao Yong and the cool, elegant woman got into a Porsche Cayenne. They sat side-by-side in the back seat, maintaining a polite distance, but the moment the door closed, the woman proactively leaned toward Zhao Yong.

Chen Jianguo took the bright and beautiful girl into a black Range Rover. They sat in the back seat, the girl leaning on his shoulder. The taillights soon disappeared into the night.

Lin Hao patted Jiang Chen's shoulder and whispered, "The hotel has been arranged. Junlan Hotel, the executive suite on the top floor."

Jiang Chen nodded. "Alright, thanks for the trouble."

Lin Hao waved his hand.

"We're brothers. Don't mention it."

He gave Jiang Chen a meaningful look and got into his own car with a smile.

The gentle, graceful lady followed behind him. Before getting in the car, she looked back at Su Xiaoxi with a complex expression in her eyes.

There was envy, a blessing, and a little bit of something indefinable.

Then she bent down and got into the car. The door closed, cutting off the outside world.

Only Jiang Chen and Su Xiaoxi were left in the parking lot.

The night wind blew, and Su Xiaoxi's skirt fluttered slightly. She instinctively reached out to hold it down, her movements carrying a bit of a young girl's clumsiness.

Jiang Chen searched for the hotel's location.

It was very close.

One after the other, the two walked across the long red-carpeted corridor in front of Liujintai, turned several corners, and entered the hotel's private entrance.

The elevator lobby was empty, with only the warm lights overhead and the reflections of the two people on the mirrored walls.

Su Xiaoxi stood before the elevator buttons, reached out to press the top floor button, and then stepped aside. She stood quietly with her hands folded in front of her and her eyes downcast.

The elevator doors closed slowly. The moment the metal doors met, the outside world was shut out.

In the enclosed space, there was only the sound of their faint breathing and the mechanical noise of the elevator ascending.

Su Xiaoxi could feel Jiang Chen standing behind her, very close—close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

She didn't turn around, but her heartbeat was exceptionally clear in the quiet elevator, like someone beating a small drum in her ear.

She secretly gripped her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the effort.

The elevator floor numbers ticked up one by one.

15, 16, 17...

Su Xiaoxi took a deep breath and said to herself in her heart.

Don't be afraid.

You are the product; he is the guest.

The mission of the product is to satisfy the guest.

The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the doors opened.

The corridor was covered with a thick carpet, so their footsteps made no sound.

The wall lamps on both sides emitted a dim yellow light, creating a sense of endless extension deep into the corridor.

Su Xiaoxi walked ahead and stopped at the door of Room 1808.

She took out the room card, her fingers trembling slightly. It took two swipes to align with the sensor.

With a "beep," the door lock lit up.

She pushed the door open, stood to the side, lowered her head slightly, and made a "please" gesture.

"Mr. Jiang, please come in."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were completing a solemn ritual.

Jiang Chen glanced at her and stepped inside.

Su Xiaoxi stood at the door for two seconds, took a deep breath, and then followed him in, gently closing the door behind her.

The door lock made a soft "click," like some kind of declaration.

Only a floor lamp was on in the suite, its warm orange light spreading a soft halo across the carpet.

The floor-to-ceiling windows faced the night view of Lanbei, the city lights outside forming a shimmering sea of light.

In the distance, cargo ships moved slowly on the river, their lights trailing long reflections on the water.

Jiang Chen walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to the room, looking at the night view outside without speaking.

Su Xiaoxi stood behind him, feeling lost for a few seconds before remembering the procedures taught during training.

Pour water, offer slippers, help the guest take off their coat, adjust the air conditioning temperature.

She walked quickly to the mini-bar, poured a glass of warm water, and brought it to Jiang Chen.

"Mr. Jiang, have some water."

Jiang Chen took the glass, took a sip, and placed it on the windowsill.

Su Xiaoxi turned back to get the slippers, knelt on the ground, and placed them by his feet.

As she crouched, her skirt spread across the carpet, revealing a section of fair calf and a slender ankle.

She looked up at him, her eyes carrying a hint of cautious pleasing.

"Mr. Jiang, let me help you..."