Jingxia Rose

Chapter 43: Please Guide Me

As soon as Ji Xuan finished work at four o'clock in the afternoon, he took Shen Jia to the Gerna Group.

The winter sun had already set faintly, and a wisp of orange-purple sunset glow lingered on the horizon. The warmth was gone, and the chill in the air swept in.

Ji Xuan wasn't dressed too lightly, but he still couldn't withstand the chilly evening wind and couldn't help but shiver.

Fortunately, the time spent outdoors was not long.

Once we got on the bus and into the restaurant, it warmed up.

The restaurant has dedicated servers to take coats from customers, and there are also coat hanging areas in the private rooms.

As the Russians were the hosts for today's welcome banquet, they naturally arrived earlier than the agreed time. Gerna's president's assistant took a special look at the menu prepared by the restaurant and thoughtfully crossed out two dishes and added a few Chinese dishes.

The round table in the private room was very large. Ji Xian looked at it and thought that if they sat face to face, they would have to shout through a megaphone to talk.

I'm afraid I won't hear it.

There were six of them, including her and Shen Jia. Apart from President Gerner, the other three were senior executives of the group.

About ten minutes later, a knock was heard outside the private room, and a waiter led in five formally dressed men and two women, with Wen Qi at the head.

As he walked in, his sharp, cold gaze swept across the room, lingering on Ji Xuan's face for more than ten seconds.

Two or three meters apart, their eyes met in the air and quickly merged.

In those brief ten seconds, it seemed as if only the two of them remained in the large private room, and time had rewound to more than a year ago.

Neither of them had changed much in the past year or so. Wen Qi seemed to have become more composed, and his temperament remained as gentle and dignified as ever.

Ji Xian's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and the faint smile on his face unconsciously disappeared.

Even though I was mentally prepared, I was still somewhat moved when I actually saw it.

Also.

How can you so quickly let go of someone you once loved so much and become indifferent to them?

Ultimately, a year or so wasn't long enough for her to completely forget.

Countless times she had been captivated by those deep, cold peach blossom eyes, but now, it seemed that his eyes had long since lost their indifference and were filled with deep affection.

Ji Xian thought it was an illusion.

After a moment, he looked away first, smiled and nodded slightly at the familiar faces behind him, which was his way of greeting them.

The president of Gerner suddenly spoke up and reached out to Chao Wenqi.

Wen Qi suppressed the throbbing bitterness in his heart, looked away from Ji Xian, and shook hands with him with a faint smile on his lips.

Ji Xuan translated steadily and accurately, each sentence pronounced clearly.

The people from Gerna's side stepped forward to shake hands. Just as Ji Xian thought they were about to sit down, the Russian president suddenly introduced, "This is our translator, Demi. She is fluent in Chinese, Russian, English, and French to facilitate communication during our cooperation."

"The other one is her assistant, Aijia."

Ji Xuan was taken aback.

She never expected him to introduce her to Shen Jia.

Her eyes flickered slightly, meeting Wen Qi's probing gaze once more. She pursed her lips; her professional ethics prevented her from cutting corners or downplaying the important points. She could only translate the Russian president's words into Chinese for him with perfect accuracy.

Upon hearing this, Wen Qi slowly reached out his hand, and a deep, clear voice flowed from his thin lips, "Ms. Demi, I look forward to your guidance in the future."

"..."

Ji Xian was speechless, glancing at the hand extended in front of him.

His hands were beautiful, long and slender with well-defined bones and fair skin, but not the kind that was too pale. The prominent veins on the back of his hands were also just right.

It appears very powerful.

She knew those hands very well; they had held hers and led her hand many times before.

Wen Qi is a very proper and upright person. To be honest, because she knows him so well, she didn't really have any romantic thoughts about this simple greeting and handshake. Putting aside their past relationship, she calmly and casually shook hands with him and smiled slightly, "Mr. Wen, you're too kind. I'll need your guidance in the future."

The two only shook hands with half a finger; Ji Xian thought it would be enough to just make a token gesture.

As she was about to withdraw her hand, she felt as if he pinched her fingertips.

Actually, the force wasn't particularly strong, and he released her just in time, making her feel like it was an illusion.

A strange fire suddenly lingered around my fingertips, burning intensely.

She curled her knuckles, pursed her red lips, and watched him greet Shen Jia again before her heart calmed down a little.

Shen Jia was actually quite flattered.

Who is Wen Qi? He actually shook hands with her and greeted her.

Although she is not from Beijing, she studied at university and graduate school in Beijing, so she naturally had some knowledge of Linqi Capital.

But in her excitement, she made a fatal mistake as a translator—stuttering.

Ji Xian frowned slightly and glanced at her.

Shen Jia was also annoyed, her face embarrassed. After withdrawing her hand, she met Ji Xian's slightly cold gaze and thought to herself that she was doomed and would have to write a self-criticism when she got back.

The others didn't reveal what they were thinking; they just smiled.

Because the table was large, there were two main seats, one for Wen Qi and one for President Gerner. Ji Xuan sat next to President Gerner, and she translated everything Wen Qi said.

We drank some wine during the meal, and the aroma lingered in every corner of the private room.

The wines chosen by President Gerna were all quite strong, and the atmosphere at the dinner was relaxed, unlike the usual drinking parties where people indulged in a little bit.

As a translator, drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited during working hours.

So even though President Gerner invited him for a couple of drinks, Ji Xuan politely declined.

Wen Qi glanced at Ji Xian while drinking. She was talking to the executive on her left. She had red lips and white teeth, a beautiful and clean face, and calm almond eyes that exuded a gentle tenderness.

When she was translating, the way she looked at him was the same, yet somehow different.

That tenderness seemed to be only on the surface, while what lay beneath was alienation and indifference.

Overall, it left me with a rather uneasy feeling.

At least, she would only exchange a few words with him when translating.

They didn't seem like old friends at all; they weren't even as polite as strangers.

The Chinese and Russian partners said goodbye at the restaurant entrance after the dinner ended.

"Demi," asked Hall, president of Gerner, "should I have the driver take you and Aijia back?"

Ji Xian smiled faintly, "No need for that trouble, we can just take a taxi back."

“It’s so late, it might be hard to get a taxi,” said an executive next to Hall. “Or you could ride with us.”

They spoke Russian the whole time, which the people from Linqi couldn't understand. Seeing Shen Jia standing there, they asked her in a low voice.

Shen Jia then explained in a few words.

Where do you live?

It was Wen Qi who asked this question.

Shen Jia's heart tightened, and her eyes, which she glanced at Wen Qi, were filled with undisguised joy and excitement. She answered Wen Qi's and Ji Xian's questions one by one, keeping her nerves on edge.

Wen Qi then asked, "How far is the Erna Dorje Hotel from the Erna Dorje Hotel?"

Shen Jia replied, "It's closer to my dorm, but it's a bit of a detour to Ji Xian's place."

Wen Qi nodded, and seeing that Ji Xuan was still talking to the people from the Gerna Group, he said, "Ms. Demi is going the same way as us, why don't you ride with us?"

(End of this chapter)