A Beijing socialite stole my boyfriend; she went crazy after I got married.

This three-hour-long report was like a long and cruel torture for each branch of the Xie family.

...Some people think that it might be a good thing for the chairman to be in a relationship, as it could soften his personality.

Now it seems like pure wishful thinking.

At this long table, blood ties and seniority are the cheapest things.

Xie Jing only looks at data, only looks at ability, and only looks at the value of people to this huge group.

Jiang Chu found all of this very interesting.

She is a very patient person when it comes to things she is interested in. For example, she will practice a movement thousands of times in order to improve the accuracy of the movement.

So she didn't feel annoyed while observing this long meeting.

Today, if we consider this report as a large-scale, complex ensemble dance performance—

Xie Jing is the absolute core of this dance.

He controlled the rhythm, breathing, and emotional direction of the entire performance.

And those relatives who reported were the backup dancers. On this cruel stage, driven by fear, greed, or incompetence, they displayed all sorts of distorted yet real behaviors.

Jiang Chu watched with great interest.

She even analyzed Xie Jing's every micro-expression change in her mind.

—When his fingers stop tapping on the table, it means that there is a flaw in the reporter's logic.

The moment he leans slightly forward is the instant he is about to deliver the fatal blow.

Just as she was pondering their conversation, a large, bony hand suddenly reached out from the side.

A glass of water at just the right temperature was gently placed beside her.

Then, a small, exquisite white porcelain dish was pushed in, containing peeled walnuts with their astringent skins removed and a few crystal-clear green grapes.

Jiang Chu turned her head.

Xie Jing's handsome face, which was originally as cold and hard as iron, suddenly lost its fierceness.

He tilted his head slightly and lowered his voice, "Is the air conditioning cold? If you're bored, I'll have someone send over some magazines."

The voice was deep and mellow, carrying boundless indulgence and warmth.

Jiang Chu shook her head and replied softly, "It's not cold, and it's not boring either. It's actually quite interesting."

Xie Jing didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her ear.

This scene was witnessed by Xie's relatives on both sides of the long table.

Everyone gasped inwardly, their brains experiencing a severe cognitive dissonance.

That living Yama, sitting in the main seat, mercilessly trampling and grinding them, his elders and peers, that cold-blooded tyrant who showed no respect even to his daughter or niece, watching them faint without flinching—

At this moment, during a break in the meeting, he actually poured water for his fiancée, offered her snacks, and even slept her hair!

Moreover, their movements were so practiced that it sent chills down your spine.

It was as if this was the most important and serious matter to him.

Everyone exchanged glances discreetly.

At this moment, they are absolutely certain of one thing.

In this manor, within this vast Xie family, offending Xie Jing would at most result in being kicked out of the inner circle, having your dividends reduced, or being forced to leave.

But if you offend this Miss Jiang... you might not even know how you died.

Xie Jing turned his head again, his gaze fixed on the next person who was about to give a report.

"Continue. In the third quarter financial report for the East China region, I remember you overspent on marketing expenses by 1500 million. Could you explain that?"

More than two hours later.

This extremely depressing year-end family dinner report is finally coming to an end.

When Assistant Wang closed the last document and announced that the day's account reconciliation was complete, everyone on both sides of the long table breathed a long sigh of relief.

Some people's shirts were completely soaked with cold sweat on the back.

"The rules will remain the same next year."

Xie Jing stood up, his tall and imposing figure casting a very imposing shadow under the conference room lights.

His long, slender fingers buttoned his suit jacket, his gaze sweeping over the crowd one last time.

"You will receive every penny you are entitled to. As for those who shouldn't have taken things, if I see them doing it again... you have many examples to follow."

Everyone lowered their heads in unison.

Xie Jing didn't look at them anymore, but turned to look at Jiang Chu.

He extended his hand, palm up, in an extremely gentlemanly and natural gesture of invitation.

Jiang Chu chuckled softly and placed her slender hand into his large palm.

Xie Jing held her hand tightly, led her, and calmly walked out of the conference room amidst the complex gazes of awe and fear from everyone in the family.

The corridor was bathed in the glow of a winter twilight, casting long, horizontal shadows of the two of them across the gleaming floor.

What would you like to eat for dinner?

Xie Jing asked casually.

"Either is fine," Jiang Chu tilted her head, "Do I still want to go with those people from before?"

"Dream on them," Xie Jing sneered. "They'll be gone after their meeting; they won't stay here any longer."

"That's true," Jiang Chu said softly, "They don't seem like they'd really like to have dinner with you..."

Xie Jing scoffed and squeezed her knuckles. "Even if they dared to stay, they'd suffer from indigestion when they got back. Come on, let me take you to get something decent to eat."

He led Jiang Chu through the corridor, around the atrium, to a restaurant located in the west wing.

The space here is small, but it is furnished to be extremely comfortable.

The floor was covered with a thick wool carpet, the walls were covered with warm-toned wood paneling, and one side had a full-length window that offered a view of the cedar trees on the back mountain, which were already illuminated by the estate's ground lights.

In the center of the restaurant is a real fireplace with a burning flame. The orange flames lick the dry fruitwood, making a soft crackling sound, and warming the whole room.

Jiang Chu took off her coat, sat down at the round table, and accepted the hot towel brought to her by the maid.

Xie Jing sat down next to her and slowly wiped his hands. "There is a large ecological farm and a constant-temperature glass greenhouse on the back of the manor. Some of the daily ingredients for Yunxiang Road also come from here."

Dinner was served in an orderly fashion.

A stir-fried dish of kale sprouts, the leaves so green they seem to drip with moisture.

Two white fish raised in the cold spring water behind the manor have translucent flesh, topped with fine scallions and chili threads, and their aroma is released by the hot oil.

There were also two servings of thinly sliced, beautifully marbling pan-fried beef, and a bowl of clear matsutake and bamboo fungus broth simmered in an earthenware pot.

"Try this."

Xie Jing picked up a piece of kale sprout with her chopsticks and brought it to her lips. "I just picked the very top inch of tender shoots from the greenhouse this afternoon. The temperature difference between day and night here is large, so the vegetables have a natural sweetness."

Jiang Chu took a bite.

It has none of the slightly bitter and dry fibrous texture of ordinary kale. It is fresh, crisp, and juicy, with a natural sweetness from the plant as you chew it.

"It's delicious," she praised without reservation, "even fresher than the organic restaurants we've been to before."

"When we leave, we'll have someone pack a few extra boxes to take back to the city."