Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

The moment the door opened, Gu Ming felt two pairs of eyes inside that made him unable to move.

The light from the crystal chandelier in the hallway shone on his face, making it feel cold.

Su Qingying, who was behind him, also felt this aura. Her arm, which was holding his arm, stiffened for a moment, and then she immediately let go.

But it was too late.

Everything was seen.

It’s over.

This time, she was caught red-handed in front of her parents.

Gu Ming's mind went blank.

His mind was in complete chaos.

run?

Where are you going?

This is the 28th floor!

Explanation?

How do you explain that?

He said his daughter got drunk, threw herself at him, and even confessed her feelings?

This is a desire to die faster.

Apologize?

An apology is not acceptable.

Apologizing would be tantamount to admitting that he got her drunk and had ulterior motives.

The nature of the matter changed from a family issue to a criminal issue.

In an instant, he thought of many solutions, but then rejected them all.

He felt like he was trapped in a corner, unable to move, and even had difficulty breathing.

At this critical juncture.

Gu Ming's composure, honed through business competition, began to take effect.

The more difficult the situation, the more calm you need to be.

The more awkward the situation, the more you need to stay calm.

The stiff expression on his face instantly changed.

His expression became respectful, carrying the concern of a colleague, and a hint of awkwardness when facing an elder.

He didn't look at the two middle-aged men and women with livid faces standing at the door.

He turned around and looked at Su Qingying, who had already sobered up.

She lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes helplessly, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"Qingying, get some rest now that you're home. We can talk about the project tomorrow, there's no rush."

After he finished speaking, he slowly turned around, faced Su Qingying's parents, and gave them a polite and apologetic smile.

"Hello, uncles and aunts."

He bowed slightly, performing a standard junior's greeting.

"I am Su Qingying's friend and colleague. My name is Gu Ming."

"At the company's celebration party tonight, she drank quite a bit for me and drank a bit too much. I was worried about her, so I took her home."

"I didn't expect to disturb your rest so late. I'm really sorry."

His words were perfectly worded, every single one carefully considered.

Using the terms of friends and colleagues, the relationship was precisely defined, dispelling any ambiguity.

She said that Su Qingying took the blame for him, which showed her sense of responsibility and also indicated that Su Qingying got drunk because of work.

He said he would bring her back, making it clear that his actions stemmed from concern and responsibility.

The last "I'm sorry" made him appear polite and tactful.

After this series of words, Mr. and Mrs. Su, who were about to explode, were rendered speechless.

What can they say?

Should we insult him?

They were so polite and humble that I couldn't bring myself to curse them.

Question him?

He has already explained everything that can be explained. Asking any more questions would make him seem petty and unreasonable.

Su Qingying's father scrutinized Gu Ming with his sharp eyes.

He saw that although the young man was young, he remained calm in the face of such a situation, had clear logic, and spoke very sincerely.

This composure and willpower are truly extraordinary.

His anger subsided somewhat, and he began to scrutinize and become curious.

Finally, it was Su's mother who broke the silence first.

She glanced at her daughter, who was burying her head in her chest, then at Gu Ming, and said in a stiff tone:

"...Okay, thank you for bringing her back. It's so late, you should go home early too."

This is an order to leave, and also a signal for a temporary truce.

Gu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

He bowed slightly to the two elders again:

"Okay, then, Uncle and Aunt, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he didn't look at Su Qingying again, turned around without hesitation, and strode towards the elevator.

Only after the elevator doors closed, completely separating him from that scene, did Gu Ming finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He leaned against the elevator car wall, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.

So exciting.

This is even more exciting than playing mind games with Shen Guodong at the negotiating table.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Grand Hyatt Hotel's top-floor suite, illuminating the floor.

Gu Ming opened his eyes; his head was throbbing.

He drank half a bottle of whiskey last night after returning from Su Qingying's house.

He sat up in bed, his mind replaying the scenes from last night.

He recalled Su Qingying's drunken confession and her plan to drag him to jail with her.

Then she remembered that she had rejected her, and she broke down in tears.

Finally, there was the scene where her parents caught her red-handed.

"well……"

Gu Ming covered his face.

He could imagine Su Qingying's reaction after she woke up.

That woman was very proud.

You can defeat her, but you can't humiliate her.

What happened last night, especially the last scene, was a bigger blow to her than any business failure.

If this isn't handled properly, it could cause a lot of trouble.

He will lose a very capable ally.

It might even create another formidable enemy born out of love turned to hate.

That would be the real disaster.

Gu Ming scratched his hair, got out of bed, went into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on his face to calm himself down.

What should I do?

Send a message and pretend nothing happened?

Say something like, "You drank too much last night, don't take it to heart."

No!

This sounds considerate, but it's actually a condescending form of forgiveness.

For a very proud woman like Su Qingying, this was more hurtful than direct mockery.

Why not just cut off contact and give them the cold shoulder?

Should we let her process it herself?

Not to mention!

This is the behavior of a scumbag.

After embarrassing her, he hid away?

Su Qingying will completely block him.

Comfort her?

Should I try to comfort her?

Gu Ming felt embarrassed at the thought of saying those pointless things to that investment banking queen.

Damn it.

This is harder than writing a business plan that values ​​a company at 200 million.

Gu Ming paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing.

He put himself in Su Qingying's shoes to feel her emotions at that moment.

Imagine her shame, embarrassment, regret, and the humiliation of being rejected and made a fool of herself.

What she fears most right now is Gu Ming's sympathy.

What she needs most is an opportunity to step down gracefully.

An opportunity that only she and Gu Ming could understand.

With this in mind, Gu Ming had an idea.

He rushed back to the bedside, picked up his phone, and his fingers flew across the screen.

……

at the same time.

In Su Qingying's bedroom.

The hangover gave her a headache, and fragments of memories from last night kept resurfacing.

That hug, that confession, and the shocked faces of my parents when they opened the door.

It’s over.

My life is completely over.

I'm too ashamed to face Gu Ming.

I'm too ashamed to face my parents!

Just as she was contemplating whether to buy a plane ticket overnight and flee abroad.

The phone on the bedside table dinged.

Her body trembled, and she tensed up.

It's Gu Ming.

It must be Gu Ming.

Was he here to mock me?

Or are you here to distance yourself from me?

Su Qingying picked up her phone with trembling hands.

She took a deep breath and opened the message.

Then, she froze.

The content of the information was completely unexpected.

There was no questioning, no embarrassment, no preaching, and not a trace of sympathy.

It was a calm text filled with business jargon:

"Good morning, Mr. Su."

"Regarding your revolutionary proposal last night in the informal meeting, which proposed 'achieving leapfrog financing through asset restructuring via unconventional means,' after a night of careful consideration, I believe that although the proposal is highly imaginative, it is too difficult to implement at this stage and carries high legal and ethical risks. I suggest that it be shelved for the time being."

"However, we have shown great interest in another proposal you put forward at the same time, namely, 'your personal involvement in a long-term, in-depth, and highly promising personal investment in our core founders,' after careful evaluation."

"When would be a good time for you, Mr. Su? We could choose a date to have a more in-depth, frank, and constructive business discussion regarding the core issues of this 'special investment,' including the 'specific terms,' 'rights and obligations,' 'estimated investment period,' 'future return format,' and 'risk-sharing mechanism for both parties.'"

……

……

Su Qingying looked at this message three times.

She recognized each word individually, but when they were put together, she felt like her brain couldn't keep up.

Asset restructuring... financing plan...—this refers to her insane proposal to falsify accounts.

Personal investment...—this refers to her confession of "I like you".

Investment cycle?

What form of reward?

Shared risks?

That bastard... that damn, gentle man!

Su Qingying was stunned at first, then suddenly smiled on her pale face.

As she laughed, her eyes welled up with tears.

Large tears rolled uncontrollably from her eyes and landed on the phone screen.

She felt a warmth in her heart, a feeling of surviving a disaster.

This man.

He always finds a way.

Tell her: I saw the silly things you did, but I don't care.

I've seen the sincerity in your efforts, and I'm very interested in it. I'm willing to sit down and have a serious talk with you.

Su Qingying felt that her heart, which had been closed off by pride, was softened by the gentleness in this text message.

No hesitation.

"Okay, Mr. Gu."

"You set the time."

send.

After sending the message, Su Qingying hugged her phone tightly to her chest, a long-lost smile appearing on her face.