A week passed, and Shen Lingqing found herself again at the lobby of SY Holdings. Today was the day she was scheduled to meet her father to report the progress of the Savory Alley. She stood stiffly in front of the elevator door, with Qiao Lian standing behind her nervously.
Shen Lingqing might be the daughter of the president of the company and a director working at SY Holdings, but that didn’t mean she was immune to her father’s penetrating and domineering presence like everyone assumed her to be. They had no idea what kind of pressure she stood under whenever she was in the presence of her father.
Dressed in a black three-piece business suit, Shen Lingqing pulled her long hair up in a high ponytail and kept her face free from makeup. Still, it didn’t diminish her natural charm, as people who had seen her earlier couldn’t help but look her way.
The sound of the elevator as it reached the first floor brought Shen Lingqing back to reality. She stepped inside, along with Qiao Lian; with her stoic mask back in place. Since they were using a private elevator, they were spared from being looked at by the employees of SY Holdings.
“Qingqing, don’t be too nervous. I’m sure the assessment will go as planned. There’s no way your father will deny you of your recent achievement,” Qiao Lian told her.
“I’m not worried, Lian. I know what to expect.” Shen Lingqing corrected her. She wasn’t afraid of her father… but afraid of disappointing him and herself. Regardless of what others think of her, Shen Lingqing didn’t want to fail in her endeavors.
Qiao Lian didn’t say more, seeing that her boss wasn’t willing to explain anything. The doors opened again, and Shen Lingqing stepped outside, her strides confident and domineering as ever.
Qiao He was the one who welcomed them at the reception area and led Shen Lingqing inside her father’s office. Once Shen Lingqing was inside, the door was closed behind her. Her assistant would surely take this chance to talk to her own father outside.
She found her father reading yet another contract in his hand. Perhaps another acquisition was on the way. It wasn’t new. Many restaurateurs tried to sell their restaurants and properties to their company, but only a few were able to catch her parents’ attention.
“Qingqing.” Shen Yi regarded his daughter’s presence without looking at her.
Shen Lingqing walked towards his desk and placed down the folder she brought with her on the surface.
“This is the weekly report of the restaurant,” she told her father.
Shen Yi brought down the papers he was reading and casually picked up the folder from his daughter. He read the contents without saying anything, which Shen Lingqing expected from him. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Her father was a man of few words, but he made sure to let her and her siblings know that he cared for them as much as their mother loved them. Despite his busy schedule, her father would always make sure that he would make time for them, and that set him apart from other heads of wealthy families.
“I see that Savory Alley is doing well in its first week. As expected from you, Qingqing.”
Shen Lingqing released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. What was she even worrying about meeting with her father? Just like Qiao Lian said, there was nothing wrong with her weekly report, and she couldn’t possibly fail the assessment.
“It’s nothing.” She looked away, trying to suppress the blush on her cheeks.
Shen Yi’s lips curled up upon seeing his daughter’s reaction. Ah, she remained the same after all these years. She was still their little princess that he and Lu Xinyi had years ago. Despite her cold attitude, she remained warm and shy when it came to her family.
“Anyway…” Shen Yi brought down the folder back on his desk and clasped his hands together. “It’s almost time to meet the other families at the capital. Would you be able to attend the banquet along with your mother tomorrow evening?”
Shen Lingqing’s eyes twitched. She knew what this banquet meant. Every year, the wealthy families within the capital would gather to meet one another and establish connections with their prospective business partners. Many people would want to attend such an event… but not her father.
It was for this sole reason that Lu Xinyi, as the Madam of the Shen family, would come and attend yearly on behalf of her husband. Usually, it was Shen Lingqing’s older brother, Shen Zichen, who would accompany their mother on such occasions. However, this year, he was busy finishing his residency at the hospital where he was working.
Shen Lingqing hardened her jaws, but she knew that she could not deny her father and leave her mother on her own.
“Do I really have to?” She still asked, despite knowing the answer to her question.
“Qingqing, you need to develop your social skills if you want to inherit the company. It’s important to keep the relationship with our partners amicable and make new connections within the circle.”
Shen Lingqing hummed and thought that her mother didn’t have great social skills herself. There were even times that her mother had been criticized for her unladylike behavior in public. If she was to learn from someone, she would rather ask her Aunt Feiyan to teach her instead.
“I heard your Aunt Feiyan and your cousin, Ye Xingchen, would be there, too.” She heard her father say. “You don’t need to be worried about being surrounded by many people, so long as you don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by their presence.”
However, if she was to attend the said occasion, that would also mean she would be meeting her distant relatives from the Tang family, too. The Li family would no doubt send Li Xiuying to represent their family, and Shen Lingqing wasn’t looking forward to meeting anyone from the Liu family.
