After Lily left the Lee Group’s office, she immediately went back to the hotel and ask Yang Mi to schedule a meeting with Jun Liang. She needed explanations about this Chen Shi and she wanted to know what happened years ago.
“You have been sleeping a lot lately.” He sat next to Lily as he loosened his tie. While Lily was attending the meeting with the Lees, Zhou Jingren volunteered to talk to the authorities and politicians about the construction of Lily’s mall.
“I told you… it’s the trip. For some reason, the plane ride is making me dizzy.”
He gave her a worried look. In response, Lily pulled him towards her. Hooking her arms around his neck, Lily kissed him. She held him tight against her body. After a few seconds, Lily let go and smiled. “I am hungry. Did you order anything?”
“Hmmm.” He nodded and stroked her head. “Do you like to stay here for a few days? So you can rest before we go back to Hong Kong?”
“Oh. No. I think it’s better if we leave tomorrow so I can just stay in Sky City. The people from Luxembourg have been talking and sending me messages lately. I think they will visit Hong Kong soon. Maybe Eliza will… So I have to rest before then.”
“Alright…” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. He closed his gentle eyes as he masked the suspicion in his orbs. His wife had been really tired lately. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was some sort of defense mechanism that she is showing to cope with what she experienced with Jack. “I will call you once the food is here.” He smiled and gave her another kiss.
………………
Shanghai.
“The news about Lily and Cindy already died down.” Manager Hao knitted his brows at the CEO of Yu Entertainment. “How could you ask her to mention Lily in the coming press conference? The script that you gave her is just… wrong.”
“Manager Hao… I am only doing what is best for your sister. I believe that this issue will boost her popularity.”
“CEO Yu, with all due respect, Lily offered Cindy those pieces of jewelry. There wasn’t any issue at the photoshoot either. We can’t just create something out of it! Lily was smart enough to be cordial with my sister while everyone is watching! You can’t really say that she called my sister nasty names just because of that jewelry. It is— “
“Just tell your sister to follow the script. I am the CEO of this company. I only do things that will benefit us in the long run.”
Manager Hao sneered inwardly. “How could fighting against a person like Lily benefit us?” she argued. She immediately wondered why this man is trying to ruin her sister’s reputation. For the umpteenth time, Lily’s question about the awards echoed in her mind. “CEO Yu, my sister is already famous. I don’t think she still needed to boost her name by dragging Lily’s name into it.”
“Manager Hao.” CEO Yu clenched his jaws. “You are overstepping. Please don’t forget that the contract stipulates that I am the one in charge here.”
“Is that why you are slowly removing some of Cindy’s endorsements and giving it to Qiao Qiao?” Manager Hao’s face turned ugly. “CEO Yu…” she made a deliberate pause. “I would like to ask you. Do you have something against my sister?”
Yu Jing narrowed his eyes at the woman sitting in front of him. Manager Hao was known to defend the talents against her. However, she had never defended Qiao Qiao like this. “Manager Hao… Do not forget that Qiao Qiao is also under you. Would you want me to give the endorsements to someone that is not under you?”
Before Manager Hao could open her mouth to argue, CEO Yu continued, “I don’t want you to play favorites here. One is your sister, and one is a new face with lots of potential. Qiao Qiao is already pretty known in Hong Kong. I am sure that she can further show her talents here in China. Moreover, Cindy has a lot of endorsements. Can’t she just give one or two to Qiao Qiao?”
Manager Hao did not answer him. Her naive sister is always willing to give the endorsements. Especially when Qiao Qiao already talked to Cindy about it. However, this setup will not fool Manager Hao.
Manager Hao could not deny that Lily’s words seemed to change her perspective towards Qiao Qiao. After observing her actions, Manager Hao seemed to observe that the latter seemed fake and is not really sincere in her words. Manager Hao remembered the launch where Lily invited them.
At that time, she thought that Zhou Jingren was indeed Qiao Qiao’s secret admirer. While she did not have any proof about such assumptions, Qiao Qiao was also very vague about it. She never denied anything and would always blush every time his name was mentioned. These actions led everyone surrounding Qiao Qiao to believe that something else is indeed going on between Zhou Jingren and her.
At that time, when Zhou Jingren escorted Lily in that event, Qiao Qiao showed a hurtful expression as if someone just betrayed her. Until now, Manager Hao could still remember how Qiao Qiao cried on their way home as if she was bullied.
That incident immediately made Manager Hao decide that it is time to transfer Qiao Qiao to Mainland China. The manager thought that she was protecting Qiao Qiao from possible issues and even from Lily’s schemes.
“I only have one question CEO Yu.” She met the latter’s eyes. “Of all the endorsement that Cindy has… why did you chose those two endorsements?” Manager Hao was talking about the charity that Qiao Qiao is now endorsing. These charities involve children and women. This was something that Cindy and Manager Hao had supported for years.
Why would CEO Yu suddenly ask the charities representative to transfer the endorsement to Qiao Qiao now that the awards is coming? “CEO Yu… isn’t it unfair? Those two charities are something that my sister supported. She had been their ambassadress for two years now. Why suddenly change this at this time?” With the awards coming, the endorsements about something that her sister supported is really helpful. How could their own CEO do this to her sister?
