The wine had been opened, and the server stood behind the two of them, holding the bottle.
Although Lu Jiaying knew that her eagerness to please was a sign of ulterior motives, and she herself couldn't drink much, she couldn't refuse outright.
Social interactions between adults were often like this; if you didn't proactively engage with others, they would approach you for various reasons.
For the sake of long-term considerations and maintaining appearances, even if she felt like cursing inwardly, she had to maintain composure.
"Director Xu, you've spent a lot. It's just that my stomach hasn't been cooperating lately, and I'm afraid I won't be able to drink much."
"How dare I refuse your offer? I will certainly drink, but I can only manage one glass at most."
As Xu Lei was about to speak, Lu Jiaying interrupted.
"Please be understanding and tolerant. When we return to Nancheng in a couple of days, I will definitely find time to apologize to Director Xu. I hope you'll grace me with your presence then."
Xu Lei was rendered speechless by her words and could only personally pour her a full glass of wine, pouring it while speaking sarcastically.
"You, the esteemed Director of the Marketing Department, claim your alcohol tolerance is low. Alas, it seems my influence isn't great enough."
Lu Jiaying knew she was trying to provoke her and refused to fall for it.
She had decided not to drink, and that was that. She wouldn't engage with whatever Xu Lei said.
Xu Lei then went to pour for Jiang Jingyu.
"Xiao Jiang, you've worked hard these past two days. I hope you'll continue to support my work in the future, get officially hired soon, and work diligently at Ge Rui Electric. It's not easy to help Director Lu find a suitable assistant."
Jiang Jingyu didn't say much, smiling and agreeing, "Thank you, Director Xu."
She then poured wine for the other two. They chatted about other topics, laughing and talking, and another glass of wine went down.
Xu Lei's eyes shifted. Seeing that Lu Jiaying had finished her drink, she prepared to pour for her again. Lu Jiaying, however, quickly covered her chest.
"Excuse me everyone, I'm not feeling well. I need to use the restroom."
With that, she pushed her chair back and hurried out.
Seeing her leader in such a state, Jiang Jingyu immediately stood up.
"I'll go check on her."
As the two left, the remaining three exchanged glances and began to discuss in hushed tones.
Xu Lei said, "You two have been following them for the past two days. Have you noticed anything? Is the company rumor true or false?"
Vice President Li: "It's hard to say. Lu Jiaying, who is she? Her outward performance is impeccable. Anyway, she seems perfectly normal at work. Who knows what she's like in private? Although their rooms are adjacent, we can't monitor them 24/7."
"I say, you two, with such a good opportunity, why aren't you trying to uncover the truth? Don't you have any curiosity?"
Vice President Wang chimed in, "What's the point of investigating this? Even if they have something going on, what does it have to do with us?"
Vice President Li agreed, "Exactly. Even if Lu Jiaying isn't with him, she'll be with someone else. It's not like it's going to be us. Why bother?"
Xu Lei wore a knowing expression and smiled at the two men.
"Indeed, if she's not with him, she'll be with someone else. But does it really have nothing to do with you?"
"Think about it, how old are you, and how old is she? How much salary do you earn annually, and how much does she? Why her? Who helped her get promoted?"
"She's more than ten years younger than you, yet she's better than you in every way. Don't you feel anything at all?"
With that, the hint of jealousy simmering in their hearts was ignited, but they couldn't express it directly.
"What does Director Xu mean by that?"
Xu Lei said, "I don't consider you outsiders. Let's just be frank. As far as I know, Lu Jiaying also has something going on with Director Hu. The reason Director Hu is protecting her is that he doesn't know about her affair with this young assistant yet."
The two men exchanged glances and suddenly understood why Xu Lei was here today.
The excuse of bringing their parents out for a trip was just that, an excuse.
She was truly far-sighted.
Since someone was paving the way, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Vice President Wang also smiled, "Director Xu, if you have something to say, don't hesitate to speak frankly."
Xu Lei pushed her wine glass away. "Alright, at this point, I won't hide anything from you."
She laid out her plan.
"I can't stand people like her who pretend to be virtuous while acting otherwise. Hu Jiasheng is protecting her without discerning right from wrong. Do you really like seeing scoundrels succeed?"
"If we can find concrete evidence to expose her, and in doing so, expose Hu Jiasheng, wouldn't that be immensely satisfying?"
While her motive was purely to expose them, the other two had different objectives.
The production department was arduous and thankless, with little reward. Wang, the vice president, had long coveted the position of Director of Marketing.
However, Lu Jiaying performed exceptionally well and was young, making it almost impossible to oust her and take her place. Therefore, he hadn't dared to fantasize about it before.
Today, hope was rekindled!
The restaurant they chose was high-end, and even the restrooms were luxuriously decorated.
Jiang Jingyu followed her and glanced into the women's restroom. He saw Lu Jiaying leaning over the spacious, brightly lit sink, vomiting.
After a day of running around in high heels and tight work clothes, and then having to deal with insincere pleasantries in the evening.
Seeing her tired and disheveled appearance, and hearing the heart-wrenching sounds of her vomiting, Jiang Jingyu felt a pang of distress.
Regardless of whether it was appropriate for men and women to be in the same restroom, he walked in and handed her a bottle of mineral water.
"Director Lu, rinse your mouth and take it easy."
Lu Jiaying felt lightheaded and her stomach burned. She felt uncomfortable everywhere, but she couldn't bring herself to vomit anything.
Taking the mineral water and drinking a couple of sips, she leaned against the washbasin, closing her eyes in exhaustion.
A few strands of her lustrous black hair fell down, and her chest rose and fell rhythmically.
From Jiang Jingyu's angle, her eyelashes were incredibly long, and her nose was strikingly defined.
She looked tired yet soft, exuding the gentle and obedient aura of an ordinary 26-year-old girl.
A strange feeling surged through him; he suddenly felt an urge to pull her into his arms and give her a good hug.
Lu Jiaying closed her eyes and rested for a few seconds before tucking her hair behind her ears and speaking to Jiang Jingyu in a normal voice.
"The dinner party can't continue. Listen to me."
"This woman, Xu Lei, is very likely here specifically for me today. She won't rest until she gets me drunk, but what good would getting me drunk do her? She simply wants to see me make a fool of myself."
"I've endured enough. There's no need for me to go back. Go get the room key and my phone, and we'll leave. If they don't ask, fine. If they do, just say I'm still vomiting."
Jiang Jingyu understood her intentions and knew that the people in the private room were not good people, so he immediately agreed.
"I'll go back now."
Taking a couple of steps out, Lu Jiaying reminded him again.
"Remember. No matter how much she tries to get you to drink, do not drink anymore."
"I understand."
Jiang Jingyu walked back quickly. On the way, his breathing felt hot, as did the air.
This was the first time in his life he had drunk so much alcohol. Although his reaction wasn't as dramatic as Lu Jiaying's, his limbs felt incredibly hot and uncomfortable.
Entering the private room, all three looked at him.
Xu Lei stood up with a smile, "Why are you back alone? Where is Director Lu?"