Refusing again would make me seem petty.
Jiang Nan Fang had no choice but to agree.
"Alright then, since Mr. Zhan insists, I'll postpone my work."
"But we're competitors now. Are you sure it's okay for me to have dinner with you without people talking?"
"Do I look like someone who cares what others say?"
Zhan Bei Jue gestured for her to proceed.
The three walked out side by side.
"What do you want to eat?"
He asked Jiang Nan Fang.
Mr. Li replied, "You're treating, so you decide."
"Ladies first. Ms. Jiang, you choose."
Mr. Li: "..."
Are these two here to talk about acquisition or to show off their affection?
They don't seem very intimate, but their words are filled with hidden affection!
Mr. Li didn't want to be a third wheel and drove himself.
Zhan Bei Jue invited Jiang Nan Fang to ride with him.
Since she had no other intentions towards him now, being evasive would only make it seem like she did.
To prove herself, Jiang Nan Fang got into his car.
It turned out that Zhan Bei Jue insisted on treating her to dinner for a reason.
As the car started, after a moment, he began to chat with Jiang Nan Fang.
"Is Ke Jing Yu planning to shift his focus to Nan Cheng?"
Jiang Nan Fang stated directly, "Yes. Do you feel threatened?"
"Not at all. It's just business, fair competition."
Zhan Bei Jue turned his head slightly to look at her.
He felt she must not have been eating well lately. Her jawline was too prominent, and she seemed thinner than a few days ago.
"If I go all out to compete with you in this bid, and the outcome is not satisfactory, will you hate me?"
In the past, Jiang Nan Fang, blinded by hatred, certainly would have.
But after her trip to the small town and staying for two days, receiving some favors from him, she suddenly became more open-minded.
Although Zhan Bei Jue managed Zhan Corporation, the group wasn't solely his.
Setting aside the shareholders, there were also countless employees.
She couldn't deny others a meal just because she wanted to eat meat.
As the company's CEO, she wanted to secure benefits for herself, and Zhan Bei Jue naturally had to think of his employees.
Moreover, Zhan Corporation was the culmination of three generations of the Zhan family's efforts.
Putting aside making money, he didn't want the company's reputation to be ruined under his watch.
Understanding his intentions, Jiang Nan Fang replied calmly.
"You said fair competition. I, Jiang Nan Fang, earn my living by my skills. I never make unreasonable demands."
"That's good."
Seeing that she seemed to be thinking of nothing but work, and nothing else.
Besides maintaining distance, Zhan Bei Jue didn't know what else he could say.
At the hospital, a subordinate reported to Ke Jing Yu that he had just seen Zhan Bei Jue, Jiang Nan Fang, and Mr. Li at the restaurant.
"Actually, I've never understood why you insist on giving her such important responsibilities."
"Her relationship with Zhan Bei Jue is special. What if they team up..."
Ke Jing Yu meticulously peeled an apple, and after a long pause, he spoke.
"I believe A Teng's judgment. Consider this her final test."
"If she passes, she will always be a member of the Ke family. If she fails,"
His gaze suddenly sharpened.
"If these two collude to harm my son like this, I will never forgive them."
---
Zhou Jin Bei acted decisively and went with Jiang Si Cheng to handle the divorce procedures the next day.
Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, they threatened each other.
Jiang Si Cheng said, "I haven't found a new position yet, and I'm not ready to confront my family. If you dare to reveal the divorce, I will make the Zhou family's life very difficult."
This was exactly what Zhou Jin Bei wanted.
She also didn't want her parents to know that she had divorced so soon after getting married.
"You'd better keep your word. If you reveal the news of our divorce before me, I will let the whole world know what kind of man you, Jiang Si Cheng, are."
Zhou Jin Bei left with nothing but the clothes on her back. She drove Ah Zhong's car and wandered the streets for a long time, knowing where she needed to go.
After much thought, she had no choice but to summon the courage to call Zhan Bei Jue.
Zhan Bei Jue had just returned to the company from the restaurant. Seeing her call, he assumed it was for his mother and casually tossed it aside.
However, Zhou Jin Bei was quite persistent.
When her first call went unanswered, she called several more times.
Annoyed, Zhan Bei Jue finally picked up his phone.
"What is it?"
Zhou Jin Bei humbly pleaded, "Second Brother, do you have time now? Can I come see you?"
"No."
After saying that, Zhan Bei Jue was about to hang up.
Zhou Jin Bei quickly called out to him pitifully.
"I need your help! I'm dying, please, please save me, Second Brother!"
Zhan Bei Jue wouldn't believe her nonsense.
Hadn't she just gotten married?
Only a few days married?
It was their honeymoon period, how could she be dying?
"Stop beating around the bush. Speak plainly."
Since she was asking for his help, she couldn't hide the truth.
Zhou Jin Bei knew his character. He was a man of his word and upright.
No one was more suitable for keeping secrets than him.
So, steeling herself, she told him the truth.
"I'm divorced, and I don't dare let my parents and brother know. I have nowhere to go now."
"Please, can you take me in temporarily?"
Although he didn't remember when she got married, it shouldn't have been this quick to divorce.
Because of her, Ah Zhong didn't even want to stay in Nan Cheng.
And then, after he left dejectedly, she...
Was she out of her mind?
"Zhou Jin Bei, are you playing house like a three-year-old? You got married only a few days ago and divorced, is it fun?"
Zhou Jin Bei sighed, "You don't know, it's a long and sad story. Can you give me some time to come see you? Let's talk in person."
"No." Zhan Bei Jue was fed up with her tiresome antics and flatly refused.
"I'm busy, I don't have time for your trivial matters. Since you're so bold, if you dare to divorce, why are you afraid of people knowing? Solve it yourself."
"Then you'll only have to collect my corpse!"
Zhou Jin Bei suddenly started crying pitifully.
"You know the situation in our family. My parents married me off to the Jiang family just to use their resources."
"But it turned out to be useless. Jiang Si Cheng doesn't like women at all; he's a complete gay! Even then, you wouldn't let me divorce?"
Is that so?
The esteemed eldest daughter of the Zhou family was tricked into marriage and suffered such a silent loss?
Although Zhan Bei Jue didn't particularly like this superficial and chattering cousin of his.
She was still his sister, after all.
He had watched her grow up. To see her bullied like this, what kind of person would that make him?
"Then come over. You have half an hour."
Second Brother had relented.
Knowing his temperament, Zhou Jin Bei was well aware that once they met, there was a possibility of getting her way.
At least half the battle was won.
Upon arriving at the office, Zhou Jin Bei didn't dare to hide anything. She meticulously explained the entire story of her marriage to Zhan Bei Jue.
Of course, she didn't reveal a single word about Ah Zhong.
As expected, Zhan Bei Jue was filled with disdain.