As everyone was cheering, they looked at Jiang Nan Fang in surprise when she spoke.
"President Zhan personally invited us to dinner, Engineer Jiang, are you sure you're not going?"
As if dining with Zhan Bei Jue was something extraordinary, Jiang Nan Fang was very sure.
"No, I won't be able to eat even if I go. My stomach still feels uncomfortable. I want to go back and sleep."
Vice President Gao disagreed, "You are the hero of our project team. The product was designed by you, and the contract was secured by you. This dinner is specifically for you. If you don't go, what does that make us?"
"You don't have to drink. Just show your face, say a few words, and I promise you, you can leave soon."
Seeing everyone looking at her expectantly, and with Vice President Gao's assurance, Jiang Nan Fang had no choice but to go.
From Shangcheng to Nancheng, after the flight, they took a business car. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was already past seven in the evening.
Whether it was due to exhaustion or some other reason, Jiang Nan Fang felt extremely sleepy, her eyes heavy, and she didn't want to say a word.
Zhan Bei Jue was very generous.
He had booked an entire floor of the banquet hall and arranged two tables of elaborate meals for everyone.
The banquet began with him giving a few perfunctory opening remarks before going to sit beside Vice President Gao.
Vice President Gao, holding his wine glass, stood up to give a speech, a verbose and grandiloquent address. Finally, he gathered everyone.
"It's all thanks to President Zhan's excellent leadership and the company's good policies. Following a good leader and a good company, we are more motivated than ever. I hope the company will prosper even more in the future!"
"Come, let's all toast President Zhan."
Zhan Bei Jue was wearing a black shirt made of silk.
Such fabric could easily make someone look effeminate or tacky.
Yet, on him, it exuded an indescribable noble and elegant aura.
The black color made his skin appear even fairer, giving him a more restrained and incredibly captivating presence.
The male colleagues from the technical department, dressed in checkered shirts, sat beside him, appearing less significant than mere background foliage.
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them with him one by one, but Jiang Nan Fang remained seated, unmoving.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on him, except for Jiang Nan Fang, who, from the moment she entered until now, looked listless, not sparing him a single glance.
Seeing that Jiang Nan Fang did not stand up to toast him, Vice President Gao, fearing Zhan Bei Jue might be displeased, explained.
"Engineer Jiang led the effort in Shangcheng for over ten days. She worked very hard."
"She signed a major deal last night and is a bit tired and had a little too much to drink, so she's not feeling well. I told her not to drink much today. Come, raise your glasses, Engineer Jiang, you can toast President Zhan with tea."
Seeing her pale complexion and tired demeanor, Zhan Bei Jue inexplicably felt a pang of softness.
He raised his wine glass and looked at Jiang Nan Fang.
Jiang Nan Fang had no choice but to pick up the plain water in front of her and raise it towards him from a distance.
"I apologize, President Zhan, I cannot drink today. I'll toast you with tea."
Zhan Bei Jue said nothing, nodded slightly, and swallowed the wine in one gulp.
Vice President Gao then began to expound on the new product. Everyone ate and agreed with him, making the dinner lively.
Only Jiang Nan Fang felt that none of the dishes suited her appetite.
Not only did she not want to eat, but even watching others eat, the aroma made her stomach churn faintly.
She could only drink water, cup after cup.
She went to the restroom twice midway. When she returned, a bowl of seafood soup had just been served.
Vice President Gao enthusiastically helped her ladle a bowl.
"Engineer Jiang, I noticed you haven't touched your chopsticks much all evening. You can't go without eating."
"You're too thin. Here, have some soup to nourish yourself. This soup is the hotel's specialty, very nourishing. Hurry."
Vice President Gao was old enough to be Jiang Nan Fang's father and a veteran employee of the company with a high position, yet he had no airs.
Everyone liked him very much. Jiang Nan Fang respected and liked him even more.
With the soup handed to her, there was no reason not to drink it. She could only pick it up and take a sip.
She intended to offer a word of praise to be polite.
Unexpectedly, as it entered her mouth, there was a fishy smell.
"What kind of soup is this?" She almost spat it out directly.
Engineer Li used his spoon to flip over the custard-like substance on top and pulled out a thin, long black thing, showing it to her.
"Look at this, do you recognize it?"
"It's like trash that grew in the soil when we were kids, but now it's been deified and used as traditional medicine to make soup. You should recognize it."
It was only because Jiang Nan Fang had excellent eyesight.
She looked up and gasped, "Good heavens, what kind of traditional medicine is this! What treasure! Isn't it just an earthworm?"
Could this thing be used to make soup?
"Ugh!" Unable to suppress her nausea any longer, she covered her mouth and quickly ran towards the restroom.
She vomited violently. It was more than ten minutes later when she emerged.
Everyone asked her with concern, "Are you alright? We were just joking with you. This is real medicinal material. We didn't expect such a strong reaction. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
A few female colleagues from the sales department, seeing that everyone's attention was on Jiang Nan Fang and no one was paying attention to their table, felt a bit jealous.
Seeing her delicate appearance, half in jealousy and half in jest, they said,
"Could Engineer Jiang be pregnant? She's so beautiful. Is she married? If not, she must have a boyfriend. Have you tested?"
They thought that after this remark, everyone would look at Jiang Nan Fang with strange eyes.
However, the entire technical department took it very lightly.
"We men vomit after drinking too much. Why can't she?"
"It's impossible for Engineer Jiang to be pregnant unless she drank water from the Land of Women."
"Why?" the sales colleagues asked curiously, looking over.
Vice President Gao said, "Engineer Jiang is neither married nor has a boyfriend. Why do you think that is? Girls just like to talk nonsense."
However, while they took it lightly, Jiang Nan Fang and Zhan Bei Jue both took the words to heart.
Pregnant?
The two who had done something wrong felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.
Now, Jiang Nan Fang could no longer sit still.
Looking at the time, she said to everyone, "I'm sorry, I really want to leave first. I'm not feeling well and very sleepy. You guys have fun, let me go back to sleep."
Everyone was extremely excited, even wanting to go to another venue. It seemed she truly couldn't accompany them, so they had to let her leave first.
Jiang Nan Fang went downstairs alone and hailed a taxi.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she left, Zhan Bei Jue also made an excuse and followed her out.
Ah Zhong was driving. Zhan Bei Jue watched Jiang Nan Fang's taxi, "Follow it."
The taxi had been driving on the street for less than five minutes when it stopped in front of a pharmacy.
Jiang Nan Fang went inside and stayed for a moment before coming out.
Zhan Bei Jue asked Ah Zhong to go down and ask her what she had bought.
Following her and inquiring about what she bought, the President's feelings towards his ex-wife were...
Despite the doubts, they dared not say much.
Ah Zhong went down to ask and returned a moment later with a complex expression.
"What did she buy?"
"A test kit?"
"A test kit? What kind of test kit?"
Poor Zhan Bei Jue had not experienced Jiang Nan Fang's pregnancy and childbirth. He usually didn't interact with women.
He really didn't know what a pregnancy test was.
"A pregnancy test kit. It's used to test if someone is pregnant," Ah Zhong explained to him.
"..."
Why would she buy this? Could it be that she was really pregnant?
Thinking about the consequences of that time many years ago, and then thinking about recently...
"Let's go. To her place."