Not long after Qin Yue left the Gu family, Chen Lishu and Gu Xindong returned home, accompanied by Yang Zhiguo and Fu Chen.
Upon entering, Li Xiulan warmly prepared tea for them. As everyone settled in, she hesitantly said, "Lishu, Qin Yue visited today. She said her godfather is inviting you both to dine at the Venus Hotel tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhiguo put down his cup, his brow furrowed. "If I recall correctly, Xingdong and He Lei's relationship hasn't been very good. Why would he invite just the two of you for dinner out of the blue? I suspect a trap!"
Li Xiulan's face showed a flicker of fear. Covering her mouth, she asked, "What should we do, Chief Yang? I didn't officially agree to Qin Yue. Perhaps we shouldn't go tomorrow."
Yang Zhiguo shook his head. "He Lei is not a good person, but I can't completely intervene in this matter. My and He Lei's positions are rather special, and it would only make things more unpleasant. You can choose not to go, but be cautious. He Lei might use this incident to stir up trouble within the military. If you do choose to go, my advice is to bring a couple more people."
Gu Xingdong straightened his back, his expression serious. "I understand. We must go. Su Nian will accompany me. You focus on protecting Lishu; I won't be in much danger."
Receiving the order, Su Nian nodded without complaint. "Understood. The lady's safety is entrusted to me."
After a brief arrangement for the next day's schedule, the matter was put aside, and the conversation shifted to other topics. The guests dispersed late into the night.
----
The next day, Gu Xingdong and Chen Lishu arrived at the Venus Hotel.
As they reached the private room, Chen Lishu suddenly stopped and nudged Gu Xingdong's waist. "Wait a moment."
"What is it?" Gu Xingdong asked, looking at her with confusion.
Chen Lishu, with practiced ease, took out his phone from his pocket and turned on the recording function. After doing so, she slowly raised her head, a knowing smile on her face. "An extra layer of security brings peace of mind. I noticed there are no surveillance cameras here. If something were to happen, we'd have no way to defend ourselves. It's better to have evidence."
With that, Chen Lishu turned to Su Nian, signaling her to follow suit. Soon, all three of them turned on their phone recordings and entered the room.
The moment they stepped inside, He Lei eagerly waved to Gu Xingdong. "You're here? Come quickly, sit next to me. I have some work matters I want to discuss with you!"
Gu Xingdong pursed his lips, masking the complex emotions in his eyes. Unable to refuse, he sat next to He Lei.
Seeing this, Chen Lishu was about to follow when a figure rushed in from outside. The person plopped down right next to Gu Xingdong, pouting, and feigning distress. "Godfather, you're being unfair! You used to let me sit next to you. Now that big brother Gu is here, you're neglecting me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I have important business to discuss," He Lei glared at Qin Yue, but the indulgence in his eyes contradicted his reprimand of Qin Yue's impolite behavior.
After the father and daughter finished their brief exchange, He Lei turned his attention to Chen Lishu, offering an awkward laugh. "I'm truly sorry to have made you witness such a scene! Miss Chen, please find any seat you like. I'll have the waiter serve the dishes shortly."
Chen Lishu was not one to make a fuss. After all, in public, Qin Yue couldn't do anything to Gu Xingdong. It was just a meal together. With this thought, she casually chose a seat.
Not long after, a waiter entered with dishes. Once most of the food was served, the other key figure of the gathering arrived.
"Godfather."
Qin Lan greeted He Lei and then shifted his gaze to Chen Lishu. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly hidden.
He Lei spoke with mock impatience, "What are you standing around for? Sit down already. We're all waiting for you!"
Qin Lan didn't dare to say more and casually pulled out a chair, sitting next to Chen Lishu.
Once everyone was seated, He Lei raised his glass with a humble demeanor. "Miss Chen, I'd like to propose a toast to you, as an apology for the recent events. It's my fault for not teaching my children properly, allowing Qin Lan to be so thoughtless and offend your family. I hope you'll be magnanimous and overlook his actions."
Chen Lishu also raised her glass, a fitting smile on her face. "There's no need to call it an offense. Isn't the workplace just like this? We're all thinking about the company's development."
Upon hearing this, He Lei's hand, holding the wine glass, paused. Her gracious response made it difficult for He Lei, an outsider, to intervene. After all, Qin Lan had initiated the provocation, and they were clearly in the wrong.
After a moment of hesitation, He Lei put on a smile again, adopting a seemingly earnest tone to persuade her. "There's no rule in the workplace for attacking one's own family members. Miss Chen, you've already administered the necessary punishment, and Qin Lan knows he was wrong. Could you perhaps speak with the editor-in-chief of the newspaper and ask them to delete that day's interview to prevent further rumors from spreading? After all, this company was built by my son; he endured a lot of hardship so that I could have a comfortable retirement when I'm old."
He Lei then smiled at Chen Lishu, thinking that after such a plea, she would have no reason to refuse. However, Chen Lishu was not one to forgive those who had harmed her as if she were a saint.
She smiled gently, glancing around the room, and her gaze settled on Qin Lan. He had his head bowed, busy with something in his hands. After a while, Qin Lan still hadn't looked up, but he subtly angled his phone camera towards the table.
Seeing this, Chen Lishu immediately understood the true purpose of this dinner. She then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, feigning ignorance, and said, "Chief He, are you implying that I was too harsh on Mr. Qin, and that the crisis at Qin Group was my doing?"