Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 6

Ye Luochen?

An image of a beautiful, ethereal yet cold-faced woman appeared in Jing Xiaonan’s mind. Was it her? Ye Luochen couldn’t attend today’s meeting?

She immediately recalled Gao Jiong’s explanation—a third-generation rich kid, no surprise. But based on Jing Xiaonan’s understanding of Ye Luochen, she felt this elegant woman definitely wouldn’t be absent for that reason.

She had left the secluded farm alone. Could she have gotten lost?

Jing Xiaonan’s brows furrowed, but then eased slightly. A major power like Maple Leaf Group, even abroad, wouldn’t easily lose their chairman’s legitimate granddaughter and fail to locate her.

While she was lost in thought, her cheek was lightly patted a few times. She looked up to see Gao Jiong’s wide eyes staring at her, twinkling with curiosity.

“What?” Jing Xiaonan asked, a hint of impatience in her tone.

Gao Jiong’s eyes widened further. Although their relationship was extremely close, Jing Xiaonan rarely showed negative emotions. She wasn’t an emotional person to begin with, and Jing Xiaonan was always good at self-control.

“Oh? What’s going on? Premature period?” Gao Jiong put on a gossipy expression, staring intently at Jing Xiaonan, her annoying face inching closer: “No, I don’t think so. I think you were bottomed last night after your date and became a little submissive, didn’t you?”

Jing Xiaonan shot her a look, not bothering to respond.

“Not that either! Not that either!” Gao Jiong straightened up, declaring her research result with sudden enlightenment: “You’re so unfulfilled and depressed, it must be because you wanted to be topped last night but didn’t succeed!”

Jing Xiaonan had just lifted her head from a pile of information about Maple Leaf Group. Before she could react to her statement, the door to the Vice General Manager’s office opened from the outside. Qin Yan stood at the doorway with her perpetually icy face, holding a plate of pastries and a cup of coffee, seemingly having overheard Gao Jiong’s remarks.

Uh, Jing Xiaonan suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She shot a deadly glare at her troublemaking friend, then met Qin Yan’s gaze.

“Xiao Yan, contact Maple Leaf. Today’s progress was delayed. Schedule the next meeting.”

Qin Yan looked at Jing Xiaonan expressionlessly, neither confirming nor denying her not-so-clever attempt to change the subject, but indicated she understood the content of the request. Jing Xiaonan cleared her throat, feeling frustrated.

“Hey, junior, something up?” Completely unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere, Gao Jiong still had her legs crossed, leaning back with her neck stretched out, greeting Qin Yan with a casual posture.

Qin Yan nodded slightly at her and finally spoke: “Longsheng Real Estate in Sydney is opening a few new developments. Because the last collaboration was very pleasant, they hope to cooperate on this project too.”

Habitually tapping her knuckles lightly on the table, Jing Xiaonan hummed, “This is also a big deal. I’m truly uneasy handing it entirely over to others, so I might have to go for one or two weeks.” However, she had just returned, and hadn’t even taken a few breaths of Melbourne air before having to go on a business trip again, inevitably feeling tired. Thinking this, Jing Xiaonan raised her hand and subconsciously rubbed her heavily dark-circled eyes.

Catching this movement, Qin Yan lowered her eyes for less than a second, then took over the conversation: “The location of this development is better than the last, but since we are already familiar with the previous collaboration, the difficulty this time is actually less than before.” She then looked at Gao Jiong: “In terms of position, A-Jiong would actually be more suitable to go. After all, as General Manager, staying in the company all the time without engaging with the outside world is also detrimental to our Pengju.”

At the mention of the nickname ‘A-Jiong,’ Jing Xiaonan’s and Gao Jiong’s expressions changed from attentive listening to distorted features. In college, Jing Xiaonan and Gao Jiong, due to their non-mainstream sexual orientation, and both being outstanding students from China, felt a mutual sympathy and perhaps a sense of collusion, gradually becoming firm buddies. From time to time, Jing Xiaonan would ‘affectionately’ call Gao Jiong ‘A-Jiong.’ Every time this nickname was used, Gao Jiong’s facial expressions would become unusually rich, proving the name was well-deserved.

Later, Gao Jiong became used to it, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. However, after gradually becoming familiar with Qin Yan in her sophomore year, every time this perpetually poker-faced junior with a sweet appearance called her that, she would, without exception, be utterly ‘jiong’ (embarrassed/awkward).

Although the nickname caused Gao Jiong a moment of facial convulsions, the content of the conversation worried her. Hearing that she was actually recommended by the junior to take on this task, she immediately sprang from the leather chair, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.

“No, no, no, I can’t! I know myself. In court theory and handling cases, I’m not inferior to Xiao Nan. I can barely manage to bluff with a poker face as a paper tiger in ordinary times, but I’m truly intimidated by commercial matters. If everything goes smoothly and nothing happens, fine. But if something goes wrong, I’m afraid I won’t have the face to return to see my folks.”

Jing Xiaonan looked at Qin Yan after hearing this. Both of them knew Gao Jiong was speaking the absolute truth. Jing Xiaonan sighed inwardly, then made the final decision: “It’s fine. I followed up on the last project too, and I’ve already figured out the ropes. It’s more appropriate for me to go this time. Xiao Yan, did Longyue mention a rough time frame?”

“They did. Because the progress is better than they expected, and customer purchases are very active, they mean the sooner the better.”

“Mhm,” nodding, “Then I’ll deal with things at the company today and tomorrow. Help me book a flight to Sydney for the day after tomorrow.”

Qin Yan acknowledged this, placed the food on Jing Xiaonan’s desk, and then left the Vice General Manager’s office. Gao Jiong followed her out, not forgetting to snag two good-looking pastries on her way.

Picking up the hot black coffee, Jing Xiaonan turned her swivel chair to look at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window, paying special attention to the sunset over the distant port.

Two weeks passed by neither slowly nor quickly. But for Jing Xiaonan, who was focused on the large and small matters of real estate law in a foreign city, it flew by in the blink of an eye.

That evening, the project was finally mostly settled, with only a few necessary ceremonial events remaining for the day after tomorrow. Jing Xiaonan arranged for a senior lawyer from the firm to stay behind in Sydney to handle subsequent minor issues, then took out her phone and dialed Qin Yan’s number.

The phone was picked up after just one ring, and an immediate “General Manager Jing” reached Jing Xiaonan’s ear from a thousand miles away. The tone was bland and ordinary, but the voice was not icy, as pleasant as always.

“Xiao Yan, how’s the company today?”

“Fine.” A simple answer. The other person seemed eager to discuss another matter: “I’ve checked the flight for the day after tomorrow. How about the ten o’clock flight? I’ve cleared the morning schedule for you, so you don’t have to wake up too early.”

“Mmm…” Jing Xiaonan noncommittally responded, her attention diverted by a pop-up window on her computer screen. She skimmed through it, clicked on the attached photo of a real person, and quickly made a decision.

“Xiao Yan, help me book the ten o’clock flight for the day after tomorrow. I want to sightsee and relax in Sydney for a day after tomorrow.”

Sydney wasn’t too far from Melbourne and was also a commercial metropolis on par with Melbourne. In the four years since the law firm was established, Jing Xiaonan had traveled there for business numerous times, big and small, no less than a hundred times, and there was absolutely no need for sightseeing.

Jing Xiaonan couldn’t hear any movement on the other end of the phone. She subconsciously pressed the phone closer to her ear and softly called out: “Xiao Yan?”

“Understood. Any other instructions?”

“Uh, no,” Jing Xiaonan replied.

The call ended quickly.

Jing Xiaonan stretched and opened an app to check which casual restaurants in Sydney she could go to for dinner. Meanwhile, Qin Yan stared at the ‘call ended’ screen for a long time, finally biting her lip before dialing another number from her contacts.

“Excuse me, is this Manager Li? Hello, regarding the cooperation with your company, our side has completed the current stage of preparations. When are you free so we can discuss it again?”

Listening to Manager Li’s fawning words on the phone, Qin Yan frowned. They had only met twice during the previous two meetings. Although she had been viewed with similar eyes many times, Qin Yan still inwardly disliked Manager Li’s almost lewd gaze.

She originally didn’t want to call his number. Qin Yan always preferred to contact his secretary to schedule times, but this time, perhaps this was the only way.

“It’s like this: the last meeting fell slightly behind expectations, and the baby formula business in Australia is becoming increasingly popular with domestic merchants. Our General Manager Gao doesn’t want to delay the cooperation, so I wonder if we could schedule the next meeting for the afternoon of the day after tomorrow?”

Listening to Manager Li’s response, Qin Yan frowned again and held the phone a few centimeters away from her ear.

“Okay, then we’ll meet at Pengju at two o’clock the day after tomorrow.”

She hung up the phone after speaking. Qin Yan sighed slightly and drafted a text message to Gao Jiong:

“Maple Leaf Group’s next meeting is scheduled for 2 PM, the day after tomorrow, in the Pengju conference room.”

After a moment’s thought, she copied the sentence, pasted it into another text message, but sent it to Gao Jiong’s secretary.

Two days later at two o’clock in the afternoon, Pengju welcomed the client from Maple Leaf Group. Leading the group was a middle-aged, plump man in a suit, whom Gao Jiong already knew. She smiled, shook his hand, and greeted him as Manager Li. Behind Manager Li were a few people Gao Jiong had already met: Manager Li’s secretary, Maple Leaf’s domestic lawyer, and two familiar employees she hadn’t spoken much with. However, this time, there was an addition—a woman of exquisite beauty and outstanding temperament whom she had never seen before.

After Manager Li shook hands and exchanged greetings with Gao Jiong, he quickly stepped aside and introduced the unfamiliar woman beside him.

Gao Jiong was slightly startled by his words, then understood. This was the legendary legitimate granddaughter, Ye Luochen. She was unexpectedly so beautiful, truly stunning.

Regaining her composure, Gao Jiong quickly introduced her group to this woman of good background, good looks, and strong presence: Qin Yan, of course, Gao Jiong’s main secretary, and two other respected lawyers.

When introducing Gao Jiong, Manager Li’s gaze intentionally lingered for a while, but he quickly returned to his professional state, as expected of a businessman who had climbed to his position:

“I wonder if Vice General Manager Jing will be attending the meeting today? During the first discussion, I found that Vice General Manager Jing is indeed a young talent, truly worthy of being General Manager Gao’s capable assistant.”

Gao Jiong immediately exchanged a look with Qin Yan, revealing a hint of anxiety. Yesterday, she had clearly informed Jing Xiaonan that the Maple Leaf meeting was scheduled for today, even teasing her about prioritizing “beauty over the country” and rushing off for a date. Jing Xiaonan had then decided to cancel her date and rush back here. But why hadn’t she arrived yet? And not only that, why was there no message?

Her mind raced for a few seconds. Gao Jiong smiled and explained: “Jing Xiaonan was tied up with an unexpected urgent matter in Sydney and was delayed for a bit. She is currently on her way back.”

Manager Li nodded understandingly upon hearing this. The beautiful woman beside him, who hadn’t said a word from the beginning, unexpectedly spoke, but only to repeat the beginning of Gao Jiong’s sentence:

“Jing Xiaonan?”

Gao Jiong’s gaze quickly shifted from Manager Li to the granddaughter’s face, surprised by the slight confusion she displayed.

“What, Miss Ye knows our Vice General Manager Jing?”

At the same time, Qin Yan beside her also looked at Ye Luochen, subtly frowning.

Quickly returning to her previous calm, Ye Luochen smiled, “The name just sounds a bit familiar. Perhaps I’ve mistaken her for someone else.”

Gao Jiong smiled and nodded, “Since that’s the case, let’s first discuss some of our viewpoints. Vice General Manager Jing might later…”

Just as she was speaking, there were two knocks on the conference room’s wooden door, which then opened from the outside. The Maple Leaf group’s seats faced away from the door. Hearing the movement, they all turned to look, and sure enough, the Vice General Manager in question, who was just being mentioned, was standing at the doorway.