Sweet as Honey and Sugar - Chapter 22:
No wonder He Qingrou had seemed off that morning.
There was something going on.
Chi Jiayi glanced into the trash bin, scanned the room again,
and grew more certain that someone else had been here last night.
And during an auto show week, hardly anyone came up this mountain unless
they were part of the industry. Which meant
whoever had been here was either a coworker or another exhibitor.
Maybe even that person from the bar last time.
This girl, always so secretive, never willing to say a word. But the more Chi Jiayi thought about it,
the more it made sense. Maybe she even knew the mysterious guest herself.
She nudged He Qingrou with her elbow and whispered,
Last night… something happened, didn’t it?
No, said He Qingrou stiffly, eyes turning toward the window as she tucked a
strand of hair behind her ear. You’re thinking nonsense.
Oh, sure. Keep pretending, Chi Jiayi huffed. The evidence is right in front of me,
and you’re still denying it.
He Qingrou froze, unsure what exactly her friend had seen, but she stuck to her story.
Really, I went to bed early. Just me. Nobody else.
Yeah, right.
He Qingrou pressed her lips together and stayed silent, her gaze shifting toward the trees outside.
The mountain breeze rustled through the leaves, setting them trembling in a chorus of soft sighs.
Chi Jiayi followed her gaze and, suddenly inspired, chuckled.
You know, back in my hometown, we plant tall trees in front and behind every house.
The houses are low, the trees towering. In my great-grandfather’s time, young lovers weren’t
allowed to date openly people loved to gossip. So they’d sneak around at night,
climbing the trees by the back door. The boy went up, or the girl climbed down.
That’s where the saying came from: cool shade in front, climbing trees in back.
She turned to He Qingrou with a teasing grin and pointed at the tree outside.
If we’re talking layout, the front door of this building technically faces the rear.
That means the trees out back? Those are the climbing trees.
He Qingrou blinked, half-listening, half-wondering if such a saying even existed.
It took her a moment to realize she was being teased. Her face warmed.
You never stop talking, do you? she muttered.
Chi Jiayi burst out laughing. Ha! I knew it. Guilty conscience.
Can we go now? He Qingrou’s face burned. She stuffed the food wrappers into the trash,
grabbed her bag and documents, and headed for the door.
Hey, hey, wait up! Chi Jiayi called, chasing after her. It’s not even eight yet.
What’s the rush?
Almost, said He Qingrou. The exhibition opens at eight.
She shut the door behind her as she stepped out.
Chi Jiayi caught up quickly, lowering her voice with a mischievous grin.
You’re nearly thirty. Having… needs… is perfectly normal.
I get it. Just tell me, who was it?
Someone I know?
He Qingrou blushed to the tips of her ears, ignoring the shameless question, and walked faster.
Chi Jiayi followed, laughing under her breath all the way down the hill.
The Southwest Mountain Auto Show had three main areas: the outdoor plaza, the indoor hall,
and the racetrack. The outdoor space was open-air, the indoor one enclosed,
and the racetrack well, self-explanatory.
Dongning Auto Group’s booth was in the southeast corner of the main hall.
They were exhibiting five cars this year, two classics and three
upcoming models slated for next year’s big release.
A few staff were already there setting up.
Sister He! called Xiao Wu, waving.
Team Leader He! the others echoed.
He Qingrou nodded in greeting. She asked Xiao Wu if the cars had been inspected.
They had been delivered two days earlier, but she made sure they were checked every morning.
Xiao Wu held a clipboard and nodded quickly. Checked everything, even the outdoor area.
No problems at all.
You can relax.
Good. Keep an eye on the models, too, said He Qingrou.
Make sure they’re ready by eight tomorrow morning.
If there’s any issue, contact their manager right away.
Models flaking last minute was practically tradition at these events.
She wasn’t about to take chances.
Got it, said Xiao Wu. I already stopped by their place this morning they’re still resting.
She was a careful one. He Qingrou had chosen to mentor her during her internship
to toughen her up a bit. Spending all day with designs and blueprints could dull a person.
It was good to see the real world sometimes.
Knowing the girl had barely slept last night, He Qingrou told her to take a break.
Thank you, Sister He, said Xiao Wu gratefully. I’ll come back later.
Mm, go ahead.
With everything in order, He Qingrou and Chi Jiayi wandered around the exhibition,
checking both floors. It was a slow, easy morning.
After lunch, Chi Jiayi went to the racetrack while He Qingrou returned to the hall.
The moment she stepped inside, she froze. Someone had parked another company’s car in
Dongning’s booth just off to the side, but still.
Her brow furrowed sharply. She called a nearby staffer,
who explained that the car was just there “temporarily.”
Dongning’s left-hand neighbor was Hexin International, a partner company.
On the right, though, was Aneng Group their direct rival.
Originally, Aneng had been set up in the northwest corner, right across from them,
but due to layout issues, the organizers had moved them next door.
Fate really liked a joke.
The two companies had competed fiercely during a recent bid and hadn’t been on good terms since.
Normally, both sides kept things polite and distant.
But this “temporary” parking was clearly meant to provoke.
Few staff had stayed behind at noon, so when the car arrived, no one questioned it.
By the time they realized it wasn’t theirs, the movers had already left, saying they’d remove it soon.
Hours later, it still sat there.
They’d gone over to Aneng’s booth, only to be told it wasn’t their car.
Fine, thought He Qingrou. She called the venue coordinator immediately.
If she hauled the car out herself, it would look petty and unprofessional.
But letting them get away with it?
Not a chance.
You say it’s not yours? Perfect. I’ll get a witness. If it’s ownerless, it’s ours now.
Let’s see who’s more annoyed.
The coordinator arrived quickly.
As expected, Aneng denied everything.
Without a flicker of hesitation, He Qingrou ordered her team to tow the car away.
Free car, she said coolly.
The Aneng manager’s face turned a shade darker than asphalt.
The coordinator watched from the sidelines, choosing not to interfere.
There’d been plenty of underhanded stunts lately, and he wasn’t about to pick sides.
With the problem “resolved,” he politely excused himself.
He Qingrou walked him a few steps out, thanking him softly for the trouble.
Not at all, not at all, he replied with a smile. Best of luck with the exhibition tomorrow.
May your new models sell like crazy. I’ll be sure to drop by.
After a few pleasantries, she returned to the booth. Her phone buzzed two soft vibrations.
A WeChat message from Lin Nai.
Dinner tonight.
He Qingrou checked the time. Lin Nai should have already met up with
Song Tianzhong, their partner. Why was she inviting her instead?
She typed back, Too much to do at the booth. Can’t leave.
A moment later, the reply popped up. What do you want to eat?
I’ll bring it.
He Qingrou hesitated. No need. Stay with President Song.
I’ll eat on my own.
The chat window went still. Maybe Lin Nai got busy. After a while,
He Qingrou put her phone down and went back to work.
The afternoon passed in a blur of small errands and last-minute checks,
between the indoor and outdoor halls.
When she finally took a breather, she saw Lin Nai’s message sent at 3:17 p.m.
Wait for me.
Just two words. Nothing else.