Shi Xinxin shot him an annoyed glance. "Do you know what kind of personality I hate the most in this life?"
Sheng Chenjin looked at her. "What?"
"It's people like you." Shi Xinxin's face held a hint of defiance. "Men like you, who have no ambition at all, are the type I despise the most."
Sheng Chenjin paused, then chuckled, amused by her words.
Just then, a Maybach gradually entered their sight. Shi Xinxin also looked towards the car. Almost as soon as she saw the license plate, she guessed who was inside.
As if by an unconscious sense of connection to her friend, Shi Xinxin's face involuntarily broke into a smile, even after so many years apart.
Sheng Chenjin watched her smile completely, and his expression soured.
The sun was already fading, but Sheng Chenjin still found the car glaringly ostentatious.
"What, Xinxin, do you like Maybachs too? You can pick one from my garage directly, don't be shy." He took a step closer to Shi Xinxin, his words brimming with a fighting spirit.
Shi Xinxin glanced at him. "Oh, please. Why are you showing off your garage to me in broad daylight?"
She was surprised he saw her this way, and Sheng Chenjin's mood worsened. He raised his gaze coldly, his unspoken emotions directed entirely at the owner of the car.
The car slowly stopped at the hotel entrance. The door opened, and a man in a dark blue suit emerged. He had sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes. His captivating peach-blossom eyes seemed to hold boundless tenderness, and even a casual glance at a passerby would make them feel as if he were gazing at them affectionately.
Shi Xinxin rushed ahead to greet her friend, her smile widening. "Jiang Ling, it's really been a long time. I didn't expect you to have changed so much."
Jiang Ling handed the car keys to an assistant by his side. With the smile on his face, his naturally gentle peach-blossom eyes became even more so.
He strode towards Shi Xinxin. "Yes, it's truly been more than half a year since we last met. You left without telling me, and I worried for nothing."
As he spoke, he reached out to hug Shi Xinxin.
In foreign countries, people are more open, and a warm hug is a common greeting. However, Shi Xinxin, remembering the person standing nearby, took a slight step back, avoiding Jiang Ling's outstretched arms.
She glanced at Sheng Chenjin, ensuring his negative emotions hadn't intensified, then smiled faintly at the surprised Jiang Ling. "The banquet has been going on for some time. You should go in and get acquainted with the bosses first. We can catch up later."
Jiang Ling, having navigated the business world for years and having been Shi Xinxin's friend for some time, could easily see that she was deliberately avoiding him.
He suddenly noticed the unobtrusive Sheng Chenjin standing nearby, his handsome face displaying undisguised displeasure. Jiang Ling seemed to understand something.
A pang of discomfort arose within him, as if a long-held softness had been scraped away. Jiang Ling's expression only darkened for a second before he quickly smiled. "Alright, I'll go in and speak with them first. If you need anything, you can find me."
He said this, casually adjusted his clothes, and then strode confidently into the hotel.
Shi Xinxin watched him leave. However, she didn't see that the moment he stepped into the hotel, Jiang Ling's smile completely vanished.
"You two only haven't seen each other for half a year, and you're acting like best friends on the verge of life and death..." Sheng Chenjin said grudgingly, seeing Shi Xinxin still watching the man's retreating figure.
Shi Xinxin laughed at his childishness. "Half a year is still quite a long time. Think about how many places your company could climb in the rankings in that time."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Chenjin actually considered it seriously and then calmly shook his head. "My companies don't seem to have much room for improvement."
Shi Xinxin realized that he was, in fact, stating a truth.
Sheng Corporation had already broken into the top ten worldwide three years ago, creating a unique miracle in the business world and becoming a giant. They had held the title of the world's number one for three consecutive years. During this time, Sheng Chenjin had led the company to a complete separation in rankings from the second strongest enterprise, with no one able to surpass his current achievements.
"Forget it. Compared to the leader of a world-class enterprise like yours, I seem to be the one who needs to improve." Shi Xinxin shrugged.
Thinking he was expressing admiration, Sheng Chenjin swelled with pride and advised, "You don't need to be sad. If you become my wife, all my assets will be yours."
"No, no, no." Shi Xinxin immediately refused and then said with a serious expression, "I'm determined to build my own career with my own hands. Don't you, Mr. Big Shot, get in my way."
Sheng Chenjin chuckled, his shoulders shaking slightly.
He loved her unfading hope, her vitality, her unyielding spirit.
Shi Xinxin looked around again, confirming that there were no suspicious individuals nearby. She turned. "Let's go. I suspect Old Feng, or his people, have already infiltrated the banquet. We need to get in soon."
Sheng Chenjin's expression became more serious as he accompanied her inside.
The crowd, which had only just quieted down, erupted in a fresh wave of excitement upon seeing the two enter.
Shi Xinxin strode forward with her long legs, paying no mind to the surrounding gazes that had no effect on her.
She noticed several servers with cleaning equipment, presumably tidying up the mess Ding Xi had caused earlier.
Sheng Chenjin received a phone call. After listening to what was said, he stood beside Shi Xinxin and lowered his voice. "Xinxin, Old Feng himself is here today. He's in the lounge on the second floor."
Shi Xinxin's eyes brightened slightly.
She quickly scanned the crowd for Jiang Ling, and upon not seeing the flash of dark blue suit in the sea of people, she whispered to Sheng Chenjin, "Jiang Ling is probably already on his way to the transaction. We need to hurry."
"Okay." Sheng Chenjin casually asked a passing server for the location of the lounge and led Shi Xinxin upstairs.
Both their faces were serious, but their demeanor was misunderstood by others.
"No way, what did I just see? Mr. Sheng actually..."
"You're not mistaken, Mr. Sheng and that woman were acting intimately, completely disregarding everyone here!"
Another wave of complaints arose among the socialites, and their inclination to chat diminished.
At one of the banquet tables, a socialite who had been beside Ding Xi earlier stared intently at the two figures on the stairs. She then picked up her phone and took a picture of the striking silhouette.
"We can't just go directly to the lounge. We need to find a place that's not soundproof but is nearby."
Upon reaching the second floor, Shi Xinxin instructed, observing her surroundings.