Shen Qi felt a chill run down her spine under He Yining's gaze.
This man had that kind of power. Even a casual smile could make someone feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, unable to relax.
"I... I mean..." Shen Qi stammered.
"Xiao Chun, bring 200,000 in cash over here." He Yining dialed his assistant Xiao Chun's number.
Soon, Xiao Chun got out of the car behind them, carrying an exquisite small case, and handed it to He Yining.
"Although today's lunch is informal—just a family-style gathering—I still don't want to see you looking distracted. That would reflect poorly on my status." He Yining didn't actually think that way, but he said it anyway: "Consider this 200,000 a loan, or add it to your debt. For you, having 200,000 more or less doesn't make much difference anymore."
Shen Qi really wanted to refuse. But when her eyes landed on the case, she knew she couldn't. Because she truly, desperately needed this money.
No matter how harsh He Yining's words were, he had still helped her.
Sincerely, Shen Qi thanked him: "Thank you, President He. I'll work hard and strive to repay all my debts as soon as possible."
"Alright, wipe that gloomy look off your face. We're almost there." He Yining continued driving forward.
Clutching the small case, Shen Qi felt a wave of relief. She had to admit, this money was a lifesaver. She worked day and night outside and couldn't stay home to care for her brother. With this money, she could not only cover her brother's treatment costs but also hire a nanny to look after him during the day.
Even though it meant more debt... well, he was right. For her, more debt didn't hurt, and more lice didn't itch. From now on, she'd just have to work like crazy to earn money!
With that thought, the gloom on Shen Qi's face gradually lifted, and her eyes grew clearer.
Seeing Shen Qi's relieved expression in the rearview mirror, a faint smile flickered in He Yining's eyes.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, the Aston Martin pulled up in front of a villa with a distinctly Western European architectural theme. The security guard at the gate only glanced at the license plate before respectfully opening the gate to let them in.
The moment they entered the gate, Shen Qi felt inexplicably nervous. She had served the upper class before but had never attended such a lavish party. Growing up, all she did was study and take care of her brother at home. Shen Yinyin represented the Shen family's face at various events. Madam Shen and Shen Gang only ever mentioned Shen Yinyin, never Shen Qi, so no one knew the Shen family had another daughter. Even the Shen family's servants gave Shen Qi and Shen Lu a hard time, and outsiders assumed Shen Yinyin was the only child.
Getting out of the car, Shen Qi properly took He Yining's arm and walked inside slowly.
As the doors swung open, Shen Qi was greeted by a sea of perfume and elegant figures. Though it was just a small private gathering, there seemed to be an unusually high number of beautiful women present. Many of them clustered around a handsome man with peach-blossom eyes. Nearby sat a pair of twins, their delicate features like a painting, nearly identical and indistinguishable.
These three men each had a crowd of beauties around them, seemingly enjoying it. When they saw He Yining arriving with Shen Qi, they exaggeratedly gaped.
"Wow, am I seeing things? Yining actually showed up with a woman?" the peach-blossom-eyed man exclaimed dramatically. "Fan Sheng, Fan Li, am I hallucinating?"
The twins played along, putting on looks of disbelief. "Our eyes are taking ten thousand points of damage."
Seeing all the fluttering women, He Yining frowned and said, "All of you, leave!"
The women turned to look at the peach-blossom-eyed man, and only left reluctantly after he nodded.
Shen Qi felt the air instantly freshen.
"Yining, aren't you going to introduce her?" the peach-blossom-eyed man asked, eyeing Shen Qi with interest. "Which university did you find this campus beauty from? She's really pure."
He Yining pointed at the man and said to Shen Qi, "This is Wen Yibo. His maternal grandfather is a British lieutenant general, so he's a quarter British. These two are Fan Sheng and Fan Li, twins, sons of the Fan's Entertainment company. They're my best friends."
After introducing them, he turned to the others and said, "She's Shen Qi."
No further explanation—just those four words. Yet those four words made the three men eye Shen Qi with a playful curiosity for a long time.
Shen Qi greeted them nervously, "Hello, I'm Shen Qi, I'm—"
Before she could finish, He Yining cut in, "Alright, they know your name, that's enough. No need to tell them anything else. They already have too many women."
Shen Qi's face flushed bright red. That wasn't what she meant at all!
Fan Sheng smiled and said, "Sit down! Yining has never brought a girl to meet us before."
Shen Qi opened her mouth to explain, but they hadn't said anything specific, so how could she?
He Yining quickly took over the conversation, saying, "You didn't call me here to discuss my female companion, did you? By the way, Wen Yibo, you said on the phone you want to take over Northwest Mining? How sure are you?"
At the mention of business, Wen Yibo turned serious. "Not too sure, that's why I called you all. Interested in getting involved? Northwest Mining has been losing money badly for years. The equipment is severely outdated, and morale has been shaky for a long time. I'm planning to drop 5 billion pounds to acquire the company. But my dad won't give me that much, and my grandfather can't help much either."
Fan Li frowned and said, "Northwest Mining? That company is indeed hard to swallow. I've heard my dad say many people have their eyes on it."
Wen Yibo clapped his hands. "That's why I want Yining's help! None of us are as rich as Yining. 5 billion pounds is a hassle for us, but for Yining, it's no big deal. Right, Shen Qi?"
After finishing his business talk, Wen Yibo innocently turned to Shen Qi for confirmation.
Shen Qi, who had been planning to excuse herself and step aside, was caught off guard by his question.
"Huh..." she said blankly. "Sorry, I don't understand these things."
"Then what do you understand?" Wen Yibo seemed unwilling to let her off, pressing further.
Shen Qi immediately looked at He Yining.