After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 71.1

“On a diet while eating ice cream?”

“Ginger?!”

“Hahahaha.”

At that moment, across the street by a black Rolls-Royce, stood a woman. She wore a dark red halter-neck qipao, and her bright red lips looked as if they had drunk blood.

She stared blankly at the two girls walking away, her expression blank, but her aura several degrees colder than before. A soft corner of her heart had been violently tugged.

Shen Xiaojiang was like a reckless wind; she didn’t ask about east or west, sun or rain, yet she always managed to crash into Chen Yi’s life. Uncontrollable, yet capable of easily disrupting everything.

“Seventh Mistress?” He Zhong opened the car door for her. “What’s wrong? Is there something…”

Just as He Zhong was about to turn toward Shen Xiaojiang’s direction, Chen Yi suddenly looked at him. “Nothing.”

Chen Yi sat in the car, and He Zhong closed the door.

People came and went on the street. The small trees in the green belt obscured half of Shen Xiaojiang’s body. The Rolls-Royce drove past, and just like that, the two missed each other amidst the dazzling neon lights.

Two days later, the Chamber of Commerce presidential election was held at the Nancheng Shuiyuan Resort.

The massive banquet hall had been arranged into a solemn meeting room. The lights were fully on, resembling a stage, a stage that trapped power and human nature.

The members of the Chamber of Commerce, dressed formally, had cold expressions, like a group of emotionless machines. In front of each person was a sheet of A4 paper, a black pen, and a box of red ink. For fairness and transparency, a supervisor stood beside each of the forty voters, holding tools to verify handwriting and fingerprints.

Old Man Bai’s legs were increasingly failing him; he was pushed onto the podium in a wheelchair. The entire hall was dead silent.

“Ahem.” Old Man Bai took the microphone from the host. “I’m sorry to take up everyone’s valuable time today to come here for the election of Nancheng’s new Chamber of Commerce President.”

He paused, and thunderous applause immediately erupted from below.

Chen Yi, Bai Shuhua, and two other candidates sat squarely on the other side of the podium, appearing like four items with price tags clearly marked.

Old Man Bai spoke for a few more minutes before handing the mic back to the host.

“Next, we invite the candidates to speak.”

While Old Man Bai was speaking, no one dared to make a sound. Now, many people whispered as if a weight had been lifted.

Soon, it was time for the third person to speak.

Bai Shuhua, wearing a white suit, looked at Chen Yi the moment she stood up. Chen Yi sat quietly without expression, as cold as an ice sculpture. As Bai Shuhua walked past her, Chen Yi slowly tilted her chin and switched the crossing of her legs, still maintaining that frozen, motionless demeanor.

Standing at the podium, Bai Shuhua looked at the faces below some familiar, some not. She smiled faintly and said, “Apologies, everyone. For today’s election, I, Bai Shuhua, abstain.”

In an instant, the room was in an uproar.

Bai Shuhua had promised Chen Yi she would give her vote, but Bai Shuhua’s supporters wouldn’t necessarily vote for Chen Yi. Yet, Chen Yi told her to find a way herself. Bai Shuhua didn’t like brown-nosing, nor could she act hypocritically. The only way to ensure they didn’t vote for her was to withdraw.

Amidst the buzzing discussion, Bai Shuhua left the podium.

Below, Chen Yi lifted her chin and slowly raised her gaze to look at the person walking down from the stage. A moment later, the corners of her mouth curled into a terrifying smile.

Bai Shuhua sat down, and Chen Yi stood up.

Today, she wore a peacock-blue patterned halter-neck qipao. The long, high-slit hem trailed on the floor, low-key yet luxurious like a haute couture evening gown. She wore exaggerated wine-red earrings, and two loops of red agate beads around her neck. Her dark red stiletto heels clicked against the floor, stepping on everyone’s hearts like an alarm, or perhaps a funeral knell.

Her posture was straight, her stride was bold. Every step she took seemed to have its own background music, perfectly timed, perfectly placed. She wasn’t walking toward a podium she was walking toward her own stage, her throne, the pinnacle of her life.

As Chen Yi stood still at the podium, everyone in the room took a sharp breath. Supporters and opponents alike sat on pins and needles. Even though the woman on stage was smiling like a flower, they were so nervous they were afraid to breathe.

At some point, the doors had been surrounded by Chen Yi’s people. They were like elite guards protecting a queen’s coronation silent and sharp like knives, like cold faced buddhas. It seemed that if anyone dared to stop Chen Yi from ascending, they would be torn to pieces.

The outcome had been decided the moment Bai Shuhua said the word “abstain.”

The prepared speech no longer held any meaning. Chen Yi stood in the position she had dreamed of, looking coldly at the crowd below like a detached deity. Her eyes were as cold as water, and her aura was heavy enough to crush a person. Compared to Old Man Bai in his prime, she was even more formidable.

“I will make Nancheng’s future better.” After her shortened speech ended, Chen Yi walked down from the podium under their collective gaze.

Old Man Bai was the first to clap slowly. Others followed his rhythm, some willingly and others not, joining the applause.

As she passed Meng Changchun, he didn’t clap. Instead, he said coldly to Chen Yi, “I hope the prosperity you spoke of actually comes to pass.”

Chen Yi turned and recognized him as the old man who had played chess with Old Man Bai. She smiled slightly and replied calmly, “It will.”

An hour later, the voting ended.

the usher carried the results to the podium. Old Man Bai unrolled the leather scroll and read the words with satisfaction.

“In this election, forty people were expected, and forty were present. The final result: Candidate Chen Yi, with 32 votes in favor, 4 against, and 4 abstentions, succeeds as the new President of the Nancheng Chamber of Commerce.”

After reading, he handed the scroll back to the host. He reached out to take Chen Yi’s hand as she waited below.

At that moment, the back doors opened, allowing reporters to enter in an orderly fashion under the “accompaniment” of bodyguards. Two ushers at the front brought a massive golden ink pad. Chen Yi and Old Man Bai each pressed their palm prints into the gold clay.

In that instant, Chen Yi suddenly remembered that moonlit, windy night in Haishi, when she had firmly pressed her palm against Shen Xiaojiang’s “Top Scholar” handprint.

‘I did it,’ she whispered in her heart.

Not just telling herself, but wanting to tell the person in her heart. She so badly wanted to share this victory with her. So badly.

A few seconds later, she narrowed her eyes slightly. Sunlight streamed through the window, tinting her eyelashes gold. At this moment, the whole world was crowning her.

Shen Xiaojiang: Today is another day of missing my auntie.

Chen Yi: Today is another day of missing the little one.