We Are Not Dating! - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Eye-Catching

It was quite a coincidence; Jiang Zhiyu, feeling that the room was too stuffy, walked to the roadside to wait for his ride-hail car, and during that time, he saw that man again.

The man opened the butterfly doors of a McLaren and tossed a drunken companion inside.

Calling him a “companion” didn’t seem quite accurate; one was dressed simply, while the other wore a suit and tie—they didn’t look like friends or colleagues at all.

So how did they end up coming out of the club together?

Gazing at the man’s sharp features and his broad-shouldered, long-legged silhouette, Jiang Zhiyu tilted his head slightly and took out his phone to ask Zhou Ke a question.

Synthesizing the location with their respective appearances, he deduced: [Can someone this arrogant and standoffish actually work as an escort these days?]

Zhou Ke replied instantly: [The species in nightlife are indeed very diverse. Usually, the sweet-talkers and smooth-operators are the most popular, but you can’t rule out customers who are born Masochists.]

Seeing these words, Jiang Zhiyu felt he had reached enlightenment and couldn’t help but steal another glance at the McLaren.

The drunkard had been stuffed into the car. The man leaned lazily against the door, lowering his head to roll his wrist, looking very much like he was wrapping up the scene after committing a crime.

He then rounded to the driver’s seat and started the car, pulling onto the road in one fluid motion.

Jiang Zhiyu stood dazed for a moment, and Zhou Ke quickly called him.

“What, have you taken a liking to someone?” Zhou Ke asked with ill intent.

He had merely looked a few extra times; it was far from having a crush. Jiang Zhiyu spoke evasively.

He said vaguely, “Why are you being so gossipy?”

His voice sounded quite innocent. Zhou Ke got a bit annoyed and questioned him with a pained heart.

“I sent you to go undercover at the club, but you’re inquiring about a ‘flower on a high ridge.’ Did you diagnose Qi Shu as an ‘M’ from across the room? I suspect you’re having fun on the company’s dime and didn’t put the mission in your brain at all!”

Jiang Zhiyu, who had indeed forgotten his original intent: “.”

Seeing him remain silent, Zhou Ke knew it was a guilty conscience.

“I have a dinner appointment with Songcheng next Monday. If the conversation doesn’t go well then, I’ll make you personally come and sell smiles,” he threatened.

Jiang Zhiyu protested: “Eight out of ten people in investment banking love Texas Hold’em. They still need to use their brains in their spare time; they won’t play well with me.”

“Who among those who’ve made it doesn’t have eight hundred hidden agendas?” Zhou Ke smoked a cigarette. “Do you know how hard it is for your leader to do business? I want you to step up now.”

Listening to his scolding, Jiang Zhiyu lifted his chin slightly.

“I don’t like selling smiles at social tables. Professional matters like that should be left to Business Development.”

Zhou Ke’s thoughts wandered: “Speaking of which, Qi Shu is quite popular. When the BD department found out who the contact person was this time, they proactively responded to me, saying they wanted to see what he actually looks like.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhiyu perked up: “Then we should charge Qi Shu an admission fee instead.”

“Damn, you’re treating the man as entertainment, aren’t you?” Zhou Ke laughed and cursed.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Jiang Zhiyu curled his lips.

He added: “He is clearly a ‘hard bone’ to chew. My teeth aren’t that good.”

Half a road away from Jiang Zhiyu, the partner’s head was gradually clearing.

The back seat of the sports car was cramped. He asked if he could move to the passenger seat, but Qi Shu refused without any sympathy.

“Why?” the partner asked in surprise.

He pressed further: “Did you find a partner? Is the passenger seat a reserved spot?”

“No, simply because you reek of alcohol,” Qi Shu explained.

He felt the partner was slinging mud: “Your speculation is a bit malicious. What even is a ‘reserved spot’? No one with an IQ over seventy would do something like that.”

The partner struggled to move in the back seat, lacking the energy to discuss IQ issues with Qi Shu.

He sighed with a hint of regret, indeed harboring some malice at this moment: “You should learn how to be considerate. Dial back that elitist vibe of yours, or be careful—you might never find a wife in your whole life.”

Unfortunately, this curse was ineffective on Qi Shu: “I don’t need one.”

Following the navigation route, they made a U-turn at the intersection. The partner leaned against the car window to breathe fresh air.

After a while, the car stopped at a red light. He spotted the figure who had been sitting at the bar earlier.

“Look quickly, this is fate!” the partner pointed and gestured. “The light by the roadside is brighter than in the shop. He’s really eye-catching. I wasn’t lying, was I?”

Qi Shu ignored this exclamation, keeping the back of his head turned toward him, looking like he lacked any romantic sensibility.

However, since the traffic light took its time to change, Qi Shu, feeling bored, took a casual, subtle glance to the side.

This club had a strict threshold; those who could enter were all “players.” The young man stood by the shop entrance, head tilted as he answered a phone call.

He didn’t know what they were talking about, but he looked quite animated. In the middle of talking and laughing, he curled his lips into a smile, his expression both arrogant and vivid.

How had the partner described this passerby just now? Pretty or eye-catching? Qi Shu thought—it seemed like both.

Soon, a ride-hail car stopped in front of Jiang Zhiyu.

In the April streets, China roses were in full bloom, their fragrance floating faintly between the roads. The two parties then headed in opposite directions.

Songcheng had an independent building in the CBD. When Qi Shu arrived, his secretary was already waiting by the parking spot.

The partner was helped out by the secretary, who asked about official business along the way.

“Mr. Qi, Mr. Zhou from Puyin has invited us for dinner next Monday. Would you like to go?”

Qi Shu knew of this company’s existence; they were the newly signed translation provider for the firm, and were said to have a good reputation and high standards.

But he had always been too lazy to deal with this kind of socializing. The other party wasn’t important enough to require his presence.

Qi Shu used what was at hand, letting the partner socialize on his behalf. By the time Monday came, he had back-to-back meetings and almost forgot this trivial matter.

Near dusk, his younger brother sent a voice message, mentioning it was his birthday today and asking if his older brother could come home to celebrate.

Qi Shu’s finances and life had long been independent; he no longer lived with his family. Seeing his brother being so enthusiastic, he instinctively felt a bit defensive.

He asked: “Is Mom going to push for marriage?”

The brother was very blunt: “Of course. Every time you come back, you just love to check my homework. It’s not like I’d go looking for trouble for myself.”

Qi Shu adapted to the situation: “I’m very busy with work and can’t make it. I won’t have the fortune to eat your cake.”

The brother knew this man was subtly wicked and not easily fooled.

“For real? Are you just brushing us off?”

Qi Shu skillfully offered a few perfunctory words, then remembered there was a dinner tonight that he had pawned off on the partner.

At this moment, he wanted to find something to do for overtime. On a whim, he tried to recall who the translation provider was.

Qi Shu called the secretary: “Did Puyin provide a list of candidates? I’m free tonight; I’ll take a look.”

The secretary indicated she had just received it that afternoon. She printed out a physical version, put it in a folder, and placed it respectfully on the desk.

At seven in the evening, after finishing his official duties, Qi Shu picked up the stack of papers. The information was very detailed, covering everything from educational background to professional certificates.

He flipped through casually until he reached the third page, where he suddenly paused in hesitation.

In the top right photo was a familiar pair of “peach blossom” eyes.

His gaze lingered for about two or three seconds before moving from that beautiful face to the personal information column. The name was catchy: Jiang Zhiyu.

Almost at the same time, the partner who was attending the dinner in his stead messaged him repeatedly.

“Zhou Ke is quite savvy. He brought a few ‘vases’ (pretty faces) to ease the boredom, soothing my soul which was wounded by New Energy stocks.”

“It’s really a pity you didn’t come.”

“Forget it, it’s better you didn’t come. If you did, you’d turn this whole scene into a ‘pure water’ party (no fun allowed).”

Qi Shu found him noisy and was prepared to add him to the block list, but the partner suddenly changed his tune.

“DO YOU KNOW!! I just saw the employee resume Zhou Ke sent over. It’s actually the person we ran into a few days ago!!”

Seeing this message, Qi Shu sneered: “So?”

The wounds the partner suffered from New Energy had healed; he was now full of energy, typing away.

“Not only is the face good, but the education and experience are actually quite good too. His undergrad was top-tier, located near your alma mater—the legendary area where ‘academic gods’ congregate.”

“I feel like the fate wasn’t quite right today. Puyin sent the boss and BD, but this Director Jiang didn’t show his face.”

“I asked Zhou Ke to call him over, and he said he had other work. I’m shocked. Working so late into the night? Why is he as boring as you?”

On the other side, Jiang Zhiyu’s steps were very light as he arrived alone at the bar street near the CBD.

Just now, Zhou Ke had asked if he could go to the dinner, saying the leadership at Songcheng wanted to meet him. Jiang Zhiyu made up a random excuse and refused.

Although the other side held power and was worth taking seriously, he had his own pride too.

Both sides earned money through their own abilities, and Jiang Zhiyu’s time and energy were also precious. If they wanted to talk, they should follow the process and schedule an interview. What did it mean to make him socialize late at night?

If he rushed over eagerly, it would instead make him seem cheap and humble, which conflicted with the reliability required for the position itself.

He didn’t know what Qi Shu’s side was playing at; he felt he wasn’t being respected.

However, based on his initial understanding, the other party was an arrogant and self-centered person. Thinking about it that way, it seemed somewhat understandable.

Before even meeting Qi Shu face-to-face, Jiang Zhiyu already had a negative impression.

After finishing the lie with them, Jiang Zhiyu carefully selected and bought a bouquet of flowers. He found the nightclub his friend had just opened and put on a smile as he walked in.

“It’s so lively on the first day, I almost couldn’t squeeze in.” He presented the flowers and teased, “After counting the money tonight, you should be looking at real estate within the Second Ring Road, right?”

His friend, Tao Yibai, was hosting customers. Noticing Jiang Zhiyu had arrived, he joyfully welcomed him in.

“What Second Ring real estate? The renovation cost me my entire fortune. I’ll be lucky if I break even by the end of the year!” he countered.

Immediately after, he expressed concern: “Being on a business trip for half a month must have been exhausting, right? I specially saved a spot for you. Relax properly tonight. By the way, do you want a cocktail or whisky?”

Jiang Zhiyu answered: “Let me see what your signature drink is. I’ll be the judge of whether it tastes good.”

Tao Yibai wagged a finger: “Then you’d better have a good tolerance, or else you’ll be knocked down in a few sips and have to spend the night on the sofa here.”

It wasn’t as quiet as the previous club. The atmosphere in this nightclub was loud, with tight and restless drum beats; the crowd was so rowdy they were about to lift the roof.

As the singing and DJing began on stage, the venue gradually heated up, and everyone began to revel in a chaotic frenzy.

Jiang Zhiyu sat alone at a scattered table, studying the pink cocktail in front of him.

Although he wasn’t a conventional, naive youth, he wasn’t a profligate playboy either. His work and life were quite simple, and he usually didn’t get drunk.

Thinking about his alcohol tolerance, Jiang Zhiyu took a cautious sip.

The strawberry flavor masked the scent of strong liquor; overall, it was smooth and sweet, seemingly more like a mixed fruit juice.

Jiang Zhiyu blinked. It turned out his friend was just talking big; he had thought this cup would be very strong.

Tao Yibai was very generous in hosting friends. After a while, a waiter brought over a fruit platter and more wine, indicating Jiang Zhiyu could try them all.

The neighboring table, seeing him alone, proactively invited him to play. One of them said he was very good at fortune-telling.

The person was cheerful: “If I get it right, buy me a drink. If I guess wrong, don’t mind me.”

Their table had empty seats, so Jiang Zhiyu followed the flow and sat down.

He was curious how he would tell the fortune: “Left hand or right hand?”

“Doesn’t matter.” This person was clearly an amateur, relying more on reading expressions than actual knowledge.

“You have a very good family background and a respectable job. As for education, I reckon you studied abroad. Was your undergrad in the UK?”

Jiang Zhiyu’s clothes didn’t leak brand labels, but the texture and tailoring were clearly top-tier, and his taste was also outstanding. At his age, unless one had been well-off since childhood, not many would spend like this.

Hearing this analysis, Jiang Zhiyu nodded in support: “I was at Cam for university.”

“Your romantic luck has been good over the years, right? You’ve dated a few boyfriends.” The person used his “gay-dar.”

Jiang Zhiyu’s words and deeds didn’t show an obvious inclination; it was just that the girls at the table were staring at him intently while he remained completely unresponsive—he probably wasn’t on the same channel.

Jiang Zhiyu chuckled: “Sorry, I haven’t felt much ‘romance’ at all.”

“Buddy, with your conditions, how could you be lacking love? You must just be picky yourself,” the other party said.

He then added the universal golden phrase: “It’s fine, your true fate is coming soon. Go dance in the pool later, and you might pick one up tonight.”

Jiang Zhiyu drank his wine, watching the chaotic dancing in the distance: “I think it’s better for me to sleep on the sofa here alone.”

Plans can’t keep up with changes. He had thought his day off would be too peaceful, but less than fifteen minutes after saying that, Zhou Ke actually sent a “boomerang” message.

“The side at Songcheng has picked a few people, and you are among them. They plan to talk about project details. Are you free for an interview lately?”

“By the way, the secretary hasn’t decided who will lead the team yet. They want to check your sense of language and compatibility. They want to pay you to each translate a draft—it’s a speech written by Qi Shu.”

If it were an ordinary client, Zhou Ke would never agree to such a troublesome request. But Songcheng was, after all, wealthy and powerful. He intended to maintain the relationship and chose “indulgence” between being tough and being smooth.

Jiang Zhiyu asked: “Then what is the deadline?”

Zhou Ke reported a date and added: “The other three might secretly give their feedback later. I suggest you do it as soon as possible.”

Jiang Zhiyu was caught off guard by the competition: “Corrupting the industry atmosphere.”

Zhou Ke consoled him: “They are busy screening while running their jobs. You happen to be on vacation right now. The combat strength is ‘tired corporate slaves’ versus an ‘unemployed vagrant.’ The advantage is yours!”

Jiang Zhiyu: “…”

He was speechless. He then opened the email Zhou Ke sent.

The original text written by Qi Shu was in English, permeated throughout with various technical terms. It required a deep financial awareness to understand and was a great test of the translator’s foundation. Not only that, Qi Shu said very little; this kind of conciseness was the hardest to translate, as one had to divine the other party’s emotions and style.

While reading the draft, Jiang Zhiyu lowered his head to drink. The people at the neighboring table, seeing him suddenly start working, didn’t come to chat again.

One of the boys said sourly, “Working overtime at a nightclub? Can someone be any more of a poser?”

The girls were watching with great interest, saying that the elites of this city were pretty much all like this—they had even seen someone holding a laptop at a subway entrance for a spontaneous meeting.

The boy was a bit upset and wanted to check what kind of “pheasant” university “Cam” was. The search results weren’t very satisfying; it jumped out as the abbreviation for Cambridge. He instantly became mute.

His mind was entirely on Qi Shu’s words. Jiang Zhiyu didn’t notice the episodes around him. By the time he had finished a general reading of the email, he had unknowingly drunk several glasses of Chardonnay.

How thorny, his gaze fell on the screen as he muttered to himself.

Whether it was the image that wasn’t yet clear or the cold and precise wording, Qi Shu gave him a sense of being difficult to control. Jiang Zhiyu turned frustrated: Do I really have the ability to earn his money?

“If only romantic luck could be distributed into ‘Client luck,'” he propped his head with one hand and began to dream.

It was fine as long as he didn’t speak; once he did, the end of his tone was a bit soft and lingering, very different from his usual clear and steady voice.

Jiang Zhiyu sensed something. Frowning, he glanced at the table; the Chardonnay and Riesling glasses were empty, with some cocktail remaining.

Is this stuff also that strong? It’s as sweet as a drink, surely not?

Speaking of which, Tao Yibai was truly a “clear” and good person. His mind was full of second-hand house prices and car plate lotteries; he wouldn’t talk grandly about commodities, monetary policy, regulatory interpretation…

What else was there…

Jiang Zhiyu’s mind suddenly went blank. Then, sluggishly and politely, he thought that since Tao Yibai had treated him to such a table, he shouldn’t waste it.

Tao Yibai was extremely busy right now. Every five steps he took, he would be called by guests from three tables. He finally managed to find time to host his friend.

He walked to the table and saw Jiang Zhiyu maintaining the posture of propping his chin with his right hand, staring quietly into the distance.

“Are you drunk?” Tao Yibai waved a hand in front of his eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu slowly lifted his eyes: “No, I am thinking.”

Tao Yibai said: “May I ask what you are thinking about?”

“Qi Shu spent six thousand yuan to make me suffer. I wonder if spending eight thousand yuan could give him a slap in the face,” Jiang Zhiyu said seriously.

Tao Yibai was dazed: “Who is Qi Shu? How are you guys playing so wildly?”

Immediately after, he turned his head and saw the empty wine glasses on the table. Surprised, he shook Jiang Zhiyu’s arm a couple of times.

“Don’t tell me you finished all of these. Why did you drink so much? How dangerous would it be if someone took you away?”

It was fine if he wasn’t shaken, but after being moved, Jiang Zhiyu’s head felt a bit dizzy.

However, he said steadily: “I know what I’m doing. I just went to the restroom. If you’re lost, you can ask me to be your guide.”

Tao Yibai: “…”

Scanning Jiang Zhiyu’s face with skepticism—the man’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes a bit unfocused, but he was sitting upright, so he probably wasn’t too drunk.

Tao Yibai couldn’t get away for the moment, so he called a waiter over.

“My friend has had a bit too much. Take him to the hotel next door to get a room,” Tao Yibai instructed. “Be steady with your hands.”

Jiang Zhiyu was unhappy: “I don’t need help. Are you afraid I can’t walk?”

After speaking, he leaned on the edge of the table and immediately stood up. He didn’t look like his legs were weak.

Tao Yibai was greatly shocked; it turned out Jiang Zhiyu had such a huge capacity!

“I didn’t doubt your drinking etiquette,” Tao Yibai said admiringly. “It’s mainly because if I don’t have someone look out for you, I’d be doing a disservice to your face. What if someone tries to be an animal?”

Jiang Zhiyu said: “Then I will sterilize him on the spot.”

Tao Yibai was still a bit uneasy. Seeing Jiang Zhiyu pick up his windbreaker to leave, he had the waiter follow him to ensure safety.

Across the road was a five-star hotel. Jiang Zhiyu was a Globalist member and quickly checked into a suite.

The waiter stood at the door, not daring to step forward further. Watching Jiang Zhiyu take the room card and walk toward the elevator, he couldn’t imagine any problem.

So, he went back to report the task complete with peace of mind. But if he had moved closer and looked more carefully, his eyes would probably have gone dark.

Jiang Zhiyu lowered his thick, long eyelashes, staring solemnly at the “1307” marked on the room card.

Then he calmly began to have a “young master” tantrum: “1301 looks like it has bad Feng Shui.”

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