Chapter 21: Backing

The annual charity gala hosted by Hongyuan Capital was held in the top-floor banquet hall of the Peninsula Hotel, the most prestigious in the capital.

Huge crystal chandeliers refracted brilliant light, and the air was permeated with the opulent mixture of expensive champagne, gourmet delicacies, and top-tier perfumes.

The room was filled with the rustle of fine silk and the clinking of glasses.

Lu Qiuyi stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, experiencing the center of the capital’s vanity fair for the first time.

She wore a smoky grey slip dress that perfectly outlined her slender waist and elegant collarbone. Her long hair was loosely pinned up, with a few stray strands falling against her neck, and her diamond earrings caught the light with delicate flashes.

He Jingyue had simply left her with the words, "Go in first, I’ll be there soon," leaving her alone.

"Soon" is the most mysterious way to measure time. Five minutes is "soon," and five hours is also "soon."

Unsure whether He Jingyue meant five minutes or five hours, Lu Qiuyi had no choice but to have her invitation verified. When the waiter saw the gold-leafed name on the invitation, he bowed respectfully and ushered her inside.

Lu Qiuyi forced herself to stand tall, trying to imitate the poise of the socialites she remembered. Holding a glass of champagne offered by a waiter, she carefully stepped into the shimmering, resplendent hall.

The moment she entered, she felt gazes converging on her from all directions—some filled with admiration, others with inquiry, and some with undisguised appraisal.

"Who is that? She looks unfamiliar."

"Tsk, she’s beautiful. With that temperament, is she a young heiress who just returned from abroad?"

"Doesn't seem like it. Look at her eyes; she looks timid. It's more like..."

*No one is looking at me, no one is looking at me,* Lu Qiuyi thought.

She feigned composure, trying to keep her gaze fixed forward, hoping to find a quiet corner to hide in until He Jingyue appeared.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

She had just reached a less crowded area near the buffet table and was about to catch her breath when a figure blocked her path.

"Such a beautiful young lady, truly radiant, a sight to behold!" a voice thick with oily charm sounded beside her.

Lu Qiuyi felt a wave of nausea.

She turned to see a man in his forties wearing a flashy sequined suit, his hair slicked back with grease, blocking her way while holding a wine glass with a smirking grin.

"I am Zhang Qiming of Hongda Investment," the man introduced himself, his eyes sweeping unscrupulously over Lu Qiuyi’s exposed shoulders, collarbone, and delicate face with undisguised lust. "You look quite new, Miss. Is this your first time at an event like this? Whose daughter are you?"

Feeling deeply uncomfortable under his gaze, Lu Qiuyi instinctively took a half-step back. "I'm with the He Group. I’m Assistant to Mr. He." She couldn't mention the Lu family yet, and surely the name He Jingyue would make him back off.

People nearby whispered, "Someone from the He Group? I haven't heard of such a person being around Mr. He. Isn't that woman from the Zhou family the real one?"

"Maybe she’s some minor star? Or a kept bird?"

Lu Qiuyi wanted to cry. She was telling the truth, so why didn't anyone believe her?

"An assistant?" Zhang Qiming paused, then laughed as if he had heard the greatest joke, exchanging a knowing look with his companion. "Hahaha, Mr. He is certainly blessed! Even his assistant is so pleasing to the eye; much more interesting than those stuck-up socialites."

As he spoke, he stepped closer, closing the distance. A suffocating stench of cigarettes, alcohol, and cheap cologne washed over her, making her feel as if she were gasping for air.

"You are too kind, Mr. Zhang," Lu Qiuyi said, suppressing her discomfort. She gripped her glass tighter, wishing only to flee.

"Hey, don't be in such a hurry to leave!" Zhang Qiming reached out as if to drape his arm over her bare shoulder. "Little Assistant, why not have a drink with me? Mr. He is a busy man; I’m sure he can’t look after you properly. I, on the other hand, am very good at taking care of people..."

Terrified, Lu Qiuyi’s face went pale. She jerked backward, but at that critical moment, her ten-centimeter stiletto heels failed her.

"Ah—"

A short, sharp gasp escaped her throat. She lost her balance and began to tip backward. The champagne glass slipped from her hand, tracing an arc through the air.

Lu Qiuyi squeezed her eyes shut in despair, anticipating the humiliation of crashing to the floor and becoming the laughingstock of the entire evening.

*Social suicide, here I come.*

Just at that critical, split-second moment—

A warm, firm hand caught her slender, fragile waist, preventing her from making intimate contact with the cold floor. At the same time, another hand reached out and expertly caught the falling crystal glass.

Time seemed to freeze.

Lu Qiuyi, still shaken, leaned into that firm, warm embrace, her nose instantly filled with a familiar, crisp, and cold scent like pine needles on a snowy mountain.

She snapped her eyes open and looked up.

She met eyes as deep and cold as a frozen pool.

He Jingyue!

He had appeared out of nowhere, as if a deity had descended, standing silently behind her.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored, handmade, pure black suit, he looked broad-shouldered and statuesque, like a solitary, proud pine on a cliffside.

He Jingyue’s gaze, behind his gold-rimmed glasses, swept calmly over her terrified face before shifting to Zhang Qiming, who had frozen in place.

With one hand still firmly supporting her waist, he casually swirled the champagne glass he had caught, his poise elegant to the extreme.

The entire banquet hall fell into a deathly silence the moment He Jingyue appeared.

"Mr... Mr. He." The oily smile on Zhang Qiming’s face vanished, his hand hanging awkwardly in mid-air.

He Jingyue didn't even glance at Zhang Qiming. His eyes were fixed on the still-shaken Lu Qiuyi in his arms, his voice low and pleasant, with a hint of imperceptible reassurance: "Are you steady?"

Lu Qiuyi’s heart was still pounding. Feeling the strength and warmth from the hand at her waist, she nodded frantically. "Yes, I'm steady."

He Jingyue released her and turned his gaze toward the ashen-faced Zhang Qiming.

His look was as calm as if he were observing an insignificant object, yet it sent a chill straight down Zhang Qiming’s spine.

"Mr. Zhang," He Jingyue’s voice was not loud, but it clearly carried through the banquet hall, "my assistant doesn't seem to be accustomed to your overly enthusiastic way of 'taking care' of people."

He swirled the champagne glass slightly, the glass refracting a cold light. "Furthermore, regarding the project proposal that Hongda Investment submitted to the He Group’s risk management department, the core data is questionable. The He Group has no interest, and we will not waste any more time evaluating it. Mr. Zhang, you might want to focus your energy on places more worthy of being 'taken care of'."

Boom!

He Jingyue’s words were no less than a loud, public slap to Zhang Qiming’s face.