Chapter 2092 - 685: Private Salon 1 (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)
"Sister Shuyu."
"Tang Song."
Xie Shuyu greeted him, turned around and sat down on the rosewood round-backed chair beside her, eyes slightly lowered.
Trying to use this movement to cover up her subtle emotions.
Last night, right here in this private courtyard full of classical charm.
With her heart racing, she was "violated" by Tang Song in a way that brooked no refusal.
Always so reserved and serious, she actually ended up being forced to say a lot of things that she herself felt were utterly shameful.
Thinking back now, she only feels her face burning.
She doesn’t really dare meet his gaze anymore.
"Gorgeous." Tang Song stepped out from behind the desk and praised her sincerely, "Today’s makeup and this outfit suit you perfectly."
Xie Shuyu’s body tensed up almost instinctively.
She pressed her lips together and quickly shifted the topic: "Right, everything on my side is ready. When are we heading over?"
"No rush." Tang Song smiled, leaning casually against the edge of the desk, his tone lazy and unhurried. "The salon doesn’t start until three. Going over now is too early to be of any use."
Xie Shuyu lifted her wrist to check the time, a hint of difficulty crossing her face. "It’s barely two hours from now. We should still get there early."
By standard business etiquette, for a closed-door salon of this level, you’re supposed to arrive about an hour in advance.
Not just to have ample networking (social) time with the other guests, but also to show the organizers and the leaders present that you respect and value the event.
"Tap, tap——"
Tang Song strolled over to stand in front of her.
He asked softly, "Sister Shuyu, are you nervous?"
"Uh..." Xie Shuyu’s expression stalled for a second. She drew a light breath and admitted frankly, "More or less, yeah."
Today’s salon is led and hosted by First Finance, and it’s extremely high-profile.
The invitees are all top domestic investors and entrepreneurs in the new consumption track.
Some of them are even partners from global top-tier funds like IDG and Temasek.
While local dairy group executives from giants like New Hope and Ju Le Group at this conference are at best set dressing.
The only reason she was invited is because Glimmer Coffee has been on too much of a tear lately, and it’s just formed consecutive strategic partnerships with Yunting Essence and Star Cloud International, making it the "new consumption dark horse of the year" in a special feature by First Finance.
This time, she’s going over nominally as an invited guest, but in reality she has to go on stage to share, and be "reviewed" and "interrogated" by a whole crowd of capital big shots in the audience.
Of course she’s nervous inside.
That’s also one of the important reasons she insisted on dragging Tang Song along with her.
Tang Song didn’t pursue the topic. He shifted gears and said, "Sister Shuyu, don’t you feel that the clothes we’re wearing today... look familiar?"
Xie Shuyu was slightly taken aback and lowered her head to look at herself.
A light gray tailored suit, with a white silk blouse underneath—simple yet elegant.
This was specially delivered by someone Tang Song sent over this morning. He said he’d picked out this "battle outfit" for her, saving her the trouble of running back to Meng Ran’s place to change.
She lifted her head again and looked at Tang Song.
A classic gray-brown suit, paired with a white shirt of excellent texture; his black leather shoes shone like a mirror.
In this formal wear, he looked tall and striking, with an aura that pressed down on people.
Their outfits matched extremely well in tone and palette.
Her heart suddenly gave a violent tremor, and her voice unconsciously lowered, "Yan Province Bank salon?"
Tang Song smiled lightly without answering.
The atmosphere fell quiet.
Their outfits right now are very similar to what they wore a few months ago, when she invited him to attend the Yan Province Bank High-Net-Worth Client Salon with her.
The cut and fabric have some subtle differences, but the overall style and color scheme are almost identical.
This familiar scene left Xie Shuyu a little dazed.
She thought back to the past again.
Back then, Tang Song in her eyes was still just an external technical hire with endless potential.
She could clearly see, on him, all those most precious shining qualities.
Gentle, modest, confident, full of youthful vigor, strong execution...
She admired him, which is why she wanted to take him to that salon, to help him access a higher circle, to let him see a broader world.
To see just how far he could grow.
In her trance.
The once "promising young talent" seemed to reappear before her eyes, softening her gaze without her realizing it.
Then she raised her head again, looking at the real Tang Song in front of her.
He was even more handsome and upright than before, and the deepness in his eyes had long shed all traces of youthfulness.
In its place was a composure and control that seemed to see through everything.
His transformation... really is immense.
And this time, they’re heading to another salon, wearing almost the same clothes.
It actually made her feel a strange sigh about how time flies and people change.
Their gazes met.
Tang Song slowly bent down, reaching out with his long fingers to pinch the female CEO’s delicate chin.
He scrutinized her mature, Mingli-beautiful face.
At that former Yan Province Bank salon.
The female CEO invited him to attend with her from a vantage point of someone above, with a "cherishing talent" perspective, wanting to "take care of" and "mentor" him.
For Tang Song, who was still in his "development phase" then, that goodwill was incredibly precious.
It also helped him complete the system mission of building his social life.
But now, with his Charm about to break past the 90 mark and already close to his "final form."
It’s time he repaid her.
The pad of his finger rubbed back and forth over her soft lips.
The motion carried a careless sort of intimacy, yet at the same time felt like a declaration of some kind of ownership.
He leaned in close and said slowly, "My dear female CEO, at today’s salon, you’ll be the only leading lady. In the future, I’ll take you to stand on stages even higher than this. Everything I once promised you—I’ll make it all come true."
Light from the carved lattice windows fell across him in the study.
The mottled shadows made him look especially sculpted and profound.
The surging, almost arrogant confidence on him felt as if it could trample the whole world underfoot.
At that moment, Xie Shuyu’s heartbeat was completely thrown into chaos.