As the banquet was halfway through, Meng Ruozhao was just about to suggest leaving early again when someone came to chat with Yan Qiubai.
She had no choice but to excuse herself to go to the restroom. In fact, she went to the corridor to get some fresh air.
The moonlight streamed in through the windows on one side, casting patches of silver on the ground.
The distant garden looked hazy in the moonlight, serene and mysterious.
Meng Ruozhao somehow found herself walking towards the garden.
The garden was filled with a faint floral fragrance, mingling with the fresh night air, making people feel refreshed.
Just as she was indulging in this peaceful atmosphere, a slight sound came from not far away, like someone deliberately muffling their footsteps. Meng Ruozhao was startled and looked warily in the direction of the sound.
Before she could see clearly, Du Feng appeared in front of her.
"Little President Yan had an urgent family matter and left early. He didn't even have time to say goodbye to you."
"Zhaozhao, you really disappoint Dad. It's been half a year. Haven't you completely won him over yet?"
Du Feng's feigned sigh of regret scraped across her eardrums like a blunt knife.
Meng Ruozhao suddenly remembered Du Xixi's swollen cheek.
She calmly and warily took a half - step back, her fingernails digging into her palm and scraping out crescent - shaped red marks on her skin.
When Yan Qiubai didn't directly agree to the new drug agency right for the second time, she knew Du Feng would come to blame her.
She just didn't expect that Du Feng would be so impatient about this matter.
He didn't even wait to get home and was going to pick a fight with her here.
"He's not a love - struck fool who would neglect his career for love."
She tried to make her voice less stiff.
After all, it wouldn't do her any good to fall out with Du Feng now.
Du Feng snorted. The kindness on his face disappeared, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
"Humph, not a love - struck fool? Then find a way to turn him into one!"
"Zhaozhao, don't forget that everything you're enjoying now is given to you by the Du family."
"If the Du family declines, do you think you can still smoothly marry into the Yan family?"
"I've said before that we rise and fall together."
Meng Ruozhao bit her lower lip. Disgust welled up in her heart, but she still maintained a calm expression on her face.
"I've been working hard, but Yan Qiubai is very cautious. It's not that easy to control him."
Of course, this was a lie. She didn't have the lofty idea of "sacrificing herself for the Du family".
Moreover, she knew better than anyone that the "glory" of the Du family belonged to Du Changlin. What did it have to do with her?
Besides, she hated being controlled the most. How could she control others?
Du Feng took a step forward, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
"Working hard? I think you're just perfunctory! This new drug agency right is crucial to the Du family. If we can't get it, you know the consequences."
Meng Ruozhao took a deep breath to steady her emotions. "Then teach me, Dad. How else should I work hard?"
She was really curious to see how despicable her good father could be.
Who would have thought that Du Feng really thought for a moment and lowered his voice.
"Men all have those kinds of thoughts. You should serve him well and make him more infatuated with you. Then everything will be easy to talk about."
Meng Ruozhao clenched her fists to hold back the nausea surging in her stomach.
However, she was too lazy to continue discussing such things with Du Feng. Anyway, she had done a lot of things pretending to comply but actually going against his wishes.
So, in order to get away quickly, she perfunctorily said, "I know. I'll think about it carefully."
Du Feng wasn't that easy to fool.
He stared at Meng Ruozhao for a long time, as if judging the truth of her words. Finally, he slowly nodded.
"Okay, I'll give you another month. I'll also ask your aunt to teach you. You should learn well."
After saying that, he gave her a warning look and then turned around and left.
Meng Ruozhao watched Du Feng's departing back. The disgust in her heart surged like a tide.
She raised her hand and rubbed her temples, trying to dispel that nauseating feeling.
Serve him and let Xia Lian "teach" her...
Du Feng really regarded her as a tool.
Since he couldn't be a good father, she didn't have to be a good daughter either.
Maybe they would fall out before she regained her memory.
Before they completely fell out, she had to think about her own way out.
She turned around without hesitation and strode out of the magnificent banquet hall.
As soon as she left, the man standing in the shadow slowly walked out.
"It seems that Du Feng hasn't received enough lessons."
"Give the order to increase the commercial pressure on the Du Group."
"Especially for the projects related to this new drug agency right. We can't let Du Feng have his way."
The man's eyes were cold, and his voice was deep and intimidating.
"Now, take me to 'Fuyun Xuan'. I want to get there before her."
The assistant, Qi Yu, responded and quietly wiped the sweat off his forehead under the cover of the shadow.
Since seeing Miss Meng appear in the banquet hall on Yan Qiubai's arm, his young master Pei's face had been as gloomy as if it could drip water.
They had disrupted the reservation at the Cloud - Top Restaurant and made Yan Qiubai be temporarily sent here by his family. They thought the date between the two tonight would be cancelled.
Who would have thought that Yan Qiubai would pick up Miss Meng and bring her here. Was he trying to make her identity public?
How dare he?
With an identity of usurping someone else's place, who gave him the confidence to expose it?
Moreover, he almost let the young master Pei be discovered.
If he had really been discovered, how could his young master Pei's plan of reinventing himself to pursue his wife continue?
Most importantly, what was wrong with this Du Feng? He actually taught his own daughter to seduce a man.
Was this really a father?
He was just ignoring the broad and easy path and insisting on rushing towards his own doom.
Qi Yu didn't dare to say much. He quickly arranged everything and drove Pei Jiangmu towards "Fuyun Xuan" at full speed.
The location of the banquet hall was a bit remote. Meng Ruozhao walked for a while before she could hail a taxi.
When the driver asked for the address, she subconsciously gave the address of "Fuyun Xuan".
This small shop that had been open for three months was the result of her hard work and had become her safe haven.
When she was feeling annoyed, she would want to go there.
However, this driver was new to Haicheng and wasn't familiar with the road conditions. He took a wrong turn twice before finally delivering her to the destination smoothly.
"Sorry for delaying your time. I won't charge you for this ride."
The driver's face was full of apology.
But Meng Ruozhao wasn't angry. Anyway, she wasn't in a hurry. So she still scanned the money according to the number on the meter.
"It doesn't matter. Every beginning is difficult. I wish you all the best in the future."
She got out of the car and looked up to see the simple and elegant signboard of "Fuyun Xuan".
There was someone in the shop.
The warm yellow light shone through the glass wall, looking extremely soothing in the somewhat desolate night.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the shop door.
The next second, the sight in front of her made her catch her breath in surprise.
In the corner of the sofa, Pei Jiangmu, wrapped only in a bath towel, was sitting there eating.
The water droplets dripping from his hair slid down his strong chest along his abdominal muscles and disappeared at the edge of the bath towel.
The cheap rice ball was pinched into an ambiguous dent in his fingers.
Hearing the noise at the door, he quickly looked over.
The moment he saw her, his whole body seemed to be paused.
His beautiful eyes suddenly shrank their pupils, and then burst out with full - blown surprise.