Returning - Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Improvised Performance

Xia Nan felt she was the most dedicated secretary under heaven, drawing a meager salary while having to worry about playing matchmaker.

After finally faking a limp to trick Zhao Yu into coming to the annual meeting, her superior was late yet again. If it weren't for the difference in status, she really wanted to call and chew that unreliable boss out thoroughly.

Glancing at the ballroom entrance for who knew how many times, she still didn't see Xue Zi'ang appear. She finally couldn't sit still anymore and hurriedly dragged her "lame leg" – which had no trouble walking at all – to the dressing room. As expected, only Zhao Yu was inside waiting for makeup, with no sign of Xue Zi'ang whatsoever.

Originally, she thought the ballroom had several doors and she might not have looked carefully enough – maybe Xue Zi'ang had already slipped in to find Zhao Yu. Now it seemed that was purely wishful thinking on her part.

Wasn't he previously so anxious to see her immediately? Now that she was here, he was playing disappearing act instead?

Or maybe she was too impatient. Perhaps Xue Zi'ang would only appear when the annual meeting officially started? He didn't seem like the type who could keep his cool for long either.

After thinking it over, Xia Nan finally couldn't help but call him directly, only to get a busy signal every time.

Xue Zi'ang had indeed been on his way to the annual meeting venue for a while. But after receiving a phone call, after hesitating repeatedly, he still told the driver to turn around: "Go to Xuanhe Hui first."

It was a famous restaurant in the opposite direction from the hotel hosting the annual meeting. Though puzzled, the driver saw Xue Zi'ang's dark expression in the rearview mirror and didn't dare ask further.

A few minutes later, Xue Zi'ang's voice came again: "Go faster. Be back before seven."

The annual meeting wouldn't end until at least ten o'clock. Coming back before seven – there was still time.

The dressing room had too many people and poor air. Zhao Yu decided to come out first for some fresh air and grab a drink on the way. Unexpectedly, she ran into a somewhat familiar face after just a few steps – that young lady from last time who pushed her and injured her palm, Yu Fei.

The Yu family was also a Huacan partner. It was normal for company representatives to attend the annual meeting, but Yu Fei appearing here was somewhat surprising.

After all, the previous incident had been blown up quite large, damaging her reputation and making her hate Huacan and the Xue family. She shouldn't be willing to come here now.

Zhao Yu wasn't wearing makeup, and Yu Fei clearly recognized her. First, she gave Zhao Yu a disdainful snort, but when she saw that cheap dress and the plastic-looking necklace, she let out a mocking laugh.

At such an occasion, who didn't wear their best formal wear and dress beautifully to attend? Yet here she was in flea-market goods, looking utterly shabby and pathetic.

"Isn't this Xue Zi'ang's assistant, President Xue? Didn't your President Xue tell you that looking too shabby outside would embarrass him?"

Zhao Yu knew perfectly well that Yu Fei had pinned all the blame from last time on her, but she couldn't be bothered to engage. She simply offered a slight smile and headed straight toward the dessert area.

When she first saw this rich young lady, she'd thought she was beautiful with great presence, but within three minutes, her true nature had been exposed. Someone this stupid, arrogant, and domineering wasn't worth wasting her time on.

A group had just left the dessert area. The readily available juices had mostly been taken, leaving only a cup of yellowish liquid. Zhao Yu asked, "Is this cup orange juice?"

The server delivering fruit was a young handsome man who immediately became enthusiastic upon seeing her: "Yes, pure orange juice."

"Could I get a different juice then? Just nothing with oranges or citrus fruits."

"Of course, please wait a moment." The server seemed to want to chat her up and asked with a smile, "You don't like citrus fruits?"

Zhao Yu had no patience for idle chat with strangers. She simply nodded politely with a smile, but from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Yu Fei following her over. Was this young lady determined to clash with her?

In an instant, a thought flashed through her mind: Last time she injured her hand, strictly speaking, it hadn't been for work – she'd been dragged into Xue Zhan's private matter instead. She wondered if that man felt even a trace of guilt toward her. If she got dragged down by him again this time, would he feel guilty?

On a sudden inspiration, she smiled somewhat helplessly at the server: "It's not that I don't like eating them. I can't eat them. I'm allergic to citrus fruits. Like this cup of orange juice – if I drank it, I'd break out in red blotches all over. I still have a performance later. If I accidentally drank this, I'd definitely embarrass myself to death. So I really have to trouble you to squeeze me another one. How about mango juice? Many people are allergic to that, but I'm fine with it."

And it wasn't just that – her allergic reaction was far more severe than most people's.

"No trouble at all. It's my duty." Seeing how easygoing she was, the server ventured, "Um, could I get your number? Fresh-squeezed juice might take some time. I'll call you when it's ready."

Even if he hadn't brought it up, Zhao Yu was already planning to find an excuse to step away briefly before returning for the juice. Now that he asked first, it saved her quite a bit of trouble. She was perfectly happy to oblige, picking up the sticky notes and pen on the table to leave her number.

After thanking the server, she walked back to the dressing room, looking down at her phone the whole way, pretending not to notice Yu Fei. Ten minutes later, the call came – her mango juice was ready.

She waited another seven or eight minutes before going to retrieve it. At this moment, the dessert area was completely deserted. There was even a sticky note attached to the mango juice cup, specially prepared for her by the server.

She picked up the cup and walked to a spot where the surveillance cameras could catch her before leisurely drinking while reading her phone.

At the first sip, she sensed something wasn't right.

Even though the mango flavor was strong enough to mask the smell, pure mango juice should taste richer than this. Had something really been added?

Showing nothing on her face, she drank the entire cup in one go before setting it back down as if nothing were amiss.

After finishing her makeup, Zhao Yu waited backstage with her colleagues. Their segment was scheduled early – right after the leadership speeches, it would be their turn to go on stage.

After running through their lines a few times, she finally began to feel it – her skin was heating up, itching, and she was already starting to sweat.

Originally, she hadn't been sure whether Yu Fei would really be this stupid, using such a method to retaliate after hearing her words. But now she was completely certain. Those words of hers had been precisely the key that opened Pandora's box.

"Sister Zhao Yu, what's wrong? Why is your neck so red?"

"It's nothing, you hurry onstage, it's your cue." Once the previous colleague performing had stepped to the front of the stage, Zhao Yu pulled open her collar to look. The reddened skin on her chest was already breaking out in rashes.

Her face was covered in heavy stage makeup so it wasn't clearly visible, but on her arms, her neck, her calves, red blotches rapidly spread outward.

No wonder the mango juice tasted so watered down – that woman had added quite a lot of something extra.

As a top leader at Huacan, Xue Zhan was naturally accompanying the old master at the center table right at the front, closest to the stage, able to see all the details clearly.

The moment Zhao Yu stepped onto the stage, he sensed something was off. That unsteady gait of hers – she looked like she might collapse at any moment.

Even the old master noticed, leaning over to whisper to him: "This girl in stage makeup, is that Zhao Yu? The one Zi'ang brought home a couple days ago? Did that brat anger her into falling sick?"

Before Xue Zhan could answer, he saw Zhao Yu, who had been struggling through her lines, suddenly clutch the table and drop to one knee, her right hand gripping her collar tightly as she gasped for breath in huge gulps. On the large screen behind her showing the close-up shot, it vividly displayed her drenched in sweat, trembling all over.

"Call an ambulance." Xue Zhan bolted up from his seat and, taking advantage of his prime position, was the first to leap onto the stage.

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