Hong Kong.

The Cheng Rong Group’s annual spring banquet was moved up to February 6th, the twenty-eighth day of the last lunar month.

This was equivalent to modern-day company annual parties – a grand celebration held every year.

Today, even the lowest-ranking employee has a chance to see the big boss. Ye Xiaoqiong wasn’t concerned about whether she could meet the big boss Du Chengrong – she wasn’t at that level yet. As just a secretary to the Second Young Master Du, her focus was on impressing Du Zhaoqi rather than trying to skip ranks to gain Du Chengrong’s attention.

What made Ye Xiaoqiong happy was that the spring banquet served as the company’s year-end gathering, where besides dining together, the big boss would distribute “lai see” envelopes.

Ye Xiaoqiong would receive a regular employee’s “lai see” from Chairman Du, probably worth several hundred dollars.

She would also receive one from Du Zhaoqi, though the amount was uncertain – it depended on whether he approved of her work performance.

Considering the painting would cost 400,000 Hong Kong dollars, the tianhuang seal would cost over a hundred thousand, plus other items whose whereabouts remained unknown, it was no wonder Ye Xiaoqiong was so focused on money.

If she hadn’t enrolled in night school and needed to study after work, Ye Xiaoqiong would have followed others in working multiple part-time jobs.

This wasn’t unusual – many Hong Kong people did the same.

Because Hong Kong was all about money, and jobs weren’t as stable as mainland state-owned enterprises. People faced constant unemployment risks, and most felt life offered no security. They seized every opportunity to make money, fearing they’d have nothing to fall back on if they lost their jobs!

Her landlady’s daughter worked at a factory during the day, and after hurriedly eating dinner at home, would rush out to her part-time job at a hair salon, returning home very late. She worked non-stop every day – imagine how exhausting that must be.

The landlady was extremely warm toward Ye Xiaoqiong. Though she might privately call her a “northern girl,” she wouldn’t dare look down on her in person, just because Ye worked in Central, entering and exiting office buildings, with prospects at a big company… How could the landlady not be friendly when she constantly hoped Ye Xiaoqiong would help get her daughter a job at the Cheng Rong Group!

While Ye Xiaoqiong looked forward to the “lai see” at the spring banquet, Xia Ziyu was looking forward to the people there.

She had switched to an innocent style, hoping to seduce Du Zhaoqi – but Du Zhaoqi had just received 20 million in startup capital from Du Chengrong and was focused entirely on getting his 5% stake in the group. Even if Xia Ziyu looked like a heavenly beauty, Du Zhaoqi had no such interests.

Whether innocent, coy, or alluring – to Second Young Master Du at this time, all women were just painted skeletons!

Did a secretary’s appearance matter?

No!

What mattered was their ability to share his burdens – at least like Ye Xiaoqiong, they needed to be useful!

After repeated failures, Xia Ziyu had no choice but to shift her target to Du Chengrong.

She didn’t know that Du Zhaohui had promised Xia Xiaolan to hand her over in a year for whatever punishment Xia Xiaolan saw fit, but Xia Xiaolan’s arrival in Hong Kong had put tremendous pressure on Xia Ziyu – while Xia Xiaolan was being linked to someone like Tang Yuanyue, the eldest son of Yuhua Group, she hadn’t even managed to hook up with anyone truly important. How could she talk about revenge?

Ye Xiaoqiong went to night school after work.

Xia Ziyu wasn’t idle after work either, practicing dance for three to four hours every night in her apartment!

Wasn’t she working hard too?

Her determination matched when she took the college entrance exam!

She only started learning dance after turning 20. An adult’s joints and muscles were already set – the backbends and splits, the stretching exercises had caused Xia Ziyu to consider giving up countless times, but she persevered.

Others had years of foundation, while she only started after arriving in Hong Kong, naturally requiring more effort.

But she had made it through.

Now Xia Ziyu could easily touch the ground when bending over, her flexibility at a personal peak, capable of various difficult moves… looking in the mirror, Xia Ziyu blushed, realizing these difficult moves had other applications.

She touched up her makeup in the hotel bathroom before heading out.

A male employee boldly approached her:

“You’re Vivi from the Second Young Master’s secretary office, right? May I have this dance?”

Xia Ziyu extended her hand:

“Of course!”

The male employee thought Lady Luck had smiled upon him.

Xia Ziyu’s outfit today was daring, with her qipao slit nearly reaching her hip, drawing much attention.

Lady Luck hadn’t smiled at him alone – after this opening, people lined up to dance with Xia Ziyu. On the dance floor, she was the most eye-catching sight.

Du Zhaohui, who had just received a lecture from his father and reached a temporary peace, entered the venue with Du Chengrong and immediately spotted Xia Ziyu.

Du Chengrong couldn’t help but look twice.

His love for dancing wasn’t a secret, and many women knew this. Du Chengrong had encountered plenty who tried to seduce him this way.

But he hadn’t lost anything – he’d spend time with those who suited his taste, though he wouldn’t easily marry them. With three concubines, the Du family was already like a theater, not lacking in children. Why would Du Chengrong add more women to the household?

Many women could dance.

But most danced stiffly, while Xia Ziyu danced seductively, with an alluring quality.

“Is she new to the company?”

Du Zhaohui deliberately showed his displeasure.

Du Chengrong, not realizing his eldest son still minded the Fourth Mistress Liu Keying’s matter, didn’t pursue the question.

Just as he thought of the Fourth Mistress, Liu Keying sashayed over.

“Let me accompany you for the toasts today?”

Du Chengrong patted her hand, “I’ve already arranged it with your Second Sister. Be good – what’s fun about making toasts? It’s tiring in those high heels.”

Liu Keying secretly gritted her teeth.

Of course, making toasts wasn’t fun, but it represented Du Chengrong’s favor and her status in the Du family. Not only would company people see it this way but outside reporters would think so too!

Since Du Zhaoqi’s return last year, Du Chengrong has taken his Second Mistress to make public toasts for two consecutive years.

If this continued, would there still be a place for Liu Keying in the Du family?

Du Zhaohui observed everything, thinking of Xia Xiaolan’s words about the Du family’s three branches uniting against him… With women’s jealousy being so fierce, how could the three branches truly unite?

“The most difficult to endure is a beauty’s favor” – Du Chengrong finally escaped Liu Keying’s persistence.

Liu Keying gnashed her teeth in anger while Du Zhaohui mocked:

“Time waits for no one – Fourth Mistress should be careful about new people replacing the old.”

Du Zhaohui’s words were pointed, but they stirred something in Liu Keying. She looked toward the dance floor and immediately locked onto Xia Ziyu.

After making inquiries, ah-ha, she was from Du Zhaoqi’s secretary’s office.

Du Zhaoqi had cleared out his secretary’s office, leaving only Xia Ziyu and Ye Xiaoqiong. Ye Xiaoqiong wasn’t a threat, but this Vivi with her outstanding dancing skills – was Du Zhaoqi’s ‘gift’ to the old man!

“Pah! Still playing these tricks when you’re past your prime, shameless!”

Du Zhaoqi was still young and wouldn’t understand women’s jealous schemes. Liu Keying directed her resentment toward the Second Mistress.

With the Second Mistress above her using her son to compete for favor, and young vixens like Vivi eyeing opportunities below, Liu Keying felt enormous pressure.

Her worries weren’t groundless – after the spring banquet, Du Chengrong privately invited Xia Ziyu to dinner.