Chapter 16: The Business Dinner [3]

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Business Dinner [3]

Two minutes later, Xi Yunxui stepped back.

"Alright. Take a look."

The woman slowly turned toward the mirror.

She froze.

Her eyes widened.

The uneven makeup that had been troubling her was gone. Her complexion looked natural, her features appeared more refined, and the messy area around her eyes had been neatly corrected.

She touched her cheek in disbelief.

"Wow..."

She turned toward Xi Yunxui.

"Thank you so much!"

Her happiness was practically radiating from her.

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"You’re welcome. It’s nothing."

"It isn’t nothing!"

The woman immediately took a small card from her purse and handed it to Xi Yunxui.

"Keep this."

Xi Yunxui looked at it.

"If you ever need my help, call me."

Xi Yunxui hesitated before accepting it.

"Thank you."

The woman smiled brightly.

"You’re welcome."

Before they could say anything else, the restroom door opened.

Li Yuxin walked in.

The moment her eyes landed on the woman beside Xi Yunxui, her expression changed.

A faint frown appeared on her face.

Displeasure flashed across her eyes.

She clearly recognized the woman.

However, she didn’t say anything.

She simply walked toward the sink and began washing her hands.

The other woman didn’t seem interested in her presence either.

She gave Xi Yunxui another grateful smile.

"Thank you again."

Then she walked out.

Li Yuxin watched her leave through the mirror.

Her expression remained cold.

Xi Yunxui, however, didn’t pay much attention.

She simply entered one of the cubicles.

---

Meanwhile, inside the private room, Li Yuxin returned.

She walked directly toward her father.

Leaning closer, she whispered something into his ear.

President Li’s expression immediately changed.

His brows furrowed.

He looked toward Huo Jingchen.

"President Huo."

Huo Jingchen raised his eyes.

"Yes?"

President Li’s expression was displeased.

"Your employee was rude to my daughter."

The atmosphere immediately became quiet.

Huo Jingchen’s brows lifted slightly.

"Rude?"

"Yes."

President Li looked irritated.

"My daughter merely went to the restroom, yet your employee apparently treated her disrespectfully."

Huo Jingchen didn’t immediately respond.

His gaze remained calm.

He had known Xi Yunxui for only a short time.

But from what he had seen, she was cautious.

Respectful.

She wasn’t someone who would casually insult another person.

Especially not a guest of the Huo family’s business partner.

Something didn’t seem right.

"Are you certain there wasn’t a misunderstanding?" Huo Jingchen asked.

President Li’s expression darkened.

"My daughter wouldn’t lie about something like this."

Huo Jingchen didn’t argue.

He simply said,

"Let’s wait until she returns."

President Li nodded reluctantly.

---

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Xi Yunxui stepped inside.

She immediately noticed the change in atmosphere.

Hmm?

It was completely different from when she had left.

Everyone was quieter.

President Li’s expression looked unpleasant.

Li Yuxin sat beside him.

And Huo Jingchen was staring directly at her.

Xi Yunxui’s steps slowed.

What happened?

She looked at Huo Jingchen.

He calmly asked,

"Xi Yunxui."

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Were you rude to Miss Li?"

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"...What?"

She looked genuinely confused.

"Rude?"

Huo Jingchen nodded.

"Did you say or do anything disrespectful to her in the restroom?"

Xi Yunxui stared at him.

Then she slowly shook her head.

"No."

She paused.

"I didn’t."

President Li immediately spoke.

"My daughter says otherwise."

Xi Yunxui looked at Li Yuxin.

The young woman was sitting quietly.

Her expression was composed.

Xi Yunxui’s brows knitted slightly.

But I didn’t even speak to her.

Then something occurred to her.

She had seen Li Yuxin in the restroom.

But Li Yuxin hadn’t said a single word to her.

Xi Yunxui looked at Huo Jingchen again.

"I didn’t speak rudely to Miss Li."

She thought for a moment.

"In fact, I don’t think I spoke to her at all."

The room fell silent.

Huo Jingchen’s gaze remained on her.

He didn’t accuse her.

He simply asked,

"Then what happened?"

Xi Yunxui opened her mouth.

Before she could answer, a notification suddenly sounded inside her head.

[Ding!]

[Hidden Mission Update!]

[A misunderstanding has occurred.]

[Mission Objective: Resolve the misunderstanding and ensure the business dinner concludes smoothly.]

Xi Yunxui’s eyes twitched.

Of course.

Of course the system wouldn’t let the evening end peacefully.

She took a quiet breath.

Then looked at Li Yuxin.

Something told her that this matter was far more complicated than simply being accused of rudeness.

---

Xi Yunxui looked directly at Miss Li.

Her voice was calm, but there was no hesitation in it.

"Miss Li, was I really rude to you?"

Miss Li’s expression stiffened.

"Of course you were."

She spoke with certainty, almost as though there had never been any doubt.

Xi Yunxui didn’t argue.

She simply nodded once.

"Alright."

She reached into her bag.

Huo Jingchen watched her curiously.

Xi Yunxui pulled out her phone.

She still wasn’t completely comfortable with the strange little device, but she had already learned the basics.

And this situation required urgency.

She unlocked it and searched through the contacts.

The card.

She had saved the number after receiving it.

Xi Yunxui pressed the call button.

Beep...

The call connected after two rings.

"Hello?"

It was the woman from the restroom.

Xi Yunxui immediately spoke.

"Hello. This is the lady who helped you with your makeup in the restroom."

There was a brief silence.

"Miss Xi?"

"Yes."

The woman’s voice became slightly surprised.

"Is everything alright?"

"I need to ask you something."

Xi Yunxui glanced at the people in the room.

"Could you come to private room 806?"

"Private room 806?"

"Yes."

The woman sounded confused.

"Is something wrong?"

"I’ll explain when you arrive."

There was a brief pause.

"Alright. I’m on my way."

The call ended.

Xi Yunxui put the phone away.

Huo Jingchen watched her.

He didn’t ask what she was doing.

He simply waited.

---

About a minute later—

Knock. Knock.

Xi Yunxui immediately stood.

"I’ll get it."

She walked over and opened the door.

The woman from the restroom stood outside.

She looked slightly puzzled.

"Miss Xi?"

"I’m sorry for calling you here on such short notice."

The woman waved her hand.

"It’s alright. You sounded serious, so I came immediately."

Xi Yunxui stepped aside.

"Please come in."

The woman entered.

Her eyes briefly swept across the room.

Then she noticed Huo Jingchen.

She seemed slightly surprised.

Xi Yunxui turned toward her.

"Miss Qin, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"When Miss Li entered the restroom earlier, did I say anything to her?"

Miss Qin blinked.

She looked at Xi Yunxui.

Then at Li Yuxin.

"No."

She shook her head.

"Of course not. You didn’t say anything to her."

Xi Yunxui nodded.

Then she turned toward Huo Jingchen and the others.

"I have a witness."

Her gaze shifted to Li Yuxin.

"If Miss Li says I was rude to her, then who witnessed it?"

Li Yuxin’s expression changed.

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Xi Yunxui remained calm.

She wasn’t angry.

She wasn’t shouting.

She simply waited.

President Li’s face became increasingly uncomfortable.

Huo Jingchen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he slowly stood.

His gaze moved toward Miss Qin.

"Thank you, Miss Qin."

Miss Qin smiled.

"It’s been a long time, Jingchen."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened slightly.

They know each other?

Huo Jingchen nodded.

"Indeed."

Miss Qin smiled.

"My grandfather mentioned having dinner at your residence yesterday. He spoke quite highly of your family."

Huo Jingchen’s expression softened slightly.

"Your grandfather has always been a friend of our family."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes suddenly widened.

Grandfather?

Then she remembered.

Elder Qin.

The important guest from the Huo family’s dinner banquet.

The elderly man who couldn’t eat fish bones.

The man who had loved her fish soup so much that he had even given her his card.

So Miss Qin is his granddaughter!

Xi Yunxui glanced at the card still inside her bag.

What a small world.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Huo Jingchen’s expression gradually became cold again.

He turned toward President Li and President Chen.

"I don’t think we should continue this discussion."

President Li’s face paled.

"President Huo—"

Huo Jingchen raised a hand.

"I value my reputation."

His voice remained calm.

"And I have a company to protect."

He glanced briefly toward Li Yuxin.

"I have no interest in doing business with people who are dishonest."

The words were neither loud nor aggressive.

But they carried enough weight to make the entire room fall silent.

President Li’s expression became ugly.

"President Huo, this may have simply been a misunderstanding—"

"Perhaps."

Huo Jingchen picked up his jacket.

"But trust is essential in business."

He didn’t say anything else.

He turned toward the door.

"Let’s go."

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"Me?"

Huo Jingchen looked at her.

"Yes."

She quickly followed.

Miss Qin also walked with them.

Zhou Rui naturally followed behind.

As they left the private room, Xi Yunxui glanced back once.

The business dinner had been going perfectly.

Then a tiny misunderstanding ruined everything.

She looked at Huo Jingchen’s calm back.

The hidden mission wasn’t as easy as I thought.