Lin Su quickly realized that something was off, not just with Chen Qing's family, but with Chen Qing herself. She greeted Lin Su with an unusually warm hug, far more intimate than usual, almost as if she was about to add a cheek kiss. Normally, the two of them weren't close at all—if it weren't for a certain man forcing them together, they would be the last people to interact.
Once all the guests had arrived, they headed to the dining room.
Lin Su was pulled to sit next to Chen Qing, and the atmosphere was clearly a bit awkward, except for Emmanuelle, who seemed to have an idea of what was going on and was quietly amused. After knowing her for over a year and given how smart she was, Emmanuelle had become fluent in Chinese and was well-versed in Chinese culture.
Thankfully, the tension was broken by Chen Qing's young nephew, who, with some guidance from Chen Qing, began clumsily conversing with Emmanuelle in English. The mood gradually lightened.
Chen Qing's mother then turned her attention to Lin Su, asking about her age, family, and what her relationship with Chen Qing was like.
That's when it hit her.
This felt exactly like when parents interrogate their son's girlfriend during a New Year's family visit.
A sense of alarm crept up on her.
She discreetly glanced around the room, lingering on Chen Qing's brother, Chen Liang, for a moment. Judging from Chen Qing's looks, it was clear that their parents had been quite attractive in their younger years, and this had been passed on to Chen Liang. He was around 6 feet tall, with a clean-cut buzz cut, sharp features, and a strong resemblance to the male leads from old propaganda films.
However, something clearly didn't add up.
Chen Liang's wife was seated beside him—a lovely woman with her hair neatly tied in a bun, her fair skin glowing despite the slightly restrained look on her face. She exuded the elegance typical of women from the Jiangnan region.
So, what was going on?
Lunch dragged on for over twenty minutes, with Lin Su increasingly perplexed and suspicious. Finally, Chen Qing's usually quiet father spoke up, looking at her with a serious expression. "Xiao Lin, your aunt and I aren't the conservative type. We understand that you and Xiao Qing rely on each other abroad, after all, you're both Chinese. But, you two are both women. Have you thought about the future? Things like, say, having children?"
Lin Su was stunned.
The implication was clear. If she still didn't understand, she would be an idiot.
Her eyes immediately shot daggers at Chen Qing. What on earth had she told her parents to make them think this?
Before Lin Su could respond, Chen Qing wrapped her arm around Lin Su's and glared at her father. "Dad, you don't need to worry about me and A-Su!"
A-Su?
Ugh!
If it weren't for her refined upbringing, Lin Su would have jumped up and bitten this troublemaker.
Chen Qing's father felt a strong urge to slam his chopsticks down. He glanced around, looking for something, until his wife gently tugged on his sleeve, reminding him that they had guests. He swallowed his anger, clearly exasperated with his daughter, who had been a source of frustration all her life.
Lin Su, having finally regained her composure, smiled politely at Chen Qing's parents. "Uncle, Aunt, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Chen Qing and I are not in the kind of relationship you're thinking of."
Before Lin Su could finish, Chen Qing interjected, grinning mischievously, "That's right, Dad, Mom, I was just joking."
Despite their words, Chen Qing's parents wore skeptical expressions, clearly not convinced. Chen Qing's mother pressed further, "Do you two live together in America?"
Chen Qing quickly replied, sounding as if she was outright lying, "Mom, we just live together, that's all. Can't you keep it classy in front of our guests?"
Classy?
What kind of "class" was there in a girl being with another girl?
That was exactly what Chen Qing's father was thinking as he glanced around the table.
Chen Qing's mother sighed deeply, casting a glance at Emmanuelle, who seemed oblivious and continued eating quietly. Turning back to Lin Su, she said, "Xiao Qing has always been a handful. When she was four, a fortune teller said… well, let's just say if her father hadn't kept her in line with discipline all these years, who knows where she'd be now. Anyway, Xiao Lin, you're older than her, like a sister. Please look after her and take care of her."
Lin Su was speechless. Under the hopeful gaze of Chen Qing's mother, she could only nod slightly, unable to refuse.
Emmanuelle, who had been quietly observing, grew increasingly curious. Over the past year, she had become intrigued by Chinese mysticism and fortune-telling, which seemed far more profound than the Western astrology and tarot cards she had known. She found herself wondering what the fortune teller had said about Chen Qing, as it seemed eerily accurate.
After the strange and awkward lunch finally ended, Chen Qing and her group left Suzhou, heading straight for Beijing on a pre-booked private flight. Once the Gulfstream V was in the air, Emmanuelle, unable to contain her curiosity, asked about the fortune-telling story mentioned during lunch.
Chen Qing, now comfortably seated by the window, flipping through a research report on the Chinese jade industry, replied nonchalantly, "I have no idea. I was only four at the time."
Emmanuelle wasn't convinced. "Didn't your mother tell you anything about it?"
Chen Qing shook her head. "No, she didn't. My parents are very superstitious about that incident. Even my brother doesn't know. But it couldn't have been anything good. If I ever find that fortune teller, I'll break his stall. You have no idea how many times my dad beat me because of that. Look, my hand is still swollen from the latest round."
Seeing that Chen Qing wasn't going to elaborate, Emmanuelle let the matter drop and changed the subject, glancing at the report in Chen Qing's hand. "Are you interested in the jade industry now?"
Chen Qing nodded but then shook her head. "It's too specialized, and there's a lot of trickery involved. I don't have the time to get into it right now."
Emmanuelle leaned closer to look at the report, commenting, "Why not delegate it to someone else? Like our boss does. If Simon handled everything himself, the Westeros system wouldn't be nearly as big as it is now."
Chen Qing gave her a sidelong glance. "Do you think finding the right person is that easy?"
They had discussed this before. Emmanuelle shrugged. "Of course, I know it's not easy, but you have to get it done somehow. By the way, I spoke to someone in LA this morning. If things work out, I might take on a part-time role at FusionTimes."
Chen Qing acknowledged this with a soft "Hmm," not objecting. Emmanuelle was one of her trusted aides, but she didn't pin all her hopes on the redhead. She had plenty of capable people at her disposal. If Simon truly took a liking to this Frenchwoman, then she could let her go.
Still, Chen Qing added, "I'm not too optimistic about the three companies Simon is personally overseeing. The investments are too large, the timelines are too long, and in the end, it might all come to nothing."
Emmanuelle disagreed. "Chen, you're too focused on the profits. I admire what Simon is doing. Some things just need to be done. Did you know that from the Wright brothers' first flight to commercial air travel becoming commonplace took only 20 years? But it's been 35 years since Gagarin's first space flight, and humanity's space exploration has stagnated. That's not right. We shouldn't stop exploring."
Chen Qing noticed the reverence in Emmanuelle's expression and teased, "If you feel that way, why don't you drop everything and dedicate yourself entirely to helping Simon with this project?"
Emmanuelle responded, "Chen, that's not a fair demand. I agree with Simon's vision and am willing to contribute. That's enough."
Chen Qing smirked. "Or perhaps you're just hedging your bets. If FusionTimes succeeds, like Egret or the others, as one of the early contributors, you'll reap significant rewards."
Unfazed by being called out, Emmanuelle nodded. "Of course. If I put in the effort, I expect to be compensated. That's something I don't agree with in your culture—this idea of demanding everything from others without offering anything in return. It's manipulative."
Chen Qing paused for a moment, then warned, "Keep those thoughts between us. Don't say them out loud."
"Why?"
"It's like racial discrimination in the West. It's something people do but don't talk about."
"Chen, I'm not a racist."
Chen Qing, growing impatient, said, "Just take my advice. Do you really want to learn the hard way?"
"…Alright," Emmanuelle agreed, nodding in deference to her superior. She glanced at Lin Su, who was sitting across the aisle, idly flipping through an English edition of Time magazine. After some hesitation, she leaned toward Chen Qing and whispered, "You should apologize to Lin."
Chen Qing knew exactly what she meant but dismissed it. "Why should I? We're basically a couple. What's there to
apologize for?"
Chen Qing didn't bother lowering her voice, and Lin Su immediately shot her a glare.
Chen Qing met her gaze with a playful smile. "What? Are you going to fight me?"
Lin Su gritted her teeth. "I'll take you down with me."
Chen Qing's smile didn't waver. "Sure, let's do it after we land. Don't drag Emmanuelle and the others into it."
Lin Su shot up from her seat, but instead of lunging at Chen Qing, she stormed off to the bedroom at the back of the plane, planning to ignore her for the rest of the trip.
Watching Lin Su leave, Emmanuelle turned back to Chen Qing. "Your parents are quite open-minded, aren't they? I overheard them say they're not conservative at all. I didn't expect that. I always thought Chinese people were very traditional."
Chen Qing replied, "Of course, they are conservative. It's just a cultural difference. In the West, due to religious beliefs, there's a strong opposition to homosexuality. But in China, there's no such ingrained cultural prejudice. If you tell people here you're gay, they'll be more curious than judgmental."
The flight from Suzhou to Beijing took just over an hour.
It was still early in the afternoon, not yet 3 p.m.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, a large delegation was already waiting for them.
The reason for such a grand reception was that Chen Qing's primary mission on this trip was to finalize the details of Simon's upcoming visit to China in late April.
After some persuasion on Chen Qing's part, Simon had finally agreed to return to China during the picturesque "apricot blossom spring rain" season. He also committed to spending two days of the trip on an official visit.
Given Simon's current influence, his stature surpassed that of many world leaders. While Chen Qing had leveraged her connections to secure top-level reception, she had made it clear from the start that if the government didn't offer the highest level of hospitality, there was no point in negotiating further.
Of course, China had its own interests in this. If Simon Westeros conducted a public visit rather than a private one, as he had two years earlier, it would significantly boost global confidence in China's economy. Economic development was China's top priority.
Since the reception level had been confirmed, even though Simon wouldn't arrive until late April, preparations had already begun.
Aside from organizing the visit, Chen Qing also needed to finalize the selection of the last candidates for the National Style Art Troupe, which would be presented to Simon for his personal review. While this could have been done in Shanghai, Chen Qing's schedule made it more convenient to handle everything during this trip.
There were also other matters to attend to, including setting up the research center for Excellence Technology in Beijing, inspecting Simon's real estate holdings, and strengthening various personal networks.
All in all, she expected to stay for a week.
After some pleasantries with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials at the airport, confirming the next day's schedule and politely declining a dinner invitation, the group boarded the vehicles sent by the Westeros China headquarters and headed into the city.
Although it wasn't her first time in China, Emmanuelle had previously only visited coastal cities like Shanghai. This was her first time in the capital, and she was curious about the country's political center, eagerly taking in the cityscape from the car window.
Her overall impression was that the city still felt underdeveloped.
Coupled with the early spring season, the barren trees and drab, somewhat dilapidated buildings made the city seem bleak and lifeless compared to the vibrant and bustling southern cities.
After driving for more than half an hour, the convoy of five imported black Mercedes S500s, a rare sight on Beijing streets at the time, carefully turned into a long, narrow hutong off Jiaodaokou South Street. Chen Qing, who had been skimming through documents throughout the drive, finally looked up from her papers and noticed Emmanuelle's expression. "What do you think?" she asked.
Emmanuelle shrugged.
Chen Qing smiled. "That's why you're not as sharp as Brene. When Shari was here with me, she saw potential in every corner of this city and the country as a whole. All you see is the surface."
Unwilling to concede, Emmanuelle gestured to the narrow alleyway. "I'd love to see beyond the surface."
The convoy continued through the hutong for about half a kilometer before stopping in front of a private residence. A driver quickly opened the door for Chen Qing, and the gates of the courtyard were already open. Two women in standard Westeros maid uniforms stood at attention at the entrance.
Leaving the rest of the group to those in the second car, Chen Qing switched to French and said to Emmanuelle, "You can only see the landscape from the position you stand in."
Gesturing to the alleyway, she continued, "If you're at the bottom of society, all you'll see upon arriving in this city are rundown alleyways and narrow streets. You'll see people rushing around, struggling to survive, much like you. But whether it's this city or any other, its true essence is hidden inside high-rise buildings and deep within luxurious private residences."
Chen Qing then motioned toward the two maids standing respectfully at the courtyard gate and added, "Take them, for example. Ordinary people won't ever see them or even dream of interacting with them. But these women, graduates of China's top universities, are merely decorations in the classical Chinese mansion you're about to step into."
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