QTIMP -Chapter 103 Character Persona – Money Loving (Part 13)

The door closed, leaving only He Hongxue and Hua Mingzhu in the room. He Hongxue looked at her with hopeful eyes. “Seems like you’ve got a good impression of her—you’ve said so much about her today.”

Hua Mingzhu walked over to the wine cabinet, opened a bottle, took out a glass, and slowly poured a little.

She held it up, swirling it gently in front of her eyes. “Not bad, right? If she really reaches that point—becoming the lady of the Pei family—it would be a huge benefit for people like us.”

He Hongxue sat down beside her. “That may be true in principle, but I don’t see it happening. Si Qiu is beautiful, yes, and smart too, but her background is too low. Even if the Pei family considers a marriage alliance, they won’t choose someone with no foundation. I’d guess they’d pick a family whose position isn’t too high but whose lineage is prosperous and clear-headed. That would maximize the benefits of the marriage.”

Hua Mingzhu took a sip of her wine, then poured the rest into the sink. “Oh? So what? I’m not losing anything, am I?”

He Hongxue nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”

Si Qiu didn’t care about their considerations. She had no plans to rule the world or command the elements—her goal was simple: make money.

In this world, that was the only thing that could give her a sense of security.

Downstairs at the company, she waited as Pei Jingzhou came out, followed by Shen Xuan. The two of them went straight to her car.

“Good afternoon, Qiuqiu. There are some matters to discuss with the boss, so thank you for helping out,” Shen Xuan greeted with a smile.

Si Qiu responded, but just as she spoke, Pei Jingzhou interrupted. “I know it’s inconvenient, but you’re not going to take the driver’s car?”

“The boss said we’re all going to the same place. Why make the driver go back and forth? Besides, we can continue discussing things in the car.”

When Pei Jingzhou opened the car door, he immediately noticed the packed pastry gift boxes on the passenger seat. His expression softened instantly. “What’s this?” He picked them up and held them in his arms.

“These are pastries made by the new chef at our club. The ingredients are top-notch, like the imperial kitchen used to be. I tried them and they were delicious, so I packed some for you to take home.”

Shen Xuan quickly leaned over the seat. “Ah, lucky me! Finally something to taste. Qiuqiu, your club is great, but why don’t you let men in?”

“That way, female guests can feel more at ease, and the families feel more reassured. Actually, Brother Pei could open another one without these restrictions if he wanted.” Si Qiu skillfully steered the wheel, turning at the intersection.

“Haha, it’s already in the works. Jian Anxu is helping, and of course Brother Pei invested some money too. So my work has gotten busy again. After all, clubs like this have precedent overseas, and I serve as a consultant.”

He spread his hands as he spoke, seemingly helpless about it.

“That does sound busy. You really are working hard.”

“Oh, just a worker bee!” Shen Xuan continued to perform.

“Are you unhappy with your own treatment?” Pei Jingzhou, feeling slightly uneasy seeing them chat so animatedly, replied with a sharp, sarcastic tone.

Shen Xuan immediately made a zipper-mouth gesture toward Si Qiu.

Si Qiu smiled, changing the topic. “I’ll drop you guys home in a bit. I have to go out, so I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

“Where are you going? With whom? What for?” Pei Jingzhou’s earlier possessiveness had just been suppressed, but Si Qiu’s words immediately stirred it back up. The forcefulness in his grip on the snack box increased without him noticing.

Shen Xuan immediately sensed the change in his aura and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you going to dinner with a friend, Qiuqiu?”

“No, Yalan’s back. I’m taking her out to welcome her back and also to discuss matters at the garment factory. The winter collection is about to launch, and I haven’t looked at the sample boards yet.”

Shen Xuan felt the tension in his muscles ease slightly, so he grinned and teased, “Just you two girls having dinner sounds boring. How about a couple of handsome guys accompanying you?”

He struck a playful muscle-flexing pose.

Si Qiu laughed. “Then hand over your big phone. I’ll call Yalan, and maybe we can see if her husband is free too, and all go out together.”

After saying that, she turned to Pei Jingzhou. “I wonder if my husband has time to come with me to meet friends. Of course, if it would interfere with your work, then never mind.”

Pei Jingzhou cleared his throat. “It’s about dinner time anyway. It’s not really interfering either way.”

As he spoke, his fingers smoothed along the crinkled edge of the snack box.

Hearing this, Shen Xuan took out the phone. “Qiuqiu, tell me the number, and I’ll dial it so you won’t be delayed while driving.”

Yalan’s husband had started out in the Russian resale business, and over the past few years, his business had grown rapidly; he even purchased a gold mine over there.

But at the end of the day, he was still a nouveau riche. Being able to have dinner with the highly sought-after Mr. Pei was naturally a source of pride.

What was supposed to be a small gathering between the two sisters now changed plans. They went to a private restaurant run by a royal chef, set in a two-section courtyard.

It only served six tables a day. For reasons unknown—perhaps connections through her husband—the family was dressed quite formally and brought along her two stepsons.

Compared to her father’s nine-month pregnant belly in September, the two young men weren’t handsome, but passable.

Seeing their car arrive, they hurried out to greet them.

“Boss Pei, thank you for inviting Miss and me,” they said, quickly opening the rear doors with one hand raised, bowing slightly in a gesture of welcome.

Song Xuan smiled, stepped out of the back seat, adjusted his suit, and opened the front passenger door. Then he respectfully said, “President Pei.”

Hearing this, the father and his two sons froze in slight embarrassment for a moment—until they saw legs in dark gray suit trousers and thin-soled shoes step out of the car.

A man followed, wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and a gray-blue striped tie. His hair was slicked back, revealing sharp, deep-set eyes.

He gave a slight nod to the three of them, then looked across the car at the woman stepping out—Si Qiu, in a light blue suit dress with her hair in a high ponytail.

Yalan immediately went to the driver’s side, embracing Si Qiu as she stepped out. “Baby, you’re too handsome. You actually drove yourself here!”

“Driving a car isn’t impressive,” Si Qiu replied. “It’s you going alone to oversee the factory and negotiate with the wholesalers, building a future for us—that’s the true model of a strong woman.”

Si Qiu’s words were elegant, and Yalan’s smile was bright and radiant.