The beautiful CEO falls in love with me
Chapter 607 - 588: Li Ruo’s Tears

Chapter 607: Chapter 588: Li Ruo’s Tears

"Enough already, someone’s getting married here, and you’re just standing around getting sentimental!" said Vice Chairman Chen, giving Elder Pang a stern look.

"Ha ha, Little Yezi, if you don’t drink three full glasses today, I won’t let you leave!" Elder Pang roared with laughter.

"No problem!" Ye Chen gripped the glass in his hand, guessing it could only hold about two ounces. Forget three glasses, even three hundred wouldn’t knock him out. However, what Ye Chen, and everyone else, hadn’t anticipated was that Elder Pang had the guard pull out a different cup. That cup, the same kind used for drinking at Zhongnanhai, was as big as a sea bowl, holding half a jin with a single pour. Ye Chen’s eyes bulged as he said, "Elder Pang, you... you’re being way too wicked, aren’t you?"

"Ha ha..." Elder Pang threw his head back in laughter, saying, "You thought you’d get past me with that little glass, kid? No way!"

Ye Chen stared at the massive cup. Half a bottle of alcohol poured into it, and Elder Pang personally handed it to Ye Chen, saying, "Little Yezi, I’ve poured it for you myself!"

Splash...

The surrounding officials began to clap enthusiastically, all eyes on Ye Chen. If they were in his shoes, they’d have to drink the cup of alcohol, even if it cost them their lives. Ye Chen hesitated for a moment, then said, "I’ll drink one now, and we can slowly continue later."

"Agreed!" Elder Pang nodded immediately. Ye Chen held up the cup and downed it all in one go, not spilling a drop, truly impressive. Zhang Yantong and Dian Ling hurriedly asked, "Ye Chen, are you okay?"

"I’m fine, half a jin of liquor can’t knock me down!" Ye Chen declared, waving his hand.

Afterward, Ye Chen went table to table toasting, and after a full round, he was still bright and alert. He might as well have been drinking plain water. Even when some people doubted him and forcefully made him pour out his wine and refill with theirs, Ye Chen was unfazed.

The banquet grew livelier as time went on, soon reaching its peak. Everyone started playing drinking games and cheering on drinkers. Elder Pang and Ye Chen went head to head for three hundred rounds like children in a drinking battle, cheered on by all the officials from Tongzhou City.

After a day of feasting, Ye Chen was once again drunk unconscious, and Elder Pang’s face was flushed red from drinking. Finally, they carried Elder Pang up to the guest room to rest. With Elder Pang taken away, Vice Chairman Chen took control, and all the officials from Tongzhou City put down their chopsticks to listen intently to the party’s teachings. Each one perched on the edge of their seats, sitting up straight, eyes diligently fixed on Vice Chairman Chen.

This was a rare chance to interact with Central authorities. For some present, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet insiders from Beijing. Therefore, they were all eager to make a good impression on the organization.

Vice Chairman Chen began speaking from a global perspective, touching on many issues, with the main focus being on economic development. He spoke about improving national quality, strengthening modernist construction, and steadfastly adhering to party principles...

In short, these things were all rather standard. Yet, when each person spoke about them, they sounded different. For instance, when Zhang Kaiguo spoke about these issues at meetings, it sounded like a mechanical recitation, but Vice Chairman Chen clearly conveyed more emotion, able to deeply sense China’s current international standing, especially considering the crises faced by the world.

Ye Chen, dizzy and half-conscious, was supported to the Jinsheng Hotel’s guest room by Zhang Yantong and Dian Ling. The hotel had prepared a decorated bridal chamber for them, a realm of pink romance where everyone could feel the joy.

Ye Chen lay on the bed, his face flushed, falling asleep as soon as he touched it.

"This jerk, heavy as a pig!" Dian Ling pouted, saying to Zhang Yantong, "Tongtong, how are you going to consummate the marriage tonight with him like this?"

"What?!" Zhang Yantong blushed immediately, glaring at Dian Ling, "Stop talking nonsense, who said anything about consummation tonight? Really!"

"If you’re not consummating, then why did you marry him?" Dian Ling looked dissatisfied and said, "Or just throw him out, and let’s you and I do it!"

"Stop messing around!" Zhang Yantong glared at her and said, "Look how drunk he is. What are we going to do now?"

"Let’s ignore him, let’s go downstairs!" Dian Ling immediately dragged Zhang Yantong back down.

Downstairs, the guests had mostly dispersed, but Zhang Kaiguo and others were still attentively listening to Vice Chairman Chen’s speech. Some were even taking out pens and notebooks to take notes, thankfully their secretaries had come along. However, not daring to let the secretaries write for them, they had to take notes themselves.

...

In Jianghuai City, the President’s Office of Tianya Group.

Li Ruo was engrossed in her work, hunched over at her desk, her petite frame seeming somewhat fragile amid the large office space. She suddenly stopped reviewing the documents, then raised her eyes to the nearby phone. Lin Ziwen, who was sorting files beside her, asked curiously, "Mr. Li, what’s wrong?"

"I...I was just thinking, has Ye Chen’s wedding started?" Li Ruo’s eyes were a bit red.

Seeing Li Ruo’s expression and her relentless work over the past few days, Lin Ziwen understood something. She smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Li, are you feeling a bit unwell?"

"Ah, how should I put it?" Li Ruo put down the documents in her hand and stood up. Lin Ziwen quickly stood too, brewed a cup of coffee for Li Ruo, and passed it to her. Li Ruo held the steaming coffee, took a gentle sip, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her look wistful as she gazed into the distance, at the bustling streets, at the horizon where the sea and sky meet...

Suddenly, Li Ruo felt a faint sting in her heart, tears rolling down from her eyes, yet her lips curled into a smile, "Is it too much to willingly give the man I like to someone else?"

"Mr. Li!" Lin Ziwen understood what she was talking about. The two were like sisters, close friends who could talk about almost anything; but in many cases, their relationship was also that of supervisor and subordinate. Lin Ziwen was a smart girl; she knew when to grow closer to Li Ruo and when to maintain her distance. Looking at Li Ruo’s lonely figure, she said, "Sometimes, a woman should be a bit more selfish."

"But I can’t be selfish!" Li Ruo shook her head vigorously and said, "I don’t want to make Ye Chen unhappy. Those days when I saw him living like a walking dead, I just couldn’t bear the pain. Shouldn’t loving someone mean giving them happiness?"

"Yes!" Lin Ziwen nodded and said, "So, you love him, you let him go, you let him marry another woman! But, don’t you also not mind sharing him with another woman?"

"Yes!" Li Ruo nodded, then displayed a smile uglier than crying and said, "But, do I really not mind? Do I really not care at all? I once tried to act as though I was magnanimous and noble. But afterwards, I realized I am not great or noble at all. I am just an ordinary woman who wants a man to love me, cherish me, and pamper me!"

"But you’ve already made your choice," Lin Ziwen said, looking at Li Ruo’s painful silhouette.

"Yes, I can’t get over that hurdle in my heart," Li Ruo said, setting her coffee aside and crossing her arms over her chest.

"So...what do you plan to do?" Lin Ziwen asked anxiously.

"I want to go for a walk!" Li Ruo took a deep breath and said, "The project in the Northern City District is nearing its end, and Tianya Group has already gone public in Hong Kong. Everything is stable now. So, I plan to go for a walk!"

"Where will you go?" Lin Ziwen was taken aback.

"I want to spend Christmas in the United States!" Li Ruo said with a faint smile, "Maybe, I will also spend the New Year there!"

"Oh, if you’ve decided, then I won’t try to convince you otherwise," Lin Ziwen nodded and said, "I will take care of the company matters for you!"

"Thank you, Ziwen!" Li Ruo smiled.

"Don’t mention it, who made me your employee!" Lin Ziwen said with a smile.

Li Ruo stepped forward to hug Lin Ziwen, then whispered in her ear, "You’re also my good sister!"

A single sentence touched Lin Ziwen’s heart deeply. The next day, Li Ruo had already left, accompanied by Little Yezi, whose fur had grown back for winter. When leaving the Jiangnan No.1 District, Little Yezi lingered for a long time, as if waiting for Ye Chen.

Li Ruo, with Little Yezi, entered the Hong Kong border from Dock No.1 and then took a flight from Hong Kong to the United States. Li Ruo departed, and before she left, she took one last glance at the skyline of Jianghuai City. On the plane, she could clearly see the buildings of Jianghuai City and even the cars racing on the streets.

Li Ruo was gone, and Ye Chen was still asleep at the Jinsheng Grand Hotel in Tongzhou City, until he sluggishly woke up after ten in the morning.

"You’re awake?" Zhang Yantong watched Ye Chen.

"Uh, I...where am I?" Ye Chen looked around.

"Hehe, you’re at the hotel!" Zhang Yantong quickly brought him water to wash his face and said, "Hurry up and wash your face. We still have to meet Elder Pang and Vice Chairman Chen later!"

"No, I’ll take a shower!" Ye Chen said, immediately crawling out from under the covers and stripping off all the clothes he had on, including his underwear. Zhang Yantong watched dumbstruck as Ye Chen turned with a smile, "What? Shy now? We’re married!"