Gently bite the jasmine

Chapter 168 A ribbon brushes against the bridge of the nose

On March 7th, the Silver Sail Group's charity gala was held at a local luxury hotel.

The core purpose of traditional corporate charity dinners is to facilitate effective networking and promote philanthropic endeavors, and they are usually limited to the invited guests only.

Tonight's charity gala is about children, and there are special programs organized for families, so most of the bigwigs who attended brought their wives and children.

Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng's car entered the hotel's private entrance. Duan Yiheng was dressed in a black suit, and his superior looks and height made him look imposing.

Lin Xi linked arms with him, her dress occasionally brushing against his suit trousers, the soft fabric rubbing against the crisp material, like an unintentional flirtation.

The wind was strong today, and Lin Xi's ribbons flew high, brushing against Duan Yiheng's high nose as he signed his name.

Lin Xi, embarrassed, tore off the ribbon and clutched it in her palm.

Duan Yiheng chuckled softly, unseen by anyone.

The receptionist's eyes lit up, and she greeted them with good evening, presenting them with an event brochure and a small gift.

Upon entering the banquet hall, one is struck by a mix of familiar and unfamiliar sights.

Duan Mingxuan and Duan Zheng were not far away, chatting and laughing with the company's senior executives.

Upon seeing Lin Xi, Duan Mingxuan's eyes lit up. He said something to Duan Zheng and headed straight for her.

Finally, he stopped in front of Lin Xi.

"Xiao Xi, you've arrived."

Lin Xi nodded.

The three of them instantly became the focus of attention.

Lin Xi suddenly took a deep breath, as if he had returned to the day he attended the meeting at the Silver Sail headquarters.

At that time, she was forced to draw a line between herself and Duan Yiheng.

Duan Mingxuan said he would take her over to meet people, but Lin Xi knew she couldn't go. Tonight, she couldn't even be in the same frame as Duan Mingxuan, otherwise it would confirm the news released by Duan Zheng.

"Lin Xi".

Just then, a heavenly voice saved Lin Xi. She turned her head and saw Zhao Yuxin.

"Miss Zhao." Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief and greeted her, bypassing Duan Mingxuan. "We meet again."

"I was looking for you as soon as I came in. I didn't expect you to arrive so early. I have two friends over there. Shall I introduce you to them?"

Lin Xi couldn't be happier: "Great!"

Zhao Yuxin nodded to Duan Yiheng and Duan Mingxuan, and then took Lin Xi away.

Duan Mingxuan frowned, clearly unwilling to accept it.

Duan Yiheng raised an eyebrow and glanced around, noticing that the expressions on the faces of the shareholders and directors each held a different meaning.

Zhao Hongbo is a major shareholder of Yinfan, and his influence is self-evident.

Zhao Yuxin's actions were specifically aimed at Lin Xi, who, in their eyes, was Duan Mingxuan's fiancée.

Many people at the scene speculated that Zhao Hongbo was on Duan Zheng's side.

Some people had even started popping champagne halfway through the event. Duan Zheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he accepted each offer with a smile.

He knew Lin Xi well; she was always sensible, and even when she had some complaints, she would always give in for the sake of the bigger picture.

Duan Yiheng sneered in Duan Zheng's direction.

Before the banquet began, Duan Zheng, as the general manager of Yin Fan, naturally had to go on stage to give a speech.

Duan Yiheng listened and watched quietly, noticing that Duan Zheng's gaze involuntarily drifted to the left side of the audience.

Meng Huaishan was also there. Duan Yiheng took out his phone and sent him a message. After receiving the message, Meng Huaishan got up and left without making a sound.

The opening remarks were short, lasting only twenty minutes, after which the banquet officially began, with about an hour of dining time, and some related performances on stage.

There was a media area set up in the banquet hall, and as the banquet drew to a close, people were invited over for interviews.

These steps are all necessary, after all, the purpose of the dinner must be conveyed to the public.

Duan Yiheng went to the smoking area, where Meng Huaishan was inside. It was completely transparent, so anyone who came in would be spotted.

Duan Yiheng raised his chin: "What did you discover?"

Meng Huaishan sent him the photo and said, "Take a look at it yourself first."

Duan Yiheng opened the photo and glanced at it; there were quite a few women on the left side of the audience.

Meng Huaishan waited for a while, then asked, "Have you figured out what the flower is?"

Duan Yiheng suddenly looked up at him: "Do you know how to tag things with your phone?"

Meng Huaishan was taken aback at first, then nodded: "Sure."

“I’ll tell you what to write down,” Duan Yiheng said.

Meng Huaishan replied, "Okay."

Duan Yiheng said, "From left to right, the second one in the first row, the first and fourth ones in the second row, we'll check those three."

"Are you so sure?" Meng Huaishan was genuinely puzzled.

“I’m not sure,” Duan Yiheng thought for a moment, then changed his mind. “If you have the energy, you can do some screening.”

Meng Huaishan nodded: "Okay, there are only seven or eight people in total. If they have nothing to do with Duan Zheng, a quick check of their travel history will make it clear."

Duan Yiheng nodded: "You decide what to do."

Meng Huaishan said, "Then I'll be going now?"

“I’ll go with you.” Duan Yiheng got up and left the smoking area with him.

Upon returning to the main hall, Duan Yiheng did not see Lin Xi, but he chatted briefly with Tan Qi, who was approaching from the opposite direction.

During this period, Tan Qi also made quite a splash in the industry. After dealing with her brother, she successfully won over shareholders with her innovative drug research and development plan and future market layout plan, and took control of Likang.

"Congratulations," Duan Yiheng said without hesitation.

Tan Qi, however, gloated: "President Duan is still mired in trouble. When will he be able to climb out?"

"Soon." Duan Yiheng smiled.

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone came over and asked Duan Yiheng to come over for an interview, saying that his secretary was already waiting.

Duan Yiheng nodded slightly to Tan Qi and entered the interview area.

Lin Xi nodded to Duan Yiheng, and Duan Yiheng nodded to the reporters.

A veteran journalist was the first to ask him about the biggest challenges he faced with this charity project for educating children in remote areas.

Duan Yiheng spoke clearly, his gaze was gentle, and his answer was quite commendable.

Then another reporter asked, "Mr. Duan, there have been rumors that you and Ms. Tan of Likang are planning to get married. What does this have to do with Yinfan's charitable work?"

“You said it’s just a rumor, so it’s obviously not credible.” Duan Yiheng smiled politely. “I have to clarify that the marriage alliance is nonsense. Miss Tan is here today, so you can ask her about it later.”

"So, Mr. Duan and Miss Tan are completely out of the question?"

“A marriage alliance is naturally out of the question,” Duan Yiheng said firmly. “The cooperation between Yinfan and Likang is still possible, and everyone can look forward to it.”

"Does Mr. Duan mean to convey to the outside world that Yinfan and Likang are about to cooperate?"

Duan Yiheng smiled slightly, keeping everyone in suspense: "I will let you know when the time comes."

As the interview ended, Duan Yiheng made eye contact with one of the reporters. He immediately rushed forward and asked Lin Xi, who was standing next to him:

"Are you Ms. Lin Xi?"

Lin Xi nodded, puzzled. "Yes, that's me."

"I heard that you and Mr. Duan are childhood sweethearts. Have you been looking forward to this marriage for a long time?"