That night was never mentioned again.
The two women continued to avoid each other.
Lin Ruoyan kept a schedule of leaving early and returning late, while Xu Jingyi deliberately kept her distance.
She stopped spending time in the living room in the evenings and moved her yoga sessions to a dedicated room.
After all, there were plenty of rooms in the house, so the living room wasn't necessary.
Half a month passed quietly before the two finally had a chance to meet.
That night was never mentioned again.
The two women continued to avoid each other.
Lin Ruoyan kept a schedule of leaving early and returning late, while Xu Jingyi deliberately kept her distance.
She stopped spending time in the living room in the evenings and moved her yoga sessions to a dedicated room.
After all, there were plenty of rooms in the house, so the living room wasn't necessary.
Half a month passed quietly before the two finally had a chance to meet.
Xu Jingyi, holding the majority of the shares, was nominally the chairman. She was required to attend shareholder meetings, so she had to be there.
Lin Ruoyan was already present when she entered, seated at the head of the table. An empty seat was left beside her. Xu Jingyi raised an eyebrow, but didn't make a fuss.
She sat down next to Lin Ruoyan.
Although their relationship had become incredibly awkward, they still had to put on a show.
"Sister-in-law."
"Hmm, has Ruoyan been waiting long?" She put her hand on Lin Ruoyan's arm as she spoke. It was just a habit.
Sometimes, she would get close to others to quickly build a relationship.
This method was effective, but it didn't apply to two people.
But subconscious actions were hard to change.
Although Xu Jingyi regretted it the moment their hands touched, there was no regret button to press.
She still had to play the part, so she didn't retract her hand.
Fortunately, Lin Ruoyan's acting was also good, and she didn't have any particular reaction. She answered as usual, without any expression, "No, I just arrived too. Since sister-in-law is here, let's begin."
Xu Jingyi was still wearing a low-cut, figure-hugging dress today, exposing a large area of skin.
The red mark left on her neck that night had long since disappeared.
She didn't know if Xu Jingyi had noticed, but judging from the other person's attitude, she probably hadn't. She considered the matter over.
She then gave a look to her secretary, who coughed and began to distribute files.
"I believe everyone knows why we've gathered today.
It's mainly to hear your opinions on the acquisition of Hu Corporation.
These are the current circumstances of Hu Corporation. You can take a look first, and then express your opinions."
Her words were firm and decisive, completely different from how she had greeted Xu Jingyi just now. She was calm and professional, even more imposing than Lin Ruofeng.
"I know many of you have opinions. Let's get everything out in the open today."
As soon as she said this, someone immediately spoke up, "Hu Corporation is a mess right now. I don't know what President Lin is thinking? Why take on such a hot potato?"
A large portion of the board shared this sentiment, believing that the Lin Corporation's acquisition of the Hu Corporation was too risky.
They were unwilling to gamble, and thus, vehemently opposed the idea.
Lin Ruoyan, however, was determined to proceed with the acquisition, which led to this board meeting.
Acquisitions certainly carried risk, but they also came with substantial rewards.
That's the nature of the business world: the greater the risk, the greater the potential profit. It all depends on your willingness to take the plunge.
Lin Ruoyan was the type who was willing.
"I understand your concerns," she said, "but the Hu Corporation possesses research and development patents that we lack. Furthermore, there are those projects, which I believe you're all aware of.
We fought tooth and nail for them back then; I don't believe any of you would willingly let them go. The Hu Corporation's current problem is mismanagement.
If we acquire them and manage them properly, profitability is guaranteed."
"Those very projects led to the Hu Corporation's bankruptcy. How can you be so sure that we'll be able to turn a profit after taking over?"
Xu Jingyi watched as Lin Ruoyan, facing the stubborn old guard, maintained her composure and confidently addressed their questions, rebutting them one by one.
"Heh…" Lin Ruoyan lifted her eyelids, her expression calm. "How do I know? I'm sure you're all constantly monitoring the group's financial reports.
If I wasn't capable of holding this position," she tapped her index finger firmly on the table twice, "someone else would have taken my place long ago, wouldn't they?"
That was an arrogant statement, but it made Xu Jingyi laugh.
That one sentence alone wouldn't convince the group. The meeting went on for a long time, and it was already noon when it ended.
After leaving the conference room, Lin Ruoyan called Xu Jingyi to her office. Xu Jingyi thought there was still work to discuss and followed her, but she didn't expect Lin Ruoyan to just put things down and not say anything serious.
"Sister-in-law, let's have lunch together?"
"Huh?" Xu Jingyi was still a little puzzled. Their relationship didn't seem to be at the point of eating meals together.
"Yeah, to show those people," Lin Ruoyan said concisely.
Xu Jingyi nodded, thinking there was some truth to what she said. It was lunchtime, and if she just left, she didn't know what the others would say.
"Alright, let's go. What do you want to eat?"
"Sister-in-law, just decide."
"Let's go to the Western restaurant across the street. Your brother and I used to go there all the time."
She deliberately mentioned Lin Ruofeng, then observed Lin Ruoyan's reaction. However, the other person didn't react much, just gave a faint "okay" and opened the door to leave.
Xu Jingyi frowned, feeling something was off.
If Lin Ruoyan really had those kinds of feelings for her, she shouldn't be so indifferent when Lin Ruofeng was mentioned.
Having been in meetings all morning, she was indeed hungry. They could eat together. Eating alone was also quite boring.
She'd just consider it Lin Ruoyan was accompanying her.
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