Soft-centered strawberry cake

Chapter 40 looks both hazy and captivating.
Nighttime is a time of singing, dancing, and revelry. To complement the charity auction held earlier today, a charity gala hosted by the Ming Group has begun.

Under the enormous crystal chandelier, fine wine poured into crystal glasses shimmered and sparkled, and women dressed in various custom-made evening gowns looked even more beautiful at night.

The entire planning department was invited to the gala. Li Anwen had also contributed his persuasive skills at the charity auction earlier that day, and he confidently led the staff of Planning Department One to the banquet.

Qi Fei usually seems carefree, but when it comes to serious occasions like this, she becomes socially anxious. Ming Wei also deliberately dressed plainly to avoid interacting with people, so the two of them coincidentally found a corner and became invisible.

Amidst the melodious piano music, people seeking collaboration opportunities chatted amongst themselves at the party, while others simply chatted about everyday matters.

"Did your sister come to this party?" Tong Ziyan asked Ming Chengze about Ming Weiyi while glancing around.

“She’s here, but she’s probably hiding in some corner gossiping with her work partner right now.” Ming Chengze didn’t need to think; he knew Ming Wei very well.

Pei Ming knew that Ming Weiyi had arrived, and his eyes kept trying to find out where she was.

Ming Wei and Pei Ming did not see each other, but they saw Pei Cheng talking to someone. Just as Pei Ming was carrying a glass of wine and preparing to walk towards Pei Cheng, a woman of similar age to him walked up to him.

The woman wore a light blue strapless lace dress with a fishtail-shaped hem. Her hair was braided from both sides and tied up, making her look both gentle and simple.

"President Pei, the charity auction held by Ming Group today was a great success. We at Manxian would very much like to learn from your experience."

Mr. Man, isn't this a well-known investment company in Jiangcheng?

"Who are you?" Pei Ming asked with a hint of wariness.

"I forgot to introduce myself to President Pei. I'm from the marketing department of Manxian. My name is Meng Ran."

After Meng Ran finished speaking, she extended her hand in agreement to cooperate.

The CEO of Manxian is surnamed Meng. The person in front of me is so young yet he can represent Manxian's marketing department to talk to me. It seems that this person must have a very impressive background.

Thinking of this, Pei Ming raised his right hand and shook hands with Meng Ran briefly.

"So, Mr. Meng, what do you want to talk to me about today?" Pei Ming was very direct. He knew that if he didn't have what Manxian wanted, Manxian's people wouldn't have stopped him.

"It's a bit noisy here. Why don't we go somewhere quieter to talk?" Meng Ran sincerely suggested, hoping Pei Ming would agree.

"Okay," Pei Ming replied, then gestured for Meng Ran to proceed.

The Ming Group has a deep-rooted presence in Jiangcheng, but Pei Ming's new energy industry in Jiangcheng is only just beginning. If he can cooperate with Manxian, it would be a great thing for Pei Ming.

In the garden outside the hotel, summer is just around the corner, and all the greenery in sight is lush and verdant, with every cluster of flowers blooming vibrantly.

"I think even if the two of us leave, no one will find out."

Qi Fei leaned against the wooden swing in the garden, idly playing with her phone. Sitting next to her was Ming Weiyi, who was equally bored.

"How about we leave?" Mingwei gave Qifei a look that said, "I'll do whatever you say."

Qi Fei gave a sly smile. "Let's go. Old Li will be too drunk to remember us later."

The sound of high heels broke the silence of the garden, causing Qi Fei and Ming Wei to instinctively turn their heads. Through the gaps in the wooden swing, they saw Pei Ming and a young woman emerge one after the other.

The rows of green plants in the garden were very tall and dense, and Pei Ming's line of sight was too short to see them. Qi Fei immediately made a "shh" gesture to Ming Wei. Standing up now would only be awkward, so they decided to hide and wait for Pei Ming to leave.

"President Pei, I regret that I couldn't attend today's auction, but I watched it on the live stream, and it was wonderful." Meng Ran smiled and made a toasting gesture to Pei Ming.

Pei Ming tilted his head back and took a small sip of his champagne. "Compared to your Manxian's record, this shouldn't be anything, right?"

Under the warm yellow light, Pei Ming's already flawless face seemed to be coated with a filter, looking both hazy and charming, which made Meng Ran pause for a moment.

Meng Ran quickly calmed herself down, a smile still playing on her lips. "But, President Pei, you came to Jiangcheng all alone and achieved such results in such a short time. We admire you very much."

"Mr. Meng is too kind. My success today is entirely due to the strong foundation of the Ming Group."

The man before her was not only highly capable and charming, but also so humble, which made Meng Ran feel even more favorably toward Pei Ming.

"Excuse my bluntness, but I haven't seen your wife, Miss Ming, during today's auction livestream or the gala."

As soon as Meng Ran asked the question, Qi Fei, who was hiding not far away, reflexively looked at Ming Weiyi and whispered, "Oh right! With such a big event happening at the Ming family today, why didn't the eldest daughter of the Ming family attend the event?"

Mingwei also felt a little guilty, but she could only give Qi Fei a "how should I know" look.

“My father-in-law is quite ill. As his daughter, she doesn’t trust anyone else to take care of him at his bedside, so she has been staying by his side these days.”

Pei Ming could lie without batting an eye, but this reason was indeed very convincing.

Even Qi Fei, who was not far away, kept praising in a low voice: "This eldest daughter of the Ming family is really filial."

Meng Ran wanted to test Pei Ming, so she continued to discuss Pei Ming's marriage, "The marriage between the Pei family and the Ming family is excellent, a powerful alliance."

"Are you trying to find out about my marital status because it's typical of investors?" Pei Ming asked seriously, but he could accept Meng Ran's question, since it was common practice for investors to investigate all of their clients' information.

When Pei Ming asked her that question, and his gaze was so direct, Meng Ran suddenly felt a little nervous. She subconsciously avoided Pei Ming's gaze and brushed a strand of hair from her temple.

Then, Meng Ran calmly raised her head again, "Yes, since our company wants to cooperate with you, President Pei, then I must understand your family and marital situation."

Qi Fei and Ming Wei witnessed Meng Ran's tense and awkward moment. Qi Fei immediately exclaimed to Ming Wei in surprise, "Wow! This woman is definitely interested in President Pei."

As someone with normal perception, Ming Weiyi could tell this even if Qi Fei didn't say it. For some reason, she didn't find the gossip in front of her appealing at all.

"What kind of cooperation do you, Mr. Man, wish to discuss with me?"

"Of course it's your new energy industry that you just established in Jiangcheng. The Ming family is already a large and powerful family, and we in Manxian can't afford to invest in it." In order to ease her embarrassment, Meng Ran had no choice but to joke about the Ming Group.

Pei Ming nodded. "Okay, we'll discuss the specifics of the cooperation next week."

Hearing that Pei Ming really wanted to discuss cooperation with the woman in front of him, Ming Wei felt a little uneasy without realizing it.

(End of this chapter)