"It's okay, just wait a little longer."

Although there was a response from Qin Ruojing in the bedroom, Chu Ge found her tone quite strange—seemingly a bit frustrated, a bit tangled, a bit helpless.

Taking this long to get dressed, could something be stuck somewhere?

Sitting on a chair in the living room, Chu Ge thought to himself. After waiting a while, Qin Ruojing's voice came again from the quiet bedroom.

"Chu Ge, you... you can come in."

This time, Qin Ruojing's voice sounded even more helpless, with a hint of frustration.

As soon as he entered, Chu Ge was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. As expected, he had guessed right.

To quote what Qin Ruoying once teased him about, did he perhaps have a prophetic mouth? Whatever he spoke about always came true.

Huh? That can't be right; it has nothing to do with his mouth. He had just thought it might be the case.

Amused by his own thoughts, Chu Ge looked over to see Qin Ruojing sitting at the vanity, with her back to him. Her intricately designed gold necklace was caught on her bun at the back of her head, tangled with her hair in a way that rendered it neither up nor down, a real predicament.

Apparently, Qin Ruojing had been trying to fix the necklace, but she couldn't get it loose, which is why it took so long. Having no other choice, she called Chu Ge in for help.

"What's so funny? Come over and help me."

Qin Ruojing was already embarrassed and frustrated enough and couldn't hide her annoyance when she heard Chu Ge's laughter.

Chu Ge shook his head amusingly, walked over behind Qin Ruojing, bent slightly, and put his hands on her necklace, starting to help untangle it.

The necklace was the hollow type, with several strands of hair caught in it, which was indeed a bit tricky. It's unclear how Qin Ruojing had tried earlier, but she clearly couldn't get it loose.

This was obviously a task requiring patience—a technical job—so since Qin Ruojing couldn't manage it herself, she had to find someone else to help. Right now, with no one else around besides Chu Ge, she had no choice but to call on him, despite the awkwardness.

"Ah, it hurts. Be gentle." Despite Chu Ge's gentle movements, it was inevitably tugging on Qin Ruojing's hair a bit, making her wince and her body tremble slightly.

"Hmm, bear with me for a moment; it's really tight here." Chu Ge gently pulled a strand of Qin Ruojing's hair out from the necklace's hollow gap, making her shiver again, clearly a bit pained.

"Of course, I know it's tight. If it weren't, I could have done it myself. Why else would I ask you for help?"

Hearing Qin Ruojing's remark, Chu Ge rolled his eyes, "Boss lady, you know it's not easy, and I'm already being careful. Just hold on, I'll do my best to be gentle."

"Chu Ge, can you be a bit more gentle? It really hurts."

Chu Ge tried a few more times. Even though he was very cautious, he still unavoidably pulled on Qin Ruojing's hair, making her gasp in pain.

"I'll try to, just cooperate a bit and lower your head slightly."

Despite her reluctance, Qin Ruojing had no choice but to follow Chu Ge's instructions. When he asked her to lower her head, she did as told.

"Chu Ge, do you think this could be a bad omen? I've worn this outfit and this necklace countless times, and nothing like this has ever happened before. But today, of all days, this happens... What do you think?"

"Oh, come on, Chairwoman, are you serious? Your ability to associate is amazing. It's just one time your hair got tangled in a necklace, yet you came up with such an absurd idea."

Chu Ge teased Qin Ruojing playfully, but he became increasingly aware of how much importance Qin Ruojing attached to this gala. Normally, she wasn't someone who believed in any superstitions, but today she seemed to be indulging in a little one.

On any other day, Qin Ruojing would have immediately snarked back at Chu Ge, but now she asked, a bit nervously, "Do you really think it's not a bad omen? Just a mere coincidence, a pure, simple little mishap?"

"Of course!"

After several minutes of fiddling, Chu Ge finally managed to free the intricate gold necklace from Qin Ruojing's hair and placed it around her neck, letting out a sigh of relief.

Qin Ruojing checked herself in the mirror, adjusted her dress and the position of her necklace, then stood up from the vanity chair.

"This outfit, paired with this necklace, and my current hairstyle, what do you think?"

Chu Ge nodded, "Not bad."

Qin Ruojing pressed further, "Not bad? Point out any flaws. Don't just brush me off with that vague comment, alright?"

Chu Ge was speechless, "Really nice."

Qin Ruojing furrowed her graceful brows, "Nice? So it's not particularly good? Then I'll change into another outfit."

Chu Ge was a bit flustered. He genuinely wasn't trying to brush off Qin Ruojing; mainly, Qin Ruojing was naturally beautiful, like a walking clothes hanger. She truly looked good in anything.

Since Qin Ruojing wanted to continue changing, Chu Ge consciously stepped out of the bedroom.

Shortly after, Qin Ruojing called him back in. This time she had put on a goose-yellow Bohemian-style long dress. After Chu Ge nodded in approval, she didn't stop there and continued changing outfits.

For the entire half of the afternoon, Qin Ruojing tirelessly switched clothes. Chu Ge really had to give it to her. She then spent the latter half meticulously and patiently applying makeup.

It was the first time Chu Ge had seen Qin Ruojing so attentive to her attire and grooming, sparking some genuine curiosity about the "big shot" she would be meeting at the evening party.

By four-thirty in the afternoon, Qin Ruojing finally completed her grooming. She wore a deep purple evening gown that wasn't too flashy nor too subdued—elegant and composed, with a tranquil poise.

This outfit was ultimately chosen by Chu Ge for her. Although Qin Ruojing wasn't his woman, Chu Ge didn't want her showing too much for the sake of others.

"Chu Ge, are you sure I look okay now?"

Glancing at the time, Qin Ruojing knew she didn't have time to hesitate but still nervously asked.

"Absolutely, one million percent sure!"

Chu Ge nodded firmly, giving Qin Ruojing a look of admiration and encouragement. It wasn't just the first time seeing her so focused on dressing up, but also the first time seeing her so indecisive and somewhat jittery.

In fact, to prevent Qin Ruojing from overthinking, there was something Chu Ge didn't voice out.

That was, he thought Qin Ruojing looked absolutely stunning now, and the moment she stepped into the banquet hall, she would become the center of attention, possibly even outshining the so-called "big shot."

Receiving Chu Ge's affirmation, Qin Ruojing's nerves still didn't completely ease. She spent another two minutes in front of the mirror, adjusting her already perfect outfit, took a deep breath, as if making a significant decision, and told Chu Ge, "Let's go."

The venue for the banquet was the Papas Grand Hotel. As Chu Ge drove Qin Ruojing to the vicinity of Papas Hotel, he couldn't help but think, "What an elaborate setup."

Even though it wasn't even five o'clock yet, they were definitely not considered late. However, the hotel entrance was already packed with cars, and several luxury vehicles were continuously pulling up, indicating the underground parking was likely full.

Looking around, besides the array of luxury cars, there were even several Red Flag cars, a type of government official's vehicle.

When Chu Ge finally found a parking spot, stepping out with Qin Ruojing, his casual glance across numerous vehicles made another thing catch his attention, leaving him somewhat surprised.

Among those Red Flags, besides local license plates, there was actually a vehicle with a Beijing A8 prefix—definitely something noteworthy.

"Huh? This is quite interesting, really? I wonder if the parking lot at Papas has any cars with a Beijing G6 prefix?"

Chu Ge thought amusingly, taking just a few steps when he sharply sensed a few discreetly watchful glances aimed at him. Feigning casualness, he glanced toward where the gazes came from, noticing several men in hotel staff uniforms. They appeared to be ordinary but carried a reserved and formidable presence; definitely strong individuals.

Those individuals only glanced at Chu Ge before shifting their focus, continuing to scan for any suspicious people around.

Chu Ge could perceive their extraordinariness, but they couldn't detect anything from him.

After all, just as normal people couldn't sense their uniqueness, they couldn't sense the exceptional qualities Chu Ge hid beneath his seemingly casual exterior.

This was the difference in level and ability.

Chu Ge's lips curled slightly. What he initially thought would be a dull banquet seemed to be getting more interesting.

While Chu Ge found it amusing, Qin Ruojing felt increasingly nervous and anxious.

Although she was the chairman of a group company, overseeing four subsidiaries and nearly a thousand employees, in such a setting, she was outshone by many with more power and wealth.

Not knowing if she'd even have the chance to speak with that "big shot," she tried to appear calm. Still, involuntarily, she felt less confident than usual.

Qin Ruojing secretly exhaled, linking arms with Chu Ge, and together they stepped onto the brand-new, bright red carpet extending over ten meters from the hotel's entrance. On either side of the carpet stood rows of hostesses, their appearance and demeanor comparable to models, clad in golden cheongsams, each sporting just the right amount of a sweet smile.

Entering the grand, opulent doors of Papas Hotel, Qin Ruojing and Chu Ge took the elevator to the 18th floor and stepped into the ballroom.

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