The unnamed male operative opened his eyes—two peach-shaped eyes that seemed to smile but not quite—and showed no sign of anger at all, yet he deliberately emphasized the word “reconciliation.”

How could Ming Yue fail to read between the lines?

When her temper flared, she didn’t try to smooth things over; instead, she didn’t pull her hand away from Fu Qiancheng’s grasp. On the contrary, she gently curled her lips, as if silently conceding defeat.

Fu Qiancheng smiled faintly, quickly stepped down from the other side, walked around to Ming Yue’s side, and naturally took her little hand again.

Ming Yue didn’t resist.

So he tightened his grip even more and greeted everyone, “Did you all make an appointment?”

His tone remained the same, punctuated by occasional coughs.

“Not exactly—we just happened to gather here on short notice,” Gu Yanyun explained with a smile, raising his hand to wave politely at Ming Yue. “Ming Yue, long time no see.”

“Long time no see,” Ming Yue replied with a light smile.

She no longer looked at the man beside Gu Yanyun, ignored Gu Yanyun’s curious gaze, and paid no attention to the probing looks from the people standing nearby. She simply stood there quietly.

After the small talk, she continued to follow Fu Qiancheng forward in silence, eventually meeting the few “useful” contacts he had mentioned.

These were several clients who had dealings with Huiqing; apparently acting on Fu Qiancheng’s instructions, they had already been waiting in an elegant private room.

Fu Qiancheng’s purpose was clear: to introduce Ming Yue to them.

As soon as they took a good look, they immediately recognized Ming Yue—after all, who else could she be but the “rebellious daughter” who had been causing such a stir online?

But with Fu Qiancheng present, no one dared to show Ming Yue any disrespect.

On the contrary, they showered her with compliments, their flattery so loud it seemed to shake the very walls.

Ming Yue used to detest scenes like this the most.

Yet years of wandering and hardship had forced her to learn how to deal with all kinds of people—and now she could move among them as effortlessly as a fish in water, handling every situation with ease.

It wasn’t long before she became familiar with several of them and thoroughly understood their backgrounds.

Then, together with Fu Qiancheng, she raised her glass and exchanged pleasantries with them, chatting about this and that, before finally exchanging contact information.

The others were sharp-eyed too.

Once the formal business was wrapped up and they saw that Fu Qiancheng didn’t seem well—clearly exhausted from the whole affair—they quickly found excuses to take their leave.

As they departed, they whispered among themselves:

“Looks like we can’t trust anything the internet says at all. This Miss Ming is so gentle—she speaks softly and carries herself with grace, nothing like the rumors online.”

“Exactly! Online stuff is usually just for clicks. If it were trustworthy, even sows could climb trees and roosters could lay eggs!”

“But why isn’t Young Master Fu using his influence to suppress the trending topic? With all those online reports, Miss Ming’s reputation is completely ruined now.”

“Maybe he has tried, but who can really say what’s behind it?”

The murmurs faded into the distance.

The private room soon fell silent, leaving only Ming Yue and Fu Qiancheng.

Ming Yue felt a bit uncomfortable, especially being alone with him.

Just as she was about to excuse herself and leave, Gu Yanyun pushed open the door.

He looked as if he’d been patiently waiting outside, poking his head in and smiling broadly at the two of them. “Brother Qiancheng, Sister Ming Yue, are you guys done here? We’re still having a great time over there. Want to join us? It’s right next door—everyone’s waiting for you!”

“No…”

Before Ming Yue could finish her refusal, Fu Qiancheng had already nodded in agreement, clearing his throat twice. “Alright, we’ll go over in a bit.”

“Then it’s settled! Don’t miss it—see you later!”

Gu Yanyun seemed to have accomplished some incredible feat. Upon receiving Fu Qiancheng’s reply, he let out a cheerful shout and skipped off.

End of Chapter 40: The Air Feels Slightly Sour