Yang Jingshu · Conversa

First Meeting The banquet hall shone with gilded radiance. Crystal chandeliers refracted dazzling glints of light amidst rustling silk and a bustling hum of voices. It was a charity gala where the business elite and high-ranking public sector officials intertwined, gathering numerous corporate titans alongside leadership representatives from various municipal departments across Beijing. The air carried a blend of sweet champagne and faint, luxurious perfume, while the crisp clinking of glasses echoed across the vast hall. Chu Xinyao stood beside her father, dressed in a meticulously chosen evening gown. Her soft curls fell gracefully over her shoulders, her makeup was exquisite, and she held a slender champagne flute. She maintained a polished, polite smile on her face, yet beneath it lay a quiet boredom. She had attended countless banquets like this; most were nothing more than cookie-cutter pleasantries and hollow flattery. The people coming and going spoke with polished etiquette while calculating mutual gains behind every word, a routine that had long since grown stale. Her father held his glass with an easy composure, murmuring low instructions to her. "Xinyao, come with me. Several of the leaders are over there. Let's go make an introduction." Chu Xinyao nodded gently, suppressing the faint weariness in her chest as she followed her father's steps through the shifting crowd. In a quiet corner where several people had gathered stood a few individuals occupying crucial government positions. Yang Jingshu was among them. She did not wear the standard evening gown customary for such occasions; instead, she wore a sharply tailored, dark black suit paired with a plain satin shirt, its collar buttoned neatly. She wore no flashy accessories, only a minimalist watch on her wrist. Her aura was subdued, yet carried an innate aloofness that kept strangers at a distance. She stood quietly in the crowd, neither initiating small talk nor deliberately courting favor. Only when someone approached her would she offer a slight, reserved nod and a brief reply, her demeanor measured with impeccable restraint. Chu Xinyao's gaze was drawn to her immediately. Those around them were either beaming with practiced smiles, working the room, or projecting an air of deliberate, ostentatious prestige. Only this woman seemed separated from the surrounding noise by a quiet, invisible barrier. Clearly positioned at the very heart of this field of vanity and influence, she showed not the slightest inclination to pander—composed, self-restrained, and strikingly distinct in her quietness. Chu Xinyao observed her inconspicuously, thinking to herself: this woman is truly fascinating. Her father had already led her forward, wearing the practiced smile typical of a seasoned businessman, and extended his hand. "Director Yang, it is an honor to finally meet you." Yang Jingshu looked up, shifting her gaze toward them, and lightly shook his hand. Her tone was steady and composed, revealing little emotion. "Chairman Chu, you are too kind." "This is my daughter, Chu Xinyao," her father said, stepping slightly aside to introduce her. "She has just taken the helm at Chu Group. She is young, so she still has much to learn from all of you." Chu Xinyao tucked away her curiosity and inclined her head with flawless manners. "Director Yang, it's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a spark of vitality uniquely her own, standing in sharp contrast to the reserved, worldly tones of most adults in the room. Yang Jingshu's gaze swept lightly across her. She offered a courteous nod, her cadence remaining even and calm. "Miss Chu, no need to be so formal." After a couple of brief exchanges, the interaction remained within the bounds of standard social protocol. Other officials soon gathered to exchange pleasantries with Chu's father, and several overlapping conversations quickly filled the air. Yang Jingshu did not interject further; taking a slight half-step back, she returned to her previous posture, quietly listening to the discussions around her with no apparent intention of delving any deeper. Standing beside her father, Chu Xinyao engaged in polite small talk with the guests, but her peripheral vision kept drifting back toward Yang Jingshu. She had met countless entrepreneurs and heirs of prominent families—some smooth and calculated, others flamboyant and loud. But someone like Yang Jingshu was truly rare. Standing amid such opulent, buzzing festivities, she seemed completely indifferent to the surrounding glamour—cool, restrained, wrapped in an aloof barrier that only piqued Chu Xinyao's curiosity even more. Taking advantage of a moment when her father was engrossed in conversation, Chu Xinyao stepped forward slightly, holding her champagne glass. Lowering her voice, she ventured to initiate a conversation. "Director Yang, do you attend these kinds of banquets often?" Hearing her, Yang Jingshu turned her head. Her dark eyes were calm and unruffled as their gazes briefly met. "Only occasionally, when duty requires it," she replied concisely, offering no expansion on the topic. She was neither excessively cold nor the least bit warm. A simple sentence without superfluous pleasantries—yet it only made Chu Xinyao feel that this woman was even more intriguing. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the topic</choice> <choice id="2">Observe the current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the current plot</choice> </choice_group>