The interview date was confirmed a week later, but Duan Yiheng, busy with work, forgot to tell Lin Xi about it.
The day before the recording, the production crew came to the Yinfan Group's office building to take an official announcement photo of Duan Yiheng.
As for the setting, Duan Yiheng's office contained many important documents, so they ultimately chose the reading area of the internal library as the backdrop for the live interview. The live broadcast was on a Friday, and the program "In-Depth Dialogue" officially announced the participants and the time.
Duan Yiheng's name has frequently appeared in the news recently, and many people are familiar with him. But regarding his relationship with Lin Xi, everyone just treated it as gossip. They forgot about it quickly, and no photos of him and Lin Xi surfaced online.
So when the official Weibo account of the show released the photos of the elite members, netizens who appreciate good looks immediately flocked to the event—"Wait, nobody told me that Yin Fan's successor is so handsome and young?" "Not only that, he's also rich."
"I always imagined him as a short, stocky businessman with a big belly." "Don't be ridiculous, sister, he's only thirty." "Thirty and already in power? Such a big group, are you kidding me?" "Didn't you see the gossip the other day? Father and son fighting, and young CEO Duan won." "Holy crap! A role model for us all. We're also thirty, and I got yelled at last night for ordering barbecue late at night." "Fellow traveler, fellow traveler! What's wrong with one more rich person like me in this world?"
"There are plenty of rich people in this world, but few are this handsome." "My seventh aunt's son's girlfriend's best friend works at Yin Fan. Insider information: being tall, rich, and handsome is just the basic requirement for their CEO Duan; he's also loyal."
"With his sister? The one who was trending recently?" "It's her, the adopted daughter of the Duan family." "Damn, I've imagined a modern romance novel, it's strangely kind of sweet." "A live interview, I definitely have to go and see for myself."
"It doesn't start until 8 PM, why not now? I can't wait, mainly because he's so handsome, it's killing me." "..." At 6 PM, in the company cafeteria, Duan Yiheng was going to have dinner with the production crew.
Just after getting off work, he called Lin Xi, glancing sideways at Chen Xin: "Why didn't you remind me?" Chen Xin: "..." You two sleep in the same bed every day, he thought Manager Lin already knew. Who knew President Duan was so busy he forgot.
Lin Xi had just come out of her office when she suddenly received a call from Duan Yiheng asking her to go to headquarters. "Aren't you going back?" Lin Xi had subtly inquired with Qin Yang over the phone that morning; he was supposed to leave work on time today. Duan Yiheng paused, then said,
"There's an on-camera interview tonight. I told you before, you're having dinner with the production team later. Want to come along?" Lin Xi: "...Why didn't you tell me?" "I was busy and forgot."
Duan Yiheng glanced at his watch. "Should I have the driver pick you up?" Lin Xi hesitated. "The interview is important, can I come? Or should I go back and wait for you?" "No."
Duan Yiheng flatly refused. "Since you joined the sales department, we haven't had a proper meal together for almost two weeks. Come over tonight and have dinner with me." Lin Xi thought about it and realized it was true.
She left two hours earlier than Duan Yiheng. Neither of them came back for lunch, and she worked overtime that evening while he was out socializing. They were so tired they didn't want to say a word and fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. That afternoon, she was still wondering if Duan Yiheng would be free tomorrow, the weekend. "I'll drive myself," Lin Xi decided.
"Where are you eating?" "At the company's most upscale restaurant." "Then I'll go straight to the restaurant. Who's there?"
"Chen Xin and the head of public relations will be there, along with the program's producer, host, and director." Lin Xi agreed and drove straight to headquarters. Seeing that he had finished his call, Chen Xin said, "The program crew has arrived. I've had someone take them directly to the restaurant."
Duan Yiheng stood up: "Let's go too." "It's quite a distance from the office building to the restaurant, but Duan Yiheng wasn't in a hurry, as Lin Xi would also need some time to arrive. However, he still needed to greet the production crew; they had been seated in a large private room on the third floor.
Upon seeing Duan Yiheng, the host and producer stood up simultaneously, exchanging greetings. Duan Yiheng said, 'Sit down, there's no need for formalities.' The producer's surname was Zhao, and the host's name was Zhong Li; both had a good first impression of Duan Yiheng. 'Are the others arranged?'
Duan Yiheng asked Chen Xin. Chen Xin replied, 'The rest of the production crew are dining on the first floor.' Duan Yiheng nodded, then turned to those present and said, 'Sorry, it might take a little longer; one person hasn't arrived yet.'" "Zhong Li, the host, has a keen eye for detail. Duan Yiheng initially gives off a cold and aloof impression, but when greeting them, he tries to appear approachable.
But his last words were filled with tender affection, even the smile in his eyes was slightly cloying. Zhong Li smiled slightly: 'Excuse me, are you Ms. Lin?' Duan Yiheng gave a very faint smile:
'Yes, I've been quite busy lately, so I thought we could have a meal together.' 'That would be an honor,' Zhong Li said with a smile. 'I wonder if Ms. Lin could appear in the interview?' Duan Yiheng declined with a slight smile: 'I'm sorry.' Zhong Li understood: 'I overstepped my bounds.'
She was just trying it out; if successful, the show's buzz would undoubtedly reach new heights. Producer Zhao smiled and said:
'Actually, based on the interview outline we discussed beforehand, Mr. Duan and Ms. Lin's relationship will inevitably be asked about. If Ms. Lin could appear on camera, the effect might be even better.'" "Producer Zhao, you discussed this issue with my secretary before."
Duan Yiheng said, "The focus of the interview isn't my personal life. It's just that the recent news has been making headlines, which is why I agreed to clarify my attitude towards my partner during this live interview."
This was a clear refusal. Producer Zhao smiled and said he apologized for the intrusion. Zhong Li, being professional, didn't let the conversation fall flat. She was also quick-witted, and after the producer, she briefly exchanged a few words with Duan Yiheng.
Duan Yiheng was accommodating. Around six o'clock, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Lin Xi, asking which restaurant he was at. Duan Yiheng gave Chen Xin a look, then stood up and said, "Excuse me, you two talk first. I'm going downstairs to pick someone up."
Since Duan Yiheng was personally picking someone up, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to just sit there. Producer Zhao was about to get up when Chen Xin stopped him: "Please sit down. Manager Lin will be up later; there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know her." Producer Zhao sat back down, and Zhong Li chatted casually with the head of public relations. About five or six minutes later, there was a commotion at the door. The others in the private room stood up, and Duan Yiheng, with his arm around Lin Xi's waist, entered the room.
Lin Xi was about to speak when she was startled by the several people standing in the room staring at her.