Bai Yan gave Master Chen a brief once-over, then shifted his attention away.
Master Chen frowned slightly, always feeling as if someone were watching him, but whenever he looked up, he found nothing.
"Master Chen, please continue to explain the intricacies of Qigong health maintenance!"
The middle-aged men and women around Master Chen spoke respectfully.
"Oh, excuse me, I was a bit distracted. Where was I? Oh, right! I was discussing the combination of Qigong and medicinal diets!"
Master Chen apologized with a laugh and continued his explanation.
Unbeknownst to many, Master Chen was quite popular among the officials and nobles of ZH city.
Bai Yan, sitting alone in a corner sofa, gradually also attracted some attention, mainly from the society ladies and daughters of wealth.
It must be said, the Italian master tailor’s bespoke suit showcased Bai Yan’s already somewhat introverted temperament to perfection!
It was as if Bai Yan was a piece of jade with inner brilliance. With the right outfit complementing it, the jade’s intrinsic cultivation and temperament were fully brought out!
Bai Yan’s slightly melancholic temperament, mixed with a maturity beyond his years, caught the attention of many secluded wives and maidens yearning for spring. Whenever his deep, star-like eyes roved and met the gaze of any lady or daughter of wealth, their hearts skipped a beat, and they felt a rush of shyness.
"Look, there’s a handsome young man over there."
"He really is quite handsome, and has such an air about him!"
"How come I’ve never seen him before? Does anyone know his name?"
"He looks like a downtrodden prince, sitting there so sorrowful, so lonely, I suddenly feel a bit sorry for him!"
"Hehe, if you feel sorry for him, go hook up with him then~!"
"As if! You little flirt, go yourself if you want, I surely won’t!"
"I bet you’re just worried he’s a poor boy!"
"Being a poor boy doesn’t matter. Even if we can’t marry, playing around is also quite good!"
The whispers continued, yet Bai Yan’s ears were exceptionally sharp, catching every last word.
Bai Yan gave a wry smile; these high society ladies sure had some frank private conversations!
Bai Yan could only pretend not to hear, allowing the ladies to steal glances at him and whisper secretly among themselves.
The circle around Li Xiaoman grew larger and larger, with many melting in, and lots of people tried every means to speak with Li Xiaoman.
Initially, many only intended to discuss work with Li Xiaoman with fairly pure motives, but as young heirs like those from the Ma Group joined the circle, the topic shifted.
Conversations moved from work to personal aspects of Li Xiaoman herself, prompting young nobles to inquire into her private affairs, which embarrassed and troubled her.
Li Xiaoman couldn’t afford to offend these people, nor could she be overly intimate; all she could do was look around frequently, searching for Bai Yan.
At this moment, only Bai Yan, as Li Xiaoman’s escort, could rescue her from this situation.
Li Xiaoman didn’t notice Bai Yan, yet his gaze had been on her all along, and he recognized her distress immediately.
Great, this little love slave of mine really can’t manage without me!
Bai Yan smiled helplessly, put down his glass, and stood up to walk towards Li Xiaoman.
"That handsome guy is heading towards Li Xiaoman! He probably wants to pursue her too!"
"Seriously, another handsome guy snagged by Li Xiaoman; why does this woman have to be so pretty! It’s infuriating!"
"But even if that handsome guy goes over, he probably stands little chance to get close. What a pity, Li Xiaoman has so many handsome and talented men around her, what right does he have to step up?"
"Especially with the heir of the Ma Group right by her side, what chance do other men have?"
"Indeed, he might as well stay with us!"
"It’s a shame; he doesn’t look any less impressive than Ma’s heir, but probably his family background can’t compare! He surely has no play with Goddess Li!"
"I reckon this handsome fella is going to fly back to his nest empty-handed, ladies, brace yourselves! We can’t aspire to be with Young Master Ma, but it wouldn’t be bad to take this little cutie home with us tonight!"
"Hehe, what a great idea!"
As Bai Yan stood up, the well-to-do ladies who were paying attention to him were suddenly startled. Their chatter was filled with jealousy towards Li Xiaoman and adoration for the heir to the Ma Group.
Bai Yan slightly raised his eyebrows, looking towards Li Xiaoman’s circle.
At that moment, a young and handsome man stood by Li Xiaoman’s side, talking with a courteous smile. This man was none other than Ma Mubo, the heir to the Ma Group, Young Master Ma!
"Mr. Li, my father has always had a high opinion of you, ever since he discussed preliminary cooperation with Wanyan Company, he has been full of nothing but praises for you! He often commends to me saying, Mr. Li is a rare gem in this world, a woman of breathtaking beauty! Not to mention your grace, beauty, and overflowing talent!"
Ma Mubo was the life of the party, not hiding his admiration and appreciation for Li Xiaoman in his speech.
Compared to other men, Ma Mubo was a master of subtlety. He didn’t show any overt possessiveness or greed towards Li Xiaoman. His appropriate admiration and affection, instead, caused the people in the circle to have even more goodwill towards him.
Young Master Ma’s name was renowned throughout the upper echelons of HZ city, not only because of his influential family background but also due to his adeptness in dealing with people.
"Young Master Ma is too kind; I’m very thankful for Elder Ma’s compliments!"
Li Xiaoman smiled cautiously as she responded.
Facing the Ma Group, a behemoth in Huaxia business world, and despite both parties’ desire for collaboration, Li Xiaoman maintained sufficient politeness in their negotiations.
Because without any exaggeration, the Ma Group could be considered the top group in HZ City! Even within the whole country, their group’s strength could be said to be at the pinnacle!
The Ma Group, built by Elder Ma himself, was a powerful commercial empire, leading the way in many fields of Huaxia. Rumor had it that their backing was so influential it reached the higher echelons of Beijing! Compared to the Wanyan Group, they were in no way weaker!
To give a simple example, previously at the hotel entrance, Young Master Yang, despite his strong family background, could only stir up some trouble within HZ City, merely a mud loach in a small pond.
So-called Young Master Yang was nothing compared to Ma Mubo.
Can’t you see? That same overbearing Young Master Yang now had to obediently stand by Ma Mubo’s side and play the role of a little brother!
"How can that be an overstatement? It’s simply the truth!"
Ma Mubo revealed a nonchalant smile: "My father has entrusted the rest of the cooperation matters to me. I wonder when Mr. Li would be available to discuss over dinner, so we can talk about the follow-up cooperation between our two companies?"
Ma Mubo used business cooperation as an excuse to ask Li Xiaoman out, his flirting technique was indeed more sophisticated!
Li Xiaoman was startled, declining with a smile: "Young Master Ma, perhaps dinner isn’t necessary? We could discuss the collaboration during a meeting at the company, with the senior executives of both companies involved, to ensure the perfection of the project. Besides... your companion is still here, aren’t you afraid she might get jealous if you invite me ?"
Ma Mubo laughed heartily, pointing to the girl beside him and said, "Companion? Mr. Li is mistaken! She’s my younger sister, not my girlfriend. I’m still single!"
Ma Mubo paused, then his gaze locked onto Li Xiaoman’s beautiful eyes, his tone carrying an inexplicable depth: "Mr. Li, I think the matters of cooperation are better discussed between just the two of us! After all, when company executives gather, there are too many mouths that could leak business secrets, don’t you think?"
"That... I’ll have to think about it some more."
Li Xiaoman smiled wryly, suddenly unable to find an excuse to refuse. This Young Master Ma was really adept at using a soft approach!
It was clear to anyone with eyes that Young Master Ma wished to pursue Li Xiaoman under the guise of company cooperation.
Li Xiaoman was in a quandary.
"No need to think further, how about the day after tomorrow? I can take you to a well-known restaurant by West Lake in HZ City for dinner? HZ City is not far from HZ City, and I hear that Mr. Li hails from HZ City, right? The place has an elegant environment, and beautiful scenery matching a beautiful lady couldn’t be more fitting!"
Ma Mubo laughed heartily with determination in his voice, carrying a hint of assertiveness.
The distance of over a thousand kilometers indeed wouldn’t take long by plane, and many people couldn’t help but admire Ma Mubo’s approach.
To woo the lady, he set the date location in West Lake, HZ City. Who didn’t know that Wanyan Company started from HZ City?
The first date set in the lady’s hometown.
It appeared that Goddess Li would most likely accept his date invitation.
So many people thought.
However, just when Li Xiaoman was at a loss, the cold voice of Bai Yan sounded:
"Sorry, she’s not available the day after tomorrow!"