Chapter 172

Chapter 172: The Door to Apocalyptic Rebirth – Full Novel Website

Chapter 172

Almost everyone in the conference room could feel the low pressure emanating from Ji Jiuzhe today.

Ji Jiuzhe was always aloof, giving off a vibe that kept people at arm’s length, never showing his emotions. But today was different; it was obvious that he was in a terrible mood, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water. The young man on the lecture platform, who had been confidently speaking, seemed to misinterpret Ji Jiuzhe’s displeasure as being directed at his ideas, causing his once smooth speech to become painfully awkward.

Everyone in the conference room appeared to be paying attention, but in reality, they were all sneaking glances at Ji Jiuzhe. As his expression grew darker, their curiosity peaked, all wondering who could possibly have the power to upset Ji Jiuzhe to this extent.

Ji Qige was also puzzled. Could it be that Gu Ning had argued with Ji Jiuzhe?

The young man on the platform continued his halting speech, and when his words were interrupted by a ringing phone, he almost felt a sense of relief.

Normally, in such meetings, no one would bring their phone in, usually handing it over to a secretary or assistant, or at least setting it to silent. So when the melodious ringtone echoed through the conference room, almost everyone frowned, silently cursing whoever was so inconsiderate.

Then, in full view of everyone, Ji Jiuzhe pulled out his phone from his pocket. The moment he saw the name on the screen, the gloom on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of ease. He answered the phone with a “Hello,” gave a glance to the room, and then, still on the phone, strode out of the conference room.

The room fell into silence.

“It’s me.”

The familiar voice on the other end softened Ji Jiuzhe’s heart, the icy coldness in his eyes completely gone: “I know.”

“Sorry, I got held up by something,” Gu Ning apologized sincerely.

“Gu Ning,” Ji Jiuzhe said softly, looking at the white walls of the corridor, “I miss you.” He wanted to see her, to know what had happened that had delayed her so long, but thankfully, she could still call him.

He heard a brief silence on the other end, followed by a soft sigh. Before he could think further, Gu Ning’s voice came through: “Are you at headquarters now?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then I’ll come to you.”

He paused: “Okay.”

“Because I miss you too.” When you miss someone, of course, you go to see them.

Ji Jiuzhe was silent for a long time before slowly saying, “Okay, I’ll wait for you here.”

“Okay.”

Ji Jiuzhe returned to the conference room.

The meeting resumed, but the attendees were still distracted, not really listening to the young man who had finally regained his confidence and was speaking again. Ji Jiuzhe was just too unusual today; he had actually smiled when he came back in… not the usual polite, perfunctory smile, but a genuine, joyful smile that one would never expect to see on his face. Everyone couldn’t help but wonder what news that brief phone call had brought to melt this iceberg.

Ji Qige, meanwhile, thought to himself, “The power of love.”

As Ji Jiuzhe focused and the gazes slowly returned to the speaker, the low pressure in the room finally dissipated, and the young man on the platform began to hit his stride.

Under Ji Jiuzhe’s intense gaze, the young man’s originally forty-minute presentation was cut short to just half an hour.

As soon as the meeting ended, someone suggested going out for a meal.

“Sorry, I have a prior engagement,” Ji Jiuzhe said, quickly walking out of the conference room, his steps even a bit hurried, as if this engagement was very important to him and he was afraid of being late.

Linda, holding her files, quickened her pace to catch up with Ji Qige and asked curiously, “Ji Qige, what’s up with Ji Jiuzhe these past couple of days? Is something going on? Or did he land some big deal?” She had attended countless meetings with Ji Jiuzhe, and he always left last. This was the first time he was the first to leave.

Ji Qige glanced at her and said, “If you treat me to dinner tonight, I’ll tell you.”

Linda rolled her eyes in disappointment.

The elevator went straight to the first floor.

Ji Jiuzhe stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the hall. When he saw Gu Ning walking in through the entrance, his steps unconsciously slowed. He watched as Gu Ning took the pass from the guard and walked over, looking up and meeting his gaze. He saw Gu Ning pause, then suddenly run towards him.

A gust of wind blew, and a slim figure suddenly threw herself into his arms. Ji Jiuzhe instinctively caught the girl who had flung herself at him, momentarily taken aback by Gu Ning’s sudden enthusiasm.

“…Am I seeing things?” Linda, who had just stepped out of the elevator, asked in disbelief, staring at the scene not far ahead. “Is Ji Jiuzhe dating Gu Ning??”

Ji Qige looked on with satisfaction as Gu Ning actively threw herself into Ji Jiuzhe’s arms, saying, “You’re not seeing things.” He was already thinking that with the rocket-speed progress between Ji Jiuzhe and Gu Ning, he might need to prepare a big red envelope.

Linda was still in shock, only realizing after a while, “Was that Gu Ning’s call Ji Jiuzhe took in the conference room?”

“I don’t know about that,” Ji Qige said with a smile, “but probably.” Then he thoughtfully added, “The girl is shy, let’s go around and not let her see us.”

And with that, he led Linda away in another direction.

Gu Ning hugged Ji Jiuzhe, feeling his body stiffen for a moment before slowly relaxing. She was enveloped in the warmth of Ji Jiuzhe’s scent. She had imagined this hug all the way here, even rehearsed it several times in her mind, but nothing could have prepared her for the intense heartbeat she felt now. When she first realized she was missing Ji Jiuzhe, she might have had some doubts, but now, with her heart racing from this hug, she had no more uncertainties.

Just as Ji Jiuzhe had once used a hug to confirm his feelings for Gu Ning, Gu Ning now used the same method to confirm that she had indeed fallen for Ji Jiuzhe.

And Gu Ning gladly accepted this outcome.

Gu Ning slowly pulled away from Ji Jiuzhe’s embrace and looked up to meet his smiling gaze. Her face flushed as she suddenly realized she had been a bit forward. She looked at Ji Jiuzhe and said matter-of-factly, “You said you missed me, so I came.”

“Yes,” Ji Jiuzhe said with a smile, “Thank you.” Thank you for coming.

Gu Ning blinked, “I’m so hungry.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Meat, lots of meat,” Gu Ning said, then looked around and added, “Yi Shaoqing and Zhuang Chen are safe. I’ll tell you more over dinner.”

While waiting for the food in the private room, Gu Ning briefly recounted the events to Ji Jiuzhe, naturally omitting the part where she was sent to Anderson’s room.

After hearing Gu Ning’s account, Ji Jiuzhe frowned, “How could Zhuang Chen and Yi Shaoqing be so careless?” He then looked at Gu Ning across the table, about to say something, when the waiter knocked and came in with the dishes.

Gu Ning guiltily buried her head in eating, not giving Ji Jiuzhe a chance to speak.

Seeing her wolf down her food, Ji Jiuzhe knew she was doing it on purpose but still felt a bit soft-hearted. He swallowed the words that had risen to his lips and helplessly watched her, continuously adding food to her bowl.