Chapter 79 - Keeping Her Distance

"Yao Yao, there's a new Fujian cuisine restaurant had just opened near my workplace, if you're not busy, come over to Y City this weekend. It's my treat. My coworkers gave this restaurant a good review."

Li Qin Yao felt the corner of her mouth twitched. Han Yue Xiu did not bother to greet her with hello, and straightaway tempted her with food to come over to Y City. "Are you sure you will be able to come out? The last time you made me come over to Y City, you stood me up."

Han Yue Xiu clicked her tongue. "Don't worry. I will come out and play with you. Since the last time I threatened my boss with my resignation, he no longer dares to make me work overtime. Unless if he trained another staff to be so capable like me, he won't get rid of me easily."

"You're getting cocky."

Han Yue Xiu merely laughed at her comment.

In the end, Li Qin Yao agreed to go come over to Y City to see Han Yue Xiu. Then, she went back to work on her cafe's account.

Two hours have passed when she finished her job. Li Qin Yao stretched out her body and walked out of her cramped office in Lilium Cafe with her knapsack hanging on one shoulder. She met Mei Xuan in the kitchen and announced that she will be heading to her other office two blocks away.

"You're finished?" Yin Mei Xuan washed her hands properly and dried them with a kitchen towel.

Li Qin Yao adjusted the straps on her shoulder and nodded. "I still need to head to the other office and check on the progress."

"Well," Yin Mei Xuan paused and glanced towards the front of the cafe. "There is a good looking man out there looking for you. When he heard that you were busy with work, he said that he was going to wait until you're done."

Li Qin Yao frowned. "Looking for me? Who?"

Yin Mei Xuan shrugged. "He didn't give his name. But, since he brought some coffee and pies, we did not have any excuse to drive him away. Anyway, I don't think he's anyone suspicious. I've seen him visiting Lilium a few months ago, and back then, he came to talk to you about something. He was sitting by the window."

Peeking behind the kitchen walls, Li Qin Yao turned to the direction where Yin Mei Xuan pointed at. Once Li Qin Yao saw the person who was sitting by the window, her curiosity rose as she wondered what was her cousin, Li Mu Bai came to look for her.

"You know him, right?" Yin Mei Xuan asked. Naturally, she had noticed the change in her friend's expression.

Li Qin Yao nodded. She assured Mei Xuan that everything is alright and walked over to Li Mu Bai's table. Once she was closer, Li Mu Bai raised his head to look at her.

"Why are you here?" Li Qin Yao asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"As the President of QL Group, I came here to take a look at the site. Then, I come here for lunch."

"The President came to this small city to inspect the site on his own. Should I be flattered that you think so highly of this project?" Li Qin Yao slid at the empty seat across her cousin and a playful smile appeared on her lips. "Since you think highly about this project, why don't you raise our budget?"

He slowly emptied his drink before he answered her. "I could raise your budget, but that will only give you more trouble. Weren't you already facing some troubles right now?"

Li Qin Yao stared at her cousin for a long time as she did not know how to react towards Li Mu Bai's concern.

Although Li Mu Bai has helped her to pass the proposal and seemed to be on her side, Li Qin Yao continued to be wary of him because of both his mother and sister.

As the President of QL Group, how can he not know the reason why the investors have backed out before the two parties signed the agreement. Of course, Li Mu Bai was well informed that his mother has been causing trouble for Li Qin Yao and the project in B City. However, because he is his mother's son, there was nothing he could do but to warn her to stop causing trouble.

It made her wonder if one day Li Mu Bai learned of what his mother did to get rid of her from QL Group two years ago, will he still choose to stay on her side or continue to ignore what the two have done?

Clearing his throat, Li Mu Bai then pushed aside the emptied cup on the table. "I heard about your slight adjustment in the project to turn one of the residential towers into a luxury hotel. Is everything alright? There is another month left for you to submit the tender, right?"

"You don't have to worry," Li Qin Yao said after a while. "Chairman Li has already given his approval to this adjustment."

Li Mu Bai frowned as he sensed her cousin's hostility. Just a month ago, it seemed that their relationship has slightly improved after he had shown his support to let the development project in B City to pass. However, now, it looked like Li Qin Yao was back to her old self. She was keeping her distance from him.

"I didn't say I was worried. Since it is you, I'm sure that you will find a way to make it work."

Li Qin Yao heaved a long sigh. "In fact, it was better if we turn one of the towers to a hotel. We are doing this project to help the government raise this city as a tourism city."

"We have never done a hotel before," Li Mu Bai pointed out.

"And you said you weren't worried," there was a playful smile on Li Qin Yao's face.

Once he saw her teasing smile, Li Mu Bai leaned on his seat with a frown. "It would be bad for me if the company suffered a loss when I had been in my position in just two years."

"Don't worry. I am not interested in that President's position."

"I did not mean it like that," his frown deepened. Why do they have to start another quarrel every time they met? Couldn't they have a decent discussion without getting into another argument like this?

Sensing his thought, Li Qin Yao heaved another long sigh. "Fortunately, we found someone willing to invest in this project and that other party is someone who is experienced in managing hotel and luxurious resort."

"You found someone from the hotel industry," Li Mu Bai made a guess. He was surprised that Li Qin Yao had found an investor from the hotel industry. As far as he knows, they never had a good connection with someone from the industry who is willing to invest so much. "Who?" Li Mu Bai could not help but ask.

"All I can say is that they are very reputable in their industry," Li Qin Yao said. "As for who they are, I will let you know once we have signed the agreement."