[I don't know yet. I'll have an answer tomorrow.] She put the binocular aside and went to sit on her chair.

  [Okay. I'll ask Xiong Hua to bring you clothes.]

  He waited another minute before messaging again. [Do you need your skincare products, too? I can bring them over tonight.]

  Qian Meng burst out into laughter. She hadn't thought about that. She looked at her face on her phone's camera and snickered.

  [Are you telling me I looked like shit when you saw me?] she asked.

  [You looked amazing… even though a little oily.]

  She burst into laughter.

  [Okay. You know my makeup and travel kit, right? Send that to my office when you can.]

  He had offered so kindly, so she couldn't go against his wishes.

  [Okay.]

  The conversation was over, apparently. Just like that. Qian Meng was back to work. People filled in and out of the office.

  The news about the conference broke out in no time. The top reporters were already posting on their social media about it. Networks were going to livestream it.

  Xiong Fen knocked on her door. "Boss, it's done," she said.

  Qian Meng nodded. "You have the hall ready for everything, right? Do you need me to sign on any business expenses?" she asked.

  Xiong Fen nodded. "Sorry, it was all on short notice so the costs are a bit higher. As per usual, the team is preparing the room. All the visuals and being made at the moment, as well. The budget for the caterer needs to be sorted through. I have the menu and the budget here. I also got a small staff on hand to give the food out. Would you mind looking over it?" she asked.

  Qian Meng ushered her in and looked through the file. The catering and food cost was obviously higher because everything was done within a day.

  At least they didn't have to book a venue for the press conference. Most locations were booked in advance and if they were booked within twenty-four hours, the prices would hit the sky.

  Qian Meng sighed and signed off on it. "Looks good to me." She knew her employees had tried their best to reduce the cost as much as they could. "Take it to the accounts team and make the payments, okay?"

  She couldn't be bothered with it.

  Xiong Fen nodded and went her merry way.

  But then the posts and speculations started coming out. Qian Meng read through them at first and then realized everything was going to be in place by the next day. The rest of the night was spent practicing her delivery with Ma Qui, Xiong Fen, and Li Min.

  This was important. An apology and a expose. Her tone needed to be just right; her wording needed to hit the nail on the head. It was high intensity.

  And no one else but her could do it. Because the whole thing was so big, the only way to make this go away was for her to come forward.

  Qian Meng groaned and opened her eyes. She didn't remember falling asleep but she was extremely aware that she had lost time by doing so.

  Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry like it would after she drank too much, and her head hurt really bad. It took her a moment to realize what had woken her up. She registered the sound of her cellphone ringing. It sounded muffled and she could feel it vibrating somewhere on her desk. She reached into the dump of papers and files in search of it.

  She finally found it and pulled it out and sighed. She slid her finger across the screen as she closed her eyes again. Just a little more to subside her raging headache and neck cramp.

  "Hello?" she answered, her voice low and croaky.

  "What are you up to, sunshine?"

  Qian Meng cringed and cracked her eyes open just enough to see who she was speaking to even though she didn't need to. The sassy tone and the sugar were enough to tell her.

  Mo Yize.

  But why the hell was she calling so early?

  "Qian Meng, are you there? You're not sleeping right now are you?" she asked.

  Oh no.

  "No, I am not sleeping," Qian Meng insisted, bolting up to sit straight on the office couch.

  "We were supposed to have breakfast together. Did you forget?" Mo Yize asked.

  "No. No, I didn't forget it." She had completely forgotten about it. She had received a message from Yize a couple of days ago and said yes thinking that everything would be solved and she would be able to meet up. But that didn't happen.

  She had spaced out and now she didn't know what to do.

  Things with Mo Yize were better. They spoke over text now and then and it never got too fired up. She wasn't a complete bitch to Qian Meng, neither was she to Yize.

  "Okay. Where are you? Do you want me to pick you up from the house or do you want to meet me at the restaurant?"

  "I'll meet you there?" Qian Meng asked, not sure herself.

  "Okay. I am on my way."

  On her way? Qian Meng cursed in her mind.

  "Okay. I will meet you there," she answered hesitantly, tugging at her hair.

  They said their goodbyes and hung up. Immediately, Qian Meng groaned loudly and glanced at the time on her home screen. It was eight in the morning and she was due to meet Mo Yize in fifteen minutes at the latest.

  She barely had time to pee, which she really needed to do.

  She tossed her phone down on the couch and made her way to the bathroom. Most of the employees were still on their way to the office or had stayed back to make sure things were resolved.

  After freshening up, she put her phone to her ear and told the team that she would take all meetings on the phone and grab some breakfast. She had even called a cab for herself. She didn't trust herself to drive so tiredly.