護花近衛 - 第861章 無處不在的衛昭 - 翰墨軒

The last time Xiaofen had taken his money, Wei Zhao had been present too, so Kang Jingming reckoned Wei Zhao was no man of iron integrity—at the very least he was greedy for wealth. There was no need, then, to be discreet around him; so long as there was profit in it, Wei Zhao would surely let Kang Xiaofeng take it.

So, before Kang Xiaofeng could ask, Kang Jingming spoke first: "Wei Zhao, isn't it? We're friends of a sort by now—we've met several times. Shall the lot of us have a meal together?"

Kang Jingming no longer pursued Guan Xin, so his hatred for Wei Zhao had faded a good deal—especially since the night before, at Guan Xiaopeng's, he had quietly stabbed Wei Zhao in the back once more, which had vented some of his spite. Now that there was no conflict of interest between the two, Kang Jingming did not mind having one more Wei Zhao along.

"You all go on, I'll stay behind..." Tang Zhi knew Wei Zhao had business to attend to, so she let go of his hand and said to him.

"It's no trouble, come along." Wei Zhao glanced at Kang Jingming and said to him, "Have one of the people in your car get out and follow in a taxi behind us. There are three of us here—your car won't fit us all!"

Kang Jingming was so furious his teeth itched. Was this not plain bullying? I invite you to dinner, and you make my own people get out of the car? But he was set on currying favor with Kang Xiaofeng to wring the formula and the supply channels for raw materials out of him, and so he could not afford to offend Wei Zhao.

So Kang Jingming's expression shifted several times before he said to Wang Shubin, thoroughly displeased: "Shubin, help me into the passenger seat, then you take a taxi and follow along behind us!"

Kang Jingming settled into the passenger seat, while Wei Zhao, Tang Zhi, and Kang Xiaofeng sat in the back of the Porsche Cayenne. Kang Jingming instructed Zhu Xiaozhang to find a rather upscale hotel, and they all went into a private room together.

With Wei Zhao beside him, Kang Xiaofeng's heart was set at ease. He had no fear of Kang Jingming now, and resolving to make the best of things, he gouged Kang Jingming soundly when it came time to order. But Kang Jingming had come this time to curry favor with Kang Xiaofeng, so he did not mind in the least.

"Xiaobo, I hear you're a vice-president at Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals now?" After Kang Xiaofeng finished ordering, Kang Jingming casually added a few dishes of his own, then dismissed the waiter and asked, as though offhandedly.

"Yes," said Kang Xiaofeng, who had no idea what Kang Jingming was driving at, and so answered with a most sparing use of words.

Wei Zhao and Tang Zhi, meanwhile, stood off to one side as though none of this had anything to do with them. Wei Zhao snatched up the teapot Kang Jingming had been about to reach for, poured Tang Zhi a cup of water, and asked, "Would you like a little water?"

Tang Zhi had been a touch nervous. She disliked Kang Jingming intensely; the very sight of him brought back the memory of poor Xiaofen's wretched fate. But now that Wei Zhao was at her side, she felt considerably more at ease.

"Mm..." Tang Zhi cupped the glass in both hands and sipped the tea in small mouthfuls, when she suddenly realized that Wei Zhao was staring at her, unblinking, from beside her. A flush of red at once flew to her cheeks...

Wei Zhao watched Tang Zhi drinking, and from the side she had rather the look of a romance-novel cover — so youthful, so playful, her whole being brimming with a sunny brightness. Seeing her, Wei Zhao felt that his own life was a marvelous thing. RO