Inside a restroom at a CBD office building, a delicate-looking young woman was primping in front of the mirror.
She was dressed in a cream-colored shirt in Korean style, paired with a pair of grey professional trousers. Her trouser legs were rolled up into capris, and she wore black flats adorned with square decorations.
The woman standing before the mirror had no artificial rouge or powder on her face. Though she may not be a transcendent beauty, her naturally noble countenance would surely have made her a beloved muse for major luxury brands in the fashion industry.
"Lin Xi, hurry up! Everyone's waiting for you!" A lady anxiously urged from outside the restroom, nonchalantly browsing her phone while authoritatively addressing the bathroom.
The door to the restroom slowly opened, and Lin Xi emerged in a leisurely manner.
"You seem unusually enthusiastic about this dinner," Lin Xi teased the woman waiting outside the door, her only good friend at the office, Zhang Yue.
"Isn't this your first time attending the company's quarterly dinner? I'm so excited!" Zhang Yue was thrilled to see Lin Xi coming out, swiftly stepping forward and linking arms with her.
It was Friday after work. They were employed by one of the top domestic accounting firms, Zhong Ding Accounting Firm. The company had an unwritten rule that a dinner gathering could be held on the final Friday of each quarter by any department. Employees could choose the location freely, and the full cost of the dinner would be reimbursed by the company.
The aim was to enhance camaraderie among colleagues, fostering collaboration and cohesion. Of course, attendance was not mandatory, and employees could choose whether or not to attend.
Generally, she didn't participate in gatherings like this, which she saw as a pure waste of time.
However, she had been specifically invited today by her immediate supervisor at the morning meeting, who insisted that she attend. She was gently rebuked at the meeting for her consistent non-attendance at the company's routine quarterly dinner.
Throughout her two years at the company, Lin Xi has been a model employee, her impeccable work performance earning the adoration of colleagues and superiors alike. Today's rebuke was her first in the company.
Just exiting the restroom, Lin Xi felt a vague sense of apprehension over this event.
Because of a bombshell she'd seen on Weibo earlier in the morning: "#The sole heir of the Sun Group returns to the country today#."
Although this piece of news didn't have significant relevance to her, she still wondered why her boss chose this whimsical Friday to insist on her attendance at the company's quarterly gathering.
She hoped that the company dinner had nothing to do with Sun Corporation.
After all, that man had been absent for a whole six years; she and him were essentially strangers now...
Lin Xi shook her head robustly, trying to resist the urge to think about the man from six years ago.
She and the rest of her colleagues soon began walking towards the nearby meeting place.
The colleagues trailed along the sidewalk.
The company’s gossip queen, Li Xiao, was originally leading the way up front. Suddenly, she turned her head back and started discussing the recent rumors she’d heard with her fellow employees.
"Apparently, there’s a mysterious guest attending tonight's dinner."
"Isn't that normal? Each quarterly get-together always has a few unfamiliar faces showing up, like someone’s girlfriend, someone else’s boyfriend, and so on. We're used to it.” A long-haired girl mentioned dismissively.
"No, no, no, today is different!" Li Xiao said with an air of mystery.
Another female colleague joined in the gossip discussion.
"What makes it so different?"
