CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 245 ENCOUNTER

After Gu Qili arrived at Aus City Airport, since she still had plenty of time, she calmly rolled her luggage past the security gates. Her phone rang once; it was a message from Mu Shuoqian, asking if she had checked in yet.

He had to go today to inspect a project and couldn’t come to see her off, and Yuan Yi had dropped her off and then left.

Gu Qili looked down to reply to his message, not noticing someone approaching straight ahead.

By the time she put her phone back in her pocket, she saw a purple scarf lying at her feet; it seemed someone had just walked past her, and she had caught a faint whiff of perfume.

Gu Qili quickly picked up the scarf and turned to chase after the person. They hadn’t gone far and stopped when they heard her calling out, while two men in black immediately blocked Gu Qili, warily watching her.

"Is this scarf yours?" Gu Qili raised her arm, "I found it over there."

The scarf felt valuable to the touch, its superior fabric as light as air, matching well with the purple clothes worn by that woman.

Seemingly hearing her, the woman glanced back briefly but then continued walking forward indifferently, dropping the phrase: "Keep it."

One of the men in black took the scarf from Gu Qili’s hand without a glance at her, and quickly caught up with the woman ahead.

A black sedan was parked outside the door; seeing the woman come out, someone immediately got out and opened the door. A man in black covered with his hand on top of the car, watching the woman get in before swiftly closing the door.

"Since it’s a lost item, it’s useless to take it back, just throw it away." The woman instructed indifferently before bending down to pick up her phone.

Gu Qili watched as the car drove away, but not long after, a purple scarf flew out of the window, then hung on a nearby street lamp.

She believed this wasn’t unintentional but that the woman had deliberately discarded it.

She thought again of the woman’s face; although wearing large sunglasses, it was apparent her skincare was meticulous, appearing to be only in her forties, with an outstanding aura and presence.

Had she seen her somewhere before? She looked familiar.

Gu Qili was still reminiscing when Mu Shuoqian’s message arrived.

She quickly picked up her phone to reply, quickly forgetting about the incident.

After Gu Qili arrived in City A, the hotel had prepared a business suite for her. Once she put away her luggage, she called Liu Zhining. Before she could say why she was looking for him, Liu asked, "Is it Gu Qili?"

"Vice Manager Liu, hello."

"No need for formalities, you’ve arrived in City A?"

"I’ve just finished settling my luggage, I’m coming to find you now."

"Alright, I’m in the French restaurant on the first floor."

When she saw Liu Zhining, he was directing people to place decorative vases in fixed positions.

Liu Zhining was heavier than she had imagined but moved briskly. Seeing her, he came over without pleasantries, getting straight to the point: "Gu, here’s the wine list that’s arrived. Check it and then store it."

"Okay." Gu Qili took the list he handed her.

"Because we are going to start serving customers soon, it will be hectic with often inverted day and night schedules and irregular meals, prepare for the hardship."

Gu Qili nodded vigorously: "I understand, Vice Manager Liu."

"Were you a team leader in Aus City?"

"Yes."

After observing her for a moment, Liu Zhining went on to busy himself.

Gu Qili also took the wine list to the cellar.

The restaurant was still recruiting publicly as there was an obvious shortage of staff, so some of the heavier tasks had no fixed people assigned. Seeing the wine boxes piled outside the cellar, Gu Qili didn’t hesitate, took the wine list in her mouth, and started lifting the boxes.

The boxes were filled with red wine, each weighing dozens of pounds, and since there was no elevator in the cellar, she could only rely on her physical strength to move them down. Once Gu Qili had moved all the wine and checked the list with no discrepancies, she collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

When Liu Zhining brought someone over, they were startled. Seeing the now empty space that had been full of wine boxes and the neatly arranged cellar, he looked puzzled at Gu Qili: "Gu, did you do all this by yourself?"

"Yes." Gu Qili quickly scrambled to her feet, wiping the sweat from her forehead, "Vice Manager Liu, is there anything else I can help with?"