Led all the way to the president’s office by President Shen, Jiang Wanyin collected a great many curious glances along the way.
As a fellow gossip-loving office worker, she could imagine that within no less than five minutes, the entire Longye Construction company would know someone like her existed.
Jiang Wanyin didn’t pay it much mind—especially the way President Shen had just led her past that Mr. Hu without so much as a glance.
Honestly, she was secretly thrilled.
Anyone can play the high-and-mighty act.
Two eyes, one nose, one mouth—we’re all the same. All those elaborate chains of contempt, she never understood them.
Fresh out of the gate, Jiang Wanyin was smooth on the surface, but underneath she still carried a bit of reckless, sharp-edged stubbornness.
This time, she was here to discuss villa design styles with Chen Li and Pei Zhou.
“I’ve considered several design styles this time…”
Jiang Wanyin was from the south, her accent carrying a soft, lilting warmth. After starting work, she’d deliberately adjusted her voice to sound more mature, to hold her own in professional settings.
The result was a cool, crystalline tone.
Now, in the fifty-plus-square-meter president’s office, that clear, cool female voice spoke at length.
The demonically handsome client kept drinking, gazing out the window at who-knows-what, occasionally glancing at her with a flicker of charm and allure.
The rakishly handsome client’s gaze kept drifting over her like a scanner, a smile she couldn’t decipher hanging at the corner of his lips.
The blue-haired young man had pulled out his phone and was playing Honor of Kings.
Only the golden-haired client listened with focused attention, his blue eyes gentle as water, his expression full of approval and support.
After about half an hour of presentation, Jiang Wanyin asked the two new clients for their opinions.
Unexpectedly, the two had no thoughts at all—ask them anything and they knew nothing.
She offered many styles, and they said “good” to all of them. The worst kind of client for a designer is one with no direction.
They seemed to be leaving the decision to her, but in reality, once she produced the drawings, they’d start finding everything not quite meeting expectations.
Her earlier communication with Shen Ci had gone so smoothly that Jiang Wanyin had forgotten that clients are generally difficult to deal with.
“It’s about time to eat—shall we get dinner first?”
Feng Ziyan heard the room go quiet and assumed they’d finished their discussion.
She was too annoyed to have an appetite. Jiang Wanyin politely declined, saying she needed to go home and cool off, to avoid offending the clients.
After she left, Pei Zhou still hadn’t processed it: “What’s wrong with her?”
Shen Ci rubbed his forehead helplessly: “I told you I could handle the decoration for your two places myself. Pei Zhou, you insisted on doing it yourself.”
“If Brother Ci handled everything, wouldn’t that be too obvious?”
Pei Zhou blinked his beautiful eyes, looking puzzled: “I said any style she prepared was fine—that’s the easiest to work with, letting her do whatever she wants.”
“Zhou-ge, isn’t that even more obvious?”
Feng Ziyan struck without mercy.
…
At ten o’clock that night, Jiang Wanyin had already washed up and was ready for bed.
Feng Ziyan suddenly called. As a working stiff, she hesitated for only one second between answering and not.
“Pretty lady, come help out at Yuanxing Bar, booth K8.”
Jiang Wanyin, still dazed, mumbled an okay, got out of bed, threw on clothes in a hurry, and ran out to drive.
Halfway there, she remembered she was completely makeup-free, having only applied her nighttime skincare.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she muttered that “one shade of white covers a hundred flaws,” and put the matter of meeting handsome men bare-faced out of her mind.
A trip that normally took an hour took Jiang Wanyin only thirty minutes that night.
She had no idea what Feng Ziyan wanted from her.
Jiang Wanyin walked into booth K8 full of questions. All four handsome men were gathered, and Hu Xin, whom she’d seen during the day, was there too.
She greeted each in turn: “President Shen, Mr. Chen, President Pei, Mr. Feng.”
Shen Ci’s gaze fell on her face at the sound of her voice, pausing briefly. “Lisa.”
His eyes then shifted to Feng Ziyan in inquiry—so this was the “solution” the kid had mentioned earlier.
Pei Zhou smiled, his gaze seemingly lingering on Jiang Wanyin’s face for a few moments as well.
Feng Ziyan let out an exaggerated “Wow!”
Jiang Wanyin’s expression tightened. Could it be that her bare face was so ugly it scared them?
Before she could dwell on it, Feng Ziyan pointed at Hu Xin, who was leaning against the sofa with her eyes closed, and said coldly, “She’s drunk. Help send her off.”
Jiang Wanyin: “…”
What kind of nonsense was this? There were so many men here, and none of them could spare a moment to take her?
Shen Ci also added, “Sorry for the trouble.”
Jiang Wanyin had no choice but to help Hu Xin up and leave the private room.
They hadn’t gone far when Hu Xin pushed her away. “I’m sober now. No need for you to see me off.”
With that, Hu Xin walked off on her own, her eyes perfectly clear.
Jiang Wanyin stood in place, stunned for a long moment. So those men had seen through her act and called her over just to get rid of her.
Damn it. Since when did she, as the hired party, have to deal with this kind of thing?
Whatever—whoever pays is the boss!
Since she was already here, Jiang Wanyin found a seat at the bar, ordered a glass of juice, and sat down.
Two weeks had passed, and Lin Wenhao still hadn’t contacted her. She figured his interview for the blueprint investment must have failed.
Jiang Wanyin knew Lin Wenhao had strong pride, especially after being so confident it was a sure thing earlier.
Sigh. Should she call him and have a chat or not?
“You’re still here?”
A hand suddenly landed lightly on Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder from behind, startling her.
President Pei leaned in from behind, his posture slightly unsteady, as if he’d had quite a bit to drink.
A warm breath seeped through her thin clothing, making Jiang Wanyin feel vaguely uncomfortable.
“That woman left on her own? So she was faking it after all.”
His alluring face was just behind her ear, his breath brushing against it. Drunk, his voice was slightly hoarse and seductive, sending a faint, tingling current through her.
Demon, stay away from me!
In her heart, Jiang Wanyin regarded Pei Zhou as a flood or a beast, but in reality, she only dared to subtly lean her body back.
Pei Zhou was very close, and the woman’s small evasive movements and expression didn’t escape his notice.
From childhood to now, he’d charmed men and women alike—and yet here he was, being rejected by someone again and again?
Feng Ziyan watched from the side, his smile infuriatingly smug, his eyes constantly provoking Pei Zhou.
Pei Zhou’s handsome eyes narrowed slightly. He signaled for a glass of wine, leaned close to the woman’s small, jade-like ear, and said in a low, gentle voice, “Thanks for the trouble. Put tonight’s tab on me.”
A capable hired party naturally knew to read the room. She subtly tilted her head away a bit more and said, “It was no trouble at all.”
She couldn’t drink much anyway—what a waste of a chance to take advantage of the offer.
Couldn’t he just give her cash directly?
Just then, Shen Ci and Chen Li, who had been at the back, walked over as well, their gazes landing on the woman sitting ramrod straight.
Her hair was tucked behind one ear, her round doe-like eyes slightly moist, cheeks fair and rosy. She wore a dark green short-sleeved top that made her skin look pale and luminous even under the dim lighting.
Below, she wore a pair of faded blue jeans, and her seated posture revealed a graceful curve at her hips.
Simple, gentle, and clean.
Shen Ci stepped closer, and Chen Li also moved forward. “Old Shen, I feel like you’ll be needing Miss Jiang’s services often in the evenings.”
What? What did Mr. Chen mean by that? That sounded weird.
Jiang Wanyin was about to speak when her phone rang.
She picked it up—Lin Wenhao was calling her at this very moment?
It was exactly what she feared—her boyfriend, who hadn’t contacted her recently, happened to call at this very moment.
She was at the bar, surrounded by clients, still feeling like she was on work time. She didn’t want any trouble.
Jiang Wanyin silenced the call and didn’t answer.
Unexpectedly, after it automatically hung up, Lin Wenhao called again.