Xing Luo rarely spoke to Jiang Yichen like this. She had never said harsh words to him, let alone directly refused him.
On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yichen’s fingers tightened around his phone, his brows furrowed deeply, his voice urgent. “Where are you? Answer me!”
Hearing the impatience in Jiang Yichen’s voice, Xing Luo let out a soft laugh. “Are you hungry? Want me to pack something up and bring it back for you?”
“Where are you?” Jiang Yichen asked again, his patience gradually wearing thin.
“I’ll come find you after I eat. Don’t come now. There are three women here.” Xing Luo refused quickly.
Yu Yan and Lin Yuan were both staring at Xing Luo.
Beep, beep—the call was quickly cut off from the other end.
Xing Luo turned off her phone screen with a blank expression.
“You just directly refused him like that?” Lin Yuan asked.
“Am I supposed to let him come and disrupt our girls’ gathering?”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll get angry?”
Xing Luo thought for a moment, picked up her phone, and scanned the QR code to order a dish.
“I’ll pack up some food and go back to appease him.”
She couldn’t actually make Jiang Yichen truly angry. After all, the mission wasn’t complete yet—she couldn’t let him break up with her, or all her previous efforts would be wasted.
This was the final act. She had to play it well.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yichen felt restless and hot all over.
He felt like he was being controlled by a woman.
He had always believed that in this relationship, he was the one in charge.
After all, Xing Luo had said it herself—without him, she couldn’t live.
But in the past two days, he felt things gradually slipping off track. He was like a puppet on strings, being led around by Xing Luo.
When Xing Luo didn’t send messages, he panicked. When Xing Luo’s tone was cold on the phone, he panicked too.
Just now, Xing Luo had walked straight out of his office. He waited two hours and didn’t receive a single call from her—he panicked even more.
If this continued, would he really become the passive party in this relationship?
He had never bowed his head for anything before, but this time, he had bowed it completely.
He downed a glass of ice water in one gulp, then picked up the phone and called Li Xiang.
“Draft the contract for the radio station collaboration and bring it to my office.”
“Understood, President Jiang.”
After finishing her meal, Xing Luo carried her takeout box and walked toward the parking lot.
Yu Yan stared at the takeout box and asked Xing Luo, “What kind of tactic is this? A slap, then a sweetener?”
Lin Yuan laughed out loud. “You really have the best tricks. You refused him on the phone just now, and now you’re bringing him food. No wonder Jiang Yichen has been with you for so long. I bet his heart is itching like crazy right now.”
Yu Yan still didn’t understand. “You’re about to break up with him anyway. What’s the point of all this?”
Xing Luo smiled. “The point is staying alive.”
Yu Yan and Lin Yuan exchanged a glance—neither of them understood what she meant.
Xing Luo said, “I’m off now. You two take care on your way back too.”
Xing Luo drove away, heading to Jiang Yichen’s company.
This time, she didn’t notify him in advance. There was no Li Xiang to receive her—she walked straight toward the elevator.
But just as she passed the front desk, she was stopped.
“Hold on, who are you here to see?” the receptionist asked.
Xing Luo walked up to the front desk with a smile. “I’m here to see your President Jiang.”
The receptionist glanced at the time. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“It’s President Jiang’s lunch break right now. You can’t go up.”
“I’m bringing President Jiang his lunch.”
The receptionist rolled her eyes at Xing Luo. “Too many women come here every day using the excuse of bringing lunch. If I let all of them go up, wouldn’t that be chaos?”
The receptionist tapped the desk. “No appointment, no entry.”
Xing Luo rarely came by, so it was normal that the receptionist didn’t recognize her. Xing Luo didn’t make a fuss—she sat down to the side and prepared to call Jiang Yichen.
Just then, a familiar figure walked in through the main entrance.
The receptionist immediately stood up to greet her. “Miss Ji, what brings you here?”
Ji Yan smiled and shook the food containers in her hand. “Bringing President Jiang his lunch.”
“President Jiang is upstairs. You can go right up,” the receptionist said.
Ji Yan: “Okay.”
Ji Yan didn’t notice Xing Luo sitting off to the side. She stepped straight into the elevator.
Xing Luo let out a soft laugh, her hand that was about to dial pausing for a moment.
She wanted to leave, but her rationality told her she couldn’t.
If she just walked away, Jiang Yichen—with his proud nature—wouldn’t wait for Xing Luo to come appease him. He might actually break up with her.
She dialed Jiang Yichen’s number.
The phone rang several times, but no one answered.
Xing Luo called again. Still no answer.
“Oh, you’re still here.” The receptionist had somehow walked over to Xing Luo’s side.
“Did you see that just now? That Miss Ji is a perfect match for our President Jiang—a handsome man and a beautiful woman, made for each other. Who do you think you are, daring to set your sights on President Jiang?”
“You’re so pretty, I’m sure plenty of people are chasing after you. I’d advise you to give up on President Jiang.”
Xing Luo sat in the chair, leaning back against it, and looked up at her. “When did you start working at Jiang Chen?”
The receptionist counted. “About half a year ago. Why?”
Xing Luo: “Has that Miss Ji been coming often during these six months?”
The receptionist: “Yeah. And everyone’s been saying that Miss Ji and President Jiang grew up together—childhood sweethearts.”
Xing Luo: “Are they boyfriend and girlfriend?”
The receptionist: “That, I wouldn’t know.”
Xing Luo touched the watch on her wrist and let out a light laugh. “Little girl, latching onto the wrong person and picking the wrong side is a very dangerous thing for a newcomer.”
“I don’t think you’d want to lose this job, would you?” Xing Luo looked up at her.
The receptionist naturally couldn’t understand what Xing Luo meant and simply assumed she was talking nonsense.
“I’d advise you to leave quickly. Otherwise, when you see President Jiang and Miss Ji coming out together as a couple, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it.”
Xing Luo’s eyes carried a smile. “Who do you think won’t be able to handle it in a moment?”
Just as the receptionist finished speaking, Li Xiang walked over.
“Miss Xing, you’re here.” Li Xiang asked with a smile.
“Yeah, here to deliver a meal.”
“Why didn’t you go up since you’re here?”
Xing Luo glanced at the receptionist and pointed at her with her finger. “She wouldn’t let me go up.”
It was only then that the receptionist panicked. “She… who is she?”
Li Xiang: “President Jiang’s girlfriend.”
Upon hearing this news, the receptionist felt like the sky was about to collapse.
She had never heard that President Jiang had a girlfriend.
She had truly latched onto the wrong person and picked the wrong side.
“Miss Xing, I’m sorry. I haven’t been here long and didn’t recognize you. Please don’t be angry.” Her voice was trembling.
Xing Luo stood up and stared at the receptionist. “The first time you refused to let me in, you were following the company’s rules and regulations, so I don’t blame you for that. But I was sitting here, not provoking you or bothering you, and I wasn’t trying to force my way in either—yet I still had to listen to your sarcastic remarks. That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Miss Xing, I’m sorry. Please be generous…”
“Sorry, but I’m very petty.” Xing Luo cut her off directly. “Do your job well, and no one will criticize you. But you didn’t.”
“Putting your mind on other things while at work—is that interesting?”
“What benefit did belittling me bring you?”
“Or is it that Ji Yan gave you some kind of benefit?”
Xing Luo stepped into the reception area and let out a cold laugh. “Did Ji Yan have an appointment? It seems your work standards only apply to me?”