Jiang Li returned to the group.
There were quite a few people in Wen Fan’s office—new members of the group discussing something.
When they saw Jiang Li, the newcomers all stood up and greeted her, “Hello, Sister Jiang Li!”
Jiang Li smiled lightly and replied, “Go on with your discussion,” then looked at Wen Fan and pointed toward the tea room.
Wen Fan curled her lips and nodded with a smile.
Jiang Li returned a faint smile and gracefully walked to the tea area to make coffee.
Soon after, the meeting ended. Wen Fan crossed her arms and casually walked over, lifting her chin at Jiang Li. “You came pretty early. The old master from the Shang family sent someone in a hurry to pick you up—I thought you wouldn’t stay with the group anymore.”
Jiang Li turned on the coffee machine, took out some coffee beans from storage, and raised her eyes slightly. “Boss, didn’t you see how many times those kids tagged me in the group chat? How could I not come?”
Wen Fan smiled. “So, did you meet that person who once ‘pushed’ you so hard?”
Wen Fan knew Jiang Li had a few interesting stories from her teenage years.
She first learned about them during a personal interview for the show Young Dancer. That was also when she first met Jiang Li—in southern Yunnan, in Jiang Li’s study—which really amazed her.
Jiang Li’s study was filled with elegant calligraphy works, as well as some of her own jokingly called “dog-scratch style” paintings, which Wen Fan thought were actually quite good.
Though still young, Jiang Li was like a hidden treasure. She even ran several antique shops in an old town in southern Yunnan and had gained some fame.
When Wen Fan first stepped into Jiang Li’s world, it felt like opening a treasure map.
That was how they became friends.
At that time, Jiang Li jokingly said she had no choice—she had been “pushed hard” by someone when she was younger, someone very strict with himself, like a “teacher.”
Wen Fan had thought it was an older person.
Only after Jiang Li briefly described him did Wen Fan realize it was a young business president from Beijing.
“Yes, I saw him,” Jiang Li replied while working, her voice clear.
“Did it feel different, seeing your childhood friend again?” Wen Fan leaned against the table, teasing her with a suggestive gesture.
Jiang Li raised her beautiful eyes. “Sister Fan, don’t talk nonsense. We’re not childhood sweethearts—at most, we just barely know each other.”
“Oh, I see. I thought the old master of the Shang family wanted to match you with President Shang,” Wen Fan said with a smile.
Wen Fan had worked in Beijing for many years and knew quite a bit about the Shang family. Many high-tech devices used at major events in the city were provided by Huashang Group, which belonged to the Shang family. Everyone knew the head of the family was a young president.
Strictly speaking, Jiang Li and Shang Huaizhou were well-matched in status. It wasn’t impossible for their families to form a marriage alliance.
Whether in looks or background, they were a perfect match.
In their circle, they would be considered a match made in heaven.
Matchmaking—
Jiang Li thought of the old master’s half-joking words.
Probably not possible.
As for her and Shang Huaizhou—
She knew very well how much he disliked her!
She didn’t want to think about these things for now.
Jiang Li shook her head. “What era is this? People still care about that?”
Wen Fan smiled faintly. “In any era, people care about matching status.” Especially for two people like them—just standing together, they looked perfect.
Wen Fan wasn’t one to gossip much, so after a few simple remarks, the topic ended.
Jiang Li focused on the coffee beans. She was very particular about making coffee. She poured a bag of beans into several professional filters, letting them roll through and sorting them by size.
Wen Fan always felt Jiang Li was a bit obsessive—and even picky—about certain things, like making coffee. These beans were already carefully selected and packaged, and to most people, they all looked the same.
But Jiang Li could still pick out beans of slightly different sizes—quite impressive.
For example, when choreographing dances, she was completely devoted. No matter how bad the environment or weather was, as long as she could achieve the desired effect, she would even dance gracefully in the mud as if nothing was wrong.
Yet at other times, she could be very casual. Wen Fan had seen her room both extremely neat and completely messy.
She had also seen Jiang Li spend ten or even fifteen days at the border with a group of experts, protecting cultural relics.
She would be happy the whole time during the trip, but once she came back, she would start complaining that her skin had become rough.
In short, she did whatever she felt like.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Li pushed a cup of freshly made coffee in front of Wen Fan.
Leaning against the bar, Wen Fan smiled and took a sip. “Your coffee is still the best. Others’ taste bland in comparison. Honestly, you should just focus on dancing. Why learn tea-making and coffee brewing? Now I’m addicted.”
“So you’re saying it’s my fault?” Jiang Li said, making herself another cup—this time using the small beans she had carefully selected.
“Of course I wouldn’t dare,” Wen Fan clicked her tongue. “Only you can make drinking coffee this complicated.”
“You just don’t understand. This is called style. Coffee made from smaller beans has a richer aroma.” After brewing it, Jiang Li lowered her head and took a deep smell, letting the strong fragrance fill her senses.
In Wen Fan’s opinion, it wasn’t more fragrant—it was just more bitter.
And without sugar.
Wen Fan frowned in dislike. “I really can’t stand you. I can smell the bitterness from here, and you can still drink that?”
Not only could Jiang Li drink it, she enjoyed it very much. “No choice. I have to maintain my figure.” Jiang Li loved sweets, but coffee was the one thing she could drink bitter.
“…” Wen Fan was quite curious about her body management. Other dancers often complained to her that when they dieted, they lost their curves too—their hips and chest would shrink, and they couldn’t fill out their classical costumes on stage, which looked less appealing.
But Jiang Li was the opposite. It was like she had some secret method—she only lost weight where she should, and kept everything she shouldn’t lose. Her figure was graceful and perfectly proportioned, with slender limbs and beautiful curves.
Wen Fan looked her over and couldn’t help sighing. “I really don’t know how you maintain that figure. It’s perfect.”
Jiang Li sipped her coffee and smiled. “No choice. I was born this way.”
“Alright, alright. Say one thing to you and you’re ready to fly without wires,” Wen Fan joked, then turned and took a document from a drawer, tossing it onto the table in front of Jiang Li. “Here.”
Jiang Li flipped through it briefly and smiled lightly. “Not bad. It was approved so quickly.”
Wen Fan said, “The idea you proposed got strong approval from the higher-ups.”
“A stage performance with a thousand dancers won’t be easy. It’ll be a key topic in the next meeting, so be prepared.” It would be the first time they created a stage show based on the flow of history. The large number of performers would make it grand and powerful, but also increase the difficulty. Jiang Li was one of the main choreographers and also the lead performer.
Jiang Li thought for a moment and said, “I haven’t figured out the formation arrangements yet. When I go back to southern Yunnan, I’ll ask my dance teacher for advice before finalizing the plan. It shouldn’t be a big problem. After the Mid-Autumn Festival performance, I’ll definitely submit a perfect result.”
Wen Fan didn’t say much. Jiang Li’s ability was obvious to everyone. At such a young age, she had already won many awards. There was nothing to worry about. “Alright. You can choose anyone from the group. I’ve already informed the Beijing Youth Dance Troupe—they’ll fully cooperate. If you have any problems, come to me anytime.”
Jiang Li blinked. “With you saying that, I feel confident to go all out.”
Wen Fan smiled, lightly rubbing the coffee cup. “All our dancers will be here tonight. Teacher Jiang, when do you plan to start practice?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment. “Let’s start tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll send a notice in the group later.”
After they finished talking, both cups of coffee were empty.
Before Jiang Li left, Wen Fan added, “Oh right, the 5D transition technicians will confirm the scene designs in a few days. Coordinate with them about your ideas. All the technical equipment from the main station is provided by Huashang Group.”
Jiang Li knew Huashang Group—it was Shang Huaizhou’s company.
No wonder he knew the group’s schedule so well.
It was rare for a busy president like him to pay attention to something like this.
As the performance approached, rehearsals became more intense.
That night after showering, Jiang Li had some inspiration for the thousand-person dance. She changed into her dance outfit and tried a short routine, but the feeling wasn’t quite right. She then took out the background story of the dance and read it again to find the right mood.
After reading a few pages, she began to feel something, when a video call came in.
She closed the book, picked up her phone, and glanced at it.
The caller was—
Shang Huaizhou.
Jiang Li paused.
Why was he calling her?
After thinking for a moment, she answered.
The video connected, and Shang Huaizhou’s cold, handsome face appeared on the screen. He was dressed formally in a dark shirt, but without a tie. The top three buttons were undone, making him look relaxed. His Adam’s apple was prominent.
He looked quite good.
Jiang Li realized her thoughts were drifting.
Her gaze shifted slightly as she prepared to ask why he wasn’t resting yet.
But Shang Huaizhou spoke first. “What are you doing?” There was a hint of a smile in his deep eyes.
Jiang Li raised the book in her hand, feeling a little guilty. “Reading. Why did you call me?”
Shang Huaizhou cleared his throat lightly, his words not matching his intent. “Nothing. I dialed by mistake, so I just checked in.”
“Oh, then I’ll hang up.” She had just gotten some inspiration and didn’t like being interrupted. Besides, she didn’t really have anything to talk about with him.
“What book is so interesting?” he asked, frowning slightly, clearly unhappy that she wanted to hang up so quickly.
Jiang Li followed his question and replied, sounding a bit tired. “The background story for the stage play.”
Shang Huaizhou was silent for two seconds. “The year-end performance at the Riverside Centennial Museum?”
“Mm.” Jiang Li nodded quickly. Since his company provided the technical equipment for those projects, it was normal for him to know. She didn’t hide it.
Seeing that she seemed distracted and tired, his eyes softened slightly. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Jiang Li didn’t deny the pressure. This was her first time leading a dance project since joining the troupe, and it was a major performance. The leaders were watching closely, and there was no room for mistakes. She sighed softly. “Yeah. There’s still time before the performance, so no need to rush. I just suddenly had some inspiration tonight and wanted to try it.”
Shang Huaizhou noticed her dance outfit—a simple, light classical costume, with her hair loosely tied by a ribbon. She looked elegant and gentle.
Beautiful.
A faint smile curved his lips. “When a stage play is based on a fixed theme, it can limit your thinking. You could try focusing on one specific storyline and combine it with the overall evolution of history…”
Jiang Li stared straight at him without blinking.
Shang Huaizhou stopped talking. Being stared at like that made him a little uncomfortable. He met her gaze through the screen, a faint smile on his lips, and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?” Did he say something wrong? He wasn’t an expert in stage plays. But during the three years she stayed at his house, he had been “forced” by her to watch hundreds of stage performances, big and small, so he was just speaking from experience.
Jiang Li shook her head. Her eyes seemed to shine like stars as she looked at him, her voice bright. “Shang Huaizhou, I think you just gave me an idea. I probably know how to arrange the thousand-person dance now. Thank you. That’s it for now—good night!”
“……”
And just like that, Shang Huaizhou got hung up on.
He was a bit stunned, and a little annoyed.
He had only said one sentence—not even finished it. How could that possibly give her inspiration?
Just then, Shang Shiqing and Du He walked in. They saw Shang Huaizhou sitting on the sofa, his long legs crossed, a contract resting on them. But instead of reviewing it, he was staring blankly at his phone, the screen already black.
The workaholic boss… spacing out?
Du He felt like he had discovered a new world and almost wanted to take a photo.
Shang Shiqing, on the other hand, was calm. She walked over in her high heels and smiled. “Boss, what are you doing?”
Shang Huaizhou quickly collected his thoughts, uncrossed his legs, and lowered his head to review the documents.
Shang Shiqing had business to discuss and didn’t dwell on it. She handed him a file. “Here. As you requested, these are the people we’ve recruited recently. There’s still one key person missing—the one you specifically asked for. He’s currently teaching at the Institute of Technology.”
Shang Huaizhou took the file, casually flipped through the resumes inside, and asked, “Any difficulties?”
Shang Shiqing shrugged and sat down across from him. “No, just letting you take a look.”
Du He rubbed his chin and quietly said to Shang Shiqing, “Director Shang, ever since Yaxing Group changed its CEO, they’ve been shifting toward the tech industry. That new CEO is quite capable—apparently a high-paid talent recruited from overseas. They’re also short on high-tech personnel right now, so they’re probably targeting the same people.”
Shang Shiqing didn’t care. “Let them try. There’s no one I can’t recruit.”
Du He admired her confidence.
But the other side wasn’t easy to deal with either.
Shang Shiqing handed another file to Shang Huaizhou. “Approve the pricing for ACC raw materials. I’ll go negotiate tomorrow.”
Shang Huaizhou pressed his hand on the file. “That’s not urgent. Send me the evaluation materials for the Jinhé conference room first.”
Shang Shiqing swallowed her complaints. “Alright. When do you need it?”
Shang Huaizhou raised his eyes slightly. “Work overtime tonight, Director Shang?”
She took a breath, then smiled and nodded. “Fine.”
He really didn’t treat her like an elder at all. Didn’t he see what time it was? She needed her beauty sleep!
Shang Shiqing left, clearly a bit annoyed, her steps graceful.
Du He still didn’t leave. Shang Huaizhou glanced at him. “Do you have something else?”
Du He stood there awkwardly, then smiled. “Boss, after we finish the case, can I have half a day off?”
Shang Huaizhou looked at him.
Du He scratched his head. “Just to handle some personal matters.”
“You have personal matters here?” A grown man with so many things to deal with.
Du He answered honestly, “I want to buy a bag for my girlfriend. She’s wanted one for a long time. And also bring back some things for the female colleagues in the office.”
Shang Huaizhou lowered his head and signed the document. “Why are you still an assistant? You might as well become a personal shopper.”
Du He immediately declared his loyalty. “No, no, no! I love this company deeply. I would never change careers!” Though a side job might be possible.
“……”
Half a minute passed. Just as Du He was wondering if the boss agreed, Shang Huaizhou looked up. “Do girls really like bags?”
“Yes! A bag can solve everything!” From his girlfriend and the female colleagues, it was obvious how obsessed they were with bags.
Seeing his boss still confused, Du He realized—
For someone so outstanding at work, how could he be so clueless about relationships?
He didn’t even understand this?
Du He sat down across from him. “Boss, if you want to pursue a girl, you have to match her preferences. Otherwise, it’s hard to succeed. Back then, I defeated all my rivals with my clever tactics! I’ve always believed that giving gifts never goes wrong. Boss, you can try giving Miss Jiang a gift.”
Then he asked again, “Boss, you are pursuing Miss Jiang, right?”
Shang Huaizhou corrected him, “We are engaged.”
Du He took a deep breath. He didn’t even have the heart to argue with his boss.
Did Miss Jiang admit that?
No!
Forget it. Since his boss didn’t understand, he would teach him.
Du He patiently said, “Boss, even if you’re engaged, you still have to pursue her. You’re not married yet.” Even married people can still divorce!
Hearing this, Shang Huaizhou paused slightly while flipping through the documents, as if thinking about something.
Then he looked up at Du He a few times, his gaze calm, before lowering his head again to continue reviewing.
Just as Du He wondered whether his boss had listened, Shang Huaizhou spoke casually, “Du He, I remember you received quite a large project bonus last month, right?”
Du He smiled. “Thanks to the company—and your guidance, boss. It was alright.” He had already received it—was the boss thinking of taking it back?
Shang Huaizhou glanced at him. “Du He, you’re really stingy. After getting such a big bonus, you’re only buying your girlfriend one bag?”
“……” Du He was speechless.