Director Xie’s words left Lan Die momentarily stunned.
Aside from Cong Yue, Tian Beibei, and Yi An, no one else knew about her situation with He Canglan.
Yet Xie Tianhua had directly mentioned the name. What hidden circumstances lay behind this? Lan Die couldn’t see through it for the moment.
She could only maintain a calm expression and smile at the director. “Uncle Xie, who is this Canglan you’re talking about? I don’t know him.”
A faint smile touched Xie Tianhua’s lips. “You don’t know him? Xiao Die, your job transfer was personally communicated by Yi An, Canglan’s senior private assistant.”
“Ah? Oh.”
That day, Lan Die practically fled in panic!
A 19-year-old girl just stepping into society had no idea how to conceal her emotions in front of others.
The subtle expressions on her face had long been noticed by Xie Tianhua, who had seen countless people in his time.
Lan Die finally realized how naive she had been.
As a soon-to-graduate undergraduate, even from a prestigious university like Jingda, and no matter how beautiful she was, there were plenty of world-class master’s and doctoral graduates competing for positions at Jing TV.
How could she have been so lucky as to directly become the lead news anchor and even take over the station’s popular and easy flagship program?
Even if Uncle Xie had been a close friend of her late father, it was normal for relationships to fade after someone passed away.
At most, showing her some care by making her a formal employee would already be going above and beyond.
Lan Die suddenly recalled seeing people whispering behind her back. Most likely, her sudden rise had stirred up dissatisfaction and gossip.
Especially since Director Xie Tianhua seemed to tacitly acknowledge her relationship with He Canglan as that of a lover.
He had solemnly informed her that the higher authorities had instructed that the financial program must secure an interview with that well-known enterprise.
And whether the interview would be granted depended entirely on He Canglan’s word.
Seeing the expectant, almost pleading look in Xie Tianhua’s eyes, Lan Die couldn’t bear to refuse.
After all, as Uncle Xie, even though her father was no longer around, he had still taken good care of her.
In the end, blushing, she looked at Xie Tianhua and said, “Uncle Xie, I’ll do my best. But I can’t guarantee whether he’ll agree or not.”
Xie Tianhua nodded with a beaming smile, as if the matter were already settled.
Seeing his expression, Lan Die felt an indescribable unease. She said, “Goodbye, Uncle Xie,” and fled in a hurry.
She went straight back to her dorm.
She had originally planned to go to the classroom with Cong Yue and Tian Beibei that evening to work on her graduation thesis. (Students were allowed to stay on campus during the summer vacation, but generally not during the winter break.)
“The great anchor Lan is back!” As soon as she entered the dorm, Cong Yue spread her arms and rushed toward her.
Lan Die dodged her hug and sat on the bed, lost in thought.
“What’s wrong? Did someone confess to you again?” Cong Yue teased half-jokingly.
“Yueyue, I still have to contact him.” Lan Die’s voice was soft and gentle.
Ever since Lan Die fell ill last time, Cong Yue had set a rule for her: no further contact with He Canglan.
If something like him sending people to the dorm to “snatch” Die happened again, she and Tian Beibei would call the police immediately.
Perhaps, in Cong Yue’s eyes, she had already lumped He Canglan together with other powerful scions—the kind of utterly heartless scoundrels who devoured people without leaving a trace.
Lan Die responded casually.
She knew, of course, that her best friend had her best interests at heart.
Compared to her fake sister Lin Yi, Cong Yue and Tian Beibei were like light shining into her gloomy life—treasured gems she held dear.
During the break in evening self-study, all the classmates were diligently writing essays in the classroom.
Lan Die quietly slipped out of the classroom and walked to the window at the stairwell entrance.
It was the hottest time of the year in the capital, and not a hint of breeze reached the window, adding to the restlessness already stirring in Lan Die’s troubled heart.
After hesitating for a moment, she directly dialed the number.
The first time, no one answered.
Lan Die’s beautiful peach blossom eyes lowered slightly. In the end, she still dialed a second time…
He Canglan was gathering with friends at an upscale club.
All his friends had companions by their sides—some pure and innocent, others enchantingly alluring—while he remained alone.
Zhou Qichen gave a meaningful glance to the woman beside him. She hesitated for a moment before standing up and looking toward the man with an imposing presence.
The man was savoring red wine, chatting casually with the friend beside him.
As soon as a woman sat down practically zero-distance next to him, the smile vanished completely from his face.
He Canglan shot a sharp glare at Zhou Qichen and silently flipped him the bird.
Liao Zhongqing was nearly dying of laughter, leaning in to whisper in Zhou Qichen’s ear:
“Don’t you know Canglan’s a devoted romantic? On the surface, he dumped a college girl, but in reality, she was the one who dumped him, and he went off to South Africa alone to nurse his wounds!”
Zhou Qichen’s eyes widened. “Who’s that bold? Daring to dump Canglan? I’ll go reel her in! I’ll definitely get her.”
“Remember that ballet dancer from Canglan’s place last time?”
Zhou Qichen wore a teasing grin. “A beauty of that caliber, I’d remember her even if she turned to ashes. Tell me, what’s her story?”
“What are you two sneaking around talking about?” He Canglan glared at Liao Zhongqing.
“Ah… your phone lit up!” Liao Zhongqing quickly changed the subject.
He Canglan gave the two men a cold stare.
Zhou Qichen was the deputy governor of a state-owned bank, and Liao Zhongqing was the CEO of a well-known state-owned enterprise—both influential elites. Yet at this moment, they were acting like mischievous kids exchanging knowing looks. He really felt like kicking each of them a few times.
Unhurriedly, he picked up his phone. Seeing the name attached to the two missed calls, his heart suddenly surged with turbulent waves.
The caller was: Canglan’s Butterfly!
He had thought he could forget her quickly.
Wasn’t she just some bratty girl? He Canglan usually couldn’t be bothered to even glance at her.
But during the month without contacting her, he felt like he had lost his soul.
Apart from filling his days with busy work, the slightest moment of idle time left him feeling utterly restless.
He missed every inch and strand of her—the soft, sweet touch of her translucent lips, which had addicted him to kissing her madly. Every day, he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
But he was He Canglan, a man accustomed to pride.
He had straightforwardly gone to South Africa. What his father, He Jianbo, saw were reports of him holding talks at the local embassy and providing official aid to several local enterprises.
Only he himself knew that while gazing at the distant sea from the Cape of Good Hope, one thought had filled his mind, something he desperately wanted to say to her:
“Lan Die, I’m at the southern edge of the sky, missing you terribly!”
His friends only saw the tall man holding his phone, lost in thought for a moment. When he snapped back to reality, he tossed out a line: “Something came up, I’m heading out.”
The car’s air conditioning was set very low, and He Canglan’s mood gradually calmed.
He hadn’t contacted her, but every day he watched the capital’s news channel, tuning in to the “News 30 Minutes” segment she hosted.
The young lady’s demeanor as a host was particularly dignified and elegant, her gentle and soft beauty causing her popularity among the public to soar.
He took out his phone and dialed the number.
“Hello? He Cang… Hello, President He.” The familiar soft voice struck He Canglan’s heart.
He Canglan pursed his lips in dissatisfaction: “Who is this?”
Lan Die knew he was being deliberate, but she played along: “I am Lan Die, a host at Beijing TV.”
“Don’t know you, say it again!” The man’s lips curved slightly.