Night fell.
In a high-end restaurant on West Europe Street in Su City,
Lin Qian adjusted her outfit once more and followed a server into a private room.
Today, she was here to host a dinner for the influential school director whose approval was necessary for her son's admission.
Su City's renowned private kindergarten only accepted children who were either exceptionally intelligent or came from wealthy families.
Her son had the intelligence, but his application had been blocked.
Through various inquiries, she learned that her marital status and financial situation were the reasons the school rejected her son's application.
She couldn't let her son lose at the starting line because of her.
So she asked Xu Xinyi for help, hoping she could use her connections in Su City to secure her son a place in the kindergarten.
Without hesitation, Xu Xinyi reached out to her contacts, and after great effort, managed to arrange a meeting with the director responsible for admissions.
Once Lin Qian entered the private room and everything was set, the guest of honor arrived.
"Chairman Wang, good evening,"
Lin Qian stood up to greet the arriving man.
"You must be Doctor Xu's friend, Miss Lin Qian, right?"
Wang Jianguo, around fifty years of age and smartly dressed, took off his suit jacket with a genial smile.
"Yes, please take a seat, Chairman Wang,"
Lin Qian naturally took his jacket and hung it up.
"Miss Lin, you are very polite,"
There was a glint of interest in Wang Jianguo's eyes.
"You flatter me, it's just professional habit,"
Her daily job involved serving clients; thus, it had become second nature.
Lin Qian smiled lightly as she sat down, commanding the server to serve the dishes while pouring a glass of water for Wang Jianguo.
"I heard that Miss Lin's job is as an image consultant for MXL? It seems a bit beneath you. With your looks and abilities, you could easily find a better job,"
Wang Jianguo said, drinking the water Lin Qian had poured, his gaze wandering over her.
She had seen such gazes often enough that she sneered inwardly.
"Thank you for your kind words, Chairman Wang, but I quite like my current job; after all, it was MXL that gave me the chance to regain my confidence,"
Being a woman without a college degree, there were shortcuts to find a better job.
The approach involved getting involved with men.
And Wang Jianguo, it was quite apparent, had a hidden meaning in his earlier comment.
It seemed Xu Xinyi's investigation was accurate.
This Wang Jianguo was no gentleman.
"I can tell, Miss Lin is a woman with character; I like that,"
Wang Jianguo's words, like his gaze, began to become more explicit.
Lin Qian smiled without saying a word, simply taking the wine offered by the server and filling Wang Jianguo's glass.
"Chairman Wang, with your vast experience in judging people, you've seen right through me. So let me cut to the chase. Could you possibly make an exception for my son's school admission? Although I'm a single mother, I've prepared the funds for his education, so the school needn't worry about my financial situation,"
"Miss Lin, while your son's intelligence has indeed met our standards, you know that we are an elite kindergarten, and we also consider the external conditions of the parents. Your job and financial situation are indeed lacking somewhat. However..."
Wang Jianguo paused, "Come, Miss Lin, let's drink and talk."
"Sure."
Lin Qian, without any pretense, boldly matched Wang Jianguo drink for drink, three glasses in succession.
"Ah, Qian, you really suit my taste,"
After a few drinks, Wang Jianguo's gaze became increasingly unrestrained, and even his way of addressing her changed.
He moved seats to sit next to Lin Qian, resting his hand on the back of her chair, with a hint of lasciviousness in his eyes.
"How about this, quit that image consulting job of yours, and I'll help you find something else like a secretary's position to start. As for your son's admission, as long as you're cooperative, that's a minor issue."
Listen up?
Does that mean she is supposed to become his mistress?
Lin Qian felt deep disdain in her heart. As she saw Wang Jianguo's hand reaching for her shoulder, she deftly dodged, narrowly avoiding his groping.
"Chairman Wang, I've already said, I'm very satisfied with my current job. I just hope you can make an exception, so my son can get into the kindergarten."
Seeing Lin Qian's action, Wang Jianguo's smile slightly faded, clearly displeased.
"Qian, are you really not understanding, or just pretending not to?"
"Chairman Wang, I am a decent married woman, I detest filth, I'd rather not share a carrot with other women."
Lin Qian kept her light smile, her expression indifferent.
"Lin Qian, what do you mean by that? With that attitude of yours, do you still have the gall to come and beg me? Let me tell you, without my word, your son can forget about attending this kindergarten."
Chairman Wang's expression turned utterly cold, and he made a move to stand and leave.
Lin Qian was not annoyed, but chuckled lightly, "Chairman Wang, 1802, Building 18 on West Europe Street. I believe you would be very concerned if your private life were to be exposed."
Wang Jianguo had been secretly keeping a woman on the side, and this was something Xu Xinyi had found out through her investigations.
Just to have a contingency plan in case Wang Jianguo refused to budge.
"How... how do you know about that?"
Wang Jianguo's face looked terrible, his glare at Lin Qian as if he wanted to devour her.
Lin Qian smiled and poured him a glass of wine, "Chairman Wang, I hope you can be generous, allowing my son to attend the kindergarten."
Wang Jianguo, his weak spot tightly gripped, wanted to leave, yet he feared that this secret might really get out.
After all, his status could not afford such a blunder.
"Lin Qian, you really have a way with things. Fine, if you drink this bottle of wine, I'll agree."
Dare to play him like that, he was determined to make her drink until she lost consciousness today!
"Sure thing, Chairman Wang, but you can't go back on your word, otherwise, I don't know what I might do."
Lin Qian's heart leaped with joy as she poured herself a glass of wine and drank glass after glass.
She knew she had to make a fool of herself to balance out Wang Jianguo's ego.
As long as it enabled her son to attend kindergarten, what did it matter if she made a scene?
After finishing the bottle, Lin Qian felt burning hot, her head starting to spin.
"Chairman... Wang, I... need to visit... the restroom, you... enjoy your meal."
Lin Qian slurred her words, staggering out the door toward the restroom.
"Men's restroom, women's restroom, this way..."
Lin Qian, her eyes drunkenly squinting, stumbled in.
Inside, Yin Moran was just unbuckling his belt when a figure drifted by.
With a casual glance, his eyebrows instantly knit together.
Again, this woman!
She was like a bad penny!
"Eh, this restroom... why does it look different from the others?"
Lin Qian's cheeks flushed red, her gaze flitting over Yin Moran's handsome face.
"Eh, you... you are Ice Lump! How come... you're in the women's restroom? You truly are... a big pervert, I'll call the police... call the police and have you... arrested..."
Ice Lump!
Big pervert!
Yin Moran felt a twitch in his forehead, his face covered in a frosty chill, wishing nothing more than to throw the drunk woman clinging to him out the door.
His long hand had just grabbed her collar when he heard a retching sound...
"Lin Qian!!!"
The damn woman had thrown up all over him!