September in Rong City—summer heat lingering, even the night air wrapped in a heavy, stifling warmth.
At the entrance of the Jinxiu Hall private room, a young girl stood with her head lowered, being scolded.
She was about 1.65 meters tall, wearing a simple white shirt and jeans paired with white sneakers. Even in the simplest outfit, her natural beauty was impossible to hide.
Her brows and eyes were delicately shaped, her nose straight, her lips full—one of those striking, vivid faces that caught attention without the need for any extra makeup.
But in this moment, her eyes—usually bright—were filled with resistance and helplessness.
“Lin Mi, do you still want this job or not? If you don’t, get lost immediately!” the man barked, his pointing finger nearly jabbing her in the forehead.
Facing the department director’s spit-filled rage, Lin Mi held back her anger, clenching her fingers tightly.
Seeing her remain silent, Huang Wei grew even more energetic with his reprimand. “Lin Mi, let me tell you, if you mess things up tonight, forget about becoming a full-time employee! Don’t forget—your probation period only has half a month left! You need to understand, for a big company like ours, the one thing we never lack is new blood. Being allowed to come meet major clients is proof of the company’s recognition and trust in you, understand? So when you go inside later, sweeten your tone. I heard an important VIP will be joining us—make sure you behave well.”
After finishing, Huang Wei didn’t bother looking at her expression. He simply pushed the door open and walked in.
“…”
Lin Mi tugged at the corner of her mouth—disdainful and speechless.
What high-sounding nonsense. His face alone made her sick!
All of this just because she was from a small county with no background, so they picked her—the intern—to bully.
She understood all too well, yet had no choice but to swallow her frustration. After all, he controlled her job and her future.
This was reality.
Taking a deep breath to calm her irritation, she thought—if she could, she would’ve slammed a resignation letter right into her dog-faced boss’s head. But then she remembered her phone balance… barely two thousand.
“Sigh~”
Sadly, she simply didn’t have enough money to support her pride or her temper.
For the sake of her future, she had no choice but to endure for now.
She pushed open the heavy solid-wood door.
Inside the private room, laughter and clinking glasses filled the air. Luxurious décor and noisy chatter rushed toward her.
Scanning the room, her eyes landed on the department’s “social butterfly”—Wu Qian.
Wu Qian wore a wine-red dress that accentuated her curves, with exquisite makeup and seductive red lips. She held a wine glass, gracefully weaving among several middle-aged men in suits, laughing sweetly, every gesture dripping with charm.
Her practiced and confident demeanor formed a stark contrast with Lin Mi—who looked plain and slightly awkward at the doorway.
“Oh my, our department’s beauty is here~ Come, sit! President Li has been waiting for you!”
Wu Qian quickly spotted Lin Mi, flashed an overly enthusiastic smile, and immediately grabbed her arm, pulling her toward an empty seat beside the main guest.
That seat happened to be next to a middle-aged man with a bulging belly and muddy eyes—the “important client” their director had mentioned: President Li.
Instinctively, Lin Mi tried to pull her arm back, but Wu Qian held on tightly.
“Lin Mi, what are you standing there for? Sit down and pour President Li some wine!” Director Huang’s face darkened with displeasure, the threat in his eyes blatant.
Wu Qian chimed in with a laugh as she dragged her to President Li’s side. “Hurry up, everyone’s waiting for you. No need to be shy—President Li is very kind, especially toward newcomers.”
After pressing her down into the seat, she teased President Li, “Isn’t that right, President Li?”
“Yes, yes! I’m easy to talk to. I can’t stand seeing young girls suffer.”
President Li’s round face squeezed into a smile that was supposed to look friendly, but on his greasy features, it seemed downright lecherous.
“Lin Mi, hurry and pour for President Li. Toast him properly.”
Wu Qian casually picked up the wine bottle and shoved it into Lin Mi’s hands.
“…”
Lin Mi gripped the bottle tightly, anger stuffed in her chest.
They say women shouldn’t make things harder for women, yet Wu Qian was utterly excessive.
The proposal she had worked so hard on ended up credited to Wu Qian—because Wu Qian had handled the clients at the drinking banquet. Fine, she could swallow that.
After all, Wu Qian was a senior employee, firmly rooted in the company, valued by Director Huang. Naturally, Lin Mi, a newbie, couldn’t compete.
She had already stepped back multiple times. She just wanted to work quietly and earn money. But they still dragged her into this disgusting setting—targeting her on purpose?
What exactly had she done to offend Wu Qian?
Forget it. This wasn’t the time to fall out with her. She was just a fresh graduate, and Huanyu was the best company she had managed to get into.
Just get through this first—then find an excuse to slip away.
Suppressing her emotions, she forced a stiff smile, mechanically poured a bit of red wine for President Li and herself.
“President Li, I offer you a toast. Thank you for supporting our work.”
“Oh, Xiaolin, you’re too polite!”
President Li’s eyes narrowed into slits as he openly sized up her pretty face and shapely curves.
The moment their glasses touched, his greasy fingers “accidentally” brushed the back of her hand.
The slippery, nauseating touch made her jerk backward as if electrocuted. Her lips stiffened for a second before she forced down her disgust and downed the wine in one gulp.
Old pervert!!
With his first “test” successful, President Li grew bolder. With Huang Wei and Wu Qian egging him on, he urged her to drink repeatedly, his words becoming more and more suggestive.
“Xiaolin, your skin is so smooth. How do you take care of it?”
“So pretty—your boyfriend must be exceptional, right?”
“…”
Lin Mi laughed awkwardly, inner thoughts crashing into chaotic symbols. She was just about to raise her glass—planning to finish this round quickly and run—when suddenly, under the table, a warm hand slid up, creeping toward her thigh.
“…”
Her hand instinctively tightened around her phone on the table, her face turning cold.
In that moment—every bit of endurance and compromise shattered.
To hell with this!
She was done!
She could tolerate smiling through the drinking, but that didn’t mean she’d let anyone toy with her!
Some lines must never be crossed.
(End of this chapter)