Before she could react, she heard the murmurs around her.
“I know her. She seems to be the manager of the garment factory, named Lin Miaoyu. So young.”
“Yeah, dressed so beautifully, like a big star…”
“What’s her relationship with Director Lu?”
“…”
As everyone whispered, Lin Miaomiao felt somewhat dazed.
The female protagonist she had envied and resented in the novel was now standing before her in reality, leaving her utterly bewildered.
Indeed, everything in the novel truly existed.
Lin Miaomiao’s heart grew colder. At that moment, she understood why Lu Yanzhou’s friend, Shen Bing, had called her a stand-in for Lin Miaoyu.
There was indeed some resemblance between her and Lin Miaoyu in their features, and even their names differed by only a single character.
Confirming that she had truly been treated as a substitute by the male protagonist was an unbearable feeling. Was that why the version of herself in the novel had spiraled into such hysterical madness?
At this moment, she fully understood that darker version of herself.
A husband who had shared a bed with her for two years saw her as a stand-in for the female protagonist, and after moving to the city, he turned around and reported her entire family…
Who wouldn’t turn dark under such circumstances?
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard chaotic footsteps. Lu Yanzhou emerged first, followed by seven or eight timid-looking leaders.
Though he was the youngest among them, his presence was the most commanding. The usually unapproachable managers trailed behind him like lackeys, offering him cigarettes.
As Lu Yanzhou headed toward his office, his assistant hurried over to inform him of a visitor. Lu Yanzhou looked weary and indifferent.
Hearing the commotion, Lin Miaoyu walked out in her high heels.
“Fourth Brother, are you done with the meeting?”
Fourth Brother?
How sweetly she called him.
Lin Miaomiao knew that Lu Yanzhou had three brothers, and he was the fourth in line.
In moments of deep affection, he had even coaxed her into calling him that…
Lin Miaomiao’s face twisted momentarily: …Indeed, the rain doesn’t last forever, but the male protagonist’s head might.
Lin Miaoyu took a few steps closer, looking up at Lu Yanzhou. She pouted, “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
But Lu Yanzhou didn’t look at her. His gaze lingered on the group of people behind her.
“They are all comrades participating in this assessment, here to submit their documents today,” the assistant quickly explained.
Several comrades stood together, holding their documents. Beside Lin Miaomiao was a young male comrade whispering to her. She pursed her lips into a faint, polite smile, not even glancing at Lu Yanzhou.
Her smile was painfully glaring.
“Oh, just let the assistant handle the documents. As the factory director, do you really need to deal with such trivial matters? Let’s go quickly,” Lin Miaoyu urged.
Lu Yanzhou’s expression remained indifferent, but the cigarette between his fingers twisted. A few seconds later, he withdrew his gaze.
A trace of impatience crept into his brow.
His words were blunt and far from gentle.
“Who said you could just walk into my office?”
Lin Miaoyu’s smile froze.
“Fourth Brother, I…”
“Get out.”
…
No one expected his sudden outburst. Everyone was stunned into silence. The male comrade who had wanted to strike up a conversation with Lin Miaomiao because of her beauty also shut his mouth.
Lin Miaomiao lifted her eyes and saw the man’s icy gaze fixed on her. Beneath his seemingly calm expression hid a shadow barely perceptible. Unfazed, she glared back fiercely.
What are you looking at? It wasn’t her who went in and sat in his chair.
But as she watched the female protagonist’s sorrowful retreating figure, Lin Miaomiao suddenly felt a sense of dissonance.
If it were the old Lu Yanzhou who had scolded her like this, her slap would have already landed on his face.
Why did the female lead just leave like that?
She was beautiful and had such an elegant demeanor. Although Lin Miaomiao felt that her behavior of sitting in his chair wasn’t great either, Lu Yanzhou really wasn’t being polite at all.
Lin Miaomiao’s gaze grew somewhat distant.
An assistant stepped forward to collect their documents, and Lin Miaomiao couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: Since you could collect them, why didn’t you do it earlier? Did you really have to make them wait here? What if the male and female leads started arguing and they got caught in the crossfire?
Staring back at her, Lu Yanzhou was momentarily taken aback.
Looking at the woman’s familiar expression, his eyes grew hazy.
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry back to your workstations!”
The bootlicking manager stepped forward and scolded the female colleagues who were staring dazedly at Lu Yanzhou.
Finally, his gaze fell on Lin Miaomiao, and he sneered, “You again? Still not giving up? Didn’t you say you weren’t taking the exam anymore?”