As the group entered the conference room, Zhou Lincan lifted his gaze, searching for the owner of those inner thoughts.
Chuan Jin stood beside Miss Xu, dressed in a white blouse and a pencil skirt, her voluminous waves neatly tied back like a docile kitten—a stark contrast to yesterday’s alluring charm. Her expression remained composed, betraying no hint of the rich internal drama.
It seemed yesterday’s performance was her usual standard. Miss Xu, whether in poise or ability, was clearly more suited to the stage. Having her manage the project—no wonder she had been so angry as to curse him.
Zhou Lincan concealed the amusement in his eyes and stood to shake hands with the newcomers.
The moment the man rose, Chuan Jin’s eyes lit up.
Today, Zhou Lincan wore only a shirt and a suit vest, elegant yet dignified. A pure black tie paired with a silver-gray vest accentuated his near-perfect physique. Broad shoulders, a wide back, and a narrow waist—without his suit jacket, the well-defined chest muscles that had been hidden yesterday were now visibly prominent and substantial.
【Damn, he’s even more lickable than yesterday.】
As their fingertips brushed, their eyes met in the air. Zhou Lincan uttered a calm “welcome,” acting as if he hadn’t heard someone’s audacious inner monologue.
Chuan Jin, who hadn’t felt guilty while cursing earlier, now grew flustered. She nodded hastily and withdrew her hand from his palm.
When it was Xu Mianchuan’s turn, the atmosphere shifted to business.
“President Xu.”
“President Zhou, it’s been a while.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Mianchuan gracefully stated her purpose: “President Zhou, my sister isn’t familiar with the project procedures. With the sudden change in responsible personnel and the tight deadline for signing, I’m here to oversee things. I hope you don’t mind?”
Zhou Lincan responded courteously, “Not at all, please have a seat.”
The seating arrangement mirrored yesterday’s: Zhou Lincan at the head, the Changxu team on one side, and the Dongzhou Project Team opposite. Chuan Jin should have taken the seat next to Zhou Lincan, but with ulterior motives, she deliberately shifted back one spot, allowing Xu Mianchuan to occupy her original seat.
Zhou Lincan said nothing and gestured for both teams to review the final contract terms.
The subsequent discussions had little to do with Chuan Jin. She understood nothing and was merely there in name. With Xu Mianchuan handling things, Chuan Jin let her mind wander, sketching out the unfinished script from before her transmigration in her thoughts.
Zhou Lincan multitasked, discussing details with Xu Mianchuan while sparing occasional glances at the distracted Miss Xu.
His deep gaze swept over the girl’s flushed cheeks, seeing through her perfunctory attitude toward PT.
A trace of helplessness flickered in Zhou Lincan’s eyes. This person couldn’t even pretend properly—causing a scene at Dongzhou yesterday and being perfunctory with him today. The Zhou family’s five billion wasn’t so easily obtained.
“Hold on.”
Zhou Lincan raised his hand, interrupting the Changxu team’s presentation. “President Xu, apologies for the delay. I have some questions I’d like to discuss privately with Miss Xu.”
Chuan Jin snapped back to reality and turned to look at the head of the table, where their eyes met once again.
Xu Mianchuan paused briefly before quickly comprehending. She stood and excused herself, “Actually, I need to call my father. Take your time, President Zhou.”
Both teams filed out of the conference room, leaving an inscrutable Zhou Lincan and a bewildered Chuan Jin behind.
Sitting in her current seat now seemed inappropriate. Chuan Jin proactively stood and moved to her original seat, smiling as she asked, “What did you want to ask, President Zhou?”
Zhou Lincan looked at her, his tone not particularly gentle: “Yesterday I had Du Qiu contact Chairman Xu, and it was decided that Miss Xu would be the person in charge of the PT Project. Did Du Qiu convey my meaning correctly?”
Chuan Jin was taken aback: “That’s correct.”
“Since Miss Xu is the person in charge, is this attitude appropriate for a collaboration?” Zhou Lincan said with a faint, mocking smile. “It’s said that Changxu is a giant in Shen Shi’s new energy industry. Even if you’re just a nominal manager, you should demonstrate a sufficiently professional collaborative spirit. Miss Xu graduated from a prestigious university—you shouldn’t tarnish your family’s reputation, don’t you think?”
Chuan Jin’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and the faint smile at the corners of her lips faded.
Coming from a purely technical background, he valued academic credentials and professionalism… From a screenwriter’s perspective, Chuan Jin mentally tagged President Zhou with a label that fit his character.
But obviously, she wasn’t pleased to see Zhou Lincan acting in character at this moment. Choosing her as the PT Project leader was, in itself, a questionable decision. Now that both parties were already seated at the signing table, for him to question her “lack of professionalism” only made Chuan Jin feel that he was deliberately humiliating her.
Choosing her and then doubting her—Chuan Jin had never been one to tolerate such treatment.
“Then what does President Zhou expect me to do?” The girl’s bright, lively gaze turned cold as she laid her cards on the table: “Do you think I can understand the entire PT Project overnight? Or become an industry expert immediately? Since President Zhou knows my father only made me a nominal manager, you should also realize that my sister’s attendance alone shows the importance we place on PT. Otherwise, what use would someone like me be? If President Zhou truly cares so much about professionalism, you shouldn’t have appointed me as the person in charge yesterday. I may not be professional enough, but President Zhou isn’t much better either.”
Chuan Jin’s expression darkened, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Zhou Lincan hadn’t expected her to outright flip the table, and for a moment, he was taken aback.
When the word “humiliation” appeared in his mind, Zhou Lincan already regretted what he had said.
Objectively speaking, Miss Xu’s surface demeanor was impeccable. Although her mind had wandered, her expressions and actions showed no neglect. None of the personnel from either side found Chuan Jin’s behavior inappropriate. The problem was, Zhou Lincan could read minds.
The script unfolding in Chuan Jin’s mind was far too captivating. In comparison, the conference room felt utterly dull. Driven by his perfectionistic need for control, Zhou Lincan didn’t want any irrelevant matters interfering with this signing.
But he had forgotten—Chuan Jin didn’t know he could read minds.
He was bothered by her mental absence, her neglect of the important signing at hand in favor of other thoughts, while she assumed he was questioning her capabilities.
Zhou Lincan’s expression turned regretful as he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
He had actually forgotten about that. Indeed, he still hadn’t grown accustomed to life with supernatural abilities.
At the very least, he hadn’t gotten used to using mind-reading to deal with Miss Xu.
A sudden thought intruded upon his hearing:
[I get treated poorly at the Xu Family, and now I’m treated poorly outside too. One after another, they all make things difficult for me. What kind of terrible plot is this! If it weren’t for Xu Mianchuan, who’d bother competing with Wang Yujiang for this worthless project? Who’d want to stay in the Xu Family and fight with the real heiress? I came here suffering for no reason—give me back my original life!]
The next second, he noticed Chuan Jin’s eyes beginning to redden.
Zhou Lincan: …
Seriously? Crying already?
He sighed and prepared to apologize.
【Zhou Lincan is no good either! How could I have praised him like some male god and even tried to set him up with such a wonderful Xu Mianchuan? This dog of a man is just like Wang Yujiang—only knows how to bully me! He doesn’t deserve to be my brother-in-law!!!】
Zhou Lincan, that dog of a man: “……”
Brother-in-law? So that earlier seat-offering gesture meant this?
The two stared at each other in silence, Chuan Jin’s gaze filled with resentment and bitterness.
Zhou Lincan felt helpless. He had only spoken a few words, yet they provoked such an intense glare from Miss Xu. Women truly hold grudges easily.
“My apologies, Miss Xu. My words earlier were too harsh—please don’t take them to heart.” Zhou Lincan promptly offered his apology, emphasizing, “I didn’t mean to look down on your capabilities, but you must understand—President Xu’s presence caught me by surprise.”
Chuan Jin exposed his flimsy excuse: “You clearly said you didn’t mind!”
“……” Zhou Lincan chuckled lightly, responding with ease, “Should I have driven your sister out then? The Zhou family doesn’t do undignified things.”
“So President Zhou thinks questioning me is dignified?” Chuan Jin retorted indignantly.
Zhou Lincan crossed his long legs again, leisurely changing the subject: “I’ve already apologized. If Miss Xu finds my sincerity insufficient, why not state your demands?”
Chuan Jin composed herself and looked up: “Anything?”
A hint of amusement flickered in Zhou Lincan’s eyes: “Try me.”
“I want to know—” Chuan Jin met his gaze and said, “why President Zhou appointed me as the person in charge.”
She had been curious all evening—what on earth had provoked Zhou Lincan to make such a foolish decision?