Chapter 11
"I'll treat you next time," Ning Yang said as they walked out of the restaurant.
Xiang Qingwei smiled, unsurprised. "Even if you didn't say it, I would've made sure to get you to treat me next time, at the same place, and I'm going to order the most expensive dishes."
Ning Yang was taken aback for a moment before a small smile tugged at his lips. "Okay."
His mood finally relaxed.
"You should smile more; it's a good look on you," Xiang Qingwei commented casually.
Ning Yang blinked, slightly stunned.
Had he smiled?
Xiang Qingwei wasted no time and took Ning Yang directly to her office to sign the contract.
The contract had been prepared by Xiang Qingwei long before, and the terms were quite favorable. Ning Yang carefully read over it before signing his name.
After signing, both parties let out a sigh of relief.
Holding the signed contract, Xiang Qingwei thought of how her long efforts had finally paid off. Grinning, she waved the contract at Ning Yang. "There, you've signed your soul away, so you can't escape me now."
Not knowing how to respond, Ning Yang simply looked at her.
"I'll be right back, I need to use the restroom," Xiang Qingwei said, then stood up and left the office.
Ning Yang carefully stored the contract in his backpack, then waited quietly for Xiang Qingwei to return.
He wasn't very familiar with the entertainment industry.
However, after Xiang Qingwei gave him her business card, he had once looked up the name of her company.
As it turned out, this company was a major player in the industry.
Xiang Qingwei's office was spacious, with a great view outside the large windows. This was a reward she'd received last year for her exceptional performance.
The black desk was devoid of any other items, as if it were a brand-new office.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the glass door of the office.
Ning Yang turned to look and saw a woman in a red polka-dot dress standing outside. When she caught his gaze, her eyes flickered with something, then she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where's Xiang Qingwei?"
"She went to the restroom," Ning Yang answered.
"You're the new recruit she signed?" Jiang Rong walked in, her gaze locked on Ning Yang, her expression almost playful as she studied him without hesitation.
Ning Yang frowned at her scrutinizing gaze. "Who are you?"
Jiang Rong was about to speak when her voice was interrupted.
"What are you doing in my office?" Xiang Qingwei walked in.
Jiang Rong smiled. "I heard you signed a new recruit; I was curious, so I came to take a look." She paused, then added with a hint of sourness, "Looks like there's nothing special about him after all."
Ning Yang pressed his lips together.
Xiang Qingwei's gaze cooled, but the corner of her lips arched up in a faint smile. "If everyone could see how special he is, what would be the point of my existence? Though I suppose it's understandable; you didn't manage to cultivate any of the new recruits you signed last year. If I may suggest, perhaps you should pay a visit to the hospital for your eyes. Don't mistake diamonds for rocks, and don't hold onto stones thinking they're diamonds."
Jiang Rong's chest heaved violently. "You!"
Without sparing her a glance, Xiang Qingwei walked over and sat down behind the desk. "The door is over there. Don't let it hit you on the way out."
Jiang Rong, face flushed, snorted coldly and walked toward the door. At the last minute, as if she had just remembered something, she stopped, turned, and sneered, "Oh, right, I almost forgot. Mr. Fu wants you to go to his office."
"I'm busy," Xiang Qingwei replied curtly.
"You!" Jiang Rong's eyes widened; she almost couldn't believe it. Then she smiled, her tone sarcastic. "Xiang Qingwei, you really think..."
Before Jiang Rong could finish her sentence, Xiang Qingwei shot to his feet and strode over.
Jiang Rong took two frightened steps back. "What are you going to do? You..."
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut behind him.
The sound startled everyone in the office, and all eyes turned toward the source.
Having lost her dignity, Jiang Rong was visibly uncomfortable. She ground her teeth and brushed her hair aside in an attempt to regain her composure, then laughed awkwardly before turning to leave.
Xiang Qingwei slammed the door shut, then sat back down on the sofa, before she finally remembered Ning Yang was still there. She quickly composed herself and smiled. "My apologies, I have some personal beef with her, so what she said just now wasn't directed at you. Don't take it to heart."
In the span of a mere half day, Ning Yang had already seen many different sides of Xiang Qingwei that he hadn't before. Somehow, this version of Xiang Qingwei was more relatable.
"Alright, let's talk about the show now. I'll contact TX tomorrow and send over your information. The show is expected to begin sometime next month, so you don't have much time. You don't have a dance background, so I've arranged for a dance instructor for you. If possible, I'd like for you to start tonight," Xiang Qingwei said.
"I'm good with that," Ning Yang responded, then added, "But I'm worried about leaving my mom alone at home."
"Leave your mother's side to me; I'll make sure she's fine," Xiang Qingwei said. "You might have to put in some hard work during this period, so I'll arrange for another place for you to stay at. Don't go home during this time; I want you to focus completely on preparing for the show."
"Okay." Since he had already decided to trust her, Ning Yang no longer had any reservations or hesitation.
Xiang Qingwei gave him a faint smile.
At that moment, someone knocked on the office door. Secretary Wen entered, glanced briefly at Ning Yang, and said, "Miss Xiang, Mr. Fu would like you to go to his office."
In this company, only a handful of people dared to address Xiang Qingwei in such a way.
Ning Yang saw the smile on Xiang Qingwei's lips vanish instantly. "Tell him I'm not available."
Secretary Wen was unsurprised. He pushed up his glasses and offered a cryptic reminder, "Mr. Fu is still upset about the incident during the meeting earlier today."
Xiang Qingwei smiled. "I understand."
Secretary Wen didn't leave. "So...?"
Secretary Wen had always been kind to her, so she couldn't bring herself to be difficult. She merely said, "I'll go over after I'm done here."
Secretary Wen visibly relaxed at her response. "All right, I'll inform Mr. Fu. I won't disturb you any further; please continue with your work."
He left to report back to the boss's office, feeling relieved.
"Miss Qingwei seems to have signed a new talent. She's currently in an interview, so she'll come over once she's done."
Having been hung up on by Xiang Qingwei, Fu Yanbai's mood soured, snorting coldly, "She's got more airs than I do, my own boss."
Yet his frosty expression softened, warming considerably.
Secretary Wen understood the message and left after delivering it.
Fu Yanbai waited from the afternoon well into the night, growing more displeased with every passing moment, yet Xiang Qingwei still hadn't finished her work.
Secretary Wen called to ask, only for Xiang Qingwei to guiltily admit she'd forgotten.
Secretary Wen braced himself to relay Xiang Qingwei's words to Fu Yanbai, who listened with a dark expression, before dialing her number with a frosty tone, "Get your ass back here right now."
Secretary Wen stood awkwardly to the side, unsure whether to stay or leave, sensing that his boss was truly furious this time. The refined and sophisticated Fu Yanbai maintained an impeccable image in public, but only ever displayed such unprofessional behavior like this in front of Xiang Qingwei.
He heard the man's teeth gnashing audibly over the phone.
"A date? With who? Cancel it, and if you don't get back here within the hour, don't even think about your year-end bonus this year." Fu Yanbai hung up the phone, gnashing his teeth. The thought of Xiang Qingwei on the other end of the line, refusing to come back to see him, made his stomach hurt.
"Am I too good to her?" He looked up at Secretary Wen, his expression dark as he asked.
Secretary Wen felt his heart jump; what secretaries dreaded most was getting roped into their bosses' love affairs.
Luckily, Fu Yanbai didn't expect him to provide an answer; he was simply venting his anger, which had reached a boiling point. "Am I not good enough for her? Everyone in the company knows I favor her, yet she doesn't even know how to appreciate it."
Secretary Wen provided an irrelevant response. "Xiang's work is quite exemplary."
Fu Yanbai glared at him.
Secretary Wen quickly bowed. "I'll make a cup of coffee for you right now."
He stepped out of the office, and ten minutes passed before he returned with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. He glanced at his boss, only to click his tongue when he saw Fu Yanbai still fuming.
Fu Yanbai lifted the coffee cup, his voice cold. "You said her work is exemplary, but do you know why that is? It's because I taught her everything she knows."
Secretary Wen nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."
Fu Yanbai took a sip of his coffee and humphed again. "Can't believe she's so heartless."
Secretary Wen couldn't agree, nor could he disagree.
Fu Yanbai glanced at his watch.
Twenty minutes had passed.
Secretary Wen quietly excused himself.
An hour later, Xiang Qingwei finally arrived.
Before entering the office, Secretary Wen hinted that their boss was in a terrible mood.
Xiang Qingwei nodded, acknowledging the information. Just as she was about to push open the door, she paused, remembering that this wasn't the past.
She curled the corner of her lips in self-ridicule, then knocked on the door. Only after Fu Yanbai told her to "come in" did she open the door and walk inside.
The moment Fu Yanbai saw her, his expression darkened. "Why don't you just come tomorrow?"
"Oh." Xiang Qingwei turned around, ready to leave.
Fu Yanbai was so angry that the veins on his forehead popped. "Get back here!"
"Mr. Fu, please be courteous when speaking to me. I am your subordinate, but I will not tolerate bullying in the workplace." Xiang Qingwei turned around and looked at Fu Yanbai, her face blank.
The vein on Fu Yanbai's forehead throbbed, but he couldn't muster a response.
Meanwhile, Secretary Wen sat in the outer office, leisurely drinking his coffee.
Fu Yanbai was livid, but Xiang Qingwei calmed herself down and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the sofa, placed her bag on her knees, and looked at Fu Yanbai, unperturbed. "If Mr. Fu has any instructions, you may now give them."
So infuriated was Fu Yanbai that he momentarily forgot what he wanted to say. Only after a few moments did he regain his composure, his expression icy as he said, "You've signed a new artist?"
"Mm-hmm, just today." When it came to work, Xiang Qingwei's demeanor reverted to her usual professional coolness.
Fu Yanbai gazed at her. "What do you want from me now?"
"Nothing, I've already made the necessary arrangements. I don't need Mr. Fu's assistance for now, but I will certainly request your help if necessary." Xiang Qingwei glanced at her watch as she spoke and then looked back at Fu Yanbai. "Does Mr. Fu have anything else? If not, then I'll be leaving now; I still have work to do."
Taken aback, Fu Yanbai could only watch as she left.
————————————————————————
The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
If you want to finish reading this novel in advance, you can click the link below to buy the e-book of this novel. The original price is $4.99, and now it only costs $1.99.
There are two versions, pdf and docx, which can be easily read on mobile phones, computers and Kindle.
You can also choose to wait for updates on this blog. This novel is expected to be fully updated in November 2024.
No comments:
Post a Comment