"Xiang Qingwei's recent manipulation of her fans, plus her attempt to whitewash herself, was truly brilliant," a member of the public relations team finally stopped to catch a breath and drink some water, then continued, "But is what she's doing with Ling Jiayi real?"
Vivian rolled her eyes. "Xiang Qingwei is seven years older than Ling Jiayi! What are you thinking? But Xiang Qingwei has indeed been very good to Ling Jiayi, shouldering so much pressure for him."
"That's probably because of Mr. Fu, right?" another team member said.
Everyone in the company knew that the boss and Xiang Qingwei had once been an item, though no one knew why they broke up. Despite this, the boss was always quick to defend Xiang Qingwei, which often led to complaints from other managers.
"Sis An, you've been in the company for a while. Do you know why Mr. Fu broke up with Xiang Qingwei?" someone asked, clearly interested in gossip.
Vivian gave a noncommittal smile. "Who told you that Mr. Fu broke up with Xiang Qingwei?"
This immediately piqued the interest of the rest of the team, but just as they were about to ask, Vivian's WeChat notification rang.
Vivian silenced her noisy teammates and opened the app.
It was a message from Xiang Qingwei.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll treat your team to a good dinner tonight."
This was followed by a significant bank transfer.
Vivian glanced at it, then raised her phone and waved it about with a grin. "Sis Xiang said she'll treat you all to dinner tonight for your hard work today, and the money's already in the account! Sis Xiang's treating us!"
The office burst into cheers.
Other employees from different teams within the public relations department passed by, hearing the commotion, and couldn't help but express their envy.
"Agent Xiang is so generous, always treating everyone to meals."
"She can afford to be, she made seven digits last year alone."
"That's not necessarily true. Even if she earned a lot, she still has to be willing to spend it. Last year, Agent Xiang gave each member of Vivian's team a three-thousand-yuan red envelope at the end of the year, all from her own pocket. And did you know she's never yelled at anyone?
Our team got scolded by Agent Jiang yesterday, and we get nothing during holidays or special occasions, and even have to pay for our own team dinners. I wish I could switch teams..."
On the other side, Xiang Qingwei, who had finally managed to settle this storm, let out a sigh of relief.
Both Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei felt immense guilt.
"I will deduct three days of your wages," Xiang Qingwei said.
Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei both thought the punishment was too lenient, and they expressed their gratitude to Xiang Qingwei, assuring her that something like this would never happen again.
Xiang Qingwei returned Xiao Dong's cell phone to him, then prepared to go check on Ling Jiayi. However, just as she stepped out into the corridor, she received a call from Secretary Wen.
Secretary Wen's voice was warm, as usual. "Xiao Xiang, have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet." Xiang Qingwei swiped her card to enter her room. "What's up, Secretary Wen?"
Secretary Wen didn't answer and instead asked, "Where are you right now?"
"D City," Xiang Qingwei replied.
Secretary Wen glanced at her boss, who was sitting on the sofa, pretending to be looking at his phone but was actually listening in on her conversation, and smiled slightly. "Mr. Fu is also in D City. Do you have plans for dinner? Perhaps we can all have dinner together tonight."
"... I'm unavailable," Xiang Qingwei responded.
Secretary Wen chuckled. "Director Zhang is also here; haven't you always wanted to meet him? I heard he's currently preparing for his new movie..."
Xiang Qingwei, "What time? Send me the address, I'll arrive on time."
Secretary Wen asked, "Would you like us to come pick you up?"
"That won't be necessary. Just send me the address, I'll take a cab over."
Secretary Wen laughed. "Okay, I'll send it to you on WeChat. Oh, right, since it's a private gathering, don't bring Jiayi."
With that, he hung up and opened WeChat to send the address to Xiang Qingwei.
Xiang Qingwei received the message from Secretary Wen.
First, she checked the map; it would take about twenty minutes to drive there from her office. Then she glanced at the clock—there was plenty of time.
She strolled into the bathroom without haste, taking a shower and washing her hair, then blow-drying it. Next, she carefully but subtly painted her face with makeup, dressed in a white blouse tied around her waist, black jeans, and black high-heeled sandals with diamond embellishments.
One last check in the mirror assured her that everything was in order, so she picked up her purse and prepared to leave.
As soon as she opened the door, Ling Jiayi, who had been waiting outside, startled her.
Ling Jiayi also jumped at the sudden opening of the door. "Where are you going?"
Xiang Qingwei's dark eyes glowed, excitement clear despite her attempts to hide it. "There's a dinner gathering, and Zhang Zhizhang will be there. He's preparing for his new movie right now, and I'll see if I can get you an audition."
Zhang Zhizhang was an internationally acclaimed director; even A-list celebrities would jump at the opportunity to work with him.
If Ling Jiayi could secure a role in one of Zhang Zhizhang's films, it would be a monumental leap for his career.
Ling Jiayi's eyes also lit up, but the excitement was short-lived as he realized that meant he couldn't have dinner with Xiang Qingwei. However, he understood where his priorities lay.
Still, he felt uneasy. "Who else will be at this dinner? Do you need me to accompany you?"
Xiang Qingwei knew his concern was for her safety. After all, this industry was filled with unsavory characters and illicit activities. "Don't worry, both Mr. Fu and Secretary Wen will be there."
Mr. Fu?
Ling Jiayi's heart immediately dropped.
Who in the company didn't know about Fu Yanbo and Xiang Qingwei's past relationship?
"Maybe I should go with you," Ling Jiayi said.
"That won't be necessary. Stay here at the hotel and don't run around. I'm leaving." After Xiang Qingwei gave her instructions, she left.
In all honesty, she wanted to bring Ling Jiayi along.
But Secretary Wen had specifically told her not to bring Jiayi, so she couldn't.
Upon arriving at the private booth, Xiang Qingwei finally understood why Secretary Wen had warned her not to bring Ling Jiayi.
When she saw Fu Yanbo sitting by himself in the private booth, leisurely pouring tea, the smile at the corner of her lips froze, and she felt an urge to turn around and leave.
"Mr. Fu, where's Director Zhang?" She suppressed her anger and walked over, maintaining a calm expression.
Fu Yanbo glanced at her, unfazed. "Oh, he had an urgent matter to attend to, so he can't make it."
Xiang Qingwei scoffed. "Then please enjoy your tea, Mr. Fu. I'll be taking my leave."
"Wait," Fu Yanbo called out to Xiang Qingwei, who had already turned around to leave.
Xiang Qingwei turned around and looked at him. "Is there something else, Mr. Fu?"
Fu Yanbo frowned. "Is this how you treat your boss? Come back here and sit down."
If any other employee in the company had seen Fu Yanbo frowning with a stern tone, they would have been terrified.
But Xiang Qingwei remained unfazed; this wasn't the first time Fu Yanbo had spoken to her in this manner. Earlier, he had been so angry with her that his face turned blue, as if he wanted to choke her to death. To her, Fu Yanbo's current expression, though furrowed, held no threat.
However, remembering that he was her boss, and that she still wanted to use his connections to help Ling Jiayi, she walked back calmly, sat across from him, and even managed a smile. "What is it, Mr. Fu?"
Seeing the "phony" smile on her face, Fu Yanbo's expression grew complicated. He took a sip of his tea before saying, "Join me for dinner."
A waiter promptly entered the room with a menu at hand.
"Give her the menu," Fu Yanbo said, eyes fixed on Xiang Qingwei. "See what you want to eat."
"Thank you, Mr. Fu." With a courteous smile, Xiang Qingwei took the menu from the waiter.
As Fu Yanbo listened to Xiang Qingwei call him "Mr. Fu" with an insincere smile, even speaking more warmly to the waiter than to him, he felt like he was paying extra to be insulted. Yet despite this thought, his gaze remained fixed on Xiang Qingwei's face.
How long had it been since they last sat together and ate?
Before turning to look at Xiang Qingwei, Fu Yanbo averted his eyes, suppressing the bitterness welling up inside him.
Xiang Qingwei finished ordering and didn't speak, instead fiddling with her phone.
Fu Yanbo sighed. He knew that if he didn't speak, Xiang Qingwei would remain silent until the entire meal was over.
He pretended to be nonchalant as he asked, "What's going on between you and Ling Jiayi?"
"It's already been taken care of. Mr. Fu doesn't need to worry," Xiang Qingwei answered, putting her phone down.
Fu Yanbo choked slightly. "I'm asking what's going on between you and Ling Jiayi? How did such scandalous rumors get spread?"
"What scandalous rumors? Oh, is Mr. Fu referring to the gossip about me and Jiayi? Since you've already labeled them as 'scandalous,' I don't think there's any need for me to explain myself," Xiang Qingwei said, her voice cool.
Her words left Fu Yanbo feeling suffocated. "If there are already rumors, then you must be mindful of your interactions with the artists under you, lest they become too... intimate."
"Okay, Mr. Fu, I'll keep that in mind," Xiang Qingwei responded mildly.
Fu Yanbo felt even more suffocated.
Their dishes arrived, and Xiang Qingwei began eating without lifting her head.
Without thinking, Fu Yanbo placed a drumstick on her plate.
Xiang Qingwei glanced at the extra drumstick, then looked up at him.
"Wasn't your favorite food chicken wings?" Fu Yanbo asked, feigning calmness. "I noticed you haven't touched your chopsticks since you sat down."
"Thank you, Mr. Fu," Xiang Qingwei said lightly, "but I'm not a fan of them anymore."
She didn't remove the drumstick from her bowl; it remained untouched even as she finished her meal.
The color drained from Fu Yanbo's face, and his appetite vanished.
Without any fuss, Xiang Qingwei put down her chopsticks, rested her hands on her purse, and said to Fu Yanbo, "I'm done, thank you, Mr. Fu. If there's another opportunity, I'd still like to have Mr. Fu introduce me to Director Zhang." She stood up, grabbed her purse, and nodded slightly before walking away.
Watching her leave without even looking back, Fu Yanbo lowered his face expressionlessly as he set down his chopsticks, which he hadn't used much.
Sometimes, he truly wished he could dig into her chest and see if her heart was really made of stone.
The one who had wrapped her arms around him without hesitation, showering him with kisses and hugs; the one who clung to him relentlessly, impossible to chase away—it had all been Xiang Qingwei. Yet the one who could walk away without a second glance, never to turn back—also Xiang Qingwei.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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