Chapter 5 Dining Together "How could I let Designer Bai pay?"...

I was somewhat distracted during the day's work.

Bai Ye had no idea what Yi Sheng would say to her at dinner. She figured that although Yi Sheng was definitely not as good as her in terms of professional skills, he wasn't a school teacher who would ask her questions or test her on academic or theoretical knowledge.

From the perspective of the client, how would they glean information from this seemingly insignificant individual to evaluate the entire brand?

Bai Yeke pondered whether she should report this meal to Zhang Xiaoli.

If Ke Yisheng wanted their leaders to be present, she could have directly arranged for someone to make the contact. Bai Yeke, who was at the very bottom of the chain, should have been the last to be notified.

Now that Yi Sheng has bypassed the leadership and invited her directly under the pretext of picking up clothes and having dinner together, will Yi Sheng be displeased if she brings the leaders along?

This Miss Yi's time is definitely very valuable; if she disrupts someone's plans...

Bai Yeke's head was throbbing again.

She glanced up at the other busy staff and felt a pang of envy. How the tables had turned! Just a few hours ago, they were the ones envying her for not having to meet her recruitment quota.

well.

I don't know how many times I've sighed today.

He Xin peeked out from behind her and asked, "Why are you sighing?"

Bai Yeke shuddered, startled. When she turned around, He Xin was holding a mug and looking at her with a puzzled expression.

well.

Bai Yeke sighed again without realizing it.

"Tsk tsk tsk." He Xin laughed, "What are you thinking about? You were so lost in thought that you were startled and kept sighing."

Bai Ye leaned back in her chair, turned around wearily, and the chair rotated 180 degrees. She then started talking to He Xin face to face. "As the service provider, I am painfully and confusedly trying to keep up with the client's needs."

"Don't you have any cases on your hands?" He Xin asked, puzzled. "Ever since you took Ms. Yi's case, you haven't been given any follow-up assignments. Which client is so difficult to deal with?"

Bai Ye pursed her lips, unable to express herself.

"Let me see your proposal?" He Xin was willing to offer some help or advice.

Bai Yeke casually opened the n plans she had come up with that day.

"Hey!" He Xin looked at it and found it increasingly strange. "Why are the styles of each of your cases different, and the apartment layouts haven't been finalized?"

Bai Yeke rested her chin on her hand and said, "Mmm."

"What the hell? Don't you know you need to communicate the basic issues with the client first?" He Xin frowned. "How can we design without a definite direction?"

Bai Ye turned her head to look at her, and the two remained silent.

He Xin was also helpless. Obviously, even if Bai Yeke was a newcomer, she couldn't possibly make such a basic mistake.

It can only be that the client hasn't decided on their own ideas yet.

“Then let the client think about it himself,” He Xin said. “You can’t just stay here and fill in his empty imagination; that would be a complete waste of your energy and time. Besides, you also have a VVVIP case on hand. Why don’t you report to the manager and transfer it to another designer?”

Bai Ye sighed again, wishing she could transfer out.

Seeing her posture, He Xin suddenly guessed something, "Could this client be Miss Yi?"

Bai Ye nodded with difficulty.

"Uh," He Xin didn't know what to say, "Well, you know, you're the client, so you definitely have to put in a lot more effort..."

Bai Yeke then asked her, "So, do you think I should report to the manager that the client wants to invite me to dinner?"

"Um?"

This kind of situation is unlikely to happen to designers like them, He Xin guessed with some surprise, "Could it also be that VIP client?"

Bai Yeke nodded again.

Given this situation... He Xin quickly realized the same concerns as Bai Yeke, so how could she offer advice?

It's so difficult.

Bai Ye looked at her earnestly and blinked her pure, big eyes.

Bai Yeke's eyes are very beautiful, delicate and gentle, with a subtle sparkle in her almond-shaped eyes. Combined with her scholarly and refined temperament, she makes people's hearts melt at first sight.

Even with her soft heart, this matter was beyond He Xin's understanding and ability, and she was powerless to help.

He Xin chuckled twice, patted her arm, and said, "Go for it, you can do it. I believe in any decision you make." With that, she quickly turned and slipped away.

Finally, after much deliberation, Bai Ye reported the situation to the manager.

After all, she works for "Santian" and, given her position, she is not qualified to make any decisions or take any responsibility regarding brand collaborations. Her responsibility lies in reporting any situation promptly.

Upon learning of this, Zhang Xiaoli took it very seriously and quickly reported it to the store manager.

This was the first time Bai Yeke had seen such a high level of efficiency in the store. In less than half an hour, she had received a reply—the store manager would attend with her.

Logically speaking, with high-level leaders accompanying her, Bai Yeke should have no worries and only needed to cooperate. However, Bai Yeke was still uneasy. It was hard to explain her feeling; she always felt that something was not quite right.

This premonition came true at the dinner table that evening.

Bai Ye didn't understand the store manager's temperament. Although they had met quite a few times, they rarely spoke. Even when they did talk, the store manager would only offer encouragement, and they would respond in kind. If anything happened, whether it was a reward or criticism, the store manager would speak to the manager, not them.

At six o'clock sharp, Yi Sheng sent a message to Bai Yeke.

A life of simplicity: Are you off work yet?

Coconut Cola: Just about to leave work.

A life of simplicity: I have arrived.

The store manager urged Bai Yeke, "Hurry up and leave."

"Ask Miss Yi where she parked her car," the store manager instructed, handing his car keys to Bai Yeke. "Go get the car first and pick me up in a bit. I'll go say hello to Miss Yi. Sigh, I should have asked beforehand. Why did we make Miss Yi wait for us?"

As she walked, Bai Yeke sent a message to Yi Sheng. Although they were about to meet, she felt she should also tell Yi Sheng about the store manager's attendance.

Coconut Cola: Okay, we'll be right there, the manager and I will go together.

She quickly sent an innocent-looking emoji, her face full of anticipation, trying to curry favor with Yi Sheng at the last minute.

Yi Sheng didn't reply to her message.

Bai Yeke felt a little uneasy. Just as she and the store manager walked out of the store, Yi Sheng was actually standing at the door.

The woman stood under a tree. Camphor trees lined the street every few meters, and they were in full bloom this season, their branches displaying a mix of dark and light green. She held an umbrella, and it was a rainy day, a fine, dense drizzle. Under the gloomy sky, Yi Sheng wore plain black trousers, a white shirt, and a dark purple suit jacket. The overall color scheme matched the weather, but on Yi Sheng, it didn't look gloomy at all; instead, it was quite eye-catching, drawing glances from passersby.

At that moment, Bai Yeke's first reaction was to look at Yi Sheng's expression; she felt very guilty.

Yi Sheng saw them immediately. She took a few steps closer, and the store manager rushed forward even faster, almost running up to her. A few steps away, Bai Yeke quickly nodded and smiled politely at Yi Sheng, then turned around and decided to resolutely carry out the store manager's order to get in the car and escape the scene first.

The store manager spoke first, also with a fawning smile, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Yi, have you been waiting long? Why didn't you come into the store?"

"It's alright." Yi Sheng's voice was as cold as his personality, yet pleasant to the ear, making people unconsciously want to obey.

“Designer Bai!” Yi Sheng called out to her the next second.

Bai Yeke stopped in her tracks, holding her car keys. She didn't know whether to run or wait for Yi Sheng, and it seemed impolite to just stand there and wait.

Fortunately, it was only a few steps. Yi Sheng had long legs and walked quickly. In the short time it took for her to pause, he had already reached her side. The umbrella passed over her head, and the two stood under the same umbrella.

Yi Sheng asked her, "So, Designer Bai likes to get wet in the rain?"

The words had a double meaning. The last time they met, Bai Yeke had also been caught in the rain, which was why Yi Sheng lent her clothes.

This time, their second meeting, Bai Yeke was once again caught in the rain.

Bai Ye was speechless for a moment. Heaven and earth are my witnesses. She was in a hurry to get to the car, and the rain was so light that she wouldn't get wet in just a minute or two.

Besides, their store manager wasn't holding an umbrella either.

With such a heavyweight client like you in front of us, how could we possibly care about such a trivial matter?

"Although it's late spring, this rain still carries a chill," Yi Sheng instructed. "Designer Bai, please don't catch a cold, or I don't know when my house will be finished."

!

Give them a good talking-to, a really good talking-to!

The store manager followed over and, upon hearing this, understood the situation. He explained with a hint of apology, "Mr. Yi, I learned that you had dinner with our designer, Ms. Bai. She is quite young, so I thought I should accompany her. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them for you."

"It's alright." Yi Sheng seemed easy to talk to, even with a hint of understanding in her smile. But then she added, "Since I promised to pick up Designer Bai, of course I have to. Designer Bai, please ride in my car. We still need to pick up the clothes first."

As for the store manager, you can come along if you want, but you should drive yourself.

The person who has reached the position of store manager is the best at reading people and speaking to them, and is very flexible. He immediately smiled and replied, "Okay, then I will follow your car."

The store manager reached for the key, and Bai Ye naturally had to return it to him.

Yi Sheng's tone was unreadable. "Let's go."

Bai Ye could only follow under her umbrella.

good.

Bai Yeke now understands that Yi Sheng really doesn't want anyone else to eat this meal with her, and her plan to become a follower of the boss to avoid Yi Sheng has also failed.

This is a really bad situation.

When Bai Ye arrived at Yi Sheng's car, she didn't expect Yi Sheng to be so polite, actually opening the car door for her first, "Designer Bai, please."

Bai Ye quickly declined. Even though she was a newcomer and unfamiliar with workplace etiquette, she still understood this basic principle. "Ms. Yi, you're too kind. Please go first." She intended to accompany her to the driver's seat.

"An umbrella." Yi Sheng's reason was simple and clear.

The umbrella belonged to Yi Sheng, so he helped her to her seat.

So, Bai Ye could only sit down obediently and fearfully.

"What song do you want to listen to? Search for it yourself." Yi Sheng turned on his turn signal, and the store manager's car quickly followed.

Bai Yeke sat in the passenger seat and didn't want to touch anything in Yi Sheng's car. "No need, just do what you like."

Yi Sheng didn't force her, but she actually quieted down and stopped playing music.

The rain was fine and dense, with no large raindrops hitting buildings or even car bodies; the only sound was the faint splashing of water as vehicles passed by on the road.

For a moment, Bai Ye was a little embarrassed.

It would be better to play music; at least that would provide some background sound.

"Are you nervous?" Yi Sheng asked abruptly.

Bai Ye almost blurted out "It's alright," but learned from her mistake, she swallowed it back and stubbornly said, "No."

"Oh." Yi Sheng asked again, "You don't want to have dinner with me alone?"

!

I'm waiting for her here!

No, not at all.

Bai Yeke laughed dryly.

Isn't it just because the store manager accompanied them?

She was just nervous and didn't want to eat alone with Yi Sheng. Was that wrong?

But the truth cannot be spoken.

Upon arriving near the dry cleaner, Bai Yeke quickly got out of the car herself, saying, "I'll go get the clothes. Please wait here for a moment."

"Slower."

Just as Bai Ye was about to jog over, she was stopped again and looked back.

"..."

Miss Yi also got out of the car and walked towards her while holding an umbrella.

Is this to hold an umbrella for her and help her across?

Baiye is about to crack, no, Miss, do you really have to be so persistent?

Yi Sheng looked quite innocent, "I was just about to hand you an umbrella when you ran away."

"..."

Bai Ye forced a smile. "I'm sorry."

"Okay, let's go." Yi Sheng accepted her apology quite naturally and led her across the street.

Well, as Bai Ye turned around, she clearly saw out of the corner of her eye that the store manager had also parked his car and gotten out.

well.

This is also a form of warning.

If Yi Sheng waits in the car, the store manager won't get out; it's just a small fry like her running errands anyway.

But Yi Sheng insisted on coming down, so the store manager had no choice but to come down as well, because he was worried that there might be other arrangements and he wanted to be able to keep up in time.

After picking up the clothes, the store manager was waiting at the store entrance. He smiled and asked, "Are you going to the restaurant next?"

Yi Sheng simply hummed in agreement, while Bai Ye, worried that the store manager hadn't heard her clearly, quickly nodded vigorously.

Little did he know that this appearance, as seen by Yi Sheng, carried a touch of childish silliness, and a slight smile curved Yi Sheng's lips.

As they passed by the store manager, Bai Yeke noticed a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

What a terrible thing to do.

The store manager followed Yi Sheng, parking the car a little further away. He jogged over to catch up. In the late spring evening, the air was thick with moisture, making it easier to sweat.

Bai Yeke also noticed that Yi Sheng seemed to smile.

Uh, is this woman laughing at the store manager?

The rumored Yi Sheng is aloof by nature and also very skilled at dealing with people.

Today, she seems to have had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of just the tip of the iceberg.

Wow, that's pretty impressive.

The restaurant had booked a mid-range hotel.

It's something you can afford to eat, but of course, you can only afford to eat it once a month.

From the moment we entered, the store manager kept saying, "Why don't we go to another store? We feel so bad about entertaining Mr. Yi here."

Bai Ye could see that the waiter who was leading the way had a dark expression on his face.

Yi Sheng remained expressionless and waved his hand, "No, it's my treat."

"Oh, I can't accept this."

"It was just a simple meal."

...

During the meal, Yi Sheng demonstrated through his actions that it was indeed a casual meal.

Before the food was served, the waiter brought over a basin with a large pot of hot water, and the manager attentively put all the bowls and chopsticks on the table into it to scald them.

Even Bai Ye couldn't outspeed him.

But looking at Yi Sheng, this woman watched the manager take action without saying a word. When the waiter was about to leave with the basin of hot water, she calmly asked, "Is this how you disinfect your tableware?"

"No, we use steam sterilization, absolutely high-temperature sterilization," the waiter replied. "It's just that many customers are used to scalding their bowls and chopsticks."

Yi Sheng hummed in agreement, glancing at the scalded bowls and chopsticks. He still seemed somewhat dissatisfied, or rather, dissatisfied because the bowls and chopsticks had just been scalded…

Sigh, they're so hard to please.

Bai Ye could clearly sense that the store manager was at a loss.

As a result, Yi Sheng barely touched his chopsticks during this simple meal.

During the meal, the manager took out serving chopsticks and tried to put food in Yi Sheng's bowl. Yi Sheng glanced at him, and although she didn't express any dislike, the manager still withdrew his hand and awkwardly put the food into his own bowl.

The manager's actions seemed to inspire Yi Sheng, who also picked up the serving chopsticks and put a few bites of food on Bai Yeke's plate.

The dishes that Bai Ye picked up were all ones that Bai Ye thought tasted good on the table.

It seems Miss Yi is so bored that she's watching what she eats.

Of course, Bai Ye was too embarrassed to accept the client serving her food. She tried to serve food to Yi Sheng, but was met with a glance from Yi Sheng and silently gave up.

The store manager would occasionally speak, recounting anecdotes about the past of "Shentian" and expressing his admiration for the Yi family.

It's quite remarkable that the store manager, who is usually so eloquent and persuasive in any situation, had a few brief moments today when the conversation just couldn't continue.

The main point is that Yi Sheng didn't respond to him, but he didn't ignore him either. He just smiled faintly at whatever Yi Sheng said, and Yi Sheng was the only one putting on a show and laughing heartily.

For a moment, the store manager seemed a little confused. He asked, "What brings President Yi to invite Xiao Bai today?"

Yi Sheng reiterated, "Just a simple meal."

Towards the end of the meal, Bai Yeke felt a sense of sympathy for the manager, but also a great sense of relief.

Luckily, the store manager arrived; otherwise, she would have suffered terribly facing such a formidable woman as Ms. Yi all by herself today!

After the meal, Yi Sheng went to pay the bill, but the manager quickly stopped him and nudged Bai Yeke with his elbow.

As a lowly subordinate, Bai Ye wisely took over the checkout service.

Yi Sheng gave her a half-smile, "How could I possibly let Designer Bai pay for this?"

Baiye Coco is completely inept at those annoying formalities or hypocritical exchanges, pushing and pulling back and forth.

She could only awkwardly force a smile and say, "It's my sentiment, it's my sentiment!"

"Okay." Yi Sheng didn't say anything more.

Bai Ye could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Yi Sheng gave her the same beautiful smile as that day, "Then I'll treat you next time."

Bai Yeke: "...You're too kind."

A note from the author:

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