guide

Sunlight streamed into the clean and bright conference room, and the large LED screen emitted a cold white light. The already oppressive and serious atmosphere became even heavier after everyone was seated.

For a long while, apart from the sound of the seats being pulled out and scraping against the ground, no one mentioned the plagiarism controversy. However, everyone's face was gloomy, and the moments when they exchanged glances were full of deep meaning.

The sharp drop in Jin Xuexiao's shares also jeopardized the money in their pockets, which made everyone feel bad. However, due to President Yu Xi's status, none of them dared to say it out loud.

Yu Xi sat in the main seat, wearing a tough leather jacket paired with a suit skirt, and a light yellow silk scarf tied into a bow around her neck, adding a touch of liveliness to the overall serious outfit.

She exuded a sharp aura and spoke in a firm and powerful voice: "I know this incident has affected the shares and everyone's emotions, and I am very sorry about that."

"Your losses will be compensated one by one after the summer clothing is launched and profits are made."

The person who always used provocation spoke first: "President Yu makes it sound so easy. Who doesn't know that Jin Xuexiao has encountered such a big problem? Forget about launching the summer clothes, no factory dares to take on sample garments or finished products, right?"

"Still profitable? Mr. Yu, you should focus on protecting Jin Xuexiao right now!"

Yu Xi was most impressed by this troublemaker. He could easily say things that no one else dared to ask, without any pressure or fear that Yu Xi would put pressure on or blame him.

"K Company stated that they will publicly apologize for the plagiarism accusations and will collaborate with Jin Xuexiao to produce this summer's clothing designs, including for sale."

Upon hearing this, the previously silent crowd began to whisper among themselves. "Why is K Company suddenly apologizing to us and collaborating with Jin Xuexiao to sell and promote their summer new clothing?"

"Is the plagiarism issue resolved just like that?"

"What did President Yu use to negotiate with Gu Yuan in private? Was the other party so willing to back down and agree?"

"When the incident first broke, they were relentlessly pursuing it. Why did they back down so easily?"

"President Yu, you wouldn't have agreed to K Company's acquisition of Jin Xuexiao, would you? That's why they agreed to this?" the first person to speak questioned. "We're all company veterans who've been with Jin Xuexiao since the beginning. Is this how you treat us?"

Once suspicion is established, the charge is already established.

From a small startup to a well-known brand, Jinxuexiao has endured countless hardships and stumbles along the way. Yu Xi dares not forget, nor can she forget, that pain.

Company K, a listed company with substantial capital and a leading position in the apparel industry, has long sought to acquire Jinxuexiao.

Gu Yuan had spoken to her, but Yu Xi refused to agree no matter what she said. How could she easily let them acquire Jin Xuexiao?

Yu Xi quickly clarified, "Of course not, everyone can rest assured. I stand with Jin Xuexiao and will never let it be easily acquired."

“That would be for the best. Now that the problem is solved, I have nothing more to say.” The person who spoke first was straightforward and always liked to say what he meant. He said, “It seems that I don’t need to prepare for changing jobs anymore. Now that everything is clear and the crisis is over, I can get back to working on the documents I have.”

He said this as he got up and left the meeting room, walking away with a flourish.

Yu Xi was already used to his personality. After the meeting room door closed, she waved the documents in her hand and said, "The meeting is adjourned."

She knew perfectly well that even if Jin Xuexiao really couldn't hold on any longer, and everyone was wavering, he wouldn't leave. His words were harsh, but in reality, he was using reverse psychology to try and get her to protect Jin Xuexiao.

The person who took up a position when Jinxuexiao was founded was her senior from university—Ji Huai'en.

She was in the same major as her, but a year ahead of her. Thanks to her excellent professional skills and hands-on abilities, she became a well-known genius in the major.

The fabrics he selects are used to make sample garments, and they always manage to reproduce the bold designs to the greatest extent possible in terms of drape and luster.

For this reason, the professors always praised the garments they made.

Yu Xi first met him during a camping trip. Her department organized an outdoor camping trip, and everyone volunteered to participate.

Since she had nothing to do while staying in her dorm, she signed up for the group camping activity, which she had never experienced before.

She had been packing her things for a day, but in the end, she only brought a backpack. Looking at Meng Chou carrying large and small bags, she laughed and said, "You're bringing so much stuff? We're only going out to play for one day."

Meng Chou carefully analyzed the situation for her and unzipped a corner of his backpack. "There's not much at all. It's all your favorite food, along with some warm clothes and mosquito repellent."

“There are also umbrellas and flashlights.” Meng Chou said, taking out a pair of binoculars. “Oh, and this too, you can use it if you want to look at the stars at night.”

"Looking at the stars?" Yu Xi said, looking up at the sky. The bright sunlight made her unable to open her eyes for a moment. Meng Chou quickly took two steps forward, frowned slightly, and gently raised his hand to cover her eyes.

"Don't stare at the sun, it's bad for your eyes, it's too bright." Meng Chou said with a hint of reproach, like coaxing a child, he leaned most of the parasol towards her, took out two jellies from the snack bag in his backpack, and stuffed them into her hand.

"Here you go, your favorite strawberry-flavored jelly."

Yu Xi took it and exclaimed, "This brand of jelly has actually released new packaging, and it looks quite nice!"

She tore open the packaging of a jelly, stuffed it into her mouth, and the pink juice that overflowed from the soft jelly lingered on her lips.

Yu Xi puffed out her cheeks, still jelly in her mouth, when she noticed a burning gaze. Looking up, she saw Meng Chou staring at her, his eyes fixed on the corner of her lips, his desire to devour her undisguised.

Yu Xi misunderstood him, thinking he also wanted to eat jelly. She opened her palm and held out the other jelly, saying, "Want some? Here's another one for you."

"Okay, I also want to try the strawberry-flavored jelly to see if it tastes good."

As Meng Chou spoke, he bent down and kissed her lips. At first, it was just a gentle yet persistent caress between their lips, each inch of closeness like a test of an unknown territory, which eventually turned into an aggressive possession.

He gently held Yu Xi's neck with one hand, dispelling her thoughts of retreating or running away. His fingertips were warm, and his movements were gentle yet carried an undeniable sense of control.

Yu Xi was ashamed of such a bold act as kissing on the street. Her ear tips turned bright red, and her body stiffened suddenly. However, with Meng Chou's gentle guidance, she gradually relaxed.

Yu Xi's hands seemed to lose their strength, and for a moment she didn't know where to put them. In the end, she could only clench her fists tightly and press them against Meng Chou's chest. Through his coat, she could clearly feel Meng Chou's rapid heartbeat. The hot touch ignited a certain emotion that had been dormant in her heart.

It was as if I had walked into a deep, misty forest, lost and disoriented, when suddenly a blinding light appeared before me. Following its guidance, I slowly ventured deeper and began to understand the rhythm of the light.

Passersby are used to it, but they still cast curious glances and sigh, "These days, handsome guys are so romantic and bold when they pursue women."

"The ambiguous testing between young couples is just so sweet."

As two young girls passed by them, they couldn't help but glance at them a few more times, chuckling and teasing each other.

Yu Xi vaguely heard the conversation between the two, and gently pushed Meng Chou away with her fists pressed against his chest, shyly wanting to escape the scene.

Meng Chou immediately understood, deftly spinning the umbrella he was holding with one hand to block the two of them. With the umbrella on one side and the high wall on the other, they formed a barrier that protected only the two of them.

Yu Xi didn't know how much time had passed before the warmth from the close embrace finally slowly faded away, and the jelly in her mouth had long since disappeared. Her slightly swollen red lips were particularly eye-catching, and her pitiful appearance made people want to tease her again.

Meng Chou stepped back slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

The pressure on his lips seemed not to have completely dissipated, so Yu Xi hurriedly retreated and shoved a handful of jelly into his hand, saying, "That's all, you can have it all."

"Okay, give me them all."

"?"

Yu Xi stared at him blankly for a few seconds before realizing what nonsense he had said. She turned around and ran forward, saying, "Hurry up, or we'll miss the camping shuttle."

Seeing her fleeing like a panicked rabbit, Meng Chou smiled mischievously and said, "Slow down, take the parasol, don't get a tan."

Yu Xi didn't care about any of that anymore and ran off without looking back. Meng Chou, carrying bags and packages, chased after her.

After Yu Xi sat down on the shuttle bus, one of her four roommates noticed her swollen lips and her eyes darted around as if she had imagined something.

When Yu Xi saw the woman's aunt-like smile, alarm bells went off in her mind. She guessed what the woman would ask next and quickly pretended to cover her mouth, but the woman nimbly dodged to the side.

"Don't ask!"

"Are you and Meng Chou together?" She bent her two thumbs and made a kissing gesture. "The battle is fierce, Little Fish."

"Tell us the details quickly!" The other two, having heard the news, also leaned over, their voices filled with curiosity.

Yu Xi and the others were sitting in the back of the bus. She pushed aside the people squeezing in from both sides, crossed her arms, and said, "Stop. If you want to know the details, just go and talk to someone yourself. That would be much clearer than if I simply described it to you."

"Being single is great. If I, a lifelong single, were to date, I wouldn't be interested in ugly men, and I'm afraid handsome men wouldn't be interested in me. I wouldn't touch younger men, and I'm afraid older men would deceive my feelings."

"The roads are all locked up, let's just be quiet beauties."

Yu Xi was amused by her words. As the group joked around, a girl suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, "Oh my god, isn't that Senior Huai En? He's so handsome!"

"Aloof, sharp-tongued, highly intelligent academic genius, he's really popular with the girls in our department."

"He's even more handsome in person than in those photos uploaded to the school's bulletin board."

Yu Xi looked up at the sound. The person was wearing a light brown cotton short-sleeved shirt, paired with light blue jeans, and carrying a large black laptop bag on his back. Apart from a wristwatch, he had no other decorations on his body.

He quickly glanced at the empty seats in the car and sat down in the window seat in front of Yu Xi and the others. He was diagonally in front of Yu Xi, so she could clearly see Ji Huai'en's every move.

Just as they said, her appearance was absolutely flawless, as if she were on a completely different level from everything around her.

Yu Xi's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him, lingering on him for a moment.

When she turned around, she suddenly felt a cold gaze fixed on her. Feeling guilty, she looked towards Meng Chou's seat and saw that he had been watching her all along.

Jealousy was evident in his eyes. Meng Chou raised an eyebrow slightly, as if asking her, "Is it beautiful? Have you seen enough?"

Yu Xi silently lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.

Oh no, the jealousy has been spilled.