Chapter Nineteen: Mistaking a Pearl for a Fish Eye
"yes."
Su Xiao stood in front of the desk, maintaining a polite distance: "You wanted to see me?"
"I heard you're asking for the afternoon off?"
Xu Lin looked at her and tapped his fingers on the table:
"It's not appropriate for a new employee to take leave right after joining the company, especially since the project is on a tight schedule."
"I have already handed over my work to Lin Xi, so it won't delay the progress."
Su Xiao spoke calmly.
"Lin Xi?"
Xu Lin chuckled, leaning forward slightly, the chair creaking.
"What does a little girl like her know? Whether this project succeeds or not depends on your abilities as the team leader."
His gaze swept over Su Xiao's chest, his expression one of undisguised scrutiny:
"Actually, taking leave isn't out of the question."
He seemed quite satisfied, and stood up, making no attempt to hide his approach to Su Xiao:
"Are you free tomorrow night? Have dinner with me, it's no problem."
An unpleasant atmosphere instantly filled the air.
Su Xiao took a half step back without making a sound, just enough to avoid him.
Her smile remained unchanged, but her tone had softened:
"Minister Xu is joking. I asked for leave to attend the Tang family's charity gala."
She emphasized the words "Tang family".
"We were discussing a potential collaboration on a calligraphy and painting donation for the West Bund project. It wouldn't be good if it got delayed."
Xu Lin paused for a moment.
He was well aware of the Tang family's influence in Beijing.
He narrowed his eyes and sized up Su Xiao.
"Since it's for the project... let's go."
"Thank you, Minister."
Su Xiao nodded slightly, turned and left, not giving the other person a chance to speak again.
The moment the door closed, the smile on her face faded, and her fingertips felt a little cold.
In the office, Xu Lin watched Su Xiao's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
He picked up the employee files on the table and turned to Su Xiao's page.
The girl in the photo has delicate features.
"The Su family... art gallery..."
He muttered to himself, tapping his fingers on the words "Su Family" as his eyes gradually turned sinister.
After lunch break, Su Xiao exchanged a few words with Lin Xi and then went out.
A familiar black Bentley was parked in front of the company.
The driver stood respectfully beside the car. When he saw her approaching, he bowed slightly and opened the back door.
The car was filled with his usual woody scent.
Yan Mingshen leaned back in his chair, a document between his fingers, and handed it to his assistant in front of him.
The lines of his profile appear particularly hard and cold in the light and shadow.
He didn't look at her, but spoke calmly:
"Let's go to the store."
Su Xiao hummed in agreement, placed her bag beside her, and separated herself from Yan Mingshen.
For a moment, no one spoke. The driver lowered the partition, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
The street scene outside the window rushed past, just like the past between her and Yan Mingshen that she could no longer hold onto.
There's nothing more to say about how things have come to this point between them.
The car was parked in front of a luxury store in the city center, where the staff were already waiting.
As soon as the two got out of the car, a staff member escorted them to the VIP room at the back.
Yan Mingshen ordered a moon-white fishtail dress for her.
The silk's sheen flowed under the light, making Su Xiao's skin look like the finest mutton fat jade.
As she entered the fitting room, she heard Yan Mingshen instructing the shop assistants outside.
Go pick up the jewelry he photographed a couple of days ago and left here.
Yan Mingshen has never mistreated her in this regard.
But even without him, Su Xiao could afford the expenses of luxury goods on her own.
She didn't need to depend on Yan Mingshen, but Yan Mingshen stubbornly believed that she was nothing without him.
When Yan Mingshen came out after changing into his formal attire, he was standing in front of the mirror adjusting his cuffs.
He changed into a black suit to match her, the pearls on his cufflinks echoing those on her dress.
The moment he turned around and saw her, Yan Mingshen's eyes visibly paused.
The light from the crystal chandelier fell on her bare shoulders and neck, and the hem of her skirt outlined her slender waist.
She stood there, like a magnolia quietly blooming in the moonlight.
Cool and striking.
"fine."
He spoke in a low voice, with a barely perceptible hoarseness.
Su Xiao didn't reply, but lowered her head and let the shop assistant adjust the clasp of her necklace.
The cold metal against her skin reminded her of last night in the villa.
The self-righteous look on Xia Zhi's face when she wiped her oil painting palette knife with her Xuan paper.
"Xia Zhi will be moving out in a couple of days."
Yan Mingshen suddenly spoke, his tone softening slightly:
"Go home when you've had enough."
He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
It's as if she's the one who's being unreasonable.
Su Xiao looked up and looked into his eyes through the mirror.
There was no remorse, only his cheap and self-righteous affection.
"knew."
Su Xiao's tone was indifferent.
She doesn't care.
She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth as a young lady of the Su family.
He was a curatorial genius whose restoration skills were second only to his father's, and whom everyone boasted about.
Only someone as arrogant and complacent as Yan Mingshen.
That's why they mistook pearls for fish eyes.
“Xiaoxiao…”
Yan Mingshen sighed and looked at the two people standing side by side in the mirror.
It felt like I was back three years ago, when they had just gotten married.
She stood beside her in her wedding dress, the love in her eyes more dazzling than a crystal chandelier.
But now all that's left is disappointment.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if he wanted to say something.
But then, the phone in my bag rang at an inopportune moment.
The name "Xia Zhi" was displayed on the screen.
Yan Mingshen answered the phone, listened for a few minutes, and his brows gradually furrowed.
"Your dress is torn? Which store? I'm coming right away."
He hung up the phone and looked at Su Xiao with a slightly apologetic expression.
"There's a problem with Xia Zhi's dress, I need to take care of it. The driver will come to pick you up."
Su Xiao didn't turn around, but only looked at herself in the mirror:
"No need, I'll go by myself."
"OK."
Yan Mingshen did not insist further.
The sound of leather shoes striking the ground as he turned around was crisp and clean, as if announcing a certain priority.
The moment the door closed, Su Xiao took off the pearl from her collar and handed it to the shop assistant next to her.
"Could you please change it to a diamond one? Thank you."
Su Xiao changed her jewelry and walked out of the dress store in the dazzling sunlight.
Fortunately, she had made plans in advance, and the Su family's car was already waiting outside.
She knew it.
Yan Mingshen is a person who can never be relied upon.
The Tang Family Mansion is located outside the Fourth Ring Road. It is brightly lit and looks like a castle from a distance.
Luxury cars filled the entrance, and elegantly dressed guests arrived in an endless stream.
Su Xiao gave her name and was led inside by a waiter.
The banquet hall was very large, and the crystal chandeliers were dazzling.
She had just picked up the champagne that the waiter had brought her.
I spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
Xu Lin.
He was wearing a dark gray suit and was chatting and laughing with several businessmen while holding a wine glass.
When he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
Su Xiao's heart tightened, and she subconsciously looked away.
Getting involved with this kind of person is just asking for trouble.
She gripped her wine glass and walked quickly toward Old Master Tang.
Before she could even get close to the crowd, Xu Lin blocked her way.
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