Chapter 13
To be honest, Liang Shi really envied Li Junqian. Although he was busy, his position allowed him to fly to various countries all year round. One day he was attending fashion week, and the next he was visiting the group's laboratories scattered in different countries. His work and life were very fulfilling.
She was the only one still working overtime to meet the company's Christmas KPIs. At midnight, after Marry confirmed the work for tomorrow with her one last time, Liang Shi couldn't help but yawn. No matter what, she was willing to work herself to the bone for the company, but her health was her own, and she didn't want to ruin herself.
When she gets home, no matter how late it is, Liang Shilei always removes her makeup and does her skincare routine. Recently, she's learned a new skill: she falls asleep the moment her head hits the pillow. However, when she wakes up is another matter entirely.
That's right, Liang Shi was unusually late the next day. For the first time, she even brought her makeup to the company to do it, but Liang Shi didn't expect that she would hear an explosive piece of gossip in the bathroom, the very place where gossips usually gossip.
She doesn't care about other people's gossip, but when it comes to her boyfriend, no matter how big the gossip is, it's explosive.
Of course, this gossip did make her frown. If it weren't for the fact that it was still late at night in Norway, Liang Shi would definitely have called Li Junqian to question him.
Liang Shi sat on the toilet until the group of women left before carrying his makeup bag back to his office.
"I heard that Yao Lei is on the cover of Fanning Greater China's year-end magazine this year. Although she is good-looking, what outstanding things has she done this year? I feel that she is not as good as our Director Liang. The perfume that is the hardest to sell was launched by her."
"Hey, do people only care about performance? It's all about connections. Do you think our CEO Li's relationship with the French headquarters is just for show? I heard that Director Yao made a special trip to CEO Li's office before he went on his business trip to Norway. I'm on good terms with CEO Li's secretary, and I heard she was in there for an hour. Tsk tsk tsk, an hour, what kind of talk can last an hour?"
"Oh my god, could it be what I think? My handsome and gentle CEO Li is actually this kind of person! But then again, this kind of thing is really exciting. Office romances are forbidden, but having an affair is allowed. God, I'd die happy to have an affair with a handsome guy like CEO Li! But, CEO Li has always had good taste, how did he end up with Yao Lei?"
"Men are all the same when the lights are off, but Yao Lei still has a good figure! Okay, I'm not going to gossip with you anymore, I have a lot of work to do."
Liang Shi leaned back in his boss's chair, his mind filled with gossip about the two women he'd just seen. No wonder he'd seen Li Junqian and Yao Lei having lunch together and chatting so happily. Turns out he was eyeing something else while eating what he already had.
He didn't contact her during that time, which means he was busy with other women and didn't have time for her!
You bastard Li Junqian! You dog of a man!
Marry came in to submit her report, but before she could even speak, the woman in the boss's chair asked, "Does our company have an internal publication?"
Having only been here for a little over a month, she was confused about many things.
"Yes, it's an annual publication. Overseas, it's usually released around Christmas. In China, it's a bit later, generally between New Year's Day and the Spring Festival. It's mainly a summary of the work done by different branch offices for the year. Director Liang, why are you asking about this?"
Liang Shi felt that his question was too deliberate, so he tossed his hair and said, "I haven't been here long, so I need to learn about the company culture. Can you show me the internal publications from the past two years? I'll study them. Oh, and if you have any internal publications from head office, bring them over for me to look at as well."
At noon, Liang Shi bought a sandwich and a hot latte from the coffee shop downstairs and went upstairs. The internal publications from the previous two years were already placed in the center of her desk.
It must be said that Mary has a very strong ability to execute.
It's more like a thick fashion magazine than a work summary. And, to be honest, it's quite attractive.
Liang Shi also noticed that this internal publication was unusual. The key was the cover. The publication mentioned which department had done the most outstanding work in the past year, and the cover featured the leader of that department. In recent years, the covers of the headquarters' internal publications have almost all featured prominent figures like Fan Ning that she had met when she attended events in France. Looking at the domestic ones, the year before last it was Li Junqian, and last year it was the sales director who was transferred to the French headquarters because of his outstanding sales performance.
Honestly, Yao Lei doesn't seem qualified. But she is, after all, the brand director, so it's understandable that she'd be on a cover.
But the R&D department also made significant contributions this year. Could it be that because the R&D director is a man, Li Junqian didn't receive any benefits, so...
Speak of the devil, and he appears. Liang Shi saw the phone number in the contact's name, stared at the sandwich in her hand, and suddenly lost her appetite. She threw the sandwich into the paper bag, picked up her phone, and mentally calculated what time it should be in Norway at this hour.
"Little Shi, have you had lunch yet?"
Liang Shi scoffed, "Mr. Li, it's only six o'clock where you are, isn't it? Even the roosters in Oslo don't get up as early as you, do they?"
Standing on the balcony where the temperature was five degrees below zero, Li Junqian frowned slightly. If the voice wasn't correct, he would have doubted whether the person on the other end of the phone was the same woman who had been flirting and behaving in a coquettish manner with him just two days ago.
Who made you angry?
As expected of an experienced man, Liang Shi quickly realized she was angry. He snorted, "Who do you think I'm angry with? Li Junqian, don't call me all the time lately. I'm busy. Bye."
Li Junqian held his phone. To be honest, he shouldn't have done anything to annoy her, right? Weren't they getting along quite well that day?
Liang Shi, having finished his sandwich and his lukewarm latte, still didn't receive Li Junqian's second call.
"Tsk, you say you won't fight, but you really won't? You bastard, do you even understand women?"
Let her be so angry she dies.
That day after work, Liang Shi was waiting for the elevator when the doors opened, and there was Yao Lei inside. The brand department was on the seventeenth floor, one floor above hers. It was indeed a few seconds faster than her going to the president's office on the twenty-third floor.
Yao Lei also saw her, carrying a Hermes Kelly bag in one hand and pressing the elevator door open button with the other.
"Director Liang, aren't you coming in?"
Carrying her Chanel 2.55, Liang Shi reluctantly stepped into the elevator. Women, before becoming rivals, can appreciate each other. Frankly, Liang Shi thought Yao Lei's clothing and style were quite thoughtful and fashionable, but since that gossip this morning, appreciation was out of the question.
Now we should be exploring: the bag is Hermès, the watch is Rolex, the necklace is Van Cleef & Arpels, and oh my, and diamond earrings too.
All of this demonstrates her wealthy lifestyle.
Did Li Junqian make any contribution to this?
"This Christmas, the main focus is on eyeshadow and contouring. I've read your copywriting, and it's quite good. Director Liang was indeed personally invited by President Gu; her abilities are top-notch."
Who doesn't know a few polite phrases in the workplace? Liang Shi smiled and said, "Director Yao is also very capable. I heard you got the cover of the Greater China internal publication! I'd like to try my luck next year, and I'll have to learn from you then."
Whether it was something he had said that touched a nerve with her or something, Yao Lei looked noticeably dazed. The elevator quickly reached the basement level, and Liang Shi, not wanting to linger with her, stepped out first.
Unexpectedly, the two cars were parked together.
"I didn't expect you to be so close to not only President Gu, but also President Li. I've been wanting to ask you this for a while: how did you manage to borrow the car from President Li?"
This is just an ordinary Porsche in Li Junqian's garage, how did Yao Lei know about it? It seems they do have a close relationship.
Liang Shi glanced at her Maserati and shrugged: "Who said it was borrowed? I asked him to buy it. But Mr. Li is rich and didn't care about me paying for it in installments, so he didn't take a penny from me. Rich people are always willing to help the poor, a Porsche is nothing to him. Director Yao, there's traffic right now, let's talk again when we have time."
...
On Christmas Day, Liang Shi specially asked Mary to buy a lot of food and drinks. Everyone was working overtime during this wonderful holiday, so they had to treat their stomachs well.
"The sales department just reported great news: our Blooming eyeshadow and contour products saw a 50% year-on-year increase in Christmas sales compared to last year! That almost surpassed our Singles' Day sales! These sales figures are truly impressive!"
Marry gestured for everyone to raise their glasses to the leader: "This is all thanks to Director Liang's idea. Every Christmas we focus on promoting lipsticks, but this year Director Liang surprised us with something unexpected! To be honest, sales of this eyeshadow series have never been great, but we didn't expect Director Liang's copywriting and creative video to be so well received! Let's toast Director Liang, thank you for coming, and for giving our creative department a bunch of bonuses!"
This was the first time Liang Shi had ever been so flattered by them, and he drank coffee like it was alcohol.
Actually, she stumbled upon a video while scrolling through videos that day, showing a child drawing on their face with paint. Later, she thought that if eyeshadow wasn't just for the eyes, painting on the face could also be a great way to use it.
She had seen online reviews and blogger posts about this eyeshadow series, and they all complained that the colors were too vibrant, some of the good colors were used up quickly, and the less frequently used colors were just wasted.
In fact, the main point of the video she commissioned the advertising agency to shoot was that eyeshadow wasn't just a color for the eyes; it was about breaking conventions and thinking outside the box. To fit the Christmas theme, she had several of Fanning's chief makeup artists design over a dozen Christmas makeup looks for the video, with the facial designs all done using Blooming eyeshadow. Once released, the video garnered millions of reposts on Weibo and Xiaohongshu.
Liang Shi undoubtedly gave his work a brilliant start.
Good news travels fast, and the very next day, Gu Feng, who was far away in Paris, actually made a transoceanic call to Liang Shi. It was four o'clock in the afternoon here, and it was probably only ten o'clock there.
“Suzie, I’m having brunch with Richard, the vice president of the Paris headquarters. This morning I heard a video report from the sales and finance departments. You’re a big contributor! Since you came, sales of all kinds of beauty products in Fanning Greater China have doubled. I was right to have a good eye and bring you here! Richard praised you and said he’d like to bring you to Paris to meet everyone sometime.”
Liang Shi chuckled: "Frankl, it was just a coincidence. It's all thanks to these online dividends. There are so many short video platforms, and by leveraging them, our promotion has become wider and our sales have increased. Also, please thank Richard for his appreciation. I will definitely come back to Paris when I have the chance."
The person on the other end said "no" three times in a row: "Suzie, don't be so modest. You've brought so much benefit to the company, so your creative department will definitely receive its share of the rewards. Of course, as the leader of this meritorious department, and as the company's boss, you can make an extra request of me. As long as it's not excessive, I can grant it as a reward for your contributions to Fanning in less than two months since you joined the company."
She was just doing her job and didn't really want anything in particular.
There was a deep French voice on the other end of the phone, which she couldn't quite make out, but Gu Feng quickly translated Richard's words: "Richard said that as long as you ask, I will definitely do it if I can. Even headquarters has given you special privileges. Suzie, seize the opportunity."
Wow, what a stroke of luck! It's like the world is raining down candy, and heaven even provided her with a swimming pool to catch it all. If she were to pass up this opportunity, she'd be letting heaven down.
"Haven't decided yet? That's okay, take your time, no rush."
Fearing he would delay the two leaders from having brunch, Liang Shi was about to hang up when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he spoke before he could think: "Frankl, I really do have a favor to ask."
"Please feel free to speak."
However, after Liang Shi finished speaking, the other side fell silent. Gu Feng, who was usually so outspoken and straightforward, actually fell silent. It seemed that there was indeed something fishy going on.
"Never mind then, I've only been here for less than two months, I'm really not qualified."
Gu Feng took a sip of coffee and cleared his throat: "Suzie, your abilities are evident to everyone. Even though you've only been here for less than two months, you're qualified to be on the cover of the internal publication. But regarding Yaelis, Karsten personally reported to the head office president. You should know that all regional internal publications of Fanning are approved by the big boss of the Paris headquarters. Besides, he has a better relationship with the big boss than I do..."
Liang Shi was silent for five seconds before replying with a simple "I understand." But why did he feel so uneasy? Li Junqian actually did this for a woman…
She curled her lip and scoffed, "Frankl, you actually believe that? I was just making it up. But I heard Karsten and Yaelis have a special relationship, looks like it's true?"
Gu Feng clearly didn't want to dwell on his good friend's gossip: "I wouldn't know about that. By the way, there's nothing I can do about this, Suzie. Just let me know if you need anything. That's all for now?"
Liang Shi hung up the phone, furious. She kicked off her high heels and slumped onto the table, fuming.
It's been days since she snapped at him on the phone, and this man hasn't called even once! He's so petty!
Just before the end of the workday, Mary knocked and came in. She was clearly not there as a secretary or to report for duty. Liang Shi raised an eyebrow: "What's up?"
Marry grinned, "The head makeup artists happened to be free today, so I took the liberty of inviting them over. Let's jump on the blooming trend while the Christmas spirit is still alive. Several of the ladies in the department have already started doing their Christmas makeup. Director Liang, would you like to join us?"
If she refused, Liang Shi guessed that the women in her department would gossip in the restroom about how heartless she was. Thinking that this was also a kind of departmental 'team building,' she put her high heels back on: "Okay, save the best makeup artist for me!"
Later, Liang Shi returned home from the company with a deer-themed makeup look. Fortunately, she only took the elevator and stayed in the car the whole way, otherwise she might have really died on the way.
However, I must say, the chief makeup artist is amazing. The key is that Fanning's blooming eyeshadow is also very effective. Her reindeer makeup is so lifelike, especially the two antlers drawn on her eyebrows. I really don't want to take them off.
Liang Shi took a few narcissistic photos in the car, a rare moment of self-admiration, before grabbing his bag and taking the elevator home. Unexpectedly, a tall, handsome man was standing at the door.
Haven't seen him for days, could it be that the cold Norwegian winds are so soothing? How come this man gets more and more handsome?
He stared at her and smiled, but Liang Shi looked away and walked over: "Never seen a beautiful woman before? What are you laughing at?"
Li Junqian looked at her face, which had a perfect balance of light and shadow, making her look just like an angry little deer: "Xiao Shi, Merry Christmas. Did you celebrate with the girls in the office? Your makeup looks great."
Liang Shi scoffed, "Are those makeup artists in the company, who earn hundreds of thousands a year, just for nothing? Besides, I'm naturally beautiful, I look good no matter what I do. And besides, yesterday was Christmas, move aside, you're blocking my way to open the door."
The man, carrying his suitcase, turned to the side. Liang Shi opened the door, but the door was only slightly ajar. She slipped inside and was about to close the door when he wasn't looking when someone's hand reached in and forcefully stopped her.
Great, she successfully pushed the door open.
"What are you doing? Can't you tell I don't welcome you?"
Even with his good temper, Li Junqian's face darkened considerably after being inexplicably given the cold shoulder and subjected to verbal abuse by his girlfriend: "Liang Shi, before you treat me like this, can you tell me what happened? Nobody likes being kicked out for no reason."
Liang Shi ignored him, kicking off his expensive shoes and walking inside in slippers, throwing his bag and coat onto the sofa.
"I don't care whether you like it or not, this is my home, please leave."
After she finished speaking, there was no sound from the doorway except for the sound of the door closing, but she knew he was still in the entryway.
Liang Shi already felt that she had gone too far, but since she had already done it and said it, she couldn't very well apologize to him now, could she? She couldn't bring herself to do it.
Ultimately, it's the man's fault for having such an ambiguous relationship with Yao Lei.
The refrigerator door was only halfway open when a large hand slammed it shut, and soon she was trapped between the refrigerator and his chest.
Tsk, is this guy a dog? He got here so fast?
She looked up at him, and indeed he was a refined man. He had even shaved before coming to see her. Tsk, the shaving foam smelled pretty good.
What do you want?
Seeing her stubborn expression as she bit her lip, Li Junqian considered all the possibilities, but rejected them all. Because of that phone call, his trip to Oslo, which was supposed to last more than a week, was compressed into five days.
He knew that phone calls or video calls wouldn't solve the problem and might even escalate the conflict, so he decided to finish his work and fly back to resolve it with her in person. But the woman acted like she was on fire, looking at him as if he had done something outrageous.
"Xiao Shi, even if you sentence me to death, you should at least let me know what crime I committed, right?"
Liang Shi only gave Yao Lei's English name, and sure enough, the man's eyebrows furrowed.
Ha, there's obviously something fishy going on, a huge fishy thing.
"You listened to all that nonsense they were spouting?"
Liang Shi bit her lip, sneered, and tried to push him, but unfortunately, this man worked out regularly, and she couldn't budge him at all.
"If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. Li Junqian, stop pretending to be a gentleman. You're using your position to have affairs with female subordinates. I don't want to date someone with such a messy love life. Please leave. From now on, we'll be in a superior-subordinate relationship, okay?"
When she tried to push him again, he easily grabbed both her wrists and she couldn't break free!
"Li Junqian, let me go!"
Li Junqian moved closer, pinning her against the refrigerator so she couldn't move: "Listen, Yao Lei and I aren't in that kind of relationship. But I can't deny that she did help me a lot outside of work. As for taking advantage of her position, you mean that internal magazine cover? That was a...return gift I promised her."
"Isn't this taking advantage of your position? Li Junqian, I thought you kept your work and personal life separate. What, you say one thing and do another? Get out, I don't want to see you! Let go, you're hurting me!"
Li Junqian did use force, but fearing he might hurt her, he quickly let go. As a result, the 'little deer' began to run away, and he reached out and pulled her back, hugging her from behind.
"Xiao Shi, can't you really trust me?"
Liang Shi snorted: "Unless you tell me what great help she did for you. Li Junqian, I'll give you one chance. Think carefully before you speak, whether it's the truth or a lie."
She's not the type to expose people's secrets, but this person is Li Junqian. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be as crazy as she is now.
She longed to know everything about him, and she longed for his fidelity.
"If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it and leave."
She forcefully pried Li Junqian's hands apart, but he didn't care and hugged her even tighter.
"Six months ago, my sister developed keratitis and needed a corneal transplant. As you know, it's not easy to find a transplanted cornea. The doctor had already recommended using an artificial cornea, but I ran into Yao Lei at the hospital that day and learned that her brother had died in a car accident."
At this point, Liang Shi understood. No one would joke about someone else's life or death.
She really was acting like a mad dog, completely indiscriminate. Liang Shi felt his perspective was too narrow.
She was too ashamed to speak.
"When I was younger, people in the company were always gossiping. As someone involved, sometimes I found it boring and didn't pay much attention. It was my oversight, and I'll change my mind in the future..."
She was clearly wrong, terribly wrong, so why did this man act like he had a heart of gold and take all the blame upon himself?
"Li Junqian, I'm sorry, it was my fault. I had a bad attitude, my emotions were unstable, and I even used foul language. I'm sorry."
Upon hearing the slightly aggrieved tone in her voice, Li Junqian knew that the woman was probably about to cry. He turned her around and hugged her, saying, "Why are you crying? The problem has been solved, hasn't it? If you keep crying, the makeup done by that makeup artist who earns hundreds of thousands a year will be ruined."
Is this man going to tease her after only two seconds of tenderness?
"None of your business."
His hand lifted Liang Shi's chin, and tears streamed down her face. When she saw him clearly, he was still smiling! And yet, his smile was so handsome!
"Little Shi, do you know what you look like right now?"
Liang Shi glared at him: "What?"
He lowered his head slightly, leaned closer to her, and kissed her lips: "Like a little deer that needs to be tamed."
Liang Shi blushed, already imagining what was about to happen. Sure enough, he cupped her face and kissed her. And then, there was no stopping him.
But in the end, the two didn't go all the way; there was no condom at home.
Liang Shi handed over the task of ordering takeout to Li Junqian, and then sat down on the living room carpet to open Li Junqian's suitcase.
The largest suitcase contains gifts that I bought specifically for her.
When Liang Shi opened it, he was shocked by the obsessive-compulsive way it was arranged. Everything was neatly arranged, completely crammed in!
Li Junqian walked over and handed her a glass of warm water: "Want to open it and take a look?"
Liang Shi looked at the expensive English luxury brands, put her hands on her hips and looked at him: "You think I'm a materialistic girl?"
Li Junqian picked up the black box and opened it: "Sometimes material things cannot be measured by money. It's not that you need them, but that they suit you."
Chanel black winter boots, very good, this man really did get absorbed in the movie that day.
"Li Junqian, I think you're the real copywriting master. How about you write the copy for the creative department next time?"
Li Junqian shrugged: "Okay, then I'll have the finance department transfer your salary to my card."
Liang Shi glared at him: "Who would have thought that Mr. Li, who buys his girlfriend a crocodile Birkin, would be so stingy as to cut his employees' wages!"
Just then, the doorbell rang, and someone said, "Guess whether your favorite Japanese food or the convenience store delivery will arrive first?"
Liang Shitian asked innocently, "Convenience store? What did you buy?"
Then, when she heard him whisper four words in her ear, Liang Shi blushed instantly and almost threw the Hermes bag at his face.
Tsk, seeing him come in carrying a lunchbox, she suddenly felt relieved, but then she thought that the adult products were probably already on their way.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
