Chapter 2
Liang Shi had packed up all the things she bought in Paris over the years and sent them back to China in advance. They took more than two weeks to arrive in Shanghai. She had a moving company deliver them to her home, and it took her an entire afternoon to unpack them. Just as she was about to order takeout and rest, she received a call from Gu Feng.
I'm officially starting my job at the company tomorrow. I hope I don't have to meet that so-called 'boss' tonight? One more night won't make a difference, right?
She was too tired today and had no social thoughts at all.
"Is it absolutely necessary to go?"
Gu Feng looked at Li Junqian, who had unceremoniously brought his girlfriend over to the sofa opposite him, and said firmly, "Absolutely. I'll send you my location, and you can take a taxi over."
The company's big boss has spoken, so she can't refuse any longer.
"Mr. Gu, this place seems quite close to me. Could you please order me some pasta? I haven't had dinner yet."
Gu Fengzhen couldn't bear to look at the man and woman opposite him: "Okay, by the way, dress nicely. Call me when you get there."
Liang Shi hung up the phone, threw it on the sofa, and sneered. Everyone says that men and women are equal in this society, but in this capitalist world, how is it any different from before liberation?
The fact that the male boss chose a quiet bar as the meeting place speaks volumes, and he even asked her to dress nicely?
Ah, the reality of this society is terrifying.
As a member of the fashion world, Liang Shi keeps up with the latest trends. Having spent a long time in France, she enjoys various French-style outfits. However, since the meeting was at a quiet bar, there was no need to dress too formally.
In mid-October, the weather in Shanghai was extremely unstable, with temperatures dropping sharply at night. Liang Shi, who was afraid of the cold, gave up her dress and wore a pair of tight jeans with black riding boots, along with a simple t-shirt and a short leather jacket.
Before leaving, Liang Shi hesitated for a while, but still chose the Chanel CF medium size, which he used the most.
Gu Feng popped a tomato and plum into his mouth: "Can't you control your woman? This is a quiet bar! Do you have to perform something inappropriate for children for me right here?"
After being scolded by Gu Feng, Cha Junjun immediately hugged Li Junqian and pretended to be pitiful: "Brother Qian, can you do something about Gu Feng? How can a single dog complain about the dog food he's eating?"
Gu Feng was about to vomit blood. Li Junqian's taste in girlfriends was truly remarkable. She looked adorable, but her words were deadly! If this woman weren't the youngest daughter of the Cha family, Gu Feng would have definitely called security to take her away on the spot!
"I've only been broken up with my boyfriend for two months, and I've been too busy with work to find a woman! Just you wait and see, I just made an appointment with a beautiful woman, and she'll be here soon. Her face and figure are exactly my type."
Cha Junjun fiddled with Li Junqian's cufflinks: "Didn't you just say you were the new director at your company? By the way, doesn't your company forbid office romances? Tsk, you, the big boss, are leading the charge in causing trouble? You don't have to go to such lengths to hand over the reins to Brother Qian, do you?"
Gu Feng couldn't take it anymore: "Cha Junjun, if it weren't for Li Junqian protecting you, I would really like to sew your mouth shut!"
As expected, those who are favored are fearless; Cha Junjun even dared to make faces at him!
The bar wasn't crowded, and she located it without needing to contact Gu Feng, because she saw him drinking alone and wondered why the young master was in a bad mood.
Gu Feng probably saw her and waved to her. Liang Shi walked over in her heeled riding boots, but unexpectedly Gu Feng pulled her to sit on the sofa and naturally put his arm around her shoulder.
Everything happened so fast that she didn't even have time to break free from Gu Feng's arms before she saw the man on the opposite sofa.
It really was Karsten.
Looking at the woman clinging to his waist and acting coquettishly, Liang Shi's smile gradually disappeared. It turned out that his taste had never changed.
Simply put, Li Junqian would never like a woman like Liang Shi in his life.
"Gu Gou, don't get too drunk and try to take advantage of this pretty lady!"
Cha Junjun stood up and grabbed a juice to threaten Gu Feng. Gu Feng then realized his behavior had been rude and quickly withdrew his hand, maintaining a safe distance from Liang Shi. He cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and began to introduce Liang Shi: "Suzie, Liang Shi, Director of Creative Department. Suzie, this is your future boss, Karsten, Li Junqian. The woman next to him is his girlfriend, Cha Junjun, the youngest daughter of the CEO of Haixing Entertainment."
Cha Junjun waved to her, her smile as sweet as a porcelain doll: "Sister Suzie, you're so pretty! If you can't stand working for Gu Gou anymore, come find me. With your looks, you're definitely cut out to be a top-tier female star!"
Gu Feng rolled his eyes at her: "Don't even think about stealing someone else's job. Even your brother couldn't make you famous. Your family's entertainment company is just so-so."
Cha Junjun leaned back on Li Junqian's shoulder: "I was just being disdainful, okay? I'm the apple of Haixing Entertainment's eye, why would I want to be a celebrity? It's too tiring. Wouldn't it be better to date Brother Qian?"
Gu Feng couldn't take it anymore: "Li Junqian, if you bring Cha Junjun out drinking again, we're breaking off our friendship."
Liang Shi felt superfluous here. The pasta arrived at the perfect time. She lowered her head and started eating, her ears filled with Gu Feng and Cha Junjun's banter. She quickly finished the pasta, told Gu Feng she was going to touch up her makeup, and hurried to the bathroom.
She was afraid that if she stayed there for even a minute longer, her worthless tears would fall.
Dior 999 made her lips look vibrant and luscious, but her strong aura crumbled completely when she saw Li Junqian in the mirror.
"Xiao Shi, why didn't you contact me after you got back?"
Liang Shi didn't want the man to see her emotions, so she continued to touch up her makeup as if nothing was wrong. She twisted the lipstick back into the tube, put the cap back on, and put it back in her bag before turning around to meet his dark eyes.
Why should I contact you?
It's ridiculous that neither of them has taken the initiative to contact the other over the years, and now they're criticizing her for not taking the initiative.
"I'm your brother."
Liang Shi pursed his lips and smiled, "Li Junqian, we are not related by blood, and I am not an adopted daughter of your Li family, so you are not my brother. However, I am very grateful to Uncle Li for making me a very good person. I will visit Uncle Li when I have time."
Liang Shi didn't want to linger. She believed she had made the right choice in her outfit today, and even though she was mentally defeated, she hadn't lost in terms of her presence.
His hand was gripped by a force, and Liang Shi didn't turn around to look at him.
"Don't let your girlfriend see this, or it will be hard to explain."
Li Junqian let go: "When we were little, did we have to be so confrontational?"
Liang Shi's eyes were a little moist: "Please tell President Gu that I thank him for dinner. I will definitely be at Fanning Creative Department on time tomorrow."
Li Junqian watched her retreating figure, somewhat bewildered. He couldn't reconcile the current Liang Shi with the girl from before. Everything had changed dramatically without him even realizing it.
If this is the reality they have to face, then they should accept it.
Liang Shi soaked himself in the bathtub; the warm water felt comfortable and cozy. Just like fourteen years ago, he met Li Junqian, who shone like the sun.
When she first met Li Junqian, she felt so inferior that she wished she could never lift her head again.
The gap between them seemed like an insurmountable chasm.
But she moved into his house, and they saw each other all the time. That was the second most painful moment for Liang Shi in sixteen years.
At the tender age of sixteen, before the nightmarish earthquake struck her hometown and her family, she and her friends had admired handsome boys at school.
But when she met Li Junqian, she realized that all the boys she had admired before were insignificant compared to him.
Despite opposition, Li Guangting arranged for her to attend the same foreign language high school as Li Junqian. Liang Shi was like an ugly duckling among swans. No girl wanted to be friends with her, someone who couldn't even say "hello," "thank you," or "goodbye" in English correctly. The boys even pointed and gossiped about her hairstyle and teeth in public.
Liang Shi told herself to be strong, but no matter how strong she was, she would hide under the covers and wipe away her tears in the dead of night.
The Wenchuan earthquake took away all her relatives and friends, leaving her all alone in the world. Whenever her teacher, who spoke fluent English, called on her to answer a question, she would pinch her hands together.
She felt that begging Li Guangting not to abandon her amidst the ruins was a terrible mistake. Uncle Li was merely there to fulfill his duty in the disaster area, yet he had paid such a heavy price for it. She hadn't considered that he had such a wealthy and complete family in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, nor had she imagined that her arrival would create a rift in the relationship between Uncle Li and his wife.
Li Junqian's mother, Zhao Jiaren, disliked her, even calling her a country bumpkin to her face, saying she was ugly and stupid. When Uncle Li was around, Zhao Jiaren wouldn't say that to her, at most giving her a couple of eye rolls. But there were always times when Li Guangting would work overtime and come home late.
It was the third day she had moved into the Li family's house. That day, the school had a physical fitness test, and at noon, wanting to save money on her meal card, she only ordered two vegetarian dishes. When she got home, she was so hungry she almost fainted. She saw that the food was already prepared on the table, and since no one was around, she started eating without thinking much of it. Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiaren suddenly appeared, picked up the chopsticks on the table, threw them at her head, and hurled nasty insults at her.
They said she came from the village, had never eaten refined rice, and stole her family's food like a thief—all sorts of nasty things that Liang Shi still remembers vividly.
Liang Shi ran to the door, feeling wronged, and ran into Li Junqian, who was returning from playing ball. She didn't even have time to change her shoes, and ran out in her slippers. The villa area was huge, and there were no nightlights. She had no idea where she was or how to escape this wealthy neighborhood. She hid in the bushes, listening to the chirping of insects, and only then did she feel safest.
There were no eye-rolls or unpleasant Shanghainese accents.
"Dad, Mom, Grandma, I missed you so much when I was little. Why did you leave me all alone?"
Liang Shi never expected Li Junqian to appear at this time, just like that, he walked into her heart and never left.
"Liang Shi, on behalf of my mother, I want to apologize to you. Come home with me."
When she placed her hand in his, Liang Shi felt warm and comfortable.
That saying is very true: when you're young, you shouldn't meet someone too amazing, otherwise it will be hard to fall in love with someone else.
After Liang Shi set his alarm, he received a WeChat message from Gu Feng, filled with apologetic emojis.
Tsk, men are all the same, thinking that all mistakes can be blamed on alcohol. Too bad she doesn't buy it.
Gu Feng was no longer a good person to her.
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