Chapter 30
Richard and his wife gave them a warm hug, and Liang Shi was flattered, especially since Richard kept praising her the whole way.
It seems that the headquarters has taken notice of her achievements since she took office.
At noon, they had a simple lunch at the hotel. After lunch, Richard and his wife went back to their room to rest. Liang Shi wanted to take this opportunity to go to the shed, but unexpectedly, Li Junqian also booked a room to rest and insisted that she come with him.
Isn't that annoying?!
Richard and his wife had already gone back to their room to rest, so Liang Shi no longer needed to put on a smiling face, especially towards Li Junqian, who always insisted on his opinions: "Mr. Li, you can rest if you want. I'm not sleepy. Anyway, we still have some time. I'd like to go and see how things are at the shed. Could you give me an address so we can meet up?"
Unexpectedly, someone shoved the room key into her hand: "Mrs. Richard just said she had a very pleasant chat with you and hopes to have another long talk with you soon. Are you suggesting I tell her you're not here because you're working so hard for your husband? As your direct supervisor, I'm afraid the Richards will give me a piece of their mind..."
He's usually so taciturn, but now he's using his silver tongue to embarrass her, isn't he?
Liang Shi gripped the room key tightly: "Li Junqian, if you were an emperor in ancient times, you would definitely be the tyrant type, autocratic and tyrannical!"
"If I am an emperor, what are you?"
Liang Shi initially stared at him with some resentment, but when he saw him say those words with such a hidden meaning while smiling, Liang Shi instantly felt that he was really thin-skinned, while he was also quite shameless!
What was she? Liang Shi's first thought was actually... a favored concubine...
What a shameful thought! At most, she was a concubine banished to the cold palace... no, she should be a palace maid.
"I'm nothing special, just an ordinary commoner. Let's go, if we don't rest soon, this expensive room will have been wasted."
When Liang saw the floor number on the room card, she exclaimed that he was rich and capricious, booking such an expensive suite for just two hours! And when she swiped the card to open the door, someone followed her in.
"you……?"
Li Junqian pointed inside: "You sleep inside. I'll wake you when it's almost time."
Liang Shi: "..."
Liang Shi, who had been arranged in a perfectly clear manner, was unwilling to let him off the hook: "I just made a wrong analogy. You should be the Grand Eunuch, arranging people perfectly."
Li Junqian seemed amused by the metaphor, and his smile revealed his neat, white teeth. It would be a shame not to shoot a toothpaste commercial for such a handsome face with red lips and white teeth.
Liang Shiming wasn't sleepy, but she fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed, and it was a deep sleep. When she was woken up by the knocking on the door, she sat up abruptly and shouted outside, "Right away!"
Speaking of Li Junqian's connections and resources, they are truly the most impressive she's ever seen. This Chinese bespoke tailoring shop is so difficult to book that it's comparable to Cornell tailors. She never imagined that Li Junqian would be so familiar with the owner of this shop!
Besides custom-made items, the store also offers ready-made garments, but these are generally not sold to the public. Instead, they are reserved for select clients on a regular basis. Even so, it's said that the clothes here are very difficult to obtain. Most importantly, many celebrities have had their wedding cheongsams custom-made here.
Mrs. Richard has grown increasingly fond of and appreciative of Chinese culture in recent years, and she even owns several Chinese cheongsams in her wardrobe. But upon seeing the garments displayed in this shop today, she couldn't help but exclaim, "So this is what a real cheongsam is! Karsten, your arrangement has amazed me! This is the happiest day I've had so far this year! Traveling to China was the best decision I've ever made!!"
Li Junqian nodded and introduced the shop owner, Master Tang Jing, to the Richard couple. He then acted as their translator, smiling politely and with an elegant demeanor. Liang Shi, standing to the side, felt out of place, his eyes fixed on the man who stood straight and wore his suit impeccably.
Is there anything this man can't do?
Her mind was still wandering when the man in front of her turned to the side, raised his hand and placed it behind her back. Although she maintained her distance, she still took two steps forward following his gesture. Only then did she realize that Richard and his wife had already been led to try on clothes.
"Uncle Tang, this is Liang Shi. She'll be attending the banquet tonight with me and Richard and his wife. You have good taste, could you help her choose?"
Liang Shi greeted Tang Jing politely, and the latter smiled kindly: "Miss Liang's figure is very suitable for wearing cheongsams, and she is also very beautiful. I don't need to pick one; every one here is suitable for her. If Miss Liang is your date at the banquet tonight, I happen to have an outfit here that would be perfect for both of you."
Liang Shi always felt that the way Uncle Tang looked at her and Li Junqian was like a matchmaker looking at a couple being introduced. Could it be that Uncle Tang thought they were...
Sure enough, when she saw the outfit, Liang Shi's suspicions were confirmed. But then she thought, Li Junqian and this Uncle Liang are so familiar, could it be that this scoundrel is in cahoots with Uncle Tang?
The light pink fabric, embroidered with silver thread and adorned with peach blossoms, was eye-catching at first glance. The fabric and workmanship were both of the highest quality. To be honest, Liang Shi was tempted. But then he looked at the men's outfit, also in pink with silver thread. Tsk, this couple's outfit was too obvious!
If he and Li Junqian wore these clothes, people who saw them would probably misunderstand their relationship!
"The clothes are beautiful, but... isn't the pink a bit too overpowering?"
After all, they were just accompanying the Richards to meet their friends.
Uncle Tang smiled and said, "Mrs. Huo's private banquet invited guests who were basically dressed in clothes made by me. They tend to choose conservative colors because of their age. Moreover, both of you are young and your looks are very suitable for this outfit. Miss Liang, I am very happy that the clothes I made have found a suitable owner."
Liang Shi's smile never left her face after hearing such flattering words. She looked at Li Junqian, trying to read his thoughts from his expression, but the man was unreadable and difficult to understand.
"Gentlemen, why don't you try them on first? If you really don't like them, you can choose something else."
Since Uncle Tang had said so, she had no choice but to give it a try.
There's a reason why it's expensive, and there's a reason why it's custom-made. This fabric is comfortable against the skin, and the color isn't a bright pink, but a light one, which makes her skin look even whiter. She looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, and was so satisfied that she didn't want to take it off.
When Li Junqian's image appeared in the mirror, Liang Shi's heart pounded wildly. Oh my god, pink suited him so well! The man in the mirror moved closer to her until they stood side by side on the mirror. Liang Shi thought, they really look like a couple!
Undeniably, they were a perfect match, both handsome and beautiful. But then again, wouldn't any pretty woman look good standing next to him? Liang Shi, oh Liang Shi, why are you always daydreaming like this!
"Li Junqian, if a man wears pink, he's easily labeled as a 'secretly lewd' man."
Liang Shi's subtext was that he wanted him to change his clothes.
Li Junqian pointed to the buttons on her side and leaned over: "They're not buttoned up properly. Do you need me to help you? Also, bright red is quite subtly sexy."
Liang Shi looked down and saw that the button was in a tricky position that she couldn't do by herself, so she simply used her arm to hold it down. As soon as she raised her hand, the man saw it and her face turned red. He had seen the color of her underwear!
"Mind your own business! Mr. Li, please watch your eyes! Anyway, I'll just say one thing: either I wear these clothes, or you wear them. I don't want people to misunderstand. If your mother finds out, I'll be in big trouble."
It was probably the last sentence that had the effect, because Liang Shi noticed that his face darkened considerably, and his voice became much softer: "You look great in it, you don't need to take it off."
After Liang Shi watched him leave, he felt inexplicably lost. A waitress came over and asked, "Mr. Li just said you needed help?"
It's no wonder so many women want to fall for him; he's cold on the outside but considerate on the inside—who wouldn't love that?
She doesn't deny her feelings for him, but she can't afford to love him.
As Liang Shi and Mrs. Richard were admiring each other and taking a photo together, they saw Li Junqian walking over with Richard. Chinese people are usually very good at distinguishing foreigners, but at that moment, Liang Shi was only staring at Li Junqian.
This guy is a natural clothes hanger; if he switched careers to become a model, he would definitely be at the top of the industry.
Wait a minute, Liang Shi took a closer look and almost cursed out loud. Is this bastard a hypocrite?
If Richard hadn't said he was leaving for a banquet, Liang Shi would definitely have taken Li Junqian to a secluded place to find out why he deliberately chose a silver fabric dress with pink lace trim instead of the pink one. It wasn't that the dress was completely unrelated to the original one; it was exactly the same!
Isn't this still considered "matching outfits"? If looks could kill, Liang Shi would have torn Li Junqian to pieces!
Before getting on the bus, Liang Shi found an opportunity to quietly question him: "Did you do this on purpose?"
He then gentlemanly opened the passenger door for her, saying, "It wasn't intentional. It depends on what you think. Get in."
Liang Shi had a dark expression the whole time, but she changed her expression once they arrived at the Huo family villa.
These are small-scale social gatherings of important people, which are obviously easy to attract attention, especially since she and Li Junqian's matching outfits.
They are all from very wealthy and powerful families, so her every word and action could easily be spread. If Zhao Jiaren hears any rumors, he probably won't let her off the hook.
When the meal started, Marry called her, but Liang didn't have time to answer. It was already late, so she was probably reporting on the day's filming.
Liang Shi sat down next to Li Junqian and put his phone away before he saw the table full of delicious food. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as a Manchu Han Imperial Feast; it was truly extravagant.
Five minutes into the meal, Marry called again, along with a text message saying there was a serious problem at the venue. Liang Shi immediately lost interest in the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup served to each person and made an excuse to go out and return the call.
"What's going on?"
Marry on the other end of the phone was so anxious that her voice was trembling: "Director Liang, the filming was going well, but then one take just wouldn't be right. We asked Teacher Shen Yue for her opinion, and she said we could film it after lunch, but then this went wrong!"
Liang Shi sighed: "Get to the point!"
"After finishing our working lunch, we had a 15-minute break, but who knew Director Jiang would be in the bathroom..."
Marry stammered, and Liang Shi lost his patience: "Ma Yiran, I don't have time to listen to your silence now. Speak if you can, otherwise find someone else to talk to me."
After being yelled at by her full name, Mary quickly explained the situation: "Director Jiang sexually harassed Ms. Shen Yue, but Ms. Shen called for help immediately, and I rushed over right away. Luckily, no criminal case occurred. However, Ms. Shen is preparing to sue Director Jiang, saying that at the very least, he should spend a few days in jail. Originally, I was hoping that both sides could compromise and resolve the issue of the advertisement..."
Liang Shi touched his forehead, his tone firm: "What are you going to back down from? We at Fan Ning will definitely support Shen Yue's plan to sue Jiang Yueming. If she needs video surveillance, we will cooperate and provide it."
"Director Liang, nothing happened. We rushed over as soon as Teacher Shen called us. How about we just let it go? Director Jiang is..."
"No matter who he is, whether he's royalty or a member of the imperial family, I won't allow someone like him to tarnish Fan Ning's reputation. What's going on now?"
"The police just arrived and took statements at the scene. Shen Yue's agent said before leaving that they would definitely file a lawsuit... As for the advertisement, it will probably take some time."
Liang Shi hung up the phone, her stomach really aching with anger. This Jiang Yueming had really ruined her plans!
She was probably dressed too lightly, and the heating in the room wasn't very effective, so Liang Shi caught a chill. Adding to that, she hadn't eaten much and was upset, causing a sudden stomachache. She sat down on the sofa in the living room, thinking about how to salvage the situation on set.
Suddenly, a cashmere shawl was draped over her shoulders. Turning around, she met Li Junqian's concerned gaze. She instinctively backed away, asking, "Why did you come out?"
"I heard about the filming. Don't worry, I've already asked Gu Feng to handle it. I won't show favoritism in Jiang Yueming's matter either. Just do what needs to be done. Go back and have dinner."
Upon hearing the key phrase, Liang Shi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by 'not showing favoritism'? Does that mean he was able to get the license plate for the company's advertising shoot because he's related to royalty?"
"It's not that exaggerated."
"So this Jiang Yueming is one of your men?"
Seeing her disdainful look, Li Junqian sat down next to her and asked, "What nonsense are you thinking?"
"Then why don't you tell me?"
Seeing her determined attitude, Li Junqian didn't hide anything: "Once, my mother fainted, and it was this Jiang Yueming who took her to the hospital. So my mother considers him her savior and asked me to give him a job. But one thing is one thing, and I will deal with him."
If she hadn't experienced groping in France before, Liang Shi certainly wouldn't have felt such empathy and abhorrence: "I hope the company can terminate its contract with Director Liang. Working with someone like him will only bring shame to the company! Shanghai is so big, can't we find an advertising company?"
Seeing her so angry, Li Junqian became interested: "Why are you so angry?"
Liang Shi glanced at him and thought to himself, these are all old stories, he doesn't need to know.
“If you were a woman, you would naturally understand what it means for a girl to help another girl! I need to apologize to Shen Yue in person tomorrow. Let’s go, let’s go back, we’ve been away for too long.”
Liang Shi's mood wasn't very high throughout the evening. Fortunately, he was a good actor, but it was still tiring to pretend. Especially when Mrs. Huo suggested taking a group photo at the end, Liang Shi could barely smile anymore.
After the shoot, Li Junqian accompanied Richard and his wife to say goodbye to Mrs. Huo. She wasn't particularly interested, so she stood in the spot closest to the air conditioner and waited. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was the photographer—or rather, the photographer she had met not long ago!
Huo Zhongming!
"What are you doing here?" Liang Shi asked, surprised.
Huo Zhongming chuckled and sighed, "I thought you were pretending not to know me, that you didn't recognize me when I took your picture?"
Huo Zhongming was dressed very casually today, and he was wearing black-rimmed glasses. You wouldn't recognize him if you didn't look closely.
"I wasn't paying attention, sorry. Is this your job?"
Huo Zhongming pointed to the Huo family matriarch not far away: "As soon as I got back, my mother called me over to be free labor. I never thought we would meet again."
It turns out he's Mrs. Huo's son. Mrs. Huo seemed to have mentioned at the dinner that her second son was a professional photographer, but she hadn't really thought of it that way.
What a coincidence!
Huo Zhongming looked her up and down, then, fearing Liang Shi might misunderstand, said, "Sorry, it's just a professional habit, but your outfit today is perfect for taking pictures."
Liang Shi laughed: "Next time you have the chance, please take a close-up of my face, like that Miao girl in your exhibition."
Whether it was a mispronounced word or something else, Huo Zhongming's smile vanished instantly, but he quickly recovered: "Okay, if there's a chance. I have something to do, let's talk next time."
Liang Shi watched him walk past the guests upstairs and couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps rich kids like this don't like seeing so many elders? Her gaze shifted and she saw Li Junqian looking at her with a probing gaze, even leaving Richard and his wife behind as he walked towards her.
"You know Huo Zhongming?"
Goodness, the way he asked that, Liang Shi couldn't help but feel that the man in front of him was jealous.
Liang Shi blurted out, "Yes, so?"
"Liang Shi, I'm really surprised. You know quite a few people."
Liang Shi frowned. Had all the wine this guy drank tonight turned into vinegar?
"Who told me to be both smart and beautiful? With my personality and charm, how could I not have friends? But don't worry, I definitely don't have as many friends as Mr. Li."
Li Junqian raised his hand to rub his temples, chuckling to himself that he must have drunk too much and lost his composure tonight. However, the reason he cared so much about Huo Zhongming was simple: he was afraid that he would have another rival in love.
"Can we go back now?" Liang Shi was truly exhausted.
Li Junqian glanced at his phone: "The designated driver will be here in five minutes. Shall we go sit on the sofa for a bit?"
Liang Shi shook his head: "Go and keep Richard and his wife company! What are you laughing at?"
“They saw you were here alone and asked me to come and keep you company, but you want me to go back. They might easily think that I'm not doing a good enough job as their boss. Also, Mrs. Huo arranged a car to take them, so she told us to go ahead.”
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