Chapter 32
Huo Zhongming truly lived up to his reputation as a genius photographer. He immediately grasped the shooting concept Liang Shi had mentioned and elevated it to a new level. Every frame of the short 15-second advertisement was a gem. Liang Shi exclaimed that if this guy weren't a rich second-generation, he could easily start his own business from scratch with his abilities.
I originally wanted to treat him to a meal to express my gratitude, but I didn't expect that he had already flown to another city. People who can just leave whenever they want are probably free spirits.
The advertisement was released ahead of International Women's Day and received an unprecedentedly good response. It trended on Weibo with several trending topics, including keywords like "girlish lip gloss" and "young and energetic girl Shen Yue," and Fan Ning's Weibo followers increased by over 100,000.
A knock came at the door, and Liang Shi saw Yao Lei standing there with a dessert box in her hand. She quickly got up and went over: "Director Yao, what's this?"
"The Yulian egg tarts are all the rage lately. Since both of you are away, I'd like to come over for afternoon tea and a chat."
Liang Shi quickly called out to Marry outside the door, then went over and sat down with Yao Lei.
"I've seen very positive feedback online. Sales figures for the Young series, both online and offline, have already broken records. Suzie, it's been a pleasure working with you! Let's celebrate with an egg tart!"
Marry quickly brought over two cups of tea, and Liang Shi smiled and said, "These are West Lake Longjing teas that were just sent from Hangzhou. They should go very well with these egg tarts. Director Yao, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you again in the future!"
The two chatted and ate, and got along quite well. Liang Shi also completely eliminated his prejudice against Yao Lei. It's not a bad thing to meet a worthy opponent of the same sex in the workplace.
"I wonder how things are going with President Li. I heard that Bai Mengjiang has a thing for him. And President Li is someone who's never interested in interviews. Even if he is interviewed, it has to be for international publications. It seems even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman!"
Liang Shi was delighted by the sweetness of the egg tart, but after taking a sip of tea, she was burned by the hot tea. Yao Lei handed her a tissue.
"Thank you, Director Yao. What did you just say?"
Yao Lei laughed and said, "When I went downstairs for lunch, I heard President Gu teasing President Li, saying that he probably only agreed to the interview because Bai Mengjiang is pretty and they were classmates. To be honest, I think they are quite good together. That Bai Mengjiang is pretty amazing."
The host? Liang Shi wasn't familiar with this area and was somewhat clueless, but then he remembered that Li Junqian had attended a high school reunion that day and was chatting and laughing with a woman...
"How amazing is this host, Bai?"
Yao Lei took a sip of tea and said, "I heard she was the most beautiful girl in her department at the Communication University of China. A few years ago, she won first place among the female contestants in a national host competition. Tomato TV really promoted her back then, but she's been pampered since childhood. Anyway, she's proven her abilities, so naturally she wouldn't stay in the system with a fixed salary. She started her own Dream Entertainment Studio, doing magazine interviews and all sorts of things, and has made friends with many big names in various fields. It seems her previous boyfriends were all quite remarkable, but our CEO Li is also very outstanding. I reckon there's a chance for these two."
Liang Shi listened to Yao Lei's gossip until almost the end of the workday. He had made an appointment with Zhou Yun to go to a spa that night and also check out a newly opened hot pot restaurant in Shanghai. Liang Shi stared at his high heels while waiting for the elevator. As soon as the door opened, he looked up and saw someone in the elevator tossing car keys high in the air with one hand and then quickly catching them with their other hand.
If Gu Feng had done this, Liang Shi wouldn't have thought much of it, but since it was Li Junqian who did it, it was quite unbelievable.
Liang Shi didn't go in; she wanted to get off. She didn't know who pressed the up button before her, so she pretended not to see him. But just as the door was about to close, the man inside leaned over and pressed the elevator open button.
"Come in."
Liang Shi made a downward gesture: "President Li, I'm getting off."
Someone raised their other hand and glanced at their watch with feigned nonchalance: "It's not time to leave work yet."
During working hours, subordinates have to listen to their superiors, and Liang Shi felt she should go to Jing'an Temple to offer incense when she had some free time.
It's really strange that they had to choose this time to leave.
As the elevator doors closed, Liang Shi, who had been holding back gossip all afternoon, couldn't resist asking the gossipy male manager, "President Li, you seem quite happy. Is something good happening?"
Li Junqian didn't rush to answer, but instead looked her up and down. Liang Shi frowned, picked up her bag, and moved to the side.
"You're leaving before you've even finished get off work? Where are you headed?"
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Liang Shi followed behind him: "I had dinner with Secretary Zhou. You know how congested it is during rush hour, so I just left fifteen minutes early."
Li Junqian entered the password, and the glass door opened with a ding. Liang Shi followed him into the office and couldn't help but ask curiously, "When did you install a password lock in your office?"
Li Junqian took his phone out of his pocket and threw it on the table. He was too tired and leaned back on the sofa. "I heard you and Yao Lei get along well. You can learn from her. Come and report to me about your work whenever you have time. Maybe you can even find out the password to my office door."
This man loves to beat around the bush; it's so annoying.
"It's time. If you don't have anything else, I'll be leaving now."
Li Junqian leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, not answering her question. He seemed very tired. Liang Shi still felt sorry for him and poured him a glass of water, placing it on the coffee table in front of him: "Have some water. I'm leaving."
Just as Liang Shi was about to turn around, the man on the sofa opened his eyes: "That Zhou Mengmeng is very annoying, so I had no choice but to install a combination lock."
After Li Junqian finished speaking, he picked up the glass of water and drank while looking at her. To be honest, the way the man's Adam's apple bobbed when he drank was quite charming. Liang Shi realized that she had been staring for too long and quickly pursed her lips: "Oh, is that so? I think Zhou Mengmeng is quite cute. But I recently heard that you, President Li, are getting married soon. Congratulations!"
The man on the sofa looked bewildered, but quickly realized what she meant: "Frankl's mouth really needs to be sewn shut. It was just a regular interview, and she introduced me to a good advertising company, so I have no reason not to do her a favor. And just now, the water I drank tasted a bit like vinegar."
Liang Shi found that Li Junqian was indeed quite arrogant. Every time she felt she was about to be provoked, he would come and offer her a sweet treat. However, his kind words were always followed by something that left her speechless. She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, and unsurprisingly, he caught it with one hand.
She pretended not to understand: "I don't know what you're talking about. Just take it as you're asking me, Mr. Li. I'll repay the favor from last time. If you need any help, Mr. Li, I'll do my best. I'm leaving now, that hot pot restaurant must have a long queue!"
Li Junqian laughed as he watched her strut around in her high heels. His assistant came in with a pile of documents. He sighed, rubbed his temples, and sat down in his boss chair. He'd been so busy lately.
...
As Liang Shi walked past their workstations with a cup of coffee in her hand, Zhou Mengmeng stopped her and handed her a few scratch-off lottery tickets: "Director Liang, want to scratch some together?"
I don't know how this scratch-off lottery craze started, but Liang Shi rarely interacts with his subordinates. After thinking for a moment, he put down his coffee, took off his sunglasses, and picked up a coin to scratch the huge lottery ticket.
I must say, it was actually quite stress-relieving and exciting. It's just that the result wasn't what I hoped for. With lotteries, even if you pray to heaven, the odds are incredibly slim.
"Why did you decide to play with this?"
Zhou Mengmeng tossed a coin into the pen holder: "Spending a little money to buy happiness, who knows, maybe I'll win the grand prize? The main thing is that I've recently experienced a one-sided breakup, and life lacks joy, so I bought a dozen scratch-off lottery tickets to cheer myself up."
Marry chimed in, "Ever since I joined the company, Mr. Li has been the kind of man who doesn't get close to women. I've never seen him be intimate with any woman. Maybe he really is someone who doesn't want to date or get married. Mengmeng, don't be too sad."
Zhou Mengmeng chuckled: "Men are all driven by their lower bodies. Nobody would believe he doesn't get close to women. Would a man be intimate with a woman in front of us? Forget it, the world is so big, and there are so many men. I'm not going to lower myself to this cold-faced guy. It's really embarrassing to fail at pursuing someone. I'd better cut my losses."
After listening to a couple of sentences, Liang Shi, just like Li Junqian, rejected the man.
"Alright, stop gossiping. If President Li happens to come by and hear this, I wonder how embarrassed you'll be. Once your projects are almost finished, come in and report to me individually."
Zhou Mengmeng called out to her, "Director Liang, it's Women's Day today, can we have the afternoon off?"
Marry dashed her hopes: "Our company is busiest during every holiday except Qingming Festival, so don't even think about it, just focus on your work!"
Liang Shi wasn't a female demon; she immediately sent out a large red envelope in the department group chat, 500 yuan to each person, as a reward for her subordinates.
...
In mid-March, Gu Feng convened a meeting where sales and finance departments reported their findings, and the results were, of course, gratifying. The Young series lipsticks, in particular, sold unexpectedly well. Gu Feng praised them several times, while Liang Shi attributed the credit to Li Junqian, who spent half an hour on the tablet during the meeting. Gu Feng then asked him to say a few words, and unexpectedly, he delivered a stunning performance.
"Everyone's contributions and efforts to the company during this period are evident to all. Before the meeting, I discussed with General Manager Gu that we should organize a team building trip together. I remember that the creative department did the plan last time, so this time we will ask the administration department to do it. We will go to Wuyuan next Thursday and return on Saturday. Please have your respective departments compile a list of people who want to go."
The team-building event caused a stir throughout the company. After all, we had just gone on a trip last year during Singles' Day, and no one expected to have a paid trip so soon. The frequency of team-building activities also reflects that the company's corporate culture and decision-makers value humanistic care.
Liang Shi was drinking coffee at his seat when Marry came in to report on the team building activities: "Director Liang, everyone went except for Zhou Mengmeng."
What kind of trouble is this young lady causing now? "Why?"
"She said she was planning to take a few days off to travel abroad."
The wealthy young ladies come here to work just to experience life, and as long as nothing major goes wrong, Liang Shi doesn't care too much. However, it also shows that this eldest daughter of the Zhou family has truly given up on pursuing Li Junqian.
Since there were many people in the group and the high-speed rail wasn't convenient, they chartered a bus, which filled two large buses. It was only for three days and two nights, and Liang Shi didn't bring much stuff, just a mini suitcase.
The meeting was at 8 a.m. Liang Shi forgot his power bank and had to go upstairs to get it, which took some effort. He arrived just in time and had originally arranged to sit with Zhou Yun, but Gu Feng beat him to it and refused to give way. After all, they were a well-known couple in the company. Liang Shi wanted to separate them for the time being, but the colleagues behind him started to support the couple. He couldn't afford to offend them, so he had to find another seat.
Arriving too late, there were only two seats left. Without thinking, Liang Shi sat down next to Yao Lei, ignoring what the man in the seat in front of him might think.
Unfortunately, the last person to arrive was a female employee from the brand department, who was known for being shy. She stood next to Li Junqian with her hands clutching her backpack, and the man did not make the slightest move to give her a seat by the window. The key point was that the young woman looked at Liang Shi behind Li Junqian with a pitiful expression.
Seeing the young woman in her department looking flustered, Yao Lei smiled and nudged Liang Shi's hand: "This girl in my department is notoriously timid. If you let her sit with President Li, she'll probably be on tenterhooks the whole way. It's not that I don't want to go, but you've done a lot of work on this team building trip, so it's better if you sit next to President Li."
Liang Shi narrowed his eyes: "To be honest, I'm quite timid too. Miss, please sit down."
This time, when Liang Shi stood next to Li Junqian, she did so instead of sitting next to him. If she had known this was going to happen, she would have just sat down next to him. Now, with this whole thing, he'll definitely interpret her previous attitude as her disliking him.
As expected, the man remained unmoved, continuing to tap on his tablet.
"Mr. Li, I know you're focused on work, but at least let me sit down! Will you sit inside or should I sit in the back? Can everyone wait to leave?"
Liang Shi deliberately raised her voice a little so that everyone would notice, otherwise the man would probably still be arguing with her about something so pointless.
Li Junqian closed the iPad cover, turned to the side, and gestured for her to come in. Liang Shi quickly grabbed her bag and went in. The problem was that the man had long legs, and even after turning to the side, there wasn't much space left for her to get in. However, one of her legs had already squeezed in, and his knee was pressing against the back of her knee. As a reflex, Liang Shi sat down immediately, and before she could even react, she was sitting on Li Junqian's lap.
It wasn't exactly a leg; the person was holding a tablet on their lap, and when she sat down, she landed squarely on the back of their hands! He could feel the sharp angles of their knuckles! Perhaps because of the sudden weight pressing down, their hands instinctively curled slightly. This intimate contact made Liang Shi so flustered that he didn't know how to breathe!
She couldn't care less about anything else, so she quickly went inside and finally sat down. Liang Shi, clutching the chain of his Chanel bag, stared out the window, completely too afraid to move.
The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of her colleagues talking, so they probably didn't notice the embarrassing thing that had just happened to her.
Zhou Yun, sitting in the front seat, leaned over and offered me some chewing gum: "Want some? Why is your face so red?"
Liang Shi waved his hand: "I'm not eating anymore. Um, the air conditioner is on, and it's blowing right in front of me, so it's a bit hot..."
Zhou Yun nodded and handed the chewing gum to Li Junqian: "Mr. Li, would you like some?"
Li Junqian smiled politely at him and said, "No, thank you."
After starting the car, Liang Shi remained motionless, her neck almost stiff. The embarrassing incident had left her unsettled, as if she could still feel those hands on her buttocks! This was awful!
"Fine, I'll just close my eyes and pretend to be asleep!" Just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang. Liang Shi saw the contact name and turned to look at him, puzzled. Li Junqian hung up the phone, leaned closer, and whispered, "I thought you were going to keep ignoring me."
Liang Shi decided not to sleep anymore: "I thought President Li preferred quiet and undisturbed, and besides, I'm quite sleepy too. The journey is long, so catching up on sleep is a good idea, right?"
I don't know where this guy got the neck pillow from, but he suddenly put it in front of her and said, "Go to sleep."
Liang Shi was carried here and could only accept the neck pillow. It was actually quite comfortable, but... he just couldn't fall asleep! Knowing that the meeting was early today, Liang Shi went to bed especially early yesterday. He was full of energy right now, and with the faint fragrance emanating from the man next to him, how could he possibly fall asleep!
A young man from the administration department brought his own mini karaoke speaker, grabbed a microphone, and rapped a line, instantly livening up the atmosphere in the car.
"Dear leaders and colleagues, I'm Xiao Song from the administration department. The journey is long and boring, how about we have some fun? I won't be modest, I'll start with an opening song to set the tone!"
Jay Chou's nunchucks performance brought the atmosphere on the bus to a fever pitch. Liang Shi, who couldn't sleep anyway, now didn't have to pretend to be asleep anymore.
This Xiao Song is really bold. After singing, he directly called out to the two bosses: "None of us here have had much contact with the two bosses. Today, it's an honor to ride in the same car with the two bosses. It's a rare opportunity, and I'd like to hear the leaders sing!"
Immediately, a group of people echoed his sentiment. Gu Feng, sitting in the front seat, stood up, turned around, and winked at Li Junqian. The latter completely ignored him. As the company's big boss, Gu Feng knew he couldn't avoid it. Fortunately, he was also a person who liked excitement. When the microphone was passed to him, someone else egged him on, saying that he should sing a love song for his girlfriend next to him.
Aaron Kwok's "I Can't Stop Loving You" was practically unfair! Liang Shi recorded the entire performance on his phone and sent the recording to Zhou Yun, who was shyly covering her face the whole time. It's truly enviable, and Liang Shi sincerely wishes them a long and happy life together.
Gu Feng, always dragging his brothers into everything, good or bad: "Let me tell you a secret, President Li sings really well, especially Cantonese songs. Everyone, let's give him a round of applause!"
Liang Shi watched the scene unfold, naturally only able to laugh inwardly. If she laughed out loud, the man might just turn on her the next second. Yao Lei, fearlessly leading the charge from the back seat, shouted, "President Li, hurry up and sing a song! Our arms are getting tired from clapping! Director Liang, you've done a great job this time, come on, dedicate a song to President Li!"
As expected, he was caught in the crossfire. Liang Shi looked at Li Junqian, but to his surprise, the man, who had just had a cold face, was now smiling slightly, holding the microphone to his lips: "Then, Director Liang, shall we request a song?"
This man, is he really trying to drag her down with him?! Liang Shi had no idea what songs this man could sing; if she ordered one he couldn't, wouldn't that be awkward? It would embarrass the boss, especially that vindictive Li Junqian—she'd definitely suffer a terrible fate!
While racking her brains, a sudden flash of memory seemed to open up for Liang Shi, reminding her of the year Li Junqian hadn't yet gone abroad to study. He had just finished his college entrance exams and wasn't in school anymore, preparing for his studies abroad. One Friday, it was a very hot day, and probably because it was a private school, they let out half a day early. Liang Shi returned to the Li family villa, afraid of being gossiped about by Zhao Jiaren, so she hid in her room to read. The air conditioning was a bit too cold, so she slightly opened the window and leaned against the windowsill to read. Suddenly, she heard a beautiful melody. She looked down, and her face flushed instantly!
Below was a huge swimming pool. Li Junqian was shirtless, wrapped in a white towel, lying on a lounge chair under a parasol. Although he was only eighteen years old, his muscle lines were already perfect. Liang Shi immediately blurted out an English word he had just learned.
Bravo… Their teacher often uses this word to praise students.
It was probably her voice that disturbed Li Junqian, who was resting and humming a song below. He slightly opened his eyes and met her gaze looking down. Although Liang Shi used to be very bold, after the earthquake and the incompatible Li family, she had learned to restrain her claws and temper, and she immediately stopped there.
"what made you say that word?"
The pronunciation was even more standard than the school's foreign teacher, and Liang Shi's face flushed even more, even though they were in a cool, air-conditioned room! Her English was terrible, and she didn't know whether to speak in English or Chinese. The probing gazes below her made Liang Shi's heart race instantly, and she stammered, "I...I'm memorizing vocabulary..."
Actually, she meant to compliment his good physique with that word. If it were back when she was a rebellious girl, she would definitely have said it without any shame. But she would never do that now. They are worlds apart. She is a country girl living under someone else's roof, while he is a privileged young man from the big city. Liang Shi dares not disrespect him.
Just as Liang was about to close the window to calm down, he heard him say, "Want to go swimming?"
At that time, Liang Shi was a complete landlubber and dared not swim. Even if he invited her, Liang Shi was afraid that Zhao Jiaren would say that she did not deserve such enjoyment.
Indeed, having lived in the Li family's house for so many years, Liang Shi never imagined that he would be drinking juice while lying by the pool.
Liang Shi waved his hand, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Junqian... Brother, what song were you humming just now? It was quite nice."
"Eason's Ten Years".
Liang Shi was very sensitive to English at the time: "Ethan? Is he a singer?"
A soft laugh came from downstairs: "The singer is Eason Chan. Eason is his English name."
Liang Shi blushed and suddenly realized, "Sometimes Uncle Li calls you Karston, so is that your English name?"
"Hmm, what about yours?"
Liang Shi shook his head: "I haven't started yet. The teacher just calls me by my surname. I'll start later. I'll start calling myself later."
Returning to the present, Liang Shi said into the microphone held to his mouth, "How about 'Next Year Today'?"
Xiao Song was incredibly efficient; the accompaniment started playing the next second. Gu Feng, his good friend, even searched for the lyrics and handed over his phone, afraid that his friend might refuse to sing in public if he couldn't remember the lyrics!
"If this chandelier were to cascade down, or if I were no longer here, even if you don't love me, there's no need for us to part..."
Li Junqian's Cantonese singing voice is very different from his usual speaking voice; it seems to have more texture. This guy rarely speaks Shanghainese, so how can he speak Cantonese so fluently?
While Liang Shi was still lost in thought, Li Junqian turned slightly and actually met her gaze! She was momentarily unsure whether to continue kneeling on her seat and watching the big boss show off like everyone else, or to quickly ignore everything else and sit back down in her seat.
If it's the latter, then she's being too emotional and could easily be misunderstood by this man. Oh well, she's his employee after all, so it's only natural for her to support her boss.
I don't know what happened, but the lyrics changed halfway through the song!
"Ten years ago, I didn't know you, you didn't belong to me, we were still the same, accompanying a stranger, walking through streets that gradually became familiar. Ten years later, we are more than just friends... Sorry, I forgot the lyrics, I'll stop here."
After Li Junqian went abroad to study, Liang Shi fell madly in love with Eason Chan's song "Ten Years". She was certain that the last line he sang was wrong, but was it intentional or did he really forget the lyrics?
If he forgot the lyrics, then why did he look at her with such affectionate eyes when he sang the line "We are not just friends"?
The applause from the entire carriage shattered Liang Shi's daydream. If this man were to actually pull this stunt in public, wouldn't he be afraid of being seen by so many discerning eyes? She certainly didn't want any inappropriate things to be spread about her boss!
So, this man probably really forgot his lines!
A few of the more outgoing colleagues sang a few songs, and then the carriage returned to quiet. Liang Shi, feeling a bit sleepy after the commotion, leaned against her neck pillow and fell asleep. She didn't know how she slept so soundly; it was Yao Lei who woke her up. Liang Shi rubbed her eyes and stood up, finding that most people had already left.
Why didn't Li Junqian wake her up?
"arrive?"
Yao Lei pointed out the car window: "We just arrived. Mr. Li was about to take a call and got out of the car. He asked me to wake you up, but I thought it wasn't urgent and let you sleep for a minute longer. You can sleep so much! On the way here, I saw rapeseed flowers, they were so beautiful."
Liang Shi glanced at the neck pillow in his hand, then looked out the window. Li Junqian was making a phone call not far away; he would return the item in a moment.
After getting her suitcase, Liang Shi glanced at her phone; it was almost 2 PM, and she was starving. Zhou Yun, who was next to her, took a green rice dumpling from her bag and gave it to her: "You've been sleeping the whole time and haven't eaten anything. Have something to eat, and we can eat when we get to the guesthouse."
"Thanks."
Liang Shi was eating qingtuan (a type of glutinous rice dumpling) while looking at her phone when Li Junqian sent her a message? And while she was asleep!
Li Junqian: Little Shi, I didn't forget the lyrics just now. As I sang, I think our relationship is more than just friends. I will wait for you.
Liang Shi was speechless. Wasn't this man afraid of being discovered?
The scenery in Huangling, Wuyuan is truly beautiful. Today the weather was overcast, and the white-walled and black-tiled buildings, along with the green mountains and white mist, looked like a painting. On the way to the guesthouse, everyone stopped and took photos.
Liang Shi also took a few pictures, but didn't post them on her WeChat Moments, since she didn't have many friends.
Because there were so many people, the administration department booked several guesthouses. The first ones to arrive were for ordinary employees, while those with higher positions had to go to the higher-ups. Liang Shi dragged his suitcase and thought to himself that the people in the administration department who came up with the plan must have had their brains squeezed by a door.
Suddenly, his hand felt lighter. Liang Shi looked to the side and was speechless. This man was really persistent!
"Mr. Li, I wouldn't dare trouble you!"
Li Junqian took the suitcase from her hands: "You seem to be struggling with this. Let me lend you a hand. Let's go?"
Before she could speak, Yao Lei interjected, "If Mr. Li hadn't been carrying luggage in his other hand, I definitely would have asked you to help me too. Suzie, why don't you thank Mr. Li!"
Liang Shi rolled his eyes and immediately smiled, "Then thank you, President Li!"
After navigating countless bends, they finally arrived at their accommodation, a garden-style guesthouse with a very chill decor. Liang Shi could already sense that it would be very comfortable.
I almost forgot my suitcase!
Liang Shi took it from Li Junqian, thanked him, and then pulled Yao Lei inside.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
