Chapter 22 She was pondering whether she could make breakfast for Yi Sheng…
Days pass by, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
Bai Ye felt that time had been passing by quite quickly lately. Compared to the past when she would slack off during work hours and wait for the end of the workday, listen to the manager talk about who hadn't met their targets, and grit her teeth to find sales to help her get in touch with and recommend her own designs... she felt mentally exhausted and uncertain about the future.
These days, it seems like there are so many things to do every day, one after another, as if I can't find a moment to spare. I feel a little tired sometimes, but most of the time it's quite interesting.
After more than a week of intense work, Bai Ye gradually got used to being tagged in group chats, receiving sudden phone calls for help, and being pulled aside by various sales representatives to explain and demonstrate to customers.
On a few occasions, the store manager told her about dinners hosted by headquarters leaders and asked if she would like to attend and make an appearance.
Bai Ye quickly declined.
Actually, the reason she declined was quite simple: she has never been good at business or interpersonal relationships.
She could tolerate the restaurant gatherings, but these kinds of dinners with high-level leaders and people at the same level as the leaders, in the past, she thought of them as an extra, dispensable, but in the worst case, she had to be very adept at navigating social situations.
She's not cut out for this.
Although she gradually came to understand this distorted society and had no intention of hiding in her comfort zone, Yi Sheng had given her a hint that many things could be achieved indirectly, and that there was no need to confront others' strengths head-on with one's own weaknesses.
As it turns out, she's getting more and more customers from her WeChat Moments and video accounts. She can't handle them all, so she can pass on the extras to her colleagues.
She didn't ask friends and relatives for help, and now attracting customers is no longer a concern for her.
Bai Ye explained to the store manager, trying to hide her lack of experience, "You can go. I'm not very good at talking or dealing with people. You're definitely the most suitable person to make the decisions about how to take orders, the store's work arrangements, and my food stall."
Then she saw the store manager's slightly relaxed and relieved smile.
Yi Sheng later explained his guess to her at the dinner table, "If you go, it's like you're sitting at a different level."
"Huh?"
"Whether we can sit comfortably or not is another matter, but there's a possibility now." Yi Sheng sipped his mung bean soup after dinner. "It's a bit sweet."
She gradually got used to the dishes in the style of Bai Ye Ke, and this dessert was more comfortable than the ones she had eaten before. It was not greasy or bloating, and it was easy to digest without any burden.
Bai Yeke nodded, "I'll put in less sugar next time."
“Hmm.” Yi Sheng continued, “Then there are two possible outcomes: either you have better interpersonal skills than him and replace him, or your expertise is amplified and you are transferred to headquarters, while his store loses a valuable brand.”
Neither of these are the results the store manager wants to see, and Bai Yeke's attitude makes the store manager breathe a sigh of relief.
"Heh, you don't need to think about these things." Yi Sheng put down her bowl, took a napkin to wipe her lips, and said, "...What are you looking at?"
Bai Yeke had already finished her mung bean soup. Although she was trying to be a good student and listen attentively, she was now staring at Yi Sheng in a daze.
But when he looked at Yi Sheng, it was as if he wasn't looking at Yi Sheng at all.
In reality, Bai Ye was watching Yi Sheng's every move and every smile.
She and Yi Sheng came from different backgrounds and were exposed to different situations. She admired Yi Sheng's elite temperament and wanted to be influenced by his company, hoping that even a small amount of it could greatly improve her own temperament.
But as you look at her, Yi Sheng's white shirt, after a day of running around, has become slightly messy and casual. Her slender white wrists peek out from the cuffs, her long hands hold a porcelain bowl, and her hair falls slightly as she drinks soup... a delicate yet lazy and soft beauty.
This version of Yi Sheng is both gentle and incredibly touching.
Bai Yeke was brought back to her senses, and of course, she was too embarrassed to admit that she wanted to emulate other people's demeanor. "Ahem, it's nothing."
Yi Sheng raised an eyebrow.
"By the way, you just said I don't need to think about these things, and then what?" Bai Yeke quickly changed the subject.
“Hmm.” Yi Sheng continued, “Since you don’t plan to follow his path, this is where he will be. In the future, as your reputation and skills improve, not only will the headquarters be able to hold you back, but you won’t be able to hold him back in this industry either.”
Bai Ye's eyes widened.
She only dared to dream of becoming a leader in the industry in the future.
Yi Sheng's description was so simple; it showed an excessive level of confidence in her.
Yi Sheng left the dining table and glanced at her before leaving, seemingly scrutinizing something. Bai Yeke nervously awaited the expert's evaluation or guidance.
As a result, the woman said in a serious tone, "Hmm, your eyes are quite round and big."
Bai Yeke: "..."
It was a Wednesday morning.
The sun was shining brightly in the early morning, and the sky was clear. Suddenly, a strong wind arose, the trees rustled, and dark clouds drifted in from the south at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the sky gradually darkened.
Santen Shin-ha reached a cooperation agreement with a bedding brand, and the headquarters invited a group of people from the other party to visit the store, which was the Yongfu Road store.
The tour mainly focused on various other brand collaboration materials. Of course, one reason for choosing the Yongfu Road store was that it had recently completed a renovation for Yi Sheng.
So, during the process of the three main leaders of the store lining up to welcome and accompany them, the headquarters leader naturally suggested that Baiyeke also come over and say hello.
On the one hand, this hot gimmick is a good way to showcase the new partner; on the other hand, although headquarters has some impression of Baiye, they haven't met him in person yet, so this is a good opportunity to meet him together.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yeke very politely came over and greeted him with a smile.
A refreshing, warm, and well-behaved young woman, bearing the prestigious title of a fresh graduate, moves with neither arrogance nor servility, displaying a subtle restraint that gives a very comfortable impression.
One of the partners casually remarked, "Santen is indeed full of talented people; it's a feast for the eyes."
Lu Feiteng, one of the three main leaders of the store, said this with what he thought was modesty, "You flatter me, you flatter me. But this designer is only considered to be of average quality in our store."
"Hehe, so your shop is truly a hidden gem."
In this already decided collaboration, the atmosphere between the two parties was very harmonious and amicable, and the other party thought it was just a few jokes.
Lu Feiteng waved his hand and pointed to the list of names on the store's information wall, explaining the situation of their leaders and several highly educated staff members one by one.
The other party was somewhat speechless, but out of politeness, they pretended to be very interested and listened while offering compliments.
A vice president in charge of operations arrived at the headquarters of Santen, accompanied by his capable subordinates. He glanced at Lü Feiteng with some impatience.
He remembered Lü Feiteng, the son of another vice president in charge of human resources at the headquarters of Cantian, who was of the same rank as him. He was getting old and was just wasting his days. He was still acting all high and mighty here. He had no sense of propriety at all.
After giving his speech-like introduction, Lu Feiteng listened attentively and received praise from the high-ranking officials. He felt refreshed and his spirits lifted, the gloom of the past few days gone by. Finally, he didn't forget to return to his original intention and casually mentioned Bai Yeke again, "So that little designer is really nothing here. She's just a kid who was kicked out of my relative's house."
He paused for a moment after he finished speaking, realizing that he had unknowingly said what was on his mind. But he quickly recovered and thought, "It doesn't matter. They are worlds apart. The atmosphere is just right now, so a casual remark doesn't matter."
For several minutes, Lü Feiteng was the only one speaking while everyone else remained silent. Now that he had finished speaking and stopped, as if out of habit, no one else in the room opened their mouths.
Subtle changes in expression were visible on each face.
The store manager tried to smooth things over, quickly pulling Lü Feiteng aside as if they had something to discuss.
As for the remaining groups of people, the partners didn't seem to care; they were more like spectators watching the show.
The vice president looked at Bai Yeke, still smiling, and asked meaningfully, "Is there some misunderstanding about what he said?"
At this moment, the vice president was somewhat annoyed. From the perspective of the Santen headquarters, this designer, who had a bad personality and had been abandoned by his family, was not a good pawn. However, this golden brand had only recently been polished, and it would be a pity to throw it away.
Bai Ye couldn't manage a smile despite the vice president's seemingly friendly one. She hated having her family affairs dragged into this, but since things had come to this, she explained simply and respectfully, "Perhaps President Lü has misunderstood. My family is a blended family. I live with my mother, and she's not young anymore. It's time for her to be independent."
So they moved out voluntarily, which makes perfect sense.
It sounds pitiful; she's in a blended family, living with a disadvantaged mother, and was kicked out by her stepfather.
Even the partners no longer seemed so indifferent.
In the eyes of the vice president, there was another layer of meaning: this designer came from a poor family but now had a thriving business, making him a very suitable subordinate who was easy to manage and motivate.
After leaving, the vice president complained to his subordinates in the car, "Old Lu's son is really spoiled. With this, Old Lu still wants him to take over his job?"
This subordinate, who was always meticulous and reliable, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.
"Sigh." The vice president shook his head helplessly with a speechless laugh. "It's really embarrassing. The store can't even accommodate him."
With Bai Yeke's new identity mostly settled, she was able to free up a little bit of energy to focus on other things.
For example, if she gets off work earlier than Yi Sheng every day, she will cook dinner. If Yi Sheng comes home earlier, she will order takeout so that Bai Ye can come home and the two of them can eat together.
Considering all this, Bai Ye felt a little uneasy about paying for accommodation with her part-time job.
So she wondered if she could figure out how to make breakfast for Yi Sheng.
Bai Ye put the dishes away after dinner in the dishwasher and asked Yi Sheng, "Ms. Yi, what do you usually eat for breakfast?"
Yi Sheng had just finished eating and hadn't returned to her study to work yet. She was about to go to the balcony to get some fresh air when she was interrupted by a message requesting instructions. Standing by the island counter, she didn't even look up when she heard the message and answered without thinking, "Coffee, eggs, bread, fruit, grilled sausages, and the like."
These are the same dishes on Yi Sheng's dining table from childhood to adulthood, except that when he was a child, coffee would be replaced with milk or juice.
The conclusion drawn from this study is that it is both highly effective and nutritious.
However, it wasn't the type of breakfast that Baiye liked; it was monotonous and tasteless.
She thought she might be able to change things up for Yi Sheng. Although it wasn't as nutritious, it would increase her happiness level. "Miss Yi, would you like to try my breakfast?"
"Hmm?" Yi Sheng looked up after replying to the message, and Bai Yeke's eyes were sparkling as she looked at her.
Yi Sheng was indifferent, "Okay, then you..."
“I’ll see what I can do!” Bai Yeke answered first, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
Yi Sheng was momentarily stunned when his words were interrupted, but quickly smiled.
This version of Bai Yeke, besides being gentle and reserved, finally has a touch of spirit, more like the feeling they had at first sight, unlike the restraint they felt towards her when they first met her.
"Then we look forward to Designer Bai's masterpiece."
"Ms. Yi, you're putting me under a lot of pressure by saying that."
"Really?" Yi Sheng strolled to the balcony. "As you know, our big boss loves to help people turn pressure into motivation."
"..."
Before going to bed, Bai Yeke thought about it carefully. She used to eat breakfast at home when she was a child. What kind of warm snacks and pastries should she try first for Yi Sheng?
In her dream, she also ate breakfast with Yi Sheng.
Yi Sheng is picky and didn't think it tasted very good, so she was a little disappointed.
"Can't you eat it for me?"
Bai Yeke felt both wronged and threatened.
Upon waking, Bai Ye frowned, feeling a chill run down her spine at the memory of her dream, but a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips the next second.
Because Yi Sheng in the dream was much more approachable than in reality. Although she still had that cold and aloof demeanor, he was forced to eat all the food she had made, even though she was cold-faced.
Bai Yeke got up and hesitated while washing up whether to make egg pancakes. Yi Sheng in her dream didn't like them much, but because of this dream, she missed the taste of egg pancakes very much.
In the end, she did it anyway.
When Yi Sheng arrived at the restaurant, she scooped up the last egg pancake and put it on her plate.
The egg pancakes were served, golden and glistening with fresh green scallions and diced ham, glistening with a slight sheen of oil. Their aroma wafted through the room with the rising steam, enticingly enticing.
Under Bai Yeke's expectant gaze, Yi Sheng picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her bowl, then took a bite. "Not bad."
Bai Ye laughed, and her reaction was different from in the dream. That was wonderful.
But the next second, Bai Yeke's smile froze slightly, "...What are you doing?"
Yi Sheng casually picked up a bottle of peanut butter and unscrewed it. "Hmm? Spread some sauce."
!
Bai Yeke's expression was complicated. "...Egg pancakes are not suitable for this."
"Oh." Seeing that she seemed reluctant to brush the sauce herself, Yi Sheng obediently put down the bottle. "It's just a habit."
That evening, Yi Sheng was working in her study. Around nine o'clock, she smelled a strange fragrance that was so pervasive that she couldn't concentrate on her work.
Helpless, Yi Sheng put on a pajama shirt over her nightgown and came out. The air conditioner in the living room was set two degrees lower than in the study.
Once outside, the fragrance became even more intoxicating.
Walking into the kitchen, the range hood was working diligently, and Bai Yeke stood by the stove, creating a picture of a gentle and beautiful young cook.
Yi Sheng leaned forward a little further, and with the powerful operation of the range hood interfering, Bai Yeke finally heard a little noise and turned her head. She and Yi Sheng made eye contact.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm making chili sauce," Bai Yeke replied. "If you eat it with an egg pancake, you won't need to spread peanut sauce on it."
Yi Sheng glanced at the pot of steaming white broth, the aroma of which assaulted her sense of smell and taste buds.
She was both amused and exasperated. "You really are..."
"how?"
"fine."
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