Chapter 2 Love at first sight is just lust...
After sitting down, the waiter promptly brought coffee. Liang Qi looked up, nodded, and said, "Thank you." Then he looked at the two people opposite him.
Ji Meng smiled and said, "This coffee shop is quite unique. When I first came in, I thought it was an art gallery."
Liang Qi smiled faintly and nodded slightly, saying, "Coffee shop, art gallery, call it whatever you like. We're conducting interviews here now, so you can consider this a meeting room."
He smiled slowly, appearing quite easygoing. "Of course, I hope this process won't be as serious as a meeting."
With just one sentence, the atmosphere immediately eased considerably, demonstrating his high emotional intelligence and ability to control the situation.
Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but look up at him from in front of the screen.
His suit was a light and fitted style, black at first glance, but with a subtle silver sheen in the joint folds and reflective areas; the white shirt underneath was unbuttoned at the top, the collar slightly open, revealing his straight neck and Adam's apple tightly wrapped in skin.
She stared at it, unable to look away for a moment.
Sensing her gaze, Liang Qi calmly turned to look at her.
Jiang Nuanyu raised her eyes and met his gaze.
His gaze was calm and unwavering, non-aggressive, yet deep and focused; seemingly without probing, yet it seemed to see into the deepest corners of people's hearts.
She couldn't withstand his gaze and quickly lowered her head, looking back at the screen, silently warning herself—
I'm at work now, I can't afford to make mistakes!
Focus!
After a few brief pleasantries, the conversation quickly turned to a formal interview.
Ji Meng said, "The outside world's impression of real estate is sometimes labeled with tags like 'nouveau riche' and lack of taste. In your opinion, how should an operational real estate group like Yunjing, which focuses on high-end experiences, break through these inherent images? Is massive advertising really the solution?"
After listening to the question, Liang Qi lowered his eyes briefly to think, and said, "Indeed, the real estate industry is easily viewed as merely functional, as if it can only solve some specific practical needs. But if it only stays at this level, companies are destined to be passive. To have the initiative in the market, the environment must establish a connection with the people in it."
"What YunJing wants to do and is doing is to break down the barriers between people and space and reshape the brand image through real experiences. Of course, targeted advertising is necessary, but what really matters is the content itself."
This answer was exceptionally sincere and thoughtful. Jiang Nuanyu, who was taking notes on her computer, was drawn up again.
Liang Qi noticed her gaze immediately, turned his eyes, and met her gaze.
She had no choice but to lower her head again.
Ji Meng posed questions step by step, starting with the group's positioning and discussing project strategy, before gradually delving into more personalized topics such as style preferences.
Whether listening or answering, Liang Qi looked directly at the other person and made eye contact with them.
Occasionally, he would laugh or interject a lighthearted joke into his answers, quickly easing the slightly reserved atmosphere.
Perhaps feeling that the interview was going better than expected, Ji Meng asked a question that wasn't on the outline as the interview was nearing its end.
"So, one last question," Ji Meng said with a smile, "Currently, it seems that Yun Jing's resort projects, especially Menghe Island, are actively shifting from their original high-end positioning to a more proactive approach of reaching lower-end markets."
Her smile deepened as she asked, "You are young, accomplished, and have an outstanding image, which inherently makes you highly influential and generates much discussion. Mr. Liang, did you anticipate and intend to enhance your brand's influence through media interviews?"
Jiang Nuanyu keenly grasped the sharpness of this question.
"Going down" can easily be interpreted as lowering one's status, relying on one's personal image to drive traffic is more likely to be labeled as traffic-driven, and personally stepping forward is bound to be seen as being eager for quick success and instant benefits.
As soon as she finished speaking, she glanced at Ji Meng out of the corner of her eye, then secretly observed Liang Qi, thinking that he might skip this tricky question.
After all, he is the magazine's sponsor, and the "big spender" definitely has the right to do so.
However, Liang Qi did not show the slightest displeasure on his face.
He lowered his eyes and smiled gently, as if he hadn't noticed the underlying meaning of the question; or perhaps he had noticed it but didn't care.
"The original intention of the Dream Island project is actually very simple." He raised his eyes and looked at Ji Meng with a steady gaze, and said, "It is completely inclusive. People of any income level can have an experience here that gives them their own value."
“Consumption is essentially a dialogue between customers and the group regarding shared values. As the head of the group, I want this communication process to be as clear and accurate as possible, so as not to be misinterpreted.”
He concluded with a light smile: "As for whether my personal image can generate additional publicity, I haven't thought that far ahead. However, more than my personal image, the experience and services that YunJing can provide are the real key to winning recognition and trust. I'm more confident about that."
What a flawless answer!
He neither embarrassed Ji Meng nor revealed any of his trump cards, and even subtly praised himself at the same time.
Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but admire Liang Qi's abilities. Not only was he highly intelligent, quick-witted, and logically strong, but his insight into situations and people was also keen, precise, and unambiguous.
He appears gentle and composed, but his methods are shrewd and unpredictable.
Such a person cannot be described as an elite in the ordinary sense.
Upon receiving this answer, Ji Meng nodded in satisfaction, smiled, and closed the document: "Thank you for your wonderful sharing."
Liang Qi slightly lowered his chin and gave a smile in greeting.
*
The interview, which lasted for nearly an hour, came to a successful end. Jiang Nuanyu made the last note in the document, saved it, closed her laptop, and looked up to see Liang Qi looking up at her from the laptop on her lap.
A faint smile played on his lips, and Jiang Nuanyu's heart skipped a beat.
She glanced at the laptop on her lap, didn't see anything wrong, and then looked at him uncertainly.
Their eyes met again, but Liang Qi didn't linger. He raised his wrist and glanced at his watch.
The cuffs of the white shirt were pulled out a bit with the movement, standing upright, and the metal bezel of the watch face reflected a gleam.
Jiang Nuanyu blinked.
This scene seemed strangely familiar.
In the two seconds she was distracted, Liang Qi had already straightened his suit jacket and stood up.
Ji Meng then stood up and extended her hand: "Thank you again for sharing. I look forward to our future collaboration."
Liang Qi shook hands with the two men: "I hope your magazine has a great time on Menghe Island."
After saying that, he nodded slightly as a farewell.
Jiang Nuanyu watched his figure disappear through the door, her heart still pounding in her chest.
Ji Meng had other plans for the afternoon, and before leaving, she gave Jiang Nuanyu the outline she had marked for the interview: "The outline is well prepared, and I'll also give you the later interview transcript. Use these markings as a reference, just keep the general direction in mind. Any questions?"
"No problem." Jiang Nuanyu nodded subconsciously in response.
Ji Meng seemed to think that her reply was a bit too quick. She stared at her for a moment, then said nothing more, simply grunted an "Mm," and turned to get into the car.
On the way back, Jiang Nuanyu, who had just snapped out of her work mode, gradually realized that she had really seen him again.
His name was Liang Qi.
But besides being happy, this fact also made her feel uneasy, anxious, and even lost. It was very contradictory and made her mind a mess.
She didn't want to linger in this chaotic state for too long, so she decided to distract herself with work.
Ji Meng assigned the writing task to her as well, which shows that her preliminary work was recognized, and this gave her a lot of motivation.
After returning to her room, Jiang Nuanyu played the recording and began organizing the interview transcript.
The interview went very smoothly. Liang Qi's answers were logical, clear, and well-organized, with almost no unnecessary words and requiring little polishing. His pronunciation was clear and his pauses were appropriate, and his speaking speed was also moderate, making him arguably the interviewee who made things easiest for the editors.
However, when it came to actually getting started, Jiang Nuanyu failed to achieve the expected efficiency.
Her attention was always unconsciously drawn to his voice; when she heard a slight chuckle with a hint of emotion, she would start imagining what he looked like when he said those words.
After repeating this several times, she paused the video and couldn't help but ask herself: Why was she so restless because of him?
Is it because she still likes him? What is it about him that she likes?
He certainly displayed a strong personal charm during the interview, but what exactly was the meaning of that charm for her to like him?
In the past, when conducting interviews, she could always glean key personality traits from snippets of conversation. But throughout the interview, Liang Qi seemed both clear and vague to her, defying easy categorization.
He was generous with his answers, providing a wealth of information, but she couldn't glean any insight into him personally.
but……
He was really handsome, even more handsome than she remembered.
Her thoughts were getting out of control again... Jiang Nuanyu belatedly realized that her mouth was curved, and she was stunned. Helplessly, she closed her eyes.
*
As the sun gradually set, the shadows of the trees outside the French windows stretched long until they covered the entire courtyard before Jiang Nuanyu finished transcribing the recording.
I picked up my phone and saw several WeChat messages.
Her phone had been on silent since noon, and she forgot to turn it off.
One of the invitations came from Feng Sha, who asked her to go to the fireworks party at the resort that evening.
The other two are from Xiao An:
"Editor Jiang, the editor-in-chief wants you to come to her after 6 PM with the interview outline she's written down and marked for the interview."
She lives in villa F6 of the Beihe Villa District.
Jiang Nuanyu quickly checked the time; it was just six o'clock.
She guessed that Ji Meng was probably still worried about her grasp of the overall direction of the interview transcript and wanted to have another face-to-face discussion with her.
She quickly packed her things, took the shuttle bus to the Beihe Villa District, and found the corresponding villa according to the number sent by Xiao An.
I rang the doorbell twice, but no one answered.
Calling the editor-in-chief directly would be too abrupt, so Jiang Nuanyu hesitated for a moment and sent Ji Meng a message saying that she had arrived at the villa.
Ji Meng replied, "Come to the second-floor terrace."
Jiang Nuanyu took two steps back while holding her phone. There was indeed a marble staircase hanging on the side of the villa.
She walked up the steps.
There was no one on the terrace. She glanced inside from the stairwell, and it was quiet as well.
She didn't want to go any further and was about to call Ji Meng to confirm when someone suddenly came up the stairs on the inside of the platform.
It was a man, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with a towel over his head, who was looking down and drying his hair.
Jiang Nuanyu: "..."
She was internally screaming that she was doomed.
The man pulled off the towel, looked up and saw her, his eyes pausing for a moment.
For a second, the possibility that he was Ji Meng's boyfriend flashed through Jiang Nuanyu's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
She forced herself to remain calm and said, "I'm sorry, I must have come to the wrong place." She pointed to the stairs behind her, "I came up this way and accidentally wandered into this place. I'm so sorry."
The other person didn't speak, silently observing her. Their expression wasn't obviously displeased, but it certainly wasn't friendly either.
Jiang Nuanyu nodded apologetically and turned to return the way she came when the man suddenly spoke up: "What's the room number you need? I can have someone take you there."
Jiang Nuanyu turned halfway around and quickly waved her hand, "No need to trouble yourself, I should be able to find it myself, thank you... Sorry to bother you."
The man looked at her for two or three seconds, then looked away, walked to the wicker chair and sat down without saying a word.
Seeing this, Jiang Nuanyu didn't disturb them any further and went downstairs to leave.
As I hurriedly stepped out of the villa's platform, a black Maybach drove past in front of the door.
Jiang Nuanyu inexplicably thought of the reflection on Liang Qi's watch and subconsciously glanced at the back seat.
However, through the tinted car windows, she couldn't see if there was anyone inside.
Inside the car, Liang Qi sat in the back seat, closing his eyes to rest.
Peng Ze, in the passenger seat, said, "Mr. Liang, President Yao also arrived at the resort this afternoon and is staying at the same villa he used to stay in."
Liang Qi slowly opened his eyes, turned his head to glance out the window, and saw Jiang Nuanyu coming down the stairs.
His gaze followed her for two seconds before turning back to the villa she came out of.
It seems to be the building where Jingyao lives.
He looked away and said, "I understand."
Peng Ze said, "President Yao's arrival is too timely... Could it be related to the social gathering tomorrow?"
Liang Qi paused for a moment, then simply said, "Be careful."
"clear."
A note from the author:
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