Chapter 73 Assessment
Huo Yanzhi seemed completely oblivious to her implied meaning. His gaze fell on the warm milk on the tray and the clean, tempting red strawberries.
He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, sat down in his office chair, and rubbed his temples.
"Not tired."
His voice was hoarse with a hint of fatigue.
"There's another document to review."
Ruan Yao was somewhat discouraged when she saw that he wasn't responding, but seeing his tired expression, her mindset still prevailed.
She walked behind him, stretched out her slender fingers, and gently pressed them against his temples.
"Let me massage it for you."
Her fingertips were warm and soft, with a faint fragrance, and the pressure was just right.
Huo Yanzhi's body stiffened for a moment, but he quickly relaxed and let her move on his head.
My nerves, which had been tense all night, gradually relaxed under her comforting words.
The study was quiet, with only her soft breathing and the occasional sound of the wind coming from outside the window.
The atmosphere was warm and tranquil.
As Ruan Yao continued massaging, her courage grew again.
Her hands began to become less "well-behaved".
My fingers lingered on his strong shoulders, and through the thin fabric of his shirt, I could clearly feel the texture of his muscles and his astonishing heat.
She deliberately slowed her movements, her fingertips seemingly carrying an electric current, intentionally or unintentionally tracing lightly across the sensitive area on the back of his neck.
This is a secret she discovered in her past life, and Huo Yanzhi is very sensitive about it.
She could feel the man in front of her tense up instantly.
A wicked thought of success began to spread in his mind.
She went even further, bringing her lips close to his ear, her breath sweet as orchids, and softly complaining in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Huo Yanzhi, it's so hard down here..."
Her fingertips "inadvertently" brushed across his collarbone beneath his shirt.
Then, "accidentally," it landed on his firm chest.
Is it... this tense here too?
Huo Yanzhi's breathing suddenly became heavier.
The next second, her wrist was suddenly gripped by a large, hot hand.
The force was so great that she gasped in surprise.
Huo Yanzhi spun his chair and pulled her off balance.
Ruan Yao lost her balance and fell forward, landing squarely in his arms, where she was firmly held between his chest and the large desk.
She sat on his lap in an extremely intimate pose.
Huo Yanzhi looked at her.
His eyes, under the light, were frighteningly dark, churning with a thick, dangerous emotion she couldn't understand.
When he looked at her like that, Ruan Yao's arrogance instantly diminished, like a cat whose scruff of the neck had been grabbed, unable to move.
"Yaoyao," he said, his voice hoarse, as if he were holding a handful of scalding sand.
Ruan Yao had always been a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong in front of Huo Yanzhi, but now she was finally afraid.
She didn't know what to do with her hands and feet, so she hurriedly picked up the biggest and reddest strawberry on the table and held it to his lips.
"Eat...eat strawberries."
Huo Yanzhi looked at the red lips so close to his face and the bright red strawberry, and his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
He didn't open his mouth.
Ruan Yao felt her scalp tingle under his gaze, her cheeks flushed red enough to bleed. Holding up the strawberry, she moved it forward again, her fingertips almost touching his lips.
"You eat it."
She urged him on, feigning guilt and trying to be coquettish.
Huo Yanzhi looked at her, reached out, and grasped her slender wrist.
His palms were burning hot, and the force was astonishing.
Ruan Yao thought he was going to eat the strawberry with her hand.
However, the next second, Huo Yanzhi took her hand and brought the strawberry to her own lips.
"You eat."
Ruan Yao shook her head.
"I don't……"
She was about to say she didn't want to eat, but Huo Yanzhi's grip on her wrist slowly tightened.
With his other hand, he gripped the back of her head and forcefully pressed her against himself.
"Hmm!"
Caught off guard, Ruan Yao fell into his arms, her lips colliding heavily with his cool, sweet strawberry.
The strawberry was bumped and deformed, and its sweet and sour juice instantly burst between their lips and teeth.
Immediately afterwards, a kiss, hot and passionate, landed on her lips.
Huo Yanzhi pried open her lips and teeth, his tongue swirling over the messy, sweet residue, conquering and plundering.
This kiss was completely different from his usual light, fleeting kisses.
It is full of tenderness and lingering affection, like a wild beast savoring every inch of its prey before devouring it in the next second.
Ruan Yao's mind exploded with a "boom," all her reason burned to ashes by that kiss.
She passively tilted her head back, enduring his meticulous demands, her body going limp like a pool of spring water, only able to weakly cling to his shoulders to avoid slipping down.
His hand had somehow slipped under the hem of her silk nightgown, his burning palm pressing against her delicate skin, moving upwards, sending shivers down her spine wherever it touched.
Just when Ruan Yao thought he was about to take the next step, Huo Yanzhi stopped all his actions.
He released her, the burning passion in his eyes had faded, leaving only a deep, unfathomable darkness.
Her flushed, glistening face was clearly reflected in the glass.
"Huo... Huo Yanzhi..."
Her voice was trembling.
Why did it stop?
He released her and stood up.
"You should go back to sleep."
Ruan Yao stared blankly at him, the sweet scent of strawberries and his domineering aura still lingering on her lips.
When she came to her senses, she had already left the study and somehow got back to her bedroom.
Ruan Yao touched her burning cheeks and swollen lips, and buried her head in the soft bed in embarrassment and anger, covering her head with the quilt.
What's wrong with this man?
What kind of hero flirts and then runs away?
*
Before we knew it, it was time for the project evaluation meeting a week later.
In the conference room, Huo Jing and several project team leaders were already seated.
Zhao Yan was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he sat there looking confident of victory.
When he saw Ruan Yao come in, he gave her a "kind" smile.
He had worked at this company for nearly ten years, leading several blockbuster projects, and his connections and experience speak for themselves.
In his view, competing with a young girl who had just graduated was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
This assessment was nothing more than a formality, just a way to give an account to those in power.
What he needs to do is win convincingly and make it clear to everyone who is the real leader of this project.
"Planner Zhao, you can start first," Huo Jing said.
Zhao Yan stood up, turned on the projector, and began his explanation with great confidence.
His proposal was sound and impeccable.
From market analysis to production processes, from cost control to marketing channels, every aspect was considered thoroughly and meticulously, perfectly demonstrating the professional competence of a seasoned planner.
"...My core idea is to play it safe. The 'Summer Wonderland' IP has great potential, but precisely because of that, we should play it safe with our first product. We should open up the market with regular models first, test the reaction, and then gradually launch more innovative models with higher risks after we have established a foothold."
He spoke eloquently, emphasizing "experience" and "risk control" from time to time, implying that it was too risky for Ruan Yao, as a newcomer, to manage the entire production line.
It must be admitted that Zhao Yan is indeed quite capable.
His plan was very detailed, from market analysis to production scheduling, from cost control to risk assessment. Every aspect was carefully considered, with clear logic and detailed data.
He looks like a seasoned veteran.
He spoke for a full forty minutes, and when he finished, there was only a sparse clapping from the audience.
Several judges who were on good terms with him showed expressions of approval.
"Zhao's planning is indeed thorough; he truly deserves to be called the pillar of our department."
"That's right, prioritize stability before innovation; this is the safest approach."
Zhao Yan bowed and, as he walked off the stage, he deliberately passed by Ruan Yao and chuckled softly in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Little Ruan, did you learn something?"
The contempt and smugness in his tone were undisguised.
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