25. Snow in a silver bowl
"Me? Be your assistant?"
"I have another easy way out, which is to work as my chairman's assistant for a month."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinuan almost burst out laughing, as if she had heard the most absurd statement of the century.
She stood with her arms crossed, her posture casual yet arrogant.
The contempt and arrogance in his eyes were palpable.
Shang Xinuan raised an eyebrow at Li Xiran, then pointed to herself and asked, "Me? To be your assistant?"
Since her birth, the young lady had suffered in Paris with her mother for five years before being brought back to Shanghai. The most difficult and challenging thing for her was the four years she spent chasing after Li Xiran.
As the daughter of a capitalist, these words were full of provocation just to hear them.
"Of course, I only offered two suggestions for exchanging longevity peach paintings. Or you could choose other gifts for your grandfather, that would be nice too." Li Xiran leaned against the car, and despite the young lady's scornful and even disdainful arrogant expression, his eyebrows and lips still held the most gentle smile.
At the same time, it was as if he had accurately predicted Shang Xinuan's alternative plan of not making a gift.
Shang Zun's birthday banquet is on Sunday, and there's less than a week left. It won't be easy for the young lady to find an ancient painting by a famous artist of the same caliber as Qi Baishi's "Longevity Peach" painting.
“Chairman Li, a gentleman does not take what others cherish. Why do you take advantage of someone in distress?” Yu Jiayue stepped in front of Shang Xinuan and said sharply.
Li Xiran narrowed his eyes slightly, not even letting the faint smile that scrutinized Yu Jiayue reach his eyes, like a naturally aloof and decisive person in a high position. "Mr. Yu, a gentleman does not take what others cherish, so why do you have to take advantage of the situation?"
Yu Jiayue's hands, hanging by his sides, were already clenched into fists. "In relationships, taking advantage of someone's weakness means that when a relationship is at its most vulnerable, someone else invades it. But it seems that Chairman Li and Nuannuan have never been boyfriend and girlfriend."
“I’m pursuing and protecting the person I’ve liked since I was a child, which doesn’t count as taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability. On the contrary, it’s Chairman Li who keeps pressing me and won’t give Nuan Nuan any peace and quiet.”
“If that’s the logic, then I’m trying to win back the heart of my former lover. If she’s willing, my entire Li family is hers.” Li Xiran pursed his lips slightly, then looked at Shang Xinuan with tenderness and doting eyes. “Nuan Nuan, this is between us. You decide.”
The atmosphere at the scene was almost tense due to the argument between the two.
The young lady crossed her arms and leaned against Qiao Xi's shoulder, her brows furrowed.
"Me, make the decision?" Shang Xinuan sneered. "Hasn't Chairman Li already made the decision for me, scheming against me every step of the way?"
She really had no choice: 60 million, choose another gift, or become his assistant.
There seemed to be three paths, but Li Xiran only lit one for her.
Li Xiran raised an eyebrow, stepped forward and placed the box containing the ancient painting into her arms. "With Nuannuan's undergraduate degree from Shanghai University and her master's degree in Chinese from Cambridge, she'll definitely have no problem handling some basic tasks."
"Heh." The young lady rolled her eyes at him in response, "Then you'd better be tolerant of me and not be begging to send me home to recuperate in less than a week."
The silence was broken only when a horn honked from behind Li Xiran's car.
Shang Dan got out of the car, not caring that Shang Xinuan and Li Xiran were present, and put his arm around Qiao Xi's waist, "So lively?"
As if she had seen a savior, Qiao Xi took Shang Dan's arm and said, "I forgot to mention, today is our fourth anniversary, and we're going to celebrate alone tonight."
The sweet scent of passionate love made her stand out from the rest of the group.
Especially the young lady, "Hurry up and leave."
"Then I'll leave you be, little sister," Shang Dan said, looking at Shang Xinuan.
Then she opened the car door for Qiao Xi and helped her into the car. As she passed Li Xiran, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "Uncle, we're leaving."
Qiao Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief after Shang Dan's car drove away from the Li'an Hotel. "Why did you provoke my uncle?"
"It's his fault for always provoking my sister."
Qiao Xinian knew he was driving and couldn't easily take action, so she said, "Then why didn't you take Nuannuan with you, as her older brother?"
"Relationships are personal matters, and even if I'm her brother, I have no right to make arrangements for her," Shang Danwen replied slowly.
"But this time I feel that my uncle went a bit too far. He actually made Nuannuan his assistant," Qiao Xi said indignantly.
Shang Dan was silent for a second before exclaiming in surprise, "Li Xiran actually dared to make our young lady his assistant?"
"Don't you also think this is going too far!"
"I can only wish him good luck. Our young lady has always been destined to be waited on, and has never served anyone before. I'm afraid he's too weak-willed to enjoy it."
Qiao Xi seemed to remember something and asked, "I remember Nuan Nuan worked as your assistant for a week during her first summer vacation in college."
"To correct you, it was three and a half days. I didn't dare let the young lady come in the afternoon. She really torments people regardless of time or place." Shang Dan recalled that day and still felt that it was even more difficult than when he was first sent to the grassroots level of Shang Group.
“Our Shang family is famous for spoiling our young lady.” As he spoke, Shang Dan’s gaze fell on Qiao Xi, and he reached out to rub her head tenderly. “From now on, we’ll be spoiling our little Xi Xi.”
Shang Dan is usually serious, and he only shows his unserious side when he is with Qiao Xi.
"As a reward, I won't go home tonight."
The car stopped just in time at the red light. Shang Dan unbuckled the seatbelt with one hand and gave it a light kiss. "Then I'll tell Mom and Dad that I'm taking you home today."
"Ah!" Qiao Xi immediately tensed up. "Isn't that inappropriate?"
“That day, after Nuannuan found out we were dating, the young lady blocked my bedroom door and cursed me, saying I was inhuman and that I could do such a thing to an eighteen-year-old girl.” As he spoke, he lifted the back of his short T-shirt, revealing two red marks. “Your future father-in-law hit me with a ruler.”
"Didn't you say it was me who initiated it?"
"But it was indeed me who confessed first."
Shang Dan studied abroad before graduating. He returned to Shanghai only after graduating with his master's and doctoral degrees at the age of 24.
Qiao Xi had only seen Shang Xin's cold and handsome older brother in the Shang family's family photos before. She met Shang Dan in person for the first time in the summer of her second year of high school.
On the day he returned to China after graduation, he picked up Shang Xinuan from school. Even the simplest short-sleeved printed T-shirt looked exceptionally handsome on him.
While preparing a gift for the young lady, he also remembered to prepare one for her best friend, Shang Xin's only known friend.
Since then, she often went to the Shang family's house to do her homework.
She would habitually steal glances at him as he hurried by.
Then, from some point onwards, Shang Dan began to sit at their desks to work and would even take them home late at night.
He encouraged Qiao Xi when her grades dropped and even while on business trips, he would search for design manuscripts left by fashion masters from various countries for her.
The two confirmed their relationship after the college entrance examination. The Shang family held a celebration banquet for their eldest daughter, and Qiao Xi and Yu Jiayue were invited together.
While the five-person team was making wishing lanterns in the garden, Shang Dan was standing upstairs.
Qiao Xi later learned that he had been secretly looking at her wish letter with a camera.
"Thinking about it now, I still feel so regretful. You clearly confessed because you saw my wish. I should have let you pursue me first."
Shang Dan smiled and said, "An eighteen-year-old girl likes to overthink things. Instead of pursuing you and playing games, I'd rather be open and honest with you."
So during the years she studied abroad, Shang Dan kept in touch with her via video call almost every day and flew to Florence every two weeks.
"That's right, Miss Qiao doesn't want to go public, otherwise she wouldn't have had to be punished by her father with a ruler."
"I have to consider Nuannuan's feelings; I'm afraid she'll feel uncomfortable."
Eighteen-year-old girls are sensitive when it comes to relationships.
Whether it's friendship or love.
“Now that we’re out in the open, we’re almost at the age where we should get married.” Shang Dan’s palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel. “Do you want to get engaged first and get married next year? Or do you want to get engaged first, enjoy life for a few more years, and then get married?”
Four years is neither a long nor a short time.
However, the secret relationship between the two of them did not make Qiao Xi feel entirely at ease while studying abroad.
After all, every girl hopes to be known by the whole world and to have someone who loves her passionately.
"So fast?"
"Actually, there's no need. It's just that we've been talking for quite a while now, and if I don't bring up the idea of engagement and marriage soon, I'm afraid you'll start overthinking things. But when to get married is something I will definitely respect your decision. I just want you to know that I'm determined to marry you."
Qiao Xi covered her face, feeling even her ears burning. "Young Master Shang, then please start with a marriage proposal."
Shang Dan chuckled softly, then tilted his head and couldn't resist ruffling her hair. "Received, my lovely girlfriend."
-
Compared to the sweet and romantic scene between Shang Dan and Qiao Xi, the atmosphere at the entrance of the Li'an Hotel was tense and on the verge of conflict.
Three people, three different kinds of gunpowder smoke.
Li Xiran didn't want to continue the standoff with Yu Jiayue, so he looked at Shang Xinuan and said, "You hold onto the painting, I'll take you home."
Yu Jiayue naturally wouldn't back down, "Nuan Nuan, I'll take you."
The two cars stopped in front of the young lady, and during the standoff, a large crowd gathered around.
Amidst the hushed whispers, sighs of admiration were frequently heard.
"I only heard that Li Xiran was pursuing Miss Shang, but I didn't expect Mayor Yu's son to be pursuing her too. Miss Shang is really lucky."
"After all, she is Shang Xinuan, with her looks and family background. Even if she doesn't marry into a wealthy family, she'll still be the daughter-in-law of a high-ranking official."
"So who do you think she'll choose?"
"I'll definitely choose whoever's car I want to get in."
The volume wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the young lady to hear.
Even Li Xiran and Yu Jiayue began to secretly look forward to it.
"You haven't left yet?" Just then, Feng Ruochu came out carrying a fan box.
The young lady glanced at the two people in front of her and asked Feng Ruochu, "How did you get here?"
“My driver brought me here, why would I walk?” She found Shang Xinuan’s question funny.
"That's great, take me home." Miss Shang said sincerely, but Feng Ruochu carefully considered her expression.
"Are you kidding me? The Shang family doesn't even provide you with a driver anymore?"
"Should we deliver it or not?"
"deliver!"
No matter what, Shang Xinuan, carrying the ancient painting box, directly pushed aside the path that Li Xiran was blocking.
The young lady didn't even spare him a glance, but out of politeness, she still bid farewell to Yu Jiayue in a friendly manner, "Feng Ruochu and I are going the same way, so we won't bother you any further. Be careful on the road, bye-bye."
"Nuan Nuan." Just as Shang Xinuan was about to walk out of the revolving corridor, Li Xiran's car drove past her. The rear window slowly rolled down, and he turned to look at her, smiling slightly, "A batch of interns will be joining Li's next Monday. You'll be joining them."
“No.” The young lady tilted her head back, like an angry pufferfish. “I’ll go on Tuesday.”
“Okay, Wednesday is fine too.” Li Xiran said gently, “Anyway, the deadline is one month.”
A note from the author:
Li Xiran, a cunning and treacherous old man.
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