As Jiang Yuan's assistant, Jiang Jianhuan responded with her eyes slightly lowered. After several rounds of criticism, she finally received a satisfactory reply, and Jiang Yuan waved for her to leave.
After confirming the show's schedule and coordinating with various departments, I also had to call and email each of the invited guests in my spare time. The whole day was busy, and by the time I finished handling everything, the city lights were already on.
The entire office was quiet, desolate, and empty.
Jiang Jianhuan walked out of the building. The night breeze was cool, the sky was dark and deep, and the few pedestrians on the street all looked hurried, their faces bearing the vicissitudes and numbness of life.
She turned her head casually and saw the floor-to-ceiling glass next to her. The face reflected in it suddenly seemed unfamiliar, and the blankness in its eyes was no different from that of the pedestrians on the street.
Once upon a time, she had become the person she least wanted to be.
Jiang Jianhuan's stomach was churning with hunger because she hadn't eaten dinner, but she habitually suppressed it. She bought a simply packaged bread from a roadside shop and ate it as she walked home.
Without water, the bread was very dry, and it made her feel a slight, stinging pain as it rolled down her throat. She swallowed and quickened her pace.
The iro early autumn new collection launch will be held in half a month. As a well-known first-tier brand, this launch is highly anticipated, and many important people will attend as guests.
Jiang Jianhuan stayed up for several nights in a row to finally finalize the entire process. He checked the costumes repeatedly and didn't dare to be careless even with a single button.
That day, the backstage area was a flurry of activity. Designers were busy putting together outfits for the models, with fabrics and accessories scattered everywhere—some draped haphazardly over chair backs, others carefully hung on hangers, and still others accidentally slipped to the floor.
Faintly, thunderous applause could be heard from outside from time to time.
Music accompanied by lights shone on the heavily made-up models on the runway.
With her unique and gorgeous attire, her tall and almost excessively thin figure, and eye-catching high heels, she moved confidently and gracefully across the stage.
Little did people know that behind this magnificent and luxurious scene were the busy people who didn't care about their image.
After the main event, the fashion show, concluded, the banquet gradually began.
"Jianhuan, just follow behind me. Be careful not to overstep your bounds; these are important people." Jiang Yuan instructed.
The morning was chaotic, and the fashion show went on from start to finish. Jiang Jianhuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. There was still the final banquet to attend to, and after that, she could basically call it a day.
She subtly focused her mind, followed Jiang Yuan to take a glass of red wine from the waiter's tray, straightened her back, pulled in her stomach, and unconsciously clenched her fingers, paying attention to the people passing by.
Jiang Yuan had a wide circle of friends, chatting and exchanging pleasantries with everyone. Jiang Yuan listened from the side like a background character, her thoughts drifting away, lost in thought, habitually worrying that the wine glass in her hand might be accidentally bumped and soil her five-figure dress.
Jiang Jianhuan lowered her eyes and silently pulled her hand away a little more.
Her years of poverty and hardship have made her constantly prepare for the worst, so that she is mentally prepared even if disaster truly strikes.
A lively atmosphere filled the air, with the bright crystal chandelier on the ceiling casting a dazzling golden glow over the banquet.
The red carpet, people in suits and tuxedos, with their exquisite and appropriate makeup, resembled the social gatherings of the upper class in the old society.
Jiang Jianhuan was slightly dazed when the crowd in front of him suddenly stirred and became inexplicably agitated. Not knowing who had arrived, they all looked towards the gate. Suddenly, a scream rang in his ears.
"Su Mo!"
Jiang Jianhuan's heart skipped a beat.
People around him were pushing forward, eagerly heading in that direction. In the chaos, Jiang Jianhuan's arm was bumped, with a thud.
The glass overturned, spilling red wine all over her. The dark red liquid dripped down her white fabric, from her chest to the ground, where it pooled into a small puddle.
Time seemed to stand still.
Her head buzzed, and she stared blankly at the wine stains on her body, forgetting to react.
The skirt is ruined.
Jiang Jianhuan's mind raced as he calculated the income and expenses for the next few months, but no matter how he calculated, he couldn't fill this huge hole.
Her heart was filled with despair, and her eyes were forced red with suppressed emotion.
Before he knew it, everything around him had fallen silent. The noisy chatter and footsteps had all disappeared, and a shadow fell over him. Jiang Jianhuan belatedly looked up and saw Su Mo.
He hadn't changed at all; his features remained as clean and aloof as ever. His neat black suit was sharp and imposing, like an invisible barrier that firmly kept the two of them at a distance.
At this moment, those dark eyes were staring at her, devoid of any emotion, clean and pure, like the frost that freezes on a lake after the winter snow melts, clear and cold.
Someone was asking me a question.
"Mr. Su, do you know her?"
A voice, so familiar it's ingrained in your very being, yet so strange it feels like a hallucination.
Three concise and to the point.
"I don't know him."
Chapter 2
After the banquet ended, as expected, Jiang Jianhuan was scolded by Jiang Yuan. But the worst was yet to come. After communicating with the brand, the person in charge spoke coldly and emotionlessly.
"The bill will be sent to your company shortly. Ms. Jiang, please compensate us accordingly. Thank you."
It was almost midnight, and the streets were deserted, without a single taxi in sight. Jiang Yuan dropped her off at the nearest subway station and drove away. In the cold wind, Jiang Jianhuan crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders.
The narrow alley was filled with an unknown odor, like rotting garbage mixed with animal carcasses. Jiang Jianhuan walked into a dark, old building, as if he had stepped into the mouth of a lurking monster.
A faint light shone inside the huge black box.
It's a very simple one-bedroom apartment. You can tell the owner has tried their best to decorate it, but it still can't hide the roughness and dilapidation at its core.
Compared to the grand banquet and show just now, it was like two different worlds: one glamorous and high above the clouds, the other old, dirty, and dusty.
Just like her and him.