Ji Yuning didn't eat much. Taking advantage of Fang Bai's inattention, she moved the lunchbox away from the camera. When Fang Bai asked, she nodded, "Yeah, it's done."
Fang Bai had no doubts and said softly, "Then I'll hang up?"
Ji Yuning was indeed busy, and although she was reluctant to hang up, she didn't delay any longer. The other party smiled and said, "Goodnight, Auntie."
Her smile was faint, yet very sweet.
If she changed her glasses to square ones that could cover most of her face, her sweet girl image might just come back.
Thinking of this, Fang Bai's eyes curved into a smile. "Goodnight."
After hanging up the phone, Fang Bai leaned back on the sofa.
Her phone was placed beside her lap. She picked up the pendant from her necklace and looked up at it.
The areas illuminated by the light reflected a silvery glow, sparkling like stars in the sky.
Fang Bai let out a slow sigh, feeling that the current Ji Yuning was even more unpredictable than the Ji Yuning whose eyes were full of hostility before.
And myself—
A WeChat notification sound interrupted Fang Bai's thoughts.
Fang Bai fiddled with the pendant, then looked down at his phone.
Hao Yingman: [I'm exhausted, I'm not going to lose weight anymore, being a little chubby is fine.]
Fang Bai: [Finished running?]
Hao Yingman: [Hmm.]
Hao Yingman: [You've finished exercising too?]
Fang Bai: [It hasn't started yet.]
Hao Yingman: [?]
Hao Yingman: [Was that a staged photo?]
Fang Bai smiled and was about to explain to Hao Yingman when she called, saying she wanted to keep an eye on him.
With Hao Yingman interrupting, Fang Bai took a few seconds to think that since Ji Yuning no longer hated her, there was no need to worry about anything anymore, since she wouldn't eat her anyway.
After figuring it out, Fang Bai stopped thinking about Ji Yuning.
Just as Fang Bai sat back down on the yoga mat, ready to start exercising, Hao Yingman's voice suddenly became shrill. She asked Fang Bai, "Wait, what's in that bag behind you?"
Fang Bai looked behind him and saw that the bag Hao Yingman mentioned was the one Ji Yuning had given him. She had just casually put it down, and it was now facing the camera.
Fang Bai calmly replied, "It's nothing, just underwear."
Hao Yingman pressed further, "Is it from uo?"
It sounds familiar.
Fang Bai recalled that the two letters seemed to be printed on the sticker sealing the box, and also on the tag of the underwear. She hesitated uncertainly and said, "I think so."
"What do you mean 'seems like'?" Hao Yingman paused. "Didn't you buy it, or was it a gift from someone else?"
Fang Bai didn't deny it: "Yes."
"Who sent it?" Hao Yingman's tone rose slightly.
Fang Bai was stretching when she thought about the style of the bra. Not wanting to respond anymore, she softly replied, "Why ask so many questions?"
Hao Yingman snorted: "Sister, do you know what kind of group the largest audience for the UO brand is?"
"Not a woman?"
Hao Yingman said, "They are women, but more often they are two women, that is, couples."
Seeing that Fang Bai didn't react, Hao Yingman continued, "This brand doesn't sell online, and the prices are high, so it's quite niche, and not many people know about it."
Not doing online?
Fang Bai thought, no wonder it was delivered by the shop assistant.
“Generally speaking, it’s not strange to give underwear as a gift, but it’s a bit strange to give this brand of underwear.” Hao Yingman knew that Fang Bai didn’t have a boyfriend, so if the other party also knew… his intentions would be a bit obvious.
"Is he trying to pick you up?" Hao Yingman asked.
Fang Bai replied firmly: "No."
Hao Yingman wanted to ask Fang Bai why he was so sure, but Fang Bai asked her in return, "You said not many people know, how do you know?"
Hao Yingman: "...I bought it."
Fang Bai raised an eyebrow: "Another case of seeking novelty?"
"Not really. When I said not many people know about it, I meant not many people outside our circle know about it. Almost everyone in the circle knows about it." Hao Yingman said, glancing sideways at Fang Bai. "But it's not surprising that an older person like you who rarely socializes wouldn't know."
Fang Bai couldn't refute it; Hao Yingman was right, she really didn't know.
How did Ji Yuning find out? Or did she not know and just buy it randomly?
Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to welcome the investors and attend the banquet.
At 6 p.m., Hao Yingman picked up Fang Bai from the residential area.
On the way to the hotel, Hao Yingman and Fang Bai sat in the back seat. The driver was a member of the Hao family, so they weren't worried about their conversation being overheard.
Hao Yingman glanced at the person beside her who was resting with his eyes closed. She knew she shouldn't disturb him, but she couldn't suppress her unease. Hao Yingman slowly moved her index finger toward Fang Bai.
Just ten centimeters away from touching the other person's shoulder, Fang Bai slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to Hao Yingman, "What's wrong?"
Upon seeing this, Hao Yingman immediately grasped Fang Bai's hand and said sincerely, "I'm a little nervous."
Fang Bai's eyes flashed with surprise. The Hao Yingman she remembered was fearless and unafraid of anything, yet she was nervous about something like this?
Fang Bai chuckled and comforted him, "Didn't you say you'd support me if I failed? What's there to be nervous about?"
“It’s not because of that,” Hao Yingman said. “I had been in contact with Ms. Yuan from FJ, but she suddenly called this morning to say that someone else would be sent.”
In the morning, Hao Yingman received a call from her assistant, saying that the person sent by the investors to Nancheng to discuss cooperation had been changed, and that the replacement was a powerful and decisive figure in the workplace.
After receiving the call, Hao Yingman called Fang Bai. It's common for investors to change the person to negotiate cooperation at the last minute. Fang Bai was surprised when he heard this, but then reassured Hao Yingman that there wouldn't be any problems.
Hao Yingman continued, "It's like you were planning a trip to France and even made a detailed itinerary, but one phone call and a plane takes you to Russia."
What kind of metaphor is this?
Fang Bai was amused by Hao Yingman's words. She said, "But no matter where you go, you are still you, that remains unchanged. The travel guide can be changed at any time depending on where you go."
Hao Yingman said, "But I heard that the people coming this time are very difficult to deal with. Several companies originally wanted to attend tonight's banquet, but when they heard that she was coming, they all backed out."
Fang Bai patted Hao Yingman's hand: "Isn't this a good thing? There are a few fewer competitors."
"I hope so."
Hao Yingman's feelings were complicated at this moment. She was confident that she would win the project and had been in a state of excitement for the past few days. But a phone call brought her back to reality. It would have been better if she had never been given any hope in the first place.
"So what's the name of the person who made our Miss Hao so worried?" In the morning, Hao Yingman only complained to Fang Bai, and Fang Bai was only focused on listening to her rant, forgetting to ask who the person was.
Upon hearing the question, Hao Yingman released Fang Bai's hand, sighed softly, and said, "It's Lu Raomei, the one people in Beijing's entertainment circle call a 'female demon.'" ?!
Lu Raomei?
Fang Bai's eyelids twitched suddenly, but he quickly regained his composure and asked, "Isn't she... from the Lu family?"
Upon hearing this, Hao Yingman knew that Fang Bai knew this person and asked, "Do you know him?"
Fang Bai wasn't sure whether to use the phrase "enemies meeting on a narrow road" to describe it, so he licked his lips and said, "We've met a few times."
Hao Yingman's eyes lit up as she leaned towards Fang Bai: "How's your relationship?"
Fang Bai whispered into the ear that was close to his face, "If you want to succeed, you'd better not let me run into her."
"Do you two have a grudge?"
Fang Bai hesitated for a moment before nodding. You could say there was a grudge, but it wasn't anything substantial.
Hao Yingman patted Fang Bai on the shoulder and joked, "That's easy. I'll put you in the trunk in a bit, and I guarantee you two won't run into each other."
Fang Bai pondered for a moment, then asked, "How could FJ have any connection with the Lu family?"
They actually sent Lu Raomei to discuss cooperation?
Hao Yingman frowned, surprised and puzzled, and asked, "Didn't I tell you that FJ is a branch of Lu's?"
Fang Bai stiffened at the back of his neck and denied it to Hao Yingman, saying, "You didn't."
Hao Yingman chuckled softly and said she had forgotten.
Then, as if to make up for Fang Bai's mistake, he explained simply: "You don't know because you're not in the country. That's what we call the branch company. When FJ was established, we said it was a cooperative relationship with Lu's Group. But to anyone, Lu's Group has no need to cooperate with a college student who just came out. Saying that is just for show."
Fang Bai's heart skipped a beat: "A college student?"
"Hmm, I heard they're going to be juniors soon," Hao Yingman clicked her tongue. "Look at them in their junior year, and then I think back to when I was a junior, I think my dad was still yelling at me with his ear pulled."
Fang Bai had a vague guess in his mind, swallowed for a moment, and asked, "What's her surname?"
Hao Yingman thought for a moment and said, "My surname is Ji."
“FJ, the last letter is her,” Hao Yingman said with a hint of doubt. “I just don’t know who the F stands for.”
Chapter 89
The car quickly arrived at its destination.
Fang Bai wasn't joking when she said that to Hao Yingman. She had intended to avoid meeting Lu Raomei and wait for Hao Yingman in the car.
But Hao Yingman said, "If she refuses to cooperate with me because of you, then I should thank you."
Then Fang Bai was pulled into the hotel by Hao Yingman.
They arrived rather late; the banquet hall was already quite full of people, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter.
They were all prominent figures in the southern part of the city.