In the eyes of these people, Hao Yingman was an arrogant and domineering spoiled young lady who only relied on her father and had no real ability.
Hao Yingman scoffed at this. Everyone looked down on her, Hao Yingman, yet everyone wanted to be like her.
That makes sense; there are few people in Nancheng who don't envy Hao Yingman.
Although they all looked down on Hao Yingman, they still smiled and surrounded her after she appeared, out of respect for her father.
After exchanging brief greetings, Hao Yingman and Fang Bai walked to a spot by the window in the lobby.
Standing by the window, the scenery of the southern part of the city is clearly visible, with its bright lights and bustling streets. Looking further into the distance, you can even see the sea.
Hao Yingman picked up a glass of wine from the round table next to her and handed Fang Bai a glass of juice, asking, "How is it? The scenery is nice, isn't it?"
Fang Bai nodded: "Mm."
Hao Yingman took a sip of her drink. "There's a restaurant on the top floor with an even better view. I'll take you up there to have a look in a bit."
As Hao Yingman finished speaking, a waiter walked up to her and whispered a few words to her.
After she finished speaking, the waiter left. Hao Yingman turned to Fang Bai and said, "There are a few uncles over there asking me to come over. Do you want to come with me?"
Fang Bai glanced in the direction the waiter had come from; several middle-aged men in suits were standing there. She had no interest in greeting strangers, so she smiled at Hao Yingman and said, "I'll wait for you here."
"OK~" Hao Yingman made a gesture and then left.
When only Fang Bai remained by the window, she stood there with one arm crossed. Her eyes seemed to be looking out the window at the scenery, but in reality, the light in her pupils was diffused, and her attention was no longer on the night view of the southern city.
FJ
Hao Yingman said that the person's surname was Ji, that he was related to the Lu family, and that he was a college student, so this person must be Ji Yuning.
J is Ji Yuning, then F…
The answer was obvious, and Fang Bai told himself it was impossible, but the thought in his mind grew stronger and stronger.
Her breathing became erratic, and her brow furrowed slightly.
When Fang Bai learned that Ji Yuning didn't hate her, she was puzzled and couldn't understand why Ji Yuning's feelings for her had become so dependent and trusting.
Now that I think about it, Ji Yuning's clinginess... was it because she accepted her and treated her like a stepmother?
Well... that's not impossible.
Lost in thought, Fang Bai didn't notice that in the reflection of the glass, a beautiful woman walked up behind her.
Until a faint fragrance filled Fang Bai's body, the rich perfume scent enveloped her like a net, and by the time Fang Bai reacted and tried to leave, she couldn't move.
Fang Bai turned around and looked at the person behind him.
The moment their eyes met, Lu Raomei smiled and parted her red lips slightly, "Baby~ It's been a long time."
Fang Bai thought that with so many people at the banquet, the two of them might not meet, but he didn't expect to run into each other so soon.
She paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "President Lu."
Lu Raomei narrowed her eyes and smiled charmingly, "You've become even more beautiful in three years."
Fang Bai replied, "President Lu is the same."
She wasn't just being polite; Lu Raomei's face showed no signs of aging, only her unique charm, making her even more captivating than she had been three years ago.
Fang Bai tilted her head back and took a sip of juice, slightly moistening her lips. She then spoke up, saying, "I didn't expect to meet President Lu here."
"Who else do you want to bump into?" Lu Raomei gently swirled the wine in her glass, raising an eyebrow. "Ji Yuning?"
Fang Bai remained silent.
Lu Raomei took a sip of wine, just like Fang Bai, and sighed softly, "I never expected to see you again, especially not on a project at another company."
At first, Lu Raomei thought it was just a coincidence of names, but when she learned that Ji Yuning had come to Nancheng, she knew it was not as simple as just having the same name.
The wine glass was placed on the table. Lu Raomei leaned slightly to the side, looking at Fang Bai with amusement in her eyes, and asked, "Where did you go?"
The question is very simple, and those who are unaware of it may not understand its meaning.
Fang Bai replied, "Tourism."
“Heh,” Lu Raomei chuckled softly, “It’s quite comfortable.”
Lu Raomei's reaction deviated from Fang Bai's expectations. He felt that Lu Raomei's attitude towards him seemed to be different. What Lu Raomei said next seemed to confirm Fang Bai's guess.
Lu Raomei clicked her tongue. "If you didn't want to cooperate, you could have just said so. You didn't have to run away, did you?"
After saying that, Lu Raomei immediately added, "I want to ask you something."
Fang Bai looked at Lu Raomei.
Lu Raomei's rich red lips parted slightly, "What does your leaving have to do with me?"
Is it related to Lu Raomei?
It seems there isn't one.
Lu Raomei was more like a catalyst that spurred her to leave, simply telling her that the plot had been moved forward.
Fang Bai's eyelashes fluttered: "No."
“I knew it,” Lu Raomei said.
What do you know?
"Have you met Ji Yuning yet?" Lu Raomei asked.
Fang Bai: "".
“Even without her saying a word, I know she came looking for you.” Lu Raomei picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and said, “You should know that FJ belongs to Ji Yuning, right? Then do you know why I’m the one who came today?”
A light flickered in Fang Bai's eyes; she didn't know, but she wanted to know.
Since FJ belongs to Ji Yuning, no matter how busy Ji Yuning is, she will not give up this collaboration to Lu Raomei. They are like oil and water, aren't they?
Fang Bai didn't show any desire to know, but casually asked, "President Lu, would you like to tell me?"
Lu Raomei smiled: "Of course."
Before Fang Bai could respond, she continued, "But there's a condition: if you agree, I'll tell you the reason."
Fang Bai hadn't expected Lu Raomei to bring something up without a reason. "What?"
Lu Raomei's expression was unusually serious. She looked Fang Bai up and down and said, "Run it again."
Fang Bai: "?"
Lu Raomei said, "I'll help you this time, I guarantee Ji Yuning won't be able to find you."
Fang Bai was puzzled. "Is President Lu joking?"
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you really run, just try it out,” Lu Raomei continued earnestly, “I just want to see what Ji Yuning looks like when she loses control.”
Fang Bai chuckled for a moment, not thinking about why her departure would cause Ji Yuning to lose control. Instead, the light in her eyes remained firm. She looked at Lu Raomei and said coldly, "From beginning to end, Xiao Ning has never targeted you, nor has she ever intended to harm you. Why are you being so aggressive, President Lu? Are you trying to argue with a junior? Or is President Lu someone who bullies the weak?"
No targeting? Bullying the weak?
Lu Raomei's expression changed, wondering if these were descriptions of Ji Yuning?
Is Ji Yuning just a weakling in Fang Bai's heart?
Lu Raomei smiled at Fang Bai, her tone seductive, "Do you know how I've spent these past three years?"
"...?" Fang Bai was taken aback. The other party's reaction was somewhat unexpected. Shouldn't Lu Raomei have refuted her or said some harsh words that a villain would say?
Lu Raomei took in the stunned look on Fang Bai's face. Considering Fang Bai's various reactions, a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes. Finally, she said, "Judging from your expression, it seems like you don't know anything."
Lu Raomei leaned towards Fang Bai, just like when they first met. She picked up a strand of Fang Bai's hair, twirled it around her fingers, and whispered in Fang Bai's ear, "Something quite interesting. Do you want to hear it?"
Fang Bai took a half step back, trying to create distance between herself and Lu Raomei, but before she could make a move, a hand suddenly grabbed Lu Raomei's wrist, followed by Hao Yingman's voice, "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you so close?"
Hao Yingman shook off Lu Raomei's hand. Seeing that she was someone she had never met before, although she was quite pretty, why was she so frivolous?
"Who are you?" She blocked Fang Bai's path, pointing at him with her thumb in a half-clenched fist, and said, "Don't you know she's already taken?"
Lu Raomei showed no anger; instead, she found Hao Yingman's words amusing and asked, "Are you the master?"
"Who cares who I am?" Hao Yingman retorted, then, realizing that someone behind her had tugged at her clothes, she turned to Fang Bai and asked, "Are you alright?"
As she walked over from her uncle's side, she saw a person standing in front of Fang Bai. Although she couldn't see the person's face, she felt that the person was a beautiful woman. She assumed that the person was trying to chat up Fang Bai, so she didn't rush over. Instead, she turned around and chatted with someone else for a couple of minutes.
Who knew that when he turned around again, he saw that the woman was almost pressed against Bai's body.
Anyone who didn't know better would think the two of them were being all lovey-dovey.
But Hao Yingman noticed that Fang Bai's brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that he was not interested in the woman's approach.
Fang Bai nodded to indicate that everything was alright. "She is—"
She tried to speak to remind Hao Yingman that the person in front of her was Lu Raomei, but Hao Yingman interrupted her as soon as she opened her mouth.
Hao Yingman said, "Don't put up with harassment like this, and don't be afraid of getting into trouble. Just kick her."
She knew Fang Bai's personality and was afraid it would have a negative impact on her, but would she care? If she cared, she wouldn't be Hao Yingman.
If Fang Bai suffered any injustice on her turf, she would feel terrible.
Moved, Fang Bai said what he hadn't said aloud: "She is Lu Raomei."
Just when Fang Bai thought everything was over, he forgot that Hao Yingman always spoke faster than she thought.
"I don't care what kind of coal it is, even if it's a black lump of coal, you can't let anyone take advantage of you—" Hao Yingman didn't say the word "cheap" before suddenly stopping.
Lu what?
What rose?
Hao Yingman winked at Fang Bai: Lu Raomei? That female demon?
Fang Bai half-lifted his eyelids: Hmm.
In just a second, Hao Yingman reacted. She calmly turned to look at Lu Raomei and extended her hand without any embarrassment: "Hello, President Lu, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"President Hao." Lu Raomei's smile remained unchanged as she raised her hand and grasped Hao Yingman's hand, which happened to be the same hand that Hao Yingman had shaken off.
Even though Hao Yingman tried to remain calm, the stiff smile on her lips couldn't hold back any longer. She coughed lightly and asked, "Does President Lu know me?"
“I’ve read your company’s proposal, and it’s very well written.” Lu Raomei glanced at Fang Bai and said, “I was just discussing some details of the proposal with Ms. Fang, but I didn’t expect Mr. Hao to misunderstand.”
Fang Bai looked at Lu Raomei, and when Hao Yingman looked at her for confirmation, Fang Bai nodded, "President Lu and I are discussing the plan."
Although he didn't know why Lu Raomei would explain, Lu Raomei brought up work-related matters, so Fang Bai went along with her and talked about it.