Mrs. Li was still turning around in front of the mirror, looking very fond of it, nodding repeatedly and praising it incessantly.
"This color suits me very well and makes me look very elegant. The dress also has a layer of tulle, so it's perfect for attending a wedding."
"Hmm, not bad."
Jiang Jianhuan chimed in with a smile.
"Yes, I specifically chose silver-gray. The simple and elegant style suits your temperament very well. The fabric of the upper body is slightly more luxurious, so it doesn't look so monotonous."
"Knowing that you are attending a wedding, we specially added a tulle overlay to better match the wedding theme."
"That's so thoughtful." As expected, Madam Li's eyes lit up even more upon hearing this, her face filled with surprise, and she almost made the decision on the spot.
"I want this dress."
After trying on the clothes, she went to Jiang Yuan's office. A short while later, the two finished their conversation and came out. Jiang Yuan escorted Madam Li to the door. As they passed Jiang Jianhuan's desk, Madam Li waved to her.
This attracted the attention of others, who, seeing Madam Li's smiling face, roughly guessed what had happened, and immediately, many people's expressions turned sour.
Sure enough, as soon as Madam Li disappeared, Jiang Yuan summoned Jiang Jianhuan to her office.
After she finished tidying up the things on the table, got up, went inside, and closed the door, the previously quiet outer room immediately erupted in murmurs, the deliberately lowered voices filled with malice and dissatisfaction.
"I'm so angry! Have you guys noticed that Director Jiang is particularly fond of Jiang Jianhuan?"
"Yes, right away they gave her Su Mo's design and even promoted her. It hasn't been long, and they've already assigned her their custom designs. Even a biological daughter wouldn't be treated this way!"
"Hey, don't be surprised, they both have the surname Jiang, could it be..." one of them lowered his voice again, secretly speculating. The others were taken aback, then frowned and denied it.
"No way, companies always do background checks, especially since Jiang Jianhuan is so poor—"
"Too..."
"So, we're all the same, and any one of us is more qualified and capable than her, so why does Jiang Jianhuan get so many good resources?"
Zhou Ran couldn't help but complain, her voice unconsciously rising. The others glanced warily at Jiang Yuan's office and shushed her with their fingers.
"Keep your voice down, don't let them hear you."
"So what if I heard you?" Zhou Ran said, but lowered his voice, his expression indignant and full of resentment.
-
Jiang Jianhuan sat in the chair, looking at Jiang Yuan across from her. Jiang Yuan held a pen in her hand and seemed to be in a good mood.
"Mrs. Li is very satisfied with your design."
"It's my honor," Jiang Jianhuan said modestly.
“I saw that dress, and it’s really well-designed and suits her very well.” Jiang Yuan stroked the edge of the pen cap in her hand, a slight smile on her lips.
"Jianhuan, could you briefly explain the design concept to me?"
"Actually, I only considered Madam Li's skin tone and figure, as well as the occasion in which the dress would be worn," Jiang Jianhuan paused for a moment before continuing.
"Then, based on this, we conceive the design."
Jiang Yuan nodded, her eyes seemingly showing satisfaction and appreciation, yet also nothing at all, and spoke gently.
"This dress will be included in your bonus this month. Keep up the good work!"
"Thank you, Director."
Jiang Jianhuan came out, pretending not to see the speculative and scrutinizing gazes of others. She turned on her computer and prepared to focus on her competition entry.
The outer room was very quiet. After a while, when Jiang Jianhuan had almost finished the glass of water in his hand, someone finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"Jianhuan, did you approve Mrs. Li's design?" It was a colleague sitting next to her named Xu Xue, who was usually quiet, fair-skinned and pretty, with a soft voice.
Jiang Jianhuan found her much more pleasing to the eye than Zhou Ran and the others. After hearing this, he couldn't help but smile and nod.
"Yes, it's approved."
Many people were listening intently to their conversation. When Jiang Jianhuan replied, they were filled with mixed feelings, their hearts feeling like they were being squeezed and kneaded in sour water.
"Really?" Xu Xue's expression was somewhat complicated, but she still sincerely congratulated her.
"Jianhuan, you're amazing."
Jiang Jianhuan smiled but didn't say anything, but some people couldn't hold back any longer.
"We could give it to any of us, everyone knows that Director Jiang favors her~"
The person speaking was Zhou Ran's best friend. Whether it was because of Zhou Ran or because she disliked Jiang Jianhuan, she preferred open mockery to gossip.
Xie Shuang said something that wasn't enough, and continued muttering to himself, but at a volume that everyone could hear.
"I don't know where this luck came from... It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy."
Everyone's eyes were on Jiang Jianhuan, eager to see how she would retaliate, but many more were gloating.
The other person, however, was staring intently at the computer screen, holding the mouse in one hand and typing on the keyboard in the other, as if they hadn't heard anything.
Disappointed, everyone turned their gaze away.
After things calmed down, everyone went back to their own work, and the office returned to silence. No one noticed that Jiang Jianhuan's fingers stopped moving, and he stared blankly at the screen for a moment.
-
When Jiang Jianhuan was leaving get off work, she received a call from Zhou You.
It was rush hour, and there were many people waiting for the elevator. Jiang Jianhuan took her phone and walked to the side. It was a bit noisy on the other end. She unconsciously walked into the emergency exit and stood at the top of the stairs.