A man whom a bold, older woman like Su Ying would call sleazy must be someone whose morals are utterly shattered. Shu Yi'an immediately became wary, "That scary?"
"Just be careful, that's the conclusion reached by many of our female employees who were sent there. I don't know if Shaw really has no one else to rely on, or if the French side specifically requested your name. How come it's your turn to be sent to the battlefield, you little lamb?"
Accompanied by Su Ying's worried admonition, Miss Shu Yi'an was put on a plane to France. After completing the formalities, there was still half an hour before boarding.
The international departure lounge was unusually quiet today. As Shu Yi'an watched planes roar off through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, she suddenly remembered that night not long ago.
Which night?
When Chu Mu left that day, he did not wake the sleeping Shu Yi'an. It wasn't until 8 p.m. that he got up and quietly left the hospital.
Shu Yi'an slowly opened her eyes after hearing a very slight click from the door lock. She couldn't resist in the end; shortly after Chu Mu left, she got up and went to the airport. It was drizzling that night, and the damp air seemed to carry the scent of parting.
Shu Yi'an tightened her trench coat and stood forlornly in the wind, watching the tall, imposing man walk into the terminal surrounded by a group of elites. Unsurprisingly, the beautiful and charming woman, Tao Yunjia, followed beside him.
She remembered that the day before he was to return, he told her, "I'm going straight back to the ministry; you don't need to come." And the day before he was to leave, he also told her, "My flight is tomorrow night; you don't need to see me off."
Every return and departure of this man was never for her sake, nor did he ever involve her. That night, Shu Yi'an stared blankly at the two of them, and suddenly a feeling arose within her. It was as if the two of them had always been together, and had never truly separated.
How long ago did that feeling begin? Probably four years ago, the summer I first met Chu Mu.
At that time, Shu Yi'an was a sophomore at the Foreign Affairs University. The school was unusually lively because of the departure of freshmen and senior students. That day, she was going to submit an assignment to her grammar professor, but she hesitated at the door because she couldn't confirm a few minor issues. The grammar professor was known for his strictness and demanding nature. In the end, Shu Yi'an simply sat on the steps on the second floor and started to revise it.
She was probably so engrossed in writing that she didn't even notice someone standing behind her. Chu Mu couldn't bear to watch the girl waste her brainpower any longer, so he simply spoke up to remind her. "The verb 'appartenir' here means 'belong to,' but it can't be translated literally; 'pte' would also work."
Shu Yi'an looked up in surprise at the sound. In the sunlight, Chu Mu stood on a step higher than her, one hand still in his pocket, his posture casual and relaxed, yet there was a clear hint of arrogance in that relaxation.
Looking at Shu Yi'an's soft brows, which still held a hint of doubt, Chu Mu calmly took a step down, bent down, and lightly tapped the delicate French writing on the A4 paper with his finger. "Here, your pronoun order is wrong."
From a distance, his bent-down posture perfectly enveloped the slender girl in his embrace, creating an inexplicable harmony.
Looking at Chu Mu's clean and slender fingers, Shu Yi'an felt her heart pounding more strongly than ever before.
That was the first time the two met, on the steps of the teaching building. He began to enter Shu Yi'an's life in a calm yet dazzling way.
The silent scene was finally broken by Tao Yunjia's call of "Chu Mu." She was wearing a beautiful academic gown, her two fair legs standing out prominently beneath the black robe, and a radiant smile graced her pretty face as she looked at the man on the steps. "We've said goodbye to our advisor, let's go!"
Shu Yi'an stood up almost awkwardly and looked at the woman in front of her, "Senior Sister Tao".
"Hey little junior, are you here to hand in your homework? This old man's in a good mood today~ Go on, go ahead."
Chu Mu calmly watched Shu Yi'an's slender back as he walked down the steps. He raised an eyebrow at Tao Yunjia, gesturing, "Your junior?"
Tao Yunjia nodded, waving her degree certificate in her hand, and made as if to leave. "Two years younger than me, very smart. Hurry up!"
It was from that time that Shu Yi'an learned that the man was the boyfriend of Tao Yunjia, the most beautiful girl in the Languages Department, and Chu Mu, a legendary figure at the Foreign Affairs University.
8:45.
As the sweet boarding announcement from the flight attendant came from the airport, Shu Yi'an snapped out of her reverie, forced herself to stop reminiscing about the past, took a deep breath, and boarded the plane bound for France.
Chapter Ten
Amiens, the capital city of the Somme department in northern France, is located on the banks of the Somme River. It is the most famous transportation hub and industrial city in this ancient, beautiful, and romantic country. Shu Yi'an arrived at this legendary, bustling, and beautiful place after a long journey by train from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
May is the rainy season in France. The beginning and end of the month brought a slight chill to the city, which affected Shu Yi'an's senses. When she left Beijing, she was wearing a sleeveless Dolce & Gabbana dress, but when she arrived in Paris and was about to disembark, she pulled out a soft shawl and wrapped it around herself. On the bustling train platform, this graceful Eastern woman and her elaborate and intense colors created a very attractive scene.
The Anya Group sent its executive secretary to pick her up early. The woman was a tall, blonde woman named Jacqueline. Shu Yi'an had some impression of this shrewd and capable French woman from the company's previous annual meetings, so she wasn't as reserved as she had imagined when they met.
"Hello, Ms. Shu." Jacqueline gestured to the driver behind her to help Shu Yi'an carry her luggage into the van, and greeted Shu Yi'an in somewhat broken Chinese.
Shu Yi'an politely extended her hand and responded directly in French, "Hello Jacqueline, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Jacqueline was surprised and delighted that Shu Yi'an's spoken English was so good. "Shu! You're amazing! Chinese is so hard to learn... I was worried that we would have trouble communicating the whole way here."
Shu Yi'an smiled noncommittally, "This is my job."
Because the Anyar Group primarily manufactures light industrial products, its factories and administrative buildings are located in the western suburbs of Amiens. The car traveled smoothly along the long highway, flanked by farms and fields. Women wearing thick linen headscarves milked cows with brownish-red clay pots; the sunlight streamed down, bathing both the farms and the road in a soft, radiant golden hue. Shu Yi'an squinted at the passing scenery, feeling utterly content.
Jacqueline sat in the passenger seat, checking her schedule on her tablet, somewhat hesitant. "Ms. Shu?"
"how?"
"As you know, Mr. Brian came back from Paris specifically to discuss the specifics of the negotiations with you, and his time is very limited. Therefore, he requests that you meet with him at the North Ari Hotel at nine o'clock tonight, as Mr. Brian is leaving here tomorrow morning."
Jacqueline shook the tablet in her hand with a hint of regret, her face showing disappointment. "I'm very sorry, Ms. Shu. Time is tight, this is the only arrangement I can make."
Looking at Jacqueline's sincere expression, Shu Yi'an suddenly recalled Su Ying's words before seeing her off at the airport, about how sleazy the head of Anya's China region was. However, she couldn't refuse at this moment. After thinking for a moment, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree, "Okay, I'll arrive on time."
Jacqueline, sitting in the front row, smiled and nodded, but after turning around, her expression suddenly became somewhat worried and stern.
Having served as Brian's secretary for five years, she knew him all too well. But there was no way around it; the pursuit of profit knows no borders. In today's industry, where everyone is focused on signing contracts and securing year-end bonuses, who can escape the trap of vanity? Jacqueline began to carefully recall Shu Yi'an's attire, from the expensive dress to the Fendi crocodile bag she carried and the ring on her finger—everything testified to Shu Yi'an's high quality of life. Having spent years navigating the cutthroat world of high-powered professionals, Jacqueline was now certain her judgment was correct: Shu Yi'an, like countless other girls before her, would flock to this opportunity.
However, judgments are always prone to error. Because there are still so many things in this world that you don't know.
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It was already 2 PM when they arrived at the hotel. Exhausted, Shu Yi'an took a shower and collapsed onto the bed, her mind racing with thoughts of discussing the contract with Brian that evening. She also made sure to call Su Ying to let her know she was safe.
Upon hearing that Shu Yi'an was going to Brian's place at nine o'clock that night, Su Ying burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, I was right! Brian really came for you, huh? How about it, little lamb? Foreign brothers are still very charming. Last time, Han Yi from the customer service department got him this way."
Shu Yi'an rolled her eyes silently and said weakly, "Su Ying, do you have any humanity?! My life is hanging by a thread, and instead of helping me, you're just watching the show? We're no longer friends!!"
"Hey, no, no, no!" Su Ying freed one hand and switched the phone to the other ear. "You actually took it seriously? What could possibly happen? We live in a society governed by law. I don't believe that old man can do anything. Besides, maybe you're overthinking it. What if Brian is really just very busy? I've only heard that he has lewd ideas, not that he's particularly aggressive. Okay, stop scaring yourself."
Shu Yi'an blinked and thought Su Ying's words made sense, so she mumbled a few words and covered her head to take a long nap.
In fact, Su Ying's guess was correct; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Brian's behavior premeditated. This forty-year-old French man possessed all the inherent passion and romance of the French. Because he was widowed, his lifestyle wasn't exactly discreet, and his use of various methods to seduce female employees was common knowledge. When he first came to China for research, Shu Yi'an, as an intern at the company, always followed Xiao Ke as a temporary translator. Over three days, Brian was deeply impressed by this slender and composed woman. She was fearless in the face of danger and exuded charm. He immediately asked Xiao Ke for her, but unfortunately, the boss firmly refused. This incident remained a regret for Brian.