"You go wait for me at the secretary's office first; I have a document to handle here." Zhu Yilan pointed the direction to the secretary's office and turned to press the elevator button.
*
Shen Jianian appeared in the secretary's office, instantly causing a commotion.
The spacious and bright office had six large workstations, with one separate room enclosed with a glass door. There were both men and women sitting at the workstations, all looking at her simultaneously.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Sorry, you can't just enter the secretary's office randomly, if you have any business, please wait outside."
Two voices sounded at the same time, and Shen Jianian calmly walked to the aisle. Although she lacked confidence, she had attended many large events with her parents before, so she didn't show any timidity: "Hello everyone, my name is Shen Jianian, and I may be working with you in the future."
The secretary's office erupted, with everyone showing varied expressions.
Generally speaking, an "airborne newcomer" is either someone with connections or someone with exceptional abilities. But if it's about exceptional abilities, which of the people here is just a simple character? They are all graduates from prestigious schools, with excellent grades, having fought their way out through multiple interviews from a sea of candidates.
This girl... is somewhat intriguing.
Soon after, Zhu Yilan returned, ignoring the questioning glances from her colleagues, and led Shen Jianian to handle the onboarding procedures.
In the name column, she saw that the girl filled in "Shen Jianian," which made her pause for a moment. If her surname was Fu, she would feel a bit more comfortable.
However, she might be a distant relative of the Fu Family.
Thinking of something, Zhu Yilan quickly overthrew this speculation. She had seen Mr. Chen's attitude towards his own full-blood sister; he couldn't even bear to say more than a few words.
"Secretary Zhu, is it okay to fill it like this?" Shen Jianian handed her a filled form.
Zhu Yilan returned to her senses, her expression indifferent as she glanced over the other contents, finding nothing unusual: "Mm, no problem."
Shen Jianian received her own work badge, and looking at her freshly minted ID photo, her expression was somewhat dazed.
"Today, just familiarize yourself with the working environment; I'll send you a document regarding precautions later, so take your time reviewing it." Zhu Yilan said as she walked back, "There's one thing I need to remind you of: we have a dress code, so try to wear professional attire from now on."
Shen Jianian glanced at her outfit; it was the most professionally inclined clothing she had found in her wardrobe. Was it not up to standard?
She prepared to observe others, and as a female secretary passed by carrying a coffee cup, Shen Jianian discreetly looked her over: white shirt, black knee-length pencil skirt, stockings, high heels.
Looking at Zhu Yilan in front, only the colors of the shirt and skirt were different, but the style was consistent.
"I understand, I will make sure to pay attention next time." Shen Jianian nodded, unconditionally complying.
Seeing her obedient demeanor, Zhu Yilan felt a slight sense of relief.
*
After making inquiries from various sources, Yin Shuyao learned that Qin Zhongtian's son, Qin Fan, was celebrating a friend's birthday tonight at Xinghai Entertainment Club.
At nine in the evening, she dressed to impress and made her way to the club.
The birthday party was being held on the tenth floor, in the largest VIP room. Yin Shuyao, in her strappy high heels, exited the elevator and followed the loudest area, eventually spotting Qin Fan among the crowd.
He was wearing a light blue suit, without a tie, the collar of his white shirt underneath opened by two buttons, leaning casually on the sofa, a glass of red wine gently swaying in his hand, one arm resting on the sofa back.
Yin Shuyao was preparing a line to strike up a conversation, but before she could approach, a young girl beat her to it, sitting in the only vacant seat next to Qin Fan, whispering with a smile into his ear.
Qin Fan tilted his head, his gentle, charming eyes seemed electrifying, causing the girl to cover her face shyly.
Yin Shuyao frowned slightly, unwilling to let anyone steal her thunder.
Forget the opening line; she directly bent over to grab a glass of red wine from the coffee table and smiled charmingly at Qin Fan: "Mr. Qin, I toast to you."
Her eyes were her most captivating feature, accentuated today with glitter eyeshadow that shimmered under the lights like a mermaid just ashore.
Yin Shuyao drank her wine in one gulp, her swan-like neck line elegant.
Qin Fan looked at her twice, raised his wine glass, and smiled saying, "I recognize you."
Joy surfaced in Yin Shuyao's eyes, and she blinked playfully, "Really?"
"At my grandmother's birthday banquet, you attended with your... cousin or cousin-in-law?" Qin Fan casually glanced behind her, "She didn't come with you?"
Yin Shuyao's happiness was doused by a bucket of cold water, her expression darkening a few shades.
The lights in the room dimmed just then, and Qin Fan, unaware of her change, crossed his legs and sipped his wine, his words striking painfully at Yin Shuyao's heart.
"Why not invite your cousin to join us?"
Qin Fan's lips curled into a charming, rakish smile.
The girl beside Qin Fan, finding herself unable to join in the conversation and feeling bored, left first. Yin Shuyao took the opportunity to sit next to him, her bare shoulders brushing against Qin Fan. She suppressed her internal bitterness, her smile bright and charming: "Isn't my company enough for you, Mr. Qin?"
Qin Fan leaned closer, his lips close to her ear, his voice full of ambiguity and allure: "What's your cousin's name?"
"...She's my cousin-in-law." Yin Shuyao corrected him, feeling deeply frustrated, speaking slowly, "She doesn't live with us anymore."
From this, it was clear that Qin Fan knew nothing about his father and Shen Jianian's situation.
It was truly baffling; what kind of magic did Shen Jianian possess that all men who saw her became infatuated, unable to forget her?
Her hand was suddenly grasped by Qin Fan, causing Yin Shuyao's heart to skip a beat, almost stopping.
Qin Fan took out his phone and pressed it into her hand, his words seductive: "Not living with you doesn't mean you're not in contact, does it? Call her over, use my phone."
Yin Shuyao bit her lip in frustration, clenching the phone in her palm, racking her brain for a way to deflect Qin Fan's request, when a wild idea suddenly crossed her mind. She swallowed hard and said, "My cousin-in-law doesn't like crowded places; I'll arrange a separate meeting for you with her, how about that?"
"You really thought it through. The day after tomorrow, I'm free the evening after tomorrow." Qin Fan laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and lightly patting her, "Can't forget the matchmaker's reward when it's done."