Chapter 35: The Ultimate Mastery of Smooth Talk
Standing before the receptionist at Yingjie Group, Wu Yifan wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze, the kind that put people instantly at ease. He'd dug out that 6,000-yuan suit for the occasion—sharp, stylish, and guaranteed to turn heads. Fresh off his victory over Fu Junyao, the "Tyrannosaurus," he was riding high; the image of her fuming with nowhere to vent still made him chuckle.
"C-can I help you find someone?" the receptionist asked, her voice soft and shy. A faint blush colored her cheeks, like the pink hues of a sunset, and her eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and nerves.
"What if I said I'm here to see *you*?" Wu pulled out a cigarette, lit it with a flick of his lighter, and exhaled a perfect ring of smoke, his movements casual yet elegant.
"To see me? But we don't even know each other," she said, ducking her head, too flustered to scold him for smoking indoors. It was the first time a man this young, this confident, had spoken to her so directly. Her heart thumped wildly, like a小鹿 trapped in her chest.
"In *Dream of the Red Chamber*—one of China's greatest classic novels—there's a line: 'As lovely as peach blossoms in spring, as pure as chrysanthemums in autumn.' It's a timeless praise for beauty, but few women truly live up to it. You, though? You're one of them. It's… breathtaking," Wu said, laying on the charm with practiced ease. His tone was smooth, his words flowing like poetry, his aura radiating a quiet confidence that was hard to resist.
"I'm not that special. People say I'm too young," she mumbled, twisting her fingers nervously.
"Young? That's just their jealousy," Wu countered, his voice dropping to a warm, rich baritone that seemed to wrap around her like a blanket. "Youth is a woman's greatest gift. It means you've got a lifetime of moments to cherish, a world of possibilities to explore, a prime to step into. Those who call you 'too young'? They're just bitter they've left their best years behind."
The receptionist—barely 18 or 19, with a fresh, natural beauty that, while not quite matching Ye Xiwen or Fu Junyao, was still striking in its own right—had never been showered with such compliments. Most visitors to Yingjie Group treated receptionists like furniture, too intimidated by the company's prestige to linger. But Wu? He spoke to her like she was the most important person in the room. Her head spun, and a silly, giddy smile tugged at her lips. "R-really? I've never thought of myself that way…"
"Beauty isn't something you see in the mirror—it's something others recognize. There's a saying: 'The player can never see the whole game.' True beauty needs someone to notice it, to appreciate it. I've met my share of beauties—Ye Xiwen from Infinity, that sharp cop Fu Junyao, Liu Wei the news anchor, even your CEO Wang Xuefei. People rave about them, but compared to you? They're missing *that* certain something."
"Missing what?" she asked, leaning forward slightly, hanging on his every word.
"Feminine charm. Not the kind you force, but the kind that's natural. The way you blush when you're shy, the sparkle in your eye when you laugh, that softness in your voice—you've got it all, perfectly balanced. That's rare," Wu said, his gaze locking onto hers, warm and sincere.
"I'm just… me," she said, but her eyes were shining now, a newfound confidence in her tone.
"And that's exactly what makes you beautiful. So many pretty women hide behind coldness or arrogance, but you? You're unapologetically *you*. That's a gift," Wu said, giving her a playful wink.
Up in Wang Xuefei's office, the scene played out on a security monitor.
Wang sipped her coffee, a faint, amused smile on her lips. She wore a crisp white dress today, trading her usual sharp blazers for something softer—a choice that highlighted her mature, understated allure, the kind that made even a man like Wu do a double take. It was easy to see why people said older women were a young man's weakness. "Interesting. This Wu Yifan's no fool. He's got Xiao Lin wrapped around his finger. No wonder he's wasting his time as a security guard at Infinity."
Her assistant, Susan—a bright, 23-year-old with a perky smile and a figure that turned heads in her sky-blue blazer—giggled. "Xiao Lin's practically melting. I've never seen her this flustered. She's usually so strict about checking IDs and appointments."
Wang's smile widened, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Susan, since he's so good with words, why don't you handle him? Test his skills. We might need someone like him someday—smooth talkers have their uses."
"M-me? But he's here about Infinity's lease! I can't make that call," Susan said, panicking. She'd never been trusted with something this important, especially not with a smooth operator like Wu.
"Relax. A rent cut from 300,000 to 100,000? It's just numbers to me. If he impresses you, give him the discount—let him go back to Ye Xiwen grinning like a fool. If not… tease him a little. Make him work for it," Wang said, leaning in to whisper a plan in Susan's ear. Her voice was low, conspiratorial, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Susan's eyes widened. "Boss, is that… okay? What if I mess up?"
"Mess up? I'll take the blame. Now go—have fun with it," Wang said, patting her shoulder gently.
Susan hesitated, then sighed, straightening her blazer. "O-okay. I'll try my best."
As she headed for the elevator, Susan glanced at the monitor one last time. Wu was still chatting with Xiao Lin, the receptionist laughing so hard she had to clutch her stomach—a sound that echoed even through the speakers.
*This is going to be wild*, Susan thought.
Downstairs, Wu had just convinced Xiao Lin to "sneak" him past the security desk—no small feat, given Yingjie Group's reputation for strict protocols. He gave her a mock salute, already mentally rehearsing his pitch to Wang Xuefei.
Little did he know, Wang was two steps ahead.
The game was on.
And Wu Yifan, master of smooth talk, was about to meet his match.