Two Hours Later
The two-hour meeting finally ended. The air in the meeting room felt lighter as the executives began to pack up, close laptops, gather documents, and one by one leave the room.
Xiaoxi breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders nearly collapsing from holding tension. Once she stood, she stepped slowly toward Wei Yu Chen, who still sat calmly in his chair. An awkward smile spread across her face.
"Um… that… that's my phone. Could I have it back, sir?" she asked cautiously, her lips curling into her typical silly grin.
Yu Chen's gaze sharpened. He narrowed his eyes and raised the phone in his hand.
"This what you mean?" His voice was calm, yet a sly line tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, yes, sir… that's it," Xiaoxi nodded quickly, her grin widening as if pleading for forgiveness.
Instead of handing the phone back directly, Yu Chen casually tossed it to Jiang Fan.
His hand caught it in time, but his expression was clearly surprised. "Huh?" he murmured reflexively.
Wei Yu Chen rose to his feet, straightening his suit with an elegant motion. "Come with me. There's something we need to discuss," he said flatly, his dominant aura filling the now-thinning room.
Jiang Fan paused for a moment, staring at the phone in his hand, then glanced at Xiaoxi, who could only stand there looking panicked. Without many words, he hurried to follow Yu Chen toward the door.
Xiaoxi, bewildered and resigned, was pulled along in the current. The three of them left the meeting room—heading toward something far more complicated than just a phone.
"Damn… damn… damn a thousand times damn!"
Xiaoxi cursed inwardly as she dragged her heavy steps. The battered bag in her hand swung like it had a life of its own, as if mocking its owner who stood at the lowest point of her dignity.
Why did I get drunk last night? Is my brain broken? She scratched an itchy non-existent spot on her head, face full of regret. If getting drunk made you pretty, fine… but this just made me look like a bankrupt zombie. The fate of a corporate slave—God, couldn't it be more merciless than this?
She glanced at her reflection in the glass door. Wrinkled shirt, crooked collar, messy hair. Gosh… is this a person or a walking sack of rice? If the fashion police saw me, I'd be arrested on the spot.
And the ultimate—why, of all people on this earth, did the elegant devil Wei Yu Chen have to see me?!
Her cheeks burned; she looked up as if praying. God, if you want to punish me, punish me with installments on my credit, not with lifelong humiliation like this!
Xiaoxi lowered her head, each step heavier. If possible, she wished she could crawl under the meeting table and pretend to be a carpet. That might be more dignified.
The lobby in front of X Dragon was already quiet, only the hum of the black sports car waiting at the main entrance. Jiang Fan stood by the vehicle, leaning casually with his hands in his pockets, occasionally playing with the car keys on his finger. His smile was loose, that warm youthful smile that lightened the mood despite the building still carrying the aftershocks of the meeting.
Xiaoxi walked ahead in a hurried pace while Wei Yu Chen followed behind, his cold, undeniable aura still enveloping him.
As she reached to open the door, Yu Chen's gaze stopped. He scanned Xiaoxi from head to toe—messy hair, wrinkled shirt, the battered bag nearly hanging limply.
Yu Chen's expression remained cold, but behind the unshaken face, his lips almost lifted. What kind of woman is this? he thought, suppressing a laugh. She's definitely pretty… but why does it have to be wrapped in such a ridiculous look?
Sensing the stare, Xiaoxi froze. Oh God… don't tell me he's judging me from scalp to shoe! Damn, damn, damn… if I could pretend to be a lobby statue, I would've been standing in the corner all this time.
Yu Chen stepped closer, his gaze sharp yet faintly glinting, as if relishing a rare show. And though his face stayed composed, inside he found the laugh uncontrollable—cold but amused.
Jiang Fan raised an eyebrow at the interaction, a mischievous curve at his lips. In a casual tone he teased, "Ge, maybe you just discovered a rare species?"
The black sports car sped out of the basement, sunlight flaring off the windows. The interior of the car fell into silence. Wei Yu Chen sat in the back with a cold aura, eyes fixed forward as if the world didn't deserve a single word from him.
Xiaoxi sat beside him, already sweating nervously. She hugged her battered bag tight, face full of anxiety. God, if I could become a molecule of air right now, I would—please don't let me breathe the same room with this devil for too long!
Suddenly Jiang Fan's casual voice from the front seat broke the silence.
"Hey, miss… you remember what happened at the airport, right? You're the extinguisher girl from the airport, aren't you?" he said, turning to look, his expression bright.
Xiaoxi snapped her head up, eyes wide. "HISSSS! Don't bring that up! It's embarrassing, okay?!" She hurriedly covered her face with her bag, nearly screaming.
Jiang Fan burst into laughter, his body shaking a little. "Hahaha! But I swear, you were hilarious then. Who else would dare to chase away fans with a fire extinguisher? If not for you, we wouldn't have made it through that crowd."
Xiaoxi exhaled sharply and glared. "It's your fault too! Who told you to cause a ruckus at the airport? I was just a victim of circumstances, you know!" The words slipped out unfiltered.
Realizing her mistake, she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh God, mouth, why do you have no brakes? That elegant devil is right next to you, you idiot! Now I'm definitely minced meat!
Jiang Fan laughed until tears came to his eyes. "Hahaha! My stomach hurts. It's the first time I've seen someone rant in front of Wei Yu Chen. You're really brave, huh?"
Xiaoxi turned an even deeper shade of red. God, if I could uninstall myself from reality, I'd hit that button right now!
Meanwhile, Wei Yu Chen remained leaning with a cold expression. Yet at the corner of his mouth, there was a faint movement—almost invisible—a thin line of a smile he deliberately held back. His gaze was sharp, but clearly hiding something: amusement he kept tightly sealed.
The car was filled with Jiang Fan's laughter and Xiaoxi's burning panic. Jiang Fan seemed to delight in it, like he'd found a fun new toy to tease.
"Ge, seriously," he said, glancing at the rearview mirror, restraining a smile, "I didn't expect this girl to rant that fiercely. She'd be a perfect debate opponent for you, hahaha."
Xiaoxi almost choked on air. "W-What?! A debate partner? Me? With Mr. Wei? Oh God, don't joke! That's like… like putting a hamster to spar with a lion!" Her dramatic thought only echoed internally; she kept her face stiff and pretended to bow her head.
Finally, Wei Yu Chen opened the eyes he'd closed earlier. His gaze landed directly on Xiaoxi—sharp yet laden with something unreadable. He pursed his thin lips, almost forming a smile, then spoke in a low voice that sliced through the air.
"Seems you have a lot of courage… or you're too stupid to know your place."
Xiaoxi froze. God, that's the devil's voice. A voice that if replayed would give me nightmares for three nights straight. I'm dead, I'm dead…
Instead of helping, Jiang Fan held back laughter again. "Wow, Ge, don't be so harsh. Feel sorry for her—still traumatized from the airport extinguisher incident."
Yu Chen glanced briefly at his manager, then back at Xiaoxi. His fingers played with the ring on his hand slowly but meaningfully.
"I just want to know," his voice deep and calm yet locking the space, "…are you always this loud, or only when you meet me?"
Xiaoxi looked up with a panicked, innocent face. Oh God, a trap question! If I answer "always" I look stupid. If I answer "only with him" I sound… sound… oh God, take my life now!