C12 It Was Full of Gossip

At the Midnight Entertainment venue, inside a luxurious private room, the darkness was pierced by rainbow lights, while heavy metal music pulsed and rocked the atmosphere.

The door swung open, revealing a man in a sleek black suit, tall and commanding. His hands were casually tucked in his pockets, exuding an effortless yet powerful presence.

"Second Young Master Zhan has arrived. Quick, turn off the music," Lu Chenyu commanded the person at the music controls.

The raucous room fell silent in a heartbeat.

Lu Chenyu turned and locked eyes with Zhan Yeling's icy gaze. His mouth twitched twice before he released the beauty clinging to him. "Leave, all of you, out."

"But Young Master Lu, I'm not done having fun with you yet," the young lady protested, reluctant to release her hold on such a wealthy catch.

Lu Chenyu, the dashing and romantic scion of the Lu Corporation, was known for his charm and generosity. Spending time with him was lucrative; even if it wasn't for a lifetime, a short stint could be incredibly rewarding.

Hence, the hostesses at the midnight club all vied for Lu Chenyu's attention.

Yet, this young master, who feared no one, not even his own father, was wary of Second Young Master Zhan.

A mere glance from Second Young Master Zhan was enough to make him fall in line.

Second Young Master Zhan, known for his aloofness and indifference to the company of women, was an enigma. Despite his striking looks and wealth, no one could breach his personal space.

"Get out, now! Can't you see you're making Second Young Master Zhan angry?" Lu Chenyu snapped, frustrated by their lack of perception.

The women were promptly ushered out.

"Yeling, shouldn't you be at the Zhan family's reunion dinner right now? What brings you here, to my place?" Lu Chenyu settled next to him, offering a glass of red wine. "Rest assured, this glass is untouched, brand new."

Aware of his mysophobia, Lu Chenyu hastened to reassure him.

Zhan Yeling shot him a look, accepted the wine glass, and casually leaned back, legs crossed, gently swirling the wine. The crimson liquid danced along the glass's rim. "That's the Zhan family's reunion dinner, not mine."

"Your relationship with the Zhan family is still so tense. There's no need to keep this up; you're bound to marry Ling Xiaoxiao eventually." Lu Chenyu said, a mischievous grin on his face.

He was well aware that the elder Mr. Zhan, in an attempt to mend fences with Zhan Yeling, had arranged a marriage with the Ling family, who were always deferential to the Zhan patriarch.

"Heh, I've never acknowledged that engagement," Zhan Yeling retorted with a thin-lipped, sarcastic smile, clearly unbothered.

The Zhan family intended to use his betrothal as a publicity stunt, to show the world how much they cared for him. Well, they could go ahead with their charade.

"Yeling, could it be that you don't fancy Ling Xiaoxiao? She's quite the beauty, you know. Many men long for just a smile from her and never get the chance," Lu Chenyu said, then suddenly feigned a look of understanding. "Ah, I get it now. You've got someone on the side, right? Don't think I didn't see that video of you with another woman just because you deleted it. Come on, spill the beans—who is she?"

His words were abruptly cut short by Zhan Yeling's icy, piercing gaze, which frightened him into silence.

"Pour the wine," Zhan Yeling commanded, passing his empty glass to Lu Chenyu.

Lu Chenyu refilled his glass, his curiosity ablaze. "Come on, tell me. I'm dying to know what kind of woman could move the heart of our Second Young Master Zhan."

Zhan Yeling simply drank in silence, ignoring him.

"I've got it—you're just hook-up buddies, and you don't even know where she's from. Want me to dig around for you?" Lu Chenyu teased, boldly provoking him.

"Shut up!"

In response to the chilling command, half a glass of red wine splashed perfectly onto Lu Chenyu's face.

Lu Chenyu instinctively shut his eyes and wiped the wine from his face. When he looked up, he was met with Zhan Yeling's glacial stare, so cold it could turn a man to frost.

His heart pounded uncontrollably at the sight.

What could he have possibly said to make Second Young Master Zhan so furious?

"If you dare spout nonsense again, watch your tongue!" Zhan Yeling warned with a threatening tone before standing up and leaving.

The wind stirred by his commanding presence was cool against Lu Chenyu's face.

He quickly covered his mouth, remaining silent. Otherwise, he risked losing his tongue.

It was odd. He had merely cracked a joke, and Second Young Master Zhan had lost his temper.

It almost seemed like Second Young Master Zhan was angry out of embarrassment.

Had he actually guessed right?

My goodness, who would have imagined that Second Young Master Zhan, always distant from women and reserved, would one day become friends with benefits with a woman he'd met by chance!

Lu Chenyu's expression was one of sheer astonishment, as if he had stumbled upon a new world.

The following day, once Su Mumu arrived, Xiong Miao promptly headed to work.

At the company, her colleagues gave her the cold shoulder.

"Chen, I need you to prepare this fabric report this morning and hand it over to me once it's done for analysis," Xiong Miao instructed, handing over the documents as part of a routine work assignment.

Chen didn't even take them. "When Manager Zhang was here, the fabric report had already been finalized. There's no need to redo it."

"But this isn't part of our current design project..." Xiong Miao tried to explain.

Chen interrupted with a sneer, "If you're not happy with it, then redo it yourself."

"What is this attitude?" Xiong Miao was frustrated.

"Exactly, Manager Xiong. You've been here for only two days and you're already trying to dismiss all of our previous work. You're not giving the results of our hard work the respect it deserves," other colleagues chimed in, siding with Chen.

"Manager Xiong, you're like a calf not knowing the struggles of the herd. You can't just exploit our labor on a whim," they added.

Hearing this, Xiong Miao could only laugh. She was unaware of the hardships of work?

When she was juggling multiple jobs and caring for six children, she never uttered a single complaint, no matter how exhausted she was at the end of each day.

With only two weeks left until the new product launch, Manager Zhang has left you all with a complete disaster! Are you trying to pull the wool over Director Zhan's eyes with these defective products? Do you take Director Zhan for a fool?

It seems you're unaware of why you need to redo some of the work. Let me enlighten you: the fabric report you previously compiled contains fictitious figures that are utterly meaningless. Some entries are nothing more than filler! The materials you've listed are completely mismatched with what our company requires. And these designs? They're all half-hearted imitations of international brands, styles that have been out of fashion for ages! We're supposed to be creators, not copycats! If you can't produce original work, then what's the point of you being here?

Xiong Miao stood her ground, facing her colleagues' challenges with well-reasoned explanations and teachings.

Indeed, Xiong Miao was speaking the truth, and some colleagues were starting to feel remorseful for having previously slacked off.

However, Chen was the least convinced by Xiong Miao's words: "You criticize our designs, but let's see you do better! If you don't have the skills, how do you justify holding the title of manager?"