C18 Chapter 18

After getting the confirmed interview time from Yufan, Su Mengxin went over her questions one more time. Once she was sure everything was in order, she handed them to Director Loong’s assistant. After reading them, the assistant reached out, gave her a friendly handshake, and said, “Looks like you’re a practical person, Miss Su. You didn’t ask about anything else.”

Su Mengxin smiled at his easygoing expression. “I know better than that. In business, the smartest thing you can do is not go digging into what’s meant to stay hidden.”

On the day of the appointment, Su Mengxin changed into her professional outfit early and waited at the agreed-upon location. Since she arrived ahead of time, she quietly reviewed the organized documents—even though she practically had them memorized. Still, one more pass meant fewer mistakes.

People in the industry praised her professionalism. That was how she’d made it this far. Being prepared beat everything else.

But things didn’t go as hoped. The famously elusive Director Loong still didn’t show up, which was disappointing. The person he sent, though, was calm and unruffled.

Once everything was ready, they went into the prearranged room and faced the camera. Director Loong’s representative showed no nerves at all. Su Mengxin put on her polished, professional smile. She opened with a light joke that warmed up the room, then moved smoothly through the questions. Nothing felt forced or fake.

From the sidelines, Yang Jiao watched Su Mengxin chatting effortlessly under the lights and clenched her fists. She’d wanted Su Mengxin to crash and burn—only for her reputation to rise instead. She’d wanted her to fail the assignment and be humiliated, but somehow Su Mengxin not only nailed it, she even won the boss’s approval.

Yang Jiao couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t stand that all the good things seemed to land in Su Mengxin’s lap. What she didn’t consider was how much work Su Mengxin had put in, how much she’d prepared. No one is born better than everyone else. Success goes to the people who are ready for it.

When the interview ended, Su Mengxin finally let out a breath. She’d worried Director Loong’s representative wouldn’t be able to explain things clearly. Instead, he knew his stuff inside and out. Even though her questions focused on trade, business, and future market trends, he answered without hesitation. He really was impressive.

“Looks like Director Loong’s company has plenty of talent. I wonder if Yufan counts as one of them,” she thought.

Still, the people Director Loong sent over delivered a flawless performance. The audience was genuinely impressed.

To celebrate how perfectly everything wrapped up, she took a day off and wanted to go hiking with Huang Chengzhi—her boyfriend.

She went back and forth, worried Chengzhi might have a scheduling conflict. He was busy, after all. Hugging a pillow, she rolled around on the bed until she finally thought, “I should just call him and ask. Chances like this don’t come around often.”

She slowly picked up her phone, turning it over in her palm. At last she made up her mind, unlocked the screen, and her finger hovered over that familiar number, trembling. Before she could talk herself out of it, she hit call. She stared at the screen without blinking, afraid she’d miss something.

“Beep… beep… beep…”

Each tone thudded against her chest. Disappointment crept in, and just as she was about to give up, the call connected.

Mengxin snapped the phone to her ear like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline. “Chengzhi, are you free this Sunday? I saw a group hike online for Sunday. Do you want to go? If you do, I’ll sign us up. I’m off this weekend.” She said it carefully, nothing like someone who was supposed to be in a relationship.

“Sure. I could use a break on Sunday. Go ahead and sign us up,” Huang Chengzhi said, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Mengxin eagerly registered them both. It would be their first time going out together—even if it was with a group. Still, she was so excited she couldn’t sleep all night.

She started imagining how it would go: the trail slick, her slipping, and just before she hit the ground, Chengzhi reaching out to catch her and pulling her into his arms.

Su Mengxin was mortified. What was she even thinking—something that embarrassing? Even though she knew it wasn’t real, her cheeks still burned. For some reason, Loong Yufan’s face popped into her head.

Across town, Huang Chengzhi kept his head lowered, lost in thought. A pair of hands slid around his shoulders from behind. Red lips hovered near his ear, and a voice—soft as a breath, cold as a snake—murmured, “Let me guess whose call has my Director Huang so angry.”

As she spoke, she let go, straightened up, and walked to the window. “It was Su Mengxin, wasn’t it? She asked you to go hiking—interesting. She even knows you like hiking. She really knows you, doesn’t she? Want me to help you? Hmm?” Huang Chengzhi lifted his head, a flicker of hatred flashing in his eyes...