December brought colder weather, and the days of girls flaunting their long legs on campus were long gone. Of course, there were always exceptions—those girls who skipped morning classes to sleep all day, only to erge at night in sheer stockings and full makeup, heading to bars with an air of defiance.
These girls didn’t care about the cold. No matter the season, they strutted in black stockings and short skirts, drawing attention wherever they went. And annoyingly, they were undeniably attractive.
Outside of this group, campus life resud its usual rhythm. Tao Tian’s drama had done little to affect Zhou Yuwen’s business ventures. He had successfully signed contracts with 100 beautiful and slim young won. Additionally, he invested 100,000 yuan to provide professional training for Liu Shuo’s group of students, helping them adapt better to various part-ti jobs.
As Christmas approached, the campus atmosphere grew festive. The auditorium’s noticeboard prominently displayed advertisents for the upcoming “Double Holiday Gala,” inviting students with special talents to participate.
On a sunny afternoon, Jiang Xinyi returned to the campus. She greeted everyone with her signature confidence.
“Wow, quite the upgrade! So much better than those red-brick offices from before,” she remarked, visibly impressed.
Indeed, Zhou Yuwen’s operations had expanded. The school had granted him two large offices in the entrepreneurship park. One office was designated as the headquarters for his cultural company, while the other served as a shared administrative office for his other ventures.
The offices bustled with activity. Besides Lu Hui, the team included Chen Wan, Qu Jing, and Su Qing, who occasionally dropped by to handle business. Zhou Yuwen also hired two finance interns to assist Lu Hui with accounting. Managing the logistics of an entire university town was no small feat. Over 2,000 registered couriers delivered an average of 20 orders each daily, totaling more than 40,000 orders.
As Zhou Yuwen expanded into neighboring areas like Pukou and Jiangning, Liu Shuo proudly boasted about the growth of the Xu Huai Association.
“Five thousand mbers now, bro!” Liu Shuo declared excitedly.
Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen couldn’t help but feel uneasy. What had started as a harmless club had grown into sothing much larger—and potentially troubleso. Concerned, Zhou Yuwen began transitioning the mbers into his part-ti security company, creating a more formal structure to mitigate any potential issues.
The new office space was a significant upgrade, located in a modern building with central heating and new furnishings. When Jiang Xinyi arrived, Lu Hui was visibly surprised.
“What are you doing back? You’ve been gone for two weeks!” Lu Hui exclaid.
Jiang Xinyi smiled nonchalantly. “I’m here to work. Where’s my desk?”
There was sothing about Jiang Xinyi’s carefree deanor that unsettled Lu Hui. Unlike herself—who spent all her money trying to maintain a polished image—Jiang Xinyi exuded effortless charm in her simple, unbranded clothes. Her plain white blouse, khaki pants, and a basic canvas bag made her look completely at ease in the city, a stark contrast to Lu Hui’s constant efforts to fit in.
Just then, Zhou Yuwen walked in, holding a folder.
“Well, well, who’s this? Jiang Xinyi has graced us with her presence!” he teased.
“Yup!” Jiang Xinyi replied confidently.
“I’ve missed your cucumbers. Still bringing them to work?” she joked.
“Not anymore. The office has moved,” Zhou Yuwen replied with a smirk.
“Then plant more next year,” Jiang Xinyi shot back.
“You wish,” Zhou Yuwen laughed.
“Where’s my desk?” Jiang Xinyi asked again.
“Are you sure you’re staying? I thought my little operation wasn’t good enough for you,” Zhou Yuwen teased.
“Enough small talk. I flew back from Inner Mongolia just to finish our last conversation,” Jiang Xinyi replied seriously.
“Oh? And what was that about?”
“You know exactly what,” Jiang Xinyi retorted.
Their playful banter filled the room, leaving Lu Hui feeling increasingly sidelined.
When Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi erged from his office, Jiang Xinyi glanced around and asked, “Where’s my desk?”
“Pick any open spot,” Zhou Yuwen said, gesturing to a row of empty desks.
“Really? Then I’ll take two!” Jiang Xinyi joked.
“You’re so high-maintenance,” Zhou Yuwen muttered.
“Am I getting them or not?”
“Just get to work already,” Zhou Yuwen replied with a grin.
“Slave driver!” Jiang Xinyi teased before turning to her tasks.
As Zhou Yuwen returned to his office and closed the door, Lu Hui sat in silence, her unease growing. Zhou Yuwen had always treated her with indifference, but Jiang Xinyi’s return amplified the feeling of being overlooked.
Previously, she relied on Liu Shuo’s affection to feel secure. But now, Liu Shuo was avoiding her altogether, and her sense of crisis grew stronger with each passing day.
After so hesitation, Lu Hui finally sent Liu Shuo another ssage:
“Why are you avoiding
lately?”
Liu Shuo, sitting at a mahjong table with a cigarette in his mouth, glanced at his phone, then placed it back down without responding. He focused on his ga, leaving Lu Hui’s ssage unanswered.
Inside his office, Zhou Yuwen gazed out at the team working under the soft glow of the winter sun. Though tensions and rivalries simred beneath the surface, he chose to focus on the steady growth of his enterprise, letting things unfold as they would.
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