Just as Zhao Ling's introduction was still underway, a clear, pleasant ringtone suddenly cut through the air.
Jiang Cheng pulled the phone from his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and lifted it to his ear.
Wang Congcong's voice came through: "Hey, Jiang Cheng, are you at Starlight?"
"How did you know?" Jiang Cheng asked, curiosity piqued.
Wang Cong chuckled. "I'm handling some business at Dawan Plaza. Ran into Zhang Lin—he saw your car enter the Starlight Tower's underground garage."
Jiang Cheng searched his memory, puzzled. "Zhang Lin? Who's that?"
"The guy who showed you around when you bought this office building. He now oversees property management and sales for the whole area."
Jiang Cheng's brows lifted.
No wonder the news travels so fast.
The richer you become,
the more you notice that simply showing up somewhere
is enough for certain people to track your movements.
"Came to check on our project and do a quick inspection," Jiang Cheng replied. "Care to drop by?"
"Absolutely. I'll be there in a minute—what floor are you on?"
A few more exchanges, then the call ended.
Jiang Cheng had planned to meet Wang Congcong at the elevator.
But as he rose, the tightly shut door slowly opened and a figure appeared.
Zhao Ling, walking ahead, visibly relaxed when she saw her superior arrive.
Though Jiang Cheng was young, his exalted status radiated authority.
Coupled with his unsmiling, stern expression,
it pressed in on Zhao Ling from every side.
Zhao Ling greeted Yu Xiaoxiao with relief: "Manager Yu, you're here. I was just heading out to bring the trainees in."
Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. "Good. Have them come in at once."
Today Yu Xiaoxiao wore a luxurious camel wool coat.
Its relaxed cut and clean lines kept her looking both elegant and composed.
The collar was slightly open, revealing a simple black silk scarf within.
The soft fabric slid like a quiet stream against her skin.
Dark-grey straight-leg trousers finished the look, their sharp tailoring accentuating her long, slim legs.
She stepped into matching mid-heel ankle boots.
Her face was exquisite, skin snow-white with a hint of rose—winter plum in bloom.
Bright eyes, deep as a lake, shimmered with intelligence and resolve.
Below her straight nose, lips the color of warm jade curved in a faint, affable yet authoritative smile.
Seeing Yu Xiaoxiao, Jiang Cheng's face lit with delight.
Instinctively he moved to embrace her.
But Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to anticipate it.
Before he could act, she shifted into a strictly professional stance.
She dipped in a slight bow.
"Chairman Jiang," she said respectfully, "I rushed back the moment Zhao Ling messaged that you were here."
Jiang Cheng understood: she wanted to keep their relationship hidden.
Her thoughtfulness warmed him again.
She had told him she preferred they appear as ordinary superior and subordinate in public—
better for day-to-day management and for the Company as a whole.
For a rising entertainment firm, image was everything.
Rumors of an improper boss-subordinate affair, or whispers that the chairman was involved with one of his artists,
could cripple future growth.
The mere phrase "unspoken rules" easily stirred male netizens' jealousy.
Yet that was only the corporate view.
Personally,
she could have hinted at their closeness,
staking her claim
and warning off any woman with designs on Jiang Cheng.
After all, this was an entertainment Company—
full of young, pretty Girls.
But Yu Xiaoxiao let no selfish motive sway her.
She never weighed personal gain.
Every thought was for Jiang Cheng and the Company's benefit.
Reading her intent, Jiang Cheng turned his half-step forward into a casual wave.
A warm, spring-like smile crossed his handsome face. "Have a seat."
He glanced at a nearby assistant.
"Go to the elevator and escort Young Master Wang up."
The assistant bowed briskly. "Yes, Chairman Jiang!"
Once Yu Xiaoxiao sat, Jiang Cheng leaned back languidly.
Long arms stretched behind him, hands braced on the soft sofa.
Relaxed yet confident, he exuded lazy charm.
Watching him, Yu Xiaoxiao's heart fluttered.
She longed to nestle into his arms,
but willpower pinned the urge down.
She gave a soft cough, her bright eyes flicking toward him in feigned reproach.
"Chairman Jiang, you didn't mention coming when we texted this morning. What brings you here so suddenly?"
"A few things to check. I actually wanted to discuss a script with you, but Chen Xueer said you were out, so I wandered up."
For a moment Yu Xiaoxiao couldn't quite grasp the deeper meaning behind his words.
She only arched her willow-leaf brows, puzzled.
"Script discussion?? Which script are you talking about??"
Jiang Cheng hooked the corner of his mouth and turned to Yu Xiaoxiao: "You tell me. We've gone over it several times—the action script full of… noises."
Yu Xiaoxiao knit her brow, thinking hard for a few seconds.
A script with… noises?
Then, as if a bulb had lit above her head.
Images flashed across her mind—whimpers, "faster," "slower," all that sort of thing.
Combined with Jiang Cheng's gestures, that had to be the 'script' he meant.
The moment she sorted it out, her fair, delicate ears blazed scarlet.
Like ripe apples, glistening and ready to drop.
She lifted her shy gaze, unable to stop herself from glancing toward Jiang Cheng.
Right then her lovely eyes, limpid as autumn water, flickered with a secret light.
She lowered her head a fraction and, ever so quietly, shot him a coquettish look.
But after one peek she didn't dare continue.
She feared that if she kept staring she'd give herself away.
Everyone present was a Girl of only seventeen or eighteen.
Young, yes—but never underestimate them.
Youth doesn't guarantee naïveté.
Among these seemingly innocent faces might hide hearts as clear and sharp as crystal.
"Got it. Let me show you the results of the Company's new project first; we can talk after."
Hearing the hidden meaning, Jiang Cheng's mouth curved again.
A half-smile line formed. "Fine, but I've seen enough—how about we…"
Seeing how impatient he looked.
The corner of Yu Xiaoxiao's mouth, barely held level, finally lifted.
She itched to give him a scolding.
Yet she burned to show him the rich fruits of her recent hard work.
To let him see that every ounce of effort had been worth it.
Though she and Jiang Cheng had a special bond.
She never let that intimacy slacken her professional standards.
On the contrary, because of that bond.
She pushed herself harder, pouring herself in.
Determined to let him discover still more of her strengths and brilliance.
Seeing Zhao Ling leading another dozen Girls inside, Yu Xiaoxiao stopped Jiang Cheng.
"You're here so rarely—take a look first. After you suggested the Girl-group route last time, I started preparing; these are the trainees we've recruited."
In the spacious practice room, under Zhao Ling's orderly direction.
Dozens of Girls in sportswear—slim, pretty, radiant with youth—swiftly formed neat lines at the center.
The room felt suddenly like an indoor PE class.
Yu Xiaoxiao went on: "We plan to follow the Korean model, audition and filter, then train. You know we reshuffle every week; in one quarter we'll lock the pre-debut line-up."
Jiang Cheng swept his gaze over roughly thirty Girls.
These days trainee pools easily run to fifty, a hundred, even more.
By comparison, thirty-plus was modest.
He activated the Character Scanning System and swept it across them.
His eyes locked on looks, figure—and privacy value.
Most Girls scored steady 70-plus.
Meaning they had both striking faces and solid proportions.
As long as features weren't tragic.
With stylists and make-up, an ordinary Girl could hit about 80.
Add stage lighting, idol aura, and a dash of luck—any of them could explode.
Strictly speaking, domestic showbiz had almost no 90-point beauties anyway.
Not to mention height.
Especially among actresses, setting figure aside.
Their listed heights were wildly inflated.
Public numbers and reality differed by a mile.
After a quick scan he focused on the varied privacy values.
Despite having the system ages, the shock rivalled seeing high-school classmates Xu Ya and Jiang Yun back then.
When Jiang Cheng saw Xu Ya's privacy value at 30, his scalp had tingled.
They'd been classmates; in PE she'd eagerly teased and roughhoused with him.
Yet right after graduation she'd already notched thirty.
And Jiang Yun, the iron-clad tomboy, had even registered a 2.
How could Jiang Cheng—who in his past life graduated with only a thumb-girlfriend—not be stunned?
He'd never imagined these kids started playing "happy beans" so early.
Among the thirty-plus Girls, some showed zero.
But most were single digits; several had already surpassed Xu Ya.
He shut the system and forced the messy thoughts away.
Just then, crisp, rhythmic footsteps approached.
The door stood open; hearing them, Jiang Cheng turned to Yu Xiaoxiao and murmured, "A friend of mine is nearby—coming to say hi."
Yu Xiaoxiao blinked, then quickly composed herself.
She lifted a hand to smooth a stray lock of hair, gentle and meticulous, wanting to look her best.
That shy, nervous air made her seem like a Girl meeting her boyfriend's best friend for the first time.