Chen Xueer glided to the chair opposite Jiang Cheng and settled in with grace.
Once seated, she smiled and went straight to the point: 'I've just finished reviewing the packages the other banks submitted. I heard Manager Zhu brought one too, so I came up to compare them.'
Her gaze swept the office.
'Where's Manager Zhu?' she asked, puzzled. 'My assistant said you had someone escort her up.'
At the question, Zhu Yan—quietly crouched beside Jiang Cheng's legs—flinched in obvious panic.
Jiang Cheng's eyes shifted to the sofa.
'She had to step out,' he said, unnaturally calm.'Something about missing documents.' His voice sounded forced, unconvincing.
'Really?' Chen Xueer exclaimed, following his gaze toward the sofa. 'Did she leave her proposal?'
A glance revealed the kraft folder on the coffee table.
'She brought this, right?' Chen Xueer stood and walked over.
As her rose-glossed nail brushed the file, her peripheral vision caught the silk scarf draped on the sofa.
She lifted the folder in one hand and the deep-red scarf in the other.
The moment her fingers closed around the silk, a faint perfume rose to greet her.
A knowing smile curved her lips.
'If I'm not mistaken, this scarf belongs to Manager Zhu. Rather cold today to be shedding accessories…'
As Jiang Cheng's private-banking assistant, Chen Xueer had met Zhu Yan before.
During Jiang Cheng's property-buying spree they had dealt with each other often.
The first time they met, Zhu Yan's beauty had stunned her.
Everyone knows how hideous bank uniforms are.
Yet on Zhu Yan that same uniform looked stunning—so stunning Chen Xueer had wanted one for herself.
In other words, the ugly outfit became beautiful the moment Zhu Yan wore it.
That told you how gorgeous she really was.
Under Chen Xueer's probing stare Jiang Cheng gave a dry laugh.
'The heating's on full blast; feeling warm is natural.'
Beneath the table Zhu Yan bit her lip.
Then, mischievously, she pressed icy fingertips to Jiang Cheng's thigh.
Startled, Jiang Cheng arched a brow.
Instead of moving away, he inched his chair closer to her.
He normally scoffed at harassment—unless the harasser met two criteria: sufficient charm and sufficient privacy value.
'If you qualify, feel free to bother me any time. I enjoy the thrill.'
Such a thrill…
Seeing Jiang Cheng's solemn face, Chen Xueer lowered her eyes, walked back, and laid the folder on the desk.
'Manager Zhu arrived before you did. After all this time you still haven't opened the file—were you too busy watching her?'
The chair wheels slid.
Pulling back, she glimpsed beneath the desk.
Girl, where's the harassment you promised?
It ended before it began.
There Zhu Yan knelt half-hidden,
a pair of black silk stockings still in her hand.
Her unbuttoned collar revealed collarbones flickering in the shadows,
face flushed and endearingly mortified.
Clearly she was ashamed of her earlier boldness.
Though her expression was captivating, Jiang Cheng's gaze drifted elsewhere.
The sight summoned a lyric to his mind: 'The black you see isn't black; the pink you mention is truly pink…'
When Jiang Cheng stayed silent, lips twitching in a smile, Chen Xueer's mouth tightened. 'What's so funny?'
To hide the truth Jiang Cheng raised a hand to his lips.
'Nothing—just thought of something happy.'
'What happy thing?'
'My wi—'
Caught up, he almost blurted, 'My wife's giving birth…'
He caught himself and shifted focus.
'Aren't you hot? Why not take off your scarf too?'
As he spoke he stretched out a foot, letting Zhu Yan know his feet were as skilled as his hands—and didn't smell.
Chen Xueer's attention shifted.
She shot him a coy glare.
'Your heater's not high at all; I'm chilly. Aren't you cold in that thin shirt?'
Bare-legged under the AC, he did feel a draft.
'Not cold. Have you looked at the other banks' offers?'
She nodded. 'I've reviewed the Big Four. You haven't opened CMB's yet—shall we do it together?'
Just as she slit the CMB envelope and began to read, Jiang Cheng felt Zhu Yan lightly tap his thigh.
She shifted from cowering in the corner toward the center,
clearly impressed by the footwork.
To give her room Jiang Cheng leaned back.
He appeared to watch Chen Xueer while keeping Zhu Yan in his peripheral vision.
Chen Xueer finished in moments.
'CMB's terms are mid-to-upper tier—ten to fifteen basis points off the rate, reasonable grace period. But we've seen the big banks' bottom lines; the gap's small. Still, Manager Zhu is your personal aide…'
She half-rose, perfume and assertiveness closing the distance.
'Will you favor her for personal reasons? From a corporate view, a six-billion landmark project is no joke; every extra concession the bank wins changes the final return by a wide margin.'
The sudden move froze Jiang Cheng's languid teasing.
He snapped upright,
rolled the chair forward,
and pressed against the desk edge—
any further and Chen Xueer would glimpse 'heavenly light.'
Under his frantic footwork Zhu Yan was already biting her lip, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.