Jiang Cheng did not take his cue, his gaze falling upon Zhu Yan, his tone slightly softer than before.
But he deliberately made sure Xu Lei heard clearly: "For the follow-up of this project, let Zhu Yan handle the liaison with me. She has been with me for a long time, knows what I want, and it saves time wasted on back-and-forth messaging."
These words both gave Zhu Yan sufficient face and subtly warned Xu Lei.
Hearing this, the look in Zhu Yan's eyes as she gazed at Jiang Cheng instantly became incredibly gentle.
Naturally, Xu Lei was not displeased by Jiang Cheng's warning.
His heart instantly became lively: It's normal for a man to have a couple of girls accompanying him. Jiang Cheng choosing Su Xiaoran earlier was just for novelty and peace, but now he specifically called Zhu Yan over and explicitly stated she was a Private Assistant and needed to be present for the liaison.
This clearly placed Zhu Yan in the position of "one of his own."
Zhu Yan was his biological niece. Jiang Cheng valuing Zhu Yan was more effective than valuing any other girl.
As long as CEO Jiang recognized Zhu Yan as the liaison, the subsequent project wouldn't slip away, and he, as her uncle, could benefit too!
He quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, CEO Jiang is right! Zhu Yan is meticulous in her work, and with her liaising with you, I am relieved!"
The smile on Liu Min's face instantly faded significantly, and the fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.
She had actively shown goodwill just now, but Jiang Cheng hadn't responded at all, only accepting Su Yue's tea.
Yet now, he showed such regard for Zhu Yan, even designating her for the project liaison.
Clearly, her meticulous dressing and deliberate flattery today had all been in vain.
Moreover, in Liu Min's opinion, she was prettier than both Zhu Yan and Su Yue.
But Jiang Cheng simply did not take a liking to her.
Her heart felt as if something was blocking it.
Su Xiaoran, meanwhile, sat in place, her fingers unconsciously picking at the frog button on the side of her Cheongsam near her thigh.
She hadn't wanted to join in this excitement in the first place.
But when Zhu Yan hadn't arrived earlier, Jiang Cheng had shown her some deliberate care.
This had made Liu Min, who had been secretly suppressing her, turn green with envy.
But ever since Zhu Yan arrived, it was clear that she was no longer relevant.
She clearly didn't feel admiration or affection for Jiang Cheng.
But because of these comparisons, the sense of being easily overlooked still caused a subtle, inexplicable discomfort in her heart.
It was like drinking a glass of plain boiled water—bland and wistful. Xu Lei saw that their expressions were off, so he cleared his throat and gave them a look. The two girls reluctantly forced smiles and continued to maintain appearances.
How could Jiang Cheng not be aware of the undercurrents in the room?
However, Jiang Cheng's mind was entirely focused on the Game Over Card right now.
Jiang Churan was probably the one most likely to have arranged this card.
After serving Zhu Yan several times and seeing that she had eaten enough, Jiang Cheng finally stood up. He tilted his head toward Zhu Yan: "I ate a bit too much, I'm stuffed. Come out and take a walk with me."
Zhu Yan immediately agreed: "Alright."
After speaking, Zhu Yan addressed Xu Lei: "Bank Manager Xu, then I'll..."
Xu Lei's face was already beaming like a flower at this point.
"Go, go. There's nothing much happening at the bank this afternoon. You go keep CEO Jiang company. No need to return, just clock out directly."
...The next day, Jiang Cheng slept until nearly noon.
Compared to usual, he had slept in a bit late this time.
Mainly because, to repay him, Zhu Yan proactively fought a great battle until the early morning before feeling she had completed her mission.
It was hard to refuse such kindness.
After opening his phone's wechat, he saw that Ye Wan had sent him two messages.
It was a photo of a computer.
Judging by the appearance, it was a Lenovo laptop.
The message had been sent around ten in the morning.
There was nothing else besides the photo.
However, the screen displayed "The other party is typing..." Seeing that Ye Wan still had something to say, Jiang Cheng did not reply.
He switched back to another page.
He sent a message to Jiang Churan.
Jiang Churan had also sent a message to Jiang Cheng.
It was a photo of her, Xu Yan, and Shen Shuang eating out.
Jiang Cheng: "That makes me hungry. I just woke up."
Jiang Churan: "Why did you sleep so long today?"
Jiang Cheng: "I originally wanted to sleep last night, but I met a rather emotional client who insisted on expressing her gratitude thoroughly. It was truly hard to refuse such enthusiasm... sigh."
Jiang Churan: "That sounds exhausting... Staying up late harms the body, take care of yourself."
Jiang Cheng: "I've been too tired recently. I plan to come to the Capital City to relax with you in a few days."
Jiang Churan: "Really??"
Naturally, it was true. Jiang Cheng had thought of Jiang Churan when he received the Special Devour Card last night.
After chatting with Jiang Churan for a few moments, Jiang Cheng switched to Ye Wan's chat page.
The "The other party is typing..." on the screen had disappeared.
Just as Jiang Cheng was about to send her a message, he noticed "The other party is typing..." started displaying again.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng sighed helplessly.
So, could it be that Little Mute wanted to share the joy of getting her computer with him?
But realizing he hadn't replied, she was probably overthinking it?
Is that why she kept typing and deleting?
Jiang Cheng: "Have you eaten??"
Within a few seconds of sending that message, Ye Wan's reply came back.
Ye Wan: "Not yet."
Jiang Cheng: "Then wait for me. Shall we go to the cafeteria together later??"
Ye Wan: "Okay."
...Half an hour later, the car quickly arrived at the School Gate.
It was lunchtime, and there were quite a few students coming and going at the entrance.
The rolls-royce slowed down, preparing to pull over.
After sending a message to Ye Wan, Jiang Cheng glanced out the window twice.
Upon seeing something, Jiang Cheng called out to Wang Sheng.
"Hey, wait."
The car slowly stopped. Jiang Cheng pressed the button, and the dark-tinted window rolled down.
To the right of the School Gate, Huang Yiyi was standing beside the driver's seat of an Audi A4.
She was leaning down and saying something to the person inside.
As everyone knows, the Audi A4 is usually the car chosen by Business Professionals.
Those who drive this type of car are usually at least thirty years old.
Jiang Cheng hadn't considered the possibility of her being kept (sugar baby) when it came to Huang Yiyi.
After all, Jiang Cheng remembered Huang Yiyi's family background, which, while not ultra-luxurious, was considered well-off.
The rolls-royce stopping made it particularly conspicuous.
He saw that the surrounding students were starting to stir.
The commotion around her made Huang Yiyi subconsciously look up. The moment her gaze met Jiang Cheng's eyes, her whole body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Usually, whenever she saw him, Huang Yiyi's eyes would light up like they held stars, and she would excitedly run over and call out "Jiang Cheng."
But today, she just stood there blankly, her usually spirited eyes dull and lifeless, and her lips pressed into a tight, straight line.
She only managed to raise her hand and give a small wave.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Cheng got out of the car and walked toward her.
"