Chapter 113: The Joyous Life of a Simpleton

“But Wu Meili’s mother will interfere. All she wants is for her daughter to find a wealthy patron who can guarantee her a life free from worry over food and clothing. Even though there have been some excellent men who wanted to pursue Wu Meili—such as the thirty-year-old general manager of the advertising company we work with—they were all rejected by Mrs. Wu.”

Assistant Chen sighed regretfully for no apparent reason. After all, Mrs. Wu had been a widow for more than a decade, and raising Wu Meili all these years had certainly not been easy.

“I see…” A faint smile curled at the corner of Yuwen Si’s lips. No wonder the woman had begun to harbor romantic thoughts after taking his card. After all, just his physical appearance alone had caused countless women to salivate. He was so stunningly beautiful that he looked more妖媚 than many women. And on top of that, he had Yuwen Media behind him. How could anyone fail to be drawn to him?

This feeling could not exactly be called wonderful, but at least it was not unpleasant.

They soon arrived beneath the company building. After Assistant Chen stopped the car, he hurried around to open the door for Yuwen Si. However, Yuwen Si opened it himself and stepped out.

The security guards at the entrance immediately recognized Yuwen Si, whom they had not seen for several days. They bowed and greeted him respectfully. Yuwen Si passed calmly through the lobby. Everyone who saw him nodded in greeting, but he walked straight to the elevator, pressed the button, and waited for two seconds.

Assistant Chen hurried after him and followed at his heels into the elevator.

As soon as they reached the top floor, Chen Haoming was about to begin the day’s busy schedule when Yuwen Si raised a hand. Chen Haoming immediately turned back.

“Gather the company executives and the key personnel from every department. We’re holding a meeting.”

Assistant Chen froze. “Now?”

Yuwen Si was opening the door to his office. He paused, his hand suspended in midair.

“Do I look as though I’m joking?”

What a joke. Yuwen Si’s smiling face showed no trace of gloom or abnormality. If one did not compare that expression with the words he had just spoken, one would have assumed he really was joking.

“Oh, ha-ha. I’ll notify everyone at once.”

Assistant Chen immediately put on an ingratiating smile, though he was utterly bewildered. Yuwen Si rarely came to the office, and the moment he returned, he called a meeting. Clearly, either their president had undergone a sudden change of personality, or something major was about to happen.

Ten minutes later, in one of the company’s offices, all the senior executives of Yuwen Media had gathered.

Some had barely glanced through the documents distributed to them before beginning to discuss them among themselves. As more and more people received the papers, the murmurs multiplied, and quiet whispers passed from one person to another. Naturally, everyone was speculating about the reason for this sudden meeting.

After all, Yuwen Si hardly ever stayed at the company. With his unruly temperament, remaining here day after day would have driven him mad with boredom. Besides, the chair in Yuwen Si’s office surely had plenty of nails hidden in it.

Chen Haoming handed out all the documents, yet even after he finished, their president was nowhere to be seen.

Could Yuwen Si be playing some sort of prank on them?

At that thought, Assistant Chen could not help recalling one scene after another. Yuwen Si had indeed never been particularly devoted to his work. The company even had a vice president appointed by him, though that vice president had also not shown up for quite some time.

The atmosphere in the room changed rapidly. One moment it was quiet; the next, it was agitated. Then, after a brief lull, the door opened. The noisy room fell instantly silent, as though every sound had been swallowed. An oppressive presence filled the air, and everyone turned their eyes toward the man who had just entered.

Everyone had seen Yuwen Si before. It was simply that he was known as the “Smiling Killer,” so almost no one in the company dared to get too close to him. Chen Haoming was the sole exception. Whenever Yuwen Si was away, he reported every development in the company to him in detail.

“Let’s begin the meeting.”

Yuwen Si walked straight to his seat in the conference room and sat down. He crossed one leg over the other. By then, however, he had changed out of his earlier clothes and put on a business suit. In such attire, he looked dazzling, confident, and utterly exceptional.

“President, isn’t hiring this female model a little too extravagant? After all…” One of the veteran managers spoke, then hesitated.

Although Yuwen Si was young, he was not a man without opinions or ideas. Nor was he someone who ever entered a battle unprepared.

The manager’s surname was Xu, and he was one of the company’s top executives. He had always been incorruptible. The wrinkles covering his mature face were the clearest proof of the years and hardships he had weathered. That was why he had raised his doubts about Yuwen Si’s proposal, expressing his own thoughts and making it clear that he was not entirely in agreement.

Yuwen Si remained calm and composed, a smile still resting on his face. He had always been like that. Seeing Manager Xu’s attitude and hearing his tone, yet noticing that Yuwen Si made no response for a long while, several others began whispering among themselves.

“Yes, President. I’ve heard that this model’s appearance fee has always been extremely high. Although companies still compete to hire her as an endorser, I also think Manager Xu has a point. The event we’re planning can only be considered medium-sized. The company can afford the fee, of course, but wouldn’t it be a little too extravagant?”

Another person voiced his doubts.

Yuwen Si’s habitual expression made it impossible to tell whether he was simply too young and inexperienced or whether he was a deep and calculating strategist.

For a long time, Yuwen Si said nothing. He merely swept his gaze over everyone present. In an instant, they felt as though a beam of light, sharp enough to sting and scorch their skin, had flashed across them.

The conference room gradually fell silent. It became so still that even the sound of a needle hitting the floor could have been heard clearly.

“Assistant Chen, what do you think?”

Yuwen Si suddenly turned his attention to Chen Haoming.

“Uh… this…” Chen Haoming had not expected to be called upon and was caught completely off guard. He stammered, only for Yuwen Si to shift his attention again.

“Tang Shiyan, what do you think?”

Tang Shiyan was famous for her composure. Not a ripple crossed her face at Yuwen Si’s sudden question. Though she had been dazzled for an instant, she quickly regained her calm, as if she believed that even if the sky fell, someone taller would hold it up.

Her answer came with unhurried ease, almost as though she had descended from another planet.

“The president must have his own reasons.”

Excellent. A perfectly correct answer. The Black Rose truly lived up to her reputation—she was a formidable woman.

“Lu Zizi, what do you think?”

Yuwen Si shifted his gaze to Lu Zizi and, in the same motion, glanced at Wu Meili beside her.

Wu Meili’s eyes met his. Her cheeks instantly flushed, and her heart began to race wildly, pounding so hard that it seemed to lose all rhythm.

“Men all like women who are beautiful and have good figures. If this model handles the event, she’ll still attract plenty of attention.”

Lu Zizi answered with a bright smile. Her beautiful eyes narrowed into graceful crescent shapes. Her delicate, perfectly formed nose and cherry-red lips fully justified her nickname, “Beautiful Cherry.”

Yuwen Si smiled and nodded, as though he agreed with Lu Zizi’s opinion.

Chen Haoming silently cried out in alarm. What was Yuwen Si planning? He had only just told him about the company’s three beauties, and Yuwen Si had already called two of them out to ask their opinions.

The next one would be Wu Meili.

“Wu Meili, tell us what you think.”

Yuwen Si lowered his arms from where they had been folded across his chest and rested one elbow on the table, propping his cheek lightly against his hand. His gaze settled on her, carrying a hint of certainty, as though he was looking forward to her answer.

“Uh…”

Chen Haoming felt utterly helpless.

Just as he had expected.

Wu Meili first knitted her brows slightly. She had not imagined that he would call on her as well. Yuwen Si had never directly interacted with his subordinates face-to-face. This was the first time since she had joined the company that Wu Meili had spoken with him directly.

She lightly pressed her lips together and gave herself two seconds to think.

“I also think it’s a little extravagant. But… if she’s doing it for free, why not?”

After all, this really was only a medium-sized event. The famous model’s appearance fee was indeed extremely high. Yuwen Si surely would not enter a battle unprepared, nor would he waste such a large sum of money for nothing.

Still, there were too many uncertainties. Yuwen Si had plenty of money, so she had merely spoken offhandedly. Anything was possible.

Yuwen Si laughed aloud, though his lips remained tightly closed. One corner of his mouth lifted, and the laughter seemed to come through his nose.

Watching the company president smile without speaking—and knowing that it was her answer that had amused him—Wu Meili’s heart went from uneasy to anxious, then from anxious to flustered.

Had what she said been too ridiculous or childish?

Yes. It had been foolish, naïve, silly, and absurdly cheerful.

“Wu Meili is right. She’s doing it for free.”

Yuwen Si’s words stunned everyone. The conference room erupted in an uproar.

Wu Meili was even more astonished. An incredulous cry rose in her heart, and her cheeks flushed scarlet.

After a brief commotion, the room soon returned to silence as everyone waited for Yuwen Si’s next decision and explanation.

However, when it became clear that Yuwen Si had no intention of speaking, Manager Xu covered his mouth and coughed lightly.

“If that’s the case, then it truly couldn’t be better.”

After all, Yuwen Si had an extensive network of connections. Perhaps he and the famous model were linked by countless threads. Yuwen Si also loved traveling abroad, so for all they knew, she might even be his secret lover.

Anything was possible.

Yuwen Si gave a slight nod.

“So… everyone must work hard and produce the finest results possible. Only then will we live up to my efforts and protect her reputation outside the company. Does anyone have any other questions about this?”

Everyone looked at one another before turning their eyes back to Yuwen Si. They silently shook their heads, expressing their willingness to follow the company’s direction and obey every order.

“If there are no questions, let’s get to the main matter. Everything I say from this point forward is important. Listen carefully and commit it to memory…”

Author’s note: Thank you, H.M.J.’s Little White Rabbit, for the vote. Love you! <3