Chapter 521: Provoking

6:00 AM, the alarm clock rang on time.

Yao Lingling reached out from under the quilt and skillfully pressed the reminder on the phone screen.

She muttered to herself: "Time to get up~"

She rubbed her eyes, lifted the quilt, and sat up.

The air in late autumn carried a clear coolness, causing goosebumps to rise on her exposed skin.

She subconsciously pulled the collar of her pajamas and shivered; her sleepiness was driven away by this coolness.

She quickly opened her phone, her fingertips skillfully sliding across the screen.

Search, confirm, and then click on the pinned WeChat chat box.

On the screen, the cursor jumped lightly.

[Lingling: "(*|√1*) Good morning, little brother. Today is October 30, Monday. It’s cloudy to sunny in Xiangjiang, temperature 20~26°C. The outfit suggestion is as follows..."]

After sending the message, she put down the phone, a satisfied smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

When something becomes a habit, it gradually becomes a sustenance, and she always feels that this way, she will be closer to him.

And Tang Song would also reply to her messages every day and chat with her for a while.

Changing into gym clothes, she came to the living room and turned on the ceiling light.

Yao Lingling laid out the yoga mat, placed the tablet opposite, and opened the bookmarked "Advanced Hip and Leg Training Course."

Single-leg Romanian deadlifts, resistance band squat sprints, weighted glute bridges, high knees into burpees—

In the living room, only her increasingly rapid breathing and the dull sound of her body contacting the floor remained.

Sweat soon soaked the hair on her forehead, sliding down her cheeks. The soreness of her muscles and the burning sensation of sweat made her clench her teeth, but she also felt a sense of hearty pleasure.

After the workout, she washed up.

Returning to the bedroom, she walked lightly to the desk and picked up a fashion design draft.

Looking at the windbreaker with sharp lines and full details on the paper, a brilliant light burst out in her eyes.

This was her first work at Songmei Apparel, and it was finally completed.

After a long period of accumulation and attempts, and incorporating the vivid and lively inspiration moodboard she saw on Wen Ruan that day.

She finally found what she had been looking for, a "soul" of urban female power that was sharp, free, and carried a sense of urban female power.

Throughout the weekend, she almost didn't leave the house, immersing herself in the world of creation, and finally finished the last bit of work. This was her first work at Songmei Apparel, and also her first "signature" as a designer in the true sense.

From integrating inspiration, determining the core elements of the series, to hand-drawing sketches, choosing fabrics and accessories, and finally to the last pattern making, every link was completed by her independently.

She was full of confidence in her work, unprecedentedly confident.

"Ding dong—" The WeChat notification sound rang.

Yao Lingling picked up the phone that was charging and instantly beamed with joy.

[Tang Song: "I’ve already changed into clothes according to your outfit suggestion. As expected of a professional fashion designer, it’s great."]

[Tang Song: Selfie.jpg]

Clicking on the photo, looking at Tang Song, who was handsome and had eyes like stars, Yao Lingling’s heart beat fast.

Yao Lingling’s cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and her fingertips jumped rapidly on the screen.

She replied: "(3) Wow, senior is so handsome, so elite, haha."

[Tang Song: Let me see yours (emoji)]

Yao Lingling bit her lip, quickly pulled open the wardrobe, first took a thicker bra, then took a butt-lifting pants, and changed quickly.

Looking in the mirror, she felt a burst of secret joy.

The hard work didn't go to waste after all; her current waist-to-hip ratio was perfect. As long as she wore tighter pants, the head-turning rate on the street was extremely high.

Even in the Yunxi Building, she would be approached from time to time.

She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, adjusted the angle, and confidently took a full-body photo to share.

Waited for a moment.

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

[Tang Song: "(Like) Not bad, the figure is really good, the training marks are clear, one look and you can tell the core strength is very stable, keep it up."]

Yao Lingling’s mouth lifted in a big arc, and she replied: "I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck now. Senior is a fitness expert now, find time to give me some pointers later."

[Tang Song: "No problem, wait until I return to Yancheng."]

Yao Lingling instantly felt sweet.

Subsequently, her heart jumped slightly, she turned to look at the design draft on the table, and a bold idea quietly floated into her mind.

She gritted her teeth and typed slowly: [ "(#Playful) Money is fine, lest colleagues have opinions. How about this, senior, if the GMV of this piece breaks 4 million, you satisfy a wish of mine, how about it? (#Wink)" ]

A single-item premiere GMV breaking 2 million was definitely a big hit for Songmei Apparel.

Yao Lingling’s performance was linked to commission, and there were hit-product ladder bonuses, and the year-end bonus started at at least three months.

This doubling brought a very considerable salary increase, enough for her to afford a nice car.

Struggling for a moment, Yao Lingling gathered her courage and replied: [ "(#Playful) Money is fine, lest colleagues have opinions. How about this, senior, if the GMV can break 4 million, you satisfy a wish of mine, how about it? (#Wink)" ]

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

[Tang Song: "It seems Lingling is very confident, okay, no problem!"]

Yao Lingling took a deep breath, and brilliant brilliance bloomed in her eyes.

She was indeed very confident. As a professional fashion designer, she also had a deep understanding of the market and knew how excellent this windbreaker of hers was.

Most importantly, it was the Double 11 shopping festival soon, plus He Yiyi’s popularity that was rising steadily now.

She was very confident in creating a big hit.

As for that wish... Yao Lingling pursed her lips, and a shy flush appeared on her face.

8:10 AM.

Yunxi Building, Songmei Apparel.

"Morning, Brother Zhang."

"Morning."

Yao Lingling carried her tote bag and walked into the office lightly.

The office area in the early morning looked somewhat deserted, with only a few scattered figures busy at their workstations.

Immediately after, a sexy back came into view.

A white tight-fitting base shirt paired with high-waisted jeans outlined the graceful curves perfectly, which was exceptionally eye-catching.

Yao Lingling’s face bloomed with a bright smile, "Qiuqiu, good morning!"

Hearing the call, Cheng Qiuqiu stopped, turned her head, and a hint of softness appeared on her cold face, "Lingling, morning."

However, before she finished speaking, Yao Lingling had already pounced like an enthusiastic little bird, hugging her heavily.

"Haven't seen you for two days, missed you so much! Wow, you smell so good."

Cheng Qiuqiu’s body stiffened subconsciously, and her face looked somewhat unnatural.

For this kind of intimate physical contact, she was still not used to it.

Of course, there was one exception.

The two chatted simply, and Yao Lingling pulled her to make a cup of coffee, and discussed the recent design problems by the way. Returning to the workstation.

Cheng Qiuqiu lowered her head and sipped the warm coffee, but a trace of imperceptible longing flashed in the bottom of her eyes.

She hadn't seen Tang Song for several days.

The scenes in Zhuxi Residential Quarter before always surged into her mind uncontrollably, making ripples in her heart.

Clearly knowing his relationship with the senior sister, she couldn't help but want to get close to him and miss him.

She sighed lightly, opened the computer, and threw her chaotic thoughts into work.

Tang Song’s "brand cultivation" plan on Xiaohongshu was still in full swing, and the next link was "the choice of brand express packaging."

She had already completed three sets of packaging designs with different styles, and now needed to organize them into exquisite pictures so that Tang Song could post them to his Xiaoh

She sighed softly, opened her computer, and threw her chaotic thoughts into her work.

Tang Song's "Brand Cultivation" plan on Xiaohongshu was still in full swing, and the next step was "Choosing Brand Courier Packaging."

She had already completed three sets of packaging designs in different styles and now needed to organize them into exquisite images so Tang Song could post them to his Xiaohongshu notes.

This cultivation series was currently extremely popular, with heated discussions from netizens under every note.

In the gaps between work, she would habitually click into the "April" fan group, lurking intensely and occasionally replying.

The group owner, "Su Yu's April," was equally active, always sparing no effort to campaign for her own options.

Cheng Qiuqiu had chatted with the other person many times and could clearly feel that she was definitely a fanatical fan of "April" and also extremely knowledgeable about Su Yu.

This gave her a feeling of mutual appreciation; the two had now added each other on WeChat and communicated often.

She counted as one of her few internet friends.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—" Her phone suddenly vibrated.

[Mom]

Cheng Qiuqiu's previously relaxed brows furrowed subconsciously.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the phone and walked to a corner by the window.

She took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Qiuqiu, what are you busy with?" Her mother Li Meihua's voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a thick Sichuan accent.

"At work." Cheng Qiuqiu's voice was as cold as ever, with no discernible emotion.

"Oh, oh, have you eaten yet?"

"I have."

Li Meihua asked a few more questions about whether she was healthy and if work was tiring.

Cheng Qiuqiu responded briefly to each one, her tone so calm it was almost indifferent.

"You're so busy with work, and I've been quite free lately, so I want to go to Yancheng for a while to take good care of you, is that okay?"

"Don't come!"

After a brief silence, Li Meihua's voice suddenly became somewhat probing, "Let me ask you, Qiuqiu, tell me honestly, are you seeing someone?"

Cheng Qiuqiu's fingertips holding the phone tightened abruptly, and her heart felt as if it had been pricked by something.

"No." Her voice was icy: "Who did you hear that from? Brother Junfeng?"

"Oh my... who would I hear that from! It's just that I've been having this dream these past two days, and you won't let me go to Yancheng, so I'm just guessing." Li Meihua suddenly changed her tone, sounding somewhat urgent, "Let me tell you, Qiuqiu, you're out there all by yourself, keep your eyes peeled, you hear?"

Cheng Qiuqiu's expression darkened, and she didn't say a word.

The voice on the other end became increasingly urgent, pelting her like a machine gun: "Those boys out there have so many tricks up their sleeves! You're so innocent and pretty, don't let yourself get cheated! Especially those with oily mouths and bellies full of bad water—"

"My business is none of your concern!"

"What?!" Li Meihua's voice turned shrill, "What kind of attitude is that! I'm your mother! If I don't care about you, who will? I worked so hard to raise you—"

"Beep, beep—"

Cheng Qiuqiu hung up the phone directly, her hand holding the phone trembling slightly.

Her face was pale, and her chest heaved violently.

Always like this! It was always like this!

The psychological and physiological problems she developed were not just because of her grandmother's passing; this so-called mother had also caused her indelible psychological trauma.

From childhood to adulthood, she clearly didn't care much about her, yet she always engaged in endless questioning, scrutiny, and nitpicking in the name of "doing it for your own good."

Ever since she started college, although her mother seemed to have changed a lot, the desire for control in her bones had never truly disappeared.

Above her head, the [Dream Flower Seed] emitted a rich emerald light, shaking violently.

Yangcheng.

The crowded Metro Line 1 slowed to a stop at Nongjiangsuo Station. As the doors opened, Zhang Yan hugged her backpack tightly to her chest, like an inconspicuous water droplet merging into the surging crowd, being squeezed out of the carriage along with the flow of people.

After circling the subway station for a while, she walked out of the exit, greeted by the city's unique clamor, a mixture of exhaust fumes and the aroma of food.

She continued walking north for about five or six minutes, finally arriving at the Huiming Building where the company was located.

Every morning, she spent about 40 minutes commuting.

This was a very ordinary office building, looking slightly dilapidated against the backdrop of the surrounding high-rises.

Shucheng Technology was located on the 7th floor, with an office area of only about 300 square meters.

The most eye-catching thing inside was a partition bookshelf, neatly stacked with books the company had published or promoted in recent years.

On one side of the bookshelf was the boss's tightly closed office door, and on the other was the slightly crowded open-plan office area divided by low partitions.

Zhang Yan walked to her workstation, took a rag from the drawer, wiped the desk carefully, and watered the tenacious pothos plant in the corner.

Only then did she lower her head and start working.

At 10:00 AM, the sound of keyboards clicking filled the office.

A short, chubby figure walked quickly out of the boss's office and stopped directly beside her desk.

"Zhang Yan," her leader Bai Rui's slightly oily voice sounded, "How is the recommendation draft for 'The Sea of Whale Fall' coming along? The channels are waiting for it."

Zhang Yan's shoulders shrank subconsciously, and she hurriedly switched the document window to the front, "I'm adjusting the last few paragraphs, it'll be ready in a moment."

The company didn't have many copy editors, and everyone had a pile of complex work on their hands.

She had just returned from a business trip two days ago, and this draft was something she had stayed up late to finish, sacrificing her entire weekend.

"Hmm, good, you submit it to the backend first, and I'll pre-review it."

Zhang Yan looked at Bai Rui's round face, wanting to say something but hesitating, "Brother Bai—"

Lulu had gone for an interview this morning and had specifically entrusted her to find an opportunity to ask the leader when the expenses for last week's business trip could be reimbursed.

Because it was already the end of the month, if the receipts couldn't be submitted in the next two days, this reimbursement would be delayed until the month after next, and by then, the company might have gone bankrupt.

"What is it?" Bai Rui's gaze swept over, a hint of impatience already appearing between his brows.

Zhang Yan's fingers tightened under the table, her voice involuntarily dropping a few notches: "It's just that business trip Lulu and I went on last week—"

"Oh, that." Bai Rui immediately interrupted her, waving his hand dismissively, "The draft for that trip isn't urgent, just give it to me before the 3rd of next month."

After saying this, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Zhang Yan's lips parted, a flash of sadness in her eyes, but she ultimately said nothing and continued to work with her head down.

Near noon.

Zhang Yan had just walked out of the restroom when she saw Lulu walking quickly from the direction of the elevator lobby.

"Lulu, how did it—go on your end?"

"Come on, let's go over there to talk." Lulu grabbed her arm and pulled her into the smoke-filled stairwell without a word.

Lulu leaned against the wall, her eyes excited, her tone filled with longing: "The office environment at Xingyun International Group is just incredible! It's a completely different world from ours! The interviewer was a super nice guy, he was smiling the whole time, very polite, and didn't have any airs at all..."

Zhang Yan listened silently, not interrupting her friend's excitement.

"However—" Lulu's excitement faded slightly, and her tone became a bit more dejected, "Sigh, the competition is too fierce."

"There were four people in my interview batch, and everyone looked better than me, including a top student from a 985 university. I guess there's no hope."

"It's okay," Zhang Yan comforted her softly, "Just getting this interview opportunity is already great."

Lulu nodded and then looked at her: "Zhang Yan, what about you? Do you have any plans?"

Small companies like Shucheng Technology had extremely low risk-resistance capabilities and no irreplaceable core business.

Nowadays, the entire book publishing and sales industry was increasingly sluggish, and the fact that the company was going downhill was visible to the naked eye; people in the office were restless, and everyone was preparing for themselves in advance.

Zhang Yan pursed her slightly dry lips, leaned against the wall like Lulu, and lowered her head, "I, I haven't thought about it yet." "Sigh, it's better to make plans early. Actually, I think it would be quite nice for you to find a reliable boyfriend and stay in Yangcheng to develop, after all, your aunt is here too." Lulu paused, then suddenly seemed to remember something and leaned in gossiping: "To be honest, Zhang Yan, I've always wanted to ask you, do you have someone you like?"

Zhang Yan's eyes clearly flickered, her cheeks quickly flushed, and she shook her head hurriedly: "No—"

"Haha, I bet there is!" Lulu laughed and exposed her, "Look, your WeChat and Weibo nicknames are both 'Breathing in a Smile,' which is obviously derived from that Dickens quote—'Only in your smile do I have breath.' Tell me, who exactly is that 'smile'?!"

Zhang Yan said embarrassedly: "It's, it's just something I picked randomly."

"Fine, I believe you." Lulu took her arm, "Let's go, let's go, let's go eat, I'm treating today!

You have no idea, the Hong Kong stocks surged today, and the fund I bought went up by a few hundred bucks! I saw in the comments that everyone is saying it's stimulated by major positive news at the ten-billion-dollar level—"

Lulu was still talking intermittently about her funds and the stock market beside her.

But Zhang Yan's thoughts had already drifted far away.

She had been in Yangcheng for more than two years, and she was already 26 this year.

So, where should she go next?

Her mother was doing well in Yangcheng; she had formed a new family, had a new daughter, and had a stable life, so it wasn't convenient for her to intrude too much.

It was definitely not convenient to return to her hometown, Dongzhang Village.

The younger brother born to her stepmother had grown up, and the room that once belonged to her no longer existed.

Although her aunt's family had moved to Yangcheng, that place was originally just a temporary place for her to stay, and now that she was grown up, it was time to leave.

The world was vast, and Huaxia was vast.

But indeed, there was no place she could call her "home."

Fortunately, she now had a cat named "Orange," so she wouldn't be too lonely.

It was a pity that she was still too "green," unable to find an outstanding job, and naturally couldn't afford a house of her own for herself and Orange.

If only she could be as capable as Liu Qingning.

The top science student of the year, she got tens of thousands of yuan just from college entrance exam rewards, later got into the best university in the Imperial Capital, and after graduation, she was able to start her own business and make the company thrive.

But she knew clearly that she was far from being comparable to Liu Qingning.

In college, she had also tried hard to study for a master's degree, even overestimating her abilities by wanting to try for the Imperial Capital University.

But the result was that the more she desperately stood on tiptoe, the more clearly she could feel it.

That brilliant starry sky was so unreachable.

However, if she were Liu Qingning, she would definitely not choose to develop in Shencheng.

Definitely not.

2:00 PM.

Xiangjiang, 38th Floor, Tower 2, International Finance Centre (IFC), Rongliu Capital Headquarters.

The front desk phone rang almost non-stop, and the sofas in the reception area were filled with visitors in suits and leather shoes with strange expressions.

All employees in the office were in a state of high-speed, busy operation.

They walked quickly, carrying coffee and thick documents, shuttling between various conference rooms, and the air was filled with an atmosphere that was both tense and extremely excited.

Shen Yu wore her work badge on her chest, a proper smile on her face, and was receiving visiting guests in an orderly manner,

and guiding them one by one to the corresponding conference rooms.

Her heart was filled with an unprecedented passion and sense of accomplishment.

Since this morning, visitors to Rongliu Capital had been endless,

including the top management teams of Guyu Biology and Yunxi Real Estate.

The purpose of their trip was equally exciting.

According to the news she received, these two giant enterprises would next issue a batch of new shares exclusively to Rongliu Capital through Private

Placement.

She suddenly remembered the "big move" that Bai Menglin had mentioned to her mysteriously on the phone; it turned out that its true core was their Rongliu Capital. Moreover, according to the sporadic information she got from Tang Song, Rongliu Capital would also use this as an opportunity to make strategic investments in a series of enterprises, rapidly expanding its influence throughout the entire capital circle.

Being at the very center of this capital storm, Shen Yu enjoyed this moment immensely, even feeling a deep sense of intoxication.

"Shirley." A voice with a hint of a smile suddenly came from the side.

Shen Yu turned her head and saw Lin Mu walking over gracefully.

She was holding a thick document and had unexpectedly put on a pair of exquisite gold-rimmed glasses, looking quite like a financial executive.

"What's up, Luna?"

Lin Mu had a confident and mysterious smile on her lips, "An extremely important guest has arrived, and we need to go receive them together."

"Oh?" Shen Yu was slightly stunned, then nodded, "Okay, no problem."

After saying this, she tidied her appearance and followed Lin Mu out of the reception area.

Arriving at the elevator lobby.

Shen Yu asked calmly: "Luna, which distinguished guest has arrived?"

Lin Mu glanced at her and said with a smile: "You'll know in a moment."

Shen Yu's eyes flickered, and she didn't ask further.

Waited for about two minutes.

"Ding—"

The elevator stopped at the 38th floor, and the metal doors slid slowly to both sides.

Immediately after, a group of 4 people walked out one after another.

Leading them was a woman around 30 years old.

With her hair tied up in a claw clip, she wore a well-tailored, high-quality professional-style outfit, her face was cold, her makeup was meticulous, and her whole body exuded a powerful, ascetic aura formed by extreme professionalism and self-discipline.

Distinguished guests, did that mean them? For some reason, Shen Yu actually saw a bit of Lin Mu's daily "pretentious" shadow on the other person; they were indeed somewhat similar, but the aura of the person in front of her was much more powerful and condensed.

Just as she was thinking to herself, Lin Mu had already greeted her, her face full of spring-like smiles: "President Qin, long time no see, welcome to Rongliu Capital."

However, the woman known as "President Qin" just nodded at her faintly, her tone calm and waveless: "Hello, Assistant Lin."

The smile on Lin Mu's face couldn't help but stiffen, her heart jumped, and an inexplicable sense of unease emerged.

Just then, Qin Ying's gaze passed over her and landed on Shen Yu beside her.

A gentle smile appeared on her face, and she took the initiative to reach out: "This must be Assistant Shen, right? Hello, I am Qin Ying, the representative of the Tang Jin Family Office."

"Buzz—" A flush of red surged onto Shen Yu's face, and she hurriedly held the other person's hand, her voice somewhat excited: "Hello, President Qin, I am Shen Yu, it is a great honor to meet you."

The representative of the Tang Jin Family Office!

The gold content of this identity was beyond doubt.

She had never thought that the other party would actually know her and take the initiative to greet her.

Lin Mu, standing to the side, had her eye corners twitching, her heart filled with suspicion.

She didn't quite understand why Qin Ying was so cold to her today, yet so enthusiastic toward Shen Yu.

She tried to suppress the unease in her heart and turned to the side: "President Qin, the conference room is this way, please."

"Hmm." Qin Ying nodded and walked in.

Just as they were about to reach the door of the conference room, Qin Ying's footsteps suddenly stopped.

She first smiled gently at Shen Yu, "Assistant Shen, you and my colleagues go in first to prepare the materials,

I have a few words to say to Assistant Lin alone."

"Okay, President Qin." Shen Yu nodded obediently, pushed the door open, and entered the conference room first.

In the corridor, only Qin Ying and Lin Mu were left.

The Qin Ying who was gentle as a breeze a second ago had her smile vanish instantly, replaced by a faint scrutiny.

"President Qin—" Lin Mu's throat rolled, and the sense of unease in her heart was infinitely magnified, "Please speak."

Qin Ying looked at her, her tone calm: "Assistant Lin, I heard that you went to the LVMH Group social dinner two days ago. I saw photos of you and several Tang Zong Entertainment stars online; they were taken well, very beautiful."

"I—um—yes." Lin Mu's heart shook, her gaze filled with suspicion.

Qin Ying took half a step forward, "You are President Tang's assistant; your identity determines your words and actions, which to some extent represent President Tang's will.

Is it appropriate to be so high-profile in binding yourself to Tang Zong Entertainment and promoting it heavily on social media?

Also, I've seen your personal Douyin and Xiaohongshu accounts, and the content is somewhat inappropriate.

One last point, Assistant Lin. Your co-branded credit card is meant to serve President Tang, but your previous spending seems a bit too unrestrained."

Lin Mu's face turned pale in an instant.

With her emotional intelligence, she naturally understood what Qin Ying meant.

If it were just Qin Ying, it would be fine, but the problem was that she might represent Jin Meixiao.

Which is to say, this might be her representing Chairman Jin to give her a warning.

But why?

The credit card and personal accounts were definitely secondary; otherwise, Qin Ying wouldn't have been so polite to her on WeChat before.

Her true change in attitude was only at this meeting.

Could it be... could it be because of Su Yu from Tang Zong Entertainment?

But she clearly remembered that Su Yu and Chairman Jin were still "shipping a CP" online before.

She shouldn't have any problems getting a little closer to Tang Zong Entertainment.

Did she misunderstand? Just as her heart was in a chaotic mess,

Qin Ying looked at her changing expression, her voice lowering further, "Chairman Jin has quite a few opinions on some of your recent actions."

This sentence was like a basin of ice water containing the law of extreme cold, poured directly down from the nine heavens.

It left Great Emperor Mu cold all over, her Dao heart unstable.

This plot, it's not right!

Jin Buxiang and Emperor Su were actually superficial sisters, but behind the scenes, there were already undercurrents surging?!

She had accidentally tainted herself with the source of the dark turmoil and provoked "the ominous."

She wasn't going to grow red hair, was she!!!