The elevator stopped at the twenty-fifth floor. Shen Xia followed Zhao Jingfeng to his office, walked through the secretary department and the guest lounge.
They finally entered the office, and Shen Xia lifted her brows. "You like green?"
"I do."
"Hmm." Shen Xia looked around the room that had emerald green as a theme. The room was huge and divided into two. One had a set of sofa and coffee table, and one was a worktable and a chair. On the wall, there was a huge shelf full of awards and photos.
"Please have a seat."
"Thank you." Shen Xia sat on one of the sofas. She bounced and patted the emerald color sofa. "I like this sofa. Where did you get it?"
"I don't know. My sister was the one who chose it. I will ask her about it."
"Okay."
Zhao Jingfeng walked to his table and grabbed something. "Do you mind if I ask for your autograph?"
Shen Xia was flabbergasted. "You what?" Shen Xia stared at the magazine in Zhao Jingfeng's hand.
"I heard from Yaochen that you signed his magazine. I want one, too."
Shen Xia stared between Zhao Jingfeng and the magazine. "You guys sure have weird interests. Fine! Give it to me!"
Zhao Jingfeng's eyes curved in amusement. He gave the magazine to Shen Xia and stared while Shen Xia signed it.
"Do you have to stare at it like that?" Shen Xia grumbled.
Zhao Jingfeng took the signed magazine and stared at it. After he felt satisfied with it, he put the magazine on the shelf, beside all those awards and photos of important people.
Shen Xia face-palmed. "Ugh..."
"Are you embarrassed?"
"Can you not ask about it?"
"Sure."
Shen Xia snorted. "Seriously, I will definitely ask my assistant to look for magazines that featured you and get you signed them all!"
"You want my signature that much?"
Shen Xia stared at Zhao Jingfeng in disappointment. "You didn't feel embarrassed at all?"
"No."
"Tsk."
Zhao Jingfeng smiled and opened a box from a bakery, then he sliced an orange cake. He put it on the plate and offered it to Shen Xia.
"Try this."
Shen Xia spooned a piece into her mouth. Hmm... quite a bang.
"Leon, can I tour your building?"
"Sure."
"One of your important branches is my company's rival. Are you sure?"
"Why not?" said Zhao Jingfeng, while he pulled out his phone and informed his assistant to arrange the tour.
"Do you underestimate me?" asked Shen Xia while pouting.
Zhao Jingfeng sighed. "Of course not."
"Then why did you allow me, your rival, to tour your company?"
Zhao Jingfeng lowered his eyes and sighed again. He sat next to Shen Xia and looked her in the eyes. "Let's just say that I am that weak against you."
"Weak against me?" asked Shen Xia, feeling like hearing something stupid. "You? The one who defeats me every time we face each other?"
"I thought you would hate me if I didn't give my all."
"Well, that's true." Shen Xia stabbed her cake. "But it irks me so much when I hear it."
"You-"
A knock came, cutting off Zhao Jingfeng's sentence. He sighed and stood up. He walked to his table and pushed a button to connect him with the speaker at his door. After all, this room was soundproof.
"Hm?"
"President Zhao, I have got some bad news regarding our take on Project Smile."
Zhao Jingfeng turned his eyes to Shen Xia, who was smiling at him. Zhao Jingfeng came to a realization and laughed a little. He shook his head and opened the door's lock.
"Come in."
A male employee came in, but his face changed when he saw Shen Xia. He almost slipped, but he successfully stabilized himself.
"P- President Zhao?" The male employee bulged his eyes at Zhao Jingfeng.
Zhao Jingfeng commanded the male employee, who was one of his secretaries, to hand over the document in his hand.
"Did the Waldners choose Summer Star?"
The secretary peeked at Shen Xia for a little bit before he brought his eyes back to Zhao Jingfeng. "Y- Yes, President."
"I get it. Tell the team that we withdrew from this project."
The employee bulged his eyes wide. "Y- Yes, President."
In just a few seconds, the confused employee was gone, his face stuck in a shocked expression.
Shen Xia blinked in disbelief. "You gave up, just like that?"
Zhao Jingfeng walked toward Shen Xia while unbuttoning his suit. "I know the reason why the Waldners chose Summer Star, so I can prevent a bigger loss on my side."
"You knew?"
"I do."
"How?"
Zhao Jingfeng sat not far from Shen Xia and smiled at her. "Let's just say that your charm was so amazing, the Waldners chose you without batting an eye."
Shen Xia could feel her cheeks warming. "What are you talking about?"
"I would guess 80% of Summer Star's successful projects, all of them, were because of you. Am I right?"
"You do your homework, huh?"
"In Summer Star, your presence was the anchor, but do you think it also became Summer Star's weakness?"
Shen Xia pouted. She avoided Zhao Jingfeng's eyes and sighed.
Well, thanks to her vacation, she realized that for medium-level projects, her team could handle it perfectly, but for the high-level projects, when they faced rivals like Zhao Jingfeng, her team was defeated so badly.
Even when she was there before, she rarely won. How could her team, without her, defeat Zhao Jingfeng?
The atmosphere turned a little delicate. Shen Xia finally looked at Zhao Jingfeng and pouted again when she saw how the man looked at her.
Why do his eyes look like that?
"What?" Shen Xia squinted her eyes. "Is there something in my face?"
"No. It's just-"
Zhao Jingfeng's words were cut by a ping from the intercom. "President, Madam Zhao has arrived in the lobby."
"Mother?" Zhao Jingfeng furrowed his eyebrows. "That's unusual. Why didn't she contact me first?"
Shen Xia looked at Zhao Jingfeng, who walked back toward his desk and approved the permission to let his mother come to his office. Shen Xia bit her lower lip, and her heartbeat started to pound faster.
"Did she bring anything?" asked Zhao Jingfeng, remembering all the soup that his mother brought for him.
"Madam... is bringing someone." The secretary's voice faded at the end, but Zhao Jingfeng still could be able to get the message.
His mother has been so worried about his love life since his cousin got married two months ago. Before his cousin got married, both of them were the old bachelors in the family. But two months ago, he became the only one.
Her mother gave him a lot of contacts from various capable young women from her circle. It didn't go well, since he was too busy and already had an interest in someone. Though his progress was too slow.
Well, the princess was someone who could not be rushed.
Zhao Jingfeng sighed and messaged his assistant to cancel his plan for this afternoon.
A few minutes later, a male employee opened the door, and he was followed by a woman who still looked like she was in her forties. The woman's appearance looked soft and a bit sickly, but her smile was contagious.
"Little Feng, have you eaten yet?" Madam Zhao approached Zhao Jingfeng and hugged the man. "Right, I brought someone with me. She said she has a list of capable women. She was famous in our circle, so she must know a lot of good girls."
Zhao Jingfeng lifted his right eyebrow. His sight finally fell on a woman who stood behind his mother.
"Hello, Young Master Zhao," greeted Cheng An, showcasing her most beautiful smile.
Nobody knew how much she had done to arrive at this moment. But finally! She finally met Zhao Jingfeng! With her charm, the rest will be easy!
Cheng An lowered her eyes, trying to look soft and shy. But her happiness didn't last long.
Madam Zhao's smile bloomed, and she screamed in excitement. "Oh my! Who is this pretty girl?"
Cheng An's eyes widened. What? What girl?
Cheng An raised her head, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
Shen Xia, who stood near the sofa, approached Madam Zhao. "Hello, Auntie. My name is Shen Xia, or Stella. It is nice to meet such an elegant lady like you, Auntie."
"Oh my~" Madam Zhao's eyes were full of happiness. She peeked at her son, who smiled gently toward the girl. Oh my, oh my. Is this her future daughter-in-law?
Cheng An's face almost twisted. She tried so hard not to scowl at the scene in front of her.
WHY?
WHY IS SHE HERE?!
WHY?!!!