Ever since returning from Niujie, Cheng Buxi had been listless, unable to muster any energy for anything. Going to class, eating—she was as numb as a little old lady, back to the state of wearing the same jeans all year round. If it weren't for her face being photogenic from every angle, anyone would think she was like those tiny weeds at the base of an observatory wall, about to wither and die.
Fang Xinyi walked into her dorm. Only Bunk 6 was playing Eggy Party; the others had gone to their elective classes.
"What's wrong with you? You've been distracted since the day before yesterday."
"The exam results aren't out yet, are they?"
"Little ancestor, you didn't hand in a blank paper, did you!"
"And that's Shen Xiushi!"
...
Not mentioning it was fine, but now she was even more annoyed. Her haggard appearance was all because of Aunt Wang.
Thinking back, her younger uncle was a very timid person. His wife was sharp and domineering, and the whole family listened to her. Her uncle's family were like leeches sucking blood, parasitic moths, obsessed with money.
Seeing her as still as a quail, motionless, Fang added, "Oh right, the drama club is recruiting new members today. As the organization minister, you can't be absent."
Cheng Buxi, whose head was a bit dizzy, had no mood for the drama club. She muttered in protest, "Deputy."
Miss Fang leaned against the bedpost, arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze swept over Feng Yuan's desk and bed across the way—messy as hell—and she said with disdain, "So what if you're deputy? It's still an official position."
"Give me a break..."
"Hurry up, babe."
...
Upon arrival, there were indeed a few new faces. One of the newcomers was Zhang Hangyu. Cheng Buxi hadn't expected him to be there. Ever since they had cleared the air, he was noticeably different from before.
As expected, the older cousin had also tagged along. Guan Qianru's sly face peeked out from behind, baring her teeth, and pleaded with Cheng Buxi to arrange a role for her cheap cousin.
"It's almost the school anniversary," she said.
Cheng Buxi thought for a moment and asked seriously, "Can he be a tree spirit?"
She spoke with conviction, "Mm, the forest spell-casting scene is a highlight."
Sister Guan: "..." You little...
Although she had been dragging herself around these past two days, feeling utterly dejected, she still had basic professionalism. After settling the new members, Cheng Buxi returned to her unshakable routine of memorizing lines and rehearsing scenes.
In the audience, Guan and Fang chatted idly.
From afar, they watched Cheng Buxi on stage. She had a slim, long figure with excellent proportions, her head-to-body ratio almost inhuman.
She wore simple tapered pants that clearly outlined the slender length of her legs, a white crew-neck long-sleeve T-shirt, and a completely bare face—clean, with nothing on it. You could even see the faint peach fuzz on her cheeks.
Her long, straight black hair was thick like seaweed. Her lips were light in color, almost without lip lines, and when pressed together, they looked a bit stubborn.
Fang said of her, "She just washed her face and came out. Tsk tsk, she's been like this for days. Could she have been dumped?"
Sister Guan shook her head: "Can't be."
In the end, Fang was still captivated by her beauty. "Look at her—her skirt isn't above the knee, her shoes are flat, yet she still looks stylish and trendy."
"And those legs, thin as matchsticks, so straight, her thighs and calves are almost the same thickness."
Fang Xinyi: "The shark pants company should pay her royalties."
They didn't hide their ogling and commentary.
Just then, with a bang, Qu Yijiao appeared beside them, kicking the desk hard.
Making a harsh, unpleasant noise. They all looked over. Guan Qianru couldn't help clicking her tongue and asked, "Are you crazy?"
A nearby club member said, "Don't mind her. She's probably still jealous."
"Jealous of what?"
"Her role was replaced. She's so ugly, and that girl on stage could debut. What else could she be jealous of?"
Fang Xinyi said bluntly: "Pfft, what a pathetic sight."
-
AMH Group Headquarters Building.
Pushing through the heavy revolving glass door, the lobby was exceptionally tall, spacious and bright. Various green plants were arranged in an orderly manner. Besides the common Monstera deliciosa and fiddle-leaf figs, the most eye-catching was a carefully planted Eucalyptus globulus near the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Legend has it that the eucalyptus is highly toxic, wild and domineering, killing all neighboring plants, allowing only one bird to perch.
This place was also known as the world's most beautiful forest-style lobby, a perfect blend of Zen and business.
On a workday, the revolving door spun like an unceasing top, constantly swallowing and disgorging streams of people. Men in suits, people with laptop bags, those hurrying to buy coffee—their steps all carried a sense of urgent purpose.
The workstation area went without saying. In the vast open office space, the clatter of keyboards sounded like countless fine raindrops, a cacophony of clicking. Inside the transparent glass walls of the conference rooms, lights were almost all on. Projector light shone on whiteboards, and you could vaguely see moving figures and gestures. Occasionally a door opened, letting out the tail end of a discussion, then quickly shut.
One of the top 10 global groups, countless people tried their hardest to get in.
In the Chairman's office, Lu Tingzhou was in the middle of a cross-border meeting, a fairly private one. The new young secretary was nervous and accidentally spilled coffee on his watch strap.
An area already eerily quiet became even more deathly still.
The young woman, new and alone, had never experienced anything like this. She was so frightened she lost her wits, her head buzzing. When she came to, she kept apologizing: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
It seemed she could only say sorry.