In the elevator, Bei Ni looked at the somewhat nervous Gu Xiaoer with a kind gaze.
She appeared to be about twenty years old, green and young, but neat and clean. How could such a girl have made Young Master Bai personally ask to meet her?
"Excuse me, am I going to meet Minister Bai in person?" Gu Xiaoer's heart trembled, her palms sweaty with nervousness. A college student who hadn't even graduated yet shouldn't warrant the personal attention of Minister Bai, should she?
Although she knew Da Luoluo, she wasn't close to him! And she had encountered Bai Xiaoyu a few times, but it always seemed to be when she was in a particularly embarrassing situation. It was he who had taken her to the hospital when she got caught in the rain, and he had picked her up during that plagiarism incident. Just thinking about it made her feel awkward.
What should she say when they meet? No matter what she said, as a college student, she would surely seem naive in the eyes of these business elites. The design she had submitted for the competition probably had many immature aspects in their eyes. Yet here she was, signing a contract today without any preparation.
As if seeing through Gu Xiaoer's thoughts, Bei Ni's red lips outlined by her exquisite makeup curled into a slight smile as she reassured, "Miss Gu, don't worry, Minister Bai will not test you on professional matters today."
Gu Xiaoer touched her long ponytail awkwardly, offered a sheepish smile, and didn't dare to say anything more.
The elevator stopped at the sixtieth floor, which belonged to the design department.
Gu Xiaoer tentatively followed Bei Ni, walking with the trepidation of a bride about to meet her in-laws.
The luxurious and distinguished decor displayed taste that made her simple outfit seem somewhat laughable. As people in the main office glanced her way, she forced herself to stay calm and not look around.
She maintained a composed face as she followed Bei Ni into the minister's office, and only when the door closed behind them did she let out a sigh of relief.
But—
Once she entered the office and relaxed for a moment, the breath she had let out tightened again. The spacious and bright office had excellent lighting, floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the entire city, making everything seem beneath one's feet.
Bai Xiaoyu sat alone on an excessively clean, long sofa, his long legs crossed, his head slightly lowered as his slender fingers flipped through a stack of papers. In his hands, a pricey pen moved quickly, as if he was writing something.
The silence was unbearable and reached its peak when Bei Ni left the office.
Noticing Gu Xiaoer's entrance, Bai Xiaoyu turned his head, his thin lips parting slightly, his indifferent voice breaking the silence, "Come and sign these papers."
Before Gu Xiaoer could stand frozen for two seconds, she mechanically nodded, obediently walked over, and stood in front of Bai Xiaoyu like a school child awaiting instructions.
"Shenghan has decided to go ahead with your design. In addition to the prize money of the first-place winner in the contest, there is also a royalty for your design rights. If you have any demands, speak up. Here are the contracts; take a look."
Bai Xiaoyu's voice was indifferent as he pointed to the documents on the coffee table, never lifting his gaze from the folder in his hands, looking very busy.
Wow, such a thick stack!
Gu Xiaoer uncertainly looked at the encyclopedic documents. Were these the design authorization contracts she was supposed to sign? How come there were so many, and how long would it take her to go through them all?
A glint of something unusual flickered in Bai Xiaoyu's eyes as he glanced at the astonished expression on the girl's face, his brows hiding any sign of his thoughts. Inside, however, he was seething with cunning glee: Han Luoli, that black-hearted one had actually come up with such a rotten plan to ensnare Gu Xiaoer. He had had a premonition that someone was going to be tricked when Han Luoli was whispering to Ling Ye, but he had never imagined the victim would be himself!
The thick file on his desk was indeed a contract, but the real trick was that among its pages lay a marriage application, indiscernible without close inspection.
And now, his task was to make Gu Xiaoer willingly sign this trap of a "contract"...
Damn, what's the difference between this and a marriage scam!