Zhou Yuanyuan saw through it all but said nothing, motioning Lin Zitong to find He Qian. She believed that facts spoke louder than words, and with He Qian's infuriating abilities, he was sure to make Yang Yuran "unforgettably impressed" and dissuade her from her masochistic decision.
Ten minutes later, a knock sounded, and Zhou Yuanyuan remotely permitted entry through the switch on her desk.
Before seeing the person, the friends heard the voice first.
A crisp whistle blowing the familiar tune of "The Moon Represents My Heart" wafted in as a boy clad in hip-hop attire appeared before them, waggling his eyebrows with a smile, "Mr. Xiaozhou, reporting for duty."
Finishing his sentence, the boy didn't wait for the Mr. Xiaozhou he mentioned to respond, his gaze immediately shifting towards Yang Yuran, his eyes brimming with a curious desire to delve deeper.
Yang Yuran gave a slight frown, then turned her head and asked Zhou Yuanyuan what was going on using lip-reading?
The boy standing before them was clearly not He Qian, and he was much more handsome, perfectly fitting the sisterly aesthetic, with slender eyebrows and eyes that carried somewhat of a bad boy charm.
The more Yang Yuran looked at him, the more familiar he seemed. After thinking for a moment, she worked it out. They had seen each other before outside the dance studio; the boy seemed to be called Fan Sirui, the lead singer of the Jiade seed team's second group.
Zhou Yuanyuan held her forehead with one hand, both annoyed and helpless she reminded him, "Fan Sirui, you've gone to the wrong place. You have a physique class this afternoon, the classroom is on the fifth floor."
Fan Sirui was unfazed, with no intention of moving an inch, his fingers casually flicking the electronic desk calendar on Zhou Yuanyuan's desk.
As the flicking became rhythmic, his face which was usually more radiant than the stars darkened as he muttered dejectedly.
"Mr. Xiaozhou really plays favorites, huh? I thought the promise you made to me was heartfelt, but it turns out you were just fooling me. When there's a good opportunity, you don't think of me and instead let He Qian take the lead."
With a performance that was too obviously staged, "sister" Lin complained, and Zhou Yuanyuan's face changed immediately with fear that Fan Sirui would say more, she waved him off with an ushering gesture, "Stop messing around, go train."
"Hey, you once said you were most optimistic about me, promised to support me until I become Jiade's top guy. Turns out beautiful women are skilled at changing their hearts." Fan Sirui pinched a red rose from the vase, tearing off its petals one by one, reciting the metaphysical ritual that lovestruck girls and boys often rely on.
"Mr. Xiaozhou loves me, Mr. Xiaozhou doesn't love me..."
Yang Yuran found herself full from watching the drama, subtly nudging her friend with her foot, she whispered, "A kept puppy on the side?"
Zhou Yuanyuan felt a headache building, covering her face with both hands, pleading, "Don't you start with this now, it was just a slip of the tongue with too much to drink."
Growing up in the Zhou Family's old and established entertainment company, Zhou Yuanyuan might have never eaten pork, but she had seen plenty of pigs run. Regarding key trainees, she couldn't show obvious favoritism in her position, she had to at least maintain the appearance of impartiality.
The entire company knew about Fan Sirui's discord with the group's lead Lai Bei, and Mr. Zhou didn't intervene. First, it could stimulate the competitive spirits and ambitions of both; second, in the age of information, no one could predict who the goddess of fortune would favor tomorrow, so there was no need to predetermine the chosen one.
"So it's true you don't love me, I get it now. I'll be out of here as soon as my contract expires next year."
Fan Sirui made his harsh statement decisively, getting up and leaving swiftly. He nonchalantly threw the remaining three red rose petals along with the stem into the trash, clearly deeply hurt and no longer caring about the positive outcome the petals had shown.
"Of course I care about you. We're discussing a new group, it's none of your business. Just go practice, alright? Rest assured, I guarantee you'll get the global endorsement deal with the G Family in the second half of the year."
Zhou Yuanyuan prematurely controlled the electronic door to close, and only then did she confidently make a concrete promise.
Fan Sirui paused in his steps, returned to the front of the desk, and carefully retrieved the rose from the trash, plucked the thorns one by one, and tucked the precious treasure beside Zhou Yuanyuan's temple.
With one hand gently pinching Zhou Yuanyuan's jaw, he maintained an ambiguously close distance, affectionately revealing his true intent.
"Whether I get the G Family endorsement or not doesn't matter to me; I'm not lacking that bit of money; I can let the poor boy Lai Bei have it. I want to switch to the new team for some fun, and since Mr. Xiaozhou dotes on me so much, he surely wouldn't refuse, right?"
Zhou Yuanyuan, trying to calm her racing right eyelid, adopted a delaying tactic, "I'll discuss it with the core members and give you a response tomorrow."
"It's a team transfer notice, not a response."
Fan Sirui corrected Zhou Yuanyuan's choice of words, gestured a heart-hitting motion with his hand, and bid farewell to Yang Yuran, "Beautiful sister, see you tomorrow, huh."
Yang Yuran waved her hand, and once Fan Sirui had completely left Zhou Yuanyuan's office, she half-jokingly asked the person beside her, burdened with worries.
"Miss Zhou to be so patient with someone, to the point of letting a young man have his way with you, is quite a rare sight. Could it be that he holds some leverage over you?"
"Stop teasing me. He's the youngest son of the Fan Family; my dad told me not to offend him. The G Family endorsement was secured through the grace of the Fan Family's old master. He speaks of it lightly, but in truth, it won't slip away; the G Family had already decided to choose him. Just look, he knows every major and minor news within the company, his way of winning over people is more indirect than mine."
Zhou Yuanyuan was utterly dejected, wanting so much to rub her face, to knead away the agony of her masquerade, but considering her delicate makeup, she endured.
Yang Yuran understood instantly; the Fan Family was the largest steel giant in the country, with every project ensuring them revenue. With Fan Sirui being good-looking and from a wealthy family, no wonder he was so confident.
The sound of knocking arose again, and Zhou Yuanyuan adjusted her expression before granting permission.
Finally, the two best friends welcomed the main character. He Qian entered with a cold face, not disappointing Zhou Yuanyuan's contrary expectations.
After greeting the two best friends, Lin Zitong smiled, nodded, and left. Before leaving, she pointedly poked He Qian in the back as a hint.
He Qian, as usual, ignored it, hands clasped behind his back, his haughty gaze passing over the two women and resting on the old-fashioned peach heartwood bookcase.
Zhou Yuanyuan gestured helplessly to Yang Yuran, resigning to fate, "I called the man for you; whether you can win him over is up to your skill now."
Yang Yuran took off the slightly 'bullying' rose from Zhou Yuanyuan, cradled her adorable round face in her hands, and left a kiss on her right cheek, sweetly and coyly thanking her, "Thank you, my dear Yuanyuan."
As the tender offensive approached, Zhou Yuanyuan felt a pang of guilt and was just about to scold He Qian on behalf of Yang Yuran when she heard Yang Yuran say something as shocking as a thunderclap in spring.
"He Qian, you must want to leave here, right? I'll pay your breach of contract fee."
He Qian's pupils shook violently twice, unable to maintain his stiff and icy expression, and looked in astonishment at the woman who had spoken.
The woman had soft, curly, silver-purple hair, totally out of place in this greasy office, so misaligned with this reality, with a style too dreamlike.
Looking at the woman, He Qian began to believe in a mythological tale, of King Zhou and Daji, that such a bewitching beauty truly existed in the world.
Zhou Yuanyuan snapped back to reality first, shouting loudly, "Don't listen to her nonsense!"
He Qian turned away, responding coldly and self-mockingly, "I know, I'm just like a toy in the eyes of you rich people, just something to amuse yourselves with. Don't worry, I'm well aware of my place."