"Since you have so much free time, you'll accompany me to a banquet later,"
the man said, his eyes raking over her from head to toe. "Get her ready."
"Mr. Chu, I..." Jasmine barely had time to utter a word before she was whisked away by several stylists to the inner area.
When Young Master Chu gave an order, was there any room for negotiation?
The man walked straight to the lounge area and sat down on the sofa.
His long legs were slightly bent, lean, straight, and powerful. His hand, flipping through a magazine, had well - defined knuckles, long and white, like a work of art.
The warm, yellow sunlight from behind bathed his entire figure in a soft glow, as if adding a filter.
The entire studio was cleared of other people. The staff held their breaths, afraid to make the slightest noise that might disturb him.
Jasmine felt like a doll, at the mercy of those stylists.
If this was a punishment for skipping work, she was willing to accept it. But she never expected that this banquet would have something to do with her.
It was more of an auction than a regular banquet.
An hour later, Jasmine was led out. Her neck, hands, and feet felt stiff, as if they no longer belonged to her.
She was presented in front of the man like a commodity, standing there uneasily.
The light - blue short dress accentuated her innocent yet alluring charm to perfection. Her tousled hair framed her delicate face, highlighting her exquisite features and perfect body proportions. Her long, ,
and straight legs left quite a few people stunned.
It had been a long time since Jasmine had dressed up like this. She tottered on her high - heeled shoes, feeling extremely awkward.
Yiqin Chu casually placed the magazine aside and walked slowly towards her. He examined her from top to bottom, his cold gaze grazing over her. After a moment, he finally said, "Take my arm."
Jasmine pursed her lips, then tentatively reached out to take his arm. The distance between them closed a bit, and the faint, refreshing scent of sandalwood from the man wafted into her nostrils, which was rather pleasant.
She stiffly followed his steps. However, as they were walking down the steps outside the studio, she accidentally stumbled and fell into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chu. I didn't mean to," Jasmine said.
Yiqin Chu looked down at her, his eyes cold. His eyes were not pure black but had a hint of deep blue, making him seem even more mysterious.
"Don't you do this kind of thing often enough?"
His tone was so cold that Jasmine couldn't help but shrink her neck, a chill running through her heart. But for the sake of staying in the Chu Corporation, she endured it!
The drive from the studio to Carlan International Hotel wasn't far, but Yingyao managed to make it seem thrilling. The president didn't seem to be in a good mood today.
"Sir, we've arrived," Yingyao said respectfully as he opened the car door. Jasmine stared at the hotel, where luxury cars were parked everywhere.
How many years had it been since she'd been to such an occasion?
In Jiangcheng, she was Jasmine Qin, the disgraced eldest daughter of the Qin family. She had lost her reputation five years ago.
Did Yiqin Chu really not know, or was he just pretending? Jasmine fidgeted with her fingers, feeling nervous without realizing it.
"What are you dawdling for?"
The man's lips were tightly pursed, his voice tinged with impatience.
"Yiqin Chu, you... Never mind. I'm getting out now," she said.
She didn't have the courage to bring up that embarrassing past. Somehow, she didn't want this cold - as - ice, noble - looking man to know how she had once been. With a heavy heart, Jasmine got out of the car, forcing a smile as she took his arm.