Chapter 97: Adult Empire (3)
"What are you doing in the conference room?" Jiang Ting's voice was as cold as the night wind in the dead of winter.
But he could clearly see what Ji Ning and Sheng Churan were doing. What really made his nerves taut and prompted the question was nothing more than that unusually intimate form of address...
Ji Ning retracted the leg she had hooked around Sheng Churan, sat up, and hopped off the table. She tugged down her rucked-up skirt and mumbled softly, "N-nothing, just a kiss..."
Jiang Ting's presence was simply too overwhelming; the moment she saw him, her own momentum involuntarily shrank.
Sheng Churan patted Ji Ning's head, looked back at Jiang Ting, and his tone turned cold as well: "Why are you being so harsh, President Jiang? You scared Ning-Ning."
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Ting somewhat regretted how stiff his tone had been.
Seeing Ji Ning's bowed head, he wanted to do as Sheng Churan had, to give her a comforting pat as well.
Yet hearing Sheng Churan's words made him feel as though he was the superfluous one, who shouldn't have been there to disturb them.
A bitterness actually surfaced in Jiang Ting's heart.
He thought, maybe he should just leave, lest Ji Ning be afraid.
The conference room fell into a momentary silence, the atmosphere slightly tense.
Although Ji Ning was a little scared, she had come to understand Jiang Ting to some extent by now, and knew that he actually cared about her. It was just that his personality was colder than most, and he tended to take things more seriously.
Moreover, her fear wasn't really of Jiang Ting himself, but rather... the natural fear a prey feels toward a strong hunter.
Seeing Jiang Ting's anger fade, transforming into an unfamiliar hesitance, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
That was not an emotion Jiang Ting should ever have.
Ji Ning moved. She slowly walked to Jiang Ting's side, hooked her index finger around his naturally dangling pinky, gave it a small sway, and said softly, "Don't be angry..."
Jiang Ting looked down at the fluffy top of Ji Ning's head, both surprised by her gesture... and also, very pleased.
The pinky she had hooked around trembled, then his hand turned and clasped hers.
"I'm not angry." His voice softened. "There's a meeting later that I'll be in too. Don't sit too far away."
It was only then that Ji Ning noticed the exquisite platinum name badge pinned to the right chest of Jiang Ting's suit, with the title Executive President.
She felt a twinge of envy. How come she was just a lowly staffer with a plastic ID badge, while Jiang Ting was such a big boss?
Jiang Ting's grip on her hand infused Ji Ning with fresh courage, and she looked up at him with a smile: "Got it, big boss. This little one understands."
Sheng Churan, standing behind them, was somewhat astonished by this scene.
Jiang Ting was indeed fierce; no one without considerable experience could possess such an imposing presence. But he hadn't expected that Ji Ning would be someone who dared to stroke the tiger's fur. She truly lived up to his judgment—her discernment and courage were both extraordinary.
And seeing Jiang Ting disarm so quickly, Sheng Churan knew that this man, like himself, had probably fallen for real.
It seemed his wife really wasn't his alone, and the competition was quite fierce.
Sheng Churan thought to himself that the road to winning his wife was long, and he must seize every chance and not slack off for a single moment.
...
After Ji Ning coaxed Jiang Ting away, sure enough, it wasn't long before she received a meeting reminder on the work communication app.
She was the person in charge of the "Soul Loss" marketing plan, and she needed to quickly familiarize herself with the materials on her computer. So she had no choice but to part from Sheng Churan and return to her desk.
As the meeting time approached, Ji Ning went to the conference room together with her department manager.
Remembering Jiang Ting's instructions, Ji Ning carried her laptop and sat opposite the department manager, in the front row very close to the central main seat.
"Manager, is it okay if I sit here? It'll be convenient for presenting the slides later."
"Of course!" The manager naturally had no objections. If she could avoid it, she wouldn't want to sit so close to the president. Seeing her subordinate boldly take the front row, she naturally supported it.
Once the meeting start time arrived, everyone who needed to be there was present.
Aichao's Executive President, Marketing Director, Marketing Department Manager, and small marketing staffer; Leyu Entertainment's project liaison, agent, celebrity spokesperson, and assistant. More than a dozen people gathered together to discuss the promotional matters for the new product.
In her past life, Ji Ning had only lived to twenty and had only worked part-time during winter and summer breaks. Facing a business meeting directly for the first time, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
She looked at Jiang Ting, seated in the main seat. His posture was upright yet casual, with an effortless grace, and his expression was cold and restrained yet dignified. Suddenly, she kind of got the allure of the domineering CEO archetype.
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment