Yan Ning stared at the disconnected call, slightly lost in thought.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
She immediately snapped back to reality and calmly said, "Come in!"
Then she saw her assistant He Jieyu pushing the door open: "Mr. Yan, Mr. Zhang from The one Bar wants to meet you, he is already downstairs. Do you want to see him?"
Yan Ning detected the teasing tone in the girl’s voice and caught a hint of gossip in her eyes.
He Jieyu was the daughter of a friend of Yan Ning’s. She had just started her freshman year in Switzerland, studying hotel management.
This summer, on a whim, she wanted to intern at a company but didn’t want to go to her family’s company, so her mother entrusted her to Yan Ning.
Although He Jieyu was sometimes quirky and didn’t always respect boundaries, overall she was proactive, humble, and got along well with Yan Ning in some aspects, so Yan Ning always treated her like both a daughter and a friend.
Yesterday, Yan Ning also brought He Jieyu when she went to Zhang Jingdong’s The one Bar, and she saw how Yan Ning drank competitively with Zhang Jingdong—even possibly when Zhang Jingdong drank from his own cup.
So seeing He Jieyu’s expression now, Yan Ning’s cheeks blushed slightly.
But she composed herself and asked, "What’s the schedule for this afternoon?"
"At three o’clock there’s a regular meeting, and at five o’clock you have an appointment with Mr. Liu and others to have tea at Guanlan Tea House."
"What time is it now?"
He Jieyu looked at her watch.
Yan Ning then said, "Alright, let him come up!"
He Jieyu couldn’t help but laugh, "Okay!"
Yan Ning shot He Jieyu a sidelong glance, "What are you laughing at?"
He Jieyu directly said, "I just think you’re making it hard for yourself. You clearly like him, why keep being so reserved?"
"He is not only talented but also so handsome, definitely in high demand. If you don’t take the initiative, someone else might beat you to it, and then you’ll have nowhere to regret!"
"I like him?" Yan Ning frowned slightly, "Where did you see that I like him?"
"And considering he is so young, how could you even think of linking me with him in that way? Your thought process is truly bizarre."
He Jieyu blinked her deep eyes, "Mr. Yan, I’ve been with you for a while now. How you are with other men versus how you are with him—do I really need to spell it out?"
"And what’s wrong with his age? In foreign countries, middle school students chase after their teachers, and he must be at least 20, right? I’d believe a 20-year-old liking a 40-year-old woman, let alone you, who’s not even 30 yet!"
"The key point is, I can see that he’s a good match for you because, so far, he’s the only one who can truly stir your emotions at any moment. Being with such a man, your life will definitely be filled with various colors and flavors, making you realize life can be so rich and vibrant."
Yan Ning stared at He Jieyu, her gaze turning slightly cold, "How is your market analysis report coming along?"
He Jieyu, caught off-guard, lost the sparkle in her eyes and said somewhat guiltily, "Um... I’m close to finding the right approach..."
"So, not a single word written yet?"
"Why do you think you’re writing so slowly?"
"Maybe because the hotel industry here isn’t at the same development stage as abroad..."
"That’s not it! It’s because you haven’t been focusing!"
Yan Ning suddenly raised her voice, "If you keep thinking about all these irrelevant things instead of concentrating on your studies, I’ll suggest to your mom to cut off your allowance and let you try working part-time while studying abroad!"
He Jieyu completely cowered, "Mr. Yan, oh no, Mrs. Yan, oh no, Sister Ning, I was wrong, I was wrong... I won’t gossip about your personal affairs anymore, please forgive me this once, I absolutely mean it!"
Yan Ning’s expression softened a little, "Fine, I’ll let it go this time."
"But whether you can get your full allowance next semester still depends on the quality of your final market analysis report. If it’s poorly written, even if I don’t suggest it, your mom surely won’t let it slide!"
He Jieyu almost ingratiatingly said, "Sister Ning, the topic of this report was set by you, maybe you could... go easy on me a bit? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely perform well while I’m here in the next month and a half!"
Yan Ning immediately looked stern, "Your mom entrusted you to me fully trusting my integrity, so of course I can’t deceive her!"
"Plus, if I go easy on you now, do you think your future competitors will do the same?"
"Jie Yu, you must remember, although your family is well-off, what heights you reach in the future still depend on your own efforts."
He Jieyu was completely convinced, "Alright, thank you for the guidance, Mr. Yan. I understand now, I’ll definitely write the report well."
"...Then I’ll go fetch him now!"
Yan Ning deliberately avoided looking at her, and glanced down at the documents on her desk, "Go ahead."
He Jieyu cheekily stuck out her tongue, then turned and left the office.
After making the call downstairs, she waited at the company’s reception for about five minutes, then saw Zhang Jingdong and two beautiful female bodyguards approaching.
And the two female bodyguards were holding something, which seemed to be boxes of clothes.
As they came closer, He Jieyu recognized the distinctive packaging of Hongxiu Lan.