Chapter 224: Chapter 213: Not Enlightened Chapter 224: Chapter 213: Not Enlightened Nie Zhan put down the blueberry juice, some regret in his voice as he said, “Miss Lu, I also attended the He Group anniversary, but it’s a pity you left early and we didn’t run into each other.”
Many socialites and successful individuals attended the anniversary, so it was normal for Nie Zhan to have been there. Lu Jiaxin snickered and said, “The magazine that used my photo as the cover, the reporters and photographers were found by He Yanyan. Her purpose in doing this was to suppress me and make me lose face.”
He had also seen the magazine cover. It was very beautiful, like a little fairy emerging from the forest. Nie Zhan knew she wouldn’t say this for no reason and asked, “What happened?”
Lu Jiaxin said, “The He Family sent me a white lace princess gown, along with a crown and bracelet; the second miss of the He Family wore a champagne dress, with jewelry like the ones given to me. However, my gown and jewelry were ordinary, while hers were high-end and the jewelry was from the latest collection. Luckily, I didn’t wear the clothes and jewelry they sent, or I would have looked like her attendant walking next to her.”
Nie Zhan felt that this behavior was rather despicable.
Lu Jiaxin continued, “Although the reporter took He Yanyan’s money, he didn’t do as she asked and even made my photo the cover of the magazine. I don’t know what went wrong.”
Nie Zhan’s expression became serious as he asked, “Do you mean they used your photo for the magazine cover without your permission?”
Lu Jiaxin nodded and said, “I consulted a lawyer, and what they did infringed on my portrait rights. The photo is already published, and suing them wouldn’t bring much compensation. I let the lawyer negotiate with them; if they are willing to let me be on the cover again, I won’t pursue this matter any further.”
“Why do you want to be on the cover again?”
Lu Jiaxin deliberately said, “Of course, it’s for fame. That way, I could become a female celebrity.”
Nie Zhan shook his head, “Being a female celebrity is glamorous, but I don’t think you’re that kind of person.”
“Why do you think I don’t want to be a female celebrity?”
“No reason, just an intuition.”
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “I’m not interested in being a female celebrity, I just want to advertise for Qirui Apparel Company and let more people know about it.”
Upon hearing this, Nie Zhan knew, “You’ve invested in Qirui.”
It was not a question, but a statement. She’d given up all recreational activities to study for college, yet compromised for Qirui to shoot advertisements. Unless she had invested in the company, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.
Lu Jiaxin openly admitted she was the second shareholder of Qirui Apparel Company and then asked, “Mr. Nie, Yaomin Investment Company is yours, right?”
Nie Zhan didn’t deny it, there was no need, as it was Lu Jiaxin’s own idea, “I started it with a friend, but I haven’t had the time, so I left it to my friend to manage. A few days ago, Yaomin told me you bought a large amount of Hongzhong Real Estate stocks.”
Lu Jiaxin had known she couldn’t hide it from him and in a joking tone said, “Yes, I’ve spent all my savings. Mr. Nie, my future of living in mansions and driving luxury cars or working summer jobs to pay for tuition depends on you and your friend now.”
Nie Zhan laughed, “Don’t worry, you won’t need to work a summer job to earn tuition next year.”
The two conversed back and forth very amicably, and more than two hours passed without them noticing. Lu Jiaxin glanced at her watch and said with a smile, “It’s almost nine o’clock, and I have a tutoring class early tomorrow. I should go home and sleep.”
“I’ll take you home!”
“No need, I drove here myself,”
Nie Zhan waved to Lu Jiaxin and, once her car had driven off, Feng Qing Lei emerged, scornfully saying, “No wonder you’ve been chasing the school beauty for so long without success. Which young girl would like stuff like the Hang Seng Index, stock trends, exchange rate fluctuations?”
Nie Zhan asked, “Then what do you think I should talk about?”
Feng Qing Lei said, “What’s the point of chatting in a restaurant? You should take her shopping, buy her brand-name clothes and bags, jewelry, and if you’re generous, even get her a car. This beauty’s car is rented; I guarantee that if she receives a car from you, she’ll throw herself into your arms immediately.”
Nie Zhan was uninterested in his suggestion, “She’s different from other girls; she wouldn’t accept expensive gifts from others.”
Feng Qing Lei thought him stingy, as he believed all women loved brand-name bags and jewelry. If they didn’t, there could only be one reason—they were too low-grade to meet her standards. “Ah Zhan, you’re so tight-fisted, how could you ever catch the school beauty? She’s famous now, with plenty of suitors. Be careful, or someone else will beat you to it.”
Nie Zhan saw things clearly, “She’s not like your girlfriends. She’s very independent and can buy designer clothes, bags, and jewelry herself.”
Unless they confirmed their relationship in the future, sending gifts now would likely result in a nine out of ten chance of being returned.
“So, you won’t even send her a single flower?”
Nie Zhan was somewhat helpless as he said, “It’s not that I won’t send them, it’s that Miss Lu said no dating before university. Sending flowers would pressure her, and then I might not even have the chance to eat with her anymore.”
According to Su Heyuan’s words, Lu Jiaxin was currently focused solely on academics and earning money, with no interest in dating at all. His advice was to become friends with Lu Jiaxin first, and then make a move once she got into university. Pursuing her now might scare her off from further contact.
Of course, Nie Zhan didn’t blindly follow Su Heyuan’s advice. Through interaction, he knew that Lu Jiaxin’s thoughts were really on her studies and making money, and she was not at all clued into romance.
On Sunday, Lu Jiaxin brought two of her own designed dresses to the photo studio for a shoot, and it was all wrapped up in a little over two hours.
After finishing, the photographer said, “Miss Lu, you have a strong camera presence, very suited for this industry. If interested, I can introduce you to the company.”
Lu Jiaxin politely declined.
After the photo shoot, Lu Jiaxin hurried off to the Guh Residence. When she arrived, Gu Xiuxiu was leisurely enjoying her flower tea in the back garden. Coffee was off-limits, and the flower tea was specially blended for her; after consulting her doctor who confirmed she could drink it, she insisted on brewing a small pot every day.
Guh Xiuxiu, seeing the bright red dress on her, liked it very much: “Exactly, young girls should wear bright clothes and dresses to look pretty.”
Lu Jiaxin smiled in response and then said, “Aunt, I heard you haven’t been out at all this week and have just stayed at home. Staying at home all the time can be quite boring. This afternoon, let me take you and Haifan out for a walk.”
Guh Xiuxiu declined, saying she preferred to stay at home, “Today is too rushed, next Sunday take Haifan to Ocean World. He really enjoys Ocean Park, last time he didn’t get to play enough.”
Lu Jiaxin shook her head, “I’m quite busy lately, I’ll take him during the New Year.”
Su Heyuan was planning a fashion show, and although she verbally expressed how her studies were too demanding for her to help, this was her first show since coming to this world, and she couldn’t mess it up. She’d have to go and check it out during the dress rehearsal; with her extensive experience, she could identify and address any shortcomings.
Guh Xiuxiu said, “While academics are important, you must also take care of your body. Look at yourself, you’ve lost weight just a month into the semester.”