Zhang Ming coughed conspicuously, attempting to draw attention.
Sheng Yan didn’t even lift his head, ignoring him.
Zhang Ming coughed heavily again.
Sheng Yan still didn’t lift his head, but he finally spoke, his words sparing: "Are you very free?"
Zhang Ming shook his head, smiling beamingly: "Not at all, not at all. I’ve just strolled back from a round at He Jinxia’s place."
Sheng Yan paused mid-action and asked, "How is she doing over there?"
Zhang Ming glanced at Sheng Yan’s outfit and clicked his tongue—the showy wine-red suit paired with a black tie and diamond cufflinks. From his attire, he could tell that although Sheng Yan appeared aloof on the outside, he was definitely a closet flamboyant man on the inside!
Not just any man could pull off a colorful suit. Sheng Yan’s tall physique and sharply defined facial features, along with slightly thicker lips that added a touch of sexiness, contributed to his naturally good base, leaving almost no suit he couldn’t master.
Whether it was to solidify his public image or for some other psychological reason, Sheng Yan’s recent outfits have been evolving toward brighter colors. He was like a peacock in full display, his intentions were downright killable.
Zhang Ming grinned, now laughing even more cheerfully: "She’s wearing an ordinary black cocktail dress, planning to drape a white faux fox fur shawl over her shoulders.
I thought her necklace was a bit minimal, so I took the initiative to grab a PDZ colored diamond series necklace from your dressing room for her. The effect should be pretty good."
Sheng Yan was silent for a while before he lightly "hmmed" an acknowledgment, saying indifferently, "I see."
Zhang Ming coughed, his hands inevitably rubbing together nervously. Damn, discussing a contract worth hundreds of millions didn’t make him as nervous as this moment.
"What about my salary for this month?"
Sheng Yan looked up, gazing at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Zhang Ming’s heart sank, feeling that all was lost. His face immediately drooped into a pitiful expression as he silently turned and drifted towards the door.
Suddenly, Sheng Yan’s cool voice followed: "This month, your salary will be doubled."
Zhang Ming’s eyes widened, unable to resist throwing a few punches into the air. Yes!
After years of gauging his master’s intentions, this was the first time he had ever triggered a double-buff boon. It felt downright exhilarating~
At that moment, Zhang Ming made up his mind to cling to He Jinxia’s coattails, unwavering for a hundred years!
Time swiftly passed, and He Jinxia arrived at the venue of the Bazaar Christmas Charity Night by car. It was a castle with a rich history that, even under the heavy twilight, still radiated the solemnity and elegance of the Middle Ages.
In light of Christmas, the castle’s exterior was specially adorned with colorful twinkling stars, glowing Christmas stockings, crystal shoes, and other charming decorative items, intertwined with the ivy creeping up its walls, breathing new life into the ancient building.
He Jinxia was among the first artists to arrive, and to her surprise, some of the reporters hadn’t even gathered when she walked the red carpet.
The already present reporters stood casually, heads down tinkering with their cameras, exchanging tidbits with their colleagues on which celebrities might show up, and privately speculating on who would stand out with the most charming and beautiful attire.
Even the bitter winter chill couldn’t deter celebrities’ hearts desiring beauty over freezing as ice statues.
In this relaxed atmosphere, He Jinxia appeared before the reporters unexpectedly.
She was dressed in a nondescript classic black dress, a snowy white shawl resting on her shoulders, her hair cascading down smoothly, and her ears adorned with pearl earrings that seemed to emit a faint halo under the hazy moonlight.
The multicolored diamond necklace adorning her neck was so captivating that onlookers couldn’t look away, the harmony of jewelry and beauty was oddly perfect in that moment.
Reporters waited until He Jinxia had walked several steps on the red carpet before their stupor broke, and they hurriedly picked up their cameras to start taking photos frantically.
"He Jinxia? How could He Jinxia be here?!"
"He Jinxia actually qualifies to attend the Harper’s Bazaar Charity Night? This is unbelievable, just a few days ago we thought she wouldn’t get this opportunity!"
"And she’s entering alone, not as someone’s plus-one, which clearly means Harper’s Bazaar sent her an invitation directly!"
The journalists’ minds raced, and in no time, they had already conjured up several sensational headlines and stories, eager to send them out once they finished taking photos.
He Jinxia had thought other celebrities would have arrived by the time she got there but realized the signature wall was blank upon arriving – it turned out that she was the first to arrive.
She was a bit astonished, but then calmly picked up the pen and carefully wrote down the first name on the signature wall – He Jinxia, each stroke deliberate.
After signing, she stood beside the background wall set up for photographers, her face breaking into a smile as she made a heart gesture toward them.
Although there were not many journalists present, they were enthusiastic, continuously prompting her to strike various poses.
Since no other celebrities had arrived yet, the event staff timing the photo sessions were lax, and even though He Jinxia overran her time, they did not remind her.
Eventually, it was He Jinxia who felt she had lingered for too long, so she waved goodbye to the reporters and stepped up into the ancient castle.
The inside of the castle was luxuriously decorated in a typical American style, including a fireplace with crackling logs, a large clock, and a massive Christmas tree weighted down with numerous gifts as if the branches were sagging under them. Updates are released by novel★fire.net
There were waiters inside the castle attending to the stars, He Jinxia relayed the number on her invitation, and a waiter promptly escorted her to a designated place.
This area had been converted into an auction setting, with the seating arranged in tiers ascending in height; He Jinxia’s seat was in the last row at the very top.
The charity banquet typically raised funds through auctions, with the items up for bid provided by the attending celebrities.
Some auction items, though not valuable, had sentimental significance, while others were quite pricey and were a good deal for the stars to add to their collections.
After He Jinxia settled into her seat, the waiter left briefly and soon returned to offer her champagne. Feeling apologetic, He Jinxia told the waiter she didn’t drink and requested fruit juice instead.
Now it was the waiter’s turn to apologize, "I’m sorry, but the castle only has alcoholic beverages, no juice."
He Jinxia: "Not even plain water?"
The waiter shook their head.
He Jinxia, unflinchingly, said, "Then I don’t need anything to drink, thank you."
She wanted to ask the waiter to go buy her fruit juice, but the castle lacked it, and it would mean going outside to purchase, which was a big ask. Plus, if word got out, it could provide fodder for rumors about her being a diva.
Luo You had once mentioned that some high-end dinners wouldn’t offer anything other than alcoholic drinks, advising her not to stick so rigidly to her "no alcohol" principle.
After considering it, He Jinxia declined Luo You’s suggestion, deciding to uphold the principle she had set without change.