Chapter 24: Chapter 24 - 24 You will never surpass me in your lifetime

Chapter 24: You will never surpass me in your lifetime Chapter 24: You will never surpass me in your lifetime Perhaps it was the scene from the night before that caused Fu Han’s dreams to be a chaotic mess—there were flashes of their past as a couple, lost in passion, nearly crossing the line, as well as countless times she watched He Xing embrace the fragile Xia Ning’s figure as he left resolutely.

“Don’t go!”

“I told you, I really didn’t do anything to Xia Ning!”

The young girl held her face in pain, but was soon replaced by a cool photographer with his hands in his pockets, striding forward unaffected.

“Romantic love is so boring, not as interesting as the great mountains and rivers or the freedom of photography…”

Then, Fu Han was woken up by a phone call from her best friend Nan Qing.

Yawning and groggy, she answered the call, “What’s up?”

“Xiaohan, you’ve made it big! I just heard from a colleague today that you single-handedly messed up the charity gala for celebrities and tycoons held by the Xia Family yesterday! All the press releases and marketing plans they’d prepared became useless!”

Listening to Nan Qing’s excited words, Fu Han remembered what had happened the day before.

She immediately went to the restroom to freshen up, and as she looked in the mirror at the marks on her neck, her gaze froze for a moment, until Nan Qing’s voice brought her back, “Xiaohan?”

“It’s nothing. After all, the Xia Family just wanted people to donate money yesterday, they self-destructed at the slightest provocation from me.”

Fu Han was swift and decisive, earning money for a bank account effortlessly while chatting with her friend on the phone.

Within a minute, the money was returned, with the same reason for refusal: I have enough money here, take care of yourself.

Fu Han propped her head with one hand, now feeling a headache coming on.

Nan Qing’s chatter was still ringing in her ears when Fu Han suddenly interrupted, “Xiaoqing, help me figure out how to get Aunt Zhang to accept my money?”

When she was abroad, she had received a lot of care from this kind-hearted Aunt Zhang. The woman, gentle and introverted, always had a pensive look and often meditated with an amulet in her hand.

Although Aunt Zhang only had a modest income, she had taken care of many travelers in a strange land, giving those who were disheartened a place to rest, so they wouldn’t be homeless.

“That, I can’t help you with. Last time I heard even Suofeiya and her group’s donations were declined by Aunt Zhang, let alone your offer of cash,” said Nan Qing, who also had some acquaintance with Aunt Zhang.

Fu Han sighed, took the subway to the office for work, and was highly efficient. Even being tasked to photograph several people in one go didn’t affect her, and she even produced images with original concepts that won her colleagues’ admiration.

In the afternoon, everyone discussed ordering afternoon tea. While Fu Han idly spun a pen and zoned out, a colleague took the initiative to ask.

Su Cheng approached at that moment, just in time to overhear the question to Fu Han, and his ears perked up.

“Um, just lemonade is fine,” Fu Han wasn’t fussy about such material needs.

The colleague quickly made a note, and then someone came along, suggesting gift ideas for their own stubborn and prideful grandparents who refused to accept presents.

Once this topic was broached, the office came alive with many voices offering suggestions, compelling Fu Han to chime in involuntarily, “I have an aunt overseas. She’s a great person who’s looked after a lot of people who’ve faced rejections in a foreign land…”

Most importantly was finding a gift for Aunt Zhang. After a brief understanding from Fu Han, the others warmed up to the idea of Aunt Zhang and became even more enthusiastic with their suggestions.

Su Cheng, meanwhile, mused from a distance, remembered the matter and quickly went online to consult with friends and relatives for ideas.

When the rush-ordered gifts arrived, Su Cheng approached Fu Han’s desk with a gentle smile, only to find it empty.

Seeing the boss arrive, colleagues, thinking it was a surprise check, blurted out without thinking, “Fu Han had to step out for an external task.”

“Oh, I see,” Su Cheng suppressed his annoyance and turned to leave.

But as he departed, the employees were abuzz with speculation about Su Cheng and Fu Han’s relationship.

At the same time, Fu Han faced the biggest challenge of her career.

Su Cheng Company dealt with copywriting, advertising design, and planning. Naturally, a large part of their business was connected to the entertainment circle.

This time, they were photographing a recently famous actress whose domestic popularity had skyrocketed, and she was on the verge of becoming A-list.

Through Fu Han’s lens, the artist indeed had some work done on her body and face, but it didn’t stop her from finding the right angles to photograph.

If only the artist wasn’t too picky and troublesome…

“No, this angle doesn’t make my butt look good, take it again!”

“Are you even a professional? This is infuriating! I have a big chest, but you made it look completely unimpressive!”

…

The starlet Jiang Ling spoke with a perfectly whiny tone, her baby face and ample bosom constantly used to cutesily charm her manager and the sponsors, who couldn’t help but make way for her.

Fu Han pulled her hat lower and turned to leave, planning to adjust the equipment.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Once the sponsors left, Jiang Ling instantly changed her tone, lifting her chin arrogantly, “You did an okay job taking photos. How about I pay you six thousand to work for me?”

“…” Fu Han just smiled, with no intention of responding.

Seeing her lack of reaction, Jiang Ling grew even more dissatisfied. Her manager, arriving just then, upon seeing her demeanor, quickly tried to soothe matters, “Let’s settle down, we’ve finally got someone to help us meet He Xing. You must behave later; now is not the time to throw a tantrum.”

“I’m letting it slide just this once,” Jiang Ling said as she quickly started excitedly discussing what to eat at the upcoming meeting with her manager.

Fu Han, who hadn’t walked far, overheard this and clicked her tongue in annoyance, adjusting her camera with a bit more force than usual.

Seems like He Xing’s romantic encounters haven’t lessened over the years…

Perhaps enticed by the upcoming meeting with He Xing, Jiang Ling became less troublesome for the remainder of the photo shoot. With improved cooperation, Fu Han rapidly produced several exceptional sets of photos, leaving the sponsors torn choosing for their campaign and posters.

“Any of them will do! The problem now is deciding which set to use for the publicity and the physical posters,” they said.

“Then I’m heading off.”

Fu Han nodded and turned to leave.

But she was stopped by Jiang Ling’s assistant, as Jiang Ling stood in front of her with arms crossed, raising an eyebrow, “Hey, you’ve been shooting with your hat and sunglasses on all day. What, can’t your face see the light of day?”

The woman’s voice was capricious and sharp, causing the manager, who was just escorting a man into the shooting area, to twitch. He instinctively turned to explain to the man.

But the man just looked on, focused on the woman Jiang Ling was taunting.

“It’s off work time now, Miss Jiang,” said Fu Han in her good-natured way, reminding her and turning away, unwilling to engage further.

“Damn it, who do you think you are to ignore me! You’ll never earn as much in your whole life as I do in one year!”

As she spoke, Jiang Ling quickly snatched away Fu Han’s hat and knocked off her sunglasses.