Chapter 26

"Others are called 'boy killers,' 'otaku killers,' or 'once-in-a-century beauties,' but how did I become the 'aunt and old man killer'?" Yan Xi pushed the fruit box towards herself, "These fruits are for me, not for you guys."

"A 'boy killer' is nothing. To be a real woman, you have to make the elderly like you," Chen Pei snatched the fruit box from Yan Xi's hand and shared it with some colleagues, "Haven't you noticed that everyone in the advertising department smiles brightly when they see you? I heard they've gotten several advertisement contracts recently, all because of you."

"What advertisements?"

"Things like mops, oil extractors, laundry powders," Chen Pei handed Yan Xi the last two sour strawberries, "The elderly are the high-end consumer group for these products, so it makes sense they'd like you."

"Next, it's probably going to be toilet cleaners and dishcloths," Yan Xi looked at the tiny sour strawberries in her hand, her face filled with despair, "Imagine, once a beautiful girl like me has to attract the attention of toilet cleaner and laundry detergent advertisers—has humanity fallen so low? Or is this a loss of morals?"

"Yan Jie," the junior Yang took the last two sour strawberries from her hand, "No matter what kind of advertisers you're attracting, ads bring income, and with income, we get benefits. So don't be picky. Being a domestic goddess isn't too bad."

"Who's a domestic goddess?" Yan Xi muttered.

"You don't get it. My goal is to be a high-class, artistic, refined girl who doesn't touch anything, not even a drop of spring water," Yan Xi said with a melancholic face, "Yang, you don't understand me."

Yang almost spit out the strawberry in her mouth from disgust, "Yan Jie, ever since the video of you chasing after Little Song's dad in high heels went viral, you're no longer associated with high-class and artistic."

To be honest, when she first saw the footage, she had doubts about her eyes. The fragile beauty in her mind would never do something so explosive. At that time, she didn't know what she was thinking, but she kept the few seconds of footage during post-production.

Maybe it was the feeling that such a secret couldn't be kept by just one person.

Yan Xi and the post-production editor Yang Qian were around the same age and got along well at work, so they joked freely. Seeing the two young women laughing and chatting so harmoniously, Chen Pei left for her office.

Sitting in her office chair, she saw a message from Chen Host. The two shared a bit of a personal relationship, so Chen Pei knew exactly why she had received the message.

It was simply because Chen Host was worried that Yan Xi might permanently take her spot, and when she returned, Yan Xi would still be occupying her position.

After reading the message, Chen Pei smiled lightly. She had a better relationship with Yan Xi than Chen Host realized. She acted like she hadn't caught on to the hidden meaning in Chen Host's words and politely replied without mentioning anything further. After all, everyone was in the business of making money, and Yan Xi was a talent brought in by the station's chief, so who would want to go against her?

Chen Host might want to stir up some animosity between her and Yan Xi, but it was pointless. There was no benefit to her in making enemies with Yan Xi.

"Chen Jie, are you going to the canteen or ordering takeout for lunch?" Yan Xi knocked on the door and stood in the doorway without entering, "Yang and I are ordering takeout, do you want me to order a portion for you?"

"Sure," Chen Pei deleted the message from Chen Host, "Thanks."

Since she often got up early, she would bring breakfast to the younger colleagues who couldn't make it to work early. Over time, no one thought it was a big deal, but only Yan Xi would order afternoon tea or lunch for her when she was busy. Though small gestures, they were enough to make her think highly of the younger woman.

After a meeting, Yuan Yi ate the lunch brought by the housekeeper, and absentmindedly opened his social media feed.

Yan Xi had posted something on her Moments again—quite rare.

Yan Xi, the single dog: "I never thought that I, a pure and innocent beauty, would become the 'aunt and old man killer.'"

The picture was of a cartoon character holding an oversized knife in a distorted, unscientific pose.

He couldn't take it anymore and finally left the first comment on Yan Xi's post: "From a scientific standpoint, once you're over eighteen, you can't be called a 'girl.'"

"What's wrong with not being a girl? Can't I stay eighteen forever?" Yan Xi read his comment among the likes and playful replies, silently complaining but feeling too soft-hearted to respond.

Da He, I am Little Xi replied to Yuan Yi: "As long as you maintain a young mindset, it's fine. [cute smile]"

Yuan Yi replied to Da He, I am Little Xi: "Well, then you are indeed very young."

Hmm, something felt off about that reply. Yan Xi felt like she received a dose of malice from Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi almost laughed out loud, thinking of how helpless she must have looked. It gave him an indescribable sense of joy and relaxation. After waiting for a while, when he didn't get a reply from her, he felt a bit down. Was she angry?

He waited for another ten minutes, turned his internet off and back on, but still no reply from Yan Xi. Putting the phone aside, he felt a little frustrated. Women were troublesome; they got angry for no reason.

Yan Xi scrolled through her Moments for a while, then worked with Yang Qian to organize the latest material for "Things Around Us." After she was free, she noticed a few new messages in WeChat.

Yuan Yi: "Are you angry?"

Yuan Yi: "I didn't say anything, are you really angry?"

Yuan Yi: "You're the invincible beauty, is that okay?!"

Yan Xi looked confused. What was there to be angry about? She scrolled through the comments on the previous post and realized her friends had made even more outrageous jokes than Yuan Xiaoer. She had long forgotten the two lines of playful banter from him.

An hour and a half later, Yuan Yi finally received a reply from Yan Xi.

Yan Single Dog: "Don't worry, the invincible beauty is very magnanimous. Sorry, I was organizing the program materials and didn't see your message."

Yuan Yi, who had been worried all afternoon, felt a knot in his chest upon seeing the reply. He realized he had worried for nothing.

Women, women are troublesome!

"Yan Jie, what are you laughing at?" Xiao Yang saw Yan Xi laughing at her phone. "Watching jokes online again?"

"Huh?" Yan Xi nodded with a smile. "This joke is pretty funny." She stood up to get herself a glass of water and began watching the news from earlier.

She was able to keep up with Zhang Hao's rhythm, not because she was particularly skilled, but because she had been studying Zhang Hao's hosting habits. As a newcomer, she couldn't rely on her senior to support her; she had to adapt to him.

"Yan Xi," a colleague from the advertising department hurried over. "We have an advertising investor who wants to meet you. This is a big client, could you help us out and say a few good words for us?"

"A big client, who?" Yan Xi had a good relationship with colleagues from the advertising department and sometimes helped host guests, but she never attended dinner parties. So, she didn't get up immediately but asked for more details about the client.

In the past, the station had used her somewhat popular hosting persona to attract business. This time, however, it seemed the client had specifically requested to meet her, making it hard for her not to be suspicious.

"It's a client with a big collaboration with the main station. They saw your show and are interested in advertising with us," her colleague emphasized, "Don't overthink it, it's just a casual meeting in the office."

A client who works with the main station coming to invest in their station's advertisements? Wasn't that strange?

She didn't say this out loud but followed her colleague to the advertising department's office.

As soon as she entered, she was warmly greeted by several colleagues from the department. By the time she sat on the sofa, there was a cup of tea in her hand, and a cushion behind her.

"Miss Yan, nice to see you again."

Yan Xi looked up and met the smile of Song Chao, along with his extended hand. Looking at his clean palm, Yan Xi shook it lightly. "Good afternoon, Mr. Song."

"I didn't know you changed your name, so I've been calling you Miss Song. Hope you don't mind?" Song Chao smiled in a way that was captivating, like a flower in full bloom, with a faint, alluring charm.

"Mr. Song didn't know, so no need to mind," Yan Xi noticed the way Song Chao mentioned her name change and smiled, "I heard Mr. Song plans to invest in our station's advertisements?"

"Yes, Miss Yan. Your show was excellent, and I believe investing in advertisements with your station will help enhance our company's image among local consumers," Song Chao picked up an unsigned contract from the table. "Everything changes with time, but emotions and feelings stay in the heart and never fade."

Yan Xi smiled politely. "Mr. Song is a businessman. Since you believe that advertising with our station is effective, then it must be effective. Unfortunately, I know nothing about economics, otherwise, I could introduce you to the advertising effects of our station."

I'm just here to be a vase for the advertising department. Don't ask me about anything else, and if the ads don't work, don't blame me.

The colleagues from the advertising department stepped forward to introduce the various advertisements they had done at the station and the benefits they had brought. The more they spoke, the less confident they seemed. The small gains they had probably wouldn't impress Mr. Song.

"I trust Miss Yan's station," Song Chao lowered his head to sign the contract. His signature was elegant, clearly designed with care.

The advertising department staff now began to realize that this young executive, the heir of a major conglomerate, was familiar with Yan Xi. Otherwise, why would someone with his status cooperate with them? It was clear he was doing this because of her.

Yan Xi wasn't naive; she could tell that Song Chao was trying to give her face. But she had no connection to him. Why was he doing this, and why had he come to the station personally?

Could it be... he wanted to use his power to influence her?

In that moment, countless news headlines flashed through her mind, such as "Rich Heir Falls for 28th-tier Hostess, Throws Money at Her," "Shocking! Heir Does Everything for Her," "The Invincible Beauty Captivates the Heir of a Rich Family!" and so on.

Wait, invincible beauty? Where did that come from?

All thanks to Yuan Xiaoer's message, now her mind was full of "invincible beauty."

"Miss Yan?" Song Chao noticed Yan Xi's distracted expression and put his pen away. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, I was just zoning out."