After Breaking Up With the Scheming Bad Woman 5

Chapter 5: But Still Obeyed.

Chu Wantang and Su Cheng were attending a private viewing hosted by the Italian designer. It was a small-scale event with only thirty people. In addition to industry peers, there were fashion magazine editors and senior buyers present.

The viewing lasted a full two hours. Everyone held different views and opinions on fashion design, and the collision of ideas sparked new inspiration, allowing each person to gain something.

As it concluded, champagne was served. The venue grew lively as everyone chatted amicably with smiles on their faces.

A hired photographer stood to the side, clicking the shutter.

Chu Wantang still had to drive and didn’t plan on drinking, but a peer beside her called out, “Violetta, care for a glass?”

She picked up a glass of juice and politely declined with a smile, “Driving regulations. Don’t drink and drive.”

The peer clinked her champagne flute against Chu Wantang’s glass. “Can’t you just call a designated driver?”

“My father died in a car accident.” Chu Wantang’s eyes were still curved in a smile as she said this, the dimples by her lips appearing faintly. Her voice sounded much like the drizzling rain of the day. “It feels safer to have the steering wheel in my own hands.”

With that said, the peer naturally had nothing more to say. She gave Chu Wantang a polite smile and went to chat with someone else.

After finishing her conversation with the fashion magazine editor, Su Cheng came over.

She had had a little to drink, but it didn’t affect her. You wouldn’t even know she had been drinking unless you got close.

She draped an arm over Chu Wantang’s slender shoulders and followed her gaze out the window. “What are you looking at? A bird?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“That dark cloud.” Chu Wantang lifted her chin slightly.

Su Cheng squinted. “There are so many. Which one are you talking about?”

“The pig-shaped one in the middle. It looks a bit like you.”

“…You’re dead!!!” Su Cheng slapped her friend’s shoulder hard, then ignored her and went to talk to the designer who was the star of the day.

Chu Wantang slowly retracted her gaze. She hadn’t really been looking at anything. It was just that an image of Huai Xing from before they parted had popped into her mind: her long, fair neck, her slightly pursed lips, her lowered lashes, the pearl earrings she had given her before adorning her lustrous earlobes…

The fresh scent of the solid perfume seemed to linger at the tip of her nose, refusing to dissipate. Chu Wantang wrinkled her nose, and her brows furrowed slightly along with it.

Before long, the private viewing officially came to an end. The thirty attendees stood together for a group photo.

Chu Wantang stood in the corner, offering a faint smile for the camera.

Soon after, upon seeing the message on her phone in the parking garage, that smile vanished completely, replaced by a faint chill.

Su Cheng fastened her seatbelt. She had had two more drinks and was feeling a little dizzy now, leaning against the headrest in the passenger seat.

But the car showed no signs of starting.

Confused, she turned her head and saw Chu Wantang staring at her phone with a blank expression. She urged, “What important message are you looking at, Wantang?”

Chu Wantang locked her phone. Her expression was obscured by the dim light. She gripped the steering wheel, started the car, and her words were still gentle. “I’ll drop you off first, then I’ll go pick up Xiao Xing.”

“She’s done already?”

“Yeah.”

On the phone beside her lay her reply to Tu Zhaoyu, written in a very certain tone: [Thank you for telling me this, but she won’t.]

…

Jingcheng was too big. Since graduating, everyone had their own jobs and worries, so Huai Xing didn’t see her friends very often, only meeting up when something came up.

But it was never awkward when they did meet. They could naturally stay out late.

After practicing at the afternoon tea shop today, they went shopping and had dinner together.

Huai Xing didn’t have much desire for material things at this stage. After wandering around, the only thing she ended up buying was a pair of high heels for Chu Wantang, as a “return gift” for the solid perfume.

Alright, she didn’t actually need to give Chu Wantang a return gift, but she hadn’t dared to be too bold with a gift on Valentine’s Day yesterday. Doing it today didn’t seem too late, right?

Her little scheme wouldn’t be so easily seen through, would it?

With all sorts of thoughts swirling in her mind, the day’s gathering came to an end.

She took out her phone and sent a message to Chu Wantang, who was pinned at the top of her chat list: [Jiejie, I’m taking a taxi home now.]

Chu Wantang replied quickly: [It’s hard to get a taxi in the rain. I’m in the parking lot.]

[Come down.]

Huai Xing glanced out the restaurant window at the dark night. The rain hadn’t stopped all day, and it was a Saturday, so it was indeed difficult to get a taxi.

She asked her friends how they were getting home. They said they were taking the subway and asked her in return.

Her eyes curved, a deep smile in them. “I’m taking a taxi.”

Tu Zhaoyu, holding her shopping bags, asked, “Isn’t Sister Wantang coming to pick you up?”

“She went to a meeting.” Facing her friends who were “eyeing” her sister, Huai Xing lied without batting an eye, her expression unchanged.

Her friends didn’t have Chu Wantang’s contact information anyway, so they wouldn’t be able to verify it with her.

To make the act even more convincing, she even placed an order on a ride-hailing app beforehand. It showed that there were over thirty people waiting ahead of her. She showed her friends the screen, pressing down the corners of her lips in a helpless manner. “You guys go to the subway first. I’ll wait. I’ll message you when I get home.”

“Okay, be safe.”

They parted ways at the entrance. Watching her friends disappear into the subway station, Huai Xing immediately canceled the order and quickly turned back, taking the elevator down to the B1 level.

Chu Wantang had given her the parking spot coordinates. She followed the directions, jogging all the way.

Less than two minutes later, she saw the familiar silver car. Only then did she slow her pace and calm her racing heart.

Chu Wantang had one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding her phone, scrolling through photos from today’s private viewing.

She sat in a lazy, relaxed posture, the cuffs of her blouse rolled up to reveal a delicate watch and bracelet.

The passenger door opened. She slowly turned her head and the first thing she saw was a gift bag from the high heel brand she often wore.

Behind it was Huai Xing’s fair, pretty face.

Huai Xing’s smile was like the first ray of sunlight piercing through the morning mist. Even in the dim light, you could see the fine golden specks that scattered when her eyelashes fluttered.

She parted her lips and said in a deliberately cheerful tone, “Jiejie, they came out with a new style.”

Chu Wantang gazed at her and chuckled softly. “Bought for me with the salary you haven’t even received yet?”

“How did you know?”

Dimples appeared by Chu Wantang’s lips. “Thank you.” But she didn’t take it. “Put everything in the back seat.”

“Okay.”

After placing the violin case and the bag in the back, Huai Xing got into the passenger seat. As she fastened her seatbelt, she asked naturally, “When did you get here, Jiejie?”

“Not long ago.”

Chu Wantang pulled out of the parking space and queued up with the other cars to exit. She added, “Based on past experience, you were about to be done anyway.”

She had never set a curfew for Huai Xing, but Huai Xing had always been self-disciplined, never staying out past ten o’clock at night when she was with friends.

Huai Xing’s lips curled up secretly. Chu Wantang knew all these little habits of hers.

Using her identity as a little sister, she pressed on, “Then am I the cutest little sister in the world?”

The person beside her didn’t answer immediately.

As they drove up the ramp to exit the garage, Chu Wantang noticed that the vehicle information display at the mall’s exit also showed the parking duration. Her brows pressed down slightly, and her temples throbbed.

So, just as she had done many times in the past, she issued a command: “Look to your right, Xiao Xing.”

Huai Xing was once again confused, but still obeyed.

After paying the parking fee, the car reached level ground. Seeing the neon lights and bustling traffic outside, Chu Wantang’s tense expression finally relaxed.

And on the vehicle display screen just now, the information shown was—

License Plate: Jing Axxxxx

Parking Duration: 7 hours

…

This year happened to be the fifteenth anniversary of “Lan Ling’s” founding. The marketing department had submitted a proposal for a “March 8th Women’s Day” fashion show early last year. The theme was “LANLING LIFE.” Chu Wantang’s half-month business trip was to take the concept of this show to meet women from all walks of life, to break the labels that confine women, and to showcase sustainable “She” power.

Now that she was back at the company, her workload hadn’t decreased in the slightest.

There were still a few models’ outfits that hadn’t been finalized, but there wasn’t much time left for the design department. As the director of the design department, she had to oversee the entire process and participate in the concept design.

On Wednesday morning, the company held another management meeting for “LANLING LIFE.”

The rain in Jingcheng had finally stopped, but the weather was still gloomy, with no sign of the sun.

The chairs in the conference room were full, and the atmosphere was as heavy as the weather. A tougher battle lay ahead for the next half a month.

Chu Wantang twirled a pen, her expression appearing much calmer than everyone else’s.

She listened as Lu Kang, the Director of Marketing, reported on the recent online reactions to the “Lan Ling” show, the progress, and the plans for the future.

“We have already booked dozens of KOLs to give sneak peeks of the show. The number of online livestream reservations is also gradually increasing. The ‘LANLING LIFE’ posters have been fully distributed through offline channels, and related topics on major platforms have also been invested in…”

Lu Kang’s mouth was dry from reporting. What made him even more uneasy was that the formidable director of the design department was currently looking at him with a probing gaze.

But it wasn’t just him. All the married men present today had the same feeling.

“Lan Ling” was a womenswear brand. The founder was a woman, and women were given priority in hiring. Therefore, the proportion of men in the company was not high, about 20%. Even fewer men made it to management, only a handful of five or six. And right now, these five or six men, who were all married with children, felt a chill run down their spines.

To make matters worse, once Chu Wantang entered work mode, her gaze inevitably carried a hint of aggression, making her seem less gentle.

As a result, they had no idea what was going on.

The meeting ended close to eleven-thirty.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started to leave. Chu Wantang didn’t rush out of the conference room. She slowly called out to Lu Kang, “Director Lu.”

Lu Kang wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was truly a bit intimidated by her. Not only was she young and capable, but she was also highly valued by the boss.

He quickly asked, “Is there anything else the design department needs our cooperation with, Director Chu?”

“Not for the time being.”

A smile slowly appeared on Chu Wantang’s lips. “I just wanted to ask Director Lu, is your relationship with your wife still good?”

“It’s quite good.” Lu Kang’s expression didn’t change, but alarm bells were ringing in his head: Did Chu Wantang find out about me flirting with the new assistant?

Chu Wantang stood up with her notebook and left him with a cold sentence: “Is that so? Well, since we’re colleagues, I’d still like to remind you to please stick to your duties, Director Lu. Otherwise, if any unpleasant rumors get out, it wouldn’t be good.”