NFBE Chapter 282 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 2
Chapter 282 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 2
The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds onto the desk. Ji Xiaosong rubbed her aching temples, trying to clear her head from the chaos of the previous night.
She sat in front of the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard, trying to finish the important proposal before ten o'clock.
Today was another busy day at work.
"Sister Xiaosong, the meeting room is ready, and the client will be here shortly."
Intern Xiaolin peeked in and cautiously offered a reminder.
Ji Xiaosong nodded, took a deep breath, picked up the folder on the table, and strode towards the conference room.
Her high heels made a crisp sound on the floor, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge, the memory of last night still lingering in her mind.
"Calm down, Ji Xiaosong. Now is not the time to think about these things."
She silently repeated it to herself, trying to focus her attention on the upcoming proposal.
In the meeting room, her colleagues had already taken their seats one after another, and the projector beam shone on the screen, displaying the cover of her proposal.
Ji Xiaosong stood beside the main seat, her fingers trembling slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"The customer has arrived," Xiaolin whispered a reminder.
The meeting room door was pushed open, and a group of people filed in.
Ji Xiaosong raised her head, her gaze instantly fixing on the man at the head of the group.
He was wearing a well-tailored black suit, his face was stern, and the small scar between his eyebrows was particularly noticeable under the light.
"Mr. Huo... Mr. Huo?"
Ji Xiaosong's voice was stuck in her throat as memories of last night flooded back, freezing her in place.
Huo Chen's gaze swept over her, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
He nodded slightly as a greeting, and then sat down at the head of the conference table.
"let's start."
His voice was low and cold, devoid of any emotion.
Ji Xiaosong forced herself to calm down, picked up the remote control, and began to explain the proposal.
However, her voice trembled uncontrollably, and the images from last night kept flashing through her mind, causing her thoughts to become chaotic.
"Miss Ji, is this your proposal?"
Huo Chen suddenly interrupted her, his tone clearly questioning.
Ji Xiaosong was taken aback. She looked up at him and found that he was staring at her coldly, as if he were examining a substandard product.
"Yes, Mr. Huo, this is an advertising plan we've tailored for the Huo Group, incorporating the latest market data..."
She tried to explain, but Huo Chen interrupted her again.
"data?"
Huo Chen sneered, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Do you think these clichés can impress consumers? Or is this all your company can offer?"
The atmosphere in the conference room froze instantly, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Ji Xiaosong.
She felt her cheeks burning and her palms sweating; the humiliation from last night surged back into her heart.
"Mr. Huo, if you have any dissatisfaction with our proposal, we can make further modifications..."
She tried to speak, but her voice grew softer and softer.
"Revise?"
Huo Chen stood up and looked down at her. "Miss Ji, do you think that making changes will solve the problem? Or do you simply not understand the client's needs?"
His tone was cold and sharp, like a blade piercing straight into Ji Xiaosong's heart.
She felt her breathing become difficult, as if something was pressing on her chest, making it impossible to catch her breath.
"Mr. Huo, I..."
She opened her mouth, but found herself at a loss for words.
Huo Chen didn't give her another chance. He turned to his assistant and said, "Notify the other advertising companies to rebid."
After saying that, he left the conference room without looking back, leaving behind a deathly silence.
Ji Xiaosong stood there, the folder in her hand falling to the ground with a "thud".
She felt her world completely collapse at that moment. The chaos of last night, the exhaustion of this morning, and the humiliation of this moment—all the emotions intertwined, making it hard for her to breathe.
"Sister Xiaosong, are you alright?"
Kobayashi walked over and looked at her with concern.
Ji Xiaosong shook her head, forcing a smile, "I'm fine, you go ahead and get busy."
She bent down to pick up the folder, her fingers trembling slightly.
She knew she had to pull herself together, but Huo Chen's cold gaze was like a thorn, deeply embedded in her heart.
Back in her office, Ji Xiaosong sat in her chair, covered her face with her hands, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She didn't understand why she had gotten herself into this situation.
Her fiancé's betrayal, last night's chaos, Huo Chen's humiliation—it all felt like a nightmare, leaving her nowhere to escape.
"Ji Xiaosong, you can't be defeated."
She silently recited the instructions, wiped away her tears, reopened her computer, and began revising the proposal.
However, she couldn't concentrate, and Huo Chen's cold face kept appearing in her mind.
"Ding--"
Her phone suddenly rang, interrupting her thoughts.
Ji Xiaosong picked up her phone and saw a text message from an unknown number:
"Let's talk at 8 PM tonight, on the top floor of the Blue Bay Hotel."
She stared at the text message, her heart suddenly racing.
She knew it must have been sent by Huo Chen.
But why did he want to see her?
Is it because of what happened last night, or because of today's proposal?
Ji Xiaosong hesitated for a moment, but finally replied with a "okay".
She knew she had to face it all, whether it was the chaos of last night or the humiliation of today.
As night fell, Ji Xiaosong stood in the elevator of the Blue Bay Hotel, her heart pounding.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out, seeing Huo Chen standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to her.
"Mr. Huo."
She called out softly, her voice tinged with unease.
Huo Chen turned around and stared at her coldly, as if trying to see through her.
He held a glass of red wine in his hand, the red liquid swirling gently in the glass, reflecting his cold and aloof face.
"You came."
His voice was low and cold, devoid of any emotion.
Ji Xiaosong nodded, trying to remain calm. "Mr. Huo, what can I do for you?"
Huo Chen didn't answer. Instead, he walked up to her and looked down at her. "How much do you remember about last night?"
Ji Xiaosong's heart skipped a beat as memories of last night flooded back, leaving her frozen in place.
She lowered her head, her voice weak, "I...I don't quite remember."
"is it?"
Huo Chen sneered, reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Then tell me, why was my wallet in your bag?"
Ji Xiaosong's pupils suddenly contracted, and the scene from last night reappeared in his mind.
That crocodile leather wallet, with the gold-stamped HS abbreviation and that mysterious string of numbers.
"I...I don't know."
She spoke in a trembling voice, a hint of fear in her tone.
Huo Chen released her hand, turned around and sat down on the sofa, his gaze still coldly fixed on her. "Ji Xiaosong, I hope you understand that what happened last night was just an accident. I don't want this to affect my life, and I certainly don't want it to become your bargaining chip."
Ji Xiaosong felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly, and the pain was unbearable.
She bit her lip, trying hard not to let the tears fall. "Mr. Huo, don't worry, I will never tell anyone about what happened last night."
Huo Chen nodded, a hint of warning in his voice, "Very good. Remember your promise."
After saying that, he stood up, walked over to her, and handed her a check. "This is compensation. I hope we have nothing more to do with each other."
Ji Xiaosong looked at the check and felt that her dignity had been brutally trampled.
She raised her head, looking firmly at Huo Chen. "Mr. Huo, I don't need your compensation. I will pretend that what happened last night never happened."
Huo Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by her reaction.
He put away the check, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Ji Xiaosong, you have a lot of backbone. However, I hope you remember that backbone can't solve all problems."
After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Ji Xiaosong alone in the empty room.
She felt her world completely collapse at that moment. All the humiliation, pain, and helplessness were like a nightmare, leaving her nowhere to escape.
"Ji Xiaosong, you can't be defeated."
She silently repeated it to herself, wiped away her tears, and turned to leave.
She knew she had to pull herself together, but Huo Chen's cold gaze was like a thorn, deeply embedded in her heart, impossible to remove.