Although Director Xiang might not be aware of the subtle stance and position of a small shrimp like her, simply not toasting with him on such an occasion is an act of not taking him seriously. Lu Nan didn’t want to risk him realizing it later or having someone else bring up such a minor detail afterward. 

After being forced to listen to Director Xiang’s drunken rambling, Lu Nan suddenly felt that compared to the three of them, Manager Wang seemed more likable (an illusion caused by the comparison). At least he didn’t have the habit of bragging and boasting after drinking—he just drank and that was it. When he was happy from drinking, his way of expressing emotions was more passionate and straightforward, dancing and shaking it in front of the big screen. 

After leaving Director Xiang, Lu Nan glanced around but didn’t see Chen Xiao, so she decided to leave him for later.  

Since she had decided to toast to all the leaders, it would not be good to leave out the leader of the group purchasing department. 

Liu Tao, Li Li, and Zhou Tian all needed to be included. 

The women didn’t make things difficult for her and simply said, “It’s the thought that counts.”  

Even so, Lu Nan couldn’t toast less than the leaders. If they took a sip, she had to drink at least half a glass. 

Fortunately, she had a golden finger. Was this skill really meant for me to excel in this job? Lu Nan was horrified by her own thought: Danger, danger, danger. I should just focus on getting by and slacking off. 

After finishing her toasts with the three female leaders, the only one left was Chen Xiao. 

She carefully scanned the area and finally found Chen Xiao in the dim lighting of the private lounge—he was leaning against the corner of the sofa, rubbing his temples. 

Perhaps he drank a bit too much because of District Director Tong’s special attention during dinner? 

… 

“Brother Xiao.” 

These words were said at the same time. 

Chen Xiao looked up and saw Lu Nan and Dong Hui approaching—one holding a glass of wine, the other holding a microphone. 

“Brother Xiao, come sing a song. The last time I heard you sing; you were really amazing and cool.” Dong Hui said playfully as she handed Chen Xiao the microphone. “I just requested The Girl Across the Street Look Over Here.” 

“I’ll pass. My head’s a bit dizzy, so let me take a break first,” Chen Xiao waved his hand. “You guys sing. By the way, I don’t think I’ve heard Lu Nan sing yet?” 

Lu Nan thought, “I know you’re just changing the subject, but to me, this is just diverting trouble elsewhere.” 

Fortunately, Dong Hui wasn’t that clueless.  

If she handed the microphone to Lu Nan—never mind whether she could sing or if she was tone-deaf—just letting her sing would be giving her a free chance to stand out. So, Dong Hui pretended not to hear that comment and continued to pester Chen Xiao, using both soft and hard tactics. 

Sasha, who had just danced with Manager Wang for a few minutes, was irritated at the sight. 

Although she had little hope of getting Chen Xiao herself, what was Dong Hui’s right to be so touchy and demanding with him? Throwing tantrums and pouting?! She couldn’t stand it!!! 

“Hey, what are you doing?” Sasha walked casually over to Lu Nan’s side. “Nan Nan, are you holding a cup to toast to the newlyweds? Did you just send the gift money?” Coming from a wealthy family and about to be transferred to a new market, she had no fear of offending anyone. 

Besides, the person who understands you best could be your enemy or your secret crush. Don’t believe it? Just keep reading—Lu Nan’s words coming up next. 

“Sister Sasha, are you kidding?” Chen Xiao, who was very sensitive about rumors with female colleagues, poured himself a drink and clinked glasses with Lu Nan and Sasha. He said to Sasha, “I wish you a bright future in the new market.” 

Sasha shot a sideways glance at Dong Hui. 

Dong Hui, who had been intentionally or unintentionally ignored, bit her lip and walked away. 

Once the unpleasant person was gone, Sasha sarcastically laughed, “Thanks for the kind words from Brother Xiao. But just one cup of toast is likely wishing for a second marriage, Brother Xiao doesn’t seem sincere. Should Nan Nan and I drink for you?” 

Chen Xiao raised his hand. “It’s my fault.” He then poured another glass for himself. “I’ll punish myself with this.” 

He drank it in one go, his Adam’s apple was bobbing up and down, which was a bit sexy. 

Sasha looked at Lu Nan: I suddenly want to get him drunk. 

Lu Nan: Huh? I don’t think I can help with that. 

“My last wish before leaving is to get drunk with Brother Xiao.” Sasha also poured herself a full cup. “Brother Xiao will not deny me this small request, would you?” 

Chen Xiao’s alcohol tolerance was above average, but his fighting power would sharply decline when mixing drinks. 

He had already had quite a bit of white liquor with Director Tong at dinner, and now at the club, he was drinking beer. He was really starting to feel it. 

But Sasha insisted, holding up her glass. “Brother Xiao, can’t you fulfill this wish of mine?” 

Under the dim spotlight in the private room, Sasha’s expression was stubborn yet fragile, with tears shimmering in her eyes. 

Sigh… Chen Xiao sighed inwardly, realizing that although unintentional, it was indeed his fault. 

He moved forward to take the glass from Sasha’s hand. 

At first, Sasha held the glass tightly, but once Chen Xiao looked at her, “Sister Sasha, that’s enough, you’ve had too much,” her hand instantly lost its strength. 

She realized once again, Chen Xiao’s expression was still warm, but there was no trace of wavering in his eyes. He doesn’t like her; he doesn’t care about her. Everything he does for her is merely out of friendship and gentlemanly manners. 

Damn that gentleman manners! Sasha’s hand, which had lost the glass, slowly retreated and fell dejectedly. 

Lu Nan felt that it was not appropriate for her to continue watching, so she decided to find another corner to hide. 

“Lu Nan.” Chen Xiao called out to her, “Look after her.” He stood up and headed toward the restroom. 

As she watched him leave, Sasha’s eyes welled up with large tears. She sniffed, and just then, a waitress brought over a warm towel, which she used to cover her eyes. 

Lu Nan couldn’t stop it in time. 

Seeing Lu Nan was about to speak, Sasha smiled casually. “I’m fine. I’m ending this hopeless crush. I, Pan Sasha, am free!” 

“I just wanted to ask if your mascara and eyeliner are waterproof,” Lu Nan whispered. 

Sasha gasped, “Oh no!” Even waterproof makeup can’t withstand a hot towel. 

The restroom in the private room was occupied, so Lu Nan accompanied Sasha to the one outside to fix her makeup. 

After touching up her makeup, Sasha seemed to regain her courage. She linked arms with Lu Nan and walked back to the private room with her head held high. 

At the corner, Sasha stopped, and Lu Nan looked over to see Director Xiang and a woman entering the private room together, with Director Xiang pinching the woman’s backside with his left hand. 

“So, the rumors about the office were true,” Sasha said with a look of surprise. “Director Xiang and Manager Zhou really do have something going on.” 

Lu Nan wasn’t surprised at all. “We didn’t see anything.” 

“I get it, I get it,” Sasha said, zipping up her mouth. “But isn’t this the kind of thing a senior should be reminding a junior about?” 

The two stood outside for a few minutes before going back in. 

By the time they left, it was nearly one o’clock, but luckily, tomorrow was Sunday, so they didn’t have to go to work. 

Before leaving, Lu Nan found Chen Xiao again. “Can I borrow an empty bottle for a video shoot tomorrow?” 

Chen Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll take you to Feixiang in the afternoon to shoot. It will be a good chance for Mr. Yang to see your expertise in this area. Whether Director Tong’s team uses this material or not, Mr. Yang will definitely need it.” 

Tomorrow is Sunday, Lu Nan silently grumbled. 

Chen Xiao seemed to read her thoughts and added, “Once this matter is settled, I’ll give you free time on Monday.” 

Deal. 

…… 

The next day, Lu Nan woke up close to ten o’clock. There was a message from Sasha on her phone. “Your clothes are still in my trunk. I’ll be going back to Fengyun tonight. Should I drop them off at your dorm in the afternoon?” 

It was not very convenient in the afternoon. Lu Nan didn’t know whether Mr. Yang was ready for the shoot or what time the shoot would end. 

To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, she sat on the bed and called Sasha back and briefly explained the situation. 

Sasha said on the other end of the phone, “I don’t mind, it’s okay. Last time I asked you about the park, and now that I think about it, I feel like I was out of my mind. So, go ahead with your work this afternoon. Just call me when you’re done. I don’t mind waiting a bit; if not, I’ll just have dinner and come back later.” 

Even so, Lu Nan made a note to finish up as early as possible in the afternoon because Sasha’s original plan was likely to go home for dinner. 

After ending the call, she got up, washed up, and while brushing her teeth, her phone rang again. 

Lu Nan spat out the toothpaste foam, “Hello, Brother Xiao.” 

“I’ve arranged with Mr. Yang to use his studio for a test shoot at 1:30 PM. No need to bring the wine; Mr. Yang has empty bottles. We’ll meet at the office at 1:00 PM and then take a cab over. Although the shoot should only involve hand shots, just in case, prepare an outfit. Do you have a qipao? If not, a white shirt and suit will work too.” 

Lu Nan thought about it and realized she did have a qipao. 

“Okay, I understand. See you this afternoon.” 

To save some time on explanations and for the sake of harmony in the dormitory, Lu Nan went out wearing her everyday clothes, rolling up her qipao and white shirt and put them in a bag. Although slight wrinkles were inevitable, it’s fine since it’s easy to remove it. 

When she went downstairs, the others were having lunch. Xiang Feifei casually asked, “Going out?” 

Lu Nan answered casually, “Yes.” 

After meeting up, Chen Xiao assessed Lu Nan’s outfit. 

Lu Nan raised her hand to show the clothes in the bag. 

Chen Xiao nodded, “Let’s go.” 

When they arrived at Feixiang, the entire company was very quiet—it was Sunday. 

However, it seemed that Chen Xiao had informed Mr. Yang in the morning. Pei Xuedong was waiting for them at the front desk with two young assistants while holding a bunch of keys in his hand. 

“There aren’t many indoor settings in the company. Is a plain colored backdrop, okay?” Pei Xuedong asked Chen Xiao. 

Chen Xiao turned to Lu Nan and said, “Let’s see the clothes you brought.” 

Lu Nan held up the shirt with her left hand and the qipao with her right. 

“Wear the one on the right,” Chen Xiao quickly decided. “Go change. Brother Pei let’s choose a backdrop. Also, please get a table and a chair.” 

After Lu Nan changed into her qipao and walked out, Brother Pei exclaimed in awe. 

Chen Xiao asked Lu Nan to sit at the table and frowned slightly. “Can you try tying up your hair?” Lu Nan had an elegant neckline and straight shoulders, and covering them with hair seemed like a waste. 

Lu Nan didn’t have a hair tie with her, but it wasn’t a problem. She borrowed a pen from the assistant and quickly pinned her hair up. 

The four straight men were stunned: What kind of skill is this? Is it possible to do it like this? 

Lu Nan nodded, “Chopsticks work too.” 

Pei Xuedong silently gave her a thumbs up. 

“Alright, let’s test the angles and lighting.” 

After adjusting two or three times, the photographer finally got the feel for it. 

“Let’s start.” 

They took photos over and over again. 

At first, Lu Nan struggled with the rhythm, or some poses looked good but were obstructed from certain angles, so they had to retake them repeatedly. 

After over an hour of shooting, the photographer finally nodded in satisfaction. 

Chen Xiao whispered something in his ear, and the photographer nodded in agreement. “One last shot, do it continuously from start to finish. Don’t worry about angles; just focus on the overall movement’s completeness and smoothness.” 

Lu Nan nodded to show she understood. 

After the shoot, Chen Xiao said, “Thanks everyone for your hard work. We’ll need to ask you for some overtime for the post-production.” 

Pei Xuedong casually replied, “Manager Chen is too polite. I think Manager Lu’s look and technique are excellent. With some editing and background music, it’ll definitely look like a big film.” 

It was almost four when they left Feixiang. 

Chen Xiao asked, “Are you heading back to your dorm?” They all lived near the office, so it was convenient to take the cab together. 

However, Lu Nan smiled and shook her head, “I have plans with a friend.” 

“Alright, stay safe.” 

…… 

Arriving quickly at Sasha’s building, Lu Nan picked up the three bags of clothes. 

Sasha asked, “Are you sure you don’t need me to give you a ride? That’s a lot of stuff.” 

“It’s fine, I’ll just take a cab. You should head back; otherwise, you’ll hit the evening rush hour and waste time getting out of the city.” 

Sasha sighed, “Well, you could have stayed at my place. I’m going back anyway, and the apartment is empty.” 

Lu Nan raised her hand and shook her head, “If the apartment is empty, you should rent it out. It’s in a good location and well-decorated. Even though it’s not very big, renting it for 1,500 to 2,000 isn’t a problem. I can’t afford that right now and don’t want to owe you such a big favor.” 

“Alright, alright.” 

After saying goodbye to Sasha, Lu Nan went back to the dorm. The girl’s downstairs were preparing dinner. 

Xiang Feifei was shocked, “Lu Nan, how many clothes did you buy this afternoon?” 

“Ah, a friend gave me an internal discount, so I couldn’t stop myself,” Lu Nan said with a smile, implying that she had been shopping for clothes.