Love Me Harder, Mr. Fu - Chapter 89

Shi Lian is signing on the documents but her mind is trailing her to today’s morning. Her mother must have sensed something when she came home escorted my Rong. Her mother didn’t ask many questions and that made her more anxious. Her mother must have noticed she had a shower and the men’s cologne from her skin but she didn’t ask any of those. Sha Sha wasn’t even angry; she smiled just like every day. Shi Lian is worrying about that issue since she came into the company and she won’t stop worrying until her mother says something.

Getting her mind out of her thoughts, she focuses on work. The show will be held on the upcoming Saturday which is three days from now. They do not have much time left and there’s a lot of work. She also suggested to the design team some modifications to the design, which they agreed to add, and hopefully, it will be ready until that time.

Zichen has already called her twice but she declined. She wasn’t in the mood to receive his call and she knows she did wrong. He did nothing wrong and she treated him coldly. She will give him a call after her work finishes. Knowing Zichen’s temper, she has to give him a call soon or else he might appear in her office, for crying out loud.

Her desk phone beeps and she receives it. “Miss Chairman, you have a visitor” she informs in her professional tone. Shi Lian ponders who is here to meet her. she asks the visitor’s name and after a second the receptionist speaks, “Cai Li.”

This is something she had no idea of. What is her cousin doing here? And if she is here, why meet her? why not father? Thousands of questions pop in hr mind. She is curious about her arrival so why not just see what she is up to. “Send her in.” If she is planning something, Shi Lian will make sure to make her think thrice before coming in front of her.

After five minutes or so, there is a knock on the door and Shi Lian guesses it must be Cai Li. “Come in,” she says loudly. One of her staff appears, “Chairman, Miss Cai Li is here” she says. Shi Lian nods and gestures her to send Cai Li in.

From her behind, Cai Li steps up, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she enters. Closing the door from her behind, she approaches Shi Lian who does not bother to walk up to her and greet her. Shi Lian’s eyes, cocking one eyebrow as her cousin gives her the widest smile. “Hello, cousin, or I should say, Chairman,” she says dramatically, a fake laugh in addition. Shi Lian rolls her eyes and says nothing.

Shi Lian grimaces noticing the amount of makeup she has put on her face. on top of that her dress, it looks as if she is going to a club to party or to attract men. Who wears a sequin dress in broad daylight? Her green sequin dress reaches to her mid-thigh and her long V-neck is exposing way too much skin of hers. “Are you going to a club or are you coming from one?” Shi Lian comments, making a disgusting face.

Cai Li sits in one of the chairs, trying to be modest, and showcasing an innocent look she asks, “Why cousin? What’s wrong?”

“Your dress” she states, indicating with her index finger the V neck and the cut short hem. “Are you on your way to attracting loafers?”

This made her angry and she glares at Shi Lian. “It’s none of your business Shi Lian and besides I am not here to fight with you.”

Shi Lian cannot hide her amusement hearing her cousin say such modest words. As if interested, she asks, “So why are you here, dear cousin?”

Peeling off the sunglasses from her eyes, she keeps them inside her small purse. Her almond eyes same as Shi Lian but a shade darker than hers is visible now. Shi Lian notices her cousin looks different than the last time she met. She won’t even hesitate to believe her if she says she had done plastic surgery. It would be the only thing she will believe. “I am to tell my answer.”

Confused, she asks, “What answer?”

To that Cai Li laughs, “For the modeling. Oh, are you not aware of that?”

Shi Lian is still confused about what she is saying. “What do you mean?”

“Your company called me and asked if I am interested in modeling for the upcoming collection. I am here to answer that.”

Shi Lian’s eyes rise in absolute surprise. She had no idea Cai Li is a model. Hell, she does not even know what work she does. “Since when are doing modeling?”

“Four years.”

“So what’s your answer?” Shi Lan is not at all interested or she cares if Cai Li rejects the proposal. She is still suspicious of what she said is true or not.

Cai Li leans back on the chair, and faking to think for a moment she speaks up, “Since you are my cousin and me, also being the part of Mo’s, I couldn’t bear to see the company go down. So I’ll join.”

Shi Lian scoffs, “And you think I would allow you? You should know you aren’t the only model in Shanghai.” The show means a lot to Shi Lian and if her cousin messes it up intentionally, it will be her fault at last because she was the one who allowed her to perform. She cannot take the high road.

“Oh c’mon Shi Lian. More than half the models have rejected your proposals and it won’t be late when you got to know that no one wants to perform for you. You should feel moved that I came here to help despite my busy schedules” Cai Li flaunts. She is good at pretending and making up stories.

To confirm what she said is true, she rings Ruxi and asks her to come to her office. Within few minutes, Ruxi enters inside, her heels clanking on the floor as she approaches.

“Ruxi, did you ringed Cai Li for the modeling proposal?”

Glancing at Cai Li, she then answers, “Yes Chairman. She is also one of the models in Shanghai. Mr. Zheng Yi recommended her when I was listing the names.”

Her third uncle sure knows how to do business and poking his nose in other business is a work he has mastered. Frustration takes seeps inside her nerves because she does not like it when others meddle in her work. She should have gone through the lists when Ruxi suggested. “Did someone agreed?” she implores.

With disappointed eyes, Ruxi shakes her head. “Unfortunately, only seven have agreed till yet. We still need eight more. I don’t know how we will manage to find them.”

They only have three days and if they cannot find models, the show cannot proceed further. Models are the core of the shows, they are going to represent the collections. Shi Lian feels helpless and frustrated. If this is how it is going to be, then the company is doomed to go down. She calms herself brushing off the negative thoughts.

“Shi Lian, you have no other choice than to accept me” Cai Li smirks, her right dimple visible as she does.

She has no choice. She does not believe her at all and giving her the task is a lot more risk she is not willing to take.

“Chairman, I’ll try to contact them again and negotiate the terms” Ruxi pops in. Shi Lian nods absently. She dismisses her and Ruxi exits the door, leaving the two of them alone.

“Why would you help?” Shi Lian questions, raising her brow.

Cai Li rises from the chair and travel behind, watching the scenery from the glass. She speaks without facing her, “I told you that before. I cannot bear to watch the Mo corp going down.” She turns back and faces Shi Lian with a sly smile playing on her lips, “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes, it is” she asserts. “I don’t know what tricks you and your father are trying to pull but if I got to know anything, I swear I’ll erase your name from Shanghai” Shi Lian threatens, her voice serious.

“So you mean I am hired?” Cai Li asks, ignoring the threat.

“Yeah” Shi Lian mutters and returns to her seat. “And in return, you will arrange the other models anyhow. If you can’t, then forget you are hired.”

Cai Li squeals and says, “I’ll get them by tomorrow,” she says and starts to leave. As she starts to leave, she stops opening the door and looks back, “Well, how are you? After whatever happened to you, you must be in trauma.”

Shi Lian’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean by that?” she narrows her at her. is she pointing at the kidnapping incident? But other than her parents, no one knows about that and her parents aren’t that stupid to inform this third uncle or aunt. ‘Is she the one behind all this?’ she thinks hard, her mind churning.

“See you soon, Shi Lian” with a wink and a smile, she exits through the door., leaving Shi Lian in confusion.