Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 393 This is a book about secret love

The reception room was filled with the residual warmth of the sunset.

Xia Ning just sat there in the sunset, feeling peaceful and beautiful.

Xu Wen stood at the door, his fingers still on the door handle. The cold metal touch came through his fingertips, and he finally came back to his senses from the shock.

He never expected Xia Ning to appear here, and came here on the pretext of business negotiations.

At this moment, she was sitting quietly on the sofa in the reception room, with the cuffs of her beige sweater slightly rolled up, revealing her slender wrists.

Her fingers gently turned the pages of the book in front of her, her black hair falling on both sides of her cheeks, she looked like a literary girl.

Xu Wen’s first reaction was that he had walked into the wrong reception room.

He subconsciously took a half step back and glanced at the door number.

It is indeed the reception room of Shan City.

He turned to look at Jiang Xiaqing beside him, but found that the other party looked normal, even with a professional smile, as if he was completely unaware of his abnormality.

"Mr. Xu, this is Miss Xia, she's here to discuss cooperation on behalf of Linjiang Literature and Art Publishing House." Jiang Xiaqing's voice was steady and professional.

But Xu Wen keenly noticed a glimmer of inquiry in her eyes.

Such a shrewd person could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with his hesitation just now.

Xu Wen took a deep breath and forced himself to get back to work.

Since the last birthday party, although he and Xia Ning were in the same school, they had almost no chance to be alone together.

Gu Xingruo's presence was like an invisible barrier, keeping them at a safe distance.

And now, this barrier suddenly disappeared.

"Miss Xia, sorry for keeping you waiting." Jiang Xiaqing quickly woke up Xia Ning who was still reading a book.

She walked in quickly with a professional smile on her face.

No matter what happens on the boss's side, she needs to finish what she is supposed to do first.

Xia Ning closed the sample book in her hand and stood up gracefully.

Her eyes seemed to be wandering for a moment, but soon returned to normal.

Xu Wen noticed that she was wearing light makeup today, and her lips were a gentle bean paste color, which made her skin look even whiter.

Her eyes, those eyes that were once filled with madness and obsession.

At this moment, it is as calm as water, without any ripples.

"Mr. Xu, nice to meet you." Xia Ning stretched out her hand. Her fingertips were slightly cool and the strength of the handshake was just right, completely a business etiquette for a first meeting.

She acted well, pretending not to know the former lover in front of her.

The two of them used to do this when they were dating, pretending not to know each other and then chatting up each other.

It really deceived many people.

Now that they are no longer a couple, they actually feel a more special feeling when playing this game again.

Xu Wen also pretended not to know Xia Ning.

He was very cooperative and extended his hand politely.

The two hands collided together, and Xu Wen could feel the slight coolness on her fingertips.

They merely touched their fingertips and then quickly withdrew them.

Just like the most ordinary business partners.

After taking his hand back, Xu Wen motioned Xia Ning to sit down again.

Jiang Xiaqing skillfully poured two glasses of water for them and placed them in front of them.

"Ms. Xia, I heard that you are here on behalf of the publishing house to discuss advertising cooperation?" Xu Wen cleared his throat and pretended to be serious.

Xia Ning took a document from the side and said slowly, "Yes, this is the cooperation plan we have drawn up, including the advertising space, delivery cycle and cost budget."

Xu Wen took the document and pretended to read it carefully.

He didn't understand why Xia Ning suddenly worked for a publishing house. Was this her newfound dream?
Or maybe she just wanted to change the place and change her mood.

Although the person in front of me was an acquaintance, the contract was surprisingly professional.

For some reason, Gu Xingruo's figure suddenly appeared in Xu Wen's mind.

He remembered that the eldest lady had suddenly taken out a contract and said that she wanted to run a cram school with him, and the content of the contract was equally professional.

"Mr. Xu? What do you think of this plan?" Jiang Xiaqing's voice brought him back to reality.

Xu Wen closed the document, continued to pretend to be serious, and continued the current business negotiations.

“Overall it’s pretty good, but some details need to be discussed.”

He turned to Xia Ning and joked seriously: "Ms. Xia, can you tell me specifically why you chose our platform?"

The reason why Xia Ning chose Shancheng was simple, but Xu Wen still wanted to ask.

This somewhat serious question did not scare Xia Ning. She just smiled slightly, and her expression was exceptionally calm.

"As an emerging food delivery platform, Shancheng's user base is mainly young people such as college students and white-collar workers, which is highly consistent with the reader profile of the publishing house." Her voice was clear and professional, just like when she was at the Linda Radio Station.

She continued: "More importantly, your platform is not as rigid as traditional platforms. We hope to let readers know about this new book in a softer way."

Xu Wen nodded. Xia Ning's answer really hit the point.

He thought the other party would just talk about something insignificant, but he didn't expect him to be so professional, and it was obvious that he had done some special research.

If you ignore the other party's identity, the scene before you actually looks like a professional business negotiation.

"I understand. What do you think?" Xu Wen turned to Jiang Xiaqing and asked.

He was already planning to agree, but he still had to go through the process before agreeing.

Jiang Xiaqing quickly flipped through her notebook.

Xu Wen noticed that her eyes were moving back and forth between him and Xia Ning, and she had obviously sensed the unusual atmosphere between them.

She pretended not to notice anything and continued to act in a businesslike manner: "From a market perspective, this cooperation is indeed very valuable, and the conditions offered by the other party are also very reasonable. The only thing that needs to be confirmed is the advertising creativity and the release time node."

So what if you know that the boss has a special relationship with the beautiful girl opposite?
This has nothing to do with her.

She wouldn't be so mean as to tell Gu Xingruo the secret.

The turmoil in the company's leadership did her no good.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Xiaqing suddenly closed his notebook. His action was so fast that Xu Wen was stunned for a moment.

"Mr. Xu, I suddenly remembered that there are still some meeting minutes that have not been sorted out. You can talk to Miss Xia first. I will go and deal with it and be back soon." She made up an excuse for herself.

It is not advisable to stay here for long. This is not the place for her.

Without waiting for Xu Wen's response, Jiang Xiaqing quickly walked out of the reception room and closed the door considerately.

Xu Wen could almost imagine the smile on her face at this moment.

People like Jiang Xiaqing have strong observation skills and must have seen the clues long ago.

Suddenly, they were the only two people left in the reception room.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened and the sun set, leaving only a last ray of light.

After Jiang Xiaqing left, Xu Wen did not speak in a hurry.

He walked to the door and turned on all the lights in the reception room to illuminate the surroundings.

After turning on the lights, the last ray of sunset disappeared completely. "Are you surprised to see me?" Xia Ning was the first to break the silence. She smiled slightly, with an extremely gentle expression.

After she finished speaking, she picked up the water cup and took a sip, but her eyes were silently observing Xu Wen's reaction.

"I'm very surprised. I thought you were just here to resume your studies, but I didn't expect you to take a job at a publishing house."

Xu Wen relaxed his body and leaned against the back of the sofa.

Xia Ning shook her head, her black hair swaying slightly with the movement.

"You misunderstood. I'm not an employee of a publishing house. This is my new book, "Thorn Specimens." She picked up the sample book on the coffee table and handed it to Xu Wen.

Xu Wen took the book. The cover was a simple black and white design with a rose surrounded by thorns in the center. The title of the book was printed with hot silver technology and had a delicate touch.

He opened the title page, on which was printed Xia Ning's pen name and a brief introduction to the author.

The publication date shows that the book has only been on the market for a week.

"A new book is coming out so soon? Wasn't "The Disease Name is You" published just recently?" Xu Wen asked in surprise.

He remembered that Xia Ning's debut novel "The Disease Name is You" had only been on the market for less than half a year. According to the author's writing pace, the new book should not be published so soon.

Xia Ning's eyes fell on the book cover, and she spoke softly, "After encountering certain things, people will soon have an epiphany, and the same is true for writing. When inspiration comes, it can't be stopped."

Xu Wen could tell there was something else behind her words, but chose not to delve into it.

He switched to a businesslike tone and said, "I really like Mr. Xia's books. This cooperation can be regarded as chasing stars at public expense. Of course I agree."

Xia Ning chuckled, her eyes curved slightly, revealing a sincere smile: "Thank you very much for your appreciation, Mr. Xu."

The atmosphere between the two of them subtly eased.

Xu Wen continued to flip through the sample book and found that it was a collection of short stories, each story was accompanied by beautiful illustrations.

He casually flipped to an article in the middle, titled "Taxer", which tells the story of a girl who made her crush into a specimen.

The writing style still carries Xia Ning's unique morbid beauty, but compared to the hysteria in the "The Disease Name is You" period, it is more restrained and mature.

"Can you tell me the content of this book?" Xu Wen asked casually, while continuing to flip through the book in front of him.

Xia Ning picked up the water cup and took a sip, her throat sliding slightly: "This is a book about secret love."

Xu Wen's fingers paused as he turned the page.

He looked up at Xia Ning, who was also looking at him with an extremely serious look.

When it comes to "secret crush", only the two of them know what it means.

While Gu Xingruo pursued Xia Ning openly, she hid in the dark and wrote love letters that she never sent out for three years.

No one understands secret love better than her.

"Secret love," Xu Wen repeated softly, as if responding to things that happened in the past.

The door of the reception room was pushed open again, and Jiang Xiaqing walked in with a tablet computer.

She walked quickly and rushed over.

"I'm sorry to bother you two, Mr. Xu, I just received a confirmation call from the restaurant about your reservation for 7 o'clock."

Only then did Xu Wen remember his date with Gu Xingruo.

He looked at his watch. It was already twenty past six. It would take at least twenty minutes to get from the company to the restaurant.

"Thanks for reminding."

After he finished speaking, he turned to Xia Ning, trying to make his tone sound polite rather than anxious: "Ms. Xia, Director Jiang will be fully responsible for the specific details of the cooperation. If you don't have any questions, you can ask me directly."

Xia Ning nodded in understanding and gracefully put away the documents on the table.

"Of course, I won't waste Mr. Xu's personal time. It's a pleasure to work with you." She stood up, her expression still gentle.

After the third person appeared, both sides continued the game of "pretending not to know each other".

"It's a pleasure working with you. After your new book is published, can you give me a signed copy?" Xu Wen also stood up, hesitated for a moment and added.

Xia Ning's eyes widened slightly, and then she showed a sincere smile, with the corners of her mouth curved just right: "Of course, I will deliver it personally."

Jiang Xiaqing interrupted at the right time: "Miss Xia, let me see you out. Regarding the advertising creativity, our marketing department has some ideas that we would like to discuss with you."

Xia Ning nodded to Xu Wen, then followed Jiang Xiaqing out of the reception room.

Xu Wen stood there, listening to the footsteps of the two people gradually moving away until they disappeared completely.

The air still had the faint scent of Xia Ning's perfume. It was not the strong floral scent she used to use, but a fresh smell with a hint of alienation.

Xu Wen let out a long sigh and picked up the briefcase and the sample book.

When he walked out of the reception room, he noticed that Xia Ning and Jiang Xiaqing were having a pleasant conversation in the office area.

Xia Ning spoke with elegant gestures and pointed at the tablet computer from time to time. She looked like a professional writer and was completely different from the hysterical girl half a year ago.

He didn't disturb them and quietly left from the other side of the corridor.

As the elevator went down, Xu Wen's cell phone vibrated.

It was a message from Gu Xingruo: "Are you done with your work? I'm already at the restaurant, waiting for you~"

The text is followed by a cute cat emoji.

Xu Wen replied: "Just finished, will be there soon."

He stared at the screen for a few seconds and added, "Missing you."

Walking out of the office building, the night breeze brushed across his cheeks, taking away the day's fatigue.

Xu Wenlan got into the car and drove into the traffic. The colorful lights outside the window flickered in the night, decorating the city like a dream.

He remembered what Xia Ning said.

"This is a book about secret love."

For some reason, these words lingered in his mind.

Xu Wen shook his head and turned his attention to his phone, starting to check tomorrow's schedule.

The technical department asked him to discuss a new project in the morning, and in the afternoon he had to review the PPT of the presentation with Jia Mingliang and Wan Zhi.

The busy schedule made him temporarily forget the recent episode.

The taxi was driving through the busy streets, getting closer and closer to the restaurant.

Xu Wen looked out the window, and the night scene of the city passed by like a kaleidoscope.

He suddenly realized that since Xia Ning came back, a delicate balance seemed to have been reached between them.

Neither deliberately avoiding nor being overly intimate, just like tonight, maintaining just the right distance.

The car stopped in front of the restaurant.

Through the glass window, Xu Wen could already see Gu Xingruo sitting by the window, looking down at the menu.

She was wearing a red dress today, which was particularly eye-catching under the warm yellow light, like a dancing flame.

Xu Wen parked the car, straightened his collar, and walked towards the restaurant.

When I opened the door, the wind chimes made a crisp sound.

Gu Xingruo raised her head, and when she saw him, she immediately broke into a bright smile and waved at him.

"You are seven minutes late." Gu Xingruo said with a pout, but the smile in her eyes betrayed her true mood.

She pushed the menu in front of Xu Wen: "I have already ordered the appetizers, and you can decide on the main course."

(End of this chapter)