The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

The morning light shone through the sheer curtains, casting a soft golden glow that fell on the velvet quilt, causing Shen Qingyao's long eyelashes to tremble slightly.

She moved her fingertips and touched a warm, firm chest. The familiar scent of pineapple, mixed with a faint fragrance of gardenia, filled her nostrils.

Meng Jiangyu's arms were still wrapped around her waist, the force neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a possessiveness that was impossible to break free from, his chin resting on the top of her head, his breathing long and even.

Shen Qingyao tilted her head, her nose brushing against the pale blue vein on his collarbone, causing the person beside her to let out a low hum and tighten his arms around her.

"Awake?" Meng Jiangyu's voice was hoarse from just waking up, the last syllable lingering lazily. His fingertips gently caressed the delicate skin on her waist. "Sleep a little longer."

Shen Qingyao snuggled closer to him, her voice soft and slightly nasal, as if she had just woken up: "Mmm."

He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead, a kiss filled with the sleepiness and tenderness of early morning.

-

The sycamore leaves outside the car window were swept up by the autumn wind and fell softly in front of the glass curtain wall of Yunyi AI.

After several months of hard work, the time for the project presentation has finally come.

Shen Qingyao sent the PPT to Meng Jiangyu yesterday afternoon. Meng Jiangyu, as the client, offered some suggestions: "The algorithm iteration module can be supplemented with alpha test data, which will make it more convincing."

Shen Qingyao looked at her laptop, on which was the project PPT that she and her team members had repeatedly polished last night.

"Don't be nervous, everyone. I believe our results will satisfy CloudWing AI."

"Yes, I'm very confident," Tang Shi replied confidently.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of Yunyi AI. "Keep it up, everyone!"

The three got off the bus one by one, with Professor Li Jing walking in front, wearing a neatly tailored blue women's suit and walking with a steady gait.

Tang Shi and Shen Qingyao followed behind her. Linda, President Chen's assistant, greeted them in the lobby on the first floor, "Professor Li, good morning!"

"Good morning, Linda," Professor Li Jing replied.

"This way, everyone," Linda explained. "Our CEO, Mr. Chen, was originally going to come and pick you up in person, but the board meeting changed the time last night, so you may have to wait a moment."

"Understood, let's go to the meeting room to prepare."

A short while later, Li Jing brought Tang Shi and Shen Qingyao to the conference room. Li Jing sat down to familiarize herself with the manuscript, while Tang Shi and Shen Qingyao adjusted the equipment.

"Mentor, the PowerPoint presentation is ready," Shen Qingyao told Li Jing, and then sat down with Tang Shi.

Linda came in. "Professor Li, it's almost time. Our CEO, Mr. Chen, is on his way."

"Okay." Li Jing picked up the page turner.

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Jiangyu walked in, wearing a dark black haute couture suit, revealing a limited edition Patek Philippe watch on his wrist.

Behind him were executives from Yunyi, and a group of people surrounded him, but his gaze passed over the crowd and landed directly on Shen Qingyao. The sharpness in his eyes faded a bit, and a faint smile appeared.

Everyone stood up to greet him, and General Manager Chen introduced, "Professor Li, this is our investor, General Manager Meng Jiangyu of Hanhai. He heard about today's project presentation and came to listen in."

Meng Jiangyu greeted him politely, "Professor Li, I look forward to your team's presentation."

Li Jing looked up at him, her eyes clear and bright: "President Meng, please wait and see."

Meng Jiangyu smiled, said nothing more, turned and sat down, his gaze deep and scrutinizing. "Let's begin."

Li Jing gestured to Shen Qingyao, who took a deep breath and pressed the screen mirroring button.

Li Jing stood in front of the screen, calmly explaining the core algorithm of the project, while behind her, a large screen displayed a dense array of data streams and model architecture diagrams.

Shen Qingyao took out her phone, placed it under the table, and quickly typed a message on the screen: "Ayu, what are you doing here?"

Then he looked at Meng Jiangyu, who had been listening attentively to the report, when his phone vibrated. Meng Jiangyu immediately took out his phone to reply to the message.

Meng Jiangyu's reply was concise and straightforward: "It's my child's first time participating in a project presentation, so of course I had to come and witness it."

Shen Qingyao's ear tips suddenly flushed red, and she looked up at the man opposite her.

He leaned back in his chair, his posture languid, his gaze fixed on the large screen.

Tang Shi sat next to Shen Qingyao, listening to the report and glancing at her from time to time.

This scene happened to be witnessed by Meng Jiangyu, a man who understands men best.

His eyes darkened slightly, and a faint, mocking smile appeared on his lips.

The smile was so light that almost no one noticed it, yet it revealed a subtle, almost imperceptible, possessiveness.

Two hours later, the presentation concluded successfully. Professor Li Jing had an urgent matter to attend to at home, so Shen Qingyao escorted her mentor downstairs.

Tang Shi was tidying up the documents he had brought in the conference room when Meng Jiangyu returned to the conference room. Jason was waiting at the door. At this time, there were only the two of them in the conference room.

The projection screen slowly rose, revealing the Yunyi AI corporate logo on the wall.

Tang Shi was bending down to tidy up the scattered documents when he turned around and saw Meng Jiangyu walking in.

The light from outside the window slanted in, casting a shadow on his sharply defined profile.

The leather shoes rolled across the carpet, the voice was kept extremely low, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Tang Shi spoke up, "Did Mr. Meng forget something?"

Meng Jiangyu didn't look at Tang Shi; his gaze fell on the chair Shen Qingyao had just sat in. His fingertips casually stroked the crown of his watch, and his tone was as cold as ice: "Hello! I'm Shen Qingyao's boyfriend."

Tang Shi paused, his hand gripping the data cable tightening suddenly.

"My Yao Yao is just young and naive, like a blank sheet of paper." Meng Jiangyu raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Tang Shi, his eyes surging with coldness. "But there will inevitably be some fools who try to snatch her away from me."

"We're the same age, so we have more in common to talk about."

As he finished speaking, he leaned down slightly, his breath carrying a palpable sense of pressure: "She doesn't need love between people of similar age; she needs guidance, support. Can you provide that?"

He stepped forward, his long, slender fingers resting on the edge of the conference table: "You have no social experience, no connections, and no problem-solving skills. How can you be worthy of her?"

Before Tang Shi could speak, Meng Jiangyu chuckled and answered for him: "You can't, but I can."

He emphasized the last few words, as if declaring sovereignty.

"What if she likes me too?" Tang Shi retorted.

Meng Jiangyu chuckled as if he'd heard a hilarious joke, "Oh?"

"She discussed the model with me, asked me questions, and smiled at me..."

Meng Jiangyu couldn't bear to listen to the monologue of an ordinary man and didn't want to waste time arguing with him.

Meng Jiangyu straightened up, adjusted his suit cuffs, and the chill in his eyes was almost frostbitten: "Remember what I said, this is your last chance. If you dare to take another step near her, I will make you disappear forever."

Footsteps sounded again, fading into the distance.

As the conference room door was gently closed, Tang Shi stared blankly at the empty doorway, his knuckles turning bluish-white as he gripped the data cable.

-

The wind under the eaves carried a hint of autumn, causing the stray hairs at Shen Qingyao's temples to flutter slightly.

She had just seen Professor Li Jing off when she turned around and saw Meng Jiangyu leaning against a pillar, holding the beige handbag that she had placed on the back of her chair in the conference room.

"What are you doing here?" Shen Qingyao walked over quickly, her gaze subconsciously glancing behind him. "Where's Senior Tang Shi? Is he still inside packing his things?"

Meng Jiangyu reached out and naturally took her hand, looking down at her with a tone so indifferent that it revealed no emotion: "He said he had something to do at school and left first."

Shen Qingyao said "Oh," and added, "It's so cold outside."

Meng Jiangyu held Shen Qingyao's hands in both of his. The man's palms were warm and dry, and the pressure was just right.

He looked at her, the coldness in his eyes completely gone, replaced by a barely perceptible smile. "Let's go to Wangjinglou for dinner."

"Okay, I want to eat roast duck and hot pot lamb."

"Okay." Meng Jiangyu led her towards the parking lot, his fingertips hooking between hers. "Let's celebrate Yao Yao's great success."