Sweet Temptation! The Beauty in President Pei's Palm is Too Alluring

On Monday, Shu Hua arrived at the design department on time. It was just a minor ailment, not something that warranted taking leave.

As usual, she made herself a cup of warm honey water, turned on her computer, and began organizing the design drafts she hadn't finished last week.

Yao Zhiyao lowered her voice, "I heard that a new employee is coming today, and Director Qiao went to pick him up personally."

Shu Hua raised an eyebrow: "Such a big fuss?"

"It seems to be the daughter of General Manager Li from the Marketing Department," Yao Zhiyao said, pursing her lips. "She was parachuted in."

The two were talking.

Jona walked over, followed by a young girl—with wavy, curly hair, sunglasses pushed up to her head, a suit with a prominent logo print, and carrying a crocodile Birkin bag. Her perfume was so strong it could be smelled from several meters away, sweet and cloying.

"Everyone," Jona clapped her hands, and all twenty-odd people in the design department looked up. "Let me introduce our new colleague, Jiang Chu. He'll be in Group Two, working with Li Cheng."

Jiang Chu then leisurely removed her sunglasses, revealing a meticulously made-up face. She casually glanced around the office, her eyes holding a condescending scrutiny, finally settling on Qiao Na, her voice high-pitched and coquettish: "Where is my seat? Why isn't there even a private office here?"

The disdain in his tone was undisguised.

Qiao Na's lips twitched slightly, and she said helplessly, "Ms. Jiang, our design department has open-plan workstations to facilitate team communication and collaboration. Your seat has already been assigned, next to Team Leader Li." She pointed to an empty seat by the window.

Jiang Chu glanced in the direction she pointed, pursed his lips, and was clearly very dissatisfied.

Qiao Na didn't want to argue any longer, so she turned to Li Cheng and said, "Li Cheng, Jiang Chu is in your hands now. Let her familiarize herself with the environment and procedures first, and just give her some basic tasks to do." She paused, lowering her voice, "Don't let her get involved in important projects for now."

Li Cheng nodded upon hearing this: "Okay."

After giving her instructions, Jona left.

"This is it?" Jiang Chu stood in front of her assigned workstation, looking disgusted. "It's so small! How can I even move around here? There's not even a place to put my bag!"

Li Cheng adjusted his glasses: "Standard company equipment."

"Not even a rest area?" Jiang Chu crossed his arms. "I want a private office."

"I'm sorry," Li Cheng said calmly, "I don't have that right."

Jiang Chu clicked his tongue and looked him up and down: "Yeah, you're really not that good."

That was quite a blunt remark. Several colleagues exchanged glances, their expressions subtle.

Jiang Chu ignored it and immediately pulled out her phone to make a call: "Dad, my workstation here is too small. Yeah, could you talk to them and arrange an office for me... Yes, I want a separate one, otherwise how can I work? Okay, thank you Dad, I love you the most."

After hanging up the phone, she glanced at Li Cheng smugly: "Just you wait."

Shu Hua only glanced up once from beginning to end, and already knew what was going on. She had no interest in meddling in such matters; she had other things on her mind and just wanted to quietly do her work.

Lunch break, staff canteen.

The design department staff naturally gathered around a table. The center of their conversation was, of course, the new young lady.

"My God, can you smell her perfume? It's giving me a headache," a female colleague exclaimed dramatically, fanning herself.

"It's all logos, like she's afraid people won't know she's rich," another female colleague complained. "Nouveau riche aesthetics."

"She must be the daughter of some high-ranking executive or the CEO of a partner company, someone they forced into the job. Didn't you hear what Director Qiao said? Don't let her touch important projects. It's obvious she's just here to gain experience and coast along."

"That arrogant attitude of hers, does she really think the company is her own? She even called her dad to arrange an office, unbelievable!"

Yao Zhiyao poked at the food on her plate, then suddenly looked at Shu Hua and said, "Sister Hua, you both come from wealthy families, so why is there such a big difference between you?"

Shu Hua paused, her hand still holding the soup ladle out a pause: "Hmm?"

"Look at you, Sister Hua, you're highly educated, capable, beautiful, and low-key. You have no airs at all, and you always speak so gently." Yao Zhiyao counted on her fingers, "That Jiang Chu, what can he do besides putting on airs?"

"Exactly!" a colleague chimed in. "Huahua's outfit is so beautiful, so high-class and sophisticated. Hers... ugh, I can't bear to look at it."

Several young female colleagues' eyes lit up: "Huahua, when are you going to teach us how to dress? You always dress so well."

Shu Hua chuckled: "It's not that exaggerated. Everyone has their own style."

She didn't really want to participate in this kind of discussion.

In the past few months, Shu Hua has established herself in the design department with her abilities. She is also gentle and easy to get along with, and has unknowingly become the department's darling.

In contrast, Jiang Chu's arrogant and domineering manner naturally makes people dislike him.

---

I worked for another week straight.

Jiang Chu indeed "got her wish" and got a small, private cubicle. Although it wasn't big, at least she was separated from the others. Her work hours were extremely casual. When she arrived, she mostly spent her time in her cubicle scrolling through her phone, touching up her makeup, and making phone calls, hardly doing anything productive. Li Cheng was too lazy to care about her; as long as she didn't cause any major trouble, he let her be.

Shu Hua didn't have the time or inclination to deal with those things.

Pei Yanzhou's flight landed around 8 PM tonight. Including the time it takes to get home from the airport, I should be able to see him around 9 PM.

She missed him after not seeing him for two whole weeks.

When Yao Zhiyao returned with water, he saw her upturned smile: "Sister Hua, something's off with you today. Your smile hasn't faded since this morning. What's making you so happy? Did you win the lottery?"

Shu Hua, biting her straw, smiled and said, "It's even more exciting than winning the lottery."

"Hmm?" Yao Zhiyao became even more curious.

Shu Hua didn't hide anything, her eyes curving into crescents: "Yes, someone came back from their business trip today."

Yao Zhiyao instantly understood, letting out an exaggerated "Oh~" and winking, "So it's because my brother-in-law is coming back! No wonder, although our Hua-jie seemed normal this week, she always seemed to lack a bit of energy. Today she's suddenly full of energy again!"

Shu Hua felt a little embarrassed by what she said, so she lowered her head and took a sip of water, but she couldn't hide the sweet smile on her face.

"Sister Hua." Yao Zhiyao leaned closer, her face full of gossip, "When are you going to let me meet him in person? I'm so curious! What kind of man could make our outstanding and beautiful Sister Hua fall in love with him and be so hung up on him?"

Shu Hua touched her nose guiltily: "Another day... if there's a chance..."

I thought to myself: You've met me before, we even had a meal together.

"Okay." Yao Zhiyao pouted, "Do you have any photos? Let me see them first, to satisfy my little curiosity."

"He doesn't really like taking pictures," Shu Hua said honestly.

That's true. Pei Yanzhou's face always looks cold and aloof in photos, making him appear even more sharp. But she thought it was kind of cute. A kind of awkward cuteness, a cuteness that comes from not being good at expressing his softer side.

As she thought about it, she smiled again.

Seeing her like this, Yao Zhiyao clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Oh no, Hua-jie, the way you're falling in love is so sweet it's killing me."