“I thought you’d be happy. Mr. Chen from Hesha is very popular. Many female volunteers are here for him. This opportunity to pour tea, the inside volunteers were privately trading it for a high price. Tina, the coordinator you just saw, found out and was very angry, so she went to grab someone from outside. You’re very lucky.”
Yan Zhen managed a weak smile.
Lucky? She was definitely having the worst day ever.
Twenty minutes later, guests began to arrive. The event hadn't started yet, and acquaintances and strangers alike were chatting. Groups of people in suits stood together, talking and laughing, the atmosphere becoming formal and serious.
Yan Zhen lowered her head to play on her phone. The girl next to her tapped her lightly. “The guests are taking their seats. It’s time for us to work.”
Reluctantly, she stood up and picked up the teapot, heading towards the first row.
The area was bustling with people, the lighting dim, but Yan Zhen still spotted that familiar figure at a glance.
The man wore a well-fitted black suit that sharply outlined his broad shoulders and long legs. He leaned against the sofa chair with a dignified posture, looking down at the materials prepared beforehand. A beam of light from the stage swept over him, clearly illuminating his chiseled profile. His eyes were dark, his nose bridge high. When he wasn't smiling, he always gave off a cold and aloof air.
The girls passing by, to varying degrees, cast glances at him, but he didn't react, focused on the documents, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
Yan Zhen’s assessment of Chen Huaixu had always been: all that glitters is not gold.
He and her brother, Yan Zhao, had been good friends since high school. They studied abroad together for their bachelor's and master's degrees. After returning to China, Yan Zhao inherited the family business, while Chen Huaixu chose to start his own venture capital firm called Hesha Capital. A few months ago, the renowned pharmaceutical company Yixing completed its IPO, and Hesha took the opportunity to reduce its holdings, making a substantial profit. Chen Huaixu's net worth soared, even landing him a spot on Ningchuan City's Young and Rich List. For a time, he was the center of attention, a rising star in the industry.
But in Yan Zhen’s eyes, apart from his looks and barely passable work ethic, Chen Huaixu had no redeeming qualities. Privately, he had a terrible personality, self-righteous and malicious. Unfortunately, he was so good at putting on an act that everyone except Yan Zhen sang his praises, calling him a promising young talent with outstanding character.
Thinking about this made her feel irritated.
She walked to his side and poured water into his cup with an impassive expression.
She noticed Chen Huaixu’s gaze casually drift towards her, then suddenly stop, moving from her hand pouring the water up to her face.
Yan Zhen’s fingers tightened around the teapot.
The surrounding chatter filled the air. As the water neared the top of the cup, his low, indifferent voice finally sounded, unhurried, “Did Yan Zhao cut off your allowance?”
“...?”
Chen Huaixu's guess wasn't entirely unreasonable. The young miss, Yan Zhen, accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, was now wearing a volunteer's uniform and pouring tea.