程安仪震惊地瞪大了眼睛.她僵硬地慢慢抬起头.
在她的上方,在建筑物的上层,有人靠在栏杆上抽烟.
他们似乎无意中听到了整个对话.
如果有人听说过...
程安仪的脸色变得苍白.她手中的压力略微放松,但就在这时,意想不到的转折发生了.
沈明抓住了这个机会,用一个突然而有力的动作将她推了回去.她的身体感觉失重了,砰的一声,程安仪从楼梯上滚了下来.
重物撞击地面的巨响在走廊上回荡.
一切都发生得太快了,完全出乎意料.
沈明摸了摸她被程安仪抓住的地方,她的目光冷冷地盯着那个从楼梯上跌落的女人.
她的眼中充满了冰冷的轻蔑.
过了很长一段时间,她得意地笑了,嘴角冷漠地上扬.
"呵呵."
就在这时,沉重的坠落声引起了外面一位护士的注意,她喊道:
"这是怎么回事?你们都赶紧来看看.
沈明微微转过身,感应到有人即将开门.
她迅速地走上楼梯,慢慢地走着.
当她走到最后两级台阶时,她的目光与那个站在楼上抽烟的男人的目光相遇.
她僵在原地.
从下面,她只看到了他的剪影,但现在她可以清楚地看到他的脸.
他尖锐的眉毛和星星般的眼睛,苍白的脸上散发着一种安静的权威气息.
他很有气势,但并没有试图成为.
他周围的优雅气息显而易见,手里拿着一根快要燃尽的香烟.他的姿势很随意,但他的眼睛里却有一种深邃,这是由多年的商业经验塑造的.
不是别人,正是荣兆南.
短短几年时间,这个男人就控制了整个海城.眼下,他是城里最炙手可热的人物——顶级金融家,也是海城最有权势的家族荣家的明显继承人.
他是商界的传奇人物,在商业战场上始终不败.
他也是沈明梦寐以求的男人.
在接下来的六年里,她将花掉她必须的一切,以便在他的轨道上.
而现在,他们相遇了.
当他们四目相接时,他的目光是冷漠的,但似乎隐藏着更深层次的东西.
对上他探查的眼睛,沈明并没有退缩.她继续走着,爬到最上面的台阶上,从他身边经过.
Below, the nurses were in a panic, rushing to bring a stretcher to the scene of the accident.
In contrast to the chaos downstairs, Shen Ming appeared calm and unhurried.
She even walked slowly, seemingly oblivious to the ongoing commotion, and said coolly to the man next to her, "Sorry, I hope I didn't disturb you."
As she passed him, she could feel his gaze on her.
Without a second glance, she opened the iron door at the top of the stairs and stepped outside.
The door shut behind her with a soft clang, dimming the faint light of the hallway.
Rong Zhaonan, still leaning against the railing, shook the ash off his cigarette and lazily stretched his gaze.
After a brief pause, he finally stirred, and about a minute later, his assistant, Zhuo Hang, entered the hospital lobby and approached him.
"Mr. Rong, wasn't that the woman you saved on the street earlier? Did she come to thank you? Are you meeting her for dinner later?"
"Thank me?" Rong Zhaonan repeated the words with a smirk.
"You're saying too much," he told his assistant, waving him off.
Zhuo Hang immediately fell silent but quickly added, "Should we ask her how she plans to thank you?"
"How to thank me?" Rong Zhaonan raised an eyebrow, his lips curling slightly.
In the hospital room, his assistant, Lian, passed on another message to Shen Ming.
"Ms. Shen, Mr. Ning sent another message. He says you absolutely must meet with the matchmaker tonight, or he'll pull his investment."
Mr. Ning—Ning Zhiqian—was an investor in Shen Ming's small company. A man who had always played his cards well, keeping both her and Cheng Anyi under his control. He later became her fiancé.
But before all that, he had been her superior.
Even back then, he was already cruel, calculating, and a little off the rails.
At that point, Shen Ming had thought he was just joking about pulling his investment. But in the end, he had actually done it.
Because the potential matchmaker, it turned out, was his cousin.
Shen Ming rubbed her forehead with one hand.
Lian assumed she was worried about the arranged meeting.
"Shall I cancel it for you?"
Shen Ming waved her hand. "No need. Let's just go."
The assistant had another piece of news to deliver.
"Ms. Shen, the man who brought you to the hospital earlier sent someone to ask if you would like to treat him to dinner as a thank you."
Shen Ming waved her hand again, "Just handle it."
That evening, the arranged matchmaker dinner arrived.
Shen Ming sat across from a man who was reportedly from a prestigious university, still in school and not yet graduated.
He wore glasses and looked extremely youthful.
"So, what's the charge?" Shen Ming asked, resting her chin on her hand.
The young man blushed and looked awkward.
"Sometimes it's a bit expensive, sometimes cheaper."
Shen Ming raised an eyebrow. "So, your business has a markup?"
The young man lowered his head, murmuring, "It depends on the customer. If they're not picky, it's much easier."
Shen Ming's lips curved as she thought she understood.
"So, how much would someone like me cost?"
"You're so beautiful, and you look really rich. Plus, you're my brother's friend. I can give you a friend's discount."
"A friend's discount, huh? How much is that?"
The young man turned beet red, embarrassed.
"I can give you an 80% discount."
Shen Ming took a deep breath.
She glanced at the price list he had handed over. Even with an 80% discount, it wasn't exactly cheap.
"Little brother, I think you've misunderstood. I'm the CEO of a company, but we've recently run into a debt crisis. I don't have much money to spare."
Unexpectedly, the young man suddenly gained some courage and spoke more boldly.
"Isn't there your brother? They all say you're his mistress."
Shen Ming's expression turned cold, and she looked at him sharply, suppressing a laugh.
"If rumors are to be believed, why would I bother with you for this blind date?"
The young man thought for a moment, realizing the logic behind her words.
"Well, if you're not with my brother, then... how much can you offer, Sister?"
Shen Ming twirled a strand of hair around her finger and considered, "How about a 10% discount?"
The young man's face turned red with anger. "You have no idea how hard we work in this business—early mornings and late nights, all for the money! How could you try to negotiate like this?"
"Yes, yes, I know. People in your line of work, all STEM majors, always want to stick to the rates. The last time my company interviewed for a technical supervisor position, the pay was about the same. But..."
Shen Ming's tone shifted.
The market rate was one thing, but she was now broke.
And her company didn't really need tech expertise at the moment.
The young man, who had been trying to take charge, now seemed frustrated. "Sister, I'm here on a blind date, not to haggle. If we don't get this right, I'll tell my brother!"
Shen Ming's forehead throbbed with irritation.
Her gaze shifted, and she glanced around the upscale restaurant. The second floor had only two tables—one on her side, and another on the far side.
In the short moment, she was quickly trying to figure out a solution.
"Mr. Chao, what if I told you I already have a partner? This blind date was forced on me by your brother, and I couldn't refuse. How would that change things?"
"Based on the info my brother gave me, if you're not with him, Ms. Shen, it seems like you've been single forever."
Shen Ming's heart sank.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
When she returned from the restroom, she passed by a couple sitting in the corner, engrossed in each other.
The woman was a small-time celebrity, and the man had his back to her. As she got closer, he stood up to head to the bathroom, and she suddenly saw his face.
Taking advantage of this, Shen Ming quietly walked past their table, grabbed a glass of champagne, and casually poured it onto the woman's clothes.
The woman froze in shock.
Shen Ming's voice, icy and cutting, followed: