"Don't be angry. Be a good girl."
This line sounded so familiar.
Every time Lu Yan said this, Ning Anmiao always felt as if she were being unreasonable.
What he really meant was to ask her to stop making a fuss.
Since she first met Lu Yan, she had always regarded him as a savior, a divine being too sacred to be defiled.
She was deeply grateful to him.
From her initial infatuation to the affection that grew over time, she once thought marrying him would be the greatest blessing.
But now, she felt nothing.
Hearing those perfunctory words even made her feel disgusted.
Be a good girl? Why should she listen to him!
A flash of annoyance crossed her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Angry? How could I be angry?"
"The one who was set up and almost raped by Zheng Xing that day was you, not me!"
Ning Anmiao's voice turned cold. She looked at Lu Yan with extreme irony in her eyes. "Biting the hand that feeds you. It truly lives up to Mr. Lu's reputation."
"If Jiang Qiwei sets you up and hurts you again, I won't interfere. You deserve it."
Listening to the irony in Ning Anmiao's words, Lu Yan's eyes were as black as a bottomless pit.
Was this how she saw him?
"Miaomiao, I think you've misunderstood something," he said, looking into her eyes with his deep ones. "I never intended to bite the hand that feeds me."
"On the contrary, I always pay back any grudge."
"I can't see it," Ning Anmiao said without even raising her head. "If this is how Mr. Lu takes revenge, it's really an eye - opener for me."
Just as she finished speaking, the elevator door opened. Ning Anmiao immediately stepped out without a trace of hesitation.
Lu Yan was left alone in the elevator, lost in thought.
---
Three days later, Jiang Qiwei officially joined Galaxy Capital as the chief fashion design director.
The employees of Galaxy Capital were thrilled, thinking there would be more drama.
What did "chief" mean?
There could be only one chief at most.
Both Ning Anmiao and Jiang Qiwei were influential fashion designers. It was hard to tell who was better if they were really compared.
Most importantly, there couldn't be two "chiefs" in the company.
Jiang Qiwei thought she could get closer to Lu Yan after joining the company, but she realized she had miscalculated.
Her office was on the third floor, while Lu Yan's was on the ninth.
That wasn't all. She just found out today that Lu Yan and Ning Anmiao shared an office.
The difference in treatment was obvious.
Jiang Qiwei gritted her teeth. Thinking about how hard she had worked to get into Lu Yan's company but there was no progress in their relationship, she was extremely frustrated.
Thinking of the day when "Ning Anmiao" spoke up for her in the office, she couldn't help sneering.
She originally thought "Ning Anmiao" was an innocent girl, but it turned out she was more scheming than anyone else. She deliberately made "Lu Yan" agree to let her into the company, not only creating a considerate image for herself but also showing off that she shared an office with Lu Yan.
In other words, it was a way of showing off.
Sure enough, this Ning Anmiao was not an easy person!
Two tigers couldn't live on the same mountain. It seemed her next goal was to kick Ning Anmiao out of the company!
---
Before Jiang Qiwei could go after "Ning Anmiao", the latter came to her on her own.
During the lunch break one day, Jiang Qiwei had just returned from the employee cafeteria and was about to take a nap in her office when she saw "Ning Anmiao" waiting for her.
When "Ning Anmiao" saw her coming back, she got straight to the point. "Miss Jiang, are you quite annoyed with me?"
"Anmiao"'s directness caught Jiang Qiwei off guard. She hadn't even had a chance to show her prepared polite words and fake smile.
She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out "Ning Anmiao"'s real intention. "What annoyance?"
"Isn't it annoying to work under the same roof with me?"
Jiang Qiwei's pupils suddenly shrank. She was shocked that her thoughts had been revealed. But she still habitually pretended. "Miaomiao, are you overthinking? I..."
"Since you've already drugged me, there's no need to act innocent here."
"Ning Anmiao" looked at her leisurely, with a calm and casual expression. "Let's be frank, Jiang Qiwei."
Jiang Qiwei frowned.
"Let's make a bet. The winner stays in Galaxy Capital, and the loser leaves without any complaint."
The bet was so tempting that Jiang Qiwei couldn't refuse.
"What shall we bet on?" she blurted out instinctively, her eyes shining with anticipation.
No matter what it was, she would win!
"Since both of us have ideas about fashion design, let's bet on that."
"Ning Anmiao" said it so casually that Jiang Qiwei suspected for a moment that she was joking.
After all, Ning Anmiao didn't need to take such a risk.
While Jiang Qiwei was still thinking about the authenticity of the bet, "Ning Anmiao" straightened her back calmly, thought for a few seconds, and then slowly said,
"Galaxy's group of artists are going to participate in a fashion magazine shoot next month. There are a total of twelve artists."
"That means we need twelve dresses. You and I will each design a series. In the end, all the senior executives of Galaxy Capital will vote to choose."
"In this way, it's fair and just."
Before Jiang Qiwei could react, "Ning Anmiao" had already left with a flick of her sleeve, not intending to hear her reply.
It seemed that she had come just to inform her.
She really knew how to put on an act!
A flash of coldness crossed Jiang Qiwei's eyes.
---
After that noon, the news that Mrs. Lu was going to compete with Miss Jiang spread like wildfire throughout Galaxy Capital.
Everyone was looking forward to this battle between the titans.
It was supposed to be Ning Anmiao competing with Jiang Qiwei, but Ning Anmiao herself was the last one to know.
"You're going to compete with Jiang Qiwei in design?" Ning Anmiao couldn't believe her ears. "Can you design?"
"No," Lu Yan said casually as he leaned back on the sofa. "So you draw the designs, and I'll show up on your behalf."
Ning Anmiao: ...
Thank you.
She would rather he didn't do this. It was simply adding extra workload to her.
"This isn't adding extra workload to you," Lu Yan replied calmly.
"As the design director of Galaxy Capital, designing dresses for artists is your job in the first place."
Ning Anmiao pouted and rolled her eyes at him. "If we lose this competition, it won't be my job anymore."
She was really on the verge of tears. It wasn't even her who made the bet, but she had to bear the consequences of losing. Lu Yan could just be a hands - off boss.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Are you so sure you'll lose without even trying?" Lu Yan saw that Ning Anmiao was about to give up and added provocatively, "Or do you think you're no match for Jiang Qiwei?"