Hearing that Lu Yan actually offered to cook on his own initiative, Ning Anmiao was a bit surprised.
Remembering the black mess he made in the kitchen last time, she still had a lingering fear even to this day.
Just thinking about the possibility of going hungry after a tiring day, Ning Anmiao felt quite complicated. She walked to the kitchen and asked if he needed any help, but was promptly shooed out.
"Miaomiao, wait for me for a while, okay?"
Helpless, Ning Anmiao left the kitchen and obediently sat at the dining table waiting.
Listening to the noises coming from the kitchen, she felt more and more uncertain.
It should still be in time to order takeout now.
...
Before Miaomiao could place an order, she smelled a faint fragrance wafting out from the kitchen.
Ning Anmiao raised her eyebrows. Remembering the burnt smell from last time, she pursed her lips and exited the takeout ordering interface.
Well, then she'd look forward to Lu Yan's performance.
It didn't take long for Lu Yan to come out with a tray in hand. When Ning Anmiao saw the dishes on the tray, a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
There was a braised fish, a small portion of hazelnuts and corn kernels, a plate of cold - dressed vegetables, and on top of that, lotus seed congee. It could be said to be quite sumptuous.
It seemed that Lu Yan had really put in some effort.
"When did you learn how to cook?" Ning Anmiao asked casually, not showing her emotions too obviously.
She didn't want to make him too proud.
Although Ning Anmiao quickly reined in her emotions, Lu Yan still caught the fleeting surprise in her eyes and hooked his lips in satisfaction.
"I took some time to learn," he said lightly, glossing over the countless times he had failed in cooking and all those failed dishes that had ended up in the trash can. "It wasn't too difficult, and it's really fulfilling once you've learned it."
Hearing this, Ning Anmiao lowered her head and looked at the dishes on the table.
The dishes were of moderate difficulty and didn't seem like something one could learn in just a day or two. Could it be that Lu Yan was really a genius who could learn anything quickly?
She picked up her chopsticks and tasted each dish one by one. Her taste buds were gradually stimulated, and she nodded in satisfaction.
"Mr. Lu, your cooking skills are quite good."
This concise evaluation from Ning Anmiao was more than enough for Lu Yan. He lifted his lips and said, "What else do you like to eat? I'll cook it for you next time."
She could even order dishes!
Ning Anmiao didn't hold back: "Then I want to eat fried minced pork patties, drunken shrimp, imperial bean curd, scallions - braised sea cucumber, and I also want to drink the hundred - flavor congee."
Lu Yan: "..."
He was silent for a few seconds.
Then he said slowly, "Miaomiao, if you like these dishes, I can ask the chef to make them for you."
Ning Anmiao couldn't help it and almost burst out laughing.
It turned out that the omnipotent Mr. Lu also had moments of hesitation and would still back down when faced with difficulties.
During the meal, although neither of them spoke, Lu Yan could clearly feel that the atmosphere between them had eased a lot.
After the meal, Ning Anmiao turned on the computer, plugged in the hard drive she had brought from the company, opened the design she had previously made, and placed it in front of Lu Yan.
"Everything is ready. Tomorrow, we'll just wait for Mr. Lu to shine in front of everyone," Ning Anmiao blinked. "There shouldn't be any problems, right?"
Lu Yan: "As long as your manuscript has no problems, I won't have any problems."
His confidence was innate.
Ning Anmiao also firmly believed so.
Ever since she had seen Lu Yan's calm speech at the design competition last time, she no longer worried that he would mess things up on such occasions.
"I still need to deal with some work. You go and rest first," Lu Yan took the computer and said to her over his shoulder, "Get up early tomorrow and do my makeup."
After all, tomorrow he would be facing all the high - level executives of Xinghe Capital, so basic makeup and etiquette were still necessary.
Although there was nothing wrong with this statement, Ning Anmiao still laughed until her waist bent.
The words "do my makeup" sounded so funny coming from Lu Yan's mouth.
"Okay, Mr. Lu. I guarantee to do a flawless professional makeup for you tomorrow!"
Hearing the lightness in her words, Lu Yan curved his lips.
——
The next day.
This unique competition finally arrived. The employees inside Xinghe Capital seemed the same as usual, but everyone was silently paying attention and waiting for the news.
As for the meeting room, the atmosphere was even more solemn.
As the other high - level executives took their seats one by one, Ning Anmiao's originally calm heart started to beat nervously again. Her eyes unconsciously landed on Lu Yan beside her.
He was very calm. Holding the printed design draft in his hand, he calmly looked at everyone in the meeting room. His aura was so natural that there was not a trace of panic.
This was the demeanor of a superior.
Just then, Lu Yan seemed to sense the gaze on him and looked up to meet her eyes.
At that moment of eye contact, Ning Anmiao didn't feel as nervous anymore.
With him around.
Just then, Jiang Qiwei came in. She was wearing a light pink blazer and had her hair pulled up, presenting a refined and capable image of a strong woman.
"Ning Anmiao" was also very beautiful today. Her eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as anyone's. Compared to Jiang Qiwei's somewhat sharp beauty, her makeup looked softer, making people can't help but take a few more glances.
If it came to looks, it was definitely Mrs. Lu who was more outstanding; but this design competition wasn't about looks. It was about real talent.
Seeing Jiang Qiwei come in, Ning Anmiao unconsciously tightened her fingers. Her heart started beating a bit faster, and she began to feel a bit nervous again.
She was confident in her own design.
She wondered what kind of design Jiang Qiwei would come up with to catch everyone's eyes.
...
After everyone had arrived, the initial commotion in the meeting room gradually subsided, and the room fell into silence.
Everyone's eyes were on "Lu Yan", waiting for Mr. Lu to lead this "ring - style competition".
"Lu Yan" thought it was about time, coughed a few times, and said in a deep voice, "Now, you two can each present your designs. Which one of you will go first?"
After saying that, "Ning Anmiao" and Jiang Qiwei glanced at each other.
Before "Ning Anmiao" could speak, Jiang Qiwei stood up first, with a proud and confident smile on her face. "Mr. Lu, I'll go first."
She seemed quite confident.
"Okay, then Miss Jiang can start first," "Lu Yan" pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
It didn't matter who went first; it wouldn't affect the final score.
Jiang Qiwei politely bowed to everyone, then walked up to the big screen and laid out the design drawings in her hand one by one on the display stand.
In an instant, the design drawings were projected onto the big screen.
The moment everyone saw the design drawings, they were instantly stunned, their eyes filled with amazement.
"Hello, everyone. Next, I'll take about ten - plus minutes to tell you about my design concept."
"The purpose of this design is to design cover dresses for the twelve artists under Xinghe. So, I started from the number 'twelve' and chose to use the twelve zodiac signs to design the dresses differently..."
As Jiang Qiwei was speaking, "Lu Yan"'s face became darker and darker. His eyes were fixed on the design drawings on the big screen, his eyes getting colder and his face turning terrifyingly black!