Chapter 5: Discussing Cooperation
She glanced up at the gilded sign and stepped toward the reception desk.
“Hello, I’m the head of Youning Corporation. I’d like to trouble you to make an appointment with Mr. Bo for me.”
Shen Ling stated her purpose directly, but the receptionist didn’t even bother to lift her head, waving her off impatiently. “Our Mr. Bo has gone to the airport to pick someone up. Try another day.”
To pick someone up?
Shen Ling frowned, pressing further, “Do you know roughly when he’ll be back?”
The receptionist, seeing Shen Ling’s persistence, knit her brows and was about to reply when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a group entering. Instantly, she straightened up.
“Mr. Bo!”
Shen Ling paused before turning around.
Bo Jinkan was the same as ever—aloof and untouchable. His impeccably tailored suit accentuated his tall, well-proportioned figure; his brows were sharp, his eyes like stars, lips pressed into a thin line. There was a chill in his gaze, and an overwhelming air of nobility that commanded instinctive submission.
But he was not alone.
A woman walked beside him, long hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes gentle as water. Every gesture embodied the poise of a noble family; she walked confidently at his side, meeting the stares in the lobby with calm dignity.
“That’s Mr. Bo’s fiancée, I’ve heard she’s the eldest daughter of the Qian Group,” the receptionist whispered to Shen Ling, her face full of envy. “A match made in heaven—like something out of a real-life CEO romance.”
Shen Ling’s heart was as still as dead water, untouched by even the faintest ripple.
She wore no expression, only thinking to herself that they were indeed well matched.
She was nothing more than a plaything Bo Jinkan could toy with and discard at will; the one truly suited for him would always be a lady of equal standing. She was cast aside, left with pain and resentment, struggling to survive in the mire, while he stood high above, radiant with promise.
Her hand clenched and relaxed at her side before she forced a professional, formulaic smile.
Bo Jinkan and his companion had already reached her.
“Mr. Bo, this lady says she’s here to discuss a partnership with you,” the receptionist announced, her earlier gossip replaced by respectful formality.
Bo Jinkan did not respond. Instead, his eyes turned with concern to Qian Ning at his side. “It’s cold here—you’re not dressed warmly enough.”
The unexpected care left Qian Ning a little flustered. She shook her head apologetically, “I left my coat at the airport.”
Without hesitation, Bo Jinkan shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
Only when their exchange ended did he seem to notice Shen Ling, turning a cold gaze on her as he nodded. “Leave the contract. I’ll have my assistant contact you after I’ve reviewed it.”
His tone was strictly business, a chill in his words that kept her at arm’s length.
Shen Ling’s smile did not falter. “If you have the opportunity, Mr. Bo, I hope to present our proposal to you personally.”
Bo Jinkan’s gaze lingered on her face, as if he wished to catch every subtle change in her expression. Yet his voice remained cold and impatient. “That won’t be necessary.”
Shen Ling’s hand tightened for a brief moment, but her expression remained unchanged. Knowing when to retreat, she nodded. “Then I won’t take up any more of your time.”
With those words, she left without hesitation, not sparing them another glance as she strode past.
She did not see the rigid set of Bo Jinkan’s face, nor the chill radiating from him.
Qian Ning, however, watched Shen Ling’s departing figure with a hint of surprise.
She had recognized her.
Glancing thoughtfully at Bo Jinkan, who had already regained his composure, she suddenly understood the reason behind his earlier display of concern.
By chance, Qian Ning had once stumbled upon Bo Jinkan’s private photo album—a collection of hundreds of photographs, every last one of them depicting the woman who had just left.