Beauty Snake - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Very Versatile Actress, Xie Yin

Seeing the woman approaching from the doorway, Ji Yunfei couldn’t help but doubt her own eyes.

No way… from creditor to boss? Is there anyone unluckier than me??

As she began to overthink, cold sweat broke out on Ji Yunfei’s forehead. Her eyes darted around erratically; to any outsider, she looked exactly like a thief with a guilty conscience.

While Ji Yunfei was zoning out, the woman had somehow already taken the head seat. Her voice was cold and flat:

“First meeting. I am the newly appointed CEO of the company, Xie Yin.”

“I will be working with you all moving forward.”

“Before we begin, I’ll state my rules.”

“My rules are simple: here, strength is the only logic. If your strength isn’t up to par, you will be eliminated.”

“As far as I know, the Product Design Department currently has many employees who are just coasting along.”

“Sanshi Jewelry has no room for people who are just making up the numbers.”

As she spoke, Xie Yin slapped a list onto the table.

“The employees on this list will be dismissed immediately.”

“As for those remaining… prove your ability to me. Only then will you be qualified to stay.”

“As it happens, I have a major contract here.”

“The deadline is one month. If you cannot produce a proposal that satisfies the client…”

The woman paused, revealing a “harmless” smile. “Your entire department can pack up and leave.”

Before Xie Yin spoke, the conference room had been filled with whispers; after she spoke, there was dead silence. The air seemed to solidify. Ji Yunfei could hear her own heartbeat.

She kept her head down, her eyes sneaking peeks at the person in the main seat. The woman before her was so different from the one who had teased her this morning that they seemed like two different people. Ji Yunfei began to wonder if her creditor had an identical twin.

She’s actually terrifying when she’s serious… I liked her better this morning…

Noticing that Xie Yin seemed to have caught her “peeping” and was casting a meaningful glance her way, Ji Yunfei quickly retracted her gaze. She pretended to nonchalantly study the ceiling for a few moments before sitting up straight as a board, looking a bit silly in her rigidity.

Though she looked proper on the surface, Ji Yunfei’s hands were busy under the table. She stealthily pulled out her phone, opened Xie Yin’s WeChat profile, and quietly changed her nickname to:

“Snake-Scorpion Beauty”

The two-hour department meeting made Ji Yunfei’s head spin. The client this time was the famous luxury tycoon, Qin Xiang. Her requirements were simple: a proposal for an engagement ring that was “wild, powerful, and aesthetic,” and most importantly, aligned with her lover’s preferences.

The saying goes that “no requirements” is the most difficult requirement of all. With just one casual sentence, the client had stumped the entire design department.

“Unacceptable. Take it back and redo it. If you have no talent, get out—”

Over the next few weeks, the sound Ji Yunfei heard most often was Baldy’s roar from his office. Proposals were submitted one after another, only to be rejected one after another. The entire department was shrouded in gloom. Based on the current data, they simply couldn’t grasp Qin Xiang’s tastes…

“Hey! I found something! Qin Xiang has a Xiaolvshu (Little Green Book) account specifically for recording her life!” A shout suddenly broke the silence of the office.

Perhaps thanks to the algorithm, Xiaolvshu had recommended one of Qin Xiang’s notes directly to a colleague’s homepage—a total stroke of luck.

Ji Yunfei also searched for Qin Xiang’s personal account. To her surprise, the tycoon was actually following her.

That’s strange…

Ji Yunfei was puzzled. She didn’t care much for social media; she usually just posted tips and experiences about raising snakes. While she did have a fair number of fans, why would a big shot like Qin Xiang follow her?

But she soon found the answer. In a note from a month ago, Ji Yunfei saw a photo of Qin Xiang and her lover with a basement full of exotic pets—and the majority of those pets were various types of snakes.

Ha! So the big client loves snakes too…

She felt an idea starting to form…

Just as she was brainstorming, Baldy’s abrupt voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Ahem, I have some good news for you all.”

Baldy walked out of his office with his hands behind his back, his face beaming. Seeing his irrepressible excitement, the staff’s jaws nearly hit the floor. When had Baldy ever been this pleasant?

“The higher-ups said that whoever submits a proposal that satisfies the client will get a 50,000 yuan bonus!”

No wonder he’s so happy, Ji Yunfei thought. If this deal goes through, he’ll get a fat bonus too.

“That’s a lot of money… 50,000…” The employees began to chatter excitedly. The news was like a thunderclap in a dead forest; the lifeless crowd suddenly came to life, everyone filled with drive.

Ding— [You have a new message]

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “Is there progress on the proposal? Little Fei-Fei ^v^”

FFF: “I have some ideas. I should be able to try a design soon.”

FFF: “But honestly, CEO Xie, you don’t need to be this concerned about me. We are in a superior-subordinate relationship after all…”

FFF: “Think about it… what boss talks to an employee like this?”

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “This is a private account~ Right now, I’m checking in on you in my capacity as your creditor ^v^”

FFF: “Fine, whatever makes you happy…”

Every time she saw a message from Xie Yin, Ji Yunfei got a headache. Xie Yin would check on the progress from time to time, and her nicknames for her were getting bolder and bolder…

Little Fei-Fei… eww… Creepy.

Not long after that first department meeting, Ji Yunfei had received a message from her:

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “What a coincidence, meeting again so soon~”

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “Good news: if you produce a satisfying proposal this time, it can offset 1/4 of your compensation debt ^v^”

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “If we land this big contract, you can relax for a while~”

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “Isn’t that great?”

FFF: “CEO Xie… your personality and moods are truly flexible and ever-changing…”

FFF: “I will do my best for the proposal.”

Seeing the way Xie Yin chatted online, Ji Yunfei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Compared to the heartless, terrifying “executioner” in the meeting, the online Xie Yin had a serious case of “gap moe.”

I couldn’t tell, she thought. She’s a really good actress. I was almost scared to death by her performance in the meeting.

“Dainty roses blooming quietly~”

“…”

“Hello, who is this?”

The sudden change in ringtone pulled Ji Yunfei back to the present. Looking at the unknown number on her screen, she didn’t think much of it and walked into the empty stairwell to answer.

“Can’t even recognize my voice anymore?”

“Long time no see, my dear daughter.”

“…”

“You’re out… we’ve had nothing to do with each other for a long time. Where do you get the nerve to contact me?”

“Hehehe, still have that fiery temper…”

“Dad just got out. Naturally, I had to find my good daughter to catch up on old times.”

The person on the other end laughed sinisterly. That familiar voice made Ji Yunfei physically nauseous.

“…” Ji Yunfei said nothing, trying her best to restrain the fire in her heart. But her clenched jaw and her trembling hand gave away her true emotions.

“I don’t want anything to do with you ever again, and I won’t see you. In your dreams!”

Click— Ji Yunfei hung up instantly. If she had stayed on any longer, her defenses would have crumbled.

That lingering bastard… he’s out already?

Ten years was too light for him… a man like that should have stayed behind those high walls for the rest of his life…

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