ATLAS TRANSLATES

Jing Heng’s marketing department was known for being aggressive. The Marketing Director was notorious for his bad temper, flying into rages at the slightest provocation – he wouldn’t even eat lunch without having three to five outbursts a day.

That was the style of Ye Kangning’s predecessor.

Under Ye’s leadership, the director was gentle as a spring breeze, showing little emotional fluctuation. Though he smiled, his eyes always gave people a chilling feeling. He spoke slowly and acted unhurriedly, yet his efficiency never suffered.

Almost all advertising agencies in the industry loved working with Jing Heng.

Most clients these days had questionable tempers. Any company with a bit of fame would be arrogant – even fresh graduates with no experience would berate people over the phone. But in this regard, Jing Heng as a client was nearly flawless. Even when they had opinions or needed revisions, their communication was clear and polite, showing sufficient respect to the agencies.

Moreover, they rarely held pitch competitions, generally sticking with one agency once they chose one. They didn’t maintain long-term partnerships, always open to discovering fresh companies and creative ideas.

So when Lu Hongsheng suggested this long-term partnership, Ye Kangning actually had reservations, especially since they had already been in contact with another advertising agency.

This meant Duo Si was now trying to come in through the back door, attempting to cut in line.

Although Jing Heng and the other agency hadn’t finalized anything yet.

Zhao Mei was skilled at public relations and could see his concerns. She remained composed and proper, her smile elegant and at ease: “Duo Si has built quite a reputation in advertising over the past five or six years. Not to be immodest, but our team’s capabilities definitely rank among the industry’s top. We guarantee quality and would never damage our own reputation. If Director Ye is really worried, we’re open to a pitch competition.”

As the secretary brought in coffee and the conference room door opened and closed, Chu Zhi pushed her keyboard away and looked at Pink Shirt: “Do they usually have these meetings so early in the morning?”

“No, they probably want to settle it early,” Pink Shirt said quietly. “This was arranged by the Vice President. You might not know this, but did you know the Vice President and President share the surname Lu?”

Chu Zhi shook her head, then startled, blinking: “Are all the bosses at Jing Heng surnamed Lu?”

“No, just these two, plus the very top one.”

Chu Zhi’s face went pale.

She still remembered the man she’d met at the office door last time, whom the supervisor had also called Vice President Lu. At the time, Chu Zhi felt that although he was handsome, there was just something inexplicably off-putting about him – he didn’t seem particularly proper.

To put it more simply, his demeanor gave off a creepy vibe of someone who would engage in workplace harassment.

Chu Zhi trembled as she clutched the edge of the desk: “Are those two father and son?”

Pink Shirt raised his orchid finger affectedly: “You clever little thing.”

“…”

Chu Zhi’s small face went deathly white as she closed her eyes in despair and horror.

Meanwhile, Pink Shirt continued: “Word on the street is their relationship has always been bad. When the son returned from America, he directly pushed his father out of position. But people were happy to see it – Lu Hongsheng’s reputation in the company hasn’t been great these past few years, his management ability seeming lacking. But after all these years, he probably still has some connections with the board and higher-ups. When it was just him in the company it was fine, but now that his son is back, he’s getting nervous and rushing to make moves. We commoners can’t understand the world of the wealthy.”

Chu Zhi was already amazed: “You seem to understand quite well.”

Pink Shirt: “Anyone can talk big. You hear enough and you pick things up.”

Chu Zhi nodded: “So whose side is our Boss Ye on?”

Instead of answering, Pink Shirt asked: “Well, whose side are you on?”

Chu Zhi wanted to say isn’t that obvious?

She paused, then said without much sincerity: “I choose the handsome one.”

The returnee sitting across from her snorted loudly and clearly.

Several hours later, the people finally emerged from the conference room. Duo Si had sent three people in total. As the Product Manager escorted them to the office door, Chu Zhi peeked out for a look.

She met Xiao Yi’s gaze directly.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, just as Zhao Mei turned to look as well.

She saw Chu Zhi and was clearly surprised: “Chu Zhi?”

Chu Zhi stiffened, aware that all the gazes in the office had turned to her.

The manager, seasoned in reading people’s expressions, caught the flash of surprise, disgust and something like jealousy in her eyes as she followed her gaze to Chu Zhi.

The manager was puzzled – one was a fresh graduate intern, the other a seasoned female executive. It seemed impossible these two would have any connection.

The Product Manager smiled genially: “Manager Zhao knows her?”

Zhao Mei smiled and turned to leave: “Yes, she interned at Duo Si before,” she paused, as if casual, “there was a bit of unpleasantness. Young girls can be a bit temperamental.”

She seemed to mention it in passing, not wanting to say more. The Product Manager didn’t ask further, but gave Chu Zhi a few extra glances after escorting them to the elevator.

Chu Zhi felt uneasy. Pink Shirt patted her chair back: “What’s the story? You know them?”

Chu Zhi scratched her head, not really wanting to discuss it, and said dryly: “I interned at Duo Si for a while in my junior year.”

Pink Shirt shrugged and went back to work.

In the afternoon meeting, Ye Kangning told them about the morning’s events. He hadn’t agreed, but since Duo Si had strong business capabilities and showed sincerity, plus Lu Hongsheng’s introduction, he decided to first ask the other advertising agency Yue Ma’s opinion. If they also agreed to a pitch competition, then the three parties would discuss further.

Either way, Chu Zhi felt this seemed a bit underhanded, but then thought perhaps her view was too naive.

She studied advertising and had some internship experience at an advertising agency. She knew how much agencies hated pitch competitions.

All sorts of problems and errors could arise in pitch competitions, and generally when problems occurred, the agency would be the one to suffer.

Compared to Duo Si, Yue Ma had less name recognition and a shorter history, starting as just a small studio. But they were known for being small yet excellent, with highly creative and distinctive projects, showing strong momentum over the past year.

Within a couple days, word came that Yue Ma had also agreed to the pitch competition.

With Duo Si already saying they didn’t mind competing, their provocation and confidence practically written on their foreheads, if Yue Ma backed out now, it would seem like they lacked the courage to compete, which would be somewhat frustrating no matter how you looked at it.

Chu Zhi suddenly felt the advertising industry’s spirit of fighting for pride rather than mere profits.

That evening during dinner, Chu Zhi brought this up with Lu Jiaheng.

Lu Jiaheng was reading at the time, barely lifting his head. Chu Zhi would poke his hand with the end of her chopsticks, and he would mechanically take a bite. After waiting a while, she’d poke again, and he’d take another bite.

This repeated until Chu Zhi finally lost her temper, throwing down her chopsticks: “Lu Jiaheng, are you eating or reading?”

Lu Jiaheng finally looked up at her: “Why so angry? Unhappy?”

“Who’s unhappy,” Chu Zhi pouted, “Finally get to eat alone with you when my parents aren’t home, can’t you pay attention to me? I’m telling you something important.”

Lu Jiaheng made an “mm” sound, “I’m listening. What’s not proper about it? Are you playing house? We’re the client, of course we want to choose the best. Besides, nothing’s been finalized with the other advertising agency, it’s just an intention.”

He closed his book and used his chopsticks to put a slice of braised beef in her mouth, “Lu Hongsheng doesn’t have much left in his hands lately, just an entertainment company and a piece of land in the neighboring city. Once the urban construction bureau approval comes through, that’ll be it. He thinks it’s a new economic development zone, but it’s just an overvalued piece of worthless land that won’t make any waves.”

From his words, Chu Zhi couldn’t feel any recognition of this person as his “father.”

She had never seen how Lu Jiaheng acted face to face with his father, but just thinking about it made her feel very, very sad.

They say parents and family are a person’s most solid harbor. If you don’t have these, how do you get through all those difficult days that one person can’t handle alone?

Though Chu Zhi felt sour inside, she didn’t show it, only continuing to look worried and still somewhat unable to understand: “If you lose, will your father really not give you any money?”

“Maybe not, and even if he doesn’t give me a penny, I can earn it myself. But it’s not the same.”

Chu Zhi blinked, focusing on the “I can earn it myself” part: “You’re quite confident.”

Lu Jiaheng gave a half-smile: “At least enough to support you.”

He paused, chopsticks hovering over the rice: “What, worried I’ll become penniless?”

Chu Zhi ate a vegetable, chewed and swallowed it, then shook her head seriously: “It’s okay, if you really become penniless I’ll support you.”

Her serious yet cute expression, round bright eyes looking at him, made him laugh softly, though he didn’t take it seriously: “Alright then, I’ll just be a freeloader at home.”

Chu Zhi had already picked up her chopsticks again, putting various dishes into his bowl. At his home, during his two years abroad Lu Jiaheng had learned to cook a few dishes. Along with the braised beef wings and other things Chu Zhi bought from the grocery store at the community entrance, they had four or five dishes, making quite a feast.

As she put food in his bowl, she nagged like a little parrot: “Lu Jiaheng, even though work is busy, can you please eat properly when it’s time to eat? I feel like you’ve gotten thinner again recently.”

He ate quickly, finishing a bowl of rice in no time, turning his head: “With you chasing after me feeding me every day, how could I get thinner?”

Chu Zhi looked up, her free hand pinching his jaw, turning it this way and that, looking up and down: “Your dark circles are worse again, and you didn’t shave this morning,” she made a disgusted expression, pinching his face, “It’s prickly. Lu Jiaheng, you don’t shave, you’re so dirty.”

Lu Jiaheng raised his eyebrows, making a meaningful and slightly annoyed humming laugh, dropping his chopsticks on the table and leaning back, his foot pushing the chair back a bit: “Come here.”

Chu Zhi was biting a bean sprout and looked up: “Mm?”

He patted his thigh: “Sit here yourself.”

Chu Zhi’s bean sprout fell onto the table.

She blushed, smacking her lips a couple times, saying quietly: “What for…”

Lu Jiaheng said unhurriedly: “Didn’t you say I was dirty? Let’s do something dirty.”

“…”

Chu Zhi swallowed, took about fifteen seconds to mentally prepare, then closed her eyes and put down her chopsticks, suddenly standing up.

Lu Jiaheng had been sitting Buddha-like with his legs spread in the chair, but her sudden movement startled him. Just as he was about to sit up straight, Chu Zhi had already walked to his side, swung her slender leg over, and directly straddled him.

He slumped down a bit, and she ended up sitting right on his sensitive area.

Lu Jiaheng had only been teasing her, not expecting her to actually come over. Young Master Lu received quite a shock, holding her waist with one hand as he scooted back to sit up straight, letting her slide down to sit on his legs.

In this position Chu Zhi’s feet couldn’t reach the ground, so she just dangled there, raising her slim white arms to wrap around his neck, biting her lip with a red face as she looked up at him.

Lu Jiaheng looked down at her, his gaze slightly unfocused: “Little girl’s graduated and getting bolder by the day?”

Chu Zhi tightened her arms around his neck. She was a bit nervous, her legs also squeezing together, her arms even starting to shake.

But she still stuck out her neck, completely maintaining a “I’m going to make trouble today” attitude of not backing down.

Chu Zhi licked her lips, muttering: “Can be even bolder…”

As she spoke, she pulled him down and raised herself up to kiss his lips.

At first, she took the initiative, like a pecking bird, lightly pecking again and again, pressing her lips against his then moving away, then pressing again.

Lu Jiaheng let her play for a while before he finally couldn’t resist anymore. He ground his teeth together and raised his hand to press against the back of her head, using his other hand to push away the bowls on the dining table.

Finally, after Chu Zhi was pressed against the dining table exchanging saliva for quite a while, the man laughed lowly and turned his head to bury it in her neck: “You’ve improved, now you know how to breathe.”

Chu Zhi blushed, kicking her legs at him, only to have him grab her ankle and push it up.

Her knee bent and folded, thigh pressing toward her body.

Chu Zhi felt embarrassed and called out to him: “Lu Jiaheng!”

He remained unmoved, continuing to press her ankle up, his voice full of mischief: “Still feeling bold?”

She quickly said: “Not bold, not bold.”

“Still deliberately provoking me?”

“Won’t provoke, won’t provoke.”

Lu Jiaheng was finally satisfied and let her go, helping her up from the table and setting her back in the chair. He moved the food he had pushed aside earlier back, sat down himself, pushed his empty bowl forward, and opened his book.

Chu Zhi hadn’t recovered yet, still staring at him blankly with a red face.

Lu Jiaheng looked up from his book, pushed the chicken wings and braised beef toward her, and lightly tapped her bowl with his chopsticks: “What are you looking at? Hurry and eat, then go downstairs to sleep.”

“…”

Chu Zhi blushed again, trying to maintain composure: “Lu Jiaheng, my parents probably won’t be back until very, very late today.”

He lowered his head, continuing to read, pretending not to understand: “Don’t worry, you have You Cai to keep you company. If you’re really scared, you can video call me.”

“…”

Chu Zhi felt like she had suddenly lost all sense of shame recently.

What was going on?

Why did their roles seem to suddenly reverse?

It used to be him acting this way.

But now she had graduated, she wasn’t a child anymore.

Whatever, what use was shame?

What use was shame!!!

Chu Zhi’s face was flushed as she took a deep breath, not daring to look at him, tightly closing her eyes with a face of desperate resignation.

When she spoke, her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s: “I meant, I can leave very, very late today…”

He looked up: “Then why were you dodging earlier?”

“The… the dining table…”

He finally laughed softly: “No.”

She stared blankly: “Huh?”

Lu Jiaheng lazily turned another page in his book, looking casual and indifferent: “You have work tomorrow. I need all your time free for me, the full 24 hours kind,” he raised his eyes to give her a light glance, “otherwise it won’t be enough.”

Chu Zhi: “…”