Chapter 10
Proofread by Zhou Zhijie
“Miss Ding, please . ” Song Chen reminds her scrupulously . He is now afraid that Ding will lose her temper or even fly into such a rage as to slap or leave as other women might have reacted when faced with such an occasion .
Seeing Ding Manman standing still there, Song Chen thinks that she may get so irritated that she wants to leave, so he gives her a reminder .
But unexpectedly, Ding just pauses for a moment and then follows them in, keeping a proper distance . Observed from the back, Ding just looks like an employee or an a.s.sistant .
The guests have already arrived early, but not until Zhong Shaoting arrived did they start to eat . Even if the guests have high reputation in the business field, no one can equal Zhong Shaoting in status .
All the guests at the dinner are the presidents or senior executives of some companies, all of whom are in their 50s or 60s . Among them, Zhong Shaoting is the youngest and the most eminent entrepreneur .
It is not until Zhong Shaoting sits down that the dinner begins . At the same time, Ding Manman notices that by the side of other guests sit some women in white-collar clothes, revealing their excellent “career line” and white and tender thighs .
Their eyes keep moving back and forth, as if they were looking for a target man . Zhong Shaoting’s appearance at the moment attracts all their attention on the scene . Their eyes, bright and dazzling, clearly convey the message that they like this perfect man .
The dinner starts . The guests are toasting one another with polite and artificial smiles on their faces, while willing so much to defeat their opponents .
Ding Manman hates such hypocritical occasions most, which is related to her dislike for two-faced people .
“Welcome, Mr . Zhong . Please get seated!”
“I have ordered your favorite dishes . I’ll ask the waiters to serve now . ”
“h.e.l.lo, everyone . I am Lin Xi’er, my father is the President of Lin’s Group . He requested Brother Shaoting to help me get acquainted with the company business these days . Nice to meet you all . ” Standing beside Zhong Shaoting, Lin Xi’er says in a haughty tone . No one minds that since she is still young .
Lin Xi’er is declaring in disguise that she is under the protection of Zhong Shaoting . Everyone is clear of what her words implies, thus no one dares to ask her to drink much at the dinner . And some people even keep flattering her, which makes Lin Xi’er very happy and the corners of her mouth, while smiling, almost touch her ears .
In contrast, Ding Manman is striving to be invisible at the dinner . She is supposed to sit next to Zhong but she beats Song Chen by taking his seat which is a little farther away from Zhong Shaoting .
Song Chen doesn’t know how to deal with such an unexpected situation and turns his eyes to his boss for help . Zhong Shaoting nods toward him slightly, and then turns away without casting a glance at Ding . Somehow, Song Chen feels that his boss seems to be in a bad mood . . .
At dinner, Lin Xi’er busies Zhong Shaoting with various questions incessantly . Tirelessly, Zhong answers them one by one with patience and gentleness, which has never happened between Ding Manman and him before .
Zhong and Lin interact as if they were an intimate couple . Everyone at the dinner views Lin Xi’er as Zhong’s little girlfriend . Ding Manman stays aside quietly without attracting any attention from the guests, which is exactly what she expects .
If possible, she would like to stay unnoticed like that until the dinner ends . But unfortunately, those people strive to find a variety of excuses in order to get into a conversation with Zhong . Finally, they set their eyes on the quiet Ding Manman .
“Does this lady come here with you, Mr . Zhong? She looks gorgeous . ” A company president in his fifties says . Zhong Shaoting has multiple collaborations with him, as a result, he usually tries not to cause him to lose his face .
However, this man has a typical weakness: his l.u.s.t for pretty women . It is said that he still has a lot of mistresses even at the age of 57 . Today he also brings two s.e.xy hot women . When he stares at Ding Manman, maliciousness is faintly revealed on his wrinkled face .
Without the fact that Ding Manman has come with Zhong Shaoting, he would have been more presumptuous to her . Even so, he can’t drag his eyes away from Ding Manman, from which everyone recognizes his intention . The instant Ding Manman hears the old man mention her, she detects a foreboding sense of danger .
Before Zhong Shaoting opens his mouth, Lin Xi’er by his side cuts in and says, “She? Brother Shaoting pities her and keeps her as a female companion, but she might be replaced any time . ”
After saying that in a very disdainful tone, Lin Xi’er glances at Zhong proudly as if she were seeking a reward from him .
But this time, Zhong Shaoting does not utter a word . On the contrary, he looks a little sullen, which, in others’ eyes, confirms Lin Xi’er’s words that he doesn’t like Ding Manman .
Owing to her exquisite appearance and elegant temperament, everyone originally thinks that Ding is also a daughter of a rich family as Lin Xi’er .
Lin’s words excite the old man and his concupiscent eyes are virtually fixed on Ding, which makes her shudder uncontrollably . She can even guess what the old man will say next .
“Since this lady is of lesser importance, why not let her come to work in my company? I see this lady can fit in the vacancy in my company as a receptionist with good appearance and temperament . I promise that I will treat her well . She is just of minor importance anyway . What do you think, Mr . Zhong?”
As soon as the old man finishes his words, everyone understands his intention immediately . Everyone is clear of the hidden rules of being a receptionist . Since then, their eyes on Ding Manman turn frivolous .
Ding Manman turns to Zhong Shaoting for help . As long as he disagrees, the man will give up hara.s.sing her . At this moment, Ding really hopes that she does belong to Zhong Shaoting so that he will protect her .
However, the reality is unbearably cruel . Zhong Shaoting not only ignores Ding’s begging eyes but also smiles at the old man .
“Since you said she is of minor importance, there is no need to think about as long as Mr . Cai likes . ” Zhong Shaoting says it in such an indifferent tone . It seems that she is just an item that can be exchanged at will without considering her thoughts and feelings .
Zhong’s indifferent att.i.tude and his words of disposing of her at will instantly render Ding Manman a sense of despair as if she fell down into an ice cave, which overwhelmingly freezes her .