At the entrance of the villa on the first floor, the driver saw the two people walk out of the villa, so he went to the back seat and opened the car door.
After walking to the car door , Serena Li turned to look at Victor Mo. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of several people standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the private room on the second floor. She calmly said to Victor Mo , “Mr. Mo, please go ahead and get busy. I’ll organize my thoughts from today and send them to you later.”
Victor Mo nodded, his expression gentle: “I’ll contact you later.”
Serena Li turned and got into the car, unaware of the slight smile playing on Victor Mo’s lips.
After the car drove away, Victor Mo turned and glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor. His dark eyes seemed to sink into a bottomless pool, unfathomable. After standing at the villa entrance for a while, Victor Mo returned to his private room on the second floor.
The red-haired man remained calm as he entered, his thoughts unreadable. He tapped his chin with his index finger and asked with a probing look, “Brother, did we interrupt your good time?”
Victor Mo took out a cigarette, and the red-haired man tactfully stepped forward to light it for him.
After exhaling a puff of smoke, Victor Mo raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. He didn’t say a word, his aura was icy, and the three of them felt a chill run down their spines.
Two other men were standing by the table. They happened to see the laptop that was still open, and the content on the screen was clearly visible. One of them pointed and said, “Brother, this isn’t some PR person that this company sent you, is it?”
Victor Mo frowned and said sternly, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
One sentence silenced the other three.
“Big brother, we haven’t seen you with a woman around for over a year! Your younger brothers are all concerned about your personal life,” the red-haired man said awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.
Victor Mo squinted at him and said, “You’ve been so bored lately. Tell your dad to arrange a few projects for you to practice on.”
These men were all wealthy second-generation heirs from the Pengcheng business district, and their families all had business dealings with Victor Mo ‘s company to varying degrees. Victor Mo was known in business circles for his ruthlessness and efficiency, and his family elders listened to him. These men, however, were typical playboys who only enjoyed eating, drinking, and having fun, and had no interest in developing any business!
Upon hearing this, one of the men quickly said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve played cards with you, brother. Come on, let’s play cards and talk.”
After saying that, he called the butler to bring over the mahjong set.
……
Serena Li edited her thoughts on the platform that day and sent them to Victor Mo via WeChat . She certainly didn’t think her insights would be of particular value to his investment strategy. However, after thinking about it, she felt it was better to send them anyway.
After sending the message, without waiting for a reply, she turned off her phone, plugged it in to charge, and then went to wash up.
She wasn’t oblivious; after spending time together today, she had a vague idea of what the man meant.
Perhaps in their circle, many things don’t even need hints; as long as you relax a little, many things will develop in a different direction.
She’d heard of similar things before, but since it happened to others, it wasn’t her concern, so she didn’t comment. However, if it happened to her, her feelings were naturally different.
Influenced by her parents from a young age, she holds a conservative attitude towards relationships. She is a slow-burning person; she doesn’t believe in love at first sight and prefers things to develop naturally and slowly. She cannot and will not fall in love with someone immediately; she can only gradually accept and eventually fall in love with him after getting to know him better.
At 26, she watched her female friends engage in fleeting romances, changing boyfriends one after another, seemingly enjoying the constant flow of relationships.
She couldn’t accept this kind of relationship pattern.
……
Friday morning.
The dazzling sunlight streamed in from the south-facing balcony, falling on the light-colored wooden floor. The thin white curtains swayed gently in the breeze from the air conditioner, and a faint jasmine scent filled the room.
Serena Li was sitting at the dining table, talking on the phone with Lynn Yan .
“He invited you to a private, upscale club because he wanted to flirt with you, but you ended up running away!” Lynn Yan concluded after hearing about her dinner with Victor Mo last night.
“Not really,” Serena Li said, rubbing her forehead, clearly resistant to the word “flirting.”
Did he contact you again afterward?
“He called later, but I turned off my phone when I got back. I saw a missed call notification in the morning, but I don’t plan to call back.”
“Serena, is this what you call giving him the cold shoulder? Although I’ve never met him in person, he seems like a pretty assertive person. If he’s interested in you, he won’t give up so easily. What’s that saying… it’s like, ‘The unattainable is always more alluring, and those who are favored are always fearless.’ If he contacts you again, how do you plan to respond?” Lynn Yan believes that this kind of man is naturally fond of conquest; the more unattainable something is, the more he yearns for it.
Serena Li thought for a moment and said, “If he makes it clear, I’ll refuse.” After a few encounters, she subconsciously thought he was a cultured man, and even if he was a womanizer, she figured he wouldn’t force her.
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of someone grabbing the phone. She looked at it and saw that it was the grade leader’s call. She quickly said to Lynn Yan , “I’ll hang up now. The school is calling. I probably have to go back for a meeting soon.”
In the afternoon, after returning to school for a meeting, Serena Li, seeing that she still had some time, went to her friend Joyce Wu ‘s yoga studio to exercise.
Joyce Wu ‘s yoga studio is located in the Dingtai Building, an office building opposite MixC. It has top-notch teachers and a great environment, making it very popular among white-collar workers in the vicinity.
Serena Li entered the Great Xia, she saw a woman walking towards her, wearing a deep red dress, with a slender figure and captivating charm.
Serena Li ‘s eyesight wasn’t very good, and she couldn’t make out the person’s features clearly. She only vaguely recognized her as an extremely beautiful woman. As the woman approached, she politely looked away. Just as they passed each other, she suddenly heard someone call out in confusion, ” Serena Li ?”
Serena Li turned her head, recognized the beauty, and exclaimed in surprise, ” Stella Jiang !”
Stella Jiang smiled at Serena Li and said, “Long time no see!” Her gaze then swept over Serena Li up and down for a moment before she raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re getting more and more beautiful. Do you work nearby?”
Serena Li waved the folder in her hand and smiled, “I’m a math teacher at Z High School now.”
Stella Jiang was visibly taken aback upon hearing this. Before she could say anything, a phone call came in. She gestured for Serena Li to wait a moment before answering the phone, sweetly saying “I’ll be right there” before hanging up.
“I have to go on a business trip now. When I get back, we’ll have a good get-together,” Stella Jiang said with a smile.
“good!”
The two exchanged phone numbers, and Stella Jiang walked out of Dingtai Building.
Serena Li looked at her slender figure from behind and sighed, “Time has made her even more radiant.”
“Serena!” Another voice rang out. Just as she turned to walk towards the elevator, Joyce Wu, who had come in from outside, called out to her.
Joyce Wu waved the two bags of drinks in her hand and said, “I know you’re about to start school, so I bought you a cup of pear tea to soothe your throat!”
Serena Li smiled and thanked her, not forgetting to remind her, “Go easy on me when you’re coaching me later.” She knew Joyce Wu ‘s strength; she always used a lot of force when coaching her.
After the two entered the elevator chatting and laughing, Joyce Wu asked Serena Li , “I saw you talking to that woman in red when I was outside. Do you know her?”
“Yes, she was my college classmate. Is she also one of your private tutors?” Serena Li asked.
“No. You haven’t been here for a while, so you don’t know that floors 15-18 of the building have changed owners. That woman just now is the CEO of that new company. The company is called Huashi Trading, but that’s not the point.” Joyce Wu raised an eyebrow at Serena Li , her teasing expression evident on her face.
“What’s the key point?” Serena Li asked.
Joyce Wu approached her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “I heard she’s the mistress of Victor Tan , the owner of MD Company who bought the Mangrove Bay land for a sky-high price last month. MD opened that company for her. Our property management director, who gives private lessons here, said it, so it’s highly credible! Your classmate is quite something!” After saying that, she patted Serena Li on the shoulder.
“Huh?” Serena Li frowned.
Just then, they arrived at their floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Joyce Wu stepped out first, followed by Serena Li , who inwardly marveled at Joyce Wu’s increasingly impressive ability to gather gossip.
A black Rolls-Royce sped down the road.
Inside the car, the handsome man in the driver’s seat glanced at the woman next to him who was entering new contact information and asked, “Did you run into someone you know just now?”
“She was a classmate from a different department in college, and she was a prominent figure on campus back then. I haven’t seen her for many years, and I never expected that she would be a high school math teacher in Z now,” Stella Jiang said, looking up at the man.
“There are very few people who can impress you!” the man said with great interest.
“Beautiful and capable, it’s a bit of a waste for her to be a teacher. I wonder if she has any intention of changing careers.” Stella Jiang finished speaking, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she had something in mind.
After a moment, he suddenly thought of something else, touched the diamond ring on his hand, and asked, “I heard that Victor Mo of Huanyu is also interested in the Mangrove Bay project?”
“You’re very well-informed. Huanyu and MD have expressed interest in cooperation. I’ve arranged to discuss it further with him after he returns from his business trip.”
“Longyueju has a nice environment. I’ll have someone set it up so you can entertain your guests.”
“I love your thoughtfulness.” Just then, the red light ahead turned on, and the man reached out from behind the steering wheel, took Stella Jiang ‘s left hand resting on her knee, and kissed it.
Their fingers intertwined, their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
Perhaps because she hadn’t exercised in a long time, Serena Li felt exhausted after practicing yoga for an hour and a half. After having dinner with Joyce Wu , she declined the suggestion to go to Butterfly Dream to listen to music and took a taxi home instead.
Before resting, she received a message notification on her phone. She glanced at it; it was a WeChat friend request from ” Stella Jiang .” Serena Li accepted. Soon after, a voice message arrived: ” Serena , I’m boarding my flight to Paris soon. When I get back, I’ll invite you to a party!”
Serena Li wasn’t used to voice chat, so she typed a few words in reply: “Okay, have a pleasant trip!”
Serena Li stared thoughtfully at the chat window .
Stella Jiang was in the same year as her, but in a different college—the business school. They met through a school debate competition and didn’t have a deep friendship, but Serena Li admired Stella Jiang ‘s decisiveness and intelligence back then. After graduating, Stella Jiang went to the US for further studies, and they lost contact afterward. Surprisingly, when they met again, she was already running her own company. Could it be that, as Joyce Wu said, she had a powerful “sugar daddy” behind her?