BXBX NOVEL Chapter 52
“Yes, yes, yes, absolutely!” Li Shengxia nodded frantically like a pecking chick.
He announced calmly, “Do a full body checkup tomorrow. You can leave if the results show you’re all right.”
Her eyes twinkled with brilliance immediately. “How long will that take?!”
His gaze was as still as water. “It can take up to half a month.”
“…” What! Half a month? Then the past week she spent in the hospital was for nothing? She protested again, “You have ways to speed up the process, right?”
He raised an eyebrow before replying slowly. “Once a day, depending on your performance.”
How could this douchebag say something shameless like that without batting an eyelid!
Once a day meant seven times a week! Fifteen times in half a month! Was tonight the night that she would finally go mad!?
That same night, all she could think of was how miserable she would be if she stayed in the hospital for another fifteen days. Eventually, she decided instead of driving herself nuts, she would allow the man to devour her the entire night over and over again.
The sacrifice lasted throughout the night. Aching all over, she felt as if all her limbs were out of joints…
Finally…
It ended!
She was quick to fall asleep.
Lying between his arms that night, she had one of the most serene nights of sleep in a long time.
The following morning, she received the test results not long after going through the tests. She was finally allowed to be discharged! She swore she would never get sick or step foot into a hospital ever again! It was, without a doubt, torture!
*
Several days had passed since Li Shengxia attended work.
“Hey, look, isn’t that First Young Lady Li? I thought she wouldn’t show up again.” The receptionist from her company mocked as the woman arrived.
Another receptionist echoed, “I heard she’s challenging Jian Dan to the fashion showcase that’s coming up at the end of October.”
“Haha, people say the young are fearless. All she ever succeeded in was getting into several men’s beds yet she’s arrogant enough to challenge Jian Dan, the famous designer.”
She ignored the glances thrown in her direction and headed toward the design department alone.
People in the department instinctively turned to the door.
“Shengxia, it’s been a few days since you came. I thought you were never coming again.” The voice belonged to Ling Yarang. He had always been polite and kind toward her, never once looking at her strangely.
She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart and smiled at the man. “I couldn’t come to work because of some personal matters.”
“The person that disappeared without notice after the first day of work suddenly returned out of the blue. How interesting.” Tan Qing took a sip of the coffee he was holding. The corners of his lips twitched into a mocking smile.
“Shengxia, are you really going to accept the challenge?” Ling Yarang whispered, “Jian Dan is an internationally-recognized top designer. That puts you in an unfair situation.”
“How is that unfair? Isn’t that the best opportunity to prove her worth?” Pianpian raised her head to glance at Li Shengxia before occupying herself with work again.
In other words, even if competing against Jian Dan placed Li Shengxia at an unfair disadvantage, allowing her to stay in the design department was not fair to the numerous designers who wished to work here either!
Exactly! Why was she allowed to stay here without putting in any effort? Just as Jian Dan had mentioned before, this young lady had neither an impressive academical background nor experience in the industry, not to mention that she did not even attend fashion school…
Ling Yarang looked at Li Shengxia helplessly. Jian Dan was infamous for her hot temper and stubbornness.
He said, “Don’t be shy to ask for me if you need anything. I’ll teach you everything I know.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile.
“No problem. We’re colleagues.”
“It’s too early to say.” Jian Dan entered the office right at this moment and began heading to her desk. That cold glance she cast in Li Shengxia’s direction was filled with an unmistakable disdain.
Ling Yarang returned to his seat immediately.
Li Shengxia spoke when Jian Dan walked past. “Senior, don’t worry, I’ll give my best.”
“Do you think giving your best means anything? Fashion design is not as simple as you think!” The latter paused in her tracks to glare at the other woman. “You should save your amateur skills for somewhere else! Why taint the fashion industry with them? I’ve shown you mercy but here you come again. You really do think highly of yourself!”
Li Shengxia refused to take the insult. “All you have is your reputation. Who knows how well your sales will be if that title is stripped off.”
A heavy silence fell upon the entire room and everyone turned to face the two women.
Even Pianpian, who was always engrossed in her own work, paused. She thought Li Shengxia must be mad to speak to an experienced senior like that.
Simultaneously, Jian Dan could feel all eyes on her. Her face fell immediately having been insulted by the newcomer that she hated so much!
She was the one who initiated this mess but the newcomer was definitely at fault for talking back to a senior! Unforgivable.
“My designs have always been the best-selling in the past several years. Surely that means more than my fame? You’re saying my creations won’t sell? What a joke! You’re a nobody who hasn’t even done proper market research. You’re too bold to say that.”
“I dare you to compete against me, a newbie, completely anonymously, and we shall see whose design is more popular. You can always criticize me later if I’m wrong.”
Li Shengxia did not mean it in a bad way; she was only trying to get her voice heard.
She thought Jian Dan’s recent creations seemed to be lingering around similar concepts instead of incorporating fresh innovation, not to mention that her sales were dropping as well. The woman only managed to keep going because of her accumulated fame.
However, she refused to deal with the fact that she was facing a creativity burnout.
Jian Dan was furious upon hearing her words. “Even internationally famous designers won’t stop complimenting my work so who are you to comment? Ridiculous! Do you think your design is better than mine? Let’s crown your creation with my name and see if it’s more popular!”