Chapter Twenty-One: Xue Ran Signs the Contract

After dinner, Zhou Xiaoqi and Xue Ran finished tidying up at home and prepared to set out, while Li Feng left to attend to his own affairs.

When they arrived at the building of Cui Group, Zhou Xiaoqi realized for the first time just how grand a company could be. No wonder it was the industry leader.

“Xiaoqi, this really is Cui Group,” Xue Ran murmured in disbelief. She hadn’t imagined she would ever come here for an interview; everyone knew that joining Cui Group meant you were starting out ahead of the rest.

Entering the company’s lobby, they saw a young woman at the reception desk, probably twenty-four or twenty-five, dressed in professional attire. Her posture and smile were impeccable—one could tell from these small details just how high Cui Group’s standards for employees must be.

“Hello, I have a three o’clock appointment,” Zhou Xiaoqi said.

The receptionist responded with a perfect smile, “Please wait a moment while I check for you. May I ask whom your three o’clock appointment is with?”

“Cui Hao.” Zhou Xiaoqi had no idea that bluntly uttering the chairman’s name would shock the receptionist so much she nearly dropped her composure. But, thanks to her professionalism, the receptionist quickly recovered.

“Very well, please wait a moment.” Soon, the receptionist’s voice came again: “Hello, are you Ms. Zhou? Mr. Cui has already informed us. You may take his private elevator directly to the 26th floor.” She pointed to a separate elevator not far away.

Zhou Xiaoqi thanked her, then took Xue Ran’s hand and headed for the elevator. When they reached the 26th floor and the doors slid open, someone was already waiting for them.

The woman had long hair neatly tied at the back of her head, wore a black A-line skirt and a white blouse, and stood tall in eight-centimeter black heels. Her face bore delicate, understated makeup.

“Hello, I’m Tang Lin, Mr. Cui’s secretary. He told me to bring you straight in once you arrived. This way, please,” she said, making a welcoming gesture.

Zhou Xiaoqi and Xue Ran followed Tang Lin down the corridor until they stopped in front of a door bearing the words “President’s Office.” At the sight of the sign, both Zhou Xiaoqi and Xue Ran were so astonished their jaws nearly dropped.

“How do you know the president of Cui Group?” Xue Ran nudged Zhou Xiaoqi with her elbow, whispering into her ear.

“How should I know?” Zhou Xiaoqi was just as bewildered. She had always assumed Cui Hao was, at most, a general manager or something similar. She never expected that he was actually the president of Cui Group.

“Mr. Cui, the two ladies you were expecting have arrived,” Tang Lin announced, breaking the silence in the air.

“Yes, I know. Please bring us two cups of tea,” Cui Hao replied as he set down his pen. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he always spotted Zhou Xiaoqi first in a crowd. She hadn’t changed in the days since they’d last met, yet Cui Hao was keenly aware of how much he missed her.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable,” he said, noticing how awkwardly Zhou Xiaoqi and Xue Ran stood in place.

Even after sitting, Zhou Xiaoqi and Xue Ran remained stiff and uneasy. Cui Hao spoke first: “Xiaoqi, is this your classmate?”

Zhou Xiaoqi, a little slow to react, replied, “Ah? Oh, yes, this is my classmate, Xue Ran—the one I mentioned last time. What do you think?”