Chapter 14: President Wen, What Are the Terms?

“You can give it a try.”

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Jiang Zhixuan. Raising her hand, she pressed down on Jiang Zhixuan’s wrist, prying her hand away, then lightly tapped her own arm, as if brushing off dust.

“To snatch something away, you still need the fortune to bear it.”

With a cold sneer, Jiang Mian tugged at her skirt and stood up from her seat.

Jiang Zhixuan smiled as she looked at her but hadn’t yet spoken when the door to the private room was opened from outside.

Wen Yan’s expression was far from good; the smile that had been on his face earlier had completely vanished.

“A Yan!” Jiang Zhixuan called out softly, a hint of grievance in her eyes.

Almost instinctively, Wen Yan’s gaze fell on Jiang Mian, his brows slightly furrowed.

Perhaps it was because she showed little expression, she truly looked like she had just bullied someone.

“Jiang Mian...” Wen Yan started to speak, but someone interrupted him from behind.

“Miss Jiang, it’s time to go.”

Wen Jinhui stood behind Wen Yan, mostly hidden by Wen Yan’s body, but his steady gaze was fixed on her face.

Everyone in the private room froze, all turning to look toward the door.

The light in the corridor illuminated Wen Jinhui’s face clearly; no one was unaware of the head of the Wen family.

His tone was calm, and after speaking, he looked at her.

Pressing her lips together, Jiang Mian stepped toward the door.

The room fell silent until she reached Wen Yan.

Raising her eyes, a trace of disdain in her tone, slightly firm.

“Young Master Wen, please let me through.”

Wen Jinhui was still there. Wen Yan glanced sideways at her with a sharp look but still moved aside.

“President Wen.”

“Let’s go.”

With just a few words, the two of them headed down the corridor.

The sound of high heels faded away, and Wen Yan turned to watch that slender figure, unconsciously clenching his fist.

Jiang Zhixuan, who had come up beside him unnoticed, now linked her arm through his.

“A Yan, what’s wrong?”

She could tell Wen Yan was in a bad mood after the conversation but couldn’t figure out why.

It wasn’t until they reached the first floor that Jiang Mian finally asked the question.

“President Wen, may I ask what you wanted to discuss with me?”

She didn’t think she had any standing to discuss business with Wen Jinhui. Anyone with eyes could see that she was worthless right now.

---

The man chuckled softly, raising his hand to point at a business vehicle.

“If Miss Jiang doesn’t mind, shall we discuss this in the car? It’s quite windy outside.”

After the rain, the wind carried a noticeable chill.

Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened around her handbag as she lowered her gaze but still followed Wen Jinhui into the car.

Once the door closed, the interior grew a little warmer.

The partition in the back was raised, so she couldn’t see who was driving.

A gentle breeze blew in from the vent, adjusting the temperature inside to just right.

She sat on the soft seat, hands clutching her handbag resting on her lap.

Silent.

Wen Jinhui glanced sideways, reached into the front compartment for a bottle of water, and handed it to her.

She was momentarily stunned, then lifted her hand to accept it, softly thanking him.

“I have seen the design drafts you gave to Jiang Zhi Mu.”

Hmm?

She tilted her head.

Her palm instinctively pressed against the bottle, but her face only showed a faint frown.

So Wen Jinhui’s relationship with Jiang Zhi Mu had gotten that close already?

She opened her mouth but didn’t utter a sound.

“I heard your studio is facing some difficulties now.”

“I wonder if you’d be willing to work for someone else temporarily?”

“What do you mean by that, President Wen?” She furrowed her brows, still sitting upright.

Wen Jinhui reached for another bottle of water, twisted it open, and took a slow sip without hurry.

Some water clung to his thin lips; he pressed them together, then slowly closed the cap, speaking in an even tone.

“If you agree, Wen Corporation will cover all the expenses for your studio.”

A company like Wen Corporation could find anyone; why did they need her?

Jiang Mian raised her hand to rub her temple and lowered her gaze to her toes.

There were some water droplets on her white heels, but they still looked relatively clean.

“President Wen, what are the conditions?”

As her words fell, the man let out a short, light laugh.

It sounded like something had amused him briefly.

Jiang Mian looked at him but only saw his sharply defined profile—the jawline resembled the model sketches she often drew.

The man slowly turned his head toward her. Jiang Mian remained motionless, staring.

“You only need to provide me with a complete set of jewelry designs each month, preferably a series. I hope to launch a new collection every quarter.”

She was silent.

---

Wen Jinhui’s demands weren’t actually high, but precisely because they were modest, she needed to consider carefully.

Once the jewelry series she designed for Wen Corporation gained recognition in the market, regardless of whether the jewelry bore her name, from then on, the work would be associated with Wen Corporation.

She didn’t want to make bridal gowns for others.

“I’ve already given up once.”

Before, she sold design drafts to Jiang Zhi Mu because she truly lacked the funds to keep the studio running.

But now that things were somewhat better, she didn’t want to do that again...

Wen Jinhui was in no hurry, turning his head to look out the window.

She hadn’t noticed when the rain started falling again outside.

Perhaps because the car was so well insulated, it went unnoticed.

He tapped the window lightly, his gaze distant and unfocused.

“You can think it over. The designer will still be your name.”

Jiang Mian took a deep breath. This was probably the most Wen Jinhui could offer—retaining her rights as a designer.

But if she linked herself to Wen Corporation, likely the studio would be tied to it as well.

In the future, when others mentioned her, she would be ‘Jiang Mian of Wen Corporation.’

She closed her eyes and opened them again.

“President Wen, I think I need some time.”

“No rush, Miss Jiang. One month.”

The man turned his head, a calm smile playing at his lips.

Jiang Mian lowered her eyes, bowed slightly to Wen Jinhui.

“Thank you, President Wen.”

He nodded without saying more.

Jiang Mian opened the car door holding her umbrella, stepped out, and walked away.

As she turned to close the door, Wen Jinhui was watching her. His gaze wasn’t intense but held a trace of seriousness.

“Miss Jiang, contact me anytime once you’ve decided. You know how to reach me.”

“Okay.”

She parted her lips and replied softly.

The door shut, and the interior scene was no longer visible.

The wind and rain battered around her. Jiang Mian shivered and shielded herself with the umbrella as she walked toward her own car.

Wen Jinhui glanced once more before withdrawing his gaze, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed.

The car sped off in the opposite direction, the figure holding the umbrella grew smaller and smaller until vanishing into the rain.

By the time Jiang Mian got into her car, Wen Jinhui’s vehicle was already out of sight.

She took a spare towel from her car to wipe the water off her arm, calming herself down, yet curled up in the seat with a hint of sorrow.

What exactly did they want from her?