As Li Yuebai spoke,
those still lingering in the conference room froze mid-motion!
Their eyes swiveled uniformly toward Xu Mo.
Holy crap!
This utterly ordinary-looking guy actually knew their boss's boss?!
Xu Mo paused, glancing at her. "What is it?"
Li Yuebai didn’t rush to answer. Instead, she swept a glance at the others.
"Do you still have business here?"
The others shook their heads vigorously, scrambling out in twos and threes.
This was their boss’s boss—twice over.
Who’d want to risk getting on her bad side?
As for whatever connection existed between her and Xu Mo…
They could gossip about it later with their colleagues.
No point sticking around and annoying her.
Once the room had mostly cleared, Li Yuebai locked eyes with Xu Mo. "I’m treating you to lunch."
As if worried he might refuse, she added, "Just this once! I, Li Yuebai, don’t like owing favors."
Xu Mo considered it briefly before shaking his head.
He didn’t want to get too entangled with Li Yuebai.
A flicker of irritation crossed Li Yuebai’s phoenix-like eyes. This was the first time she’d ever invited a man to lunch—and he’d rejected her without hesitation.
How humiliating!
Especially since she’d already lowered herself to ask.
And she was his superior, no less.
"Just once! After this, we’re even," Li Yuebai insisted, her tone hardening.
If Xu Mo still refused to cooperate—
Well, in her eyes, that would be sheer ingratitude.
And she might just have to resort to threats.
How’d you like a little workplace sabotage?
Given her position in the company,
making his life difficult would be child’s play.
Fortunately, after a moment’s thought, Xu Mo nodded. "Fine."
Only then did Li Yuebai discard her thoughts of retaliation.
Xu Mo’s reasoning was simple:
Once they were even,
he could go back to being an invisible nobody,
living the ordinary life he’d come here to experience.
A few months of this, and when he grew bored,
he’d return to Magic City without a second glance.
The two left the building together.
Li Yuebai, a stunning beauty by any measure,
naturally drew eyes wherever she went.
Coupled with her high-ranking position as the Project Department manager,
she was a constant topic of discussion.
"Damn, who’s that guy next to Director Li?"
"No clue, but he’s walking that close to her—and she’s not shooing him away? Impressive!"
"Does he not know Director Li’s already spoken for by Young Master Zhao? Talk about fearless."
It was lunch hour,
and the area buzzed with both junior staff and Li Yuebai’s peers.
All were curious about the unfamiliar young man at her side.
In the company, Li Yuebai was a standout—
her looks and figure rivaling even the beautiful chairwoman.
She had no shortage of suitors,
including some too powerful for their own good.
Walking beside her, Xu Mo’s lips twitched.
Young Master Zhao?
This plotline felt eerily familiar.
He’d come here to unwind,
not to play the protagonist in some cliché drama.
Besides,
he was a villain by nature.
Why on earth would he want to be a hero?
Screw that.
Suddenly, the idea of this lunch lost its appeal.
In fact, he couldn’t care less about eating now.
The reason was simple—
he had no interest in becoming some arrogant, smirking antagonist.
Luckily, from the building to the parking lot,
no so-called "Young Master Zhao" made an appearance.
"Get in." Li Yuebai slid into the driver’s seat of a white Porsche, calling out to Xu Mo, who she assumed was "dazzled" by the car.
Xu Mo wasn’t starstruck—just lost in thought.
Li Yuebai half-expected to have to open the door for him.
Most ordinary people had seen sports cars but never ridden in one.
But Xu Mo didn’t give her the chance.
He smoothly pulled the door open and settled in,
buckling his seatbelt without prompting.
After a pause, he glanced at her. "Ready to go?"
"Ah—oh, yes."
Li Yuebai was slightly taken aback.
Was it her imagination, or did Xu Mo move with the ease of someone who’d ridden in countless luxury cars?
No, must be a trick of the mind.
Shaking off the thought, she hit the gas.
The Porsche’s engine roared to life,
and they sped off.
The meal itself was uneventful—just lunch, nothing more.
Aside from the curious stares,
nothing out of the ordinary happened.
The attention was inevitable, of course.
A gorgeous, leggy professional goddess dining with an average-looking guy?
People would naturally find it odd.
Especially since Xu Mo’s attire screamed neither nouveau riche nor old money.
But they kept their comments to themselves.
The world was full of quirks.
Maybe the beauty just had… unconventional tastes?
After a refined lunch and afternoon tea,
Li Yuebai drove them back to the office.
It was nearly time to clock back in,
and many witnessed Xu Mo stepping out of her Porsche.
Their expressions ranged from envy and admiration to confusion and schadenfreude.
Xu Mo had seen it all before.
In Magic City, there was no gaze he hadn’t endured.
He couldn’t care less.
Back in the conference room,
the team had reassembled.
Li Yuebai gave them thirty minutes to review the project’s key points,
after which they’d pitch ideas and solutions.
The best would be selected.
"Time’s up. Let’s hear your thoughts."
Li Yuebai’s voice cut through the silence as she recrossed her slender legs.
The team exchanged hesitant glances.
They’d been chosen for their competence,
even if some were last-minute additions.
But the project’s scale was daunting,
and no one wanted to be the first to speak.
Li Yuebai’s brow furrowed. "No volunteers?"
The room remained silent as a tomb.
"Fine, I’ll pick."
Her jade-like finger pointed at a middle-aged male employee. "You. Go first."
The man inwardly groaned but nodded obediently.
"I believe to secure this project amid competition, the company might need to slightly increase the budget. That way—"
"The budget is already maxed out. Are you suggesting we bleed money?" Li Yuebai’s eyes narrowed.
The man shrank, not daring to breathe.
Around him, the veterans tensed.
The carefully prepared words in his mind remained unspoken, unsure how to voice them.
Xu Mo appeared remarkably composed.
A subtle shift in the atmosphere became palpable.
Li Yuebai rubbed her temples, her other slender hand gently pressing downward in midair.
"Take a seat."
The middle-aged man, as if granted amnesty, nodded gratefully and immediately sat down.
Only after settling into his chair did he realize his back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Next..."
Li Yuebai collected her thoughts and spoke again.
This time, the group trembled with apprehension.
Li Yuebai realized she might have been too harsh earlier—this project was undeniably challenging.
Even she couldn’t flawlessly resolve it.
Let alone a hastily assembled team of inexperienced subordinates.
"Today is just the first day of our discussions. The project is difficult, and I was too impatient."
Li Yuebai raised a delicate index finger. "Each of you must share at least one opinion, starting with the first person I called and moving clockwise. It’s fine if you’re wrong or unclear, but you must speak!"
With Li Yuebai’s ultimatum issued,
the group finally began voicing their thoughts.
Li Yuebai also made her stance clear.
She, too, had no perfect solution, and mistakes were acceptable.
It would still be a while before Xu Mo’s turn.
So, Xu Mo and Li Yuebai sat together, listening to the meaningless, hollow contributions from the meeting attendees.
Xu Mo’s insight and capabilities were undeniable.
He and Li Yuebai were on entirely different levels.
One was on the third floor, the other in the stratosphere—how could they compare?
When it was finally Xu Mo’s turn to speak,
the group turned to him with curiosity.
Judging by Li Yuebai’s earlier attitude toward him,
their relationship might be more than professional.
Xu Mo wasn’t particularly handsome, but surely he had some exceptional talent?
A glimmer of anticipation flickered in Li Yuebai’s phoenix-like eyes.
But the next moment,
Xu Mo shared his thoughts.
And the group was disappointed.
His input was only slightly better than theirs.
Still far from securing this major project.
It was as good as saying nothing.
Only now did they realize—
Xu Mo wasn’t just average in looks, but in ability too.
No different from the rest of their mediocre team.
Li Yuebai waved her hand, signaling the next speaker.
She couldn’t gauge Xu Mo’s depth.
It wasn’t like she could give him special treatment, right?
Besides, last night,
it was Xu Mo who had helped her.
Otherwise, she might have ended up sleeping in the hallway.
Once the round of opinions concluded,
no particularly impactful suggestions had emerged.
Li Yuebai, weighed down by worry, stood up. "Keep brainstorming or discuss among yourselves. I’ll step out for a moment."
This project was one she, as the department manager, had fought hard to secure priority rights for. Other managers were eyeing it greedily.
If Li Yuebai failed to deliver within the deadline,
she’d be replaced.
That would hinder her career advancement.
Being replaced was a minor issue.
But failing outright?
That would be disastrous.
No wonder Li Yuebai was agitated. As for why she got drunk last night?
Well, she’d finally secured the project and celebrated with her best friend—only to realize she’d underestimated its difficulty.
Smoking area.
Li Yuebai pulled out an expensive pack of women’s cigarettes, lit one, and took a deep drag.
Exhaling a cloud of white smoke,
she blew a perfect ring into the air.
She wasn’t the only one indulging in the smoking area.
Others were there too.
And, as luck would have it, someone she despised showed up.
"Well, well, Li Yuebai. What a coincidence."
The man grinned—Ruan Wanshan, a fellow department manager.
Also one of those eyeing her project.
If that were all,
Li Yuebai wouldn’t have loathed him.
After all, the rule was simple:
the capable rise, the incompetent step aside.
She wouldn’t cling to a position she couldn’t handle.
The real reason for her disgust?
Ruan Wanshan’s other role—
or rather, his side gig—
as the lackey of that persistent Young Master Zhao, who relentlessly pursued her.
Rumor had it Ruan Wanshan only became a manager last year
by becoming Young Master Zhao’s dog.
His job?
Monitor Li Yuebai.
Report any man who got close to her.
Li Yuebai knew it wasn’t just a rumor—it was fact.
Her brows furrowed, but she ignored him, continuing to smoke.
Ruan Wanshan, unfazed, pulled out a pack of premium Golden Leaf cigarettes and lit one.
After a few puffs,
as Li Yuebai stubbed out her cigarette and turned to leave,
he casually remarked,
"You and that new hire, Xu Mo—better not get too close. You’re only hurting him."
Li Yuebai’s high heel paused mid-step. She turned, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"Who I associate with is my business. Ruan Wanshan, you’re just Young Master Zhao’s dog. Don’t overstep. If he’s got something to say, tell him to come himself. Sending a mutt to bark at me? Pathetic."
Ruan Wanshan knew his place, but having it thrown in his face still stung—especially with Li Yuebai rubbing salt in the wound.
"I’m just giving you fair warning."
"Save it."
Li Yuebai had no patience for further nonsense.
Her heels clicked sharply as she walked away.
Watching her retreating figure,
Ruan Wanshan’s eyes darkened with malice.
"Bitch," he muttered. "What’s there to be proud of? You’re just a woman. Once those guys tire of playing with you, let’s see if that foul mouth of yours keeps running."
His voice dripped with venomous glee.
"Maybe I’ll get a turn too..."
"Think your looks make you untouchable? A pretty face just means your happiness was never yours to decide."
--------------------------------------------
P.S. Not too many female leads—the storyline in Jiangcheng wraps up in about 100,000 words. Then, after a month or two back in Magic City, we’ll wait for the little one to arrive.
Also, still deciding on the baby’s name:
Xu Xiuxiu?
Xu Xiu?
Xu Baoer?
Xu...
Feel free to suggest alternatives.
iving with nine beautiful women. [Ding! Welcome back to the Joyous Sect, Host…] Lin Yu: ??? I’m clearly in a shared rental, but you’re saying I’m in the Joyous Sect? Watering plants is now [Tending to Spiritual Flora]? Cooking becomes [Researching Elixirs]? Making the bed turns into [Setting Up Formations]? A gentle and innocent auntie, twin classmates, a mysterious hacker girl on leave, a severely socially anxious artist, an elementary school Chinese teacher, a community hospital nurse, a pet shop owner, an antique clock restorer… This system… is kinda interesting.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
