Volume 1, Chapter 15: President Meng Loses Control!

Meng Yanli found that he was finding this girl increasingly difficult to read. Was she truly innocent and naive, or was she deeply calculating? Yet, the more enigmatic she became, the more his interest in her grew.

Su Mei felt a pang of frustration seeing that her words had failed to provoke Meng Yanli against Su Wan. However, she feared that continuing to badmouth her sister might cast suspicion on herself, given how sharp the man before her was. She hooked her arm through Meng Yanli’s and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother Yanli, it would be wonderful if Sister didn't have to leave the company. But since she loves design so much, why not transfer her to the design department? I’m sure she would be very happy there."

She wanted him to believe she was looking out for her sister, projecting an image of deep sisterly affection. This would make her next request feel perfectly natural. "Since my sister will be moving, the assistant position will be vacant. Brother Yanli, why don't you let me be your assistant? I will work hard and make sure you're satisfied." With that, she gazed at him with soulful eyes, pouting slightly to appear endearing. Faced with such a delicate and charming girl, any man would find his heart softening.

Su Wan’s mouth twitched as she watched. She finally understood why this girl had won the favor of Meng Yanli and his mother—she was truly a master performer!

Meng Yanli pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Let me consider this. You should head back for now." He gently withdrew his arm.

Given the situation, Su Mei could not insist further. After all, this man was a formidable and decisive tycoon in Haicheng. Although they were engaged, their relationship was not on solid ground, and she dared not overstep her bounds just yet. She forced a submissive smile, "Alright, Brother Yanli, I'll listen to you." She then waved hypocritically at Su Wan, "Sister, I’ll be going then."

Su Wan nodded slightly. *What a display of sisterly love,* she thought. *This girl is addicted to acting.*

Su Wan turned to Meng Yanli and said, "Mr. Meng, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head out..." Before she could finish, a powerful presence surged toward her. The man suddenly gripped her chin tightly, his brow furrowed with severity, his tone turning icy. "Tell me the truth: are you really not trying to jump ship?"

Su Wan was stunned. She had assumed he believed her explanation earlier, but no sooner had Su Mei left than he had come to settle scores. Having endured endless bullying at home, she felt an instinctive resentment toward such aggressive behavior. She frowned slightly, "Mr. Meng, even if I have done something wrong, isn't this approach a bit uncalled for?"

Meng Yanli’s expression faltered; he realized he had been impulsive. It was strange—his emotions were usually quite stable, but he found himself inexplicably losing control ever since meeting this girl. He curled his lip slightly and said coolly, "I’ll trust you for now. I hope you show better performance in your work. You may leave." He waved his hand dismissively. Su Wan felt a wave of relief.

This man wasn't inherently evil, but his temper was truly atrocious. A malicious thought crossed her mind: she hoped that if Su Mei married him, he would give her a taste of her own medicine—let’s see how arrogant she would be then!

As soon as she stepped out of the office, she saw Su Mei. Su Wan’s brow furrowed, knowing nothing good would come of this. Sure enough, the girl marched up to her, face dark, and demanded, "Why did you take so long? Were you badmouthing me in there again?"

Su Wan smiled faintly, "What do you think?" She knew that the calmer she remained, the more it would gnaw at the girl.

"Su Wan, don't you dare push it!" Su Mei, enraged, grabbed a stack of documents from the desk, ready to throw them at her.

"Go ahead. Those are important company documents that Mr. Meng needs to sign shortly." Su Mei’s hand froze at the mention of the documents, and she set them down, frustrated.

Su Wan looked at her with a smile, "If you don't want Mr. Meng to come out and see you acting like a shrew, I suggest you leave as soon as possible."

"You..." Su Mei was so angry her face turned red. Just then, the phone on the desk rang. Su Wan answered, putting it on speakerphone intentionally.

"Su Wan, bring in the contract from the Zhao family from yesterday..."

"Yes, Mr. Meng."

Su Wan retrieved the file and shrugged at Su Mei, "Excuse me, I have work to do. I won't be keeping you company."

Su Mei said furiously, "Don't get too smug, Su Wan. I’ll be taking over your job soon enough. You just wait and see!" With that, she turned and stomped away in her high heels.

Su Wan’s smile gradually faded. She knew full well that Su Mei wouldn't let this go. She would surely embellish today’s events to their father, and in that case, her father would likely sever ties with her for good.

The rest of the time, Su Wan was distracted, so much so that she didn't even notice when Meng Yanli walked up to her. He tapped on her desk, displeased, "You said you wanted to work hard, and you’ve already forgotten?"

"You can't even handle one job, yet you want to juggle two? I don't think you need to bother reporting to the project team tomorrow!"

Su Wan quickly stood up, blushing as she admitted her fault, "I’m sorry, Mr. Meng. I really was distracted just now. I will definitely be more careful next time..."

Seeing her so nervous, the corner of Meng Yanli’s mouth hooked up. He had only meant to scare her; he hadn't expected her to be so anxious. He said coolly, "Fine. Remember your words. Let this be the last time."

"Thank you, Mr. Meng."

Meng Yanli glanced at his watch. "I have a social engagement later; you will accompany me. It’s a charity gala. Remember to wear an evening gown."

Su Wan was stunned. "I don't have one." She had never attended such an occasion before; where would she get an evening gown?

"I'll go buy one shortly..." she thought, deciding she would just buy something cheap to get by. She couldn't afford anything expensive anyway.

Meng Yanli’s deep gaze locked onto her small face, his lips curving slightly. He found her flustered expression inexplicably cute. Just as he was about to speak, the receptionist, Xiao Wang, arrived. She greeted him respectfully, "Mr. Meng," then turned to Su Wan with a package. "Assistant Su, your delivery."

Su Wan was confused. "I don't have a delivery." Even when she shopped online, she never used the office address.

"It’s definitely for you, I didn't misread it," Xiao Wang confirmed.

Meng Yanli rubbed his forehead and cleared his throat. "It’s the gown and shoes I ordered for you. You’ll need them for the gala tonight."

"Oh? I see." Su Wan felt awkward. Mr. Meng was certainly thoughtful, but perhaps a bit *too* thoughtful. She was worried that people would start gossiping if they saw this. Sure enough, as Xiao Wang left, she wore the expression of someone who had just stumbled upon a juicy secret. Su Wan felt terrible.

Meng Yanli stared at her with his dark eyes. "Go change into it. It’s almost time to leave."

"Yes, Mr. Meng."

As Su Wan went to grab the bag to head to the restroom, she was stopped by Meng Yanli. "Change in my lounge."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Meng."

His lounge was much more spacious than she had imagined. Beyond the bed for his afternoon naps, there was a two-meter-long wardrobe and a set of Italian leather sofas in the corner. The decor matched the office, primarily in shades of gray, and was very tasteful. She changed quickly and was about to head out when she suddenly remembered something and turned toward the mirror.

It was her first time wearing an evening gown, and she wanted to see the result. She froze. In the mirror, she wore a white, low-V-neck long dress. The tailored fit highlighted her graceful, slender curves to perfection. Wearing crystal high heels, she looked as if she had instantly transformed from Cinderella into a noble and beautiful princess. Su Wan covered her mouth, stunned by her own reflection. *Could she really be this beautiful?*

Suddenly, a devilishly handsome face appeared behind her in the mirror! The man’s long fingers reached toward her neck...