novelraw Chapter 447: Lin Muxue and Wen Qiuyue
Chapter 447: Lin Muxue and Wen Qiuyue
"Qiuqiu! Qiuqiu!"
On her little scooter, Yao Lingling lifted her helmet visor and waved enthusiastically.
Cheng Qiuqiu’s lips moved slightly, but for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
She only nodded silently.
"We saw you on the road earlier and followed you here on purpose!"
Gao Junfeng glanced at the two motorcyclists, then chuckled lightly.
"Qiuqiu, are these your friends?"
"Mm."
Cheng Qiuqiu nodded, lips pressed tightly together.
Yao Lingling, noticing the tall young man in the driver’s seat, smiled brightly."Hello, handsome! This car is amazing! A Continental GT—it’s my dream car!"
"Haha, nice to meet you both. I’m Gao Junfeng, Qiuqiu’s friend."
Gao Junfeng raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly to the side as he waved casually—a showy gesture, exuding an air of importance.
"I’m Yao Lingling."
She glanced at the traffic light and grinned.
"The light’s about to change—let’s pull over on the side street. We brought Qiuqiu a gift! It’s in my backpack."
"OK, no problem. I’ll pull over after the intersection."
Cheng Qiuqiu’s fingers suddenly clenched tightly, her teeth biting down on her lip.
This morning, she had personally told them in the group chat that she was feeling unwell and had to stay home to rest, so she couldn’t join the ride.
Yet now, they had caught her outside.
Her lie was completely exposed.
As someone who wasn’t great with words, her mind spiraled into a mess of panic and guilt.
She didn’t know how to face them.
As the light turned green, the Bentley Continental GT smoothly accelerated and pulled over on the side road, hazards blinking.
Soon, the two motorcycles followed and stopped beside it.
Yao Lingling hopped off her bike, unzipped her backpack, and pulled out a small box.
"This is a bookmark made from Xishan ginkgo leaves—it’s really pretty! Tang Song said your name matches autumn ginkgo leaves perfectly, so we picked this as your gift!"
"Thank you."
Cheng Qiuqiu took the gift, her throat tightening, but she didn’t say much else.
Hearing Tang Song’s name, Gao Junfeng’s expression froze for a moment.
He turned his gaze to the man standing beside the motorcycle.
Just then, the dark visor of the black helmet lifted—
Revealing a handsome, well-defined face.
Not-so-pleasant memories resurfaced, making Gao Junfeng’s eye twitch.
Back at the bank’s private event, this Tang Song had stolen all the attention.
But what infuriated him the most—
Was that this guy had actually managed to get close to Tian Chengye’s only daughter.
Pure envy.
And now, they were meeting again—as Cheng Qiuqiu’s friend?
"Assistant Gao, long time no see."
Tang Song cast him a calm glance.
Gao Junfeng inhaled deeply, then casually leaned against the Bentley.
With his head slightly lifted, he smirked.
"Yeah, it’s been a while."
Yao Lingling blinked in surprise.
"Whoa! You two know each other?"
Gao Junfeng nodded lightly, laughing.
"Haha, we met once at a bank’s private event."
Seeing him pulling up in a Bentley while Tang Song was on a motorcycle,
Gao Junfeng finally felt like he had the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Cheng Qiuqiu was slightly startled, glancing at Tang Song.
Their eyes met.
Tang Song’s tone was casual, as if nothing was wrong.
"Qiuqiu, how’s your health? Feeling better?"
"Mm, I’m fine now."
She mumbled, immediately looking away.
"That’s good. We were worried since you weren’t replying in the chat."
Yao Lingling glanced at Gao Junfeng, then smirked.
"So you had other plans! You should’ve just told us—we wouldn’t have minded."
"No! It’s not like that!"
Cheng Qiuqiu shook her head hastily.
"Brother Junfeng suddenly needed me for something—that’s why I came out."
"Alright, alright, just teasing you. No big deal."
Yao Lingling winked playfully.
Taking a deep breath, Cheng Qiuqiu turned to Tang Song, her lips trembling slightly, wanting to say something—
But the words just wouldn’t come out.
She could only clench her fingers tightly.
Seeing this, Gao Junfeng’s eyes flickered, and he quickly spoke up.
"Qiuqiu and I have things to take care of today. Otherwise, we could’ve grabbed a meal together. Let’s catch up another time."
"Mm-mm, sure thing!"
Yao Lingling nodded cheerfully, giving him an OK sign.
"Bye-bye! Drive safe!"
"Bye-bye."
Cheng Qiuqiu took a deep breath.
"Bye, Lingling. Bye, Tang Song."
"Bye."
The Bentley Continental GT hummed to life, merging back into the main road.
Yao Lingling watched as it disappeared into traffic.
Tang Song smirked and gave her a light smack on the butt.
"What’s the matter? Can’t take your eyes off the handsome guy?"
"Ah! Why do you keep smacking me!"
Yao Lingling stumbled backward, then pinched Tang Song’s arm lightly.
"I was looking at the car! Not the guy! And anyway… he’s not as handsome as you, Senior! If I were staring, it’d be at you!"
She then stared straight at Tang Song’s face, making a playfully seductive expression.
Tang Song chuckled.
He put an arm around her shoulder, smirking.
"Lingling, we’re close enough—if you really have certain thoughts, we can find a quiet place and let you enjoy yourself."
Yao Lingling’s face turned completely red.
Feigning nonchalance, she laughed teasingly.
"Ohoho! You said it, not me! No backing out later!"
"Don’t worry. I always keep my word."
Tang Song grinned.
"Unlike some people who only talk big."
"That’s totally different! You’re bad, Senior!"
The two bantered and laughed.
Then, Yao Lingling leaned closer, her voice turning flirtatious.
"But really—if you take me for a ride in a Bentley Continental, I might just find a quiet place for you to test my ‘enhancements’ properly."
She had spent the whole day relaxing and playing around with Tang Song, letting go of all her usual restraints.
She hadn’t expected a serious response, just teasing him for fun.
However—
Tang Song cleared his throat, then looked at her with a serious expression.
"How do you know I have a Bentley Continental?"
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"
Yao Lingling bent over laughing, tears almost forming at the corners of her eyes.
After a while, she wiped her eyes and grinned.
"Senior, you’re hilarious!"
Tang Song smirked.
"Well, what if I really come pick you up in a Bentley tonight?"
Yao Lingling’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Then I’ll send you my location when I’m done with work."
Although she doubted he was serious, she was secretly looking forward to seeing him again that evening.
This kind of romantic scenario had only ever happened in her dreams before. Just thinking about it made her heart race—there was no way she was going to miss out.
At noon, the two of them found a small restaurant that Yao Lingling often visited. They ordered a few spicy and flavorful dishes, chatting happily while eating heartily. With her naturally strong physique, Yao Lingling had a great appetite—she finished two full bowls of rice by herself.
Before parting ways, Yao Lingling’s eyes were full of longing. "This upcoming Yan Province International Fashion Exhibition is really important for local businesses. If my designs win an award at the exhibition, maybe one day I can actually become a well-known designer."
She glanced at Tang Song, wanting to say, Maybe by then, I’ll finally be able to openly say that I like you. But in the end, she just joked with a grin, "When that day comes, I’ll get myself a Bentley Continental and take you for a ride!"
Tang Song chuckled, reaching out to pinch Yao Lingling’s cheek. "I think you can definitely achieve that goal, future top designer Lingling."
Right now, both Rongliu Capital and Juqing Huijin were already in talks with the major shareholders of Huashang Fashion. Once he secured control of the company, Songmei Fashion would establish its own design team. He had high hopes for this junior of his.
Yao Lingling playfully clasped her hands together. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Senior! I’ll work hard!"
"Alright then, time to say goodbye."
"Bye, Senior." Yao Lingling reluctantly waved before slowly riding off on her scooter.
Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Tang Song put on his gloves and helmet, mounted his motorcycle, and headed toward Yanjing Tiancheng.
Back home, he took a quick shower and changed into comfortable casual wear. Then, he went straight to his study, put on Tang Song’s Glasses, and turned on his computer.
In the morning, Jiang Yourong had sent over information on the company she mentioned. Since it was tied to the main storyline and had the potential to complement Songmei Fashion, he was paying close attention to this business.
He opened the attached file. The company’s details appeared on the screen—
Hangzhou Yimai Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2021, is a tech company focused on AI-driven intelligent upgrades for the fashion industry.
The CEO is a former senior tech expert from Alibaba. The founding team is composed mostly of PhDs and master’s graduates in computer science, along with architects from top-tier tech firms. Additionally, they have supply chain directors from well-known fashion enterprises.
With such a strong team, their results were outstanding.
In 2022, their revenue reached 1.1 billion yuan, reflecting a 150% year-over-year growth.
Their investors included prominent institutions like Tencent Investment and Matrix Partners China.
The "breakthrough technology" that Jiang Yourong had mentioned was Yimai Technology’s successful training of a large AI model specifically for the fashion industry.
This model could not only help designers quickly generate clothing design drafts and provide intelligent recommendations for fabric, color, and patterns, but it could also optimize real-time inventory management, supplier matching, and logistics—significantly reducing supply chain costs.
Although the system hadn’t been officially launched yet, its effectiveness had already been proven.
Because of this, just three months after their Series B funding round, they were already preparing for a B+ round of financing.
Jiang Yourong couldn’t obtain specific details about the funding, but a conservative estimate placed the company’s valuation at no less than $500 million USD.
Notably, Yimai Technology would be participating in an upcoming event in Shanghai—"Investors’ Night: Leading the Future with AI."
The goal was to showcase the company’s strengths and vision, attract potential investors, and expand its international presence.
As a high-tech company in the rapidly growing AI sector, Yimai Technology wasn’t lacking in investors. What they sought was strategic resources and industry connections.
Reading through all this, Tang Song felt a surge of excitement.
Just as the Growth Plan Task had described, with multiple successful venture capital experiences under his belt, now that he had control over Confluent Capital Limited, he was eager to make his mark on the primary investment market.
Investing in such a promising tech company and engaging with top investment institutions was genuinely thrilling.
6:30 PM.
Yuhua Business Tower, Shangya Fashion Design.
Xiao Mingxuan clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention and announced loudly, "Great job today, everyone! I’ve ordered dinner for you all—it’s in the event area. There’s also bubble tea, cake, and fruit. Help yourselves!"
"Clap clap clap—" A round of applause erupted.
"Long live Director Xiao!" "Director Xiao is the best!"
Li Shumin cheered excitedly, then muttered under her breath, "Awesome! Bubble tea, cake… I’m coming for you!"
Yao Lingling teased, "Weren’t you just saying yesterday that you needed to lose weight?"
"Hehe, losing weight is all about being flexible! This is free food—how could I pass it up?"
Laughing, they followed their colleagues out of the office area.
At the event space, they grabbed the beautifully packaged meal boxes and some bubble tea.
Sitting at the table, Yao Lingling eagerly snapped several photos and sent them to Tang Song.
She added a caption: "Already digging in! Boss is treating us—there’s even fruit and snacks. Super tasty!"
Tang Song: "Seeing this is making me hungry. Time to head downstairs for dinner."
Yao Lingling sipped her bubble tea and grinned as she replied, "Senior, you said you’d pick me up today. I’m taking that seriously!"
Tang Song: "Of course. I always keep my word."
Tang Song: [Patting gif]
Seeing his message, Yao Lingling’s face turned bright red.
She bit her straw, hesitating for a long time before sending back a "Bleh bleh bleh" emoji.
A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"Who are you chatting with? You look so happy."
Xiao Mingxuan sat down across from her, meal box in hand.
Yao Lingling subtly pulled her phone closer and smiled. "Just sharing the company’s awesome benefits with my friend. I even bragged about Director Xiao!"
"Not bad, not bad. A grateful employee."
"Of course! So don’t forget about me when it’s time for promotions and raises."
They exchanged a few jokes.
Then, Xiao Mingxuan casually asked, "You didn’t ride your motorcycle today, right? It’s already past 8 PM. Want a free ride home?"
Just as Li Shumin was about to speak up, she felt a kick under the table.
Yao Lingling shook her head with a laugh. "Thanks for the offer, Director Xiao! But I already made plans with a friend—he’s picking me up later, so I won’t trouble you this time. Maybe next time!"
Xiao Mingxuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Which friend?"
Yao Lingling casually took a bite of food and replied lightly, "Haha, don’t worry, Director Xiao. He’s a reliable friend—not someone who’ll kidnap me."
Hearing this, Xiao Mingxuan’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t press further.
Still, a sense of unease settled in his chest.
Yao Lingling occasionally turned down his offers before, but this was the first time she had used this excuse.
If the person picking her up was a guy, then the implications were completely different.
After their lavish meal, Yao Lingling and Li Shumin returned to the warehouse to check samples, prepare pins and hangers, and organize backup materials.
Li Shumin gave Yao Lingling a light nudge and whispered, "Were you just making up an excuse, or is someone really coming to pick you up?"
"Of course, there's really someone coming!"
"Oh? Who is it? Could it be…" Li Shumin's eyes sparkled. "Tang Song, right?"
Yao Lingling just smiled without answering, playfully twisting her body with a smug look.
"Wow, well played, Fake Ling! You actually scammed Tang Song into picking you up from work?!"
Yao Lingling glared at her. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm warning you—don't call me that nickname!"
Li Shumin was thrilled. "So, how far have you two gotten? Have you kissed yet?"
Blushing, Yao Lingling lightly smacked her head. "Ugh, what are you even thinking? Nothing’s happened! We’re just good friends! Get back to work, or I’ll dock your performance bonus!"
Seeing her flustered best friend, Li Shumin stuck out her tongue but didn't say anything more.
From her perspective, she actually liked Xiao Mingxuan. He was the perfect "tall, rich, and handsome" type, the only son in his family, with a good personality.
Men like him were the kind that girls like them rarely had a chance to meet.
But ever since the Qixi Festival gift incident, she had started to feel that Tang Song was actually a great choice too—better, even.
He was warmer, more handsome, generous, and, most importantly, someone they had all watched grow into a "heartthrob".
At first, she only saw him as an online transformation project—a styling experiment on Little Red Book.
But after a few real-life encounters and getting to know him better, they had naturally become good friends.
If Lingling could actually end up with Tang Song, that wouldn't be bad at all.
As the sky darkened, coworkers started leaving one after another.
"Bye, Lingling, Minmin. I'm heading out."
"Bye, Sister Xuan!"
"See you, Lingling. Bye!"
By 7 PM, the office was nearly empty.
The entire Qimeng Brand Business Unit only had one design director and four core designers.
The rest were assistant designers, pattern makers, salespeople, and marketing staff.
Technically, as one of the four core designers, Yao Lingling didn't need to stay late.
But she had only been at Shangya Fashion Design for a year and a half.
It was because of Xiao Mingxuan's support that she had managed to rise from a junior assistant designer to a core designer for the high-end brand Qimeng in such a short time.
Being in a team like this, gossip and pressure were inevitable.
Yao Lingling didn’t want others to look down on her, nor did she want to let Xiao Mingxuan down.
That’s why she always stayed the latest, arrived extra early, and worked with exceptional dedication.
This Yan Province International Fashion Exhibition was her chance to prove herself.
Yuhua Business Tower, Room 1404 – Xue Tang Culture.
In the 100-square-meter office, everything was well-equipped—computers, printers, a water dispenser—and documents were neatly stacked on the desks.
Xu Ning turned off the last light, locked the glass door, and stepped into the elevator, letting out a deep breath. Follow current novels on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
According to Xiaoxue, the Yannan Short Drama Base would be operational next week, meaning their long-prepared artist management company was finally about to launch.
Today, she had gathered the best batch of potential artists to the office for registration and screening.
Although she lacked experience and wasn’t very efficient, at least the task was done.
And Xiaoxue had already promised to hire two administrative assistants soon, helping the company get on track.
Thinking about the company's bright future, Xu Ning felt a surge of warmth.
Maybe Xue Tang Culture really could grow into something big.
Maybe it could help her pay off her debts and give her a better life.
"Ding—"
The elevator doors slowly opened.
Xu Ning swiped her access card, stepped through the building’s main entrance, and froze in place.
Her eyes locked onto the corner of the lobby.
In the seating area of an open-style café, a familiar figure sat on the sofa.
Wavy orange-brown hair cascaded down her shoulders.
A white silk blouse, tailored suit pants, and stiletto heels—
On that beautiful face, red lips curved into a cold, arrogant smile, her eyes piercing as she stared in Xu Ning's direction.
Wen Qiuyue.
Xu Ning took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and hurried out of the building.
Yan Province Financial Center.
A matte gray Porsche 911 smoothly exited the underground parking lot, merging into the main road.
Lin Muxue’s slender fingers tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with the music.
She was more invested in Tang Song’s acquisition of Huashang Fashion than anyone else.
The entire weekend, she had been working overtime, conducting in-depth analysis and research on Huashang Fashion with the investment and risk teams.
It wasn’t until past 7 PM that she finalized her report, sent it to Tang Song, and finally clocked out.
"Ring—ring—"
Her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, answered, and said lightly, "Hello? Xu Ning? What's up?"
Xu Ning’s voice came through the receiver, slightly tense.
"Xiaoxue, I just ran into Wen Qiuyue at Yuhua Business Tower!"
Lin Muxue’s eyes sharpened instantly.
"She’s still there?"
"Yeah, she’s sitting in the café on the first floor. I think she’s waiting for her fiancé. But… her expression is off—it looks exactly like when she’s about to explode. It freaked me out, so I left right away."
Lin Muxue gripped the steering wheel tightly. The restlessness inside her was impossible to suppress.
"Wait for me at the café. I’m coming to get you."
"Huh?! Xiaoxue, don’t be impulsive!"
Lin Muxue’s lips curled into a cold smirk, her voice low.
"Heh, don’t worry. I’m not an idiot."
She hung up immediately, turned the wheel, and sped toward Yuhua Business Tower.
Wen Qiuyue.
To her, that name was a never-ending nightmare.
For a long, long time, she had woken up from dreams in a cold sweat because of that woman.
If there was one person she wanted to see now that she had risen to the top, it was Wen Qiuyue.
She had already planned to meet her next Wednesday.
But now, she couldn't wait.
She wanted to stand right in front of Wen Qiuyue and look down on her.
She wanted that woman who had once crushed her dignity underfoot to see clearly—
What Lin Muxue had become.
"Of course, there's really someone!"
"Oh? Who is it? Could it be…" Li Shumin's eyes sparkled. "Tang Song, right?"
Yao Lingling just smiled without answering, playfully twisting her body with a smug look.
"Wow, well played, Fake Ling! You actually scammed Tang Song into picking you up from work?!"
Yao Lingling glared at her. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm warning you—don't call me that nickname!"
Li Shumin was thrilled. "So, how far have you two gotten? Have you kissed yet?"
Blushing, Yao Lingling lightly smacked her head. "Ugh, what are you even thinking? Nothing’s happened! We’re just good friends! Get back to work, or I’ll dock your performance bonus!"
Seeing her flustered best friend, Li Shumin stuck out her tongue but didn’t say anything more.
From her perspective, she actually liked Xiao Mingxuan. He was the perfect "tall, rich, and handsome" type, the only son in his family, with a good personality.
Men like him were the kind that girls like them rarely had a chance to meet.
But ever since the Qixi Festival gift incident, she had started to feel that Tang Song was actually a great choice too—better, even.
He was warmer, more handsome, generous, and, most importantly, someone they had all watched grow into a "heartthrob".
At first, she only saw him as an online transformation project—a styling experiment on Little Red Book.
But after a few real-life encounters and getting to know him better, they had naturally become good friends.
If Lingling could actually end up with Tang Song, that wouldn't be bad at all.
As the sky darkened, coworkers started leaving one after another.
"Bye, Lingling, Minmin. I'm heading out."
"Bye, Xuan-jie!"
"See you, Lingling. Bye!"
By 7 PM, the office was nearly empty.
The entire Qimeng Brand Business Unit only had one design director and four core designers.
The rest were assistant designers, pattern makers, salespeople, and marketing staff.
Technically, as one of the four core designers, Yao Lingling didn't need to stay late.
But she had only been at Shangya Fashion Design for a year and a half.
It was because of Xiao Mingxuan's support that she had managed to rise from a junior assistant designer to a core designer for the high-end brand Qimeng in such a short time.
Being in a team like this, gossip and pressure were inevitable.
Yao Lingling didn’t want others to look down on her, nor did she want to let Xiao Mingxuan down.
That’s why she always stayed the latest, arrived extra early, and worked with exceptional dedication.
This Yan Province International Fashion Exhibition was her chance to prove herself.
Yuhua Business Tower, Room 1404 – Xue Tang Culture.
In the 100-square-meter office, everything was well-equipped—computers, printers, a water dispenser—and documents were neatly stacked on the desks.
Xu Ning turned off the last light, locked the glass door, and stepped into the elevator, letting out a deep breath.
According to Xiaoxue, the Yannan Short Drama Base would be operational next week, meaning their long-prepared artist management company was finally about to launch.
Today, she had gathered the best batch of potential artists to the office for registration and screening.
Although she lacked experience and wasn’t very efficient, at least the task was done.
And Xiaoxue had already promised to hire two administrative assistants soon, helping the company get on track.
Thinking about the company's bright future, Xu Ning felt a surge of warmth.
Maybe Xue Tang Culture really could grow into something big.
Maybe it could help her pay off her debts and give her a better life.
"Ding—"
The elevator doors slowly opened.
Xu Ning swiped her access card, stepped through the building’s main entrance, and froze in place.
Her eyes locked onto the corner of the lobby.
In the seating area of an open-style café, a familiar figure sat on the sofa.
Wavy orange-brown hair cascaded down her shoulders.
A white silk blouse, tailored suit pants, and stiletto heels—
On that beautiful face, red lips curved into a cold, arrogant smile, her eyes piercing as she stared in Xu Ning's direction.
Wen Qiuyue.
Xu Ning took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and hurried out of the building.
Yan Province Financial Center.
A matte gray Porsche 911 smoothly exited the underground parking lot, merging into the main road.
Lin Muxue’s slender fingers tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with the music.
She was more invested in Tang Song’s acquisition of Huashang Fashion than anyone else.
The entire weekend, she had been working overtime, conducting in-depth analysis and research on Huashang Fashion with the investment and risk teams.
It wasn’t until past 7 PM that she finalized her report, sent it to Tang Song, and finally clocked out.
"Ring—ring—"
Her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, answered, and said lightly, "Hello? Xu Ning? What's up?"
Xu Ning’s voice came through the receiver, slightly tense.
"Xiaoxue, I just ran into Wen Qiuyue at Yuhua Business Tower!"
Lin Muxue’s eyes sharpened instantly.
"She’s still there?"
"Yeah, she’s sitting in the café on the first floor. I think she’s waiting for her fiancé. But… her expression is off—it looks exactly like when she’s about to explode. It freaked me out, so I left right away."
Lin Muxue gripped the steering wheel tightly. The restlessness inside her was impossible to suppress.
"Wait for me at the café. I’m coming to get you."
"Huh?! Xiaoxue, don’t be impulsive!"
Lin Muxue’s lips curled into a cold smirk, her voice low.
"Heh, don’t worry. I’m not an idiot."
She hung up immediately, turned the wheel, and sped toward Yuhua Business Tower.
Wen Qiuyue.
To her, that name was a never-ending nightmare.
For a long, long time, she had woken up from dreams in a cold sweat because of that woman.
If there was one person she wanted to see now that she had risen to the top, it was Wen Qiuyue.
She had already planned to meet her next Wednesday.
But now, she couldn't wait.
She wanted to stand right in front of Wen Qiuyue and look down on her.
She wanted that woman who had once crushed her dignity underfoot to see clearly—
What Lin Muxue had become.