"A place."
"The October Hotel," Wang Jiahui's lips curved upwards. "8 PM tonight. Don't be late."
"Don't worry, I'll be there on time," Fang Miaomiao's eyes held an unspeakable chill.
She hung up the phone.
Wang Jiahui then casually tossed Sister Li's phone onto his desk and picked up his own, sending a text message.
– Rest assured, Fang Miaomiao won't escape this time. We've already set up reporters outside. Once things here are settled, you can release all the news immediately.
Although there was no reply, Wang Jiahui knew that the person on the other end had received the message.
Thinking of this, the smile in Wang Jiahui's eyes grew even wider.
"Excellent."
As Sister Li reached the office door, she saw the undisguised cruel smile on Wang Jiahui's face.
"Manager Wang."
"What are you doing here?" Wang Jiahui's smile vanished the moment he saw Sister Li. "Didn't I tell you not to enter my office without my permission?"
"I came to get my phone."
Only then did Wang Jiahui withdraw his displeased gaze. "Next time, don't blame me for being rude."
"Manager Wang." Sister Li hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to retrieve her phone from the desk.
"Wait."
Wang Jiahui stopped Sister Li.
"Sister Li, you should know what can and cannot be said in this circle."
"I don't understand what you mean."
Wang Jiahui spread his hands to his sides. "We're all smart people, so I don't need to spell it out. You can't do anything about Fang Miaomiao's situation alone. If you stay put, you'll still have a place in the company. If you dare to say anything out of line, let's see if Fang Miaomiao, who can barely protect herself, can protect you."
"That's all I have to say. Sister Li, it's up to you."
Sister Li clutched her phone tightly, biting her lower lip for a long time before sighing. "I understand what Manager Wang means. Don't worry, I'm part of the company, so I'll naturally prioritize the company's interests."
"Sister Li, I appreciate your clear attitude," Wang Jiahui said with satisfaction. "Sister Li, you've been working hard for Fang Miaomiao these past few days, so you can take paid leave for a while."
Upon hearing this, Sister Li abruptly turned to look at the smiling Wang Jiahui. "Thank you, Manager Wang."
"Go on," Wang Jiahui said, waving her away unperturbed.
Time flew by.
"Is something on your mind?"
"Why do you say that?" Fang Miaomiao looked at Wen Yan'an, who had asked the question.
"You've tried to put food in your mouth several times, but you haven't managed to eat anything," Wen Yan'an said seriously, looking at Fang Miaomiao. "There's a grain of rice on your lip."
"How is that possible?" Fang Miaomiao instinctively reached up to touch her mouth.
Good heavens!
What an embarrassing situation.
"Can you tell us so we can discuss it?" Wen Zhiyan, sitting opposite, hid the amusement in his eyes and asked gently.
"It's nothing, I just have to attend a banquet later."
"A banquet? May I ask where it is?"
Fang Miaomiao was lost in thought and didn't notice the fleeting surprise in Wen Zhiyan's eyes.
"The October Hotel."
"When will you be back?"
Only then did Fang Miaomiao look at Wen Zhiyan.
"I mean, so I can arrange for the driver to pick you up when you're done," Wen Zhiyan explained. "It's not safe for a girl like you to be out alone, and the October Hotel is too far from Yu Garden. An'an wouldn't be at ease either."
"Oh, I see. I'll go take a look first. I'll text you when it's time."
"Okay, okay."
Watching Fang Miaomiao's retreating figure, Wen Yan'an looked at his father with some dissatisfaction.
"She should have her own social circle," Wen Zhiyan said calmly.
"Why?"
Wouldn't it be better for her to stay alone? Besides, she had her father and himself at home, wasn't that her social circle?
Wen Zhiyan, seeing his thoughts, said, "Wen Yan'an, everyone has their own choices. What we should do is support her unconditionally from behind, not restrict her, understand?"
Hearing this, Wen Yan'an's pupils were filled with confusion.
"Be good, she'll come back. How about I wait with An'an?"
Wen Yan'an didn't like Fang Miaomiao being too far away from him, but he listened to his father. He couldn't restrict her, or she would be unhappy.
Thinking this, although he felt a bit dejected, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
The car sped down the road.
Two hours later, the car stopped at the end of the road, in front of a grand, brightly lit hotel.
"Madam, I'll wait here. Just call me when you come out."
"Okay, thank you."
After getting out of the car, Fang Miaomiao noticed that everyone attending the banquet was dressed in formal attire. She was the only one wearing simple casual sportswear.
"Miss, do you have an invitation?"
Fang Miaomiao was stopped by the doorman.
The attendees were all prominent figures or glamorous female stars. This was the first time they had seen someone dressed so casually.
"No."
Fang Miaomiao turned to leave.
She had already arrived, and if she couldn't get in without an invitation, it had nothing to do with her.
Just as Fang Miaomiao, having found a perfect excuse for herself, was about to slip away, a male voice called out from behind her.
"Wait, Fang Miaomiao, where are you going?"
Hearing that familiar voice,
Fang Miaomiao couldn't help but roll her eyes in her mind. *Great, I can't escape.*
*Sigh, it's fine. It's just a banquet, a 'Hongmen Banquet' (a banquet with a hidden trap).*
*I'll just be careful and slip away when the opportunity arises.*
"Manager Wang, long time no see." Fang Miaomiao turned and greeted Wang Jiahui, who was standing at the entrance in a suit with a conspicuously bulging beer belly, with her signature smile.
Wang Jiahui snorted and quickly walked up to Fang Miaomiao, saying in a low voice, "Fang Miaomiao, you were trying to run just now, weren't you?"
"What are you talking about?" Fang Miaomiao took a step back, looking at Wang Jiahui with an expression of "Don't falsely accuse me." "Manager Wang, you can't just say things like that. You didn't mention needing an invitation when you asked me to come. I don't have anything, so I can't exactly climb over the wall, can I?"
"Sharp-tongued."
"I'm just stating the facts, Manager Wang. You're wrongly accusing me."
Wang Jiahui let out a scoff, then looked at Fang Miaomiao with increasing disdain. "What are you wearing? Where is your evening gown?"
Fang Miaomiao sighed. "Manager Wang, you know as well as I do that even though I'm married into the Wen family, my family doesn't treat me well. Furthermore, my only variety show this year has been postponed. I'm simply powerless."
Seeing Fang Miaomiao's wronged yet hesitant expression, Wang Jiahui's vigilance lessened. After all, he had seen Fang Miaomiao act before, and it could be described as excruciatingly bad. Today's expression didn't seem like acting at all.
It seemed the rumors were true; Fang Miaomiao wasn't favored in the Wen family. Not having a decent evening gown was quite normal.