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墨書 Inktalez
"I'm so sorry, President Shen! I didn't mean to! I..." I stammered, flustered and fumbling as I tried to pull out a tissue from my pocket. The more I hurried, the more I struggled, and my nails scratched a line on the pocket lining.
It only made things more awkward.
Shen Zhi Zhou's gaze scanned me like an X-ray, from my flushed cheeks to my uncooperative pocket. He didn't raise his voice or show any anger; instead, his extremely calm expression was more intimidating than any shout.
"It seems," he finally spoke again, his voice still steady but laced with a barely perceptible sarcasm, "that Tang Cube not only has unique desserts but also employees who are quite... 'surprising.'"
The word "surprising" was pronounced with particular clarity, and I wished I could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
The suited presenter beside me quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "President Shen, this was an accident! This young lady didn't mean to..."
Shen Zhi Zhou raised his hand, silencing him. He stood up with an innate grace that commanded attention. The coffee-stained suit he wore somehow did not diminish his aura; instead, it gave off a strange charm of "battle damage." I scolded myself internally for still being infatuated at such a moment!
He approached me, and the height difference forced me to look up at him. He leaned slightly closer, close enough for me to catch a faint scent of cedar mixed with crisp air, along with a hint of Caramel Macchiato's sweetness. The combination was... hard to describe.
"Call your manager," he said, looking directly at me. Each word was clear and firm; it wasn't a question but a command.
My heart sank. This was it—not only would I have to pay for the expensive suit, but I might also drag our manager into this mess and possibly lose my job.
"Y-yes..." I stuttered, my mind racing as I calculated whether my salary this month would be enough to cover the cost of a suit sleeve.
He turned away from me and addressed the others: "Let's pause the meeting for ten minutes." With that, he walked straight toward the lounge area of the conference room, leaving me behind to endure the sympathetic, curious, and even gleeful gazes of everyone else in the room.
The project manager sighed and patted my shoulder. "Young lady, how could you be so careless... President Shen's suit is..."
He hesitated, shaking his head as if he thought mentioning the price would make me faint.
I felt like crying without tears.
Ten minutes later, our dessert shop's Sun Manager rushed in, panting as if he had heard about the "disaster" from the front desk on his way here. Upon seeing me, his face turned pale as he repeatedly apologized to Shen Zhi Zhou, who had just emerged from the lounge wearing a spare shirt.
The "damaged" suit had already been taken by an assistant for urgent cleaning.
Shen Zhi Zhou wore a simple white shirt with rolled-up sleeves that revealed his well-defined forearms. The distance created by formal attire was diminished slightly, replaced by an air of... homey laziness?
He cast a cool glance at Sun Manager before turning back to me, his eyes still devoid of warmth. "For damaged items, compensation is required. Furthermore," he paused, letting his gaze fall on my tightly clenched fists due to nervousness, "not paying attention while walking or being careless in your work—Tang Cube's employee training clearly needs improvement."
Each word pierced my heart.
Sun Manager nodded vigorously in agreement, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
I lowered my head like a prisoner awaiting judgment. I accepted that I would have to pay but felt both humiliated and angry at being evaluated like this.
"President Shen, about the compensation..." Sun Manager asked cautiously.
"Have my assistant coordinate with you," Shen Zhi Zhou waved his hand dismissively as if he didn't want to say another word and turned back to signal for the meeting to continue.
Sun Manager and I were "invited" out of the conference room. As we exited C Building, I felt as if I had just walked out of an execution chamber. Sun Manager looked at me with disappointment. "Xiaoran! How could you..."
"I'm sorry, Manager, I..."
"Forget it, forget it," Sun Manager waved his hand, a pained expression on his face. "Just go back for now. That suit... sigh, your bonus for this month is probably gone, and you'll have to cover quite a bit yourself. From now on, when you see President Shen, steer clear of him! Got it?"
What else could I say? I could only nod vigorously.
Shen Zhi Zhou, the walking iceberg, has officially been added to my list of "Level One Dangerous Individuals" from today onward. I need to keep a safe distance—at least a hundred meters!
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