Chapter 29 Girlfriend?

Before I left, Lin Xiyi looked at me with a serious expression. "Jiang Li, remember, you must present yourself with the utmost professionalism and seriousness. Don't you dare mess around. Whether we can make a strong first impression depends entirely on this!"

"Got it."

Mess around? How could I possibly mess around? The two of us are practically on the verge of a breakup.

To be more convincing, I ditched my usual casual style and opted for a well-tailored off-white business suit. Determined to make my legs look impossibly long, I gritted my teeth and put on 10-centimeter heels, which made my walk sway ever so slightly.

This was my first time visiting Shen Jibai's company since returning to China. His secretary, upon hearing my name, politely escorted me to the conference room.

"Miss Jiang, please wait here. President Shen will be with you shortly."

"Thank you."

I maintained a polite smile, watching her leave before turning to adjust the large screen in the conference room.

Finally, Shen Jibai entered.

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an air of cold elegance. His thin lips were pressed into a stern line, and for a fleeting moment, I suddenly felt as though the sensation of his kiss still lingered on my lips. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling awkward.

Perhaps sensing something, he looked directly at me just as I lowered my head. His deep, penetrating eyes caught my flustered expression without fail.

A faint smile tugged at his thin lips, as if he had seen through something but chose not to expose it.

He stood there with his hands in his pockets, exuding a lazy yet inexplicably seductive aura, his gaze fixed on me with a slight downward tilt of his head.

"Long time no see, President Shen." I adjusted myself and stepped forward with a professional smile.

He didn't respond, instead walking directly to the seat farthest from me—the central position reserved for the CEO. He crossed his long legs, leaned back into the chair, his jawline taut, and his gaze sharp and scrutinizing. He gestured for me to begin.

"Alright, President Shen, here's our company's script proposal."

The script I had written was about a single mother with amnesia who, after waking up, mistakenly believes her neighbor's mother is her own.

It was a story about human nature and redemption, love and family, separation and reunion. From various angles, I explored my understanding of the cyclical nature of everything in this world—the flow, the reincarnation, and the eternal return.

From his expression, I could tell he was listening.

The top button of his shirt was undone, and his long fingers casually tapped on the armrest of his chair. His gaze on me was as if he were captivated by an intriguing play.

This was within my expectations because, hidden within this story, was a shadow of someone from the past.

His mother—my Aunt Lin.

At the end of my presentation, I handed over the prepared materials and script to him.

"President Shen, this is the draft. If you think we have a chance of being selected, we can go back and refine it further."

He looked up. Though he had been smiling just moments ago, his expression suddenly turned cold. His brows furrowed slightly, and his voice was deep and stern.

"What makes you think a company that doesn't meet the bidding standards has any chance of working with us?"

"..."

I was momentarily speechless.

A surge of anger rose within me. If this guy never intended to consider us in the first place, then why make me come all this way and waste both of our time?

Does he have any idea how many sleepless nights I spent working on this script?

I lifted my chin and met his gaze head-on. "Because you promised to let me come to you!"

If he dared to deny it, I'd smash his conference room right now!

"Oh? Did I?" Shen Jibai leaned back in his chair, a hint of arrogance and amusement in his eyes. "To be honest, the idea of shooting an art film hasn't been fully disclosed yet. We were planning to keep it internal and conduct a preliminary selection. But even so, plenty of people have caught wind of it and are sending me scripts." He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, if I agreed to every single one, wouldn't this place turn into a marketplace?"

"Them? Do you think they're the same as me?" I blurted out in a moment of desperation.

He clearly became more interested.

"Oh? Not the same? Tell me, what makes you different?"

"I'm your girlfriend. They're not..."

It was only after the words left my mouth that I realized I had fallen into his trap.

Shen Jibai's thin lips curved into a smile, as if he had just heard a profound revelation.

"Oh, so you're my girlfriend? I thought you didn't know that."

He stood up, still exuding that lazy and casual demeanor, yet there was an inexplicable sense of pressure as he slowly approached me.