Chapter 135: Queenly Aura

The woman in the cheongsam was none other than Sister Liao, the manager from the Chanel store at the New Plaza who had blocked Hong Chen from entering, only to be accidentally punched by his bodyguard and left with a bloody nose.

As Hong Chen recognized her, Sister Liao recognized him in return. The smile on her face vanished bit by bit, though she still gave a curt nod and called out, "Mr. Hong."

Hong Chen greeted her in turn: "Hello, Ms. Liao."

Mo Fei looked at Hong Chen, puzzled: "You know Sister Liao?"

Hong Chen offered a faint smile: "We’ve met once before, though we had a small disagreement."

A cold glint flashed in Sister Liao’s eyes. After taking a punch, suffering a nosebleed, and being humiliated in public—all without managing to settle the score—she had never suffered such a major blow in her life. A "small disagreement"? Hmph, this was a deep-seated grudge!

Mo Fei said "Oh" and left it at that.

Sister Liao made a gesture of invitation and led the way. The two men at the door quickly pushed open the wooden gates and bowed slightly.

"Go get my sunglasses from the car." Mo Fei suddenly stopped, turned, and commanded Hong Chen. Her tone was cold and laced with impatience, as if she were speaking to a subordinate who lacked common sense.

If they were in private, Hong Chen certainly wouldn't tolerate such an attitude. But for now, since his role was that of a personal assistant, he endured it, acknowledged the order, and turned to leave.

Mo Fei shook her head and huffed, walking inside without waiting for him.

Hong Chen returned from the car with the glasses case. Just as he reached the entrance, Sister Liao intercepted him. Her face was cold as she held out a palm: "Hand it to me. That will be enough."

Hong Chen opened his mouth to speak, but Sister Liao sneered: "Do you not know the rules? Given your status, you aren't qualified to step through this door. Someone will take you to the side to have a staff meal later."

With that, she snatched the case from his hand, shook it, and said with cold arrogance: "I’ve blocked your path again today. If you're so capable, try forcing your way in again!"

Looking at the provocative Sister Liao, Hong Chen realized she was taking revenge for the Chanel store incident. He clenched his fists, but then forced himself to relax; he was only accompanying Mo Fei tonight, and it wouldn't do to cause trouble for her on an impulse.

Just as Hong Chen considered calling Mo Fei, a cold voice rang out from inside: "Liao Tingrui, Hong Chen is my personal assistant. You, a mere manager, dare to block his way? Who gave you the nerve!"

Liao Tingrui’s face stiffened instantly. Turning back, she saw Mo Fei walking out with an icy expression, radiating the aura of an overbearing queen. Mo Fei glared at her and said coldly: "Apologize to Hong Chen, immediately!"

Liao Tingrui stammered: "Ms. Mo, I... I thought he was your driver..."

Mo Fei’s expression grew even colder: "Are you blind? I’ll count to three. If I don't hear your apology, I’m leaving, and you can explain yourself to your master."

Panic washed over Liao Tingrui’s face. She hurriedly bowed: "Ms. Mo, I’m sorry..."

Mo Fei frowned: "Not to me. To Hong Chen."

Liao Tingrui dared not defy her. She turned back to look at Hong Chen, lowered her head, and said: "Assistant Hong, I’m sorry."

Mo Fei spoke again: "Do you think your status is equal to that of my personal assistant, such that you can't bring yourself to bow?"

Liao Tingrui’s body trembled. Filled with unwillingness, humiliation, and resentment, she finally bent at the waist and bowed: "Assistant Hong, I’m sorry."

At the same time, she held out the glasses case with both hands. Hong Chen watched in silence from start to finish, took the case, and offered only a non-committal grunt.

Passing through the wooden door, they entered a hall with European-style decor. Liao Tingrui invited them to sit in the lounge area, ordered tea, and then excused herself, hurrying upstairs.

Hong Chen looked at Mo Fei, whose expression had softened as she elegantly sipped her tea. He remarked: "I always thought you were just a spoiled princess. I didn't realize you had such an overbearing queen side."

Mo Fei lowered her gaze and said indifferently: "She’s just a woman who thinks she’s clever and uses borrowed power to bully others. I’ve had two personal assistants before, and I was always polite to them. I didn't introduce you earlier, and I ordered you to fetch my glasses while sounding annoyed. That woman, ever the sycophant, assumed you were a driver or a common servant. That’s why she blocked you and tried to send you away. I told you when we left—you and I are the only ones qualified to attend this banquet."

Hong Chen chuckled: "So you were digging a hole for her on purpose. It seems you don't like her."

Mo Fei tilted her head: "I may not think much of her, but I wouldn't lower myself to deliberately make things difficult."

She shot Hong Chen a look: "It’s all because she had a conflict with you."

Hong Chen paused for three seconds before grasping her meaning. His earlier remark about a "small disagreement" had stuck in her mind, and she was standing up for him.

Her protectiveness felt quite gratifying, though he replied: "Heh, I didn't realize you were such a petty woman."

Seeing Mo Fei’s face fall, Hong Chen laughed sheepishly and changed the subject: "Still, having a boss who protects her own like you do, I’m quite touched as a subordinate."

Mo Fei’s lips curled into a teasing arc: "Then stay on as my subordinate. I promise I won't treat you poorly, and I’ll have your back. How about it?"

Hong Chen shook his head firmly. Mo Fei huffed: "Hypocrite."

Taking a sip of tea, she added nonchalantly: "Think about my offer from last night. I’ve been thinking about keeping a little 'wolf dog'—name your price."

Hong Chen’s head filled with black lines. Just as he was about to retort, Liao Tingrui returned and said respectfully: "Ms. Mo, Young Master Qi is waiting on the terrace."

Mo Fei nodded slightly. She exchanged a glance with Hong Chen, and they stood up to follow Liao Tingrui toward the stairs. The terrace on the third floor of the villa spanned nearly two hundred square meters, filled with various flowers and trees—a veritable mini hanging garden. In the center sat a Western-style dining table with three candelabras holding fifteen candles.

In the northwest corner, a young man in a white suit sat at a piano on a raised platform, surrounded by flowers, playing a slow, elegant melody.

Hong Chen, possessing little musical sensibility, felt nothing special. Seeing Mo Fei walk straight to the table and take a seat, he followed and sat beside her.

As the piece ended, the man in the white suit stood up and walked over. After a few glances, Hong Chen recognized who he was.

Qi Junyuan, a high-quality "male god" of the entertainment industry. His popularity might not match Mo Fei's, but he was recognized as a multi-talented artist—acting, singing, composing, and playing the piano were all within his repertoire.

As for his appearance, aside from his features being almost too delicate, bordering on the effeminate, he was undeniably a beautiful man.

"Mo Fei, I’ve been in Qing City for nearly a week. I’ve asked you out every day, and tonight you finally deigned to show up. It really isn't easy." Qi Junyuan sat opposite Mo Fei, offering a helpless smile with a look of tenderness in his eyes.

Mo Fei apologized: "I’m sorry, the filming schedule in Qing City is quite tight." She then took the initiative to act as the intermediary: "This is my personal assistant, Hong Chen... and this is the big star, Qi Junyuan."

Qi Junyuan looked at Hong Chen and gave a polite nod. Seeing that he had no intention of shaking hands, Hong Chen remained seated and returned the nod.

Mo Fei said briskly: "Have the kitchen serve the food. I’ve barely had a bite to eat since noon."

"You... I’ve told you so many times. You lose track of time the moment you hit the set. I’ll have to give Director Luo a call; no matter how tight the schedule is, meal times must be guaranteed. If you collapse from exhaustion, I’ll hold him accountable!" Qi Junyuan sighed, his tone half-joking yet intimate.

Mo Fei didn't commit to a response and let the comment pass.

Without needing further instruction from Qi Junyuan, Liao Tingrui had already signaled the servers. Soon, red wine, appetizers, and the first course of the Western meal arrived.

"Sister Liao, join us. Sit," Qi Junyuan beckoned. Liao Tingrui approached gracefully, smiled at Mo Fei, and then sat silently opposite Hong Chen.

Hong Chen didn't think much of it, but to Mo Fei, the gesture carried a different meaning.

Qi Junyuan had originally invited her for a dinner for two, which she had flatly rejected, insisting on bringing her assistant. By the principle of equality, Qi Junyuan’s personal assistant should have been the one to join. Instead, he had sent his manager to take that spot. It was clear that he knew about her forcing Liao Tingrui to apologize to Hong Chen, and this was his calculated retort: his manager would sit as an equal to her assistant!

Mo Fei didn't usually fuss over matters of etiquette, but today she had no intention of turning a blind eye. Because the one being downgraded was Hong Chen—even if he didn't care, or hadn't even noticed, she would not allow it.

The four of them poured half a glass of red wine each. Just as Qi Junyuan raised his glass, Mo Fei suddenly said: "Qi Junyuan, I recall that Luo Cheng has been your personal assistant since you debuted—nearly six years now. If nothing else, he has served you loyally. I spoke to him on the phone just a few days ago. Could it be that in the last two or three days, he committed some unforgivable error that drove you to dismiss him on the spot?"

As these words fell, Qi Junyuan’s expression stiffened. Liao Tingrui’s hand, holding her glass, trembled, and a splash of red wine spilled onto her pink cheongsam, blooming like small red plum blossoms. Her expression became instantly and intensely awkward.