Chapter 2 :002

Over the years, Su Xiaomi had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with Jiang Yi, but when this moment finally arrived, her expression froze, and her heart pounded uncontrollably.

Would Jiang Yi… recognize her?

Probably not. After all, she had changed quite a bit over the years.

Her once short bob had grown out into long, wavy curls.

The baby fat on her face had disappeared, and her weight had dropped from 150 pounds to a slender 90.

Most importantly, she had mastered the art of strategic makeup.

At the last high school reunion, she was even teased by her old classmates for having had plastic surgery.

Unlike her, Jiang Yi seemed unchanged.

His face was still as strikingly handsome as she remembered, only now his features were sharper and more defined.

The youthful innocence from his high school days had faded from his brows, replaced by a cold, imposing aura that made him even more distant and untouchable.

Even though Su Xiaomi had mentally prepared herself for Jiang Yi not recognizing her, when he opened his mouth and addressed her in an aloof, professional tone—“Miss Su”—her heart still twisted in pain.

It turned out that no matter how many years had passed, his distant attitude could still hurt her.

This realization left Su Xiaomi feeling a little hopeless.

“Su Xiaomi, pull yourself together! You’re not that silly little girl chasing after Jiang Yi for just one glance anymore. You’re a fairy now!”

To her credit, this little pep talk worked wonders.

After reassuring herself, Su Xiaomi faced Jiang Yi’s questions with confidence.

Even when he threw unexpected questions at her, she answered with a poised smile and an easy fluency.

At the end of the interview, Jiang Yi asked, “As far as I know, Miss Su, you were previously an entertainment reporter at Hongyi. Why did you decide to switch to being a social news reporter at Yihang? Although both are reporter roles, the nature of these jobs is quite different. Do you think you’re up for it?”

Su Xiaomi had prepared extensively for this question, so she responded effortlessly, “The reason I chose to join Yihang Media as a social news reporter is, on one hand, because I’ve spent four years at Hongyi and wanted to explore more possibilities in life. On the other hand, I’m a loyal fan of Yihang Media. Over the years, I’ve read every magazine and weekly publication Yihang has produced… As for the differences between entertainment and social news reporting, I agree they are distinct roles, but in my opinion, whether it’s entertainment or social news, both are about conveying facts…”

Jiang Yi’s face remained impassive as he listened to her answer, his cold expression revealing nothing.

But Su Xiaomi pushed on with a determined smile, “Of course, the main reason I want to join Yihang Media is that Hongyi is at risk of shutting down any day now.”

Jiang Yi responded nonchalantly, “The traditional publishing industry has been struggling in recent years. Strictly speaking, any magazine or weekly publication faces the potential risk of shutting down.”

Su Xiaomi replied confidently, “But not Yihang.”

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

“Oh? Why is that?”

Why?

Because Yihang Media was ridiculously wealthy, of course!

A company that could book an entire floor of a five-star hotel for a simple recruitment event, a media giant ranked in the industry’s top 10, with rising market shares and growing magazine sales—it might face risks, but even at its worst, it was still leagues ahead of its competitors.

But as these thoughts ran through Su Xiaomi’s head, her mouth betrayed her again.

She blurted out, “Because the heavens always favor people who are both handsome and capable.”

Jiang Yi: “…” Was… was he just flirted with by the little girl in front of him?

The interview ended earlier than Su Xiaomi had anticipated, so she decided to return to Hongyi.

Hongyi was her current workplace—a once-famous gossip magazine company that published both an entertainment magazine and a weekly gossip digest.

But with the rise of the internet and independent media platforms, Hongyi’s sales had plummeted, and its market share shrank year by year.

Recently, many of Su Xiaomi’s colleagues had started looking for other opportunities.

One of them, who had joined at the same time as her, had already switched to another magazine and received a significant pay raise despite holding a similar position.

Su Xiaomi had been reluctant to leave because she was deeply sentimental.

Some might call it being easygoing, others might call it a lack of ambition.

But if it weren’t for a recent conflict with the deputy editor, she might have still been happily working as a gossip reporter.

The conflict wasn’t even particularly serious. In short: she had taken the fall for someone else.

At the beginning of the year, the deputy editor brought in a relative as an intern.

The editor-in-chief, reluctant to offend the deputy editor, had assigned Su Xiaomi to supervise the intern.

Despite Su Xiaomi’s best efforts, the intern was lazy and incompetent.

When it came time for the internship evaluation, Su Xiaomi politely pointed out a few shortcomings, and the intern was ultimately let go.

But in doing so, she had inadvertently offended the deputy editor.

Although the editor-in-chief treated her kindly out of guilt, he was often hands-off.

As a result, Su Xiaomi had to face the brunt of the deputy editor’s dissatisfaction alone, making her days at Hongyi increasingly unbearable.

When she returned to the office, her colleague Shanshan shot her a questioning look and mouthed silently: “How did the interview go?”

Before Su Xiaomi could answer, the deputy editor’s voice rang out behind her, “Su Xiaomi, how’s that article about the young celebrity coming along?”

“Almost done. I’ll have it ready for you today.”

The deputy editor frowned.

“Hurry up. The whole magazine can’t wait on just you.”

After he left, Shanshan rolled her chair over and whispered, “How was the interview? Did you pass?”

Su Xiaomi sighed, “Probably not.”

“Why?”

Su Xiaomi hesitated, “I… might have accidentally offended their director a few years ago.”

Shanshan patted her shoulder sympathetically, “Hey, you never know! Maybe he likes hiring people who’ve offended him so he can torture them slowly.”

Even though the room was warm, a chill ran down Su Xiaomi’s spine.

That night, Su Xiaomi worked late and didn’t return home until after 11 p.m.

She lived in a well-maintained residential complex close to work, so she felt relatively safe walking home.

Her roommate was out of town visiting her boyfriend, so Su Xiaomi cooked a bowl of instant noodles, took a photo, and sent it to her best friend, Xiao Luo.

[It’s Xiaomi, Not Dami]: Xiao Luo, midnight snack time! 🍜

Three seconds later, Xiao Luo replied with a photo of steaming, spicy crawfish.

[It’s Luo Luo]: Freshly cooked. Let’s hurt each other. 🦞

Su Xiaomi stared at her instant noodles in despair.

[It’s Xiaomi, Not Dami]: Luo Luo, you’ll never guess who I ran into at my interview today… my high school crush! And he’s now the director of Yixing Media. Why do some people grow more successful and handsome while I’m still struggling as a small-time reporter?”

After a moment of silence, Xiao Luo replied, “So… did he recognize you?”

Su Xiaomi sent two photos: one from high school and one recent.

After a long pause, Xiao Luo sent a voice message: “Xiaomi… be honest with me. Which surgeon did your face?”

Su Xiaomi: “…”