The Streamer's Allure: Top Fans Vying for Her Affection - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
“It’s been a few months since we last met, and Zhouzhou has become even more beautiful.”
Li Mu watched Jiang Zhouzhou sit down next to him, a slight curve appearing at the corners of his lips.
Jiang Zhouzhou couldn’t stand his forced, intimate way of addressing her. She merely gave a distant nod as a greeting.
Xu Yiyi, on the other hand, spoke up with great enthusiasm. “That’s right! Everyone went their separate ways after graduation, and it’s been so long since we last saw each other. Now that we’re all back together, I’m truly overwhelmed with emotion!”
She placed her bag on the edge of the dining table, intentionally or unintentionally displaying the logo, before sitting down next to Jiang Zhouzhou.
Not far from the two of them, Ji Xiaoyu took in all of Xu Yiyi’s actions and rolled her eyes without any attempt at concealment.
“Some people loved putting on an act back in school, and it seems like nothing has changed after graduation.”
Ji Xiaoyu muttered under her breath, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Xu Yiyi’s expression soured for a moment before she quickly regained her composure. She smiled and said, “Well, that’s still better than certain people who don’t even have the means to put on an act.”
The atmosphere became tense and confrontational just as the class reunion was beginning.
Zhang Tao laughed and tried to smooth things over. “We really have to thank Brother Mu today. If Brother Mu hadn’t treated us, I doubt I’d ever get to eat at a high-end place like this in my entire life.”
Having fully entered society, his face now bore the sycophancy of an adult.
Zhang Tao knew very well that for an ordinary person like him, if they hadn’t been classmates, he would never have had the chance to sit down and share a meal with Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled. “We’re all classmates, there’s no need to be so polite.”
He sat down, carrying a faint scent of cedarwood that made Jiang Zhouzhou’s nose wrinkle slightly.
“What would you like to eat, Zhouzhou? The food here is quite good.”
Li Mu leaned slightly closer to Jiang Zhouzhou and handed her the menu first.
At this point, everyone present gradually realized that this wasn’t really a class reunion; it was a setup Li Mu had arranged specifically to hit on a girl.
However…
A few mocking glances fell upon Xu Yiyi.
They were all classmates, so they naturally knew of Li Mu’s reputation as a playboy. They also knew he had pursued Jiang Zhouzhou for a few days back then, only to be rejected outright.
Jiang Zhouzhou had never been one for socializing back in school, so there was no way she would have actively participated in a reunion like this.
It was obvious that Xu Yiyi was the one acting as the bridge.
Jiang Zhouzhou leaned her body slightly toward the other side, maintaining her distance from Li Mu again. She said politely, “Anything is fine with me. Let everyone else order!”
Li Mu arched an eyebrow. “Fine, but this place has a few famous signature dishes. I’ll order those for you to try first.”
His words and manner completely ignored the presence of everyone else.
To the side, Xu Yiyi smiled. “Brother Mu is truly gentle and considerate toward Zhouzhou!”
Zhang Tao followed up, saying, “Brother Mu is handsome, and our Jiang the Campus Belle needs no further praise from me. The two of them sitting together really are a perfect match of talent and beauty.”
Since Li Mu was taking this opportunity to pursue a girl, the rest of them naturally had to give him face.
Ji Xiaoyu also chimed in to help the match, “Yes, a handsome man and a beautiful woman sitting together is truly a sight for sore eyes.”
Jiang Zhouzhou’s brow furrowed slightly. She found the surrounding atmosphere extremely uncomfortable.
Li Mu then spoke up, “By the way, Zhouzhou, what kind of work are you doing now? I happen to be looking for a private secretary, and I think you’re perfectly suited for it. You can name your terms. Would you like to consider it?”
He knew Jiang Zhouzhou’s personality and didn’t plan on rushing things.
As long as he kept her right in front of him, there would be plenty of opportunities to win her over.
Jiang Zhouzhou said in a flat voice, “No thank you. I’m very satisfied with my current job and have no plans to change it.”
Li Mu wasn’t angry at the blunt rejection; he simply gave Xu Yiyi a look.
Understanding the signal, Xu Yiyi hurriedly said, “Zhouzhou, don’t be so quick to refuse! Brother Mu’s family business is a well-known major company in Haishi. The salary for a private secretary is at least 200,000 yuan a month. If you miss out on this… where else are you going to find such a great opportunity in the future?”
The expressions of everyone present shifted slightly upon hearing the monthly salary of 200,000 yuan.
200,000…
Even if they had graduated from prestigious universities, they wouldn’t be able to earn a salary of 200,000 even if they worked like dogs at their new companies.
However, this ‘personal secretary’ position… was truly thought-provoking.
Jiang Zhouzhou remained silent as well.
Only 200,000!
That wasn’t even as much as she made from a single day of livestreaming.
Seeing that Jiang Zhouzhou wasn’t speaking, Li Mu smiled and asked, “What are you thinking about, Zhouzhou?”
Jiang Zhouzhou pursed her lips. “I was thinking that such a small salary really isn’t suitable for me.”
At that moment, a crack finally appeared in Li Mu’s expression.
“Then how much do you want?” The smile returned to his face as he waited for Jiang Zhouzhou’s answer.
Jiang Zhouzhou shook her head. “It doesn’t have much to do with the salary. Like I said, I don’t plan on changing jobs.”
Thanks to Brother Cockroach’s teachings, Jiang Zhouzhou was no longer the type to swallow her pride and suffer in silence like she used to.
Having been rejected repeatedly, Li Mu’s expression gradually turned somewhat unsightly.
Ji Xiaoyu smiled and said, “It seems Zhouzhou’s current job is better. I wonder what exactly you do?”
Jiang Zhouzhou took a sip of water and brushed it off lightly. “It’s not necessarily better, it’s just more suitable for me.”
Ji Xiaoyu said in a joking tone, “You never say anything whenever we ask. It couldn’t be some kind of shameful work, could it?”
As soon as those words left her mouth, many probing gazes shifted toward Jiang Zhouzhou.
Jiang Zhouzhou’s expression remained unchanged as she smiled. “You’re overthinking it.”
Ji Xiaoyu wanted to say more, but Li Mu interrupted her. “Since we don’t know what Zhouzhou does, don’t make wild guesses or say things that are intentionally misleading.”
Meeting Li Mu’s somewhat cold gaze, Ji Xiaoyu shut her mouth resentfully.
Her current company had a partnership with Li Mu’s family business, so she didn’t dare offend him at all.
“It’s my fault for having a loose tongue. Don’t be angry, Zhouzhou!” Ji Xiaoyu gave an awkward smile.
Jiang Zhouzhou said nothing. Her only thought was for this pointless class reunion to end quickly.
When the exquisitely plated dishes were served, Jiang Zhouzhou had little appetite. Li Mu tried to find topics to get closer to her several times, but she avoided him throughout the entire meal.
She had felt nothing for people like Li Mu when she was in school, and she never would in the future.
Time passed, and the class reunion, where everyone harbored their own hidden agendas, finally came to an end.
The others toasted Li Mu one by one, hoping for a chance to cooperate with the Li Group in the future. Li Mu smiled and didn’t refuse, but he didn’t agree either.
“Where do you live, Zhouzhou? It’s late, let me drop you off!”
After leaving the private room, Li Mu still followed closely beside Jiang Zhouzhou.
Xu Yiyi also chimed in, “Yeah, it’s too unsafe for a girl like Zhouzhou to go back alone. Just let Brother Mu drive you home!”
Throughout the entire gathering, she had been trying to create opportunities for Li Mu.
Jiang Zhouzhou steeled herself and refused. “There’s no need for the trouble. I don’t live far; I’ll just take a taxi.”
Xu Yiyi grabbed her arm and said with a stern face, “No, taking a taxi isn’t safe right now either. Haven’t you seen the news about girls getting into trouble while taking taxis at night?”
After saying this, without waiting for Jiang Zhouzhou to refuse again, she said to Li Mu, “Brother Mu, go bring the car around! Zhouzhou and I will wait for you here.”
Li Mu was just about to nod when he saw a group of people in suits surrounding a man, walking toward the restaurant exit…
His footsteps stopped abruptly, and his voice was filled with surprise. “Why is he here?”
