Chapter 174: To Accept the Interview or Not?

The man in the photograph was sharply dressed in a tailored suit, his handsome face carrying an air of angular and chilling severity. His slender brows and eyes were veiled in a faint aura of danger, and even his gaze was filled with an overwhelming dominance, as though it could pierce straight through the photograph and into Xu An'an's pupils.

That person was none other than Jiang Li.

Xu An'an massaged her temples. The last thing she wanted right now was to lay eyes on Jiang Li!

Xue Shengnan smiled brightly. "For someone of your capability, this should be quite simple, right?"

What more could Xu An'an say?

She had no choice but to agree.

After all, with such a massive incident having just occurred at the magazine, they desperately needed to feature a heavyweight interview to sweep the previous scandals under the rug.

Xu An'an headed to the pantry to grab some water, taking the opportunity to check on the simmering soup.

In this short span of time, a rich and savory aroma was already wafting from the pot.

Several colleagues couldn't help but ask what kind of soup she was making, even shamelessly asking her to spare them a bowl later. Xu An'an merely offered a faint smile and ignored them entirely.

Receiving no response, the group rolled their eyes in annoyance.

Xu An'an couldn't care less.

She was here to do her job, not to make friends.

Naturally, making friends would be nice if the opportunity arose, but she would never lower herself to groveling or trying to please anyone.

At lunchtime.

Xu An'an decided to deliver the soup in person. However, she went under the pretext of conducting an interview, believing that this would keep malicious gossip at bay.

She gathered a few bags and carefully packed the thermal container.

Arriving at the Jiang Corporation headquarters, Xu An'an looked up at the towering architecture, which inevitably reminded her of the Emperor Group—the true landmark building of Shanghai.

Turning her head to glance backward, she could clearly see that magnificent, cloud-piercing structure in the distance.

Since she didn't have an appointment, Xu An'an dialed Assistant Wang's number.

Upon learning that Xu An'an had arrived, Assistant Wang hurried down immediately, not daring to delay even for a second. "Miss Xu, this way, please!"

Earlier that morning, Jiang Li had already given strict instructions: if anyone delivered soup for him, they were to be brought straight up to the top floor.

However, Jiang Li hadn't specified who the sender would be.

"The Second Master is still tied up in a meeting. Please wait for him inside the office."

"Alright, you go ahead and take care of your work." Xu An'an glanced around the room. The black, white, and gray minimalist interior design matched Jiang Li's personality, exuding a chillingly austere vibe.

She took a seat on the sofa and refrained from looking around any further.

A moment later, the door to the president's office swung open.

Thinking it was Jiang Li, Xu An'an was utterly astonished to see Jiang Yu instead.

Jiang Yu was equally stunned. "An'an? What are you doing here?"

Then, a wave of anger washed over him, fueled by the fact that Xu An'an had been ignoring all his recent attempts to contact her.

"Xu An'an, what is the meaning of this? You clearly promised to come see me, making me wait at home for the entire day. You completely ruined my schedule and almost caused me to offend an important client! How do you plan to compensate me for these losses?"

Xu An'an felt this was completely absurd. "How laughable. When on earth did I say I was going to see you?"

"My mother went to your house that day, and your father told my mother! Are you saying your own father would lie?!" Jiang Yu was convinced that Xu An'an was simply playing hard-to-get, which was why she kept denying it.

He refused to believe that Xu An'an no longer had feelings for him.

After all, they had once reached the stage of discussing marriage.

Xu An'an frowned. "You just said it was my father who said it, not me in person."

"Why on earth would your father lie to me for no reason?"

"Then what possible reason would I have to seek you out? With that kind of time, I'd rather go home and catch up on my beauty sleep."

"No, what on earth is your deal? It's just you and me here, so stop beating around the bush and speak your mind."

"Are you out of your mind?!"

At that exact moment, the office door was pushed open once again.

Jiang Li's handsome face was dark and cold. "What are you doing here?"

Thinking the question was directed at her, Jiang Yu quickly chimed in, "Uncle, don't be angry. An'an is here to see me, but she just wandered into the wrong place."

"I'll take her away right now."

Xu An'an jerked her hand away from Jiang Yu's grasp. "You've got it all wrong. I am here to see the Second Master to conduct an interview. It has absolutely nothing to do with you, so please stop flattering yourself."

Jiang Yu let out a sarcastic laugh. "My uncle never accepts interviews!"

"I am quite willing to accept Miss Xu's interview." Jiang Li cast a displeased glance at Jiang Yu. "If you have nothing better to do, get lost and stop being an eyesore."

Assistant Wang promptly made a polite gesture toward the door.

Jiang Yu opened his mouth to speak, but seeing the cold reality, he could only turn on his heel and leave in bitter humiliation.

The door clicked shut, and Jiang Li turned his gaze to Xu An'an. "An interview?"

If not for this excuse, he doubted Xu An'an would ever take the initiative to seek him out.

Xu An'an nodded. "But you should drink your soup first."

"I also bought you lunch. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

She poured the soup out of the thermal container and produced a food container. "The dishes from this restaurant are quite good, and they're on the lighter side—perfect for protecting your stomach."

Jiang Li's gaze followed her every movement.

Seeing that Jiang Li remained silent, Xu An'an worried he might be angry, thinking her unannounced visit would bring unnecessary trouble or gossip.

"If you aren't willing to do the interview, then right now—Mm!"

Her endlessly chattering lips were suddenly captured in a kiss!

Caught off guard, Xu An'an was pressed back against the sofa. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock before she slowly closed them, her arms instinctively wrapping around Jiang Li's neck.

After a deep, lingering kiss, a thin silver thread still connected their lips as they parted.

Blushing, Xu An'an wiped her mouth. "Cough! If you have something to say, use your words. Can you not... not resort to kissing?"

"Aren't I using my mouth to speak?" Jiang Li licked his lips with a wicked glint in his eyes, as though he had just tasted something exquisite. "Besides, I'm quite fond of using my mouth for this as well."

The results, crucially speaking, were exceptionally favorable.

Xu An'an glared at him playfully. "Anyway, give me a straight answer: are you doing the interview or not?"

"I am."

Noticing that the meal container only held a single portion, Jiang Li asked, "Have you already eaten?"

Xu An'an had grabbed a sandwich on her way over. "Unlike certain people who don't care about their own bodies and end up with bleeding stomach ulcers, only to suffer for it later."

Jiang Li was helpless against her remarks. He had two massive corporate empires to manage, and lately, he had been stretched impossibly thin.

Fortunately, several major projects were finally drawing to a close, meaning he would soon be able to take a well-deserved break.

"So you better be a good boy and finish your food and soup obediently."

"Stop nagging and eat your lunch." Xu An'an averted her gaze, though the corners of her lips curled upward on their own.

While waiting for Jiang Li to finish eating, Xu An'an gestured toward the bookshelf not far away. "Have you read every single book on that shelf?"

Receiving no reply, she looked over.

Jiang Li wore an innocent expression. "No talking while eating. Wasn't that your rule?"

Xu An'an choked back a retort, genuinely tempted to punch that handsome face of his.

Of course, she couldn't bring herself to do it; if she were to hit him, she'd have to aim somewhere else.

Driven by curiosity, Xu An-an stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, noting that there were easily over a hundred books there, all bearing signs of having been thoroughly thumbed through.

Knowing Jiang Li wasn't an ordinary man, she figured he must have read every single one of them.

As she scanned the titles, her eyes caught a particular book called *The Little Prince*. She was genuinely surprised to see such literature among his collection.

Jiang Li walked over with his bowl of soup, his gaze fixed intently on her.

"Someone gave that book to me."