CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 222: THE REAL AND FAKE MRS. BOSS

Everyone turned to look and saw a woman dressed in an elegant suit quietly standing at the edge of the crowd. Her face, adorned with delicate makeup, showed no emotion.

"Miss Zhuang, you’re here?" Mr. Yang was the first to react, speaking with a hint of embarrassment, "Well, I’m sorry, I thought you wouldn’t be coming to the company recently, so we started the meeting without waiting for you. Anyway, I’ll say it again, the person selected for Hanyu this time is Su Xingyu, she’s the only one. The reason is..."

"No need to say, I’ve heard it all." Zhuang Heng interrupted Mr. Yang, glancing at Su Xingyu, "Congratulations."

Su Xingyu was momentarily silent, surprised that Zhuang Heng could congratulate her so calmly after their previous confrontation. What new trick was she planning?

Indeed, Zhuang Heng continued, "With Xia Ling’s involvement, how could there possibly be any candidate that couldn’t be secured? Congrats on knowing such a superstar willing to help you."

Su Xingyu: "..."

She knew Zhuang Heng wasn’t being genuine, as outwardly and implicitly, she was ridiculing her for getting the spot not through her own merit but due to Xia Ling!

Immediately, Yun Xi chimed in, "Exactly, no wonder. I almost forgot that Su Xingyu shot Xia Ling! Xia Ling, a once-in-a-century musical genius, whose mere presence can amplify any shoot tremendously! With her support, even a blind person could take good photos."

Su Xingyu glanced at them coldly, "If you have the skill, you also go and ask Xia Ling."

Selecting subjects and scenes is inherently part of photography, a reflection of a photographer’s prowess. Otherwise, why did they initially exclude her, not allowing other models to collaborate?

Even if using Xia Ling was a bit of a shortcut, it was under duress.

Yun Xi was infuriated by the taunt, yet was rendered speechless. If she had the ability, she’d ask Xia Ling too! But how easy was it to invite Xia Ling? She’d probably be blocked by a squad of bodyguards before reaching her. Even Zhuang Heng’s expression turned sour. Asking Xia Ling? What a joke, especially with that arrogant girl dreaming of slapping her face!

Thinking of this, Zhuang Heng almost reached to touch her cheek again. The wound caused by Xia Ling’s slap had only recently healed after extensive care, leaving no scars but still a lingering pain when recalled. The doctor had said that while her face looked no different from before, it had nerve damage, making subtle expressions less lively than before.

She was furious...!

She wished she could tear Xia Ling and her accomplice Su Xingyu to pieces!

Yet now, she could say nothing, not even share her grievances. She couldn’t let anyone discover the lingering effects on her face, worried that if this fact reached Lu Shifeng’s ears—what then? Would Lu Shifeng marry a woman with an imperfect appearance? She wasn’t sure. "Being overly eager isn’t a good thing," Zhuang Heng maintained her most composed demeanor, looking down on Su Xingyu, "A photographer should rely on their own skills to earn a living. Xia Ling might help you once, but not necessarily a second time."

"Exactly!" Yun Xi echoed, "This time you were shameless, cheating. In terms of true talent, how could you compare to Miss Zhuang?"

"Is that so?" Su Xingyu laughed lightly, casting a sarcastic glance at them, "You all seem to forget that this blind selection originally had two spots. Even if I leveraged and cheated, why couldn’t Miss Zhuang get the other spot? Hanyu would rather leave it blank than give it to Miss Zhuang."

An awkward silence ensued...

Zhuang Heng’s expression darkened, unable to refute her words. Yes, Hanyu would rather leave the spot empty!

But after all, she was the eldest lady of the Zhuang Family, possessing the social skills and strategic foresight honed from a young age. After a few seconds, she calmly said, "This time, I was busy with other matters; the photos for submission weren’t personally selected by me. Others might not have chosen the most suitable ones. Moreover, I didn’t retouch the photos. You bring your post-processed shots to compare with my unedited ones, don’t you find it funny?"

Su Xingyu wasn’t afraid of her: "Then choose now, edit now. Then you can submit to Hanyu again—see if Hanyu will choose you?"

"Su Xingyu, you’re standing there talking easily," Yun Xi spoke for Zhuang Heng, "You think Hanyu is the kind of place where they’ll simply reselect because you say so? You banked on Hanyu’s renowned strict rules, knowing they won’t give a second chance, so you boldly told Miss Zhuang to resubmit! You’re truly wicked, and if Miss Zhuang fails, it’s another opportunity for your rhetoric!"

Su Xingyu almost declared she could make Hanyu reselect but held back at the last moment.

What she needed to do now was not to argue with this crowd but to conceal her identity as "Mr. Lu’s woman."

At this heated moment, seeking Lu Shifeng or Leng Fei for a favor to reselect Zhuang Heng—was inappropriate.

Thinking of this, she said, "This doesn’t work, nor does that. You’re truly troublesome. Forget it, anyway in your minds, Miss Zhuang is always the strongest, regardless of how much truth is laid before you that you won’t believe." As she spoke, she smiled somewhat sarcastically, "Excuse me, I need to leave. I have things to pack; I must prepare to go to Hanyu these days."

Watching her leave, Zhuang Heng’s fingers clenched tightly into a fist. This woman... this woman!

When she gains power, she must make this woman named Su Xingyu pay!

What further pushed Zhuang Heng to the brink was the news surfaced after a few days—

The selected photographer this time would accompany Lu Shifeng, traveling to Hanyu for two weeks before returning together.

The news caused a stir in the photography center, with Mr. Yang’s assistant, Anna, smiling as she congratulated Su Xingyu, "Fantastic, traveling with Mr. Lu! Xingyu, this is a rare opportunity; be sure to perform well! Your promotion and raise depend on this."

Fang Luohua also stepped forward to congratulate her, "Congratulations."

He knew Su Xingyu’s identity as Lu Shifeng’s woman, but precisely because of this, these public congratulations were necessary, helping her to conceal it better.

Nearby, Xia Ranran said sourly, "Are you using your lifetime’s worth of luck here? Su Xingyu, why is it that when people from our group headquarters usually go to Hanyu, they travel alone, but when it’s you, you get to travel with Mr. Lu? How many favors have you given to the administrative and secretarial departments?"

Su Xingyu’s face darkened.

Fang Luohua quickly stepped in to mediate, "Ranran, you’re being unfair. Didn’t Miss Zhuang also travel with Mr. Lu in the past?"

"How can Miss Zhuang be the same?" Xia Ranran replied, "She’s our future boss’s wife!"