Wednesday, April 26, 2023, sunny turning cloudy, 11~20°C.

After carefully completing his skincare routine, Tang Song stood in the bathroom and meticulously examined his face. Under the influence of the Heartthrob Aura (LV2), his dark circles had completely disappeared, and the puffy bags under his eyes were barely noticeable. The acne scars on his face were now very faint and could be perfectly covered with a layer of moisturizer. The closed comedones on his chin had almost disappeared with the help of Zhao Yaqian. His skin tone had improved somewhat but was still a bit dull. Overall, his skin was quite good among the men he knew. Combined with his decent facial features, well-proportioned body, and 182 cm height, he had returned to his sophomore year appearance. He was definitely at the handsome guy level with suitable clothing and some concealer, likely to turn heads on the street.

"Nice!" Tang Song took out his phone and snapped a candid selfie, which he sent to Zhao Yaqian. He added, "I feel like my skin is in pretty good shape now. Yaqian, do you think there's anything else I should adjust?"

It was 9 AM, and Zhao Yaqian was probably scrolling through her phone on her way to work. She responded quickly.

[Zhao Yaqian: "You've made great progress! Keep it up! I think the main issue now is large pores. If you can address that, your skin will look even better."]

Tang Song: "What should I do to improve that?"

[Zhao Yaqian: "Regularly clean and exfoliate to open up your pores and allow them to absorb more moisture and nutrients. I did this during your treatments, so you don't need to worry about it too much."]

[Zhao Yaqian: "For you, it's important to use sunscreen and products that shrink pores. I'll find some suitable products for your skin type and share them with you later."]

Tang Song: "Alright, thanks."

[Zhao Yaqian: "No need to be so formal, Brother Song. If you need anything, just ask. (#smile)"]

Seeing this message, Tang Song smiled and replied, "How about sharing a selfie with me? I'd like to see how Teacher Zhao's skin and today's outfit look."

After a while, Zhao Yaqian sent a photo. It seemed fresh, taken on the bus with many people standing around. Sunlight streamed in through the side window, illuminating her. Her features were bright and beautiful, her hair flowing down, and her skin was fair and glowing, with delicate collarbones. She looked warm and radiant. Although he didn't see her signature long legs, Tang Song felt satisfied, and his mood lifted.

This beautician friend of his was very nice to him. Apart from not wanting to further their romantic relationship, she was honest about everything else. After chatting with her, Tang Song put down his phone. He sat at his computer and continued organizing the startup project documents. With the company about to be established, the Project Feasibility Report would come in handy.

…

Linjin Building, Jinxiu Commerce Co., Ltd.

Hu Mingli glanced at the empty seat beside her and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. Zhao Yue had indeed taken the day off today; the impact of last night's photo must have been significant, probably causing her to lose sleep. They were in the same department and lived nearby, so they interacted often. Hu Mingli knew Zhao Yue well—not bad, just a bit of a manipulative and self-serving "green tea." She was likely regretting now, thinking about how to salvage her image in Tang Song's eyes. After keeping him on the hook for so long, Tang Song was the most promising, yet she failed to catch him. Now it's too late; Wen Ruan had already stepped in. Those two, in terms of personality, looks, abilities, and figure, were not in the same league.

Thinking about this, Hu Mingli opened WeChat and sent a message in her close friends' group: "@Zhuangzhuang, how's it going with Tang Song? Any progress?"

[Wen Ruan: "We just chatted about fitness last night and got to know each other a bit. He's nice, at least he didn't say anything sleazy."]

[Hu Mingli: "He's a good guy. You should ask him out sometime. As an elder sister, you should take the initiative. Based on my observations, he hasn't been in a relationship before."]

[Zhang Ziqi: "@Zhuangzhuang, wow! A 25-year-old innocent guy driving a BMW 330 with such outstanding charm. You should grab him!"]

[Wen Ruan: "Let's chat more and see if we have common interests."]

After chatting more in the group, Hu Mingli's eyes twinkled as she took a screenshot of the conversation and sent it to Tang Song. She added, "Good start, keep it up, Little Song! Put in more effort! I'm rooting for you!"

A few minutes later.

"Buzz—" Her phone vibrated.

[Tang Song: "Mingli, I ordered you a fresh fruit platter, a cappuccino, and an 8-inch durian mille crepe cake. Please accept them later."]

Hu Mingli chuckled and couldn't help but give Tang Song a mental thumbs-up. Now that's more like it! She felt it was worth being so good to him. She might consider giving him more insider tips to help speed up his pursuit.

"Buzz—" Her phone vibrated again. Follow current novels on novel✦fire.net

[Tang Song: "I just ordered an SK-II skincare set from JD for you. It's being delivered to the office. Thanks for introducing me."]

Goodness! Hu Mingli was stunned. She took a deep breath and began typing back: "On sunny days, Wen Ruan rides her bike to work. Her route starts from the south gate of Green Oasis Garden... She likes these songs... She has an annual Rhythm Fitness (Huayun Building Branch) membership..."

Just as she sent the message, Hu Mingli's ears perked up. She quickly put away her phone and sat upright.

"Click, clack, click, clack—"

"Thump, thump, thump—"

A series of footsteps approached from the reception area towards the office. Employees put down their work and looked in the direction of the sound. In the corridor, more than ten well-dressed men and women approached. Among them were Chairman Ren Huining, President Feng Zhongping, Vice President Li Zhongguo, and several unfamiliar faces with composed demeanors, neatly groomed hair, and polished appearances. They conversed in low voices as they walked, gradually disappearing around the corridor corner entering the company's T1 large conference room.

Subdued discussions erupted in the office area.

"Those must be representatives from the investment firm we're bringing in, right? They look so serious!"

"The group just sent a notification! All meeting rooms are closed today!"

"What's going on? Shaokai, do you have any specifics?"

In the technical support department, everyone's attention turned to Du Shaokai. Everyone knew he had connections in the company. Otherwise, with his flashy and showy nature, how could he have been so comfortable here?

Du Shaokai lowered his voice, "Today, they're holding a shareholders' meeting to elect two new directors appointed by the investment firm. The company is really about to change!"

"Do you know which company it is?"

Du Shaokai said mysteriously, "You'll know after the May Day holiday. Just wait and see; our company is about to boost up."