Ten minutes felt like a century to Su Wan.
Hugging her knees, she huddled behind the bathroom door. Her soaked shirt clung to her collarbone, the fabric semi-transparent, revealing the pale pink spaghetti-strap top beneath.
The door swung open again.
Lu Tingchen had changed into formal attire—a black dress shirt, silver tie, his hair slicked back sharply, revealing his sharp brow bone.
He held a paper bag in his hand, its logo belonging to a high-end women's fashion house, the tag still attached.
"Change into this."
Su Wan hesitated to take it. "Mr. Lu, I can go back to the dorm to change—"
"Your current appearance represents Lu Corporation." The man hooked the bag onto her wrist, leaning close to whisper, "Or shall I help you change?"
Su Wan clutched the bag tightly, spun around, and dashed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
Through the door, she could hear her own heartbeat—thump, thump, thump.
Outside, the man seemed to chuckle softly.
...
Five minutes later, Su Wan emerged, dragging her feet.
She wore a black commuter dress, its waistline cinched just right, the hem falling to her knees and revealing her slender, pale calves.
Her skin was cool and pale, the black dress making her look like an ink mark on snow.
Lu Tingchen's gaze drifted from her ankles to the nape of her neck—where a strand of damp hair clung to her carotid artery, trembling slightly with each breath.
His eyes darkened, yet he only said, "Shoes."
Inside the paper bag lay a pair of nude flats, size 37—a perfect half-size fit.
Su Wan grew even more flustered. "How did you know my size?"
"Estimated." The man turned away, leaving her with a cold profile. "Let's go. We have a meeting."
——
In the conference room, three senior executives of the Lu Corporation sat at the head of the long table.
Su Wan clutched her notebook, huddling to Lu Tingchen's right like a kitten lost in a den of wolves.
The projector screen displayed her "Crane" men's wear collection.
The CFO frowned. "These intricate patterns are too costly. The market—"
"I'll cover it," Lu Tingchen cut him off. His voice wasn't loud, yet the entire room fell silent. "Triple the profit margin. I'll personally fund it."
The room fell silent.
Su Wan lifted her head, meeting the man's sweeping gaze—deep and unfathomable, as if saying: I'm not investing in a project. I'm investing in you.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The meeting concluded, and the crowd dispersed.
Lu Tingchen leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop. "Miss Su, I saved your drawings. I saved your internship."
Su Wan stood ramrod straight. "Thank you, Mr. Lu."
"A deal," the man said slowly. "Starting today, you belong to me 24 hours a day. On call at my beck and call."
"Twenty-four hours?!"
"Is there a problem?"
"I... I have a dorm curfew—"
"Move up." He tossed her a key card. 88th floor, direct elevator access, fingerprint lock.
Su Wan clutched the card, her fingertips trembling. "Mr. Lu, I'm just an intern."
"Then we'll start with the internship." The man rose, his shadow stretching across the floor. "Until I'm satisfied."
As he brushed past her, Su Wan heard her own heartbeat racing out of control.