*"What a weirdo..."*she muttered under her breath, brushing off the strange encounter.
The morning meeting was halfway through when Creative Director Wang clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. *"Listen up, everyone. We have a new colleague joining our team—he'll be handling the market analysis for the 'Starlight' project."*
The conference room door opened, and in walked the same man from the elevator that morning.
*"This is Lin Yi. Starting today, he'll be part of our team,"* Director Wang introduced. *"I hope you'll all work well together."*
Lin Yi gave a brief nod, his gaze sweeping across the room before lingering on Su Xiaoxi for just a second. That single second sent an inexplicable chill down her spine.
*"What a coincidence..."* she thought, but before she could dwell on it, Lin Yi had already taken the empty seat beside her. That faint, icy aura of his enveloped her once again.
After the meeting, as Su Xiaoxi was gathering her documents, Lin Yi suddenly spoke. *"You're Su Xiaoxi?"*
*"Huh? Y-yes,"* she stammered, surprised he knew her name.
*"Director Wang said you'd be responsible for onboarding me to the project,"* Lin Yi said, his voice eerily calm. *"Are you free at lunch? I'd like to go over the details."*
Su Xiaoxi blinked. *"She didn't mention that to me... but sure, I can walk you through it."*
Lin Yi nodded and walked away, leaving Su Xiaoxi standing there with an uneasy feeling she couldn't quite place.
---
*"So, the core concept of this project is the 'Starlight Love' perfume series, targeting nighttime usage scenarios..."*
Su Xiaoxi pointed at the PPT on the screen, trying to ignore the faint, cold aura radiating from the man beside her. The conference room was empty except for the two of them during the lunch break. Lin Yi sat rigidly straight, his eyes fixed on the projection, occasionally nodding in acknowledgment.
*"For your part in the market analysis, you'll need to focus on—"*
Before she could finish, her stomach let out a loud, protesting growl.
Lin Yi's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.
*"Sorry!"* Su Xiaoxi's face flushed instantly. *"I was in a rush this morning and skipped breakfast..."*
Lin Yi closed his notebook. *"Let's eat first."*