She took the delivery back, threw it on the table, accepted his friend request, and sent him a message.
"I'll treat you to dinner after work. How about Japanese? If it's okay, I'll book a place now."
Lawyer Gu was very unhappy. "Then I'll pick you up after work."
Lu Jiaying said it wasn't necessary, she could drive herself.
She didn't want someone like him appearing at the company entrance to spread rumors about them.
As it turned out, when it was time to get off work, Lawyer Gu still called on time.
"I'm already waiting at your company entrance."
Lu Jiaying's face darkened. She turned off her computer, grabbed the delivery, and strode out.
Jiang Jingyu saw this perfect opportunity to gossip and hurried after her.
It was rush hour, and people were coming and going at the company entrance. A black Mercedes was parked brazenly in the open space in front of the entrance.
He wore a black suit, his hair slicked back, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, leaning against the car.
Although his attire was very business-like and elite, the confidence, or rather, the arrogance he exuded was too obvious.
Jiang Jingyu felt that this person was flashy and greasy at first glance, no wonder Lu Jiaying looked down on him.
He clearly enjoyed the attention he was receiving. Seeing Lu Jiaying come out, he waved enthusiastically at her, then opened the car door and took out a bouquet of fiery red roses from the car.
The passersby immediately cast curious glances at Lu Jiaying.
Lu Jiaying had never dated, nor had she experienced such a spectacle with a man.
She couldn't stand such a tacky way of pursuing someone. Her forehead twitched, and for the first time, she felt incredibly embarrassed.
She quickly walked up to the man, didn't take the flowers, but instead placed the delivery in his arms.
"Mr. Gu, we've only known each other for less than 24 hours, and you're giving me this and that. How can I possibly accept this?"
"I know you're very capable, but there's no need to be so wasteful. Thank you for your kindness, but I can't accept the gift. Please take it back."
"You don't like it?"
Lu Jiaying really wondered how someone with such low EQ could be a lawyer. She just wanted to roll her eyes.
It wasn't a matter of liking or disliking! When a girl refuses your gift and your flowers, isn't it obvious what that means?
Clearly, it wasn't obvious enough.
If she didn't say the words, "I don't like people like you," he wouldn't give up.
"If you don't like the necklace, I'll go and exchange it tomorrow. What do you like? A bracelet, a ring, earrings? What brand? As long as you say it, I can do it and I'll satisfy you."
Jiang Jingyu behind her couldn't stand it anymore.
He felt so sorry for Lu Jiaying, as if she were being pranked.
How could there be such an oddball with such low EQ in the world?
He couldn't help but step forward, put his arm around Lu Jiaying's shoulder, and pulled her into his embrace.
Lu Jiaying was startled to be suddenly hugged.
She looked back and was relieved to see it was Jiang Jingyu.
Jiang Jingyu, like an old man, not only hugged her but also pinched her chin.
"I told you I'd pick you up after work, why didn't you wait at the usual spot and came here instead? Who are you talking to? Your colleague?"
What was he doing?
Listening to his tone, was he trying to impersonate her boyfriend?
Wasn't today's gossip exciting enough?
With his embrace, the passersby stopped and their intention to gossip became even more obvious.
However, since things had come to this, Lu Jiaying would rather have a rumor with Jiang Jingyu than be involved with Lawyer Gu any further.
Seeing that Jiang Jingyu had said this, she cooperated by smiling at him and said in a soft, sweet tone.
"It's too much trouble to run back and forth. Didn't I tell you not to come? He's not my colleague. Remember Xiao Qi's party last night? He's a lawyer I just met, I told you about him."
"Oh. A lawyer you met last night. Hello."
Jiang Jingyu reached out and shook his hand. "What kind of lawyer are you? Have you left your contact information with Jiaying? If we have any business in that area in the future, we'll try to take care of you."
Lawyer Gu's face visibly darkened. He looked at the two of them again and again.
"You have a boyfriend? Why didn't you tell me last night? Why didn't Mo Xiaoqi tell me?"
Lu Jiaying said with a smile, "You didn't ask. I can't just go around telling everyone that I have a boyfriend. I've been telling you that we're not suitable, but you just didn't understand, Mr. Gu."
Lawyer Gu was so angry his nose almost crooked. He pulled open the car door, threw the flowers and necklace in angrily, slammed the car door, and drove away as if he couldn't be bothered to deal with Lu Jiaying anymore.
As the car drove away, Lu Jiaying quickly squeezed out of Jiang Jingyu's embrace.
She somewhat awkwardly smoothed her hair and looked at the passing colleagues.
"Now it's even better. I'll be rumored all over the place from now on. But thank you anyway."
Jiang Jingyu, who was enjoying playing the role of an older man, said, "You're welcome. If you encounter this kind of harassment again, you can just say you have a boyfriend."
Lu Jiaying thought to herself: I've never had a boyfriend in my life, do you think I can just say something like that casually?
But it was enough that she knew; she couldn't say it out loud.
"Alright, let's go back quickly. I'm leaving."
When she went out in the morning, Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nanfang said that their younger siblings' school was holding a parent-child camping event, requiring parents to take them to a designated camping spot. Therefore, they would be taking the younger siblings tonight and wouldn't be back.
Jing Tian and Ge Er were about to take their college entrance exams, and their evening self-study sessions didn't end until past nine o'clock every night.
He would be alone if he went back. On a whim, he called out to Lu Jiaying.
"Can you treat me to dinner?"
"What?"
"You know, Daddy and Mommy froze my cards, and I have no money on me. No one's home today, and I don't want to go back so early."
Coincidentally, Lu Jiaying had already booked a restaurant, and since her talk with Lawyer Gu had fallen through, she had no one to eat with.
She had planned to cancel.
It was fine, she could consider it repaying a favor.
"How about Japanese?"
"Anything is fine with me."
The two walked towards the underground parking lot together.
Unsuspecting onlookers were whispering to each other.
"What's going on? Doesn't it look like Ms. Lu and her assistant have an unusual relationship? A bit ambiguous, don't you think?"
"What's so strange about that? Male bosses and female assistants can have that kind of relationship, why can't female bosses and male assistants? Isn't that how it is these days?"
"Ms. Lu really knows how to play, and she's playing so openly, isn't she afraid of any negative impact?"
Coincidentally, HR Director Xu Lei also witnessed this scene.
She thought Lu Jiaying was a shameless woman, not only showing off in front of the technical department but also acting weak and pitiful in front of General Manager Hu.
And now, after work, she was trying to hook up with a subordinate.
If people like her weren't driven out of the company, it would be an insult to Zhan Shi's reputation.
Listening to everyone's discussion and seeing Lu Jiaying and Jiang Jingyu walking away together with a hint of ambiguity, she secretly conceived a plan.