It was Fang Qiong.
Chen Fan nodded, opened the car door, and asked, "You're out, are you leaving?"
"Yes... yes!" Fang Qiong replied quickly.
"Get in." Chen Fan said.
Fang Qiong's heart leaped with joy, but at the same time, she felt a pang of nervousness and indecision. What if he drove her to a hotel? Although hesitant, she quickly opened the door and got in.
Chen Fan drove out of the parking lot and asked, "Where do you live?"
Fang Qiong felt a slight relief, but also a surge of intense disappointment. Had she really failed to catch this Mr. Chen's eye? She was confident in her looks and figure, even if her status in the company wasn't as high as Hua Xiao's. Of course, she only thought this to herself. She honestly gave him the address of the company apartment. As a newcomer, she couldn't afford a place in Beijing and had to live in the company-provided dormitories.
Chen Fan asked no further questions and drove towards Fang Qiong's company apartment. It was no trouble at all to give her a ride home, having met her.
Fang Qiong tried to speak several times, but always stopped herself. She hadn't waited for Chen Fan in the parking lot just for a ride. She needed help with the trouble caused by Young Master Guan.
Before they arrived, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Fang Qiong tensed up. Hesitantly, she answered, "Sister Xu."
"Where did you go?" a cold voice came from the phone.
"I... I'm on my way back," Fang Qiong quickly replied.
"Come straight to the company when you get back. Young Master Guan is waiting for you in the president's office!" Sister Xu hung up abruptly.
Fang Qiong's face turned ashen. She hadn't expected Young Master Guan to go directly to her company. Was he that impatient? She gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Half an hour later, Chen Fan pulled up to a building. Mango Entertainment was located here. It wasn't a massive entertainment company, but it had a decent reputation in the industry, with several second and third-tier celebrities under its wing.
The car had stopped, but Fang Qiong didn't get out. She clenched her fists and looked at Chen Fan with pleading eyes.
"Is there something else?" Chen Fan asked.
"Mr. Chen, please, help me!" At this point, Fang Qiong couldn't hold back anymore. Although she felt that a big shot like Chen Fan might not deign to help a small artist like her, she still begged, "I, I can spend the night with you tonight. I'll agree to any of your requests."
"Tell me what happened," Chen Fan said with a smile.
"During lunch, I... I offended a young master. He, he's already at our company." Fang Qiong said tearfully, "I have no other choice. No one can help me, I can only ask you, Mr. Chen..."
Chen Fan looked at the pitiful Fang Qiong and smiled, "Don't talk about spending the night with me. I have no demands of you."
Fang Qiong felt a cold wave wash over her. She was right. A prominent figure like Mr. Chen wouldn't care about the fate of a nobody like her.
"Get out of the car!" Chen Fan said.
Fang Qiong's heart sank with despair, and tears welled up. She could already imagine the situation she would face: her boss turning her over as a plaything to Young Master Guan. With her current status, her only hope of escaping would be after Young Master Guan tired of her. She felt utterly miserable and almost cried out loud, but for some reason, she didn't want to lose control in front of Chen Fan. She pushed open the door and walked directly into the office building, not even looking back at Chen Fan. All her efforts had been in vain; Mr. Chen, such a powerful figure, was ultimately heartless! She rushed into the building.
Just then, a voice reached her ears, "You're running so fast, how am I supposed to know where to go?" The voice was familiar. It was Chen Fan, calm and steady, yet carrying an undeniable authority. Fang Qiong trembled and froze at the entrance, turning back in disbelief. Chen Fan had already gotten out of the car and was walking towards her, his expression unreadable. He didn't smile at her outburst, nor did he show any displeasure. He was calm and quiet, as if whatever Fang Qiong did was perfectly normal and not worth much attention.
"Mr. Chen... you?" Fang Qiong stammered, disbelieving.
"Lead the way," Chen Fan said.
"You, you're willing to help me?" Fang Qiong asked.
Chen Fan walked into the building, saying, "I don't have anything else to do for now. Let's see what the situation is on your end." Fang Qiong was overjoyed. She then realized that Chen Fan hadn't actually refused her earlier; she had simply overthought it, believing a big shot like him wouldn't care about her plight. Her face flushed, and she quickly said, "I'm... I'm sorry, Mr. Chen."
"Let's go," Chen Fan said, heading towards the elevators.
"Okay," Fang Qiong replied hastily and ran to the elevator to lead the way.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and several young, attractive men and women emerged.
"Oh, Sister Qiong, you're back!" a young girl, who seemed familiar with Fang Qiong, greeted her with a sympathetic look. "Sister Hua and the others got back before you. They were asking where you were and seemed unhappy. Be careful!"
Fang Qiong nodded. She entered the elevator, and Fang Qiong pressed the floor number. They soon arrived at the twenty-third floor, where Mango Entertainment was located. Upon exiting the elevator, they were met by the receptionist. The receptionist's eyes flickered with a strange expression as she saw Fang Qiong. "Sister Qiong, Manager Xiong instructed that you go to his office as soon as you return!"
"Got it," Fang Qiong said, glancing at Chen Fan. She no longer felt worried; instead, she felt reassured.
"Sister Qiong, who is this?" the receptionist asked Fang Qiong.
Just as Fang Qiong was about to answer, Chen Fan said, "I'm here to discuss something with your boss."
"You..." Chen Fan ignored her and walked towards the interior of Mango Entertainment. Fang Qiong quickly followed. The receptionist stared for a moment, then quickly made a call to report.
Mango Entertainment was quite substantial, occupying an entire floor. However, it was already past working hours, and there weren't many people in the office. They soon arrived outside a luxurious office at the far end. Fang Qiong's expression grew uneasy as they reached it.
At that moment, the door opened, and a sharp-looking middle-aged woman in a white suit emerged. She made eye contact with Chen Fan and Fang Qiong, her face darkening. "Fang Qiong, you still know how to come back?"
"Sister... Sister Xu!" Fang Qiong said nervously.
Closing the door, Sister Xu ignored Chen Fan and pulled Fang Qiong aside, launching into a tirade. "Fang Qiong, if you don't want to work, offending Young Master Guan is your business, but don't drag me into it, alright? Do you know what you were doing at the Ninety-Five Club? I told you to meet some influential second-generation rich kids, and instead, you offended someone and ran back. Do you want to see the company go bankrupt before you're satisfied?"
"With your lack of judgment, you think you can make it in the entertainment industry? Being your agent is the worst luck I've ever had. I can't even make money off you, and now I have to be implicated by you!"