"Boss Lin..."
Gao Ruolan walked towards Lin Zhuyin with a smile.
She was wearing a sky-blue slip dress today, her slightly permed long hair cascading down like a waterfall. Expensive jewelry adorned her neck and wrists. Her beautiful face was captivating at first glance.
And she... was wearing a black t-shirt and casual pants. Her white shoes were stained from moving flowers. She must look quite disheveled at the moment.
Even after divorce, one subconsciously compared themselves to a love rival.
Lin Zhuyin had been overjoyed when she received the order. Now, knowing it was Gao Ruolan, her mood was incredibly complex.
After a moment's thought, she realized it didn't matter who the client was; as long as they paid, they were God.
Even if she knew it was Gao Ruolan when accepting the order, would she have refused?
That was impossible!
With this in mind, Lin Zhuyin curved her lips into a smile. "Miss Gao, hello."
Gao Ruolan was poised and graceful, her smile particularly alluring. She extended her hand to Lin Zhuyin. "When I last visited your shop to buy flowers, I knew you were a responsible and beautiful proprietress. I was sure you'd be reliable. Indeed, my judgment has never been wrong."
Lin Zhuyin was still wearing gloves. She immediately removed them and shook Gao Ruolan's hand. "Thank you, Miss Gao, for trusting our flower shop. We will definitely not disappoint you."
Gao Ruolan's smile deepened. "I don't trust your flower shop; I trust you, Boss Lin. Thank you for your hard work today."
"It's our duty. Then... I'll get back to work."
"Alright."
Watching Lin Zhuyin's busy back, Gao Ruolan raised an eyebrow and dialed Shen Liubai's number. "Busybody, why aren't you here yet?"
Shen Liubai's clear and pleasant voice came through. "On my way, I'll be there in half an hour at the latest."
"Good, you better hurry!"
"Mhm."
Knowing Shen Liubai was on his way, Gao Ruolan smiled. There would be a good show today.
Not long after, guests began to arrive one after another.
Gao Ruolan mingled with her friends while keeping an eye on Lin Zhuyin.
Lin Zhuyin was very focused on her work, not at all resembling a former socialite.
Her tolerance was also greater than Gao Ruolan had imagined.
Gao Ruolan had expected Lin Zhuyin to be angry and feel toyed with upon seeing her, but Lin Zhuyin had remained calm, treating her as just another customer.
In reality, Lin Zhuyin was far from as calm as she appeared; her heart was in turmoil.
Shen Liubai would surely attend the party Miss Gao was hosting. If Miss Gao found out she was Shen Liubai's ex-wife, it would be incredibly awkward!
She had to finish her work here quickly and leave.
Just then, Liu Xiaoxia approached Lin Zhuyin. As she worked, she sighed.
"Boss, that Miss Gao is so beautiful. Ah, heaven is truly unfair. Why are some people born into wealthy families, while we are born into ordinary ones and aren't even blessed with good looks?"
"No, wait. My boss is also very beautiful, it's just that she doesn't have Miss Gao's background."
"Hey, Boss, Miss Gao knows many young masters from wealthy families. You're so pretty, why don't you let her introduce one to you?"
Lin Zhuyin sighed softly. "Let's get to work quickly. We need to leave once we're done."
"Oh... I was hoping that if Miss Gao's friends took a liking to us, we could experience the 'Cinderella' moment."
Lin Zhuyin shook her head. Girls loved to fantasize, always hoping for a "rich CEO falls in love with me" scenario. In reality, life in high society was incredibly complicated, and one wrong step could lead to ruin without them even knowing.
As soon as the venue was decorated and Lin Zhuyin finished speaking with the event coordinator about leaving, Gao Ruolan approached.
"Boss Lin, thank you for today."
Lin Zhuyin: "You're welcome, this is what I should do."
Gao Ruolan smiled. "I'll transfer the payment directly to your account."
Lin Zhuyin nodded. "Alright, thank you. We'll be taking our leave now."
Liu Xiaoxia also smiled at Gao Ruolan. "Miss Gao, goodbye."
"Wait..."
Gao Ruolan stepped forward and stopped them.
Lin Zhuyin looked surprised. "Miss Gao, is there anything else?"
Gao Ruolan maintained her graceful smile and took Lin Zhuyin's hand. "Boss Lin, the first time I met you, I felt an immediate connection. I've been living abroad for a long time and only recently returned. I don't have many friends here. Can we be friends?"
Lin Zhuyin blinked. Shen Liubai's current girlfriend wanted to be friends with his ex-wife?
What was going on?
Did Gao Ruolan already know she was Shen Liubai's wife and was doing this deliberately?
Regardless of the reason, Lin Zhuyin had no intention of becoming friends with Gao Ruolan. Just seeing them together was enough to cause her unbearable pain.
If they became friends and she saw them together frequently, it wouldn't be good for anyone involved, least of all herself.
Seeing Lin Zhuyin's displeased expression and her long silence, Liu Xiaoxia gently nudged her. "Boss..."
Lin Zhuyin snapped back to reality and withdrew her hand from Gao Ruolan's. "I'm sorry, Miss Lin, I..."
Before Lin Zhuyin could finish, she heard Gao Ruolan's slightly wronged voice. "Does Miss Lin not like me?"
"No... of course not..."
"Why are you rejecting me? It's just making a friend, why are you so resistant?"
Lin Zhuyin: "..."
Gao Ruolan's words left Lin Zhuyin unable to retort. Yes, it was just making friends; was her reaction a bit excessive?
Seeing Lin Zhuyin's silence, Gao Ruolan continued, "I invited many people to the party today, but only a few have shown up. If Miss Lin and Miss Liu don't mind, could you stay and spend some time with us?"
"No..."
Gao Ruolan interrupted Lin Zhuyin's unspoken refusal with a smile. "I've already prepared dresses for you according to your sizes. There are also bathrooms and makeup artists here. Won't you stay and keep me company?"
Lin Zhuyin's expression remained gloomy, but Liu Xiaoxia was quite excited. She had never attended such a party before and really wanted to stay and have fun.
Gao Ruolan didn't wait for Lin Zhuyin's reply and directly pulled her towards a room. "Oh, come on, let's go! More people make it more lively."
Lin Zhuyin said anxiously, "I still have to go back to the shop!"
"Since Miss Lin doesn't want to be friends with me, I've bought your time this afternoon. As long as you stay with me, name your price."
Lin Zhuyin: "..."
At this moment, Gao Ruolan resembled a pampered young lady who, lacking friends, was paying for company.
Lin Zhuyin suddenly thought of herself and felt a pang of pity. With a moment's hesitation, she was already being ushered into the room by Gao Ruolan.
She vaguely showered, vaguely changed into the dress Gao Ruolan had prepared, and vaguely had her hair styled and makeup done by the makeup artist Gao Ruolan had brought.