Chapter 4 — My Best Friend's Older Brother Took Responsibility for Me

Ye Zhiyi typed out: "Let me ask you something—in Hecheng, besides our maternal family, are there any other rich people named Li? The kind who spend tens of millions without batting an eye?"

A few minutes later, the other side replied with two words: "There aren't." "Think carefully?" "There aren't." "..."

Ye Zhiyi stared at her phone screen, silent for five seconds, then flipped three times on the sofa. *Just who on earth is this guy scamming my best friend?!*

...

I arrived at the company and completed my onboarding procedures. The new company was a styling and design studio—very famous in Hecheng, specializing in styling for artists, celebrities, and high-end clients. In university, I majored in fashion design; after graduating, I worked as a freelance stylist for two years doing custom photoshoots, building up a decent follower base on social media.

Today was my first day, so I hadn't been assigned any tasks yet; the manager told me to familiarize myself with the environment first. The junior assistant assigned to accompany me was Xiao He—round-faced, with dimples when she smiled. She led me on a tour of the studios.

"We don't just style artists—sometimes we act as image consultants for big business bosses too. If we're lucky, we might even meet a legendary domineering CEO."

I chuckled. "Aren't domineering CEOs just in novels?" "They're real, sister! Even cooler than in novels!" Xiao He leaned in, lowering her voice mysteriously. "Do you know our company's major shareholder? Heard he's a huge boss over 188cm tall, handsomer than celebrities, but super cold and quiet. Yet he's very polite to us low-level employees. Just like a male lead stepping out of a novel."

"Are you sure the person you saw was the big boss?" "100%! Last time he came here, the whole floor was sneaking peeks. Maybe you'll get to meet him later too." Xiao He chattered excitedly.

The two of us reached Studio No. 3, where a female client was seated inside. She wore a modernized navy-blue cheongsam, half her hair pinned up while the rest fell over her shoulders, featuring delicate features and an elegant aura. The stylist was adjusting her hairstyle, but looking in the mirror, she still seemed unsatisfied.

"It looks too rigid, not natural," she said. "I want a refined, elegant style for a blind date—you need to capture my aura." The stylist wiped sweat from his brow. "Understood, Miss Wen. Let me adjust it slightly."

Miss Wen sat back down and posed. I stood outside watching for a moment. She had a great foundation—balanced bone structure, fair skin; the issue lay in her accessories. The earrings were overly elaborate, overshadowing her naturally delicate features. My professional itch kicked in. Pulling out my phone, I candidly snapped two side-profile photos at the most natural angle. Just as I was about to delete them, Xiao He shrieked beside me.

"Sister Wan, your shot is amazing! It looks so natural, clear, and high-class!"

Miss Wen heard the noise and stepped out to take a look. A gleam flashed in her pretty eyes. "This is the exact feeling! This is what I want." She didn't care about composition or technical quality, only whether she looked beautiful. "Could you send me this photo? I want to use it as my profile picture for the blind date."

I looked at the stylist, who nodded frantically—he was relieved just to have a photo to deliver. I sent the photo over. Miss Wen received it, happily grabbed her bag, and left.

Showing off my skills on day one by accident! Xiao He looked at me with glowing eyes. "Sister Wan, whenever you're free, please take a few for me too!" "No problem." "Shall we continue the tour?" "Sure." "Tell me more about that 188cm boss." "Right away, my dear sister!"

Throughout the day, Xiao He and I quickly became close. At clock-out time, I drove back to the Ye villa; just as I parked and entered the hallway, I heard voices chatting inside.

"Look at this—this is the girl Mom chose! Gentle, elegant, a beauty in a cheongsam! Mom chose her for your eldest brother's blind date."

This voice was very familiar. It was Ye Zhiyi's mother—Li Yingqiu. A national-level dance artist; before retiring, she was a top classical dance master in the country. Ye Zhiyi's beauty was directly inherited from her—top-tier genetics.

I pushed open the door and greeted them with a smile. "Hello Auntie, hello Uncle!" "Hi Bao is back!" (Hi Bao was my affectionate nickname). Seeing me, Mrs. Li Yingqiu immediately smiled. Uncle Ye Ding'an, sitting on the sofa, also nodded in greeting. The couple had just retired this year and frequently traveled; this time they probably returned specifically to urge marriage. Sure enough, the next second, I was pulled down to sit on the sofa amidst a pile of photos.

"Hi Bao, help Auntie take a look—doesn't this girl have great aura? Your uncle and I picked her for Zhiyi's eldest brother's blind date."