Chapter 15: 15
"Auntie?" Leng Mingchuan sensed that something was off. "Uh, am I disturbing you?"
Leng Yanmi replied curtly, "Get to the point."
She grabbed Shi Yue's hand, which was mischievously roaming around her shoulder and neck, and shot her a warning glance. She herself might not realize it, but this look, which was supposed to be threatening, appeared far more flirtatious in Shi Yue's eyes. Instead of backing off, Shi Yue leaned in and deliberately licked the corner of Leng Yanmi's lips.
Leng Yanmi took a deep breath.
"Auntie?" Leng Mingchuan moved the phone away from his ear, thinking he heard some ambiguous sounds.
But the next moment, he shook his head and even gave himself a slap—no way, there was no way someone as aloof and above the world as Leng Yanmi could be involved in such matters.
Clearing his throat, he decided to spill everything without further delay, "Auntie, I heard from Chen Yi that you blocked our company's collaboration with Changfeng Group?"
Chen Yi was the son of the chairman of Changfeng Group and a member of the wealthy second-generation circle that hung out with Leng Mingchuan.
"It needs further discussion."
Leng Yanmi narrowed her eyes slightly, watching without blinking as Shi Yue, like a cat, nuzzled her face and chin with kisses. If you looked closely, you could see a hint of irritation on her face at being interrupted during a business discussion, but her body language was nothing but indulgent toward the one causing the trouble. To prevent Shi Yue from falling off her lap, her left hand, which wasn't holding the phone, stayed protectively at Shi Yue's waist.
"What's there to discuss?" Leng Mingchuan, not daring to hide anything from his aunt, blurted out everything at once. "Chen Yi just called me. If this collaboration goes through, Changfeng Group is willing to directly sponsor the 'Yuyi' design competition. It's like giving our family an extra benefit.
"If things go smoothly on your end, could you push for this collaboration to happen quickly? Hehe, I'll get a piece of the pie, too."
Shi Yue wasn't trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between the aunt and nephew, but there was no way to avoid it; she was right in Leng Yanmi's arms, and it was impossible not to hear Leng Mingchuan's words. The "Yuyi" he mentioned was the subsidiary company the Leng family had established to enter the fashion industry, currently managed by Leng Mingchuan. The "Yuyi Design Competition" was also featured in the novel, playing a crucial part in the plot.
Caught by these key details, she stopped teasing Leng Yanmi and straightened up a bit, trying to gather more information.
However, Leng Yanmi seemed unsatisfied with her sudden "seriousness."
She reached out and pinched Shi Yue's cheek, her thumb pressing on her still-swollen lips, kneading slowly. Luckily, she didn't seem to have any intention of shielding Shi Yue from the conversation, continuing to talk with her family's troublemaker without hiding anything: "You went to Changfeng for sponsorship?"
"I've known Chen Yi for years," Leng Mingchuan said with a hint of pride. "I just mentioned it, and he went to ask his dad for the sponsorship.
"Auntie, tell me I did well on this one?"
"Huh." Leng Yanmi let out a cold laugh, "How does the Chen family raise their kids?"
Leng Mingchuan was baffled, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Leng Yanmi replied, "How come Chen Yi is so much sharper than you?"
"Pfft." Shi Yue couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She had always known Leng Yanmi to be proud and aloof but had never seen this side of her, where she could be so sarcastic and cutting.
"Auntie…" Leng Mingchuan called out in grievance, then suddenly gasped, "Uh, is there really someone with you?"
Leng Yanmi glanced indifferently at Shi Yue, her thumb pressing a bit harder to part her lips, touching her soft tongue.
"Mm." Shi Yue let out an uncontrollable muffled sound.
Leng Yanmi continued, "Don't contact Changfeng just yet."
"But, but…" Leng Mingchuan clearly lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing the subtle tension on his aunt's end. He asked, "Aren't you very supportive of this design competition?
"I don't want to go back and face Grandpa's scolding. Is it wrong to find a sponsor myself?"
Shi Yue silently started calculating in her mind.
In the novel, Leng Mingchuan hosted the "Yuyi Design Competition" after marrying the original protagonist. In this alternate storyline, because of her interference, the marriage alliance failed, yet the butterfly effect caused the design competition to come up earlier.
The original protagonist, Shen Lingling, and even her cousin Shi Fang participated in the competition. According to the plot, Shi Yue would experience a series of scandals, including having her designs stolen, being accused of plagiarism, and being exposed for using connections to advance. In the end, she would watch Leng Mingchuan award the championship trophy to his white moonlight, Shen Lingling, all in the name of love.
Of course, with her now fully aware of the storyline, Shi Yue not only won't let this happen again but will also use this highly publicized design competition to lead the declining Shi Nuo Fashion Design Company back into the limelight.
"…" Leng Yanmi was at a loss for words with her young nephew.
After a brief pause, she said directly, "Ask Zhang Zhuo to send me the proposal. I'll handle the negotiations with Changfeng."
"Really?" Leng Mingchuan sounded like he jumped for joy, "Great, I'll call him right away!
"Auntie, with you taking over, I can rest easy. You do care about me after all, hehe! In a couple of days, when I'm free, I'll…"
Leng Yanmi had no interest in hearing any more of his nonsense and promptly hung up the call.
After three beeps, the living room returned to silence.
Shi Yue, leaning on Leng Yanmi's shoulder, spoke with a hint of jealousy, "Having someone to back you up is nice. You don't need to think for yourself, just make a call and it's all sorted."
Before saying it, she had considered toning down her words, but looking at Leng Yanmi's sharp features and decisive actions, she couldn't help it—yes, she was jealous! She was so jealous she could burst into bubbles on the spot!!!
Leng Yanmi didn't respond, lowering her head to kiss her.
Shi Yue turned her face away.
She fled to the living room sofa, putting some distance between herself and Leng Yanmi, fanning her face to cool down. Watching as Leng Yanmi leisurely followed her, Shi Yue said, "I should go."
Leng Yanmi quietly watched her, blinking very slowly.
After a moment, she picked up the coat on the sofa, "I'll take you home."
"No need." Shi Yue waved her phone, showing the ride-hailing app already open on the screen. "My apartment is just a few kilometers away, very close."
Leng Yanmi furrowed her brows.
Shi Yue leaned in, planting a kiss on her, then pulled away just as she was about to respond.
"Aren't you tired from working non-stop for two days?" She smiled, tracing circles on Leng Yanmi's wrist. "Auntie should rest early. Some things shouldn't be rushed."
Leng Yanmi clenched her fingers into a fist and then relaxed.
Finally, she let out a slow breath, put on her coat, and said with no room for argument, "Downstairs, I'll take you back."
Shi Yue tilted her head, wanting to spend a bit more time with her. She softly murmured, "…Alright."
She withdrew her hand and, just as they were about to separate, deliberately hooked her pinky around Leng Yanmi's.