Chapter 17 Distant

At the office, Yan Wan was about to tap her attendance when she caught a glimpse of the time. It was already ten past nine. She had been walking slowly so that she would not run into Huo Lichen at the office, but she had not kept an eye on the time, and now she was late by ten minutes! It's over. There's going to be a general meeting today. She did not even report to the design department and rushed to the meeting room instead. The meeting room could hold up to a thousand people, and only major meetings would be held there. A few hundred pairs of eyes stared at Yan Wan with disdain the moment she stepped inside. Yan Wan gripped her materials embarrassedly and apologized, “Sorry for being late.” The moment she finished speaking, she noticed that the main seat was taken by Huo Lichen. Is he chairing this meeting? At this moment, she felt even more awkward. She was late for the first meeting he had organized as their new boss. Huo Lichen sat gracefully, emanating an aloof aura. He did not even give Yan Wan a second glance and responded, “Enter.” He acted indifferent, as though she was an insignificant stranger. Yan Wan was taken aback; an inexplicable feeling stirred in her. She clenched her materials tightly and hurriedly walked in. As a newcomer in the department, she would be sitting at the back of the entire department. However, the entire place was packed, and there was only a vacant seat beside Director Xu. Only the most qualified designers had the right to sit there as her right-hand man. It was a seat that symbolized status and authority. Yan Wan stood there at a loss. Where should I sit? “Yan Wan, come over quickly,” Director Xu whispered to her while pointing at the seat next to her. “You'll be sitting here.” Yan Wan hastily walked over and said hesitantly, “Ms. Xu, but I don't have the qualification to sit here.” “We left this seat specially for you. You'll be in charge of designing clothes for the president, so you're the star of the design department today,” Director Xu explained. Yan Wan still felt awkward despite understanding her reasoning. If it were not for Huo Lichen, her ruined sketch would not have entitled her to this position. She hesitated but took the seat nonetheless. As her eyes shifted upward, she couldn't help but gaze at the man in the main seat who was listening intently to the executives' report and occasionally gave some criticism. His curt and impactful tone was mesmerizing. All the women in the room were staring dreamily at him, hoping to conquer and marry him. After listening to all the reports, his slender fingers tapped at the keyboard as his eyes casually turned to the design department. He scanned the area, and his gaze fell upon Director Xu. He did not even glance at Yan Wan. “You're the head of the design department?” “Yes, Mr. Huo. I'm the director of the design department, Xu Han.” Xu Han was an experienced corporate elite. She was known for her calm demeanor in handling all sorts of work matters while dressed in black office wear with some subtle makeup. Unexpectedly, she became nervous when facing Huo Lichen. “I'll be reporting on behalf of the design department today. The department...” As she started presenting about work-related matters, Xu Han became more eloquent and relaxed. Huo Lichen paid attention to her report and occasionally took notes on his laptop. He would glance at Xu Han every now and then but did not look at Yan Wan at all. Although she was sitting right beside Xu Han, she went unnoticed by Huo Lichen, as though she was invisible. Yan Wan sat silently and flipped through her notes, considering it as a serious meeting. “Mr. Huo, that marks the end of the report, but there's an additional matter regarding your outfit design. The designer this time, Yan Wan, is a newcomer and doesn't have an assistant yet. We need to assign one to her now. However, I'm sure you'll have high standards for the assistant as well. Can I check if you have any special requirements for the assistant? If so, we will pick one based on your criteria.” Xu Han signaled for Yan Wan to stand up. Everyone in the meeting hall was seated, so it was particularly striking when Yan Wan stood up. All eyes fell on Yan Wan again, but this time, they looked at her differently. There was a lot more respect, knowing that she took the first place in this contest. With that, Yan Wan had gained some fame in the company. But right then, Huo Lichen did not bother to take a glance at her. His eyes were glued to the computer screen. He replied emotionlessly, “It's up to you.” Yan Wan felt uneasy when she noticed Huo Lichen's indifference. He had not set eyes on her since she entered the meeting hall including now when she was supposedly the center of attention. It was as though he was deliberately disregarding her. Is he ignoring me? After when the meeting was over, Huo Lichen was the first one to leave. As Yan Wan followed the crowd out of the meeting hall, she noticed that Huo Lichen was already far ahead of them. His solitary silhouette was seen scurrying along the corridor. His tall and straight figure was as dignified and perfect as ever, but also had a hint of standoffishness. At this moment, Yan Wan, who was in the middle of the lively crowd, seemed worlds apart from him. Yan Wan suddenly felt that other than attending obligatory events as his fiancée, they should not have any other meaningless interactions. This is for the best as well.