They had only just met, but Su Yuhan could already tell the man before her was going to be a handful.
Sure enough, even after she repeatedly promised to arrive well in advance next time, vowing that a situation where an employer had to wait for an employee would never happen again, Feng Lv only seemed to nod in satisfaction. His gaze swept over Su Yuhan before finally settling on her left ear, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Your earrings…"
Su Yuhan subconsciously touched her ear. She was wearing a pair of simple pearl earrings today, delicate and small. They matched her makeup and clothes well enough—not stunning, but not something anyone could find major fault with either.
The only conceivable flaw was probably…
The pearls on these earrings were fake.
But given her current situation, it was obvious she couldn't afford real jewelry. Even if she had owned any before, it would have been sold off long ago to pay debts.
Before signing the contract with the original 'her,' the male leads should have investigated all of this. Logically, they shouldn't be so critical about something like this.
A thousand thoughts spun in Su Yuhan's mind, but she honestly couldn't figure out what was wrong with the earrings. She ventured a question, "Is there a problem with these earrings?"
"The pearl on the left is 0.2 millimeters smaller than the one on the right."
"...Is, is that so?"
'What the hell, are you a microscope come to life? You can tell a difference that small? Are you sure you aren't just bullshitting me?'
Grumbling internally was one thing, but adhering to the principle that the client's wishes are absolute, Su Yuhan still took off the earrings that were so clearly unsettling Feng Lv.
With the eyesore gone, Feng Lv's tense nerves relaxed, and his gaze on Su Yuhan lost some of its pressure.
At this point, their first 'date' could finally get down to business. Or more accurately, Feng Lv started ordering by himself while Su Yuhan watched silently from the side.
Once Feng Lv finished ordering, the menu was whisked away.
Su Yuhan: "…"
'Fine. I guess a substitute doesn't get independent ordering rights.'
While they waited for the food, Su Yuhan stealthily sized up the original novel's chief official consort, the number one male lead.
The reason he was called the number one male lead was because he had an advantage over the other male leads in terms of official status.
Feng Lv, the only son of the Feng Family, President of the Feng Group, and also the childhood fiancé of the female lead, Jiang Yuxi, through an arranged betrothal.
The Jiang and Feng families were old family friends, and the two had grown up together. They could be considered childhood sweethearts.
After Jiang Yuxi came of age, the family elders were eager to cultivate their relationship. They made it a strict rule that the workaholic Feng Lv, no matter how busy, had to make time for dinner with Jiang Yuxi every week.
Because of this, for the past few years, the two of them would meet for dinner every Friday, rain or shine. It had become an unspoken, unbreakable agreement between them.
Until not long ago, when Jiang Yuxi went abroad for further studies…
The original novel repeatedly mentioned that Feng Lv had severe mysophobia and OCD. He liked to have things arranged meticulously, down to the last detail, and he hated unexpected changes more than anything.
And now, Jiang Yuxi's sudden departure, which left him without a dinner partner for his Friday meal, was the biggest unexpected change he had to face recently.
Feng Lv's initial reason for finding the original 'her' was to have her replace Jiang Yuxi and become his dinner partner for these Friday meals.
And today was the first Friday since they signed the contract. Su Yuhan had thought that since Feng Lv had just been in a car accident two days ago, he would surely take some time to recover, giving her a perfect opportunity to slack off and skip work.
Who would have thought he'd be so intense that not even a car accident could stop him from his dinner appointment.
Su Yuhan didn't really understand the thought process of someone with OCD, and she didn't need to.
As a competent worker, she just needed to know how to complete the tasks her boss assigned and then collect her pay.
Feng Lv had chosen a Sichuan restaurant, but he ordered mostly non-spicy or mildly spicy dishes, because Jiang Yuxi couldn't handle spicy food very well.
Su Yuhan, on the other hand, could handle spicy food, so eating these dishes felt like something was missing.
But she was also well aware that this meal wasn't about her. Her preferences didn't matter.
Furthermore, she was currently playing the role of a rich young lady, so she ate much more reservedly than usual. By the end of the meal, she was only about sixty percent full.
As the meal was drawing to a close, Feng Lv's phone rang. He looked up at Su Yuhan with an apologetic glance before answering the call.
"Have they made a move? Good. Before the end of the day, have someone leak the news about my car accident. The bigger the commotion, the better. I'm heading back now."
Su Yuhan was looking down, chewing on a pork knuckle, but her ears perked up. Hearing his words, a glint flashed in her eyes.
'Sure enough, my intuition was right. Feng Lv really is trying to use this car accident to bait someone.'
'In that case, as long as I seize the opportunity, this money is mine for the taking!'
"Sorry, something has come up that needs my attention. I have to leave now."
Su Yuhan quickly stood up to see him off, saying considerately, "Business comes first. Please don't worry about me."
Feng Lv nodded but didn't leave right away. Instead, he stared at Su Yuhan with a burning gaze, making her skin crawl.
"Um, Mr. Feng, is there anything else?"
Feng Lv didn't speak. Under Su Yuhan's astonished and alarmed gaze, he reached out and adjusted the slightly crooked bow at her neck. His movements were deft and completely devoid of any flirtatious or sensual undertones; his manner was one of stern righteousness, utterly proper.
"…"
'Is everyone who gets to be a male lead these days a little unhinged? Qi Lianxiu is, and so is this guy!'
Having done this, the stern expression on Feng Lv's face finally relaxed. Satisfied, he departed.
However, although he was gone, he left his secretary behind to continue the discussion with Su Yuhan.
"Hello, Miss Su."
"Hello, Secretary Xiao."
Feng Lv's secretary, Xiao Shun'an, was a slender young man with black-framed glasses. He was sharply dressed in a suit, with slicked-back hair, looking every bit the part of a perfectly competent beast of burden.
As the boss's personal confidant, Secretary Xiao was already used to his boss's occasional fits of madness. He nonchalantly pushed up the glasses on his nose and took out a small, hardcover booklet.
"President Feng asked me to relay that Miss Su's performance today was acceptable, but there is still a gap compared to his expectations. He has compiled a list of Miss Yu Qin's daily habits and things to note. He hopes Miss Su will take it home and study it carefully. It will be beneficial for both parties."
Su Yuhan instinctively reached out to take it, but before she could get a firm grip, Secretary Xiao let go.
The hardcover booklet slipped and fell to the floor, unfurling a long, connected string of white paper. It looked to be about a meter long and was densely covered in tiny black print.
Neither of them had expected such an accident. They stared blankly at each other for a long moment before Su Yuhan was the first to break the silence, her voice trembling.
"...More than a hundred rules?"
"Ahem, President Feng is a rather… cautious and meticulous person. He strives for perfection and rigor in everything he does."
"…"