It’s Not Okay to Kiss Me as Soon as We Meet (ABO) - Chapter 23

As soon as the round-faced reporter asked her question, the senior beside her covered her face. The young reporter was truly hard to watch.

“Who brought this embarrassing thing along? Wasn’t it you who stayed up until midnight last night outlining questions with me? How did your first question come out sounding like something from a tabloid entertainment reporter?” the senior roared inwardly.

The round-faced reporter felt inwardly devastated too. She thought: It’s over, this counts as an interview mishap.

This was her first time attending a press conference of this level, and she had not expected Shen Li to call on her first.

When her name was called, her mind went completely blank, and she could not recall a single question from the outline.

She looked at President Li and the Alpha beside her sitting together like a perfect pair, and for some reason, her mind heated up, and she blurted out that question.

Though… though when she had seen these two enter together earlier, she had already been curious about the relationship between Shen Li and the Alpha beside her.

Lin Huaiyi felt a headache. Which media outlet was this from? She would have to note it down in her little black book and blacklist them. How could they ask such a question at a serious business press conference?

She had just reached for the microphone to say that this had nothing to do with the conference theme and to ask everyone to focus on the main topic.

But then a broadcaster’s voice with a hint of amusement came from beside her. “This is a perfect chance to introduce everyone to the Lin Huaiyi lady beside me. Miss Lin Huaiyi is a rising star at Shen Group, the number one contributor to resolving this patent infringement crisis, and also my good friend, Shen Li’s.”

A warm current surged in Lin Huaiyi’s heart. She had not thought too much when she first helped Shen Li, but she could feel that Shen Li was now conveying her gratitude in her own way.

In her previous life, Lin Huaiyi had never gained a true friend from start to finish.

As a child, others had shunned her for having no father or mother and had not wanted to play with her. Once she grew strong, various people gathered around her for different purposes. In Lin Huaiyi’s heart, these could only count as acquaintances, not friends.

Lin Huaiyi turned to look at Shen Li. Shen Li smiled at her, and she could not help smiling back.

The round-faced reporter suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She raised her camera in her hand and snapped a shot of the two gazing at each other. She did not know that this very photo would save her from almost being fired by “Business Era.”

Bang! An expensive antique teacup was roughly thrown to the ground, tea and porcelain shards splashing everywhere.

Shen Yi and Shen Yan, father and son, trembled and dared not speak.

An aged, majestic voice thundered in rage. “We were just one step away from checkmating Shen Jun and his useless Omega daughter. Even something this simple you cannot handle. What use are you?”

Shen Yi steeled himself and stepped forward to劝. “This is not a flaw in our setup. My son and I investigated, and this was supposed to be a dead end. Who knew a Cheng Yaojin would charge in halfway? That Lin Huaiyi popped up out of nowhere to ruin our plans. After this, we can find a way to get rid of Lin Huaiyi, and taking Shen Group into our pocket will be a matter of minutes, right?”

“Lin Huaiyi? Hmph, what is she?”

Shen Yi scratched his head. “From the information, this Lin Huaiyi has nothing special about her. This time, she just got lucky like a blind cat stumbling on a dead mouse. Rest assured, leave this Lin Huaiyi to us. We can come up with some pretext to put her away.”

“Hmph, then I will trust you one more time. Do not disappoint me this time…”

The press conference ended smoothly. The next day, a photo swept across major media outlets.

The photo was captured with exquisite timing—a handsome Alpha and an Omega gazing at each other with smiles in their eyes. The affection in their gazes, combined with textual embellishments, left everyone imagining more.

At that moment, Lin Huaiyi lay ungracefully on a beach chair in a floral shirt and beach pants. Yang Qiang grinned slyly as he held up his phone and read the headline loudly by her ear. “Breaking! Shen Group’s princess Shen Li rumored to be tying the knot soon!”

Lin Huaiyi found Yang Qiang buzzing around her ear like a fly extremely annoying. She struggled to pry open a slit with her eyes and looked at Yang Qiang speechlessly. “Big brother, we’ve come all the way to Diviaga Island. Can’t you go play by yourself? You’re not a kid anymore, and you don’t even have a girlfriend. Why do you keep hanging around this Alpha of mine all day?”

Yang Qiang wore a sleazy grin. “I knew there was a reason you were so cold to little Wen. Turns out you’ve hooked up with President Li. Come on, spill it, spill it.”

Lin Huaiyi desperately covered her face with the free magazine beside her. Which damned reporter had taken this photo?

The round-faced reporter had just been harshly scolded by the editor-in-chief. As she walked out of the editor’s office, she patted her small chest in lingering fear.

“Yuan Xiaoyu, can you stop getting me into trouble like this in the future? You make me worry and fret. Luckily, you had some dog-sh1t luck this time. That photo you took unexpectedly got a lot of heat, and it’s an exclusive. Otherwise, your interview blunder would have gotten you fired.” Li Hui stood beside her, exasperated beyond measure, and jabbed Yuan Xiaoyu’s forehead hard with her finger.

This unlucky pair of reporter master and apprentice were the “Business Era” journalists who had asked “What’s your relationship?” at the press conference.

Yuan Xiaoyu grinned foolishly and rubbed the red mark her master had poked.

“Sorry, Master. Yesterday, I really don’t know what happened. My brain just blanked out completely. I had no idea they would call on me to ask a question.”

“You know me—I’m a bit timid. Once I get scared, I forget everything.”

“I saw those two, so A-cool and O-beautiful, and somehow I just asked it. I’ll correct it properly from now on. Otherwise, take me to more big events, and I’ll definitely build up my courage, hehe.”

Li Hui’s heart ached. Ever since taking on this apprentice, she felt wrinkles growing on her face.

“Luckily you had dog-sh1t luck and knew to snap that shot. Otherwise, what would we have to show for it?”

Yuan Xiaoyu saw her master’s tone soften and quickly climbed the ladder. “Yeah, yeah. Though I’m timid, my luck is good. Look how well I captured that photo. Though the editor-in-chief chewed us out pretty bad, I heard today that the photo’s copyright fees are selling like hotcakes. The editor-in-chief was thrilled alone in his office.”

Li Hui had no way to deal with this foolish yet surprisingly lucky little apprentice. She shook her head and secretly prayed that Shen Group would not come to the magazine to hold them accountable after seeing it.

“Li Li, look at this photo now. Rumors are swirling outside, and even my university friend I haven’t contacted in years called to ask if our family is preparing for a wedding.” Shen Jun and Shen Li were also on Diviaga Island now.

Shen Jun wore a white polo shirt and khaki beach pants, dressed like a wealthy older man. He contentedly lit a cigar for himself and teased his daughter while puffing clouds of smoke.

Shen Li sat hugging her laptop, frowning as she handled work. When she heard her dad teasing her like this, she irritably rubbed her brow. “Dad, you know Lin Huaiyi is my colleague. How can you join these tabloids in hyping it up? Come sign this document.”

Shen Jun took it and swiftly signed his name.

Shen Jun glanced at his daughter, who still clutched her laptop even on vacation. He suddenly stood, snatched the laptop from Shen Li’s hands, and pushed her out the door. Shen Li walked out in a daze, not yet recovered, when the door “bang” shut behind her. “Li Li, it’s rare to come on vacation, and it’s not even with your own money. You have to learn to relax to work well. You’re not allowed back before ten.”

Shen Li had been abruptly pulled from her work mode and did not know where she was going.

She looked up at the bustling tourists on the island and suddenly realized her slacks and shirt made her stand out awkwardly here.

Lin Huaiyi was also being dragged by Yang Qiang to stroll around the island.

Yang Qiang spotted another pretty Omega miss and wanted to hit on her. He specifically told Lin Huaiyi to stay far away so she would not hinder his performance. Lin Huaiyi felt helpless toward this lecherous yet cowardly type and could only obey, standing a bit farther off.

In her boredom, Lin Huaiyi spotted a pitiful little back figure. How did it look a bit like Shen Li? No, when had Shen Li ever looked so pitiful? She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Hey, it really was Shen Li.

Looking more closely, she burst out laughing.

All the tourists around wore floral shirts, big shorts, and bikinis, but Shen Li alone was bundled up tightly, as if about to attend an international conference.

Lin Huaiyi held back her laughter. She looked good, sure, but did Shen Li not find it hot?

She could not bear seeing Shen Li standing in the street looking so pitiful. Action over thought, she walked straight over, grabbed Shen Li’s wrist, and said, “Come with me.”

Shen Li felt her wrist grabbed and startled in her heart.

She looked up and saw it was Lin Huaiyi. She angrily thumped Lin Huaiyi on the back and scolded her. “Do you walk without making a sound? Suddenly coming over to grab someone—you scared me to death.”

Lin Huaiyi laughed heartily and relaxedly. “Look how tightly you’re wrapped up. On such a hot day, aren’t you afraid of heatstroke? It’s rare to come on vacation. Why not step out of work mode for a bit?”

Shen Li already felt uncomfortable for dressing differently from those around her. Lin Huaiyi had hit on her exact worry, but she refused to admit it on her lips. “Where are you taking me?”

Lin Huaiyi teased with a secret. “You’ll know when we get there.”

When they arrived at the destination, Shen Li realized Lin Huaiyi had brought her to a store specializing in island vacation wear. Inside, it had everything from beach maxi dresses to bikinis, and the materials were all quite nice. Compared to other cheap little shops, this one had a large floor area, fewer buyers, and better privacy.

“Here we are. Yesterday after I got home, I received a huge package full of all the suits I tried on. I’m not going to stand on ceremony with you, Miss Shen. Today, it’s my turn to get you a new outfit, and you’re not allowed to refuse.”

Shen Li had already been thinking of changing her clothes. Hearing Lin Huaiyi say this, she did not refuse and began picking out clothes wholeheartedly.

“Miss, with your figure, this is this year’s new bikini style. If you wear it, I guarantee it’ll leave those Alphas stunned.”

The sales assistant had long spotted these two people exuding elegance upon entry and knew business had arrived. She hurried forward with enthusiastic greeting.

Shen Li hesitated. The bikini’s style was nice, but it was a bit too revealing. She had grown up without ever wearing something so bold.

The sales assistant saw the person in front of her waver and added fuel to the fire, continuing her persuasion. “Why not try it on first? If it doesn’t look good, just pretend I didn’t say anything. I’ve been a sales assistant for ten years, and I can tell at a glance if a piece suits a customer. Otherwise, ask your girlfriend. Doesn’t she want to see you in a bikini?”

Heat rose on both Shen Li’s and Lin Huaiyi’s faces, especially Lin Huaiyi’s. Seeing that bikini, she could not help imagining in her mind what Shen Li would look like wearing it.

Lin Huaiyi mumbled, “Um, sorry, she and I aren’t…”

Shen Li interrupted her mumbling. “Lin Huaiyi, do you think I’d look good in it?”