Provoking the Obsessive, Cold, and Aloof CEO - Chapter 20

Ruan Taoran and Ruan Ruyue stepped out of the car together. Seraphine had already received word of their arrival, and she and the company’s president were waiting at the entrance.

The president, a woman nearing fifty, wore a striking purple and crimson dress. Her short hair was streaked with silver-gray highlights, and silver-framed glasses perched on her nose. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, immediately conveyed her status as a formidable businesswoman.

Ruan Ruyue had been sitting on the right side of the back seat, so she stepped out directly facing the company’s entrance. Ruan Taoran, on the other hand, had to walk around the car.

The president approached them with a warm smile. “Miss Ruan, welcome. I’m President Chen, but you can call me Harper.”

“President Chen, please don’t be so formal. Just call me Ruyue,” Ruan Ruyue replied, her smile disarmingly gentle, a stark contrast to her domineering demeanor at home.

As she spoke, she glanced deliberately toward Ruan Taoran, a hint of provocation in her eyes.

“Your name precedes you, President Chen. I was particularly impressed by your Black Pearl Swan design at the Brilliant Festival a few years ago. I truly admired it.”

Upon hearing this, Ruan Ruyue noticed the smile on Chen Huan’s face deepen slightly.

Ruan Ruyue had done her homework beforehand, aiming to win Chen Huan over to her side immediately and give Ruan Taoran the cold shoulder.

“The design samples are still on display at the company booth,” Chen Huan said. “If you’d like, Miss Ruan, I can show them to you later.”

“Let’s not waste any time. We should go see them now,” Ruan Ruyue said, already taking Chen Huan’s arm in a familiar, friendly gesture.

Chen Huan and Ruan Ruyue entered the company almost arm-in-arm, leaving Ruan Taoran trailing behind without a word.

The staff exchanged glances. As Seraphine was under the Ruan Clan’s umbrella, they had all secretly gossiped about their boss’s family affairs. They were well aware of the Ruan Family’s complex relationships and knew that while two Miss Ruans had arrived, Ruan Ruyue was the true power player.

Now that Ruan Ruyue had taken Chen Huan by the arm and left, Ruan Taoran was left awkwardly standing alone.

Some lowered their gazes, pretending not to see her, and followed behind Chen Huan and Ruan Ruyue.

Others nodded politely to Ruan Taoran in greeting before turning away.

Only one woman with long, silky black hair approached Ruan Taoran, offering a gentle smile and extending her hand. “Welcome, Miss Ruan.”

Her features were soft and gentle, giving her the air of a kind elder sister from next door. Her phoenix eyes were dignified and warm, and her pristine white dress accentuated her lily-like elegance.

Smiling warmly, she introduced herself, “I’m Wan Xingchun, the team leader of Group Six in Seraphine’s design department. You’ll be joining our team from now on.”

“Nice to meet you, Team Leader,” Ruan Taoran said with a smile, shaking her hand. “Just call me Ranran. What’s the plan for today? Will you show me to my workstation?”

“Of course,” Wan Xingchun replied, her eyes curving into crescents. She turned and gestured to the others behind her. “These are the members of our team: Chenchen, Ah Liang, Sister Feng, myself, and now you. Group Six has five people in total.”

The team size seemed adequate, nearly at full capacity for a small group.

However… their expressions weren’t particularly welcoming.

“Xiaochun, I’m heading out now that the introductions are done. I haven’t had breakfast yet, and my stomach’s starting to ache.”

“Sister Chun, I’m off to fetch materials.”

The last person didn’t even bother to look up, remaining engrossed in their phone the entire time. They glanced up briefly before walking away.

“Don’t take it personally,” Wan Xingchun said, trying to explain. “They’re not usually like this… It’ll get better once you get to know them.”

“I understand, Sister Chun Chun. It’s no problem at all.”

Ruan Taoran’s enthusiastic tone startled Wan Xingchun, who turned to find herself face-to-face with bright, joyful eyes.

Just a cold shoulder? Ruan Taoran had mentally prepared for worse.

Her worst-case scenario was complete ostracization—being relegated to a dusty corner with the brooms, ignored by everyone.

Now, at least a team leader was willing to acknowledge her. Getting into Seraphine was already a significant first step, and Ruan Taoran remained optimistic.

“Both teams were expecting new members,” Ruan Taoran said. “They were all hoping for Ruan Ruyue, but they got me instead. I understand their disappointment.”

“As long as you don’t take it to heart,” Wan Xingchun sighed in relief. Even if Ruan Taoran wasn’t the real deal, her surname meant she couldn’t afford to offend her.

Team Six hadn’t had any meaningful work in six months. The idle members had been reduced to fetching materials and doing odd jobs, resentment simmering in their hearts.

They had hoped the new “Eldest Miss” would bring resources and meaningful projects to the team.

Wan Xingchun had fought hard for them, but ultimately failed. There was nothing more she could do.

Wan Xingchun not only showed Ruan Taoran to her workstation but also gave her a tour of the office, pointing out key areas and explaining the layout.

The company had two exhibition halls: a large one on the first floor and a smaller one on the third floor.

The main hall showcased a wide variety of design samples, while the smaller hall displayed only award-winning pieces and their trophies.

As Ruan Taoran and Wan Xingchun strolled up to the third floor, they heard laughter coming from the smaller exhibition hall.

Wan Xingchun paused, whispering, “The third floor only has the small exhibition hall and President Chen’s and Manager Xia’s offices. Let’s skip it.”

The lively laughter from the hall contrasted sharply with the quiet chill between the two women, creating an air of disappointment.

Chen Huan was showing Ruan Ruyue the Black Pearl Swan necklace.

The swan’s body was crafted from Tahitian Black Pearls, while its feathers were shaped from diamonds. The deep, mysterious luster of the black pearls, combined with their elegant brilliance, made the piece strikingly eye-catching.

This design had won the gold medal at the Brilliant Festival and was Chen Huan’s breakthrough work.

“It’s even more stunning in person,” Ruan Ruyue exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration. “This is the first time I’ve seen the actual piece.”

Ruan Ruyue took Chen Huan’s hand. “President Chen, when I get married, could you lend me this necklace? I absolutely adore it.”

Chen Huan’s gaze paused for a moment before she nodded slightly. “Of course, Miss Ruan. If you like it, I’d be happy to lend it to you.”

“Sister Chun Chun, let’s go,” Ruan Taoran said with a gentle smile, turning to walk downstairs.

“It’s admirable that you can still smile in a situation like this,” Wan Xingchun remarked, unable to suppress a chuckle.

Though they hadn’t secured Ruan Ruyue, it seemed Ruan Taoran wasn’t going to be a troublemaker. No fuss, no drama, no causing trouble—peace and quiet was good enough.

“Of course I’ll smile,” Ruan Taoran replied, her voice lifting slightly, her eyes sparkling with brilliance. “If I cried, wouldn’t that just give them the satisfaction?”

She dismissed Ruan Ruyue’s petty tricks. The fool probably just Googled “Black Pearl Swan” for her research.

Years ago, when Chen Huan explained the creative concept behind her Black Pearl Swan, she said that while others saw black swans as symbols of faithful love, she disagreed.

She designed the black swan to represent cunning intelligence, understated elegance, and mysterious allure—like a woman who refuses to wear a white wedding dress, dancing alone on the lake, proudly wearing her own unique crown.

That’s why, in addition to diamonds adorning the feathers, Chen Huan had placed a small, rhombus-shaped diamond atop the swan’s head, symbolizing its crown.

In her youth, Chen Huan was a notorious advocate for singlehood, publicly posting anti-male sentiments on social media that sparked fierce public debate.

In recent years, Chen Huan had kept a low profile, meticulously deleting her controversial online posts.

But this didn’t mean she had changed.

Her most prized creation, the Black Pearl Swan, had been reduced to a piece of jewelry Ruan Ruyue wanted to borrow for her wedding.

Ruan Ruyue saw this as an expression of affection, but what did Chen Huan truly think?

Ruan Taoran was certain she hadn’t made a mistake. Last night, she had meticulously studied every design from Seraphine’s mid-level designers and above, only going to bed in the early hours of the morning.

A true “Roll King” always comes prepared, approaching work with relentless dedication, no matter the situation.

Just then, Ruan Taoran’s phone chimed again.

It was a message from Rao Man: Ranran, why haven’t you added Liu Yuming as a friend yet? He’s getting impatient.

I’ve arranged for him to pick you up after work today. Get to know each other—think of it as making a new friend.

Messages from elders couldn’t be ignored; that was Ruan Taoran’s persona at home.

She lowered her gaze and replied with a simple “Okay,” then added the contact with the car model profile picture.

A flurry of messages immediately flooded her screen, but Ruan Taoran didn’t bother reading them before tucking her phone back into her pocket.

Wan Xingchun asked, “What’s up? Got something to take care of? Go ahead—we’re not busy anyway.”

“Nothing much, just a blind date,” Ruan Taoran replied casually.

This guy is like a stubborn plaster—impossible to shake off.