Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 9

Ling Yu waited outside the interview hall for a full three hours. She was the last person in line. When it was finally her turn, the assistant blocking the door nonchalantly put away the registration book.

He spoke to the remaining interviewees outside the door in a formal tone. “That concludes today’s interviews. Please return home and wait for a notification. We will send out a text message in three days…”

The dim lights overhead shone down on her. Ling Yu slowly looked up. “Excuse me…” She removed the candy stick from her mouth and looked at the assistant with her dark eyes.

She asked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “What about me?”

Ling Yu’s expression was calm. The natural upturn of her lips gave people the illusion that she was easy to talk to. But at the moment, her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Her half-lidded peach-blossom eyes were covered by her thick eyelashes, which concealed a gaze as deep as a dry well.

The assistant’s eyes subconsciously darted away, then he looked at Ling Yu with suspicion. “I’m sorry, miss. Are you sure you were one of the interviewees today?”

Ling Yu nodded. Her gaze fell on the registration book in the assistant’s hand. “Three hours ago, I registered my name at the front desk with them. Oh, my name is Ling Yu.”

When the assistant heard Ling Yu’s name, a look of understanding appeared on his face. He coughed awkwardly, as if he had been expecting her. “Oh, so you’re Miss Ling.” He adjusted his expression. “You’ve been passed over.”

“…”

The air fell silent for a moment. Ling Yu paused for three seconds before giving a strange smile. “Do you mind telling me why? I don’t remember even having an interview.”

“I’m sorry, it’s company policy, and we cannot disclose the reason.” The assistant’s answer was airtight. He gave a look to his male colleague not far away. A moment later, the male colleague returned with a few security guards. The message was clear: if Ling Yu persisted, she would be “escorted” out by security.

Ling Yu laughed in anger. “Gu Qing did this.”

She said it with certainty. Although Kaihe Law Firm wasn’t at the top of the list in the legal world, it was one of the best law firms in Yuncheng. The personnel management was very strict, and hiring was done according to a formal process. Ling Yu had already passed the written test and the initial interview. This was the final interview, where the HR director and department heads would select candidates. No company would dismiss a candidate without an interview at this final stage of the application process.

The only possible reason was Gu Qing. The animosity between them was piling up. A surge of anger rose in her heart, and the smile on Ling Yu’s lips widened.

The HR assistant’s expression was stiff as he tried to defend Gu Qing. “Miss Ling, don’t talk nonsense. Our Lawyer Gu is extremely busy. She doesn’t even have time for cases with major clients, let alone trivial matters like personnel changes…”

“That’s good.” Ling Yu calmly interrupted him. She waved the assistant’s arm away and took a step toward the interview hall door.

The assistant gasped. Ling Yu brushed past her, whispering, “Don’t scream, darling.” With that, she turned the doorknob and walked in gracefully. As she closed the door, she didn’t forget to lock it from the inside.

Inside the interview hall, the HR director and department heads were busy tidying up the documents on the table.

“Are the interviews over?” Gu Qing asked, entering the conference room through the staff-only entrance.

Everyone in the room was visibly surprised. The HR director was the first to break the silence. “I didn’t expect you to come down in person, Lawyer Gu.” She offered her a seat and walked to the water cooler to pour Gu Qing a cup of hot water. The department heads also quickly moved aside to make way for her. They all looked at each other, filled with surprise and doubt.

“The interviews just ended. We have seven provisional hires so far,” Cai Dong said, a potbelly bulging out from his shirt. He handed Gu Qing the files of the top students he had his eye on.

Cai Dong was the deputy head of the business department and was in charge of managing personnel changes. But the final decision still rested with Gu Qing. Now that she was here, Cai Dong, despite his seniority, felt intimidated. Gu Qing’s talent was undeniable. In the past year, she had single-handedly resurrected the failing Kaihe Law Firm.

Considering his job, Cai Dong bent down respectfully and asked, “This time, we have a few law school graduates with master’s degrees who are also working on their PhDs. They have a solid foundation and excellent communication skills. We’ve tentatively kept their files. But, of course, the final decision is up to you, Lawyer Gu.”

His words were flawless. In truth, Cai Dong and the others had already made up their minds about this group of candidates. This was because Gu Qing usually didn’t have time to deal with small things like personnel changes. She was in charge of communicating with clients. To the outside world, Gu Qing was the face of the firm, and all the big bosses came to her first. Internally, she was responsible for coordinating and assigning cases, as well as handling the intricate details of tricky cases in court.

In a single day, after dealing with the major and minor decisions of the law firm, Gu Qing had very little free time. To be honest, this was the first time they had seen Gu Qing come down to the interview room herself.

The HR director handed the hot water to Gu Qing, then laughed. “It’s perfect that you came, Lawyer Gu. You can help us finalize the hires. Director Li said that your decision is his decision regarding personnel changes.”

Director Li, or Li Jun, was the owner of Kaihe Law Firm. A few years ago, due to mismanagement, the firm was on the verge of bankruptcy. He was forced to return to take over the family business and had less and less time for the law firm. Later, Gu Qing saved the firm, and since Li Jun was too busy with his family business, he had to give all the decision-making power of the law firm to Gu Qing.

The department heads saw that Gu Qing wasn’t saying anything, so they started to smile and introduce the resumes of the candidates they were interested in.

Gu Qing squinted, casually flipping through a small stack of resumes. Her gaze quickly passed over the names. A moment later, she calmly put the resume on the long table.

She spoke in a cold, unhurried tone. “Alright, these people are hired.”

Cai Dong: …

HR director: …

Everyone’s faces were filled with a questioning expression, practically screaming, “Why did you even come here?”

Gu Qing’s expression didn’t change as she looked away, as if she didn’t realize how abrupt her sudden appearance was. She turned around with a cold demeanor, but as she did, she came face to face with Ling Yu, who had just burst through the door.

Ling Yu was wearing a pair of rimless glasses with gold frames. She didn’t need glasses, but without them, her eyes were enchanting and seductive. With them, her bright eyes were concealed.

The cold white light from above shone on her already pale skin, making her neck appear smooth and delicate. The gentle light in her foxy eyes gave her an air of elegance and refinement. She wore a confident smile and walked gracefully. A thin layer of powder covered her fair face, making her features stand out as if they had been sculpted in wax.

Those who knew Ling Yu knew this was how she looked when she was angry. The angrier she was, the more composed and gentle her smile became.

Gu Qing instinctively felt a sense of danger. She shifted her gaze and expressionlessly took a step to the side. A dark shadow suddenly fell over her. Under everyone’s gaze, Ling Yu slowly walked past Gu Qing’s body, which was curved like a jade pestle.

For her interview, she was wearing a simple, semi-open blazer. The design of the collar revealed the light fabric that wrapped around her soft chest. Her steps were extremely slow. Her chest swayed as she passed by Gu Qing’s tight shirt.

Gu Qing, who was in the shadow, watched as her pupils constricted to the size of a pinprick. She pursed her lips and unbuttoned the collar of her shirt. Her deep blue eyes met Ling Yu’s challenging gaze. In that flash of an instant, Ling Yu could see the undisguised sparks of anger in her clear, glass-like eyes.

The two were locked in a standoff. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Everyone in the room was stunned.

“Who is that?” Cai Dong asked with a look, pulling the HR director’s arm.

The other man had the same confused look on his face. The other members of the management team looked equally clueless. Everyone looked at each other, seeing the same shock and fear in their eyes. The last time Gu Qing’s anger was so visible was at the trial for the campus bullying case a year ago. The defendant, the former heir of Tianhong Industries, was now a pile of ashes, having been sentenced to death.

“Ling! Yu!” Gu Qing’s blue eyes were covered in a layer of coldness. She uttered the name of the reckless woman, syllable by syllable.

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Ling Yu clicked her tongue. She raised her hand and brushed back a loose strand of her braid that was hanging on her shoulder. She smiled and hummed softly, replying in a gentle tone, “Lawyer Gu, oh! You’re here, too.”

Gu Qing looked at her. “Get out.”

Ling Yu smiled again. She shifted her body and lowered her voice to a whisper that only the two of them could hear. “Your body isn’t so cold, is it? Sister, just now, your earlobe turned red, didn’t it?”

The sweet smell of milk candy from Ling Yu’s body wafted over to Gu Qing. Gu Qing’s forehead twitched twice. Just as she was about to push her away, Ling Yu seemed to have read her mind and retreated to a safe distance.

Ling Yu calmly opened her purse and took out a voice recorder. She stood three meters away from Gu Qing and blinked. “Lawyer Gu, I’m here for an interview. Do you think this can get me an interview opportunity?”

She shook the voice recorder—the one that had fallen from Gu Qing’s jacket a few days ago. Ling Yu looked meaningfully at the now ashen-faced Gu Qing, as if she were certain that she would agree.

She made a bold threat, then turned to the interviewers who were all staring at her. She smiled sweetly. “Hello, everyone. I’m interviewee number 100, Ling Yu. The position I’m applying for is a paralegal intern.”

Just as Ling Yu finished speaking, the staff-only door suddenly creaked open. A surprised voice rang out, filled with a sweet scent, cutting through the tense atmosphere. “Ling Yu!”

The man at the door was wearing a well-tailored floral suit. He stood in the light, looking unsure, and then called out again, “Yu Yu, is that you?”

When Ling Yu heard that voice, her cocky demeanor stiffened. At the same time, the executives in the room looked at the man at the door in shock. They all greeted him respectfully, “Director Li.”

Ling Yu closed her eyes.

[Is he an acquaintance? Host, don’t be so rude. He seems to be the protagonist’s boss. Be polite.]

[…] Ling Yu: “If I close my eyes and pass out on the spot, is it too late?”