She took the express delivery back, threw it on the table, accepted his friend request, and sent him a message.
"I'll treat you to dinner after work. How about Japanese? If it's okay, I'll book a place now."
Lawyer Gu was not happy. "Then I'll pick you up after work."
Lu Jiaying said it wasn't necessary, she could drive herself.
She didn't want someone like him appearing at the company entrance to spread rumors about them.
As a result, when it was time to get off work, Lawyer Gu called punctually.
"I'm already waiting at your company entrance."
Lu Jiaying's face darkened. She turned off her computer, grabbed the express delivery, and strode out.
Seeing this, Jiang Jingyu couldn't miss such a good opportunity to spectate and quickly chased after her.
It was the peak hour for people leaving work, with crowds coming and going at the company entrance. The man was driving a black Mercedes, parked ostentatiously in the open space in front of the company.
He was wearing a black suit, his hair slicked back shiningly, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, leaning against the car.
Although his attire was very business-like and elite, the confidence, or perhaps arrogance, he exuded was too obvious.
Jiang Jingyu felt at a glance that this person was flashy and greasy, no wonder Lu Jiaying looked down on him.
He clearly enjoyed the attention he was receiving. Seeing Lu Jiaying come out, he waved enthusiastically at her, then opened the car door and took out a bouquet of bright red roses from the car.
People coming and going instantly turned their gossipy gazes towards Lu Jiaying.
Lu Jiaying had never dated before, nor had she experienced such a grand gesture from a man.
She couldn't stand such a cheesy way of pursuing someone. Her temples twitched, and for the first time, she felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear.
She quickly walked up to the man, but instead of taking the flowers, she put the express delivery into his arms.
"Mr. Gu, we've only known each other for less than 24 hours, and you're sending this and that. How can I possibly accept it?"
"I know you're very capable, but there's no need to be so wasteful. Thank you for your kindness, but I can't accept the gifts. Please take them back."
"Don't you like it?"
She really didn't know how someone with such low emotional intelligence could be a lawyer. Lu Jiaying just wanted to roll her eyes.
It wasn't a matter of liking it or not, was it? When a girl refuses to accept your gift and your flowers, what does that mean? Isn't it obvious enough?
Clearly, it wasn't obvious enough.
If she didn't say the words, "I don't like people like you," he seemed like he wouldn't give up.
"If you don't like the necklace, I'll go change it tomorrow. What do you like? Bracelets, rings, earrings? What brand? As long as you say it, I can do it and I'll satisfy you."
Jiang Jingyu, standing behind them, couldn't listen anymore.
He felt sorry for Lu Jiaying, as if she were being pranked.
How could there be such a bizarre person with such terrible emotional intelligence in the world?
He couldn't help but step forward, put his arm around Lu Jiaying's shoulder, and pull her into his embrace.
Startled by the sudden embrace, Lu Jiaying was taken aback.
When she looked back, she was relieved it was Jiang Jingyu.
Jiang Jingyu, acting like an old man, not only hugged her but also pinched her chin.
"I told you I'd pick you up from work, why didn't you wait at the usual spot and came here instead? Who are you talking to? Your colleague?"
What was he doing?
Listening to his tone, was he trying to impersonate her boyfriend?
Wasn't today's gossip exciting enough?
With his embrace, the people coming and going immediately became more reluctant to leave, their intention to spectate even more apparent.
However, since things had come to this, Lu Jiaying would rather have rumors spread about her and Jiang Jingyu than be involved with Lawyer Gu any further.
Seeing that Jiang Jingyu had spoken, she cooperatively smiled at him and said in a soft, cute tone.
"It's too tiring to run back and forth. Didn't I tell you not to come? This isn't my colleague. Didn't we go to Xiao Qi's party last night? A lawyer I just met, I told you about him."
"Oh. A lawyer you met last night. Hello."
Jiang Jingyu extended his hand to shake his hand. "What kind of lawyer are you? Have you left your contact information with Jiaying? If we have any business in this area in the future, we'll try to take care of you."
Lawyer Gu's expression visibly soured. He looked at the two of them.
"You have a boyfriend? Why didn't you tell me last night? Why didn't Mo Xiaoqi tell me?"
Lu Jiaying smiled and said, "You didn't ask. I can't just go around telling everyone that I have a boyfriend. I've been telling you that we're not suitable, but you just didn't understand, Mr. Gu."
Lawyer Gu was so angry he almost snorted. He opened the car door, angrily threw the flowers and necklace inside, slammed the door shut, and drove away as if he didn't want to bother with Lu Jiaying anymore.
As the car drove away, Lu Jiaying quickly extricated herself from Jiang Jingyu's embrace.
She somewhat uncomfortably smoothed her hair and glanced at her colleagues who were coming and going.
"Now this is great. I'll be full of rumors from now on. But thank you anyway."
Jiang Jingyu, who was enjoying his act of being mature, said, "You're welcome. If you encounter such people harassing you again, you can just say you have a boyfriend."
Lu Jiaying thought to herself: I've never had a boyfriend in my life, do you think I can just say such things casually?
But she knew it herself, and she couldn't say it out loud.
"Alright, let's go back quickly. I'm leaving."
When they left home this morning, Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nanfang had said that their younger siblings' school was holding a parent-child camping event, requiring parents to take them to a designated camping spot. Therefore, they would be taking the younger siblings with them tonight and wouldn't be back.
Jing Tian and Ge'er were about to take their college entrance exams, and their evening self-study sessions didn't end until past nine o'clock every night.
He would be alone if he went back, and on a whim, he called out to Lu Jiaying.
"Can you treat me to dinner?"
"What?"
"You know, Daddy and Mommy have frozen my card, and I have no money. No one is home today, and I don't want to go back so early."
Coincidentally, Lu Jiaying had already booked a restaurant. After falling out with Lawyer Gu, she had no one to eat with.
She had planned to cancel.
It was fine, she could consider it repaying his favor.
"How about Japanese?"
"Anything is fine with me."
The two walked towards the underground parking lot together.
Unsuspecting passersby started whispering to each other.
"What's going on? Doesn't the relationship between this Ms. Lu and her assistant seem unusual? A bit ambiguous, don't you think?"
"What's so strange about that? Male superiors and female assistants can have that kind of relationship, why can't female superiors and male assistants? Isn't that how it is these days?"
"Ms. Lu really knows how to play, and she's playing so openly. Isn't she afraid of any negative impact?"
Coincidentally, the HR Director, Xu Lei, also witnessed this scene.
She thought to herself that Lu Jiaying was truly shameless. Not only did she flaunt her presence in front of the technical department staff, but she also acted weak and pitiful in front of Mr. Hu.
And now, after work, she was even seducing a male subordinate.
If people like her weren't driven out of the company, it would be an insult to the Zhan Corporation's reputation.
Listening to everyone's discussions and looking at the ambiguous backs of Lu Jiaying and Jiang Jingyu walking together, a plan secretly formed in her mind.