When teaching these three little ones, I never knew what to say, even though they were very good at playing along.
Shi Xinxin, of course, didn't know any of this. She heard from her advanced class teacher that the knowledge competition was only a few days away, so she kept a close eye on the three of them, especially the two who weren't as focused on studying as Xiao Qian.
"I'm warning you, this knowledge competition is internationally organized. Since you've chosen to participate, you must practice diligently and not let Mommy down."
Shi Xinxin squinted at Xiao Yu and Xiao Jie, who were sitting by the windowsill, as if she wouldn't go to work unless they agreed.
The two little ones had no choice but to nod. Xiao Qian smiled helplessly from the side.
Only then did Shi Xinxin pick up her bag and head to the company. As she walked through the main entrance, Yang Yue was just clocking in at the front desk. Seeing her, she quickly took something out of her bag and walked towards her.
"Ms. Shi, I was just about to contact you. This is the invitation letter for the Shi Luo competition sent to the company a week from now."
Shi Xinxin's steps paused slightly. She took the iPad handed to her by Yang Yue and saw the familiar gilded envelope on the screen. The only difference was that Jiang Ling's signature had been added at the bottom.
Seeing her boss staring at the signature, Yang Yue explained, "This is an event recently promoted by Shi Luo. If the invitation letter sent has the CEO's signature at the bottom, it means the CEO of Shi Luo thinks highly of the company."
Shi Xinxin wasn't thinking about that. She was just thinking that after the banquet incident, it seemed like a long time since she had seen Jiang Ling.
The venue for this competition was in S City. She figured he must have returned a few days ago.
"Okay, I understand. Go and call Qiao Qiao over. We need to discuss the design drafts further."
Yang Yue immediately went to do as instructed.
When Shi Xinxin arrived at the office, she saw Qiao Qiao already waiting at the door.
Shi Xinxin looked at her neatly dressed and energetic appearance and was a little surprised, "You're here so early. The people in the design department usually arrive at eleven or twelve."
Qiao Qiao smiled. When she smiled, she had a dimple on the corner of her mouth. Coupled with her neatly trimmed bangs, she looked obedient and quiet.
"I've been idle lately, so I wanted to come to the company earlier and spend some time looking at the works of the design department's veterans."
It was hard to find someone with such a serious attitude in the design department. After all, people who love design tend to have some quirks. As long as they didn't infringe on the company's interests, Shi Xinxin could understand and tolerate them.
However, it was rare to see Qiao Qiao so positive and upward, and to be in the design department with no flaws at all. Shi Xinxin was greatly comforted.
She casually placed the coffee she bought on the way down. "Then why don't you tell me what you've learned from studying the works of those seniors?"
Qiao Qiao's eyes lit up as soon as this topic was brought up. She said enthusiastically, "I've discovered that the designers at CL are indeed as famous as their reputation suggests. Most of them have very unique styles. Some use bright colors, but convey sadness through music, while others use monotonous colors but show a different kind of charm."
She spoke volubly about the characteristics she discovered in the seniors' paintings. Shi Xinxin listened attentively, nodding in agreement from time to time.
When the topic ended, Shi Xinxin gave Qiao Qiao an admiring look. "That's excellent. How many days have you been working here, and you've already looked through all the works of CL's designers."
Qiao Qiao smiled sheepishly, "Because my workload is the least, I have the most free time to look at the paintings."
"However, Ms. Shi, what did you call me here for today?"
Shi Xinxin got to the point, "The Shi Luo competition was postponed a while ago due to some issues and is now scheduled for next week, so we'll be participating in the competition next week."
"I see. Then, the design drafts are all with me. Are there any modifications needed? Has the competition title changed?"
Shi Xinxin got her a cup of warm water. "That's not it. However, I think there's still room for improvement in the design drafts, so I wanted to talk to you about it."
Qiao Qiao said thank you, then thought carefully. "That's indeed the case. I completed that design draft when my experience was not yet sufficient. However, during the period the competition was postponed, I have learned enough about my shortcomings and my ideas should be better than before."
"Yes, that's what I thought. Prepare yourself this morning, and bring the design drafts when you come to work this afternoon."
Qiao Qiao nodded. "Okay."
She didn't delay. She took a few sips of water, greeted them, and returned to the design department to start working at her desk.
Now that there was finally a designer in the design department without any quirks, Shi Xinxin sighed.
Yang Yue came into the office. "Ms. Shi, there's news about yesterday's trending topic. Online, everyone is cursing Su Li without exception."
Shi Xinxin nodded, indifferently looking out at the floor-to-ceiling window, her mind not on what Yang Yue was saying at all.
After all, Su Li's predicament was her own doing. In Shi Xinxin's mind, she was nothing more than a clown.
Yang Yue paused and said hesitantly, "But, it's Su Li. She posted a statement this morning."
"Oh? What else does she have to say?" Shi Xinxin was only slightly drawn in and looked at Yang Yue.
"It's not a clarification about herself, but about the eldest daughter of the Ding family," Yang Yue said.
When she first saw this news, Yang Yue wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. But after reading it several times and confirming that it was posted by Su Li herself, Yang Yue was completely stunned.
Shi Xinxin's first reaction was also surprise. She stood there stunned for a moment, then slowly began to ponder, "What does she mean by this? Could she be trying to change public perception of her, to portray herself as a kind person who sacrifices for her friends?"
Yang Yue shrugged, clueless.
"Forget it, let's not worry about their matter for now. Is there anything else to report?"
Yang Yue murmured, "There's one more thing about Su Li. She posted on Weibo, in the name of the representative of Su's Group, about participating in the Shi Luo competition."
Shi Xinxin almost burst out laughing. "Is she sure she's going to participate in the competition, not just be an audience member?"
"I'm also wondering about that. Their group's jewelry has had dismal sales every year, not only because of the price but also because of the design."
Yang Yue knew that her boss had a bad relationship with Su Li, so she suggested, "Should we inform Young Master Jiang and have Su Li disqualified?"
Shi Xinxin raised her eyebrows and looked at her. "Am I such a cunning and treacherous person? If she wants to participate, let her. In the end, she'll be the one embarrassed."
Yang Yue nodded emphatically. "I understand."