The Banquet

Clarence was listening to Ning Yao's cheerful and relaxed voice on the phone as his eyes looked straight ahead.

"Really? How about we eat pizza together next time?" His voice remained gentle.

"Sure, I'll treat you then. It's my thanks for taking care of me these past few days." Ning Yao then reminded him to have dinner before she hung up the phone.

The stall owner served Ning Yao a bowl of dumplings. Then, she picked up a pair of chopsticks and started eating.

Although Ning Yao was now a rich lady with millions of yuan in savings, she usually did not order expensive food. It was not that she could not afford it, but she felt that it was unnecessary.

That was how she was able to save up so much all these years.

Xu Na would usually mock her for not being able to afford branded cosmetics and luxury bags, calling her a poor person behind her back.

But Ning Yao didn't care about how others looked at her.

She was the top scorer in her grade every year and won lots of debate and English competitions. No one could deny her excellence, even if she never showed off.

After finishing the last dumpling in her bowl, Ning Yao wiped her mouth and left.

A few hundred meters away from the dumpling stall was Clarence sitting in a car, quietly watching through his car window the girl finishing her dumplings on a bench.

Even when Ning Yao had walked a distance, his eyes still followed her.

The chauffeur had been waiting quietly, but he couldn't help but feel that this was a relatively strange situation.

Why did Mr. He suddenly ask him to drive here? And why had he been looking out the window for more than thirty minutes?

The next day at work, Clarence asked Ning Yao about her family again, especially if she needed any additional leave of absence or his help and that she could just let him know.

Ning Yao thanked him gratefully and shook her head. "It's okay. I can handle it."

Clarence's heart ached for the frail girl in front of him.

He had found her, but he could only watch her suffer. He had no way to help her since he was simply her superior and nothing more.

Clarence was looking at her deeply but she didn't notice the change in his expression. She was busy looking at the schedule for the afternoon and reminded him that he had a dinner party in the evening.

"You're coming with me," said Clarency.

Ning Yao was stunned for a moment, then she nodded. "Okay."

The dinner that Clarence was going to that night was of a very high level. It could be considered the most prestigious gathering in the city. She was just a secretary, so she wasn't actually qualified to attend it.

However, it was also good to be able to gain some knowledge. After all, it was a class that Ning Yao could not reach with her own ability.

In the evening, Clarence brought Ning Yao to the entertainment company in advance. Ning Yao was wondering why they were there when a fashionably dressed man came in and greeted Clarence warmly.

"This is my personal styling consultant, Johnny. He's here to help you with your costume today."

No matter how casual a person's personality was, a person with a status like Clarence would still have to maintain his image when he went out.

After all, he was Glory World's spokesperson, so it was not surprising that he had his own personal styling consultant.

Ning Yao knew that it would cost a lot to hire a personal styling consultant. His pay might even be equivalent to one or two years of her salary.

Moreover, judging from Johnny's temperament, he was likely to be a director or higher, so his asking price would only be higher.

She suddenly became a little nervous. Clarence thought too highly of her. She was expecting to only accompany him as his secretary.

But now, it didn't seem to be the case.

Johnny walked around Ning Yao and patted her little face exaggeratedly. "Look at her. It's such a pity that she's not in a movie. How did she end up being this guy's secretary?"

Ning Yao held the hem of her dress nervously. Behind her, Clarence said to Johnny in a cold voice, "I asked you to come here to do something, so stop talking nonsense."

Johnny glanced at Clarence. "This stinky man is rude. Come on little girl, follow me to the dressing room, I'm here to dress you up today."

Johnny took Ning Yao to the dressing room and sat her in front of a mirror. She looked down at the cosmetics on the table which were all of international brands!

Johnny picked up a bottle of soothing spray, sprayed half of the bottle on Ning Yao's face as if it cost nothing before gently patting her cheek to relax her skin.

Then, Johnny applied her makeup with skillful techniques, including eye shadow, highlighter, blush, and lipstick. The entire process took about half an hour.

Ning Yao felt a little uneasy when she thought that Clarence was still waiting for her outside. She couldn't believe that she had made Clarence wait almost half a day.