At this moment, the sky was adorned with clouds like cotton candy. Rui Jie leaned alone against the window of the Director's office. It was during working hours, yet her mind had long since wandered.
She would occasionally gaze at the cotton candy-like clouds drifting past the top of the skyscraper, and at other times, she would focus on the desk phone with its flashing green light.
"Why is this little girl's intelligence taking so long to arrive? It's been almost a full 24 hours."
Rui Jie's real name was Ouyang Rui. She belonged to the Ouyang family, one of the four major families in Stone City. The Ouyang family had a deep foundation, their rise and fall intertwined with the very history of Stone City. However, the family had always had more women than men, and even the men were often dissolute and unproductive.
She leaned against the Huanghuali wooden desk, the scent of Tingting Biluochun tea filling the air. Water droplets on the succulent plants reflected the slightly dazzling overhead lights. She took out her makeup mirror and touched the plump, smooth corners of her eyes. Though she was twenty-nine years old this year, her regular maintenance made her look just over twenty. Her appearance was striking, and her black work skirt accentuated her figure.
The green light on the phone blinked rhythmically. Ouyang Rui seemed to have finally lost patience and was about to pick up the phone when it rang at the same moment.
"Hello, Rui Jie, the information you requested has been found."
"This efficiency is unbelievable!"
Ouyang Rui feigned annoyance. If any employee were to see her at this moment, they would likely be astonished, as her usual demeanor was that of a decisive, no-nonsense businesswoman, earning her the nickname "Sun Erniang."
"We've been as fast as possible, considering he only arrived in Stone City yesterday."
"Alright, enough about that, tell me about the information you got."
"Okay, his name is Ren Yuanhao. Yesterday, he did something remarkable, helping the three Xia siblings out of a crisis and rescuing quite a few people of social standing. In short, this guy's name has surged on the search rankings, and some elder figures highly regard him, eager to recruit him."
Ouyang Rui's face flushed slightly. Her entire focus was on this Ren Yuanhao. After a moment of infatuation, she exclaimed in surprise, "What? When did the Xia family have another descendant?"
"Oh, it's like this, Xia's third child, Xia Xiaomo, is Xia Zhennan's illegitimate daughter, and besides..."
The voice on the other end of the phone became hesitant.
"If you have something to say, just say it." Ouyang Rui seemed to sense an ominous feeling.
"Besides, Ren Yuanhao seems to have an unusual relationship with this Xia Xiaomo. If it weren't for Ren Yuanhao's help, it would have been difficult for Xia Xiaomo to gain prominence."
"You mean, they might be boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ouyang Rui had to make this guess.
A confirmed answer came from the other end of the phone.
Unexpectedly, Ouyang Rui did not seem inclined to give up, her tone becoming more resolute.
"Alright, keep a close eye on this guy. I've got my heart set on him."
"With Rui Jie's charm, it's likely any man would become your devoted admirer without resistance."
...
The call ended with a flattering remark, but almost simultaneously, her own phone rang.
Ouyang Rui glanced at the caller ID. It was her mother. Her mother rarely called during her working hours, unless...
A premonition of something bad flashed through her mind, and she quickly answered the call.
"Hello, Rui'er, you probably need to come back quickly. Guess who has arrived?"
"Mom, I'm working."
"You workaholic, no wonder you don't have a boyfriend. Well, finally, someone who's a good match has come, so don't dawdle."
Ouyang Rui forced a wry smile. "Mom, am I your biological daughter? Is it appropriate to curse me like this? I still have a mountain of work. I don't want to see anyone right now."
The voice on the other end snorted, sounding a bit petulant like a child. "I don't care about your work. Your daughter's lifelong happiness is important. Hurry back, or I'll ask your father to dismiss you from your director position. Come home and find a boyfriend obediently before we talk about your return to work."
Ouyang Rui couldn't afford to offend such a mother, so she could only agree on the phone.
"Mom, do you know my heart already belongs to someone? If that guy Ren Yuanhao could truly be my boyfriend..." She shook her head, her eyes full of longing, and murmured to herself:
"What am I thinking? For now, I'll have to hire a temporary boyfriend to use as a shield. But, listening to Mom's tone, the person visiting this time seems to have some background. They've likely even won over Mom. Who exactly is this formidable person? And where can I find such an excellent, charismatic temporary boyfriend who can hold his own?"
Just as this thought crossed her mind, her still-connected phone suddenly displayed a text message.
"Are you still single? Desperate for a custom boyfriend? What are you waiting for? DiDi to find love is at your service. Click the link below, enter your criteria, and we'll match you instantly, arriving at your date location swiftly, no slacking! To unsubscribe, reply td."
Ouyang Rui suddenly had a peculiar feeling of being watched, as if her thoughts had been completely seen through by the sender of this message.
However, Ouyang Rui was bold. She wasn't afraid of her phone being leaked or her millions in pocket money being scammed by some phishing website, so she directly clicked the link.
"Height, weight, appearance – fill it in according to Ren Yuanhao's template. Also, strong presence, a good understanding of global affairs, that should be about it."
Ouyang Rui filled it out very seriously, then hurriedly went downstairs and waited patiently at the Starbucks below the Ouyang family building.
...
At the same time, Ren Yuanhao, who was lamenting the lack of orders, immediately dropped the dough he was holding, paid, and ran back to his rented apartment like a gust of wind.
The boss, holding the money, watched Ren Yuanhao sprint away, scratching his head and muttering, "Young people nowadays, they don't know how to save..."
Ren Yuanhao changed into his uniform. His jeep galloped like a swift steed, cutting through the unfamiliar city at breakneck speed. Red buildings were interspersed with gray ones, and these unusual reds seemed like areas marked 'dangerous,' where ordinary people were forbidden to tread.
"Damn it, damn it, don't get stuck in traffic, hey! I'm going to be late!"
Just as Ren Yuanhao was about to honk, he suddenly heard an extremely piercing screech of brakes ahead, and he slammed on his own brakes.
"That sound, something's going to happen!"
His eyesight was excellent, and the view from his jeep was superb. Standing up slightly and looking, he saw an Audi TT, its brakes smoking, about to crash into a vibrant and youthful girl!
"Damn it, failing at the critical moment!"
Ren Yuanhao kicked open his door and moved with lightning speed. However, by the time he reached the back of the Audi, there was no time left to save the girl, who had frozen in terror and couldn't move!