Liu Jingru had always imagined what her brother Xia Lin would be like, and how he looked.
Now that she saw the real person, she almost lost her composure.
He possessed a noble aura and a face that made one linger, his eyes and forehead resembling Xia Lin's.
No wonder Xia Lin was also beautiful; if her brother was this handsome, his sister wouldn't be far behind. They both inherited good genes.
Liu Jingru had met many handsome men before, but Xia Feng was the first person she encountered who possessed both beauty and charisma.
Love at first sight, driven by appearance.
This was true for both men and women.
In this era that valued looks, a good appearance was indeed important.
Of course, this was only the first impression. The second, and most crucial, impression came from wealth and talent, which were the decisive factors.
Xia Feng clearly possessed all three. A man with beauty, talent, and wealth was the most captivating.
After Xia Feng walked down, he nodded at them and looked at Xia Lin, saying, "This is the classmate you mentioned yesterday, right?"
"Mhm, she's Liu Jingru, my good friend from university. She helped me a lot during our college years," Xia Lin replied, holding Liu Jingru's wrist as she introduced her.
Xia Feng smiled at Liu Jingru and said thankfully, "Hello, welcome to my home. And thank you for taking care of Lin'er before."
Xia Feng's smile further captivated Liu Jingru, making her feel a rush of warmth as if her heart was filled with honey. She quickly replied, "It's nothing. Lin'er and I are good sisters, so taking care of her is only natural."
Although Liu Jingru said this, Xia Feng felt differently. He was genuinely grateful to anyone who was good to his sister.
"Let's dispense with the pleasantries. Please sit down. Don't be so formal. Since you and Lin'er are good sisters, consider this your own home," Xia Feng gestured for them to sit and talk.
Liu Jingru nodded, her gaze constantly drifting towards Xia Feng.
Just last night, she had told Xia Lin that she wouldn't consider dating for the next two years, focusing solely on her work and earning money.
It wasn't that she wasn't ready to date, nor that she didn't want to, but she hadn't met anyone who stirred her heart.
Now, encountering Xia Feng, she truly felt a stir.
However, she knew that Xia Feng's status was too noble. Some feelings could only remain in her heart; after all, unrequited love was not a crime.
One must have self-awareness. Being able to exchange a few words with Xia Feng made her happy for a long time.
Indeed, outstanding people were always likable. If you had no one who liked you, how could your excellence be measured?
Whether it was men or women, having many suitors around simply indicated your excellence and the recognition you received from others.
It was like a luxury car; everyone wanted to drive it, but once the car had an owner, others couldn't drive it.
(This is just a metaphor. Many people borrow cars... As people often say, borrowing a car is like borrowing a wife.)
Back when Xia Lin was in school, due to Wang Li's issue, everyone thought Xia Lin had snatched someone else's boyfriend, causing that person to break up with Wang Li.
While others were gossiping and spreading rumors, Liu Jingru resolutely stood by Xia Lin's side. She knew Xia Lin's character and couldn't possibly do such a thing.
Xia Lin at the time didn't like to explain herself; she let others say what they would. But Liu Jingru was different. Anyone who brought up the matter to criticize Xia Lin would find themselves in a day-and-night argument with Liu Jingru, without a single drop of water.
After Xia Feng's arrival, Liu Jingru seemed to change her demeanor. Her voice became softer, her manners more refined, her posture proper, her legs together, resembling a refined young lady.
"Where are you from?" Xia Feng asked Liu Jingru casually.
"I'm from Chengdu, currently working in Hangzhou," Liu Jingru replied softly.
"Chengdu has always been a place of beautiful women, especially Taikoo Li pedestrian street, where you can see endless beautiful women every day.
It's a very nice place," Xia Feng nodded.
Although he hadn't been to Chengdu, it was the most developed city in the southwest and famous throughout China for its unique characteristics.
"Our hometown has beautiful scenery. Lin'er even visited during our sophomore year," Liu Jingru said with pride when talking about her hometown.
During the summer holiday of her sophomore year, Liu Jingru had also taken Xia Lin back to visit for two months.
"I'll visit your hometown sometime," Xia Feng casually mentioned.
Speaking of Chengdu, the "National Prince" used to be a frequent visitor, flying there himself and having his cars transported by logistics, staying for a month or so.
Although Shanghai was the largest city in the country, it paled in comparison to Chengdu in terms of dining, drinking, and entertainment.
Shanghai's economy was developed, and people's pace of life was relatively fast. Chengdu was different; the pace was slower, making it truly suitable for leisure.
After chatting for a while, Jack Ma came out from the kitchen and called out to Xia Feng, "Young Master Xia, dinner is ready."
At this, everyone got up and headed towards the dining room.
This was Liu Jingru's first time tasting her boss's cooking. The deliciousness was beyond words, even more delightful than food from high-end restaurants.
Although there were no extravagant dishes, mostly home-style cooking, eating it made one feel comfortable.
She couldn't understand how Mr. Ma, a renowned entrepreneur, could also be such a skilled cook.
A boss is indeed a boss, a top talent in every field.
Jack Ma was like that. Even if he hadn't founded Alibaba, he could have made a name for himself in teaching, public speaking, cooking, singing, lyric writing, and other professions.
No wonder Jack Ma always said his biggest regret was founding Alibaba, because it was the thing he disliked doing the most, yet it unexpectedly succeeded.
Jack Ma loved singing, martial arts, and bragging. These things he originally wanted to do became mere hobbies.
"Jingru, how is the taste of my cooking? You are the 18th person in our company to taste my dishes," Jack Ma asked Liu Jingru, who was savoring the food.
When Jack Ma first founded Alibaba, including himself, there were 18 people. At that time, he was responsible for everyone's meals, and that's when he learned to cook.
After those 17 people, no one else had tasted his cooking. Therefore, Liu Jingru was the 18th person in Alibaba to experience his culinary skills.
"Mr. Ma, it's very delicious." Liu Jingru's words were not flattery; the food was genuinely good. "If you don't believe me, try it yourselves."
"Teacher Ma, is she from your company?"
Xia Feng, overhearing their conversation, understood what was implied.
"Yes, she's from our company," Jack Ma nodded.
Liu Jingru was from his company and was also good sisters with Xia Lin. Regardless of anything else, Jack Ma felt extremely honored and proud.
After all, on a certain level, Liu Jingru was just a small employee of his company. For her to gain Xia Feng's recognition was an honor.
Xia Feng, after hearing this, smiled at Jack Ma and said,
"She's very good."