Bai Huizi sat in the chair, sinking into the sandalwood meeting chair like a marble statue asleep in a museum.
Her snow-white curls were loosely piled on her shoulders, and the pearl earrings entwined in her hair gently swayed with the movement of her body.
The peacock-blue silk blouse hugged her ample curves, the third button stretching into a fine crease over the rise and fall of her chest.
When the cuffs slipped down, faint sunspots on her forearms were revealed.
Her left foot was raised, suspended in a black patent leather high heel, the arch curving in a breathtaking arc.
The veins on the top of her foot were faintly visible beneath her stockings.
Her right hand rested on the meeting notes, a golden bracelet reflecting a cold gleam in the projector’s blue light.
Her left hand’s three fingers tapped the tabletop rhythmically; freshly painted crimson nails cast dark shadows like drops of blood on the wooden grain.
Her deep pupils half-closed as they scanned Jin Ke’er, yet she made no move at all.
Compared to the stumbling steps of Jin Ke’er, Bai Huizi sat like a queen enthroned.
Hearing the other woman call out Su Li’s name, Bai Huizi’s brow twitched slightly.
“You know her?”
Bai Huizi looked toward Su Li, her beautiful eyes tinged with amusement, as if she had discovered something interesting.
This art museum meeting had an unexpected surprise, one she hadn’t anticipated.
She originally thought it was just a trivial move laid out during a boring day, but it brought her so much unforeseen delight.
“She was just a client of mine before.”
Su Li said calmly; this was an undeniable fact.
She actually didn’t want clients meeting each other—it seriously interfered with her service.
To some extent, it also affected the clients’ immersion and experience.
But with Jin Ke’er and Bai Huizi’s unexpected encounter, there was nothing she could do.
Besides, she didn’t care much about it. After all, Jin Ke’er was a former client; there was no need to maintain a relationship anymore.
As long as it didn’t affect her deal with Bai Huizi, she simply wouldn’t give it a second thought.
So when she met an enraged Jin Ke’er in the restroom, Su Li had no intention of stopping her.
“Oh? Is that so?”
“My elder sister wouldn’t want her little dog… Little Su Li to have another owner.”
Bai Huizi’s tone remained gentle, but beneath it was a hint of ice.
“But since this happened before Little Su Li met her elder sister, I won’t meddle too much.”
She wouldn’t dwell on things that couldn’t be changed.
Her gaze shifted toward the disheveled Jin Ke’er, once again noting the abrupt changes on her face, her expression slowly turning more amused.
Seeing the two women whispering to each other without paying any attention to her, Jin Ke’er’s anger flared even more.
“If Ms. Bai truly doesn’t care about our cooperation, then I’ll stand up and leave now. There’s no need for further discussion.”
Jin Ke’er had prepared well before coming to this meeting, but with all her tactics, she could only find out that the art museum’s director’s surname was Bai.
Since the museum’s establishment, the person hadn’t managed it and had sold off the museum directly.
Jin Ke’er even guessed that the person who came to meet her might not be the director herself.
But from the aura she sensed, it didn’t feel like someone just sent for a task.
She guessed that the arrogant woman before her was indeed the Director.
But now, Jin Ke’er no longer cared.
Even if she was the Director, so what? It wouldn’t stop her from tearing Su Li apart.
If it weren’t for Su Li, how could she be in such a miserable state?
How could she waste so much time nursing the wounds on her face?
Yet Su Li sat calmly beside her, as if nothing had happened.
The more Jin Ke’er thought about it, the more infuriated she became.
Though she had iced the slap marks on her face, the sting still burned sharply.
Just an art museum director—did she really think Su Li had found some big powerful patron?
So the wealthy backer Su Li relied on to hold her high was such a person?
Jin Ke’er looked at Su Li with contempt.
“If Ms. Jin doesn’t want to cooperate, the door is right there. Please take your leave.”
“But I suppose walking might be difficult for Ms. Jin right now?”
“If your legs aren’t healed yet, you should focus on treating your injuries.”
“If Ms. Jin sat in a wheelchair to discuss cooperation with me, I might admire her determination.”
“But now, it looks more like she’s pretending to be a big bad wolf.”
Bai Huizi naturally sensed the gunpowder in Jin Ke’er’s tone. Since the cooperation was off the table, she had no intention of conceding in this verbal sparring.
She also sensed the condescending arrogance in Jin Ke’er’s voice, as if this cooperation was a favor granted to her.
But charity was something the strong did to the weak. She didn’t see herself as weak.
So she didn’t care for Jin Ke’er’s self-righteous largesse.
Hearing Bai Huizi’s sarcasm only fueled Jin Ke’er’s fury; her cold gaze fixed on Su Li.
It was all because of Su Li that this cooperation was ruined!
It had to be the conflict with Su Li in the restroom that made her suspect the cooperation with the Director.
So when she returned to the meeting room, she whispered poison in Bai Huizi’s ear to drive a wedge between them.
She clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails into her flesh to calm herself down.
If Su Li was really sowing discord, then maybe Bai Huizi wasn’t her enemy.
And if she could expose Su Li’s villainy, not only could she secure the cooperation perfectly, but she could also teach Su Li a harsh lesson.
After calming down, Jin Ke’er wasn’t yet sure.
Was Bai Huizi really her patron behind the scenes?
Or had Su Li, after the deal ended, decided to turn over a new leaf and come to work at the art museum?
The latter seemed more likely.
After all, Jin Ke’er believed no better patron existed.
And she knew Su Li’s past well enough to know why Su Li was so eager to cut ties with it.
“I think there might be some misunderstanding between us.”
“Ms. Bai might not realize what kind of person the seemingly expressionless girl beside you is behind the scenes.”