Floating life reflects two lotuses

Early in the morning, Chu Wanlian stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself in a smart suit. Her bob hair fell smoothly, and her white shirt looked neat and tidy in the soft light. Paired with dark blue suit trousers, it made her look even more clean and efficient.

She gently brushed her fingertips across her collar, adjusted its position, and then took a deep breath.

"Now that I've accepted Xiao Jinlian's identity, I absolutely cannot let anyone look down on me," she murmured to herself, a hint of determination in her eyes.

"Wow, Your Highness, you have a much stronger aura now than I did before!" Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a familiar teasing tone.

"Thanks to you, I've experienced what the pressure of modern life is like." Chu Wanlian pursed her lips, her tone tinged with self-deprecation.

"Don't be nervous. Although Director Li is very capable, you are even smarter! Keep it up!" Xiao Jinlian seemed to be encouraging her, or perhaps comforting herself.

When the conference room door opened, Chu Wanlian took a deep breath, straightened her back, and walked in.

Li Chenyao sat upright at one end of the conference table, his gaze calmly sweeping over each employee before finally settling on Chu Wanlian.

This woman seemed to have changed since the day of the celebration banquet. As far as he knew, the Xiao Jinlian of the past never spoke up in meetings, and she didn't even dare to look people in the eye.

But now, she not only sat upright, but also wore a faint, confident smile. Li Chenyao's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, a hint of doubt rising in his mind.

"What exactly caused this change in her?" he wondered to himself.

Chu Wanlian raised her head, meeting his gaze. In that instant, Li Chenyao seemed to see a sharp glint in her eyes, which was quickly concealed by a gentle smile.

"Ms. Xiao," Li Chenyao suddenly spoke, interrupting the marketing director's speech, "what do you think of the promotion strategy you just mentioned?"

The conference room fell silent, and everyone turned their attention to Chu Wanlian.

She paused for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, her voice clear and calm: "Director Li, I believe our promotional strategy shouldn't rely solely on existing channels. Based on previous market data, younger consumers tend to prefer social media interaction. Could we try more direct short video platforms?"

Li Chenyao's eyes lit up slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Interesting. Then, could you please provide a detailed plan?"

"Of course." Chu Wanlian nodded, secretly relieved. She wasn't entirely sure if her answer conformed to the logic of the modern workplace, but judging from Li Chenyao's reaction, it was clearly acceptable.

"Not bad," he thought to himself, slowing down his writing a little while his gaze still occasionally fell on her.

After the meeting, Chu Wanlian strolled along the street outside the company. A cold wind swept by, ruffling the hair around her ears.

"This is a strange world... You can get people to listen to you just by talking." Chu Wanlian muttered to herself, her tone tinged with confusion and a subtle sense of satisfaction.

"Of course! Modern society is a world of information and expression, Your Highness, don't you think you're adapting quite well?" Xiao Jinlian's voice rang in her mind, her tone light as if she were applauding her.

"Don't overestimate me, it was just... luck." Chu Wanlian sighed softly, her eyes somewhat lost. She walked to a street-side cafe and saw through the glass window that it was full of stylish young people, the atmosphere relaxed and lively.

"Why don't we go in and give it a try? Have a coffee to relieve our fatigue?" Xiao Jinlian suggested. "I used to come to this shop often; their signature latte is especially delicious!"

"Coffee?" Chu Wanlian pursed her lips, her gaze sweeping over the lights and crowd in the shop before finally nodding slowly. "Just consider it... experiencing your modern way of relaxing."

She pushed open the door, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and soft background music. Standing in front of the counter, Chu Wanlian carefully studied the menu, and Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind again: "Latte, latte! And no sugar!"

"I understand, so stop nagging." Chu Wanlian replied in a low voice, ordered a latte, and walked to a corner seat with her coffee.

She picked up the cup, took a small sip, and felt a slightly bitter taste spread across her tongue, accompanied by an unexpected warmth. Chu Wanlian closed her eyes, and images of fragrant tea brewed in ancient palaces flashed through her mind, creating a strange contrast with the modern beverage before her.

"It tastes pretty good," she commented softly.

"Isn't it incredibly relaxing? See, modern life isn't so bad after all!" Xiao Jinlian's voice carried a hint of smugness.

"Perhaps," Chu Wanlian replied softly, her gaze passing over the crowd outside the window and landing on a blurry figure standing under the dim streetlights in the distance, seemingly watching her silently.

Her heart suddenly tightened, but the next second, the person turned and disappeared into the night, as if he had never been there.

"Just now... was someone watching me?" Chu Wanlian asked Xiao Jinlian tentatively.

"What? I wasn't paying attention!" Xiao Jinlian's voice was tinged with panic.

"Never mind, maybe I'm just overthinking it." Chu Wanlian lowered her head and took a sip of coffee, trying to suppress the unease in her heart, but that figure kept lingering in her mind.

In the tea room outside the meeting room, several colleagues were gathered in a circle, whispering among themselves.

"Has Xiao Jinlian changed recently?" someone asked, taking a sip of coffee, their tone tinged with curiosity.

“That’s right! She used to be too afraid to say a word, but now she can directly question the marketing director in meetings.” Another person chimed in.

"I heard she has a pretty good relationship with Director Li. Don't you think this is the standard template for a career comeback?" someone joked, with a hint of teasing in their eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense! What if someone hears us?" another person quickly stopped them, but couldn't hide the jealousy on their face.

They didn't notice that Chu Wanlian was passing by the tea room door. She paused slightly, and after hearing a few fragmented sentences of conversation, a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

"It seems that the first step in adapting to this world has already begun to show results," she thought to herself, and then walked away from there.

Back in his office, Li Chenyao leaned back in his chair and flipped through the meeting minutes.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his brow furrowed slightly, as if he were pondering something.

“Xiao Jinlian… her transformation was too rapid.” He picked up the document beside him, his gaze falling on her name, his eyes becoming deep.

"Perhaps I should observe her more closely," he murmured, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Chu Wanlian sat on the edge of the bed, repeatedly reading the meeting summary email sent by Li Chenyao.

"Your analysis is very insightful, but I hope you can provide more details next time." These few lines of text stirred a strange emotion within her.

"Li Chenyao, how dare this audacious commoner order this princess around like this!" she muttered to herself, a hint of complexity in her eyes.

"Wow, this plot is just like the beginning of an idol drama," Xiao Jinlian thought to herself with a chuckle.

"Shut up!" Chu Wanlian rolled her eyes, put her phone aside, but the image of Li Chenyao's deep eyes inexplicably surfaced in her mind.