Chapter 029: Why Do You Suddenly Look Kind of Familiar?

Chapter 029: Why Do You Suddenly Look Kind of Familiar?

Was there truly no one who dared cross Li Ruobing?

Of course there was. The Li family was a formidable clan, but not quite the very top tier.

And Li Ruobing kept a low profile by habit—never volunteering details about her family background. Those without sufficient standing might have heard the Li name without grasping its true weight; those with sufficient standing already knew, and had no need for her to explain herself.

There was a third category, too: people who had some connection to Li Ruobing without truly understanding her. Those were the ones bold enough to offend her.

Li Ruobing disliked being called “Miss Li.”

Only in certain settings, from certain people, would she let it pass without minding.

She far preferred “Boss Li,” and “President Li” worked well enough too—but “Boss Li” suited her best of all. The word “boss” softened the emphasis on her being a woman, which sat well with her forceful, take-charge presence.

That was precisely why Wu Chen, from the very first time he’d met her, had privately settled on calling her “Boss Li.”

Wu Chen knew what she liked. He had no interest in letting some small matter of address breed resentment in her, let alone some lasting bias against him—there was no need for that at all.

And the woman now approaching them had called her “Miss Li”—the intent behind it unmistakable.

Li Ruobing’s brows knit as she looked up. Wu Chen glanced over as well.

The woman wore a French haute couture gown, an Hermès Birkin at her elbow, a massive diamond ring on her finger. Somewhere around thirty, long waved hair, finely made-up features—though the makeup ran a touch heavy.

One glance was all Wu Chen needed to place her.

Liu Caixiu. Born Liu Lijuan. Thirty-two years old, from Liujia Village, Sishui Town, Erma County, under Donghai’s jurisdiction.

Her husband was Lu Guangnian, chairman of Donghai Juli Group. Seven years ago, after marrying him, she’d given birth to a son. The following year, with Lu Guangnian’s backing, she’d founded Yunxiu Fashion Co., Ltd., dealing in daily chemical products and cosmetics.

She and Li Ruobing weren’t merely acquainted—they knew each other well.

Though that familiarity held not a shred of goodwill.

The two were business rivals.

As far as Wu Chen knew, Liu Caixiu had long believed Li Ruobing had stolen her business out from under her. Liu Caixiu had opened her cosmetics company in Donghai six years ago; Li Ruobing had only arrived to set up shop four years back.

Truth be told, Liu Caixiu had never had much of a head for business. Without Lu Guangnian’s repeated infusions of money and connections, her company would have folded long ago.

But once Li Ruobing’s company had gotten off the ground, Yunxiu’s position had only grown more precarious.

The real grudge between them had taken root three years earlier.

Li Ruobing had struck a deal with a major beauty-salon chain—the salons would use and recommend Huancai Fashion’s skincare products to clients, a solid channel for offline promotion.

Before that deal, the same salons had been recommending Yunxiu’s products exclusively.

From that point on, every time Liu Caixiu ran into Li Ruobing, she found some way to needle her.

Especially this year.

Huancai Fashion’s valuation now sat close to two billion yuan, with a reputation that reached well beyond Donghai. Liu Caixiu’s company, by contrast, was worth only thirty to fifty million—and even that figure leaned on its fixed assets and factory equipment. At bottom, it was little more than a small regional workshop.

The gap was too wide to ignore.

She couldn’t match Li Ruobing in business.

She couldn’t match her in looks.

Family background, education—she fell short there too.

Jealousy came naturally to a woman like her. Liu Caixiu had always cared deeply about appearances and comparisons, and years of accumulated resentment meant that every encounter with Li Ruobing came wrapped in some…