Chapter 425 - 242: Pure as Ice and Jade

Chapter 425: Chapter 242: Pure as Ice and Jade

A renowned commercial company in Hanjiang Province like Four Seasons Clothing was naturally someone Miao Lei had to take seriously.

Xia Bin wasn’t here to talk business today; he was here to foster goodwill.

With the Spring Festival approaching, he definitely had to pay personal visits to some of his key partners.

After some pleasantries, Miao Lei asked about how Four Seasons Clothing was doing this year. Xia Bin’s expression immediately soured.

His situation this year could only be described as an utter disaster.

He’d even been worried that when he went home for the Spring Festival, the old man wouldn’t let him in the door.

The empire his father had built over decades was on the brink of collapse, and crucially, he was powerless to stop it. This profound sense of helplessness tormented Xia Bin.

"This year has been a bit difficult, but we’re already making adjustments."

’My casual remark must have struck a nerve,’ Miao Lei thought, recalling how many high-performing stores this poor sap had lost when he was kicked out of Junxiao Square.

His own casual remark had probably hit a sore spot!

"The overall economic climate isn’t great. Things should get better next year. You just have to tough it out. In this market, everyone’s just trying to survive."

Xia Bin nodded with a bitter smile. For others, it was a matter of surviving; for him, it was sheer torment.

"The promotion these past few days seems to be working well. I saw an impressive increase in sales!"

Miao Lei brought up the sales numbers to change the subject and offer some consolation. ’This is good news, at least, right?’

Xia Bin sighed. Sales were a bit better, but because they had increased the discounts and had to cover a portion of the subsidy voucher costs, their gross margin had dropped. When all was said and done, the gross profit was still down year-over-year.

This was mainly because the other two Junxiao Square locations had already been running their promotions for days, capturing a significant portion of consumer spending.

By the time Wanhong Square launched its event, many customers had already made their purchases, so naturally, it was hard to get them to spend again.

This wasn’t Miao Lei’s fault. The general managers at Junxiao Square had carte blanche; headquarters would set the overall strategy, but a GM had the flexibility to make any adjustments they saw fit within their budget.

They could start or stop an initiative on a dime.

But Minghan Business Management Company was a different story. First off, they had no budget for it. Miao Lei had to move heaven and earth just to secure that two million.

And after he finally secured the funds, the approval process for the event was buried under layer after layer of red tape.

Each step of the process took several days. What a complete waste of time.

Xia Bin couldn’t talk about business right now; the topic just made him miserable.

Nowadays, he couldn’t even crack a smile when visiting his own stores. It felt like they weren’t selling merchandise, just peddling anxiety.

Miao Lei noticed this and decided to change the subject.

"Are you married, President Xia?"

Xia Bin’s face instantly turned ashen, as if he’d recalled something deeply unpleasant.

’That’s strange,’ Miao Lei thought. ’Could a guy like Xia Bin get dumped or cheated on? Why else would he have that expression?’

"Not married, but I have a fiancée."

He answered coolly, but his mind involuntarily flashed back to the image of Lin Ya straddling Chen Xiao.

His heart ached. ’Oh, Xiao Ya, Xiao Ya... you hurt me, and then just laughed it off.’

The second time he visited, she didn’t even see him out, making Lin Ping escort him away instead.

Miao Lei offered a compliment. "President Xia, you’re a distinguished man who’s built an incredible business. I’m sure your fiancée must be just as beautiful and exceptional!"

At this, Xia Bin felt a flicker of pride.

With her looks and her status, Lin Ya was definitely in a league of her own.

He rarely mentioned his fiancée to others. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but he was afraid of angering Lin Ya, as she had never actually acknowledged their engagement.

But his spirits had been low recently, and now that Miao Lei had brought up the subject...

...it was the one thing he could boast about, the one thing that could lift his spirits.

"My fiancée is Lin Ya, the Regional Director for Junxiao Square!"

Miao Lei sucked in a sharp breath.

He was genuinely shocked. ’President Lin is *his* fiancée?’

’I really didn’t see this coming. Lin Ya is so proud and aloof. Even if Xia Bin is successful, I’m not sure he’s worthy of her!’

Then another thought struck him. If Lin Ya was Xia Bin’s fiancée, why had Junxiao Business Management cleared out every single Four Seasons Clothing brand from its properties?

This had happened in the Hanjiang Region, which Lin Ya was in charge of—and it even included the Junxiao Square Second Store, which she managed personally!

He couldn’t wrap his head around it, but it wasn’t a question he could comfortably ask to Xia Bin’s face.

"President Lin is a powerhouse in the Hanjiang Business Community, not to mention a legendary beauty in the commercial real estate world. Everyone used to say no man was good enough for her!"

"I never would have guessed President Xia would be the one to win her over. A perfect match of talent and beauty. Congratulations!"

Xia Bin smiled smugly. "I usually keep it quiet. After all, she’s the landlord, and I’m the tenant. I’d rather not give people anything to gossip about."

Miao Lei replied, "Gossip? This is a fairytale! I wonder, when can I expect an invitation to the wedding banquet, President Xia?"

If what Xia Bin said was true, then that wedding was an unavoidable affair. Xu Jun had already tipped him off that he was slated to take over as general manager of the Junxiao Square Second Store.

Lin Ya was his superior.

Xia Bin said, "I still have to discuss it with her. Xiao Ya is just... very cold and hard to get close to. But that’s what I like about her. So pure and chaste."

-----------------

Lin Ya buried her head in the sofa. She’d already been exhausted for two straight hours.

This time, she had truly learned her boss’s prowess. She’d learned all about his long list of strengths and virtues.

Chen Xiao was like a god descended from the heavens. Another half an hour passed before Chen Xiao seemed to snap to his senses and say, "Almost there!"

Lin Ya silently counted to herself, then stood up to take a brief rest.