Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets Chapter 582: Provoking “Misfortune”

At 6:00 a.m., the alarm clock rang punctually.

Yao Lingling stretched out a hand from under the covers, skillfully turned off the reminder on her phone screen,

and muttered to herself, “Time to get up~”

She rubbed her eyes and pulled back the quilt to sit up.

The deep autumn air carried a distinct chill that made the exposed skin on her body break out into tiny goosebumps.

She instinctively tugged at the collar of her pajamas, shivered, and the lingering drowsiness was completely driven away by the cold.

Quickly unlocking her phone, her fingers deftly swiped across the screen.

She searched, confirmed, and then opened the pinned WeChat chat window.

On the screen, the cursor danced lightly.

After sending the message, she put down the phone, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of her lips.

When something becomes a habit, it gradually becomes a kind of emotional support, always feeling that this way, she gets a little closer to him.

Besides, Tang Song would reply every day, chatting with her for a while.

She changed into workout clothes, went to the living room, and turned on the ceiling light.

Yao Lingling laid out her yoga mat, set up her tablet opposite her, and opened the saved “Advanced Glute and Leg Training Course.”

Single-leg Romanian deadlifts, resistance band squat sprints, weighted glute bridges, high knees followed by burpees...

In the living room, only the increasingly rapid sound of her breathing and the dull thuds of her body hitting the floor remained.

Sweat quickly soaked the wisps of hair on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks. The aching soreness in her muscles and the burning sensation of sweat made her grit her teeth, yet she felt an exhilarating satisfaction.

After finishing her workout, she took a shower.

Back in her bedroom, she walked briskly to her desk and picked up a clothing design sketch.

Looking at the sleek lines and rich details of the jacket on the paper, her eyes lit up brilliantly.

This was her first piece at Songmei Apparel, finally completed.

After a long period of accumulation and trial, plus the infusion of a vibrant, lively inspiration moodboard she saw on Wen Ruan that day,

she finally found what she had been searching for all along: a kind of sleekness, freedom, and urban female power — a “soul.”

She had spent nearly the entire weekend holed up, immersed in the world of creation, and at last finished the final work.

This was not only her first design at Songmei Apparel but also her very first “signature” as a designer in a true sense.

From integrating inspiration, confirming the core elements of the collection, hand-drawing sketches, selecting fabrics and accessories, to the final pattern making, every step was done independently by her.

She was filled with unprecedented confidence in her work.

“Ding dong—” the WeChat notification sound rang.

Yao Lingling picked up her charging phone and immediately smiled brightly.

[Tang Song: “I’ve already changed according to your outfit advice. No wonder you’re a professional fashion designer, awesome.”]

[Tang Song: selfie.jpg]

Opening the photo, Yao Lingling blushed and her heart raced looking at Tang Song’s handsome face, his eyes shining like stars.

Her cheeks involuntarily flushed as her fingers flew quickly over the screen.

She replied, “Wow, senior, you’re so handsome, super elite style, haha.”

[Tang Song: Look at yours (sticker)]

Yao Lingling bit her lip, hurriedly opened the wardrobe, grabbed a thicker bra, then a pair of hip-lifting pants, and quickly changed.

She stood in front of the mirror and smiled to herself.

Her efforts had not been in vain — her waist-to-hip ratio was now nearly perfect. Wearing tighter pants, she would attract many glances on the street,

and even inside Yunxi Building, she was occasionally approached by admirers.

She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, adjusted the angle, and confidently took a full-body photo to share.

After waiting a moment,

“Buzz buzz buzz—”

[Tang Song: (Like) Not bad, your figure is really good, training marks are clear, it’s obvious your core strength is stable. Keep it up.]

Yao Lingling’s lips curved into a big smile. She replied, “I feel like I’ve hit a plateau. Senior, you’re a fitness expert now, can you give me some tips when you have time?”

[Tang Song: “No problem, once I get back to Yancheng.”]

Yao Lingling instantly felt a burst of sweetness.

Then her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the design sketch on the desk, a daring thought quietly rising.

Biting her lip, she slowly typed: “By the way, senior, my first piece is done and will enter sample production today. It will definitely be on sale before Double Ten. This is my *heart and soul* work; if it sells well, shouldn’t the boss give me a reward? (#wink)”

[Tang Song: “So soon? Impressive. You’re our company’s only designer, and this is Songmei Apparel’s first truly meaningful piece. If the initial GMV for this jacket exceeds 2 million yuan, I’ll double your performance bonus and year-end bonus!”]

A single item breaking 2 million yuan GMV is definitely a huge hit at Songmei Apparel.

Yao Lingling’s performance was linked to commissions and included tiered bonuses for hit products, and the year-end bonus was at least three months’ salary.

This doubling meant a substantial salary increase, enough for her to buy a decent car.

After struggling for a moment, Yao Lingling mustered her courage and replied: “(#playful) Forget the money, so my coworkers don’t get jealous. How about this, senior: if the GMV can break 4 million, will you fulfill a wish for me?”

“Buzz buzz—”

[Tang Song: “Looks like Lingling’s confident. Sure, no problem!”]

Yao Lingling took a deep breath, her eyes shining brilliantly.

She was indeed confident. As a professional fashion designer, she had a deep understanding of the market and knew how excellent her jacket was.

Most importantly, Double Eleven shopping festival was coming soon, and with He Yiyi’s rising popularity,

she was confident in creating a blockbuster hit.

As for that wish...

Yao Lingling bit her lip, a shy blush rising on her face.

...

8:10 a.m.

Yunxi Building, Songmei Apparel.

“Morning, Brother Zhang.”

“Morning.”

Yao Lingling carried her tote bag, walking into the office with light steps.

The morning office area felt somewhat quiet, with only a few scattered figures busy at their desks.

Soon after, a sexy silhouette came into view.

A white tight-fitting base shirt paired with high-waist jeans perfectly outlined her graceful curves, making her stand out.

A bright smile blossomed on Yao Lingling’s face. “Qiuqiu, good morning!”

Hearing the greeting, Cheng Qiuqiu stopped and turned around, a hint of softness appearing on her usually cold face. “Lingling, morning.”

Before she finished speaking, Yao Lingling, like an enthusiastic little bird, cheerfully flew over and gave her a tight hug.

“Two days without seeing you, I missed you so much! Wow, you smell so good.”

Cheng Qiuqiu stiffened slightly, her expression a bit unnatural.

She still wasn’t used to such intimate physical contact.

Of course, there was one exception.

After a brief chat, Yao Lingling pulled her to get coffee and discuss recent design issues.

Back at her desk, Cheng Qiuqiu sipped the warm coffee quietly, but a subtle and almost undetectable trace of longing flickered in her eyes.

She hadn’t seen Tang Song for several days now.

The scenes from the Bamboo Stream community kept uncontrollably flooding her mind, stirring strange ripples in her heart.

Even though she knew about his relationship with the senior, she couldn’t help but want to be near him, to miss him.

She sighed softly, opened her computer, and poured her chaotic thoughts into work.

Tang Song’s “Brand Cultivation” plan on Xiaohongshu was still heating up, with the next phase being “Brand Express Packaging Selection.”

She had completed three sets of packaging designs with different styles and now needed to organize them into beautiful images for Tang Song to post on Xiaohongshu notes.

This cultivation series was currently very popular, with enthusiastic discussions under every post.

During work breaks, she habitually opened the “April” fan group, intensely lurking and occasionally replying.

The group owner “Su Yu’s April” was also very active, tirelessly campaigning for her choices.

Cheng Qiuqiu had chatted many times with her and clearly felt that she was a hardcore “April” fan who knew Su Yu very well.

This gave her a sense of kinship; the two had now added each other on WeChat and often communicated.

She was one of her few internet friends.

“Buzz buzz buzz—” her phone suddenly vibrated.

[Mom]

Cheng Qiuqiu’s previously relaxed brows twitched instinctively.

After hesitating for a moment, she held her phone and walked to a corner by the window.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the answer button.

“Hey, Qiuqiu, what are you busy with?” On the other end, her mother Li Meihua’s thick Sichuan accent sounded.

“Working.” Cheng Qiuqiu’s voice was as cold as ever, emotionless.

“Oh, have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

Li Meihua asked a few questions about her health and workload.

Cheng Qiuqiu replied briefly and calmly, almost indifferently.

“You’re busy with work, but I’m free lately and want to go live in Yancheng for a while to take good care of you, alright?”

“Don’t come!”

After a brief silence, Li Meihua’s tone suddenly became probing, “I’m asking you, Qiuqiu, honestly tell me, do you have a boyfriend?”

Cheng Qiuqiu’s fingertips tightened on the phone; her heart felt a sharp stab.

“No.” Her voice was cold. “Who told you? Brother Junfeng?”

“Oh, no one told me! It’s just that I keep having this dream these days, and you won’t let me go to Yancheng, so I’m guessing.” Li Meihua’s tone suddenly turned urgent. “I’m telling you, Qiuqiu, you’re alone out there, keep your eyes open, got it?”

Cheng Qiuqiu’s expression darkened, silent.

The voice on the other end became more urgent, like a rapid-fire barrage: “There are many scheming guys out there! You’re innocent and look good, don’t get fooled! Especially those who sweet-talk you, full of bad intentions.”

“Mind your own business!”

“What?!” Li Meihua’s voice sharpened. “What kind of attitude is that? I’m your mom! If I don’t care about you, then who will? I worked so hard to raise you—”

“Beep beep—”

Cheng Qiuqiu hung up directly, her hand holding the phone trembling slightly.

Her face was pale, her chest heaving violently.

It was always like this! Always like this!

Her psychological and physical problems were not only caused by her mother-in-law’s death; this so-called mother also inflicted indelible psychological wounds.

From childhood to adulthood, she barely cared about her but constantly interrogated, scrutinized, and criticized her under the pretext of “for your own good.”

Since she went to university, although her mother seemed to have changed a lot, her controlling nature had never truly disappeared.

Above her head, the [Dream Blooming Seed] emitted a rich green light, shaking violently.

...

Yangcheng.

The crowded subway Line 1 slowly stopped at Nongjiang Station, the doors opened.

Zhang Yan tightly hugged her backpack to her chest like an inconspicuous water droplet, merging into the surging crowd and being pushed out of the carriage with the flow.

After wandering around the station for a while, she exited and was greeted by the city’s unique hustle and bustle, mixed with exhaust fumes and food aromas.

She walked north for about five or six minutes and finally arrived at the Huiming Building, where her company was located.

Every morning, she spent more than 40 minutes commuting.

The building was an ordinary office tower, appearing somewhat outdated amid the surrounding skyscrapers.

Shucheng Technology was on the 7th floor, occupying just over 300 square meters.

The most eye-catching feature inside was a partition bookshelf neatly stacked with books the company had published or promoted in recent years.

On one side of the shelf was the boss’s closed office door; on the other side was a cramped open office area divided by low partitions.

Zhang Yan walked to her workstation, took a cloth from her drawer, carefully wiped the desktop, and watered the stubborn green philodendron in the corner.

Only then did she begin working with her head down.

At 10 a.m., the office was filled with the sound of keyboards clicking in succession.

A short and chubby figure hurried out from the boss’s office and stopped by her desk.

“Zhang Yan,” the slick voice of leader Bai Rui sounded, “how’s the draft for the recommendation of ‘Whale Fall Sea’? The channels are waiting anxiously.”

Zhang Yan’s shoulders instinctively hunched; she quickly switched the document window to the front. “I’m adjusting the last few paragraphs of the ending. It’ll be done soon.”

The company had few copy editors, and everyone was overloaded with complicated tasks.

She had just returned from a business trip a few days ago, and this draft was finished by sacrificing her entire weekend, working overtime.

“Okay, good. Submit it to the backend first, and I’ll pre-review it.”

Looking at Bai Rui’s round face, Zhang Yan hesitated, “Brother Bai...”

Lulu had gone for an interview this morning and specially asked her to find an opportunity to ask the leader when last week’s business trip expenses would be reimbursed.

Since it was already the end of the month, if they couldn’t submit the receipts in the next two days, the reimbursement would be delayed until the month after next.

By then... maybe the company would be bankrupt.

“What’s up?” Bai Rui’s gaze swept over, impatience showing in his brows.

Zhang Yan’s fingers rubbed tightly under the desk, her voice unconsciously lowering, “It’s about Lulu’s and my business trip last week.”

“Oh, that.” Bai Rui immediately interrupted, waving it off. “The draft from your trip isn’t urgent. Just give it to me by the 3rd of next month.”

After speaking, he turned and walked out without looking back.

Zhang Yan’s lips parted, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes, but she said nothing more and continued working with her head down.

Near noon,

Zhang Yan had just come out of the bathroom when she saw Lulu hurrying over from the elevator.

“Lulu, how did it go over there?”

“Come, let’s talk over there.” Lulu grabbed her arm and pulled her into the smoke-filled stairwell without asking.

Leaning against the wall, Lulu’s eyes gleamed excitedly, and her tone was full of longing. “The office environment at Xingyun International Group is amazing! It’s a totally different world from here! The interviewer was super nice, smiling the whole time, very polite, no airs at all...”

Zhang Yan listened quietly, not interrupting her friend’s excitement.

“But...” Lulu’s enthusiasm waned slightly, and her tone became a little discouraged, “The competition is fierce. There were four people in my batch; everyone seemed stronger than me, even a 985 top graduate. I guess I don’t have much hope.”

“It’s okay,” Zhang Yan comforted softly, “just having the chance to interview is already great.”

Lulu nodded, then looked at her. “Zhang Yan, what about you? Any plans?”

Small companies like Shucheng Technology had very low risk resistance and no irreplaceable core business.

The entire book publishing and sales industry was increasingly bleak, and the company’s decline was visible to the naked eye. The atmosphere in the office was unstable; everyone was preparing early for themselves.

Zhang Yan pressed her dry lips together, leaning against the wall like Lulu, lowering her head. “I... haven’t decided yet.”

“You should decide sooner rather than later. Actually, I think finding a reliable boyfriend and staying in Yangcheng isn’t bad, especially since Auntie is here too.” Lulu paused, then suddenly leaned in gossiping, “Honestly, Zhang Yan, I’ve been wanting to ask, do you like someone?”

Zhang Yan’s gaze obviously flickered, her cheeks reddened quickly, and she hurriedly shook her head, “No...”

“Haha, I knew it!” Lulu teased. “Look, your WeChat and Weibo nicknames are both ‘Breathing in a Smile.’ It’s obviously from Dickens’ line — ‘Only in your smile do I breathe.’ So tell me, whose ‘smile’ is it?!”

Zhang Yan was embarrassed, “It’s... it’s just a random name.”

“Alright, I believe you.” Lulu linked arms with her. “Come on, let’s go eat. Lunch is on me today! You won’t believe it, the Hong Kong stock market soared today, the fund I bought jumped hundreds of yuan in a flash! The comments say it’s due to some major billion-dollar good news...”

Lulu kept babbling about her fund and the stock market beside her.

Zhang Yan’s thoughts had already drifted far away.

She had been in Yangcheng for more than two years and was already 26 this year.

So, where should she go next?

Her mother was doing well in Yangcheng, had formed a new family, had a new daughter, and a stable life, so she didn’t want to interfere much.

Returning to her hometown Dongzhang Village was definitely inconvenient.

Her stepmother’s younger brother had grown up, and the room that once belonged to her no longer existed.

Though her aunt’s family moved to the county seat, that was only a temporary place for her to stay; once grown, she should leave.

The world was vast, and Huaxia