194: Chapter 194 Exclusive Service

Jiang Chen watched her quietly, his eyes warm and gentle, waiting for her to slowly voice the words in her heart.

"Do you remember, a month ago, the day I came to Chenxing Capital to deliver your black card?"

Lu Manqi's voice slowed down, carrying the characteristic softness of a memory, as if she were flipping through a private ledger that belonged only to her.

"Jiangcheng Bank's black card upgrades are supposed to be handled by the Bank President personally according to the rules. The top-tier clients in all of Jiangcheng who are qualified for a black card can be counted on one hand, and it's always been the high-level management who interfaces with them. It just so happened that the Bank President was away on a business trip at that time, and after some scheduling, the task finally fell to me."

Her gaze fell upon his brow, as if piercing through the morning light to look back at the moment they first met.

"To be honest, I was a bit reluctant at the time. It was a Friday afternoon, and I had already made plans with my best friend to go to a newly opened Japanese restaurant after work, but then a work order was suddenly assigned, and the date was ruined."

"When I arrived at your company's building with the materials, all I wanted was to finish the process quickly—get it done in fifteen minutes so I could still make it for the first round of dinner service."

Speaking of this, the corners of her lips curved into a faint arc, carrying a bit of self-deprecation and the light of a rekindled memory.

"Then I went upstairs. The receptionist led me into your office, and I saw you at a glance."

"A dark grey bespoke suit, no tie, with two buttons undone at the collar, looking lazy yet possessing an innate presence. You were flipping through an M&A document, never looking away the whole time, yet the entire atmosphere of the office seemed to revolve around you."

"I've worked at the bank for three years and seen so many people—nouveau riche covered in logos, old money families who are low-key to the core. I thought my judgment of people was steady enough. But the moment I saw you, my heart started racing so fast it felt ridiculous even to me."

Jiang Chen's brow twitched slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

"Later, I brought in the tea, placed the materials on the desk, and followed the procedure. You sat across from me and only said three things the whole time—'Thank you for your trouble,' 'Put it there,' and 'Thanks.'"

"Only seven words in total, and you didn't even look me in the eye from start to finish."

Lu Manqi held up three fingers, counting them off for him one by one. Her tone sounded like an accusation, but her eyes were full of smiles.

"But it was those seven words, that one look, that made me say something to myself in my heart."

"What words?" Jiang Chen asked softly.

"This man, I must win him over."

Jiang Chen let out a low laugh. "So when you were processing the card, you intentionally dragged it out for over twenty minutes?"

"How did you know?"

Lu Manqi was stunned for a moment, then she realized. Her face turned slightly red, but she quickly lifted her chin with righteous indignation.

"Fine, you saw through it. I won't deny it. That process—identity verification, signing, system entry—I could have done it in ten minutes with my eyes closed, but I dawdled on purpose."

"I refreshed the review page three times, changed pens twice, and even purposely took a detour to your pantry after finishing, just to see you one more time. As it turned out, you were staring at your phone the whole time and didn't even look up when I handed the card to you."

"I saw you."

Jiang Chen's voice was calm, but it held a trace of light seriousness.

Lu Manqi froze.

"A navy blue slim-fit suit skirt, a white silk shirt, and a small silver brooch with diamond chips pinned to the left collar."

His gaze slowly swept over her face, as if replaying a long-stored video.

"When you brought the tea in, you placed two extra napkins under the coaster—those aren't standard for your bank; you brought them yourself."

Lu Manqi's breath hitched.

He remembered.

He didn't just remember what she wore; he even remembered such tiny details.

"You..." She opened her mouth, her voice a bit dry. "Weren't you looking at your phone the whole time?"

"Peripheral vision was enough." Jiang Chen's tone was very light, as if he were talking about something insignificant, but the curve of his lips betrayed him.

Lu Manqi looked at him, her eyes suddenly stinging a bit, yet she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder and said muffledly, "Jiang Chen, you are truly annoying."

"How am I annoying?"

"You make me feel like my carefully hidden thoughts have been exposed to you from the very beginning."

Jiang Chen laughed, reached out to rub the back of her head, and said nothing.

After a while, Lu Manqi lifted her head from his shoulder. Her eyes still held a hint of moisture, but her smile had brightened again, shining with the kind of peace and satisfaction that comes after getting what one wished for.

"So you see," she regained her spirited, confident attitude, crossing her arms over his chest and resting her chin on the back of her hands as she looked down at him.

"From the day I delivered that card, I was already laying the groundwork. After I went back, I took the initiative to apply to the bank to have Chenxing Capital placed on my core client list."

"I took over all of your company's corporate business and the private banking services for your executives. From then on, I knew every large transaction, payday, wealth management maturity, and large-scale redemption better than any other account manager in the bank."

"I even created opportunities to meet you, like at the gym, at the school... step by step, I finally secured you, my core client, once and for all."

"Secured?"

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "That's quite the professional choice of words."

"I did secure you."

She didn't back down, her eyes shining brilliantly.

"Jiangcheng Bank's youngest Senior VIP Account Manager, ordered to deliver a card, unexpectedly locked onto a top-tier target, took the initiative to connect, cultivated the relationship, followed up with precision, and finally reached a deep, exclusive partnership."

"Does President Jiang think this summary is professional enough?"

Jiang Chen looked at her acting as if she were giving a work report and finally couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

He reached out to cup the back of her head and gently pulled her down until their foreheads and noses touched, his voice low and husky.

"Manager Lu, that's a good summary. But finalizing the cooperation is only the first step. There's something you'd better get used to in advance."

"What is it?"

"Since it's a deep, exclusive partnership," his thumb gently stroked the back of her neck, "from now on, you have to be on call."

Lu Manqi's eyelashes fluttered, but the smile on her lips didn't budge.

"No problem."

She answered crisply, her tone as relaxed as if she were agreeing to a business meeting.

"Rest assured, President Jiang, a VIP Account Manager from Jiangcheng Bank has top-tier response speed for core clients. As long as it's your call, I'm online twenty-four hours a day. On-site service is also on standby at any time."

Jiang Chen looked at her lively and cunning appearance. The smile in his eyes gradually deepened, taking on a different meaning.

He cupped the back of her head again and pressed her toward him.

With their foreheads pressed together and noses touching, his husky voice, wrapped in warm breath, brushed against her face. "Manager Lu, since you took the initiative to choose this path, you have to remember some rules in advance. For example..."

"For example, what?"

"For example, don't go rubbing yourself all over a client first thing in the morning."

Lu Manqi looked down at her current posture.

She was sprawled over his chest, the thin quilt having already slipped to her waist, and the faint red marks on her collarbone and shoulders were clearly visible in the morning light.

Her cheeks instantly turned burning hot, but she didn't retreat; instead, she lowered her head and lightly placed a kiss on his lips.

"President Jiang, this isn't called rubbing around." Her lips were pressed against his, their breaths intertwining, her voice as light as a feather landing. "This is a customized morning service for exclusive VIP clients."

Jiang Chen's gaze darkened.

The hand cupping her head didn't loosen, and his other hand reached under the quilt, firmly grasping her waist with a force that wouldn't allow for escape.

"Since you're awake," his voice was deep and husky, carrying an ambiguous signal, "shouldn't we re-confirm last night's terms of cooperation?"

Lu Manqi's long lashes trembled violently, and her ears turned red enough to bleed, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled and soft, yet her tone was light. "...Then let's confirm them one more time."

The golden morning light from the gap in the curtains moved a few more inches, falling from the edge of the bed to the carpet, slowly climbing up the crooked high heel by the bedside.

The birdsong outside had stopped at some point, replaced by the faint sound of distant traffic.

The city was fully awake.

But the two people on the bed clearly had no intention of getting up.