Chapter 75

Since she had worn high heels all day to attend the event, Stella changed clothes and took a hot bath to relax after returning to the hotel. Just as she removed the face mask from her face, she received a phone call. "Hey, I've arranged for you to meet the person tomorrow night at the restaurant we used to frequent," said a woman with an accented voice on the other end of the line. Stella smiled and replied, "Caille, thank you. I'll—" "Stop right there. You're always so polite. Over the past few years, how many meals have I had at your expense? Helping you with a small favor doesn't need any thanks." Caille was half Chinese, with a Japanese father and a Chinese mother, but she had been living in the United States for many years. She was Stella's roommate and considered her best friend. After leaving behind a stifling environment, Stella made quite a few friends. Hearing Caille's response, Stella said, "Alright, if you ever need my help in the future, let me know." "Don't worry, I won't be shy about it." After a pause, Caille asked, "By the way, did you marry Aaron on this trip back home?" Stella hesitated for a moment. "I did get married, but not to him." "Wow," Caille replied in a teasing tone. "Still, congratulations on your marriage." Caille changed boyfriends frequently and didn't seem surprised that Stella had quickly married someone else. Knowing her friend's blessing was sincere, Stella smiled and said, "Thank you." After hanging up the phone, Stella dried her hair and casually opened SnapChat, only to realize that Ethan hadn't contacted her all day. Their conversation still lingered on the messages from the previous day: Stella: I ran into Aaron in the waiting lounge before boarding. Ethan: I know.Tell me when you get back. Nothing more was said. The more indifferent his attitude was, the more uneasy Stella felt. Both of them were busy with work during their business trips, and with the time difference, she didn't want to disturb him. Although she missed him and silently complained about his lack of messages, she didn't call him. Instead, she sent a "Goodnight" message and went to bed. The next day, Dorian finished the negotiations with CF, but CF did not give a direct answer. After the meeting with Dorian and handling work from back home, Stella went to a restaurant near the hotel in the evening. When she reached the reserved table, the person Caille had arranged for her to meet was already there. The person looked up and, with a surprised expression, said, "What a coincidence!" Stella looked at the somewhat familiar face and the distinctly different attire of the person in front of her and remained silent for a moment. She hadn't expected that the Chinese-American design director from CF was actually the boy she had met while traveling in Fiji. "Could it be that you've already forgotten about me? That's truly heartbreaking," Jasper said, looking somewhat disappointed. "I just didn't expect you to be the design director at CF," Stella replied with a smile, nodding as she sat down across from him. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ashford." "Oh? Do I look too young?" Jasper raised an eyebrow and said. Even in a formal suit, he couldn't hide his boyish charm, indeed appearing younger than his actual age. Stella nodded, acknowledging his comment. Jasper smiled, "You're close with Caille, so you should know about me. How about reconsidering me as a potential boyfriend?" CF was backed by the TER Group, and Jasper's father was a board member of TER Group. Stella understood that this newly appointed design director was likely to be promoted soon. Mr. Roberts, although the vice president of CF and a shareholder, still valued Jasper's input in selecting partners. Seeing her silence, Jasper added, "You know CF has been collaborating with Nakamura Bio for five years, which gives them an advantage over Lush Aura." It almost seemed like he was trying to entice her to change her mind. Stella shook her head and met his gaze. "Didn't Caille tell you that I am truly married?" Horizon Group had always had a solid partnership with the TER Group. If she wanted to use connections, she should have sought help from Ethan. However, whether it was exams during her student years or business negotiations, she preferred the sense of accomplishment from her own efforts. If Ethan helped her, it wouldn't feel the same. "Alright, it was just a joke." Jasper sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just regretful that a girl with such a connection to me is already married." "Mr. Ashford, since you already know why I'm here, I'll be straightforward." Stella sipped the water the waiter had just brought over. "I saw Mr. Ishida meet with you privately yesterday." Jasper looked at her and readily admitted, "Oh, he offered me a 5% discount. It does sound tempting." "Mr. Ishida is quite generous," Stella complimented him but said nothing more. After a moment of silence, Jasper smiled, "I thought you might offer me a better price." "Unfortunately, I can't do that." Nakamura Bio's integrated production line was more mature and had lower costs compared to Lush Aura. Engaging in a price war was not what Stella wanted to do. "You are quite interesting," Jasper said, finally getting a bit serious. "Don't worry, although Nakamura Bio has more advantages overall, CF will still fairly consider the cooperation partner for the next year." Stella nodded with a smile. "That's great." After all, Lush Aura was a new company. As long as they could compete fairly, even if they didn't secure CF's order in the end, she wouldn't be particularly disappointed.