The department head heaved a sigh of relief at An Chuchu's return, quickly wrapping up the meeting with some official remarks. He conveniently fabricated an excuse for her tardiness—claiming she'd been ill—and swapped seats with her.

The moment An Chuchu entered, her gaze locked onto the most captivating man in the room. Her breath hitched.

Wow... What kind of divine beauty is this?

Could he be the legendary young master kept by the enigmatic higher-ups?

She dismissed the idea—the Beijing headquarters' CEO couldn't possibly be such a young, stunning man. Scanning the room, she saw no other unusually handsome males.

"Everyone, I'm An Chuchu, the lead designer for this project. I sincerely apologize for my lateness."

This wasn't the time to ogle pretty faces—keeping her job was priority number one. An Chuchu swiftly straightened her posture, delivering a textbook corporate apology.

"Chuchu, this is our esteemed President Huo from Beijing headquarters, the executive CEO. And these are the attending directors. Please give your best."

"An Chuchu, our senior designer from the branch office and the creative mind behind the Taoyuan Project."

The department head finished the introductions with reverent bows before retreating to his seat.

"Hello, President Huo, distinguished directors from Beijing."

An Chuchu's jaw dropped. What?! This devastatingly handsome man wasn't some favored pet—he was actually President Huo?!

That commanding aura... truly unparalleled.

"You may begin," prompted a recorder from below, raising a hand slightly.

"Of course."

An Chuchu offered a polite nod, casually flicking her bangs aside—a seemingly unconscious gesture that immediately caught President Huo's attention.

His gaze, unfathomably deep, curled into a faint smile as he settled back in his chair.

Interesting little thing...

She'd been on his mind for two months—now she'd delivered herself to him. branch office employee, was she?

"What? We wasted half the meeting pacifying you over some no-name designer? Handing her the Taoyuan Project just because she managed a mid-level assignment? Does she think she can disregard superiors now?"

Huo Tianao's assistant, Pan Sen, bristled, itching to reprimand her—but Huo stayed his hand.

"No rush. Let's hear her out first." His voice, low and authoritative, silenced Pan instantly.

"Now, I'll present the pre-sale value projections for Taoyuan and the market viability of its design concept."

An Chuchu bowed politely, then deftly unzipped her bag to retrieve a marker.

She'd prepared meticulously for this project—could recite every detail in her sleep. With Beijing's heavyweights scrutinizing her, there was zero room for error.

Double the effort meant double the bonus for her design team this year.

And the child... that would mean extra expenses. She needed every penny she could earn.

Straightening her back, she placed the marker and documents on the projector, then picked up the pen to deliver the most important presentation of her career in Beijing.

"First, I'll introduce the garden layout for Taoyuan's visitor interface. It's divided into three sections, with the main area positioned southward to better—"

An Chuchu spoke with practiced ease, pointing at the divided sections on her blueprint.

Her words flowed smoothly, her concept clear and concise.

She launched into her explanation, unaware that the atmosphere had shifted the moment she turned on the projector.

The normally meticulous directors had all paused their pens... staring fixedly at the massive screen dominating the room. Their expressions were unreadable—but distinctly peculiar.

Especially President Huo, seated at the center, his eagle-sharp eyes suddenly furrowing into an inscrutable scowl.

"This section's design not only serves aesthetic purposes but also optimizes natural light intake for the rooms."

Above, An Chuchu continued her enthusiastic explanation.

The room remained silent. Assuming her presentation was simply that captivating, she doubled down on her analysis.

Her department head's face darkened with embarrassment. He couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Designer An!"

Department Head Huang shot to his feet, bowing repeatedly toward President Huo before striding to the front to interrupt her.

"What is it, Department Head Huang?"

An Chuchu blinked in surprise—such an important meeting, and she was being cut off by her own superior?

Huang didn't answer, instead shooting her a meaningful glance toward her hand.

"What's this you're holding?"

"Huh?" An Chuchu looked down—and in half a second, her face turned beet red.

Oh no.

They weren't looking at her design drawings at all.

Their eyes were glued to the giant screen... where her hand clutched a unmistakable object. pregnancy test stick.