Finally catching a moment to breathe, she quietly walked to a corner of the conference room and sat down, her gaze following the man who seemed to radiate a natural brilliance.
Everyone present was a business tycoon, and Xia Yan dared not make a single mistake, handling everything with extra caution. It wasn’t until the meeting was declared over that her taut nerves began to relax. Lu Zhengting successfully secured the deal, but Xia Yan felt she had glimpsed another side of him.
In Beicheng, she had already admired his work style, and now she admired him even more. She could probably understand why his influence and status in Jiangcheng were enough to make most people tremble.
Sitting in the car, Xia Yan handed the organized documents to Lu Zhengting. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the fatigue on his face and furrowed her brow slightly.
“This is fine. Go back and think over the details of the collaboration.”
“Okay, Mr. Lu.” Xia Yan’s proper response made Lu Zhengting chuckle. The tense and oppressive atmosphere in the car instantly broke because of his laughter. Xia Yan stared at him, puzzled, and opened her mouth as if to speak.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting closed the documents, leaned back casually against the seat, crossed his arms over his chest, and asked lightly, “Don’t you have any questions?”
Xia Yan thought for a few seconds. “Mr. Lu, regarding me becoming your assistant, did someone make a mistake? Actually, I never received any notice from the HR department.”
“This matter doesn’t need to go through HR.”
“Why? Company personnel transfers...”
“Have you forgotten that I promised you a promotion before?”
“Promotion?” Xia Yan looked at Lu Zhengting’s serious face in disbelief, her mouth twitching. Promotion? How could he say that so earnestly?
“I think my previous position was fine. I could learn a lot. As for being your assistant, Mr. Lu, I really don’t think I’m up to it...”
Lu Zhengting glanced at Xia Yan, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “Whether you’re up to it is for me to decide.”
“Lu Zhengting! Can I refuse?”
“Of course you can refuse.”
“Then I...”
Before Xia Yan could finish, Lu Zhengting added leisurely, “Refusal denied.”
“...”
Wasn’t Lu Zhengting doing this on purpose?
Xia Yan frowned, extremely annoyed with Lu Zhengting. It seemed she had never won a battle against him.
At Lu’s Group, news of Xia Yan being transferred to be Lu Zhengting’s assistant spread quickly. By the time Ke Yaru got wind of it and tried to stop it, it was too late. She had been determined to push Xia Yan out of the company, but instead, Lu Zhengting wanted her close. Standing in her office, she couldn’t sit still, all because of Xia Yan!
A chill filled Ke Yaru’s office as she let out a cold laugh.
Besides Ke Yaru, Ye Yunchen’s mood was also extremely complicated. The rumors in the company were spiraling out of control, especially in the project department. Everyone knew he had failed in pursuing Xia Yan, and now that word of Xia Yan’s relationship with Lu Zhengting had spread, he had become a laughingstock.
Ye Yunchen’s spirits hit rock bottom. The woman he had silently loved for years had always seen him as just a friend, and Lu Zhengting’s arrival dealt him a heavy blow. Whether in terms of personal qualities or charisma, he seemed to come up short. The inferiority he had worked so hard to hide was now exposed, as if someone had stabbed it with a knife.
The break room had always been a favorite spot for women to gossip.
As soon as Coco stepped into the break room, she was surrounded by a group of women chattering away, peppering her with questions. Coco raised her voice, “I don’t know anything. Stop asking me.”
One woman, who usually got along well with Coco, pulled her aside and asked with a smile, “How could you not know? Didn’t Manager Ke ask you about Xia Yan last time? What’s the deal now? Does your department manager still have a chance?”
“I really don’t know. But you all know Xia Yan is now Mr. Lu’s assistant. Let’s not talk about this. If Xia Yan finds out, she might say something to Mr. Lu, and our jobs could be at risk.”
“Coco, that’s not like you. Aren’t you usually the biggest gossip?”
“Come on, let me put it this way. Do you really think a department manager can compete with the boss of a group?”
“Maybe it’s a matter of personal preference?”
“Pfft. Let me ask you this: if you had to choose between the two, who would you pick?”
“That’s a no-brainer. Mr. Lu, of course.”
“See? So it’s only natural that Manager Ye couldn’t win Xia Yan over.”
“Coco, I never expected Xia Yan to have anything to do with Mr. Lu.”
“Exactly. Otherwise, with her qualifications, how could she have gotten into the company? And why would Manager Ke be so upset?”
Xia Yan had just returned from outside with Lu Zhengting and only wanted to grab a coffee from the break room. She hadn’t expected to overhear such an interesting conversation. She cleared her throat, and Coco looked up to see Xia Yan standing at the door. Her expression shifted slightly, and she quickly put down her cup, forcing a smile before leaving the break room.
The others exchanged awkward glances. Xia Yan raised her hand, but before she could say a word, they all fled. She rolled her eyes at their retreating backs. Weren’t they having such a good time talking? Why were they all leaving now?
Standing alone on the break room balcony, Xia Yan held a warm cup of coffee. She took a small sip, and the bitter taste spread across her tongue, making her frown involuntarily. Ye Yunchen arrived at the break room just in time to see her back turned to him. He paused for a moment.
“Xia Yan.”
Hearing her name, Xia Yan turned around, surprised. “Brother Ye, when did you get here?”
“Just now,” Ye Yunchen said with a smile, stepping onto the balcony to stand beside her. He looked down at the ant-like figures below. The view was open, and in the distance, faint mountain peaks could be seen. He glanced at Xia Yan with deep affection before looking away.
Xia Yan lowered her head, lost in thought. She couldn’t ignore the company’s rumors. Thinking about it made her feel conflicted. Not being able to sort out her feelings for Lu Zhengting felt like a failure.
“Xia Yan, you and Mr. Lu?” Ye Yunchen hesitated for a long time before finally asking.
Hearing this, Xia Yan’s expression remained calm and unchanged. She took another sip of coffee, tasting the bitterness again. This time, she didn’t frown like before but seemed to have gotten used to it. After a pause, she looked up calmly at Ye Yunchen, who seemed to have more to say, and gave a faint smile.
“Mr. Lu and I do know each other.”
Ye Yunchen’s hand trembled as he asked softly, “What’s your relationship?”
“Just ordinary friends,” Xia Yan said casually, as if it weren’t a big deal. She paused for a moment before adding, “But the rumors in the company are more interesting than my knowing Mr. Lu. I don’t even know when I became his mistress.”
“If you’re just friends, why don’t you explain?”
Xia Yan chuckled lightly. “Why should I explain to people who don’t matter? Their mouths are their own, and I don’t have the right to control what they say, right?”
“Are you just going to let this continue?” Ye Yunchen said, somewhat angrily.
Xia Yan hadn’t wanted to talk about this, but a few simple words had made Ye Yunchen angry. She looked at him, surprised, and said, “What should I do? In this situation, any explanation I give is useless. Since it’s useless, why bother?”
“Alright, Brother Ye, I need to get back.”
“Back to Mr. Lu?”
As soon as Ye Yunchen said this, Xia Yan’s expression shifted slightly. She gave him an unreadable look, smiled faintly, and silently walked out of the break room.
Watching her leave, Ye Yunchen’s fingers clenched into a fist, unwilling to accept it. He knew Xia Yan well enough to understand that Lu Zhengting wasn’t as unimportant to her as she pretended.
Now transferred to be Lu Zhengting’s assistant, Xia Yan had her own small office. It wasn’t spacious, but it was quiet. Next door was Secretary Zhou’s office, and during work hours, she spent the most time communicating with him.
Xia Yan was buried in her work when the internal phone suddenly rang, startling her and making her heart race.
“Xia Yan, Mr. Lu wants you in his office.”
“Okay.”
Hanging up, Xia Yan immediately walked to Lu Zhengting’s office, knocked on the door, and paused when she heard the deep, sexy voice inside. She turned the handle and entered.
Lu Zhengting was a man who looked perfect in a suit—or rather, he was a natural clotheshorse. No matter what he wore, it highlighted his unique aura, an innate kingly presence. Even his seemingly lazy posture exuded an invisible pressure. Xia Yan blinked, unable to help marveling at how much heaven had favored Lu Zhengting, giving him not only handsome looks but also abilities, status, and position that many envied.
“Mr. Lu, did you need me for something?” Xia Yan’s rigid, formal attitude displeased Lu Zhengting, but after a moment’s thought, he let it slide.
“Come with me now to see your father’s belongings.”
Hearing this, Xia Yan frowned. “Isn’t it still work hours?”
“So?”
“Isn’t that a personal matter?”
Lu Zhengting stood up from his chair, grabbed his coat from the rack, glanced at Xia Yan, checked his watch, and walked past her. “Follow me.”
Seeing this, Xia Yan rolled her eyes but had no choice but to follow. When she caught Secretary Zhou’s意味深长的眼神, she felt uneasy. She was sure it wouldn’t take long for the news that Lu Zhengting had taken only her, his assistant, and not Secretary Zhou, to spread throughout the company.