For the newspaper that had taken the liberty of exposing his private affairs, Lu Zhengting's response was to have his people directly acquire the publication. Since the news broke, Xia Yan's position in the company hadn't been undermined; instead, it had risen—she was now seen as the future mistress of the Lu Group.
Ke Yaru heard these rumors from Coco and trembled with rage. Right in front of her secretary, she swept all the documents off her desk, clenched her fists, and slammed them furiously onto the surface. Xia Yan wanting to be the future mistress of Lu? That was nothing but a pipe dream!
The secretary stood silently by the desk, not daring to make a sound. Ke Yaru's expression was too ferocious, too terrifying. Holding her breath, she suddenly heard Ke Yaru roar, "Get out!"
Left alone in the office, she glanced at the scattered papers on the floor, her face twisted into a half-smile. She needed to stay calm and come up with a plan to deal with Xia Yan. She must not panic. Xia Yan couldn't beat her. She, Ke Yaru, had been at Lu Zhengting's side for years—she wouldn't lose to Xia Yan!
Besides Ke Yaru, Ye Yunchen was also in turmoil at the company. While reading the news, he was busy handling a contract for a sudden problem. The project looked perfect on the surface but hid flaws, and the company was heavily invested in it. He had reported the issue to the board but received no response.
Exhausted and mentally tangled, he walked out of his office. Before he could get far, he overheard whispers from his department.
"Did you see the news? Is Xia Yan going to be the company's boss's wife?" "Hard to say. Didn't you hear the CEO already bought that newspaper?" "What's there to doubt? Haven't you heard about the meeting last time? The design department manager cursed Xia Yan out, and guess what our CEO did?" "What?" "He went all out for her. I heard that manager doesn't dare scold her anymore now." "Really?" "Would I lie? Our manager was there too and saw the whole thing." "So, does our manager still have a chance with Xia Yan?" "Given the situation, I doubt it. With a man like the CEO as a comparison, our manager's just a supporting act. Besides, if Xia Yan liked him, she'd have accepted his advances by now, right?" "True, that makes sense." "Exactly. And Xia Yan—if she went with our manager, her status wouldn't change much. But if she chooses the CEO, she jumps straight to being the Lu boss's wife. What position is higher than that?" "With that logic, and considering how she acts all aloof, maybe she's secretly a seductress..."
Ye Yunchen suddenly cleared his throat. The two turned to see him, their faces filled with fear. His cold, furious glare fixed on them as he said icily, "If you don't want to work, leave!"
At that, they exchanged glances and quickly returned to their posts. Ye Yunchen shot them a dark look, then turned back to his office, not emerging for the rest of the day.
Xia Yan, meanwhile, couldn't go anywhere without feeling her colleagues' strange stares. Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, she handed her documents to Secretary Zhou and returned to her office, thinking for a long time before making a decision.
In the chairman's office, Lu Zhengting scanned the upright bodyguard, listening casually to his report. He frowned slightly. "The people tailing Xia Yan were arranged by Xia Minghui?" "Yes. Another group is private detectives hired by a woman named Lin Xujia to track Xia Yan, mainly reporting her whereabouts." "Xia Minghui?" "Her father seems to have only arranged surveillance. No specific motive has been found yet." "Keep investigating. Any news from Beicheng?" "Not yet."
Lu Zhengting sat in his black leather chair, spinning a pen with his slender fingers, his brow furrowed in thought. Hearing footsteps outside, he looked up as a crisp knock sounded. "Come in," he said calmly.
Xia Yan entered, startled to see someone else in the office. "Mr. Lu, I'll come back later." "It's fine," Lu Zhengting said nonchalantly. The standing man then moved and left the office on his own.
The room fell so silent that a pin drop could be heard. Xia Yan stood frozen for a long moment, feeling his gaze on her. She moved her hands from her sides to the front, her long fingers intertwining and then separating.
Lu Zhengting watched her hesitant demeanor and said flatly, "Speak your mind."
Taking a deep breath, Xia Yan stepped forward, standing tall and meeting his eyes. "Mr. Lu, I've been reflecting, and I don't think I'm fit to be your assistant. I hope you can transfer me to another department." "Not fit?" "Yes, not fit."
The spinning pen stopped abruptly. Lu Zhengting's deep, piercing gaze locked onto Xia Yan like a poisoned arrow. Her heart skipped a beat, and she shifted her eyes slightly toward the window.
"I want the real reason," he said coldly, his voice sending a chill down her spine.
Xia Yan stared as he suddenly rose from his chair, adjusting his sleeves as he walked toward her. She instinctively stepped back. The closer he got, the more she retreated. He wanted the real reason?
Lu Zhengting pressed forward until Xia Yan had no room to escape. She quickly raised a hand to block him, speaking rapidly. "Fine, the real reason is that the rumors in the company are getting out of hand, seriously affecting my work enthusiasm. The best way to stop these baseless rumors is for you to personally order my transfer to another department. That would silence everyone and halt the spread of gossip." "What are the rumors about?" "Huh?" "What are they spreading?"
Xia Yan rolled her eyes and explained reluctantly, "They've misunderstood my relationship with you, thinking we're lovers. I've thought it over—the company doesn't allow office romances, and since our relationship isn't what they claim, I sincerely hope you'll transfer me to prove we're innocent." She finished in one breath, watching his contemplative expression, feeling hopeful.
Lu Zhengting glanced at her and suddenly said, "They're not mistaken." "Not mistaken?"
He didn't answer, just casually walked closer. Xia Yan had backed herself into a corner, her back pressed against the cold wall, her heart racing. She blinked, staring at the man who now caged her with his arms.
"You, you, you..." "Xia Yan, they're not mistaken," Lu Zhengting said seriously, enunciating each word. "Not, not mistaken? What do you mean?" "Don't you know I'm pursuing you?" "Pursuing? Me?" Xia Yan's voice rose in disbelief. "Of course, I'm pursuing you." "Mr. Lu, this joke isn't funny. Let's get back to business." "Xia Yan, I'm serious." "I'm serious too," she said quietly, lacking confidence. Her mind was in chaos, and she was genuinely shocked. Lu Zhengting claimed he was pursuing her? It felt absurd because she'd never seen him pursue anyone like this.
Now, her only thought was to escape. She couldn't think straight around him. She glanced around, looking for an opening to slip away, but he saw through her and stepped closer, trapping her in his embrace.
"I'm pursuing you." "But I can't tell at all!" she shot back without thinking, only realizing the consequences when his expression shifted. That was her inner thought—how could she say it out loud, especially to him? "Do you prefer Ye Yunchen's way of pursuing?" "Huh? What?"
His mention of Ye Yunchen confused her. She remembered that Ye's pursuit of her was company-wide knowledge, so it made sense he knew. But bringing it up now felt off.
Lu Zhengting smirked, pulling her waist forward with one hand. She bumped into his chest and used the chance to bury her head, avoiding his eyes. She spotted a chance to escape.
"I understand."
His light words made her heart leap to her throat. What did he understand? Speaking so cryptically. Taking a quick breath, she stomped hard on his foot.
As he was distracted, she ducked under his arm and bolted for the door without looking back. She ran all the way to her office, gasping for air.