"You..."
Su Banxia was momentarily furious. "The company's issue is my problem alone, Pei Shaoze. Why are you dragging my friend into this?"
Pei Shaoze was unperturbed. "You and Fang Shiqing are close friends. You stole company secrets—how can I be sure she isn't the same kind of menace to the company?"
"You..."
Su Banxia wanted to argue, but then thought that if she kept this up, she wouldn't get anywhere good. Instead, she might actually end up dragging Fang Shiqing into trouble.
So she simply looked at Pei Shaoze and said, "President Pei, what do you want me to do?"
Pei Shaoze raised an eyebrow. Catching on so quickly?
"Stay on as my personal secretary and remain at Dingsheng."
Just that?
Su Banxia looked at him. "Aren't you afraid I'll leak company stuff to Lin Tongze again?"
Pei Shaoze sneered. "That depends on whether you have the ability to."
Su Banxia: "..."
Seeing her subdued, Pei Shaoze tossed the towel in his hand to her and spat out a few words, "Come dry my hair!"
Su Banxia was speechless.
She muttered under her breath at his tall back, *Don't you have hands?*
Cursing inwardly, she still obediently followed behind him.
Pei Shaoze sat on the bed like some emperor. Su Banxia found a spot beside him, hung her head, and took the towel to dry his hair.
Reluctant as she was, she had no sense of how hard she was applying the pressure.
Pei Shaoze hated her distracted state. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, looking at her with furrowed brows. "Are you weeding?"
Su Banxia froze, pushing at him slightly. "You told me to dry it!"
Holding her close, Pei Shaoze didn't intend to let her continue. Instead, he looked at her and asked, "Whose children are those two?"
The shift in thought was too abrupt.
Su Banxia barely had time to react.
Caught off guard by the question, she suddenly shoved him away, looking at him warily. "What children?"
Pei Shaoze had been watching her reaction closely. Her overly intense response only confirmed his suspicions.
He paused, then the corner of his mouth lifted. "During my trip to France, I happened to hear that you got pregnant back in the country and still aren't married. I'm curious—who's the father of those two kids?"
Su Banxia had overlooked this. She'd spent six years in France, always close to Lin Tongze. If Pei Shaoze had paid attention during his investigation in France, finding out about her situation wouldn't have been hard.
She'd been so focused on Pei Shaoze investigating Lin Tongze that she forgot about her own circumstances.
Suppressing her panic, she looked at Pei Shaoze with a serious expression. "Are you very curious about my two children?"
"Of course!"
Pei Shaoze paused, then added, "I remember that night six years ago—you were drunk, and I don't think I took any precautions."
His suspicion about her children had started when the company network was attacked.
But he'd never quite understood what Su Banxia was thinking.
Now, with this test, some of his confusion cleared up.
Still, he wasn't certain.
Su Banxia couldn't let him harbor that doubt. So, with a smile, she deliberately pressed her body closer to Pei Shaoze.
Then, she leaned in and kissed him directly.
Whispering in his ear, she said, "Pei Shaoze, isn't it boring to discuss such useless topics at a time like this?"
Pei Shaoze's handsome brow furrowed slightly.
Her slender frame pressed him onto the bed. Her technique was clumsy—sometimes biting his lips, sometimes trying to catch his tongue.
Inexperience made it all the more provocative.
Pei Shaoze knew exactly what she was trying to achieve with this initiative.
But as a man, he had no reason to refuse.
So he flipped over and pinned her beneath him.
That night, passion was inevitable.
The next day.
In the CEO's office.
Su Banxia walked in to see Pei Shaoze sitting at his desk reviewing documents, his handsome face stern and focused.
Seeing him like that, she couldn't help recalling what had happened in the bedroom that morning.
Sure enough, after certain things happen between people, working together smoothly isn't so easy on the mind.
She stared at him too long.
Pei Shaoze noticed, looked up, and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
Su Banxia snapped out of it and quickly shook her head. "Nothing."
Then she went to her own desk.
Neither spoke, breaking the silence.
After a while, Su Banxia's phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the caller ID—it was Ye Hengtian.
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped out to answer.
"President Ye, what can I do for you?"
"Lan'er wants to have dinner with President Pei tonight, Miss Su. You know what to do, right?"
No, I don't!
Su Banxia wanted to throw those three words at him.
But she'd agreed to his terms—she couldn't back out now.
Taking a breath, she said, "Alright, President Ye. Send me the address."
Ye Hengtian grunted and continued, "Li Yi should be free tonight."
He dropped that cryptic line and hung up.
Su Banxia was stunned for a moment.
Then she understood his meaning.
After ending the call with Ye Hengtian, she returned to the office. Pei Shaoze's dark eyes were fixed on her.
He didn't speak, just watched.
His gaze made her skin crawl. She forced a smile. "President Pei, do you have plans tonight?"
"Hmm?"
Pei Shaoze raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
Su Banxia chuckled dryly. "Want to grab dinner together? I... I'd like to invite you."
Pei Shaoze was surprised.
Her taking the initiative to ask him to dinner was rare, but it pleased him.
He kept his face stern. "Alright, I can do that."
Seeing his agreement, Su Banxia breathed a sigh of relief.
...
That evening.
Su Banxia told Pei Shaoze the dinner address and left the company.
Once outside, she called CBE's vice president, Li Yi.
The phone rang twice before it was answered.
A deep, serious male voice said, "Hello?"
Recognizing Li Yi's voice, Su Banxia deliberately softened her tone. "President Li, do you remember me?"
She needed that contract signed—otherwise, her late-night trip to the club yesterday would have been a waste.
On the other end, hearing Su Banxia's voice, Li Yi paused, then smirked lecherously. "Miss Su! You finally called!"
Su Banxia gave a professional smile. "President Li, what are you saying? I didn't want to disturb your work. Do you have time tonight? Could I invite you to dinner?"
Hearing her soft voice, Li Yi couldn't help recalling Su Banxia's graceful figure from the night before.
His interest stirred, and he rasped into the phone, "If Miss Su is inviting, I'd make time even for the most important matters."
Heh.
Su Banxia forced a laugh. "Then it's settled, President Li. You'll join me for dinner tonight!"
With that, the invitation was set.
Su Banxia felt a little relieved, but getting Li Yi to sign the contract so easily wouldn't be possible.
Worried about complications, she called Ye Hengtian again.
The phone rang a few times before it was answered. "Miss Su?"