The assistant trembled all over, feeling like he had just thrown himself right into the line of fire.
"Um, Mr. Qin..."
The assistant had never been in a relationship, so he had yet to experience the taste of being rejected by a girlfriend or wife.
He racked his brains, searching for comforting words to console the pitiful man who had just been rejected by his wife, Qin Yuhe.
"Mr. Qin, even married couples need to leave some private space for each other. If two people stay together every single day, they'll get sick of it. Miss Song rejecting you just means she wants to go out and get some fresh air. After all, spending every day with the exact same person, who wouldn't get annoyed?"
Qin Yuhe lifted his eyes and stared straight at him. "If you don't know how to speak, shut up."
The assistant shuddered, realizing he had said the wrong thing. Desperate to salvage the situation and save himself, he spoke up, "Mr. Qin, you were only rejected by your wife once, it's no big deal. Once Miss Song goes out for some fresh air and comes back, she won't find you boring or annoying anymore."
Qin Yuhe's gaze turned even icier. "You sure talk a lot. How about I cut your tongue out?"
The assistant quickly set the food down on the desk. "I think I'll just step out."
The door opened and closed, leaving Qin Yuhe completely alone in the massive office.
The food placed on the desk was made with fresh ingredients and had a mild flavor; it was his favorite Cantonese cuisine.
However, Qin Yuhe had no appetite at the moment.
He could clearly feel his stomach rumbling with hunger, but he just lacked the appetite and didn't want to eat a thing.
His fingers reached up to his collar. He unbuttoned the meticulously fastened top button of his crisp white shirt.
Qin Yuhe leaned back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, picked up his phone, and tapped on the screen, sending a message to Song Xinya.
[Are you having a good time eating with someone else?]
...
Meanwhile, at the hotpot restaurant.
Song Xinya popped a slice of beef roll into her mouth. The perfectly blanched beef was tender and smooth, coated in the spicy and fragrant broth, bringing ultimate satisfaction to her taste buds.
"This is so delicious! Manager Chen, you really know your food. When we get back to the office, I'll fold a paper crown for you with four big words written on it: Gourmet Food Expert."
Chen Siyan replied, "Blowing a sweet kiss to my best hype woman."
Tiantianquan chimed in, "Later, I'll present an award to Manager Chen, also with four big words: Treasure of a Man."
Chen Siyan smiled. "Do fairies always speak with sugar in their mouths? You're both so sweet."
He placed palm-sized freshwater prawns into the pot. Once they were cooked, he fished them out, put on gloves, peeled off the shells, and placed the shrimp meat into the two ladies' bowls.
Song Xinya said, "Manager Chen, stop serving us all the time. Don't you have a live broadcasting class to teach this afternoon? You'll be talking non-stop, which takes a toll on your voice, brain, and energy. You should eat more to recharge."
Tiantianquan picked up a slice of beef and dropped it into his bowl. "Eat more meat, look how skinny you are."
Chen Siyan laughed. "I've wasted away to 150 pounds. I really am too skinny, practically a walking stick insect."
Tiantianquan replied, "You're tall, so 150 pounds is just right. Being too skinny makes a guy look frail. It's much more manly to be a bit muscular."
Chen Siyan said, "I have an eight-pack."
Tiantianquan's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Chen Siyan asked, "Want to see?"
Tiantianquan stared unblinkingly at where his abs would be. "Never seen one, yes."
Chen Siyan replied, "Well, I still can't show you. It's not like I'm a gigolo with a set price per night. Proper men like me only show our bodies to our girlfriends and wives."
Tiantianquan: "..."
"Wait, bro, then why did you ask if I wanted to see it in the first place?"
Chen Siyan smiled faintly. Of course, it was to flirt with you and pique your interest in my body.
Out loud, he just said, "I was just joking around, don't take it to heart."
Tiantianquan: (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)
Seeing Tiantianquan's fair and clean little face puff up with annoyance, Chen Siyan was highly amused. He picked up the beef roll from his bowl, popped it into his mouth, and chewed vigorously. "Let's eat, let's eat."
Even though Song Xinya and Tiantianquan both told him to stop cooking for them, Chen Siyan continued to thoughtfully take care of the two ladies. He grabbed fruit, poured drinks, and promptly added more food to the pot as soon as it emptied.
It had to be said that dining with such a gentleman who knew exactly how to look after people was a true pleasure.
When Song Xinya saw the message Qin Yuhe had sent—[Are you having a good time eating with someone else?]—
She replied: [Yeah, pretty good.]
After sending it, Song Xinya stared at the screen for a moment.
Qin Yuhe usually replied to her messages quite quickly, almost instantly.
Ten minutes passed, and the message seemed to have sunk like a stone into the ocean, with no response.
Song Xinya figured he might be busy. Besides, it was a simple question and answer, so the conversation could basically be considered over. Thinking nothing more of it, she went back to eating her hotpot and pushed the matter from her mind.
After the meal, Chen Siyan went to the garage to get the car, while Song Xinya and Tiantianquan waited on the sidewalk.
Song Xinya asked, "What's on your work schedule for this afternoon?"
Tiantianquan answered, "A client booked me for face-slimming injections, and I'll be doing some hyaluronic acid fillers for her temples and apple cheeks while I'm at it."
Song Xinya asked, "From the perspective of a professional plastic surgeon, do you think I have any areas that need work?"
Tiantianquan carefully studied Song Xinya's face, her gaze sliding downward as she said, "There actually is one place that needs some work..."
Song Xinya asked, "Where?"
Tiantianquan replied, "Get a breast reduction surgery. Your boobs are too big. I'm worried your husband will bury his face in them, refuse to come up for air, and end up suffocating to death."
Song Xinya: "...Tiantianquan, I want to rip your mouth off!"
Tiantianquan replied, "You can't do that. I'm a plastic surgeon, and my face is my billboard. When clients see this pretty little face of mine, their first impression is that my skills are absolutely top-notch."
Song Xinya scoffed, "Oh, please. Like I don't know you. You've looked exactly the same since elementary school, just scaled up."
Tiantianquan grinned, "I tell everyone I meet that I've had work done."
Song Xinya retorted, "Whether you have fur or not, you just insist on calling yourself a magical spirit."
Tiantianquan sighed, "Being human is exhausting, and being a good person is even more exhausting. Being a magical spirit is so much better. Not only are you beautiful, but you also have magic. You can transform however you want, turn stones into gold... Why would I even bother going to my crappy job and working my life away?"
The two of them casually shot the breeze. After chatting for a short while, Chen Siyan pulled the car up.
Chen Siyan dropped Song Xinya off at her company first, then headed off to drop Tiantianquan.
Song Xinya checked the time and reminded him, "Manager Chen, you might be late this afternoon."
Chen Siyan replied, "President Zhao is going to the 38th floor for a meeting this afternoon to report to Mr. Qin along with the other senior executives. Since President Zhao won't be around, she won't notice I'm late."
As everyone knows, if the boss doesn't catch an employee being late, the employee was never late.
Song Xinya returned to her company on the 8th floor. There were still twenty minutes left before her shift started.
Through the transparent glass walls, she saw Zhao Yinian sitting in the general manager's office, doing her makeup.
Zhao Yinian was drawing her eyebrows and doing her eye makeup, using a curling iron to style her hair into delicate waves.
Normally, she always wore her hair straight.
Song Xinya, on the other hand, normally wore her hair curly.
Zhao Yinian had curled her straight hair into the exact same wavy style as Song Xinya's.
She stepped out of her office, ready to head up to the 38th floor for the meeting.
Passing through the lobby, she glanced around and asked Song Xinya, "Where is Manager Chen?"
Song Xinya replied, "A client looked for him at the last minute. He didn't even finish his meal before rushing off to meet them."
Zhao Yinian asked the others, "Is that true?"
The others had just finished the meal Chen Siyan treated them to, so naturally they chimed in, "Yes, that's right."
This was the charm of being popular.
Unable to find anything to use against him, Zhao Yinian walked toward the door.
The elevator went straight up to the 38th floor.
Zhao Yinian stepped into the luxurious and grand conference room.
The man sitting at the head of the table had dark hair, striking eyebrows, cool, pale skin, and deep red lips. He was exceptionally handsome and exuded an unparalleled noble aura.
Just one look at him was enough to make Zhao Yinian's heart race.
The man lifted his eyes to look at her, his pitch-black gaze like a deep sea ready to swallow someone whole.
Zhao Yinian's fingers gripping the documents trembled with excitement.
When she spoke, her voice was entirely different from the harsh and overbearing tone she used with her employees. It was soft and sweet.
"President Qin, do you have something to discuss with me?"
Qin Yuhe said, "Call everyone from your company over here."
Zhao Yinian was stunned. "Isn't today an executive meeting? You've never called our company's staff before. Why are you calling them today?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "Since when does a boss need to explain himself to a subordinate?"
Flustered, Zhao Yinian lowered her head. "I will call them over right now."
As soon as the news came out that the group's chairman, President Qin, was calling them for a meeting, their entire company erupted in excitement.
"Shocking! Us little shrimp actually get to attend the executives' meeting!"
"Oh my god, us concubines banished to the cold palace finally have a chance to meet the emperor!"
"I heard there's a tea break during the executive meetings, and they provide high-end desserts from five-star hotels for free."
"Then I need to bring a plastic bag. I'll stuff my stomach and sneak a whole bag back."
Song Xinya followed her colleagues up to the top-floor conference room on the 38th floor.
The enthusiastic chatter of her colleagues filled her ears.
"It's my first time on the top floor! Usually, this place is guarded by security, and not even a fly can get in. But here I am, hehehe."
"Just thinking about seeing President Qin makes me super excited, and I'm a guy."
"President Qin didn't call any other company today, only ours. It shows how much he values us."
"We are going to strike it rich!!!"
When the group arrived at the conference room door, they saw Qin Yuhe's assistant personally holding the door open for them.
Everyone was extremely flattered.
That was President Qin's personal assistant, equivalent to a vice president of the group. His position was more than just a notch higher than their company's general manager, President Zhao.
Having such a big shot personally open the door for them made everyone ecstatic. President Qin must be planning to heavily invest in their development!
Getting a promotion and a raise, becoming the general manager, marrying a rich and beautiful woman, and reaching the pinnacle of life was just around the corner!
Everyone felt their futures were incredibly bright.
So bright that it could keep them awake in the middle of the night.
Hearing the chaotic and noisy footsteps, Qin Yuhe, who was reading documents, looked up toward the door.
A large group of people stood crowded at the back of the conference room, packed together in a massive row.
As soon as Qin Yuhe looked up, his eyes immediately found his wife, Song Xinya.
The man's profound and oppressive gaze landed on her, feeling almost tangible and incredibly heavy.
Song Xinya raised her eyes, and her gaze collided with Qin Yuhe's.
He sat in the main seat symbolizing his noble status. Across the long conference table, she stood against the wall at the very back.
The various executives sat in a circle around the table.
Zhao Yinian's seat was eight people away from Qin Yuhe.
She glanced at Song Xinya standing in the back row, the corners of her lips turning up in a smug smile.
She was sitting, and Song Xinya was standing. This was the difference in their status.
She had thought President Qin liked Song Xinya a lot, but it was probably just a fleeting novelty. It was like seeing a dog with a shiny coat on the side of the road and teasing it out of boredom. Once the novelty wore off, President Qin would forget all about her.
Otherwise, who could bear to let their beloved woman stand in the very back row?
Across the eight people, Zhao Yinian looked at Qin Yuhe and said, "President Qin, everyone from our company is here. The meeting can begin."
With a gust of wind, Chen Siyan rushed into the conference room, flushed and out of breath.
Qin Yuhe asked, "Is this what you mean by everyone is here?"
Zhao Yinian's face flushed to the color of pig liver out of embarrassment.
She glared at the late Chen Siyan, but when her peripheral vision caught the standing Song Xinya, she felt smug again.
"Now everyone is here. President Qin, let's not delay the company's important business and start the meeting."
Qin Yuhe looked at the assistant beside him. "Add chairs for everyone. I can't stand seeing people standing during a meeting."
Everyone got a chair to sit on. Among them, Song Xinya's chair was personally brought over by the assistant, and it even had a pink cushion on it.
No one else present, including the executives and President Qin himself, had a cushion.
Zhao Yinian drooped her head, unable to feel smug anymore.
Qin Yuhe glanced at Song Xinya. "The meeting will now begin."
The Qin Group had a wide range of businesses. Its core operations consisted of five major sectors: finance, energy, communications, ports, and real estate. As for the education and training sector, it was just a side project they had casually tossed tens of millions into to open a company—a marginal business.
When those sharply dressed executives from the finance, energy, communications, port, and real estate industries stood at the podium to report their work, various professional terms were thrown around.
The teachers from the education and training company sat in their chairs, feeling as if they were listening to an alien language.
They couldn't understand a thing.
Chen Siyan pinched his thigh hard to keep himself from falling asleep.
He leaned his head toward Song Xinya. "Teacher Song, why did they call us over for this kind of meeting? To cultivate our character?"
Song Xinya didn't quite understand either why a bunch of nobodies like them were called to an executive meeting.
Chen Siyan grumbled, "I'm a mountain pig that can't digest fine bran. Listening to this high-level meeting just makes me want to doze off."
Song Xinya tilted her head toward him. "If it's really unbearable, just lie on the floor and pretend to foam at the mouth. I'll say you're having an epileptic seizure and call an ambulance for you."
Chen Siyan replied, "No way, Brother Yan cares about his face. I can't afford to lose that much dignity."
Song Xinya curled her red lips into a soft, graceful smile.
Suddenly, she felt a chill shoot over from the front. She looked up and saw Qin Yuhe staring straight at her, his handsome face dark and looking quite displeased.
Song Xinya: ?
Did he dislike her getting distracted during the meeting?
She understood.
Just like how she, as a teacher, disliked students whispering to each other in class.
Song Xinya pulled her head away from Chen Siyan, put her hands behind her back, and sat up perfectly straight, just like a primary school student in class.
Sure enough, Qin Yuhe's face was no longer dark, and he stopped staring fixedly at her.
Instead, he shifted his gaze to stare at Chen Siyan.
Being stared at like this by the big boss of the group for the first time, Chen Siyan's body jolted.
Why wasn't the boss staring at any other man, but specifically at him?
It must be because he valued him!
Overjoyed and deeply flattered, Chen Siyan bared his teeth and gave Qin Yuhe a reserved yet happy smile.
Qin Yuhe glared at him.
He smiled even happier.
Qin Yuhe thought of a saying: humans and dogs belong to entirely different worlds.
The canine species simply cannot understand human speech.
After the meeting had gone on for two hours, it was time for a tea break.
Song Xinya and Chen Siyan walked out of the conference room together.
As soon as they stepped out, they were greeted by a wide array of high-end desserts.
Chen Siyan exclaimed, "Wow, gold leaf chocolate cake, gold leaf macarons, gold leaf truffle dessert sauce... eating gold as food! This is a high-end event, it really is a high-end event!"
"Ms. Song, let me grab a gold leaf macaron for you to try."
Song Xinya placed a piece of cake onto her plate and replied, "No thanks, I prefer this one."
She stood to the side, holding her plate and eating her dessert with delicate elegance.
Chen Siyan, plate in hand, roamed among the dessert-laden tables. He did not care about what tasted the best, only what was the most expensive. He exclusively picked out the pricey items!
Suddenly, a tall shadow loomed over him.
Chen Siyan turned his head, his eyes filled with both surprise and delight. "Mr. Qin!"
Qin Yuhe asked, "Your name is Chen Siyan, right?"
Oh my god, the CEO of the group actually remembered his name! Chen Siyan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Qin, I am Chen Siyan."
Qin Yuhe asked, "Are you close with Song Xinya?"
Chen Siyan replied, "Very close."
Chen Siyan looked at Qin Yuhe with immense excitement, not even wanting to blink.
While chatting with Chen Siyan, Qin Yuhe's hands never stopped moving.
He opened a tube of wasabi, squeezed it onto a matcha cake, and discreetly placed it right by Chen Siyan's hand.
Then, Qin Yuhe turned and walked away.
Chen Siyan picked up the matcha cake next to his hand and took a bite.
The pungent spice of the wasabi shot straight to the top of his skull, choking him so badly that his vision went completely dark and tears streamed down his face!
Who did this?!
Who was wicked enough to put wasabi on a matcha cake?!
