Chen Siyan’s back tensed up, a chill running down his spine, every hair on his body standing at attention like soldiers in formation.
He stiffly turned his head, as if his neck had a crick in it: “Presi-President Qin, hello!”
Qin Yuhe: “I’m not well.”
Chen Siyan’s hairs were about to fall off from sheer fright.
When the boss says he’s in a bad mood, as a subordinate, you can’t just ignore it—that would show a complete lack of tact.
Chen Siyan braced himself and asked, “Why is President Qin in a bad mood?”
Qin Yuhe: “Because of you.”
Chen Siyan’s hairs, along with his goosebumps, scattered all over the ground.
He wanted to slap his own mouth!
Why did he have to ask that!
Awkward now!
Even more scared!
Better to have been tactless!
Chen Siyan tried to explain himself: “President Qin, I didn’t mean anything by it. I haven’t seen Teacher Song in a long time, and I was really happy. I just wanted to hug her, say hello.”
“President Qin, you know, hugging is how foreigners greet each other.”
Qin Yuhe: “If you’re so fond of foreign social etiquette, why not find a rope, hang yourself from the rafters, and hurry up and be reborn as a foreigner.”
Chen Siyan: “…”
His scared-off hairs were completely gone now, successfully achieving painless full-body hair removal.
“I-I’d rather stay Chinese. Not a fan of being a foreign devil.”
Song Xinya saw Chen Siyan trembling and was genuinely worried he might wet himself right there on the street, which would be a real eyesore. She spoke up: “Teacher Chen, don’t you have a live-streaming class to teach this morning? You’re almost late. You’d better get going.”
Chen Siyan shot Song Xinya a grateful look: “Oh, right, right, right. I’ve got to hurry to my live class. See you, President Qin!”
He scurried away like lightning striking with sparks, piapiapia as he dashed off.
Qin Yuhe looked at Song Xinya darkly: “Jumping in to help him out so quickly—you two are pretty close, huh.”
Song Xinya stepped right up to him, threw herself into his arms, wrapped her hands around his waist, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his chin: “No one’s as good as you. You and I have the best relationship in the whole world.”
Qin Yuhe’s temper instantly faded, his gaze softening.
The raging lion was soothed into a purring cat.
Song Xinya clung to his waist, nuzzling and swaying: “Qin Yuhe, in my heart, you’re such a wonderful person. Would someone this wonderful really want me to go to work in a bad mood?”
Qin Yuhe: “I wouldn’t.”
Song Xinya: “Then let’s head to work happy, okay?”
Qin Yuhe: “Okay.”
In public, in the company lobby, worried about being seen, Song Xinya loosened her grip around Qin Yuhe’s waist.
Qin Yuhe reached out and hooked her slender waist, pulling her into his arms and holding her close.
Song Xinya went along with him, not struggling, leaning softly and seductively against him.
The two of them moved toward the elevator like conjoined twins.
Behind them, Zhao Yinian stepped out from behind a car, staring at Song Xinya, who was intimately held in Qin Yuhe’s arms, her eyes brimming with jealousy.
This Song Xinya—after not coming to work for so long, the moment she shows up, she’s hugging and kissing Qin Yuhe, flaunting how close she is to the boss, right?
She was deliberately making a show of being all lovey-dovey with President Qin at the company entrance, trying to make others see it and underline her status as President Qin’s girlfriend!
Zhao Yinian let out a cold laugh: “So what if she’s President Qin’s girlfriend? The real trick is marrying into the Qin family as the legitimate young mistress!”
Biting into her dog bun with a vicious snap, Zhao Yinian headed toward the company entrance.
As she ate, something felt off. She had definitely bought a cabbage and pork bun today, so why was there seaweed inside?
She looked down—it was a long strand of hair.
Zhao Yinian’s eyes widened: “Ugh—!”
…
Song Xinya arrived at the company.
Since she often treated her coworkers to milk tea, coffee, and meals, and never stooped to snatching clients or that sort of thing, she got along well with everyone.
The moment she walked in, her colleagues enthusiastically greeted her.
“Here comes Song Xinya, like thunder on a clear day!”
“Welcome back to work, Teacher Song.”
Chen Siyan launched into a live rap: “Chickens fly and dogs jump—my Sister Ya shows up. She’s here, she’s here, walking in with a smile. She’s here, she’s here, stepping on auspicious clouds. Come on, everyone, give it up for Sister Ya—clap, clap, clap, clap—”
The coworkers clapped along enthusiastically: Clap, clap, clap—
Song Xinya: “I’m treating everyone to barbecue tonight.”
The crowd cheered: “Throwing food at us, huh? We’ll take that!”
Song Xinya looked at Chen Siyan: “That rap you just sang was seriously cheesy.”
Chen Siyan tossed his fringe: “What’s ethnic is global.”
He glanced toward the door, still shaken: “After I left, President Qin didn’t say anything about me, did he?”
Song Xinya: “What could he say? It’s not ancient times—he can’t behead you, can he?”
Chen Siyan: “I’ve been thinking about why President Qin was mad at me. Could he have been jealous of me?”
Song Xinya: “The fact that you could even think of that reason is…”
Before she could say “something,” Chen Siyan cut her off: “Stupid!”
Song Xinya: “Huh?”
Chen Siyan: “I mean, how could President Qin possibly be jealous of me?”
“I’m not putting myself down. With my looks, among ordinary people, I’m definitely a dragon. But compared to President Qin, I’m freaking a worm!”
“Am I fit to be compared to President Qin? No way. Not even worthy of being compared to one of his toes!”
“I’m a clay pot; he’s porcelain. I’m a rock; he’s jade. I’m a sparrow; he’s an eagle. Sure, we’re both men, but the gap is huge. Putting me and President Qin on the same level is way too generous!”
“To sum it up: President Qin was definitely not jealous of me.”
“I’m deeply ashamed for even comparing myself to him.”
Song Xinya: “You don’t have to be that humble.”
Chen Siyan: “Alright, stop trying to comfort me.”
He was naturally easygoing, always finding ways to cheer himself up and never stressing over things once he’d “figured them out.”
“Where are we going for barbecue tonight? I know a barbecue joint owner who’s my buddy. Mention my name, and he’ll give you 20% off.”
Song Xinya: “Let’s go to that place.”
Chen Siyan: “I’ll tell him now to reserve a spot so we don’t have to wait in line.”
On a hot summer day, after a day’s work, an ice-cold beer and some barbecue sounded perfect.
The coworkers were already looking forward to it, chatting about the evening plans.
The company door swung open, and in walked Zhao Yinian. She caught someone saying: “Teacher Song is so nice, treating us to barbecue.”
She shot a glance at Song Xinya: “Focus on your work and stop with all the faction-building and clique stuff.”
Song Xinya: “I remember that in the Qin Group corporate culture, there’s a rule about uniting with colleagues and being kind and friendly. Since it’s been a while, I’m treating the coworkers to a meal. I think my actions are in line with the corporate culture of Qin Group.”
Chen Siyan: “Qin Group actually has a rule like that?”
He reached for the Qin Group employee handbook on the table, flipped to page 108, and said: “Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, it really is in there.”
He tossed the page from page 108 in Zhao Yinian’s face: “You’ve worked at Qin Group for seven or eight years and don’t even know this rule? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Zhao Yinian: “Who says I didn’t know? As the general manager of this company, how could I not know?”
Chen Siyan: “Knowing the rules and breaking them—that’s even worse.”
Zhao Yinian raised her hand and brushed the booklet aside.
Chen Siyan: “Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh.”
Zhao Yinian: “What are you ‘huh’ing about? Don’t you have a grandmother to go whine to?”
She turned around and clicked away in her heels toward the office.
Chen Siyan shouted at her back: “President Zhao, don’t leave! If something’s bothering you, you can tell me—I might not help you, but I can laugh at you.”
Zhao Yinian spun around, hands on her hips: “Chen Siyan, drop dead!”
Chen Siyan covered his ears: “Can’t hear you, can’t hear you, can’t hear you.”
………
Song Xinya spent the entire morning going over the company’s latest list of key clients.
After reviewing the background information of every client, one in particular caught her attention.
It was a seventeen-year-old boy named Sheng Tianjun.
With Qin Yuhe as the gold standard, all other men fell short.
So it wasn’t Sheng Tianjun’s looks, height, or family background that drew her in.
What drew her in was this—
Sheng Tianjun’s father was a top international expert in burn research.
Song Xinya pored over Sheng Tianjun’s profile, reading it fifty times carefully.
She memorized every piece of information about him.
At noon, Song Xinya received a message from Qin Yuhe: “[Board meeting’s over. Ready to go on a business trip to Shanghai.]”
“Teacher Song, come on, let’s grab lunch together,” Chen Siyan walked over.
Song Xinya grabbed a gift bag from her desk and dashed toward the door: “I have something to do. I’m off first.”
Chen Siyan: “Damn! You’re turning me down for lunch again!”
Song Xinya ran to the executive elevator entrance, clutching the gift bag tightly in her fingers.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Qin Yuhe stepped out. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, with broad shoulders and an air of noble elegance.
When he saw Song Xinya, he said, slightly surprised: “You came to see me?”
Song Xinya: “Yeah.”
Qin Yuhe: “Work-related?”
Song Xinya: “Personal business.”
“Aren’t you heading to Shanghai on a business trip?” She handed him the gift bag, glancing at his palm. “I prepared a farewell gift for you.”
Qin Yuhe asked with visible anticipation: “What is it?”
Song Xinya: “Open it and see.”
Qin Yuhe reached into the gift bag, took out the gift, and saw that it was—
