Chapter 26: Moved to Tears – I’m Done Filming

Ruan Li followed Assistant Qin to the top floor’s secretary office. She had been to her family’s company before, but it was nothing compared to Fu Corporation. There were three secretaries in total: Assistant Qin, a male secretary, and a female secretary.

“Secretary Qiu is responsible for external negotiations,” Assistant Qin introduced as they approached the female secretary. “Assistant Chen is in charge of data analysis and meeting notes.”

“Miss Ruan, your desk is here,” Assistant Qin pointed to a spot closest to the office door.

Ruan Li had already accepted the fact that she would be working right under Fu Huaizhou’s nose, but she was still a bit curious. “With all these clear roles, what am I supposed to do?”

Assistant Qin smiled at her. “The same as me.”

“And what exactly do you do?” Ruan Li asked.

Proudly, Assistant Qin replied, “Everything related to President Fu’s daily life. The closest secretary. We handle tasks across all departments. But since you’re here, I can take it easy for once.”

Ruan Li internally scoffed. What’s there to be so proud of?

Normally, Ruan Li’s livestream wouldn’t be all that crowded, but the audience was too curious about Fu Corporation’s CEO. Since her position was closest to him, her stream was anything but quiet.

“I see, the president’s fanboy assistant.”

“So, how did a nobody like Ruan Li get so lucky?”

“Who says she’s lucky? She’s probably going to get chewed out any minute now. I’m here for it.”

Sure enough, the internal phone on her desk rang shortly after. With Assistant Qin’s signal, Ruan Li answered it, only to hear the cold voice on the other end: “Americano.”

Before she could ask anything else, the line was cut. She was about to ask Assistant Qin for more details, but he had already slipped away, claiming he had other tasks.

Looking at the other two assistants who were buried in their work, Ruan Li realized she had been set up. She reluctantly went to the coffee machine and made a standard cup of coffee.

After knocking a few times, the voice inside said, “Come in.” She walked in and placed the coffee beside the man.

Just as she was about to leave, he called her back.

“It’s too cold. I have a stomach condition,” Fu Huaizhou knocked on the cup.

Ruan Li forced a smile and picked it up again. “I’ll make you a hotter one.”

Livestream comments:
“Nine out of ten CEOs with stomach problems – the stereotype is real.”
“Did anyone else notice his hands? Long fingers and a ring! Major kink alert!”

Ruan Li couldn’t see the comments, but she cursed inwardly as she went to make another cup.

“Too hot.” Fu Huaizhou glanced up at the girl dressed in a white chiffon blouse and a beige pencil skirt. His voice was as cold as ever, “It’s midsummer, Secretary Ruan.”

Over the next hour, Ruan Li encountered the most difficult-to-please coffee drinker of her life.

Fu Huaizhou: “Too bitter. Have you even tried it?”

Ruan Li: “This is an Americano, President Fu.”

Fu Huaizhou: “Can’t you add sugar to an Americano?”

After going through complaints of too sweet, too rich, and even the wrong coffee bean taste, Ruan Li finally saw Assistant Qin return.

“What flavor does he actually drink?” Ruan Li’s hands were sore from holding all the coffee cups, and she felt defeated.

Assistant Qin innocently replied, “Just regular Americano. Sometimes tea. No specific preferences.”

The livestream chat had been enjoying this chaos for an hour:
“It takes a villain to deal with another villain. Who was just saying they were jealous?”
“I’d love for the CEO to scold me. I’m ready to take her place!”

After Assistant Qin took in a cup of coffee, the torment finally ended, and Ruan Li could rest at her desk. She swore to wear more comfortable shoes tomorrow.

Not even thirty minutes later, the office door opened again. Fu Huaizhou tossed a stack of documents onto her desk. “Organize these and create a summary spreadsheet.”

He then left with Assistant Chen to attend a meeting, leaving Ruan Li staring at the mountain of paperwork.

She wanted to ask for Assistant Qin’s help, but her phone buzzed. It was a message from Assistant Qin on WeChat, which they had exchanged after a minor car accident before.

“Miss Ruan, President Fu said that anyone who helps you will have their year-end bonus docked.”

Ruan Li glanced at Secretaries Qiu and Chen. As soon as they met her gaze, they both quickly looked away. She had no idea why Fu Huaizhou disliked her so much, yet still insisted on keeping her nearby. She replied to Assistant Qin:

“Is he insane?”

A few seconds later, Assistant Qin replied: “President Fu said your reply will also be screenshotted and shown to him.”

Ruan Li felt like her life had reached its limit: “T_T”

She stared helplessly at the data on the documents. As a design major, she had never studied this kind of material. Many of the terms on the documents were completely foreign to her.

The livestream chat began mocking the empty spreadsheet on her computer:
“Who said she had a degree? Probably bought it!”
“To be fair, it’s kind of harsh. Everyone else has a mentor, but she’s being isolated.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Fu Corporation must know she’s a fake heiress pretending to be Ruan Shu.”

The livestream was scheduled for three hours. Halfway through, as Ruan Li struggled to process the documents, she checked social media and saw her inbox flooded with hateful messages. Her mood sank. She hadn’t done anything, but once the capital’s machinery was in motion, she had no power to fight back.

Suddenly, a chill spread through the secretary’s office. Ruan Li touched the back of her neck, feeling a cold draft. A man’s voice sounded behind her, chilling her even further.

“Is this the extent of your abilities?”

The livestream cut off at this moment, leaving the viewers hanging just as they were anticipating Fu Huaizhou chewing her out. But the internet’s commentary didn’t stop.

“They probably cut it to save Ruan Li’s reputation. She must have a powerful backer.”
“The timing was perfect. Conspiracy theories, anyone?”

But the drama in the office didn’t end just because the livestream did. Ruan Li jumped in surprise, turning around to see the man standing behind her.

“I’ve never learned this,” she admitted honestly.

Fu Huaizhou frowned as he looked at her computer, where nothing made sense. His tone was heavy, “After all your years at the Ruan family, you should’ve picked up something. Where have you been putting your mind?”

His words were stern, and Ruan Li, who had been pretending not to know him because of the cameras, no longer needed to hide her feelings now that the show had ended.

“I don’t know anything about the Ruan family’s company. They never taught me,” she said, feeling wronged. What was supposed to be a light-hearted reality show during her free time had turned into a nightmare. She had to endure public comparisons with Ruan Shu, online insults, and now, she was being tormented by Fu Huaizhou.

If it had been her own fault, she could have accepted it. But being deliberately humiliated by him made her already damaged reputation even worse.

She stood up abruptly, her feet aching from running around in heels all day. Ruan Li gathered the documents and threw them into Fu Huaizhou’s arms.

“The Ruan family didn’t let me get involved in the company’s affairs. I was never groomed as a successor. I was just a social tool. You’ve known that for a long time.”

Tears began streaming down her face. Most reality show contestants played games for money, but here she was, taking a pittance while enduring endless insults.

“Are you satisfied? I’m done filming.” She grabbed her bag and stormed off, bumping hard into Fu Huaizhou’s shoulder as she passed him.

The camera crew, who had just finished packing up, stood frozen in shock. For the past few hours, they had only thought the CEO was too harsh and distant. They hadn’t realized the two knew each other. Then, right after the livestream ended, they suddenly started arguing.

The next second, as Ruan Li was about to leave, she found herself unable to move, her wrist held firmly in place. Everyone around barely dared to breathe.

“Are you insane, Fu Huaizhou?” Ruan Li turned back, her red-rimmed eyes glaring at him.

Fu Huaizhou said nothing, his eyes fixed on her as he grabbed her by the waist and forcefully pulled her into his office.

The door slammed shut behind them. The room was soundproof, leaving the people outside staring at each other in shock. Assistant Qin, unfazed by the scene, calmly pulled out a stack of confidentiality agreements from his desk.

“Please, everyone line up and sign the contracts.”

For the next hour, Ruan Li experienced the most difficult coffee-making task of her life.

Fu Huaizhou: “It’s too bitter. Have you tasted it yourself?”

Ruan Li: “It’s an Americano, President Fu.”

Fu Huaizhou: “Can’t you add sugar to an Americano?”

After complaints that it was too sweet, too bland, or that the coffee beans didn’t taste right, Ruan Li finally saw Assistant Qin returning from outside.

“What kind of coffee does he actually drink?” Ruan Li asked, feeling exhausted from carrying cups of coffee.

Assistant Qin looked innocent. “Just a regular Americano. Sometimes he drinks tea, but there’s nothing special about his preferences.”

The livestream viewers had been watching the chaos for an hour. “Evil people need to be handled by other evil people. Who was just saying they were jealous?”

“I’d love to be scolded by a domineering CEO! Girl, you’re tired, it’s my turn!”

After Assistant Qin brought in the final cup of coffee, the torture finally ended. Ruan Li could finally rest at her desk for a moment. She vowed to wear more comfortable shoes the next day.

Barely half an hour passed before the office door opened. Fu Huaizhou tossed a stack of documents onto her desk. “Organize this and make a summary spreadsheet.”

He then left with Assistant Chen to attend a meeting, leaving Ruan Li staring blankly at the mountain of paperwork.

Just as she was about to ask Assistant Qin for help, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Assistant Qin, who she had added on WeChat after their car accident.

“Miss Ruan, President Fu said anyone who helps you will have their year-end bonus deducted.”

Ruan Li glanced at the other secretaries, Qiu and Chen, and as expected, they both quickly looked away when they met her gaze. She really didn’t understand why Fu Huaizhou seemed to dislike her but still kept her around to make things difficult. She messaged back, “Is he crazy?”

A few seconds later, Assistant Qin replied, “President Fu said I need to send him a screenshot of your message as well.”

Ruan Li felt like her life had hit rock bottom. “T_T”

She stared at the data in the documents, completely lost. She had studied design and had never learned this stuff. Many of the technical terms were foreign to her.

The livestream viewers, watching her empty spreadsheet, were quick to mock her. “Who said she has a degree? Probably bought it.”

“But honestly, this is a bit too much. Everyone else has a senior colleague to guide them, and she’s the only one being isolated.”

“Isn’t it normal for someone like her to be isolated? Maybe people at Fu’s company know she’s a fake heiress.”

The livestream lasted three hours. After struggling through a few pages of documents, Ruan Li took a moment to check social media, and sure enough, a flood of hate comments and nasty messages awaited her.

Feeling a bit down, she quietly worked in the previously peaceful office when suddenly, a chill filled the air. She touched the back of her neck, feeling the cold.

A voice suddenly spoke softly but sharply from behind her. “Is this the extent of your abilities?”

The livestream cut off just as the viewers were expecting Ruan Li to get scolded, but the chatter continued.

“Did they cut it to save Ruan Li’s face? Must be proof she has a powerful backer.”

“The timing was perfect. Conspiracy theory anyone?”

However, the drama in the office didn’t end when the show did. Ruan Li jumped, startled by the voice, and turned to see Fu Huaizhou standing behind her.

“I haven’t learned this,” she admitted honestly.

Fu Huaizhou frowned, looking at her computer screen, which was filled with unrelated things. His tone was serious. “You’ve been in the Ruan family for so many years. You should have learned by now just from being around them.”

“Where has your focus been?”

His voice was strict. Ruan Li, who had been pretending not to know Fu Huaizhou because of the cameras, no longer needed to keep up the act now that the show was over.

“I know nothing about the Ruan family’s business, so I wasn’t taught,” Ruan Li said, feeling wronged. She had agreed to do the show during a gap in her schedule, but now she was being constantly compared to Ruan Shu, publicly criticized, and treated like an employee getting scolded by her boss.

If it were her own fault, she could accept it. But it felt like Fu Huaizhou was deliberately tormenting her. The damage to her reputation was only getting worse.