Chapter 12

Xie Rongzhuo’s arms were like iron clamps, effortlessly carrying her into the car.

He bent down, his large hand resting on the back of her head, casually glancing across the street with a nonchalant air. As he turned back, Shen Mi caught a glimpse of indifference and arrogance in his eyes. Their gazes met unintentionally, and the emotions in Xie Rongzhuo’s eyes vanished in an instant.

He lowered his head and looked at her deeply, withdrawing his hand from the back of her head, straightened up, closed the car door, and went around to the other side to sit in the car. The car was instantly filled with Xie Rongzhuo’s scent, and Shen Mi’s mind went blank for a moment. She couldn’t even remember basic etiquette and quickly turned her head to look out the window after fastening her seatbelt.

Just in time to see Ke Zhan across the street.

Xie Rongzhuo: “Drive.”

“Yes, Mr. Xie, should we drop off Secretary Shen first?” Old Zhou asked.

“Hmm.”

Xie Rongzhuo seemed a little unhappy.

Shen Mi withdrew her gaze and turned her head to steal a glance at his suit jacket. She immediately saw the lipstick stain on his shoulder. Although the suit was dark, the “blemish” was particularly noticeable on Xie Rongzhuo.

She licked her lips: “Boss, how about we go directly to your place? I can help you send the jacket downstairs for dry cleaning.”

Xie Rongzhuo’s eyelashes drooped slightly as he glanced at the lipstick mark on his jacket, but he didn’t say anything.

“I’ll pay the fees,” Shen Mi said. “I’m sorry about that earlier, it wasn’t intentional.”

She automatically ignored the fact that she had used him, attempting to get away with it.

“Go back to Shangbaiyue Mansion.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Rongzhuo didn’t pursue it further.

Old Zhou: “Alright.”

Soiling the clothes of someone with a cleanliness fetish was practically a heinous crime. Shen Mi decided to atone for her sins with her labor: “Boss, should I make you some breakfast tomorrow morning and bring it over?”

Xie Rongzhuo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

“Hmm.”

He was a little too easy to fool today.

Shen Mi couldn’t believe that she could easily escape punishment after using Xie Rongzhuo.

She was anxious and uneasy the entire night, waiting for the trouble to come.

However, when she woke up the next morning, Xie Rongzhuo didn’t bother her.

Was it just like that? It was over?

Xie Rongzhuo was too much of an angel!

Shen Mi made a whole box of cherry-flavored snow cream for him, and she also took an extra box of cherries to bring over.

She entered Xie Rongzhuo’s house with the password, put down the food bag, peeked into the master bedroom, and then went to wash her hands, preparing to help him tie his tie.

Ten minutes later, the master bedroom door opened on time. Xie Rongzhuo came out to get a drink of water, drank half a cup, and looked at the breakfast on the dining table.

Except for the first time she came to his house, Shen Mi had never seen Xie Rongzhuo in disheveled clothes. Every morning, he would wash up and change clothes before coming out, even more obsessed with his image than idols.

He had the habit of drinking water in the morning, no wonder his skin was so good.

Shen Mi raised her hand and touched her own face, which felt dry. Although her skin was white, it was thin. In winter, it would turn red and sore from the wind, and any natural beauty was fake in the face of nature.

Her action was caught by Xie Rongzhuo’s gaze. He put down his water cup and turned to walk into the shared bathroom.

When he came out, he had an extra box of skincare products in his hand.

“A business partner sent it, I don’t use it. You take it.”

Shen Mi knew this brand was expensive: “…All of it for me?”

Xie Rongzhuo: “Hmm.”

Shen Mi accepted it: “Thank you, Boss.”

Xie Rongzhuo sat at the dining table, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and ate breakfast leisurely. Seeing his appreciative gaze and how he didn’t waste a single bite, Shen Mi suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment.

Xie Rongzhuo didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast before, so his preferences weren’t recorded. Shen Mi had to discover them herself.

“Do you eat fried dough sticks?” Shen Mi asked.

Xie Rongzhuo: “Do you know how to make them?”

Shen Mi nodded: “My parents weren’t around when I was a kid, so I cooked all my meals myself. I developed basic skills. As long as it’s not a particularly complex dish, I can learn it just by looking at a recipe.”

Xie Rongzhuo looked at her hand and said: “I don’t eat them.”

Shen Mi asked again: “Then do you eat steamed osmanthus cake?”

“Hmm.”

Xie Rongzhuo didn’t mention yesterday’s incident, as if he had completely forgotten about being used by her.

He’s so easy to please?

Just a breakfast was enough to appease him?

So it turns out Xie Rongzhuo likes flattery!

Old Zhou was waiting downstairs, and when he saw Shen Mi, his eyes became suggestive: ” Secretary Shen, good morning.”

“Good morning.”

Shen Mi wanted to explain about Xie Rongzhuo holding her yesterday, but when she glanced back at the man behind her, she didn’t dare to say anything.

Misunderstanding so be it, anyway, she wasn’t the one who initiated it, and she wasn’t the one who suffered a loss.

Shen Mi didn’t have to attend today’s morning meeting, so she was just looking at materials at her desk.

Shen Mi’s desk wasn’t in the office area, but in a separate, open space, similar to sitting on either side of the podium during school, where she could look up and see the president’s office. It was right under Xie Rongzhuo’s nose, meaning she couldn’t do any sneaky things.

The advantage was that it had good lighting, with a pristine glass curtain wall next to it, offering a panoramic view of the city. There were also many expensive plants nearby, and the air was good. The work environment was like what a worker dreams of. Being a “protector” wasn’t so bad.

Shen Mi bought Xie Rongzhuo his coffee in advance, placed the urgent documents that needed his signature on his desk, and then sent out various documents requested by colleagues. After finishing her work, she started looking at the project plan.

At noon, a shared address popped up from Zhang Zhiqing on WeChat.

Zhang Zhiqing: Mimi, come to my house tomorrow to attend my birthday party!

Shen Mi closed the folder, flipped open the calendar and took a look. Then she went to the tea room with her water cup and called Zhang Zhiqing: “Isn’t your birthday in September next year? Why is it the end of November now?”

“It’s just to clear your name in advance.” Zhang Zhiqing said, “My uncle doesn’t have Zhao Bai Li contact information, and I’m too embarrassed to ask others, it would make us look guilty. So I decided to hold a birthday party ahead of time and invite her over!”

Shen Mi: “Qingqing, you don’t have to—”

“Don’t get emotional yet, this is not just for you, but also for myself.” Zhang Zhiqing said, “My uncle asked me to go to work next week, it’s almost New Year’s Eve, and it’s so cold outside, I’ll be sealed by the bed, I won’t be able to go to work at all. So I decided to celebrate my birthday ahead of time and take two months of birthday leave, then go to work next year! How’s that?”

Shen Mi: “Excellent.”

•  

Zhang Zhiqing’s family lives in the same community as Xie Rongzhuo’s. This community only has one household per floor. It is a famous luxury residence in Suicheng. However, Xie Rongzhuo lives on the top floor in a unique duplex, there are only ten units in total, and they are not something that can be bought with money. Zhang Zhiqing lives a dozen floors below him.

As soon as the elevator door opened, Shen Mi heard laughter and chatter inside.

“Mimi is here!” Zhang Zhiqing was wearing a light-colored slim-fitting dress, her long hair was carelessly scattered over her white shoulders, she looked like a beautiful little princess. She took Shen Mi’s hand and led her into the living room: “Let me introduce you to everyone, this is my best friend from college, Shen Mi!”

Zhang Zhiqing’s friends are all rich daughters, a room full of beautiful young ladies surrounded Shen Mi, their jewels and ornaments were dazzling.

“Hello Shen Mi, nice to meet you.”

The young ladies were unexpectedly friendly.

 Shen Mi: “Hello everyone, nice to meet you.”

“Don’t be so polite, they are all my childhood friends.”

The girls joked: “Your real childhood friend is still abroad, right?”

Zhang Zhiqing chuckled: “Alright, then none of you can be my friends anymore, leave the gifts and go.”

“Humph, I’m not leaving! I’m staying to watch the beautiful girls. Shen Mi, what are you holding?”