Chapter 29 : Returning the Umbrella

The next morning, Lin Ran went to the 23rd floor first to drop off her bag, then immediately took the elevator to the top floor of Yu Tou.

However, she made a miscalculation. Her card couldn’t access the top floor, so she had to ask the front desk on the top floor to help deliver the umbrella to Fu Xingjian.

The receptionist, seeing that Lin Ran looked unfamiliar and this was a personal matter, refused. “You can directly contact Mr. Fu; he’ll be at the company today.”

Lin Ran pursed her lips and hesitated, wondering whether to send Fu Xingjian a message on WeChat. Their last conversation had ended with her insincere greeting.

While she was hesitating, Yi Ming came out from inside, politely smiling and nodding at Lin Ran. “Good morning, Miss Lin. Are you looking for Mr. Fu?”

Lin Ran immediately raised the long-handled umbrella in her hand. “Good morning, Assistant Yi. Could you please return this umbrella to Mr. Fu? Thank you.”

Yi Ming’s curious eyes scanned back and forth between Lin Ran and the umbrella.

“Did the boss really send Miss Lin home?” Yi Ming wondered. “What is the relationship between the usually cold and indifferent boss and Miss Lin?”

Lin Ran suddenly remembered that Yi Ming hadn’t attended the project launch dinner, so she proactively explained, “After the project launch meeting last week, everyone went out for a meal. Unexpectedly, it started raining when the meeting ended. Mr. Fu saw I was in a bad situation and kindly offered to send me home. The umbrella ended up with me.”

“Oh, by the way, Mr. Fu and I are undergrad classmates. He’s just as compassionate as he was in school.”

Her words made Fu Xingjian’s tall and noble character stand out clearly.

Suddenly, Yi Ming’s expression changed, and he respectfully nodded, “Good morning, Mr. Fu.”

Lin Ran’s smile froze, and she quickly turned around, bending at a 90-degree angle, “Good morning, Mr. Fu.”

In a place where no one could see, her face burned with embarrassment.

Did he hear everything just now?

It should be fine if he did, right? After all, it was just praise, not something offensive.

Fu Xingjian’s face darkened, and her words, “Mr. Fu saw I was pitiful,” echoed in his mind.

She really has a way of reading into things!

His clenched jaw hinted at the storm brewing. Yi Ming had only been with Fu Xingjian for a few months but already understood his moods very well.

Yi Ming silently sighed. The boss was already upset in the morning—seemed like today was a bad day.

“By the way, Mr. Fu, Miss Lin said she came to return the umbrella…”

Lin Ran cooperatively extended her hand to give Fu Xingjian the umbrella, the handle still warm from her touch.

Fu Xingjian took the umbrella, closed his long eyelashes, and, after Lin Ran entered the elevator, said faintly, “Lin Ran, I didn’t send you home because I pitied you. I wasn’t overflowing with compassion back in school either.”

Lin Ran’s back stiffened. Just then, the elevator arrived. Without turning around, she stepped inside.

…

Yi Ming followed Fu Xingjian to the CEO’s office and then handed over a printed document. “Mr. Fu, here’s the personal information of He Bing that you requested.”

Fu Xingjian leaned back in the leather chair, crossing his long legs, quickly scanning the document.

“Pretty ordinary.”

Yi Ming thought to himself, “But isn’t this the person you wanted to check on? Why are you calling him ordinary?”

However, he only dared to complain silently in his mind, while on the surface, he had to agree with the boss. “You’re right, he’s a bit ordinary, but I heard his coding skills are excellent. HR specially recruited him from a large company.”

“Mm, have HR schedule a one-on-one meeting with him,” Fu Xingjian said casually, glancing at his calendar. “I’ll be free around noon today.”

Yi Ming took the order and immediately called HR.

“Please contact He Bing and arrange a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Zhou at noon today. Oh, yes, it’s a bit sudden, but this is a good thing—it means the boss values him.”