After hearing Yuan Xi’s soft voice, most of Fu Yunzhou’s work-induced irritation vanished instantly.

The gentle reminder in his ear brought a faint smile to his lips, and his tone softened unconsciously. “I’ll probably be back around nine. You go ahead and eat first. Just make me some porridge for later.”

Standing near his desk, a few men standing at attention couldn’t help but exchange curious glances. They were dying to know who was on the other end of the line, someone who could turn their normally fearsome boss into a calm and approachable person.

As soon as Fu Yunzhou ended the call, he looked up and caught sight of their inquisitive expressions.

His previously warm demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, cutting smile. “Curious, are we? You’ve written these reports so poorly, and instead of reflecting on your mistakes, you’re nosing around about other things?”

His voice dropped several degrees, sending chills down the spines of the men who had been curious just moments ago. They immediately straightened up, their shoulders trembling slightly as a foreboding sense of doom settled over them.

They had a strong sense that something bad was about to happen.

“Well, since you’re so curious.” Fu Yunzhou continued, his icy gaze sweeping over them, “how about you hand in revised reports before work tomorrow morning? And if they’re still not up to standard….” He didn’t finish his sentence, but his quiet, pointed smile spoke volumes.

The men felt an even colder chill down their spines, their earlier unease solidifying into outright dread.

“Now get out.” Fu Yunzhou ordered sharply. “I expect results on my desk first thing tomorrow. And if I catch any more of this half-hearted, sloppy work… don’t bother coming back.”

As soon as Fu Yunzhou’s words fell, the men holding their files seemed to have been granted a pardon. They turned and hurriedly exited the office, moving as though a pack of wolves were chasing them.

Once they were outside the office, they patted their chests, still shaken by the encounter. “When did President Fu come back? I haven’t checked the files for just a few days, and now look what happened! These guys have really messed up this time!”

“I know, I skipped a few checks myself. Who would’ve thought that after the Second Young Master took over, we’d run into this kind of problem? And now Fu Yunzhou’s caught us on it. I bet those little troublemakers are itching for trouble—they need to be straightened out.”

“Alright, enough talking. Let’s get back to work. Can’t believe the Second Young Master’s so slow with the files. The ones I sent back have been ready for over half a month!”

Fu Yushen had left behind quite a few files. Although it had been nearly a month since they were last processed, the remaining documents didn’t pose much difficulty for Fu Yunzhou.

The secretary had already organized everything into categories and highlighted the most important parts. Fu Yunzhou just needed to review the marked sections and prioritize based on urgency to complete everything.

By the end of the day, all the urgent files were finished, but many of the reports were still subpar.

A month of neglect had allowed some employees with ulterior motives to begin making small moves. This was clear from the reports, and it also revealed how others within the company viewed and understood Fu Yushen’s abilities.

Fu Yunzhou sighed as he glanced at the remaining files, then bent over to tackle them with increased focus.

Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Yuan Xi looked at the food in front of him, feeling a bit more eager to eat.

After taking a few bites, Yuan Xi took out his phone and began searching for well-reviewed private restaurants online. After quickly placing an order and requesting expedited delivery, he was finally able to relax and continue eating.

Fu Yunzhou had processed about two files when he received a call from the front desk, informing him that he had an order of takeout.

At first, he was about to decline, but then he remembered Yuan Xi’s call. He changed his mind. “Send it up.”

As he looked at the steaming hot meal, a faint smile appeared on Fu Yunzhou’s face. He couldn’t resist taking a few photos with his phone and, for the first time, posting them on his social media.

While Fu Yunzhou and Yuan Xi were enjoying a peaceful and smooth moment, the situation between Qi Yunrou and Fu Yushen could only be described as an upheaval.

Fu Yushen who had expected to return to Xingyao Entertainment and enjoy some respite was instead met with the sight of an extra desk in his office and several planning reports laid out before him. His expression turned blank as he looked over the documents.

He had thought he was escaping the sea of paperwork, but his brother had handed him reports that seemed to pull him right back into the overwhelming flood of tasks.

During Fu Yunzhou’s time at Xingyao Entertainment, although he didn’t delve deeply into the company’s internal operations, he had reviewed all the important documents. He had also drafted a new, more comprehensive plan for the company.

The report itself wasn’t extensive, but its implementation was far from simple. It required constant oversight to prevent any loopholes from slipping through.

When Qi Yunrou entered, she immediately noticed the extra desk in Fu Yushen’s office.

Just the thought that Fu Yushen and Yuan Xi had been working together for over a month, and were now seemingly in the same office, was enough to ignite her anger and jealousy.

In the past, whenever she was on set, Fu Yushen would always visit her, but this time he hadn’t even stepped foot near her. After returning, he hadn’t made any effort to reach out. Now, Fu Yushen had brought that little brat, Yuan Xi, into his office…

The more Qi Yunrou thought about it, the more she felt wronged.

“Ah Shen, are you busy?” After Qi Yunrou entered the room, she pretended not to notice the extra desk and walked straight to Fu Yushen’s side. She began to tenderly massage his shoulders and back.

“Ah Shen, we haven’t seen each other in so long. When I was on set, you didn’t come to visit me. Do you know how much I missed you?” As she spoke, Qi Yunrou wrapped her arms around Fu Yushen’s neck, pressing her body close to his. Her voice was soft, laced with a hint of grievance.

Fu Yushen snapped out of his focus on the report and gently patted her small hands resting on his chest. He knew it was his fault and spoke with a trace of apology in his tone. “This time it’s my fault. I’ve been so busy this month that I haven’t even had a good night’s sleep. Next time, I’ll definitely come visit you, alright?”

Qi Yunrou tilted her head, staring at Fu Yushen for a while. Her pitiful expression made Fu Yushen’s heart soften.

“Alright, alright, this time it’s my fault. I’ll definitely spend more time with you next time. What do you want as compensation? Tell me, and I’ll make it up to you.” Fu Yushen said, pulling her into his arms, gently soothing her with a soft tone.

“No, are you saying you don’t like me anymore? Have you… have you fallen for someone else?” This time, Qi Yunrou didn’t immediately accept his words. Instead, she looked at him accusingly, her voice trembling with emotion, almost on the verge of tears.

“You weren’t like this before! When you knew I was upset, you didn’t act so cold! Do you not like me anymore? Do you want to break up with me?” she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Fu Yushen furrowed his brows, his expression darkening. He looked at Qi Yunrou with annoyance. “How could I like someone else? Don’t overthink it.”

“Then tell me, what’s going on with Yuan Xi? Why did he become your assistant?” Qi Yunrou wasn’t about to let Fu Yushen off easily. She lifted her head, her eyes glistening with tears, gazing at him with a pitiful expression.

“What assistant? What Yuan Xi?” Fu Yushen shoved Qi Yunrou away, his gaze now stern, as if he was looking at someone making an unreasonable fuss. “You don’t actually think I like Yuan Xi, do you?”

Qi Yunrou stood up, eyeing Fu Yushen with a look of suspicion. She pointed at the extra desk in the office and said. “Isn’t that the case? You tell me you’re so busy, but why does your assistant Yuan Xi have time to go downstairs and watch the trainees practice? And why did you put his desk in your office?”

Fu Yushen glanced at the extra desk, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind, but he didn’t believe Qi Yunrou’s words.

The office had been used by his older brother recently, and if Yuan Xi really was his assistant, then it would be his brother’s assistant. But Fu Yushen knew his brother well—he was certain his brother wouldn’t tolerate someone incompetent around him, especially in such an important role like an assistant. To Fu Yushen, Yuan Xi was just an incompetent fool.

So, he couldn’t believe that his older brother would associate with someone like Yuan Xi, nor could he accept the idea that Yuan Xi had become his brother’s assistant, let alone worked in his office.

“Yunrou, stop making a scene. I know I’ve been neglecting you recently, but can we please stop talking about Yuan Xi? It was because of you that Yuan Xi almost drowned last time, and Aunt Zhang called to scold me about it. Now, you’re bringing up Yuan Xi again. Can we please not mention him?”

Fu Yushen rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on whenever Yuan Xi was mentioned.

He didn’t understand why Qi Yunrou kept targeting Yuan Xi. Every time something went wrong, Aunt Zhang would call to scold him. While the reprimands didn’t really hurt, Aunt Zhang had watched him grow up, so being scolded by her always left him feeling uncomfortable.

And on top of that, Qi Yunrou would always get irrationally jealous and throw tantrums over Yuan Xi, which made Fu Yushen feel exhausted.

Qi Yunrou didn’t know Fu Yushen’s true thoughts or that he had actually not been at Xingyao Entertainment recently. So, when Fu Yushen denied everything, she saw it as him defending Yuan Xi.

She looked at Fu Yushen in disappointment, thinking that the man in front of her had clearly been brainwashed by Yuan Xi and might even be starting to develop feelings for him.

“Yushen, I don’t want this either, but how are you going to explain that Yuan Xi is your assistant? Do you know how painful it was for me to see him the day I came to find you after finishing my shoot?”

Fu Yushen looked at Qi Yunrou, who seemed so aggrieved, but for the first time, he didn’t feel any sympathy. Instead, all he felt was frustration.

He had already been feeling uncomfortable after a month of non-stop work without rest. Now, back at his own company, he had to deal with Qi Yunrou’s unreasonable outbursts. On top of that, there were still several important files on his desk that needed his attention.

Each of these things made Fu Yushen feel drained and helpless.

“Yunrou, stop making a scene, okay? I’ve already told you, Yuan Xi is not my assistant. And I haven’t had a proper rest for a month. Can you be quiet and let me get some peace and quiet to rest, please?”

His voice was filled with exhaustion.

“Yushen, stop lying to me!” Qi Yunrou’s tone softened, but she still tried to say something.

“I said stop making a scene, can’t you understand?! Get out now!”

=^_^=