Internal affairs? Why should he be the one to manage the Guan family’s internal affairs? He wasn’t—  

If I were a woman, this would be a marriage proposal! Did Guan Zhengying realize how easily this could be misunderstood?!  

Jiang Quyan’s heart pounded like a drum, but he managed to maintain his composure and joke, “Does a VP have to do this too? Then I’d like to ask for a raise.”  

“Why not just convert it into company shares for you? Wouldn’t taking dividends be better?” The big boss gazed at him with amusement.  

Jiang Quyan felt uneasy under his stare. “That’s not what I meant…” He sighed. “Boss, this puts me in a difficult position. The eldest young master already doesn’t like me—he and his uncle would love to see me dead. Ah Xue is obedient sure, but we have a work relationship, so it makes sense. But you want me to… manage internal affairs… I’m afraid I’m not up for the task…”  

Even saying the words “internal affairs” made him uncomfortable.  

“As long as you’re willing, that’s enough,” Guan Zhengying said with a smile. “I’m not asking you to take over everything right away. I’ll guide you.”  

That’s not what I meant! I was just being polite!  

Usually, when someone says “I’d love to help, but I’m afraid I can’t…” It’s a polite way of saying no! No, do you not understand that?!  

Jiang Quyan gave up and threw caution to the wind. “Boss, I know you’re too busy to date, and since your first wife passed not long ago, you must still miss her and not want to remarry. But personally, I think this kind of role is better suited for a woman…”  

Guan Zhengying put down his chopsticks. “You think I should remarry?”  

Sensing his displeasure, Jiang carefully rephrased, “If you’ve met someone you like, I fully support it! I’d absolutely respect and admire her. If a new madam enters the family, I’ll treat her with the same respect I show you.”  

Guan Zhengying’s expression remained neutral as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.  

Jiang Quyan could tell he was truly unhappy now, and his heart tightened.  

Thankfully, Boss Guan didn’t lose his temper. “I know what I’m doing. Don’t bring this up again in the future.”  

…..

“Then what? Did he say anything else?”  

“No, and I didn’t dare say more either. At that point, what else could I say?”  

“So did he say whether he still wants you to handle the internal affairs?”  

“He didn’t. He just goes with whatever he thinks of at the moment.” Jiang Quyan slumped onto the sofa in his new Vice President’s office, looking dejected. “Why are middle-aged men going through a crisis so hard to deal with? They’re even more temperamental than women going through menopause.”  

His assistant, Maggie, brought him a coffee. “It could really be a hormone imbalance. I read an article the other day that said midlife crises happen when a man’s testosterone levels start to drop. Once they enter this phase, everything begins to decline—hair loss, insomnia, reduced performance in… certain areas…”  

“So that’s why he’s lost interest in women!” Jiang Quyan suddenly understood. “It’s hormones!”  

Maggie sat beside him and advised, “Nature is fair. No matter how rich or powerful a man is, he can’t escape the effects of hormones. When it’s time, it’s time. You should just treat him like a big kid and keep him happy. Eventually, one day, he’ll figure things out.”  

Jiang Quyan sighed. “True. It’s not easy for a man to accept aging.”  

Meanwhile, Maggie was directing the security team to move Jiang Quyan’s belongings from his old office downstairs to his new one. Surprisingly, despite his old Director Office being empty for years, they still managed to pack up over a dozen boxes, instantly cluttering his new space.  

The good news, however, was that his new office no longer faced Guan Zhengying’s. Since they were now on the same floor, but at opposite ends of the hallway, he no longer had to endure his boss’s watchful gaze all day.  

…

It was Monday, and Jiang Quyan still had to attend the company’s regular meeting. After that, he took the opportunity to move into his new office and hand over work responsibilities to Maggie. Once everything was wrapped up, he would officially begin his two-month-long vacation.  

“For Entertainment News, just contact Dylan. I’ve already briefed him, and he knows who you are,” Jiang Quyan instructed, going through a long list of contacts with Maggie. “Make sure he sends you the interview outline by Wednesday at the latest. I’ve reviewed the first draft and told him what needs to be revised. If he doesn’t deliver, call me.”  

Maggie took notes while reviewing the schedule. “I think Wednesday is also when the Fashion Week summary needs to be sent out.”  

“Yeah, the draft is with Fiona. Just ask her for—”  

Before he could finish, his phone rang.  

Seeing that it was a call from Guan Xuexin, he picked up immediately.

“Ge, give me some money,” the young lady got straight to the point.

Jiang Quyan was stunned. “What money? Why should I give you money?”

Miss Guan spoke with urgency. “It’s James’ birthday, and I want to buy him a guitar, but it’s a bit expensive. I need to apply for a special allowance.”

“I’m at TOM LEE right now, ready to pay. Just transfer the money to me.”

“Isn’t your dad the one giving you pocket money?” Jiang Quyan asked.

Guan Xuexin was also surprised. “But I just called him, and he said that from now on, I should ask you for money.”

Since Guan Xuexin was underage, even though she was the highest-earning model at Fuzheng, all of her income was directly managed by her guardian, Guan Zhengying. As her father, he would give her a fixed amount of pocket money each month, and for larger expenses, she had to apply for a “special allowance.”

Jiang Quyan found this baffling. “He said that? Did he really say that?”

Guan Xuexin felt tricked. “Why would I lie? He said it himself—my pocket money and special allowances should all come from you now. He said he’s handed the money over to you. You didn’t know? Wow, if he didn’t want to give me money, he could’ve just said so instead of using you as an excuse! It’s not like I waste money…”

Jiang Quyan almost choked. “Hold on. I need to ask him.”

He hung up and immediately called Guan Zhengying, skipping any pleasantries. “Did you tell Ah Xue to ask me for money?”

“Yes,” Guan Zhengying seemed to have expected his call and explained calmly, “Ah Wen will bring you my account and card later. He’s handling the bank procedures, so he might not get back until after work.”

Jiang Quyan was at a loss for words.

Guan Zhengying waited for a moment, then chuckled when he didn’t get a response. “It’s just having you manage some money. The pocket money for the kids isn’t a big amount. I have to deal with so many accounts every day—this kind of small matter, you can decide on your own.”

Jiang Quyan swallowed hard. “The issue isn’t the money…”

“The general accounts still come to me for review every quarter. You’re just helping me distribute the money, and the amounts are all pre-set. The bank will transfer them automatically, so you don’t have to worry. At most, they’ll just let you know if they need something extra.” Guan Zhengying’s voice softened. “I really don’t have time for this. Even before, I never handled it myself.”

His reasoning and sincerity made it hard for Jiang Quyan to argue too strongly. “How do I know how much I can approve and how much I can’t?”

“Ah Xue isn’t the type to waste money. If she asks for something reasonable, just give it to her,” Guan Zhengying said gently. “As for Ah Hong, you’ll have to keep an eye on him. If he’s unreasonable, don’t give him anything. If he comes to argue, tell him to come to me.”

Jiang Quyan still felt uneasy. “Are you sure about this? This is your money…”

“Your monthly allowance will also come from this account,” Guan Zhengying said. “Buy whatever you like. It’s my money, so don’t feel bad about it. Just think of it as me paying you to help manage my finances.”

Jiang Quyan was at a loss for words.

Later, Chairman’s secretary, Mai Xuwen, arrived and handed over Guan Zhengying’s account and card to Jiang Quyan.

“The bank issues statements every quarter, but the boss usually doesn’t look at them in detail—he only reviews everything at the end of the year,” Mai Xuwen explained. “Household staff salaries, living expenses, allowances for the young master and miss, as well as financial support for relatives—all of it comes from this account. The ledger is very clear. Some of it includes expenses from the late first madam, and the boss said that from now on, your expenses will be included as well.”

Jiang Quyan couldn’t listen anymore. “He already told me. You don’t need to repeat it.”

Mai Xuwen thought Jiang Quyan was upset with him. “The boss said you only need to report to him about the money.”

In other words, he wasn’t being sent to monitor Jiang Quyan.

Jiang Quyan glanced at him, then stood up and put an arm around his shoulder. “Come on, dinner’s on me tonight.”

Mai Xuwen was caught off guard. “I still have work…”

“Call the boss now and tell him I need you for something. Ask him if he agrees.” Jiang Quyan straightened his posture.

Mai Xuwen was silent for two seconds, then decided against making the call. “The boss said you can use his card for dining out.”

This was the first time Jiang Quyan had ever had dinner alone with the secretary. Mai Xuwen had been with Guan Zhengying for many years, even before Jiang Quyan entered the Guan family. Back then, it was Mai Xuwen whom Guan Zhengying had personally bailed out of the police department with a bag full of cash. He was one of the few people Guan Zhengying fully trusted, even the late first madam, Lin Zhifang, had to show him some respect.

To reach that level as a secretary, Jiang Quyan was genuinely impressed. He poured Mai Xuwen a drink. “You know, I have enough self-awareness to admit that I have a bad temper, I’m spoiled, and sometimes I have a sharp tongue. I’m not good at serving my superiors, so I’ve always admired how sharp secretaries have to be. I could never do your job. I should really learn from you.”

Mai Xuwen was unfazed. “The boss trusts me. I just do my job.”

“How do you put up with the boss when he’s… weird?” Jiang Quyan asked.

Mai Xuwen didn’t get it. “‘Weird’ how?”

“You know, like when he gets angry, makes reckless decisions, or asks you to do things way outside your job description.”

“You mean, why did he suddenly want you to manage his money?” Mai Xuwen caught on.

“Smart guy. Saves me the effort of explaining.”

Mai Xuwen answered honestly. “I don’t know. I never question the boss’s decisions, and he never explains them. I take his money and follow his orders—that’s all.”

Jiang Quyan figured that was probably the key to being a good secretary. “Has he ever made you do something that was completely outside your job description?”

Mai Xuwen answered matter-of-factly, “I’m the boss’s secretary. Whatever he tells me to do is my job.”

Jiang Quyan clapped his hands in admiration. “High-level thinking! I just don’t have that kind of mindset.”

“The boss saved my life. Before working with him, I was just a person cleaning stoves in a small establishment, not even counted as a proper employee. When the owner’s son kept mistreating me, it was the boss who stepped in to protect me,” Mai Xuwen told Jiang Quyan. “I am very grateful to him, so I followed him, and I do whatever he asks me to do. He’s never mistreated me.”

Jiang Quyan was a bit moved upon hearing this. “I didn’t know there was such a story.”

Mai Xuwen reminisced: “The boss wanted to change his career path a long time ago. He came to find me and asked me to be his secretary. But I didn’t have much education, I barely studied, let alone know any foreign languages. I couldn’t even write an email. So, he enrolled me in classes to learn English, and he even learned with me. He wasn’t afraid of being laughed at for being older, he studied seriously.”

“He told me before that he used to read the South China Morning Post every day, checking every word. At first, it took him two hours to read an article, then it became one hour, and eventually just ten minutes,” Jiang Quyan recalled.

Mai Xuwen nodded: “Yes, the company started like this, bit by bit. At first, I made a lot of mistakes—reports were badly written, schedules were a mess, official documents were wrongly formatted… Later, there was a big problem, and we lost a huge deal. I felt guilty and wrote a resignation letter, thinking the boss would be really angry with me.”

“But instead, he sat down and had a serious talk with me. He told me not to preset myself and think I wasn’t fit for the position or that I wasn’t capable. Instead, I should shift my mindset and focus on improving my abilities and my state to become someone who could succeed.”

“I felt he was sincere because, for a period, I really thought I was bad and doubted whether I could be a good secretary. After that talk, I completely changed.”

Jiang Quyan was lost in thought. The golden liquid in his glass reflected his face.

“I think, since the boss asked you to manage the money, it means he believes you have the ability and qualifications to do so,” Mai Xuwen tried to answer Jiang Quyan’s concerns based on his own experience. “He wouldn’t ask just anyone to handle these things. So you don’t need to doubt whether he’s just making a whimsical decision.”

Jiang Quyan didn’t know how to explain: “It’s not that I think I’m unqualified.”

Mai Xuwen pondered: “Is it because you think this is something only the Madam should do, and that you shouldn’t be involved?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Quyan sighed. “This is family business for the Guan family. It’s not necessarily the madam’s role, but at least it should be someone in his family. I’m not part of his family. How can I do these things?”

Mai Xuwen interpreted the boss’s intentions: “Since the boss made this decision, he considers you family.”

Jiang Quyan asked back, “Just because he wants me to, does that mean I have to? Is being his family such an honor?”