Chapter 037

Lu Jin’s figure disappeared into an office, and He Ye was still trying to process what just happened.

Her first boyfriend is now her direct supervisor?

*Team Leader is on a business trip; that’s why I just met him here.*

*If Lu Jin had been the interviewer…* 

He Ye would have probably withdrawn from the competition and applied for a different position in the operations control algorithm group at Blue Ocean Technology headquarters.

Now, as she signs the contract, why would she run away? That would waste the company’s time and be disrespectful to other applicants.

Besides, Lu Jin seemed so calm. If she left right after their meeting, it would be even more embarrassing if they ran into each other again.

Cheng Rui: “He Ye? You’re here early on your first day!”

He Ye turned around to see Cheng Rui, who had just stepped out of the elevator. He was casually dressed today, and his dimples showed when he smiled, making him look younger. Cheng Rui’s boyish charm stood out among the senior engineers.

She pushed aside her complicated feelings about Lu Jin, smiled at Cheng Rui, and tentatively said, “I think I just met Team Leader…”

Cheng Rui smiled: “Is he handsome? He’s our team leader, no doubt about it.”

He Ye: “…”

Cheng Rui continued: “Did Team Leader greet you? That’s normal; after all, he has seen your resume. If he remembers you from just your photo, it means he’s probably very pleased with you. Hehe, there are quite a few people from Jiaotong University in our R&D center, and they’re all like this!” 

He made an exaggerated thumbs-up gesture.

He Ye looked at his innocent baby face and decided not to tell the truth.

As they walked, Cheng Rui introduced her to the offices they passed, where they worked on algorithms, scheduling, vision, perception, and more.

Finally, Cheng Rui enthusiastically opened the door to the operations control team’s office for He Ye.

She noticed the new office was larger than she expected. It had a section for work, a rest area, and a meeting space. The row of bookcases next to the rest area was filled with books, giving off an academic vibe.

In the office area, there were four rows of workstations, divided into two groups facing each other, with three people at each workstation.

Two people were already there.

Cheng Rui pointed to a man taking up three workstations in the first row and said, “This is the face of our team, the cool and handsome team leader Lu Jin, whom you just met.”

He Ye saw Lu Jin sitting in a large black office chair, focused on his computer. He seemed unaware of Cheng Rui’s teasing, his expression cold as he stared at the screen.

Cheng Rui smiled at He Ye: “He’s like this; when he’s busy, he forgets everyone. You’ll get used to it.”

He Ye was already accustomed to Lu Jin’s demeanor. In high school, he was known as a cool and arrogant academic star.

Cheng Rui pointed to a tall, strong male colleague sitting opposite Lu Jin and continued his introduction: “This is Hu Qiang. We all call him Brother Qiang. Think about it; a warrior who dares to sit across from Team Leader must be strong!”

This earned Brother Qiang a glare, but he smiled brightly at He Ye: “He Ye, right? Welcome to the team; we’ll be together from now on.”

He Ye smiled back.

“The other two strong guys next to Brother Qiang are Jiang Xu and Wang Wei.”

Cheng Rui guided her to the only empty seat in the second group, the fourth row near the aisle. “Sister, sit here. Next to you are Brother Fei and Gong Hang. Opposite you are Feng Qiuyu, me, and Song Chengzhou. Feng Qiuyu and Jiang Xu are a couple. I’ll introduce you to them when they arrive; it’ll help you remember their faces.”

He Ye replied, “Okay, thank you.”

Cheng Rui said, “You’re welcome. Come on, scan this friend, and I’ll add you to our group.”

He Ye turned on her phone.

After Cheng Rui scanned her phone, he saw her profile picture and made a cute expression: “What cute lotus leaves! They really match the vibe of a junior sister.”

He Ye smiled slightly, already familiar with his demeanor.

“It’s done. Take a look.”

He Ye checked the group member list. There were ten people in total. Besides her and Cheng Rui, everyone had kept their group nicknames. The only special one was the “group leader.”

The profile picture and nickname matched those from high school.

He Ye suddenly wondered if this “team leader” was the note she had set for Lu Jin or if Lu Jin had changed it after joining the group.

She didn’t need to change her nickname; she had switched “Ye Zi Yuan Yuan” to her real name back in her freshman year.

“Cheng Rui, take He Ye to get her computer, and you’ll help her later,” Lu Jin said, still not looking up.

When new employees start, they usually have an experienced employee guide them until they’re familiar with the work and processes.

“Sure!” Cheng Rui accepted the task happily.

Not long after they left, Brother Qiang glanced at the door and snorted, “Cheng Rui keeps calling me a junior sister; he must have a crush on her.”

No one paid him any attention, and even Team Leader didn’t react.

Brother Qiang, who was seeking attention, thought: …

The place for office supplies was a bit far away, so when He Ye and Cheng Rui returned, the operations control team members had already arrived.

He Ye walked beside Cheng Rui, smiling as she accepted everyone’s attention.

Feng Qiuyu said, “Wow, she’s definitely a super beauty; Cheng Rui isn’t bragging this time!”

The tall and thin Liu Fei was even more enthusiastic. He helped distribute some office supplies from Cheng Rui and said to He Ye shyly, “I’m Liu Fei, sitting next to you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”

Gong Hang, who dressed elegantly and wore a fancy watch, adjusted his glasses with a gentle smile: “You can ask me; I know more than him.”

Feng Qiuyu joked, “Whoa, the competition is here already? I tell you all to be more reserved and not scare our little Ye.”

Song Chengzhou, who had been quietly sitting on the side, commented, “You two, a little leaf and a feather, are quite a good match.”

They all had very different personalities, making it easy for He Ye to remember them.

He Ye’s workstation faced Lu Jin’s.

Fortunately, there were wooden screens between the two rows of workstations, so no one could see each other unless they stood up or leaned forward to look.

He Ye spent the entire morning getting familiar with her work. When she focused, time flew by, and before she knew it, it was noon.

Feng Qiuyu naturally took charge, dragging Cheng Rui away and leading He Ye to the cafeteria.

He Ye wasn’t great at initiating social interactions, but she welcomed Feng Qiuyu’s enthusiasm. It helped ease her nerves about starting a new job. Like in college, she didn’t mind going to class or the cafeteria alone, but which girl wouldn’t appreciate an invitation from a roommate?

“The third and fourth floors are both cafeterias. Our group usually eats on the fourth floor.”

“Is the fourth floor tastier?”

“Almost. Sometimes I have to wait too long for the elevator, so I can skip one floor by taking the stairs from the fourth floor.”

“…”

“He Ye, your skin is so good; it’s even whiter than mine, even with foundation. Natural beauty means you save money.”

He Ye stared at Feng Qiuyu, unsure: “You’re not using foundation now, right?”

Feng Qiuyu laughed: “It’s useless. Why bother with work expenses? It’s better to look nice when going out to have fun.”

The two ladies walked in front, chatting about food, makeup, clothes, and some gossip.

The eight male colleagues were divided into two or three groups, following behind at a distance.

Cheng Rui looked at Feng Qiuyu’s smile that hadn’t stopped since they left the office and said to Jiang Xu, “Today I realized that Sister Yu talks more than I do.”

Jiang Xu smiled: “She has a lot to say, but usually, there’s no one for her to talk to.”

Cheng Rui: “Don’t you still have her?”

Jiang Xu: “Sometimes, best friends are closer than boyfriends.”

Cheng Rui: “I understand. Sister Yu came to you to relieve her boredom because she felt lonely in our group. If He Ye had come earlier, you would probably still be single.”

Jiang Xu: “…”

When they arrived at the cafeteria, He Ye and Feng Qiuyu were inseparable. After getting their food, they chose a table with many empty seats and sat down.

As a boyfriend, Jiang Xu would definitely get closer to them. Cheng Rui liked making friends too, so he sat across from He Ye with a smile.

While talking to them, He Ye watched other colleagues out of the corner of her eye.

Brother Qiang and the others came over. Lu Jin walked last, holding a tray in one hand, and sat down next to Brother Qiang, facing Wang Wei.

He seemed to have truly forgotten what had happened between them.

He Ye felt relieved by this.

Cheng Rui suddenly looked over and asked Lu Jin excitedly, “Team Leader, according to the custom in the martial arts world, can you treat us to a meal tonight to formally welcome He Ye to the team?”

Lu Jin glanced at him calmly and said, “You choose the location.”

His promise excited the whole group, and everyone started talking about delicious restaurants they had been to.

He Ye felt a little uncomfortable, but welcoming new members was a departmental routine, and she didn’t need to think too much about her relationship with Lu Jin.

She listened to the discussion with a smile.

Girls who liked to simply tie their hair into a ponytail in high school would naturally try new hairstyles when they go to college.

He Ye now has shoulder-length hair that is soft and smooth, with thin bangs on her forehead.

With naturally fair skin and good rest, her cheeks look as soft and translucent as the female stars in skincare product advertisements.

Feng Qiuyu was eating when she suddenly propped her chin with one hand, staring intently at He Ye across from her, and sighed softly: “This is the first time I’ve come into close contact with a beauty like Xiao Ye. She is so beautiful; I feel full just looking at her.”

Instinctively, the other colleagues who heard this looked at He Ye.

He Ye: “…”

She couldn’t help but blush.

Gong Hang smiled and, as a representative, asked the common question from the single male colleagues: “Xiao Ye, are you single now?”

He Ye nodded awkwardly.

Gong Hang turned his watch and signaled his ambition to the other males present.

He planned to pursue He Ye and felt confident he could win her over. After all, from looks to education to financial conditions, he is the best among those below Team Leader.

As for Team Leader, he is a well-known workaholic and has no interest in women.

Faced with Gong Hang’s challenge, some who weren’t interested in He Ye smiled indifferently, while others weighed their chances against Gong Hang.

He Ye, who was eating with her eyes down, didn’t notice the tension among the men.

After dinner, everyone returned to the office one by one.