Chapter 22

The next day was filled with meetings, big and small. Xie Rongzhuo spent the whole day in meetings, and Shen Mi was also busy running around.

Although most of the meetings didn’t directly involve Shen Mi, her attendance rate was a whopping ninety percent, diligently taking notes at each one.

Everyone could see that Xie Rongzhuo was mentoring Shen Mi. No one was foolish enough to treat her as a mere secretary. Observing and understanding the situation was an essential skill in the workplace. Often, Shen Mi didn’t even need to ask for anything, and the executives would proactively give her the materials.

After that, there was another hour-long video conference, followed by continuous appointments, calls, and meetings with various partners.

It wasn’t until the afternoon, when the partners came to sign the contract, that Shen Mi finally had some free time.

In the conference room, the partners were talking, Xie Rongzhuo was looking over the materials, occasionally responding with a few words, but mostly listening intently.

He had an air of nobility about him, a kind of expensive aura that was intimidating. The others were clearly in awe of him, their conversation tinged with cautious probing.

It was hard to imagine that such a composed man would have been so angry last night that he threw his car keys and left.

Shen Mi replayed the events in her mind. It seemed like his expression started to change when she said “a daughter avoids her father.”

It was probably the comment about him having “special interests” that really got to him.

Shen Mi regretfully rubbed her forehead. How could a man like Xie Rongzhuo, who exuded coldness and abstinence, possibly have that kind of preference?

Why did she bring it up in the first place?

Truly, her heart was a “thumping” disaster.

Her phone buzzed, it was Zhang Zhiqing. Shen Mi picked up the call and walked towards her workstation, “Hello.”

“Mimi, are you still working overtime? I ordered some delicious roast chicken for you! My work card won’t work, come down to the cafeteria.”

Shen Mi first delivered Xie Rongzhuo’s dinner to his office, sent him a WeChat message, and then went downstairs to the cafeteria to find Zhang Zhiqing.

Overtime was the norm in the financial industry, and the employee cafeteria was still packed with people in the evening.

Seeing Shen Mi, Zhang Zhiqing took responsibility and confessed, “Wuwuwu, I’m sorry, Mimi, I was wrong. I didn’t really think my uncle would actually go.” She pulled Shen Mi over, looking pitiful, “I saved you a seat, sit down, sit down.”

Shen Mi sat down, remaining silent.

Sometimes she was very similar to Xie Rongzhuo, especially when she became quiet and expressionless, staring at people. It terrified Zhang Zhiqing.

“Don’t look at me like that, smile.”

Shen Mi gave a forced smile, “Hee.”

It was indeed Zhang Zhiqing who tricked him. She had said that Xie Rongzhuo would never suddenly take her to the movies.

Zhang Zhiqing leaned on the table, blinking her eyes, looking pathetically wronged, “Since my uncle went, I definitely couldn’t be a third wheel, right?” She pouted, “Considering it’s my first offense, just forgive me this time. I’ll do it again next time.”

“You really dare.” Shen Mi couldn’t hold it in anymore, she opened the bag on the table, the aroma of roast chicken made her salivate. She tore open a pair of gloves and started eating, “How did you come up with the idea of setting me up with your uncle?”

“Because I want you to be my little aunt!” Zhang Zhiqing didn’t hide it, “My uncle is very rich! Don’t you want to make money? Just go for Xie Rongzhuo!”

“…?”

“As the saying goes, don’t let the fat water flow to outsiders, we can’t let those outside vamps get him.”

“…”

“With your intelligence and beauty, plus my strategic guidance, we’ll work together from the inside and out. I don’t believe we can’t get him!”

“You traitor! If your uncle finds out, you’ll be a traitor!”

“How can you be considered an outsider? You’re my benefactor, my best friend! Besides, when he finds out, it’s not even certain who’ll be controlling who!”

Shen Mi tore off a chicken leg and gave it to Zhang Zhiqing, “But I offended him badly yesterday, he hasn’t acknowledged me since.”

Xie Rongzhuo hadn’t even glanced at her this morning. Although he brought her to the meeting, he treated her like air the whole time.

“Ah? My uncle is mad at you? How did you manage that?! Come on, tell me.”

“What do you mean, ‘how did I manage that’?” Shen Mi swallowed the chicken meat, “Doesn’t he ever get angry?”

It wasn’t that she wasn’t angry, but the near-indifference, the lack of care, would make people mistakenly think he was just cold-hearted. If Xie Rongzhuo hadn’t been so obviously upset, Shen Mi wouldn’t have been able to tell he was angry.

Zhang Zhiqing was incredibly curious, wondering what could make Xie Rongzhuo lose control of his emotions to the point where he couldn’t hide it.

She looked at Shen Mi with a gossipy expression, “How did you know my uncle was angry? Did he yell at you? How did he yell? Did he hold your shoulders and shake you while roaring?”

Shen Mi almost choked, “Do you think Xie Rongzhuo would do something like that?”

Zhang Zhiqing, “Well, it’s hard to say. A high and mighty flower who falls in love is prone to going crazy.”

Shen Mi, “You seem to have a lot of experience.”

Zhang Zhiqing proudly said, “I wouldn’t say I have experience, but I definitely know more than you. Don’t forget, I have a boyfriend.”

Shen Mi told Zhang Zhiqing about what happened last night.

However, she omitted the “online dating” part.

She knew Xie Rongzhuo wouldn’t want his niece to know about it, and she didn’t say anything to protect his image.

Zhang Zhiqing’s expression was one of shock, “He was so angry he even abandoned his car?!”

Shen Mi, “Yeah!”

“He told you to disappear from his sight??”

“Yeah!”

“How could someone with a 36-degree body temperature do something so cold!”

“Exactly!”

“No, no, no, wait a minute…” Zhang Zhiqing paused, “My uncle, he left his car for you, and then he walked away himself?”

Shen Mi, “Uh-huh.”

“On foot?”

“What else?”

“Looking at it that way… it doesn’t seem too cold after all.” Zhang Zhiqing was a little confused, staring at Shen Mi for a few seconds, “Why do I feel like you two are a couple arguing, the man leaving the house for his wife and running away from home?”

Shen Mi: “?”

Zhang Zhiqing suddenly felt Xie Rongzhuo’s behavior was strange. He didn’t like anyone touching his things, even Zhang Zhiqing couldn’t drive his car, she had once wanted to drive his sports car and begged him for a long time but he didn’t agree.

She looked up, “Mimi, is it possible that my uncle likes you?”

Shen Mi said confidently, “Impossible.”

She had flirted with him in the game for so long, and Xie Rongzhuo hadn’t reacted at all! It made her think he was female for a while.

After knowing his gender, Shen Mi quickly fell for him, eager to have a real-life relationship with him, and flirted with him with all sorts of intentional and unintentional sweet talk, but what happened? Xie Rongzhuo treated her like a daughter!

Zhang Zhiqing also thought it was unlikely, Xie Rongzhuo wasn’t someone who fell in love easily, otherwise he would have married long ago.

People say that pursuing a girl is easy, but over the years so many beautiful girls have pursued him and he hasn’t dated anyone. And how long have he and Shen Mi known each other for? It’s not like they can fall in love so quickly.

“I don’t know why, but I feel like my uncle is different towards you.” Zhang Zhiqing couldn’t say exactly what was different, “Why don’t you consider him again?”

Shen Mi couldn’t dare to.

Xie Rongzhuo was her benefactor, her bread and butter. If things went wrong, her five social insurances and one housing fund, her home-buying plan, would all be in ruins.

“Mimi, you’ve been reluctant to date, are you still holding a grudge against what Ke Zhan’s mother said?” Zhang Zhiqing said, “Don’t listen to that old witch’s nonsense, you’re so excellent, you deserve the best, they’re not good enough for you.”

Thinking about it, Zhang Zhiqing got angry, “Just because they opened a small company, what’s so great about that? My uncle could buy their entire company with the money he drops from his fingers!”

Shen Mi suddenly remembered, “Right, this money is for you.” She took two bundles of money from her bag and put them on the table.

Zhang Zhiqing was confused, “Why give me money?”

“Your grandfather asked Xie Rongzhuo to give it to me.”

“My uncle gave it to you?” Zhang Zhiqing pushed the money back, “I can’t take it, if you want to return it, return it to him.”

She said seriously, “Actually, last night wasn’t entirely a scam, my uncle did promise grandpa that he would personally invite you to dinner to thank you.”

So Xie Rongzhuo is pretty good to his niece, he was willing to sacrifice himself to thank Zhang Zhiqing’s benefactor. Thinking about it, Ning Xinlei’s words “the boss is going to dedicate himself to his white moonlight” suddenly popped up.

Shen Mi pushed her hair back, her expression unnatural, “I have a question for you. Does your uncle have someone he likes?”

Seeing that Shen Mi was interested in Xie Rongzhuo, Zhang Zhiqing excitedly said, “No! Is there anything else you want to know? Ask me, ask me quickly.”

Shen Mi’s eyes flickered, “Then, does he have, like, a white moonlight he can’t have?”

“I know about his obvious girlfriends, definitely none. As for secret crushes, I really don’t know.”

Zhang Zhiqing tried to recall, Shen Mi was almost finished eating, she finally remembered, “Ah, there seems to be one!”

Shen Mi suddenly looked up, her ears perked up listening.

Zhang Zhiqing said, “It was at the hospital last time, I heard my grandpa say that my uncle has someone in his heart.”

No one knows a son better than his father, if Xie Lao Ye said so, it must be true.

Shen Mi felt a sudden pang of disappointment.

No wonder Xie Rongzhuo was so difficult to flirt with online, it turns out he has someone in his heart.

“But I don’t think it’s likely.” Zhang Zhiqing analyzed seriously, “My uncle is the kind of person who will go directly after what he wants, a secret crush wouldn’t happen to him. Unless… that girl is no longer around.”

“Or maybe he’s like you, has psychological trauma, doesn’t want to date, the more you pursue him, the more he hides, he doesn’t dare to chase.”

Otherwise, someone as excellent as Xie Rongzhuo wouldn’t be so humble as to secretly love someone.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, Shen Mi did have the problem that Zhang Zhiqing mentioned. In the past two years, many boys had pursued her, but the more excellent the boys were who showed their affection, the more Shen Mi avoided them.

Although Shen Mi didn’t fully agree with Ke Zhan’s mother, what she said was right, someone with a background like Shen Mi’s wouldn’t be able to help their significant other, but instead would be entangled with her bizarre mother and a bunch of poor relatives, holding them back.

That kind of family, once you get involved, it’s a bottomless pit, who would dare to get involved?

“Besides, she doesn’t even have a place to call home. She’s really not a match for a young master with a house and a car. It’s better to give him a clean break, block him and stop all contact, and cut off his hopes.”

“As expected.” Zhang Zhiqing sighed, seeing Shen Mi’s expression. “You still care about what his mother said.”

“Mi Mi, tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for my uncle? Forget about what his mother said, ignore your background, and just think about him as a person.”

Shen Mi replied without hesitation, “No one would reject Xie Rongzhuo.”

“That’s all I need to hear!” Zhang Zhiqing slammed her fist on the table. “With your words, I’m going to be your scheming, meddling strategist!”

“No,” Shen Mi suddenly regretted her impulsive words. “That’s not what I meant! Don’t do anything rash! He’s still angry with me!”

“Don’t worry, I have my own plan!”

•  

When Shen Mi went upstairs, Xie Rongzhuo had already finished his meeting. Ten minutes ago, he sent her a message asking her to leave work early.

The door to the president’s office was open. Shen Mi sat at her desk and looked inside. Xie Rongzhuo was hunched over, working intently. Sitting in that position, no longer needing to measure success by money, he seemed even busier.

After organizing her files, Shen Mi shut down her computer and left work.

Sunset came early in Huicheng. Before seven o’clock, the night had completely descended. The office building’s lights illuminated the square, and the entire street was brightly lit. Shen Mi had a lot of cash in her bag and didn’t want to squeeze onto the subway, so she opened her ride-hailing app. There were hundreds of people in the queue…

“Shen Mi? You’re waiting for a car too? Why don’t we share one?” Ning Xinlei complained. “There seems to be a traffic accident at the intersection ahead. It’s so hard to get a taxi today, I’ve been waiting for half an hour.”

Shen Mi: “I think we’re not going the same way?”

“Right.”

The wait was boring, and Ning Xinlei couldn’t help but share some gossip with Shen Mi.

“You know, the boss went out to dinner with his white moonlight yesterday! And he even gave the girl a rare platinum bag!”

Shen Mi: ???

Turns out the gossip’s main character was herself??

“He’s rich and romantic, I’m jealous!” Ning Xinlei didn’t notice Shen Mi’s expression and continued talking to herself, staring at her phone. “I’m a little curious, with a boss like him, who’s so cold and aloof, does he act the same way in front of his girlfriend?” She was full of curiosity. “Do you think the boss would actually dedicate himself to her?”

Shen Mi: “…”

Understood, gossip is unreliable!

…

The square outside the residential complex was under construction. Shen Mi asked the driver to park on the side of the road and walked the rest of the way.

The green belt along the way had already been completed, and there were surveillance cameras everywhere. The lights were bright at night, and there were no more dirty, smelly ditches or shady people. It felt incredibly safe.

This location is so good. Once the square is finished, a commercial district will form, and the houses nearby will definitely be in high demand. Shen Mi currently lives in this apartment, which is fully equipped with appliances. After decorating it carefully over time, it has become very cozy and comfortable. She’s already reluctant to move.

She had inquired and found out that as long as you are a regular employee with outstanding performance, you can purchase a welfare apartment even if you haven’t been with the company for ten years. In recent years, the company has had a small number of quotas each year. You just need to get your department leader’s approval and sign a contract with the company.

Shen Mi stood on the balcony, gazing at the wall of the building across the street.

Apart from the balcony’s view not being very beautiful and being a bit dark at night, this apartment’s location and price were impeccable. She wanted to buy it.

She noticed that a waterproof sheet had been set up on the wall opposite, as if they were working on a hand-painted mural. It seemed like they had been painting for a while, as there was a lot of colored ink spilled on the ground.

Shen Mi suddenly felt a bit excited, after all, she was the “viewer” with the best angle.

Even the mural was trying to keep her, she was determined to get this apartment!

Shen Mi didn’t want to use the teacher-student relationship to get special treatment, but only Xie Rongzhuo could evaluate whether her performance was outstanding.

And only he could help her get her housing application approved. There was no other way for her.

Back in her room, Shen Mi grabbed her phone and sent a message to Xie Rongzhuo.

Shen Mi: I’m home now!

Shen Mi: Are you still working late?

Shen Mi: The outside of the building is so dark.

Shen Mi: No one would buy it, right? It’s so sad!

Shen Mi: How about you approve it for me?

At the same time.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, Xie Rongzhuo put his legs up on the desk, closed his laptop, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.

His phone kept popping up with messages.

He didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

He picked up his phone and clicked on the messages to check.

Rui Xing Hua Shang was founded by Xie Rongzhuo. In order to retain top talent, he partnered with real estate developers a few years ago to build several buildings. They were all delivered last year.

Actually, he had just approved a list of personnel, and all the employees in the president’s office now had the right to buy a house.

Including Shen Mi, who was transferred in.

She added a modal particle to the end of each sentence, not even omitting punctuation. It was quite deliberately affected.

Just like in a game.

Xie Rongzhuo looked at his phone and silently chuckled.

•  

Shen Mi stared at her phone, ten minutes passed, and Xie Rongzhuo didn’t reply.

Just about to give up, a reply from Xie Rongzhuo suddenly popped up in the chat box.

dsm: At the company.

Huh? What does that mean??

As if he guessed she would be confused, he sent another message.

dsm: Work hours, official business.

Shen Mi: “…”

Understood.

It’s fine, she can wait!

One hour later.

Shen Mi clicked on Xie Rongzhuo’s WeChat profile picture and continued to bother him: Master, are you off work yet?

Xie Rongzhuo replied: No

Two hours later.

Shen Mi tirelessly: Master, are you off work now?

Xie Rongzhuo replied instantly: Not selling.

Shen Mi: “…”

Author’s Note:

Boss Xie, are you not afraid of sleeping on the floor by teasing your wife like this!!