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Seeing Shen Mi not speaking, Xie Rongzhuo leaned closer. He sat beside her, his breath a hot wave scorching Shen Mi’s face.
“I’m asking you a question.” His gaze swept over, scrutinizing her cheeks, his expression calm as usual: “Darling, disciple.”
The surrounding air was instantly enveloped by his presence, the heat rising, the air thinning. Shen Mi forced a smile: “What should I say? Darling Master.”
Seeing her flushed face and forced smile, Xie Rongzhuo slowly straightened up, pulling back slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on her face. “Just tell me, how is that man who’s pursuing you?”
He brought the topic back again.
There was no such man pursuing her! She just made it up!
Shen Mi wanted to call her strategist, but Xie Rongzhuo didn’t give her the chance. He said slowly, “He’s taller than me, more handsome than me, and a better kisser than me?”
“…”
She had complimented him on his kissing skills, but why was he showing off now?
As Shen Mi remained silent, feeling guilty, Xie Rongzhuo sneered, “If he can’t even beat me, how can he win you over?”
Shen Mi: “…”
His tone was like a father picking a son-in-law, finding fault with everything.
He was her master, not her father. Xie Rongzhuo wouldn’t really be treating her like his daughter, would he? What kind of strange obsession is this!
“Shen Mi, I’m curious.” Xie Rongzhuo said in a deep voice, “Before, all those who pursued you were blocked without exception. Why are you telling me about this one, that you’ve fallen for him?”
Shen Mi still had a shadow in her heart from the incident with Ke Zhan’s mother.
She resisted expressions of affection from the opposite sex, her boundaries were incredibly strong.
Many people had pursued her in college, but her contact list didn’t have a single contact number of a pursuer.
She hadn’t expected Xie Rongzhuo to know even this.
His arm rested on the back of her chair, he was tall, his shoulder was higher than hers, his tall frame enveloped her. Shen Mi felt so small next to Xie Rongzhuo, even though she wasn’t short.
She controlled her breathing, her heart racing, she didn’t even know where to look.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Shen Mi took the opportunity to stand up and escape Xie Rongzhuo’s control. “I, I’m going out.”
She left the office in a hurry.
As she passed Shen Mi, Zhang Wen (zhǔ) stared intently. Seeing her flushed cheeks and slightly disheveled hair, he widened his eyes as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret.
…Did he come at the wrong time?
Xie Rongzhuo composed himself, reached out and picked up a long hair that had fallen on the sofa. The other arm was still resting on the back of the chair where Shen Mi had been sitting. He leaned back lazily against the sofa and asked softly, “What’s the situation with that company?”
Zhang Wen reported, “The land Zhao Miss mortgaged does indeed have disputes, but the company’s current liquid assets are not affected and can operate normally. The main problem they are facing is malicious suppression by competitors. Their analysts and executives are all industry elites recruited from American companies. I’ve completed a background check on the project Secretary Shen invested in and also found an excuse to review her reports. Secretary Shen is very professional, there are no problems, you can rest assured.”
“Don’t let her know.” Xie Rongzhuo stroked the strand of hair. “If you discover problems, you can hint at it. She’s very smart, she’ll know what to do. As for how to do it, just let her decide, don’t interfere.”
Zhang Wen: “Understood.”
“You’ve been working hard these past few days.” Xie Rongzhuo walked to his desk, took out a card from the drawer. “The car you liked last time, go pick it up when you have time.”
Just for helping Shen Mi a little, he earned a car. Zhang Wen’s face was excited: “Thank you, boss!”
Back at her desk, Shen Mi picked up her phone. Ning Xinlei had sent her a bunch of messages, eager to see the results of her advice.
Shen Mi replied: Failed.
What is the nature of the “malicious suppression” by competitors?
Why is Xie Rongzhuo so concerned about Shen Mi’s company?
What does Xie Rongzhuo mean by “hint at it” when referring to potential problems?
She and Xie Rongzhuo also had a master-disciple relationship, he had a “senior’s burden,” this kind of “土狗” love test seemed useless to him.
But why was he so… Shen Mi felt that if she hadn’t dodged, Xie Rongzhuo might have really kissed her.
Shen Mi pressed her lips together, stopped for a moment, and suddenly remembered that Xie Rongzhuo liked even numbers!
That night they had only kissed once, wouldn’t he be… thinking about making up for it?
Lost in thought, Ning Xinlei had already popped up with several messages: Impossible! Unless the guy doesn’t like your friend.
Ning Xinlei: No man can tolerate a rival dancing in front of him!
Ning Xinlei: None at all!
Ning Xinlei: If he doesn’t care, then he doesn’t like…
Shen Mi couldn’t be sure if Xie Rongzhuo was jealous, she was just letting herself get carried away. Shen Mi wasn’t actually a confident girl, all her “confidence” came from her work, it was a habitual disguise, the corners smoothed out by the harsh realities of society.
In fact, she was very insecure. When everyone else was happily celebrating the New Year, she would wander alone on the roadside, not daring to look at the riverbank opposite, afraid of being discovered waiting for her father. She had a strong sense of self-esteem, afraid of not being waited for, of being pitied and mocked.
The more pitiful she was, the more she pretended to be nonchalant.
It was the same with her feelings. When facing Xie Rongzhuo, Shen Mi was extremely insecure, but she wouldn’t show it. She would even deceive herself.
She didn’t think there was anything wrong with this self-deception, at least she had tasted a bit of sweetness.
This sweetness didn’t conflict with her hard work, it even gave her strength.
Liking someone excellent would make herself excellent too.
So she didn’t resist liking and admiring Xie Rongzhuo.
But if she wanted to take this liking and admiration a step further, her decisiveness and courage seemed to disappear suddenly.
Shen Mi sighed, destined to be alone for life.
The desk was tapped twice.
Xie Rongzhuo handed her a file, “Not looking at your messages?”
Shen Mi had a proper attitude: “Sorry, I didn’t pay attention to my phone.”
Xie Rongzhuo: “Go out to dinner with me tonight.”
He returned to his cold and indifferent demeanor.
Surprisingly, Shen Mi let out a sigh of relief: “Okay.”
Thinking that there would be some social engagement tonight, Shen Mi, noticing that Xie Rongzhuo hadn’t arranged for her to book a restaurant, put on light makeup before heading out. It was only after arriving at the restaurant that she realized it was just the two of them.
On the dining table were couple figurines, and the candlelight flickered on Xie Rongzhuo’s glasses, making it seem like he always had a pair of affectionate eyes in the candlelight.
Seeing the table full of fresh and delicious food, Shen Mi swallowed and pushed the plate over: “Boss, please eat more.”
Xie Rongzhuo said, “Tonight doesn’t count as overtime pay.”
Shen Mi pulled the plate back: “I’ll taste it first.”
Since it wasn’t overtime, she decided to drop her professional demeanor.
Xie Rongzhuo tugged at the corner of his lips: “Is that how you treat your elders?”
“You’re not that much older than me.”
“Who said, ‘Once a teacher, always a father’?”
Shen Mi cut a piece of steak, speared it with a fork, and handed it to him: “Here, Master, please enjoy.”
She was just being playful, but to her surprise, Xie Rongzhuo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lowered his head and ate it.
Shen Mi’s face flushed red, and she even forgot to retract her hand holding the fork: “I, I wasn’t trying to feed you.”
Xie Rongzhuo: “I want to eat what you feed me, is that not allowed?”
Shen Mi cut another piece, speared it, and put it in her own mouth.
The atmosphere became a little awkward.
To lighten the mood, Shen Mi deliberately put on a cutesy voice, drawing out her words: “Wow—Master loves me so much.”
“You’re my only precious apprentice, who else would I love?”
I don’t want your fatherly love!
Shen Mi continued to act cute: “Love you~”
Xie Rongzhuo remained expressionless: “Shen Mi, be normal.”
Shen Mi continued to extend the topic: “My roommate in Beijing used to talk like this, and she earns a million a month. She said you men all like girls who talk in a high-pitched voice.”
Xie Rongzhuo’s gaze fell on her face, scrutinizing her, and he concluded in a way she couldn’t understand: “How else do you want me to like you?”
Shen Mi was taken aback, swallowing the food in her mouth: “You’re saying that, I’m going to be presumptuous, then.”
She blinked, starting to banter: “How much did you like me originally?”
Xie Rongzhuo placed his portion of the cut steak in front of Shen Mi, then casually raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead.
“All this food still can’t shut your mouth?”
Shen Mi was a little ticklish from his flick, she rubbed her forehead, arranged her plate, and asked curiously: “Don’t you like beef? Why do you always give it to me?”
Xie Rongzhuo put on gloves and started peeling shrimp for her: “Didn’t you eat some just now?”
Shen Mi replied casually: “That’s because I fed it to you.” After saying that, she quickly took a sip of water to ease the awkwardness.
“By the way, Master, Assistant Zhang seems interested in that project I’m working on.” Shen Mi awkwardly changed the subject, but immediately became serious again: “Did you arrange for him to come and gather information?”
Xie Rongzhuo lowered his head and peeled shrimp, a few strands of hair fell over his forehead, and his cold and hard features were softened by the warm light.
“Why would I do that?”
Shen Mi stared at his straight nose, guessing: “Are you afraid I’ll screw it up, won’t be able to pay back the money, so you’re having him keep an eye on me?”
“Indeed.” Xie Rongzhuo looked up at her for a moment, “You eat so much, if you lose everything and have to sell yourself to me, I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”
“Master,” Shen Mi leaned forward: “Have any girls ever told you that your jokes are really bad?”
Xie Rongzhuo handed her the last shrimp, then lowered his head and slowly wiped his hands: “No, just you.”
Shen Mi glanced at the side. She had noticed it all along. From the moment Xie Rongzhuo started peeling the first shrimp for her, the girl at the next table had been tapping her boyfriend: “Your stress-relieving habit makes people think I’m lazy, even unwilling to peel shrimp.”
“Why worry about that?” Xie Rongzhuo lifted his eyelids: “Afraid the people chasing you will misunderstand?”
“Cough—” Shen Mi almost choked on half a shrimp.
She was the one who said she had people chasing her, and she couldn’t deny it now, so she could only swallow her pride.
Xie Rongzhuo: “Come to the company to work overtime this weekend.”
She hadn’t had to work overtime on any previous weekends, had she? Shen Mi was a little confused: “Do I have to work both Saturday and Sunday?”
“Are you busy?” Xie Rongzhuo stared at her: “Going out to play with the people chasing you?”
Shen Mi quickly shook her head: “No, no, I was just asking.”
“Then come and work overtime with me.”
“Okay.”
The next day after work, Shen Mi went to talk to Zhao Bai Li and Zhang Zhiqing about the project, a kind of monthly summary.
Although Zhao Bai Li was there to back her up, and Shen Mi was confident about the project, all the money she had was borrowed from Xie Rongzhuo, so she was still a little uneasy.
In this industry, secrets can’t be kept. Everyone knew Shen Mi was brought in by Xie Rongzhuo. Who would dare trust someone Xie Rongzhuo couldn’t even help? The name “Xie Rongzhuo” was a double-edged sword, both a shortcut and a pressure.
Zhao Bai Li had lost a lot of weight, and it was clear that she was under a lot of pressure too. Investment is a grueling business. Some people get rich, some people go bankrupt. Outsiders see the bright and shiny side, but only those who are slowly simmered under the heat know the real taste.
But compared to the mental pressure Shen Mi had endured since childhood until she broke down, she was willing to bear this, and she could accept it.
“Recently, several popular celebrities have joined the website, and traffic has surged. On the other hand, the Bi family’s brand discount app has been repeatedly exposed for scams, and several big V’s have publicly stated that they bought fake products. Shen Mi, all the problems you pointed out back then have appeared in their company. You’re amazing.”
“They want to be the first to monopolize the big brand market, so encountering those difficulties is inevitable. What we’re doing is a revolution. In the past two years, signal towers have been built in third-tier cities and remote areas. Soon, after the traffic business is promoted, short video users will continue to increase. I’ve investigated, and the current live streaming e-commerce has a bad reputation, but I have a feeling that it will be the future trend.”
“Okay, I’ll bring it up at next week’s meeting and have them assign someone to focus on this. I’m curious, why didn’t you apply directly to an investment bank or a bank with your talent? Why did you become your uncle’s secretary instead?”
“I know about that,” Zhang Zhiqing raised her hand. “There was a married man in his forties who pressured Mimi to be his mistress. Mimi refused, and that old man used his connections to sabotage several of her job offers. Mimi was even publicly insulted by his wife a few times. What bad luck!”
“The past is best left unsaid, but maybe it was fate,” Shen Mi took a sip of her juice, unwilling to revisit those issues. “By the way, A-Li, you should try to get rid of those two plots of land as soon as possible. I heard from the boss that there will be policy changes soon, and it’s best to avoid real estate for the next couple of years.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“If this project is successful, can I use my share to invest in your company?” Shen Mi asked.
“That would be the biggest recognition I could receive,” Zhao Bai-Li raised his glass. “Looking forward to it.”
Shen Mi clinked her glass against his. “Looking forward to it.”
Zhang Zhiqing joined in. “Then I want in too!”
“Alright, welcome to our hands-off manager.”
“That’s settled then! A-Li will handle social interactions, Mimi will be responsible for extracting information from my uncle and analyzing the situation, and I’ll be in charge of bringing in people. The three of us will work together to make the company big and strong, and achieve even greater success!”
“If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it right. No more unspoken rules for women! Screw the unspoken rules! I’ve had enough of them lately!”
Shen Mi, who had experienced this firsthand, deeply agreed: “Exactly!”
Zhang Zhiqing chimed in, changing the group name to “Three Heads Are Better Than One.”
“You two just focus on the project. I have plenty of people. If we need money, I’ll just go to my uncle and play the victim.”
Zhao Bai-Li said, “With your uncle on board, this business is a sure thing.”
“But,” Zhang Zhiqing leaned over with a mischievous grin, looking at Shen Mi, “My act of playing the victim can’t compare to yours. You wouldn’t believe how much my uncle spoils her. The other day, they were playing games, and he even kissed her!”
Zhao Bai-Li was stunned. “No way! He actually kissed her?”
“It’s true! I even have a recording. My uncle was holding Mimi and kissing her so sweetly. I’ll show you, I’ll show you.”
Zhao Bai-Li exclaimed, “Okay, okay!”
Shen Mi said, “…Hey.”
Zhao Bai-Li had to attend a dinner engagement and left first, leaving Shen Mi and Zhang Zhiqing at the table.
Shen Mi hesitated for a moment before saying, “Qingqing, what would you feel if Qin Zhi-Mo suddenly confessed his feelings to you?”
Zhang Zhiqing was immediately interested. “Who are you thinking of confessing to?”
Shen Mi couldn’t tell her directly and her eyes darted away. “I have a friend who wants to be with her mentor, oh, a work mentor. She asked me to, uh, ask for advice.”
Qin Zhi-Mo was Zhang Zhiqing’s childhood sweetheart, and just like Shen Mi and Xie Rong-Zhuo, they were close friends who had spent a lot of time together. They were the perfect people to ask for advice.
Zhang Zhiqing didn’t hesitate for a second. “Then I would definitely keep my distance from him. I don’t like him, so why would I waste his time? Our families are so close. What if it doesn’t work out, and we break up and it becomes awkward? Our parents would be so embarrassed.”
Shen Mi nodded in agreement.
Yeah, if it doesn’t work out, they’ll still have to work together, how embarrassing!
“Besides, we’ve seen each other at our worst, and I’ve said so many bad things about him, how could he possibly like me?”
Shen Mi felt guilty.
That’s right, Xie Rong-Zhuo had seen her at her most brainless and childish at the age of nineteen, and she had said so many bad things about him in front of him.
“Wait a minute,” Zhang Zhiqing said, confused. “Your friend is someone I don’t know? A coworker you met at work?”
Shen Mi looked down at the lemon slice in her glass, feeling guilty. “Yeah.”
“It’s not a big deal if it’s a mentor-mentee relationship, as long as it’s not a teacher-student relationship, no one cares.” Zhang Zhiqing sounded exasperated. “You’re so busy being a strategist for others, you need to get my uncle to fall for you before I start calling someone else ‘Auntie.’ “
Shen Mi nervously asked, “Is someone pursuing Xie Rong-Zhuo?”
“There are so many people chasing my uncle. He’s like a hot commodity. Every day, there are elders trying to set him up with someone in front of my grandpa. I’m afraid my grandpa will soften up and force him to go on blind dates. Mimi, you can’t wait any longer. If you like him, you need to take the initiative and act quickly!”
Shen Mi asked, “Do you think I can do it?”
Zhang Zhiqing said, “I think my uncle likes you. He wouldn’t normally hug girls. The fact that he’s not taking the initiative is probably because he’s afraid of being rejected. Speaking of this, I have to criticize you. You’re so cruel to your suitors! That A-Tao and Xiao Zeng, they’re both handsome and they were so good to you. As soon as they confessed, you deleted them from your friend list.”
Shen Mi pondered for a few seconds. “Qingqing, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“If, someone who didn’t like you before, even avoided you and deliberately kept their distance, then one day, this person comes back and tries to win you over for money, and shamelessly borrows a lot of money from you. A few days later, they suddenly come to you and confess their feelings. What would you think?”
Zhang Zhiqing slammed her hand on the table. “That person definitely doesn’t want to pay back the money! They’re trying to scam you for money and love!”
Shen Mi spread her hands, with a “I’m the scammer who wants your money and your love” expression.
Zhang Zhiqing was stunned. “You’re that person? The one who borrowed money is my uncle?”
Shen Mi nodded sadly.
Zhang Zhiqing asked, “So when are you going to take the initiative?”
Shen Mi took a sip of water, pursed her lips, and thought carefully before saying, “When I pay back what I owe Xie Rong-Zhuo, I’ll go after him.”
Zhang Zhiqing asked, “How much did you borrow from him?”
Shen Mi raised her hand and made a two gesture.
“Two hundred thousand?” Zhang Zhiqing opened her bag. “I have it, I have it. I’ll cover it for you.”
Shen Mi said, “Two million.”
Zhang Zhiqing zipped up her bag. “Will I ever have the chance to call you ‘Auntie’ in this lifetime?”
Due to her family situation, Shen Mi had been insecure since she was young. But deep down, she had an unyielding spirit, a spirit that gave her a sense of certainty and confidence. Whatever she wanted to possess, Shen Mi would always strive to achieve it.
After making the decision, Shen Mi was like someone who had been invigorated, busy helping Zhao Baili devise strategies and conduct background checks whenever she had free time. She was full of fighting spirit, often not returning home until midnight.
Every evening, as night fell, the wall lamp across from her would turn on, casting a lush green light that spilled through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, creating a warm glow that perfectly illuminated Shen Mi’s balcony.
The busyness didn’t feel lonely; only her body grew tired while her spirit felt fulfilled. Every day, standing here and looking at the bamboo forest across, Shen Mi would feel a sense of happiness.
It wasn’t because the bamboo forest was painted beautifully, but because the person who created this bamboo forest always brought her strength.
Shen Mi opened her diary, flipped to a new page, and wrote down her next life goal.
— Renovate her little home.
And, Xie Rongzhuo.
In the past few weekends, Xie Rongzhuo claimed he had to work overtime, but in reality, when he got to the office, Shen Mi was busy with her own things. Xie Rongzhuo turned a blind eye to this and continued to pay her overtime.
If it weren’t for the fact that he seemed very busy every day, Shen Mi would suspect that he was intentionally keeping her close to prevent her from being deceived by men outside.
Shen Mi looked up at the man working diligently in the office, suddenly feeling that Xie Rongzhuo was the one more likely to be deceived in matters of love.
Did his white moonlight actually exist?
What if she didn’t figure this out, and Xie Rongzhuo got tricked by someone?
There weren’t many people in the world who could actually deceive him…
But as the saying goes, even heroes fall for beauty, and the most frightening thing is to fall while fully aware.
Someone like Xie Rongzhuo, a workaholic who focuses entirely on his career, is like a child in matters of love, easily tricked out of money and love! Didn’t she easily “trick” him out of twenty million?
Shen Mi found countless excuses to investigate the enemy.
So on the way to lunch with Xie Rongzhuo, her voice was full of confidence: “How is the character of the girl you like?”
Xie Rongzhuo was slightly taken aback.
It wasn’t that he was surprised by Shen Mi’s sudden question, but by her confident expression.
And the aura of a legitimate wife.
He had a faint smile in his eyes: “Which girl do I like?”
Under Xie Rongzhuo’s intriguing gaze, Shen Mi’s heart suddenly beat faster. She looked away, casually saying, “You have a girl you’ve liked for many years, the whole company is talking about it.”
She shifted her gaze to the right, stealing a glance at him: “Isn’t that right?”
Xie Rongzhuo was a head taller than Shen Mi, taking in her little movements, his gaze slowly scanning her face until a blush crept onto her cheeks.
Only then did he say meaningfully: “They’re talking about you, aren’t they?”
Shen Mi was surprised that Xie Rongzhuo knew about this small gossip. She suddenly lost her previous confidence, her voice weakening: “But I’m not real.”
Xie Rongzhuo didn’t answer the question directly.
He asked instead: “Is everything you hear true?”
“Mainly, she hasn’t come looking for you all these years.”
Shen Mi, with the air of a concerned elder, looked worried and said, “Usually this means she has someone she likes. I don’t want you to suffer the pain of unrequited love.”
“Unrequited, love,” Xie Rongzhuo said, pausing deliberately, then suddenly smiled as if he had come to terms with it: “If I like that girl so much, why wouldn’t I pursue her, Shen Mi?”
His sudden question left Shen Mi confused, and she raised her face to meet his eyes with a bewildered expression.
There was a swirl of emotions in Xie Rongzhuo’s eyes.
Bitterness, helplessness, and caution—these emotions, which seemed impossible for him to possess, flickered briefly in his dark gaze.
“What if I pursued you?”
He straightened his lip line, his eyes fixed intently on her: “Would you make me suffer unrequited love?”
The author has something to say:
Xie “Resentful Husband” Rongzhuo: A humble probe.
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Happy Lantern Festival, everyone! Sending out small red envelopes in the comments section~~