Chapter 37.1

Lu Yi wasn’t particularly eager to call Lin Jinshen. Her instinct was to avoid troubling him when issues arose.

But she had no choice this time.

Today, Aunt Fang had taken a half-day off to care for a sick family member, leaving Lu Yi stuck working overtime at the office. She couldn’t make it home, and Puff, her cat, hadn’t eaten yet. With Puff’s three-meals-a-day schedule, missing even one could feel like a life-or-death situation for the little glutton.

Lu Yi asked Lin Jinshen if he would get home earlier than her and, if so, whether he could help feed Puff.

Lin Jinshen didn’t specify when he’d be back. He simply said, “I can.”

“Really? That’s great.” If he couldn’t, she’d have to arrange for someone to come over and feed the cat, which she preferred to avoid, given how both of them valued their privacy.

Although Puff was currently on a diet, its meals were still balanced. Beyond cat food, there were canned meals, freeze-dried snacks, fish oil, and cat grass tablets—quite a complex routine for someone unaccustomed to caring for a pet.

“Puff eats quite a variety of things per meal. I’ll send you the details on your phone,” she added, then softened the task: “If you can’t find everything, just feeding one can of food will do.”

She felt a bit awkward about inconveniencing him.

Lin Jinshen agreed and asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m working overtime at the office. I might be home late.” With the matter resolved, Lu Yi quickly ended the call, saying, “I’ll let you get back to your evening. Thanks so much for helping out.”

When she hung up, three pairs of amused eyes were fixed on Lin Jinshen.

Sitting upright and holding his cards, Ji Changming imitated his tone from the call: “‘I’m not busy. You’re not interrupting.’”

“‘I can.’”

“‘Where are you?’”

Gu Yu stifled a laugh. “What a moment to remember. I never thought I’d hear Lin Jinshen speak in that tone. Worth it.”

Yu Zeheng idly played with his cards. “I won’t say anything. You know how sharp my tongue is.”

Lin Jinshen flipped his phone over and placed it on the table. His expression was calm as though he were a bystander, as if it wasn’t him who had just answered the call.

Ji Changming scratched his head and asked, “Are we continuing? Or is it time for you to head home, Brother Shen?”

“It’s fine if we don’t. After all, wives are like limbs, and brothers are like clothes. We’re used to it,” Gu Yu quipped, sneaking a glance at Yu Zeheng, daring him to react.

Yu Zeheng gave him a side-eye. “What’s this? Group punishment?”

Ji Changming chuckled. “Gu Yu, keep going, and Brother Heng’s going to explode on you.”

Lin Jinshen, unfazed, said, “No rush. Let’s keep playing.”

Gu Yu snorted and exchanged looks with the others. Fine, let’s see how far he’ll take this act.

Fifteen minutes later, just three rounds into their game, Lin Jinshen casually set down his cards. “It’s getting late. Let’s call it a night.”

“What, it’s your bedtime already?” Gu Yu teased with folded arms.

They didn’t even bother calling him out. It was only 8:00 PM, far from his usual 11:00 PM bedtime.

Well, at least he was considerate enough to pretend for their sake. Some people didn’t even bother with that before.

Putting on his jacket, Lin Jinshen glanced at the group. “You all continue. Tonight’s bill is on me.”

“What else would it be?”

Leaving them behind and expecting them to cover the tab? Not a chance.

As Lin Jinshen walked off, Gu Yu called over the server and asked Yu Zeheng what the most expensive items on the menu were. “Bring them all out.”

—

Meanwhile, in an old apartment complex outside the Fifth Ring Road, Jiang Xun had just finished showering and was putting his suit back on.

His roommate returned from brushing his teeth, holding a toothbrush and cup. “Didn’t you just get back? Heading to work again? Something urgent at the office?”

Jiang Xun shook his head. “No, it’s my boss. I need to go to his house.”

“At this hour? To your boss’s house? Are you sure?” The roommate frowned. “Are you certain your boss is… you know… legit?”

The world had gotten pretty open-minded, after all.

Jiang Xun smiled. “He’s married. I’m just going over because he and his wife aren’t home, and their cat needs feeding.”

Hearing this, his roommate got even angrier. “What does he take you for, calling you at this hour to feed his cat? Who does he think he is, just because he’s got some money—”

Jiang Xun held up his phone, displaying a 5,000-yuan transfer.

Grinning, he revealed a row of pearly teeth. “For that price, I’d even feed him dinner if he asked.”

The roommate clapped his hands together in mock prayer. “Which deity did you pray to for this job? Teach me! I need a boss like yours!”

Jiang Xun laughed and waved as he headed out. “I’ll bring you back a late-night snack.”

—

Back at Yi Xing, the entire office floor was dark except for the planning department.

Yu Qian spun her pen in frustration, finally slamming it down onto her desk. “I can’t take this anymore. I’m going to confront Song Zhixing.”

“And say what? He doesn’t understand human language.”

“If he doesn’t get it, he can taste justice—in the form of my fists!”

No one could blame her. Dealing with an unreasonable client could test anyone’s patience.

…

The team struggled with budget revisions and creative conflicts, exhaustion evident as they worked late into the night.

By 8:00 PM, Song Zhixing returned from dinner, dismissing their latest ideas with a nonchalant shake of his head. “This won’t do. I need something better.”

A colleague tried to remain patient and asked, “Specifically, what’s wrong with it?”

“It’s just a feeling. I think you should understand what I mean. Changing it this way just doesn’t capture the essence.”

Everyone was speechless.

Conversations like this had already occurred multiple times.

“Let’s call it a day,” said Lu Yi, saving her file and shutting down her computer while tidying her desk.

Yu Qian exclaimed, “We’re just leaving like this?”

Though they grumbled, no one dared to walk out impulsively at such a moment. Anyone who left first might as well wave goodbye to their job.

After organizing her desk, Lu Yi took out an alcohol wipe and carefully disinfected the surface. Then, she grabbed her bag, stood up, and prepared to leave.

Song Zhixing noticed and narrowed his eyes, his smile tinged with menace. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Miss Lu?”

Lu Yi rarely took the lead in such matters. She was typically mild-mannered, accustomed to going with the flow. Even after entering the workplace, she tried to blend in and endure as much as possible. But some people went too far. The more she tolerated, the more they overstepped.

With her bag slung over her shoulder, her expression calm, Lu Yi replied, “Since Mr. Song hasn’t organized his thoughts clearly, take some time to think about what you actually want to express.”

Her colleagues inwardly cheered—Lu Yi had said what they all desperately wanted to.

Anyone who had dealt with unreasonable clients knew the type: clueless, yet self-assured, bossing others around with vague criticisms like “this doesn’t feel right” or “it’s not special enough.”

It was maddening. They weren’t mind readers.

Song Zhixing kept smiling, though his tone turned icy. “I’ve heard of you, Miss Lu. You’re quite famous at Yixing. Having connections does make one bold—even daring to talk back to a client.”

Lu Yi countered evenly, “That depends on the client.”

Respect is mutual.

“This plan was adjusted per your request. We warned you about the budget constraints, but you insisted on these changes. We’ve cooperated fully, doing everything within our responsibilities.”

“If you’re still dissatisfied, please address it during working hours.”

Song Zhixing stepped forward, blocking her path, his smile now vanished. “I’ve also heard some things about you, Miss Lu, particularly regarding your relationship with Chenyu’s boss. The man has a family, doesn’t he? What role do you play?”

Mentioning Chenyu brought to mind Li Chengming, someone Lu Yi had once used her connections to push out of the industry. She hadn’t expected the issue to resurface.

Song Zhixing scrutinized her face, inch by inch, as if trying to tear away her facade. He and Li Chengming were college buddies, and he had witnessed Li’s failed pursuit of Lu Yi. After rejecting Li, Lu had swiftly married, yet rumors swirled about her stringing along other men.

“The car you drive, the clothes you wear—could you afford them on your salary alone?”

“Balancing two jobs every day must be exhausting, Miss Lu.”

Song Zhixing’s probing eyes and insinuations drew the attention of everyone around—around twenty pairs of eyes in total.

Some were colleagues she was close with, others mere acquaintances. Yet having such personal matters aired in public, regardless of truth, left room for all kinds of speculation.

Such situations could easily break someone’s spirit.

Lu Yi had experienced this before, back in school, when baseless rumors and slander tried to tarnish her reputation.

She smiled faintly. “I’ve also heard things about you. Something about an affair with your supervisor?”

Her gaze fell to the ring on his hand. “Does your fiancée know?”

“Ridiculous!” Song Zhixing was outraged. “My supervisor is a man!”

“I didn’t say it was a woman.”

“…”

Lu Yi’s calm gaze bore into him. “How does it feel to be smeared with baseless rumors?”

“Even if everything we said were true, we’re here to talk about work. Dragging in personal issues won’t change the fact that your professional skills are subpar at best.”

“Please step aside.”

For a moment, Song Zhixing was at a loss for words.

Lu Yi was like a flame, outwardly calm but scorching when touched.

He didn’t move. Lu Yi shifted her gaze and spotted Lin Jinshen. She thought she was mistaken at first, staring for two seconds to confirm it was indeed him.

Her surprise was evident as she took two steps forward.

Only then did Song Zhixing regain his composure and instinctively try to grab her. Before he could, a hand came between them, gripping his wrist with such force that he winced in pain. He turned to see who it was.

The man standing before him was cold and imposing, his gaze sharp and unyielding.