Everyone present saw it happen.
The usually calm, composed, and elegant Young President Ming, who had remained steady throughout the entire inspection, suddenly strode out of the elevator and headed straight toward the window.
Xiao Yao had just struck a pose and had not even had the chance to begin acting when someone wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her down from the windowsill.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
The voice behind her was as cold as ice.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the hand around her waist withdrew without hesitation.
Recalling the scene he had witnessed when the elevator doors opened, Ming Jing’s expression darkened, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
Turning around while still holding the small cleaning cloth, Xiao Yao looked innocently at him.
“I was cleaning the window.”
Ming Jing paused.
His gaze fell upon the rag in her fair hand. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject.
“Why are you here?”
The executives who had followed behind and were only daring to watch from a distance finally understood.
So that was why Young President Ming had been so nervous over a mere cleaner.
They already knew each other.
A moment ago, seeing him stare blankly at the young woman, they had almost thought some office temptress had managed to enchant him.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
As expected of Young President Ming.
His taste truly was extraordinary.
Even dressed in an ordinary cleaning uniform, the girl could not hide her beauty. Her skin was fair and delicate from head to toe, the kind of complexion that clearly belonged to someone who had never suffered hardship and had been pampered while growing up.
How could someone like that possibly be working as a cleaner at Ming Corporation?
The executives exchanged glances.
Various thoughts crossed their minds as they began wondering whether the two were indulging in some kind of private roleplay.
After all, every one of them was an experienced old fox.
They could easily tell that something about the atmosphere between the two was unusual.
Especially the way Young President Ming looked at her.
He practically wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.
Lowering her lashes, Xiao Yao replied softly,
“I work here.”
Compared to how she had been some time ago, she seemed to have put away all her sharp edges.
Her fair face carried a hint of restraint.
Ming Jing stared at her for a long moment.
“Your boyfriend doesn’t mind? How could he let you work here as a cleaner?”
The question he truly wanted to ask was not that one.
Yet when the words reached his lips, they somehow came out differently.
The executives: !!!
Several of them immediately tilted their heads toward the ceiling and pretended they had heard absolutely nothing.
This was bad.
Just listen to that jealous, passive-aggressive remark.
Apparently, Young President Ming had still not succeeded in winning her over.
As the nameless third party in this story, he could only secretly criticize the official boyfriend.
Would they even live to see tomorrow’s sunrise after hearing such scandalous rich-family gossip?
Neither Xiao Yao nor Ming Jing realized that the middle-aged men standing nearby looked serious on the outside while internally creating several melodramatic dramas of their own.
For some reason, Xiao Yao still did not explain that she did not actually have a boyfriend.
Instead, she answered softly,
“The pay here is good.”
Ming Corporation was famous for its wealth and generosity.
Employees were paid extremely well.
However, cleaners only received standard industry wages.
What Xiao Yao had really meant was that the large sum Ming Tang had given her was a lot of money—enough for her to enjoy herself for quite a long time.
But to Ming Jing, it sounded as though she had simply never seen much money before and therefore thought a few thousand yuan was already a substantial amount.
Thinking carefully, he realized that aside from the two times he had seen her at Jinzhou and Golden Night, every subsequent encounter had revealed how simply she dressed.
A plain white T-shirt.
Jeans.
Unbranded shoes.
No handbags.
Nothing expensive.
She looked remarkably plain.
Ming Jing’s gaze softened involuntarily.
Looking at the girl before him, he could not help thinking:
She was simply too innocent and too easy to deceive.
She had never experienced truly good things.
That was why she could be fooled by another man so easily and persuaded into entering a relationship with just a few sweet words.
Could feelings obtained through deception really be called love?
Of course not.
Therefore, Xiao Yao was still single.
Xiao Yao had no idea that the Male Lead had successfully convinced himself of a thoroughly shameless theory that justified stealing someone else’s girlfriend.
She only felt that the way he looked at her was becoming increasingly intense, while the smile on his lips grew more obvious.
With black hair, fair skin, and refined features, Ming Jing already looked like carved jade.
Now, with warmth in his eyes as he gazed at her, he became even more heart-stirring.
Why was Young President Ming smiling at her so affectionately all of a sudden?
The executives could hardly bear to watch.
Once again, several middle-aged men raised their heads toward the ceiling and awkwardly made small talk.
“Haha, the weather is really nice today.”
“Haha, Advisor Zhang, that’s a nice new suit. Where did you have it made?”
“Haha, excellent taste. I’ll have someone send you the tailor’s contact later.”
The girl before him could make people grit their teeth when she was angry.
Yet when she behaved herself, she made one’s heart soften completely.
Ming Jing’s gaze lingered on her.
Accidentally catching sight of the pale skin visible at her collar, his breathing became slightly uneven.
He deliberately looked away.
When he spoke again, his voice carried a faint huskiness.
“My office is missing a personal assistant.”
Xiao Yao lowered her eyes to the rag in her hands.
“Thirty thousand a month.”
Her head snapped up instantly.
“I can do it. What exactly would I be responsible for?”
The smile in Ming Jing’s eyes deepened.
After thinking for a moment, he replied,
“Organizing documents. Cleaning.”
Xiao Yao listened attentively and even opened the notes app on her phone, typing down every word.
However, he stopped after listing only a few tasks.
Unable to resist, she prompted,
“What else?”
Ming Jing considered it again.
“Making coffee.”
Xiao Yao typed that down as well.
“That’s all?”
Ming Jing fell silent.
Just when Xiao Yao thought he would not answer, he finally spoke.
“Making me happy.”
Xiao Yao looked up.
Their eyes met.
Those dark eyes held her firmly, and what lay within them was so direct that it was impossible to miss.
Xiao Yao got promoted.
The system said sourly,
“You’re pretty pleased with yourself, aren’t you? But don’t get too excited. The Male Lead and Female Lead are destined to be together…”
Its voice grew quieter and quieter.
Compared to the confidence it had possessed at the beginning of the mission, it no longer had any conviction left.
Whether it was the Male Lead, the Female Lead, or even the Female Supporting Character, they all seemed to have been enchanted by Xiao Yao, this walking disaster!
The plot had long since collapsed beyond recognition.
The original love-at-first-sight scene between the Male Lead and Female Lead had vanished entirely because of Xiao Yao’s presence.
In the original story, the Male Lead had not chosen a single attendant.
Instead, because he had kept Xiao Yao behind, he missed the scene where he rescued the Female Lead from harassment in the hallway.
Likewise, the Female Lead returned safely to the waiting room with the other attendants who had not been selected, avoiding the harassment altogether.
Xiao Yao had pretended to be drunk in the private room, taking advantage of the Male Lead however she pleased.
Afterward, she emerged acting like the victim, causing the Female Lead to develop a negative impression of him.
Even when the world itself tried desperately to force the plot back on track and arranged another meeting between the Male Lead and Female Lead, it still ended in failure.
Naturally, their reunion after the start of the school term also collapsed completely because of Xiao Yao’s existence.
A butterfly merely flapped its wings.
Yet the entire storyline had been pushed irreversibly in another direction.
The system cried bitter tears while praying to the Main God.
It was willing to work for the space station for free for the rest of its existence if only the Main God would take this little demon away.
Sob.
After hearing the job requirements that day, Xiao Yao accepted without the slightest hesitation.
The moment she realized she would be earning thirty thousand yuan a month, her usually cold eyes curved slightly.
She looked genuinely happy.
Seeing her agree so readily, Ming Jing could not help looking at her again.
Hadn’t his intentions been obvious enough already?
Did she understand what he meant, or not?
If she understood, why was she so happy?
He vaguely felt that something was wrong, yet his heartbeat still accelerated uncontrollably.
The next day, under the gaze of Front Desk Xiao Zhang, Xiao Yao went to Human Resources to sign her new employment documents.
The HR employee immediately understood why Young President Ming had forced him to work overtime to create a brand-new application form for the position of personal assistant.
The company did not even have such a position.
Furthermore, Xiao Yao’s salary would be paid directly from Ming Jing’s personal account.
Apparently, this was just another rich person’s romantic indulgence.
Not only did he have a girlfriend, but he insisted on keeping her right under his nose all day long.
Then again, if he were that rich and had a girlfriend that beautiful, he would probably want to keep her beside him twenty-four hours a day too.
Feeling a little jealous, the HR employee enthusiastically handed over the ID badge with her name already printed on it.
“The Administrative Director’s office is on the twenty-fourth floor. Would you like me to take you there?”
Xiao Yao brushed her hair aside and awkwardly attempted a flirtatious wink.
The poor employee froze on the spot.
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”
She accepted the badge, hung it around her neck, then wobbled away in her high heels.
According to what she had read online, secretaries and assistants to CEOs were considered high-risk occupations.
The standard image was always a glamorous beauty dressed in a white blouse, a tight skirt, black stockings, and ten-centimeter stilettos.
Although Xiao Yao was not particularly glamorous, after assembling an outfit according to that formula, she felt she looked convincing enough.