Before Song Xi could make a move, Gu Pingping’s hand froze right in mid-air.
It was Jiang Yanzhou.
Though this damsel-in-distress rescue trope was a bit cliché, Song Xi’s heart still skipped half a beat when she turned her head and saw Jiang Yanzhou.
Even though those blue eyes were filled with ice, the corners of Jiang Yanzhou’s mouth curled into a devil-may-care smile.
“Miss Gu, I wasn’t aware I had a fiancée. It seems you don’t want this hand—or your tongue, for that matter.”
Tears were already welling up in Gu Pingping’s eyes from the sheer pain.
She felt as though her hand was about to be crushed to pieces by Jiang Yanzhou.
“Yanzhou-gege, don’t be so fierce! I know I was wrong, sob, sob…”
Having smoothly transitioned into a spectator, Song Xi very tactfully shuffled a few steps to the side.
No cover charge, live streaming, super-high looks, and maximum drama—who wouldn’t love watching this?!
Completely devoid of any chivalry, President Jiang asked Gu Pingping, “Where did you go wrong?”
Tears blurred Gu Pingping’s vision, but the defiance in her eyes was still clearly visible.
“I—I shouldn’t have tried to hit anyone, but Yanzhou-gege, you are my fiancée! My grandpa and Grandpa Jiang are already picking out our engagement date.”
The moment Gu Pingping finished speaking, a distinct “crack” echoed through the room.
Oh god! That was the sound of her hand breaking.
Gu Pingping, who had been on the verge of a full-blown wailing fit, was so infuriated by Jiang Yanzhou’s utterly disgusted expression as he calmly washed his hands with hand soap that she completely forgot to cry.
Gazing at Gu Pingping’s newly fractured hand, Song Xi immediately stepped forward and asked,
“Miss Gu, do you need me to help call an ambulance? Five hundred yuan will do.”
President Jiang, currently in the middle of washing his hands: “…”
His Secretary Song really would find a way to monetize anything at all!
Gu Pingping shot Song Xi a vicious glare before laborantly pulling out her phone and initiating a video call with her grandfather.
Song Xi understood instantly: she wouldn’t be making this quick buck after all!
She walked over to Jiang Yanzhou’s side to remind him, “President, this is the women’s restroom.”
Acting as though he hadn’t heard Song Xi’s warning at all, the President replied,
“Secretary Song, my hands are wet.”
Song Xi wore a thoughtful look. “President, don’t tell me you want me to help dry your hands?”
President Jiang nodded slightly. “I did pay Secretary Song an extra 56,666 yuan. Since helping people call an ambulance costs five hundred, helping me dry my hands should be about two hundred, right?”
Song Xi sighed. “And here I thought that was just a bonus the President gave me because I performed well! Fine, drying your hands will cost you two hundred yuan.”
And so, Gu Pingping watched with her own two eyes as Song Xi dried Jiang Yanzhou’s hands, all while sobbing down the phone to Elder Gu.
“Grandpa, Yanzhou-gege broke my hand, and he’s hooked up with the new secretary, sob, sob… My hand hurts so much… And they’re still showing affection right in front of me…”
Song Xi felt deeply aggrieved—this was purely a financial transaction, having zero to do with showing affection!
After drying Jiang Yanzhou’s hands, Song Xi prepared to make her exit; she still needed to go to the HR department to process her resignation!
However, the moment she took a step, Jiang Yanzhou’s arm wrapped around her waist.
It was definitely intentional. The man pulled her close as he walked right past Gu Pingping.
Fortunately, it was lunchtime, so there were no other spectators around. Without needing Song Xi to remind him, the President withdrew his arm the moment they reached the secretary’s office.
As if afraid Jiang Yanzhou might renege, Song Xi quickly chimed in, “President, acting in your little drama is a separate service. The risk is high, so that’ll be five thousand yuan per session.”
A man not lacking in cash, the President replied, “Sure, that’s a fair price.”
Song Xi offered a genuinely sincere compliment, “You’re so generous, President. It’s a pleasure doing business with you!”
With a completely blank and wholly insincere expression, the President replied, “The pleasure is mine.”
With that, the President strode away on his long legs back to his office, and Song Xi did the same.
Only Gu Pingping, left behind in the restroom with a dislocated wrist, had to bear the agony all by herself!
Not long after Song Xi returned to her desk, the other secretaries began trickling back into the office after lunch.
Wishing to avoid being the center of attention again, Song Xi buried her face in her desk to fake sleep, though she could acutely feel the burning gazes fixed on her.
If only her colleagues paid a fee for gossip, she’d gladly sacrifice herself to become their favorite lunchtime entertainment.
The moment her work alarm rang, Song Xi abruptly ended her nap.
Giving her colleagues zero opportunity to pry, she grabbed her resignation letter bearing the President’s signature along with her bag, and strode briskly out of the secretary’s office.
Upon reaching HR, as expected, Song Xi was swarmed once again.
Naturally, nobody believed she was the previous “Plain Secretary,” and as a result, they refused to process her resignation papers.
Fortunately, Song Xi was well-prepared. She whipped out her makeup pouch and, right in front of the HR staff, transformed herself back into the dowdy “Plain Secretary.”
Everyone watching wore identical expressions of pure shock.
From the bottom of their hearts, they felt that Secretary Song’s makeup skills bordered on plastic surgery—or rather, facial mutilation!
After the HR manager placed a call to President Jiang and had it repeatedly confirmed that he truly approved of Song Xi’s resignation, they finally began processing her paperwork.
Just as Song Xi had anticipated, she would have to work one more month and complete her handover before officially stepping down.
Instead of removing her makeup in HR, Song Xi waited until she returned to the secretary’s office. Right in front of Secretary Chen and the others, it took her less than five minutes to transform from “Plain Secretary” back into a celestial beauty!
This thoroughly convinced every single colleague in the secretary’s office that she really was the one and only Secretary Song.
Without letting the successful processing of her resignation slacken her work ethic, Song Xi dove straight back into her duties.
She was terrified of making low-level document-printing mistakes like the day before and getting docked bonus pay by the President.
The secretaries’ office consensus: That’s right, the strict, intimidating Secretary Song from their memories was back, and even the air had turned tense again!
Busily working right up until closing time, Song Xi still had to accompany the President to a business dinner.
Even low-level corporate slaves making a few thousand a month had to pull overtime—let alone someone with a hefty annual salary of 500,000 like her!
Since Li Bufan, the chief presidential assistant, was away on a business trip, Song Xi also had to pull double duty as the “driver.”
Placing her black briefcase neatly in the front passenger seat, she hurried to open the rear door, respectfully inviting His Excellency the President to board.
However, His Excellency chose to completely ignore convention. He opened the front passenger door himself, climbed in, and tossed his briefcase into the back.
Speechless and helpless, Song Xi: “…”
It’s fine! As long as His Excellency is happy, he can sit on the roof if he wants to!
Not daring to keep the President waiting, Song Xi swiftly took the driver’s seat and prepared to start the car.
Being the rigorous secretary she was, she instinctively glanced over at the President’s side.
Sure enough, His Excellency hadn’t put on his seatbelt.
Song Xi smiled gently and reminded him, “President, you haven’t fastened your seatbelt yet.”
“I was waiting for Secretary Song to do it for me,” the President said, sounding utterly righteous.
Song Xi’s face flushed red—with pure irritation!
She had acted as the President’s driver many times before; let alone asking her to buckle him up, Jiang Yanzhou usually sat quietly in the back.
Clearly, the President was deliberately giving her a hard time!
Lifting her gaze, Song Xi put on her strictly professional mask and said, “President, buckling your seatbelt falls outside my job description as a secretary. That will cost extra.”
Looking wonderfully agreeable, the President replied, “Very well, whatever Secretary Song says.”
Song Xi: “…”
They had already slept together the night before; buckling a seatbelt was an absolute piece of cake by comparison.
Leaning across, she gently pulled the seatbelt over and efficiently clicked it into place for Jiang Yanzhou.
What Song Xi didn’t anticipate, however, was that Jiang Yanzhou would suddenly lower his head—causing her bright red lips to land squarely and splendidly against the man’s mouth.