With her eyes wide and round, Song Xi wanted to immediately put an end to this far-from-flattering “misunderstanding”—she hadn’t been drinking, and she wouldn’t dare take advantage of His Excellency the President.
However, Jiang Yanzhou firmly gripped the back of her head, refusing to let her pull away.
Just as Song Xi blushed furiously, thinking Jiang Yanzhou was about to deepen the kiss, the man gently nibbled her lip instead and murmured softly in her ear.
“Secretary Song, we’re in a car—are you really this impatient?”
With her face inches from his, Song Xi gave the President a deadpan roll of her eyes without a moment’s hesitation.
Clearly, it was he who had suddenly leaned down and caused the collision in the first place; this was the classic case of the villain accusing his victim first.
Ignoring Song Xi’s eye roll, the President asked, “Still not driving? Do you want to keep kissing me?”
Song Xi immediately straightened up and started the engine.
Thank goodness she already knew her boss wasn’t someone to be trifled with!
Of course, part of it was also because she was the one who had taken advantage of the President last night, leaving her feeling just a tiny, guilty bit squeamish.
Forcing herself to stop overthinking, Song Xi focused entirely on driving.
At a red light, the car came to a smooth, steady stop.
The President remarked out of nowhere, “Secretary Song, even that auntie riding a bicycle is faster than you.”
Song Xi’s mouth twitched several times. She had always believed in prioritizing safety and stability over speed when driving.
She was mad!
Just moments ago, Jiang Yanzhou had deliberately wronged her, and now he was picking on her driving—would this ever end?
Since she had already put her apartment up for sale anyway, getting a little bonus docked wouldn’t kill her.
Maintaining a fake, smiling veneer, Song Xi said, “President, why don’t you borrow a bicycle from that auntie, or just walk the rest of the way? It’ll even help you stay in shape!”
Hearing this, the President didn’t threaten to dock her bonus; instead, he simply said, “Pull over up ahead.”
Song Xi restarted the car. She had only meant to sass the President back; she didn’t actually want him to ride a bike or walk.
After all, tonight’s business dinner was quite important.
Still, Song Xi faithfully pulled over to the side of the road as the President requested.
Who could blame her when the President’s aura was simply that overwhelming?
Unbuckling his seatbelt, the President uttered three words to Song Xi:
“I’ll drive.”
“Understood, President.” Song Xi swiftly and smoothly swapped seats with Jiang Yanzhou.
Normally she wouldn’t dare let the President act as her driver, but since she had already gone ahead and slept with him, what was wrong with letting him chauffeur her for once?
Once the car started moving again, Song Xi quickly realized that the President’s driving speed was at least double her own.
Inwardly weeping, Song Xi wailed in her heart: Assistant Li, please hurry back! When it comes to driving, nobody does it like you, Assistant Li!
The car came to a halt right at the entrance of the restaurant, but Song Xi didn’t rush to get out, her face still wearing a lingering look of shock.
With at most half a year left to live, the President really didn’t need to be in such a fiery rush to send her off to meet the King of Hell.
Jiang Yanzhou had already stepped out of the vehicle and was even playing the gentleman by opening the door for Song Xi.
“Secretary Song, I was driving quite slowly.”
Too exhausted to argue, knowing full well she and the President existed in two completely different worlds, Song Xi: “…”
Moving at a sluggish pace, she got out of the car, clutched her briefcase, trailed closely behind Jiang Yanzhou, and mentally cursed him out the entire way.
From now on, she’d rather pay for a taxi out of her own pocket than ever set foot in a car driven by the President again.
She just didn’t have the fortune to survive the experience!
Stepping into the private dining room, Song Xi saw that Lu Han Cheng, CEO of the Lu Group, and his secretary had already arrived.
Fortunately, Bureau Chief Liu hadn’t arrived yet; otherwise, she and Jiang Yanzhou would have officially been late!
She checked her wristwatch: 6:42 PM—eighteen minutes early.
Had Jiang Yanzhou not taken over the wheel, given her driving speed, arriving even right on the dot would have been a miracle…
Obsequiously, Song Xi pulled out the chair for the President and poured him a cup of tea.
Lu Han Cheng was looking directly at Song Xi, though his words were addressed to Jiang Yanzhou.
“Jiang, did you suddenly have a breakthrough or something? You actually went and assigned yourself a gorgeous beauty for a secretary.”
“What about Secretary Song? She’s more than welcome to come work for the Lu Group.”
The corners of Song Xi’s lips lifted upward on their own. For CEO Lu to invite her to work at the Lu Group must mean her professional competence was truly shining!
Jiang Yanzhou gave a light, mocking scoff. “Lu, you’re only just turning thirty, so why are your eyes failing you already? Since we’ve known each other so long, I’ll help you book an appointment with an ophthalmology specialist for free.”
Lu Han Cheng furrowed his brow. “Jiang, why are you suddenly talking trash? Did you forget to take your meds before leaving the house?”
Song Xi exchanged a deeply helpless look with CEO Lu’s secretary.
Yet both of them firmly believed that CEO Jiang and CEO Lu wouldn’t actually start throwing punches right here in the private room.
“I’m just speaking the hard truth. But as for you, Lu—not only is your eyesight bad, your comprehension skills are lacking too. Why don’t you hurry up and pull out your brain medicine and take a few pills?”
Hearing Jiang Yanzhou say this, Song Xi couldn’t remain entirely composed anymore. Why did such a handsome man have to be cursed with such a sharp mouth?
Lu Han Cheng gripped his teacup tightly. If Bureau Chief Liu weren’t about to walk through that door any second, he would have loved nothing more than to pick a fistfight with Jiang Yanzhou.
Though the odds of him beating Jiang Yanzhou were admittedly quite low, a man had to fight for his dignity.
Lifting his teacup, Lu Han Cheng chugged the contents in one go, slammed the cup heavily onto the table, and glared aggressively at Jiang Yanzhou.
“How is my eyesight bad? Care to explain yourself clearly?”
Resting his arm on the back of Song Xi’s chair, Jiang Yanzhou replied lazily, “If Lu’s eyesight were any good, how could you possibly fail to recognize that she is Secretary Song!”
Without needing a single second to process that, Lu Han Cheng blurted out in disbelief,
“Impossible, absolutely impossible! Aside from both having two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, she and Secretary Song don’t share a single similar feature!”
The woman sitting before him was simply too stunning; it made it completely impossible for Lu Han Cheng to connect her with the plain, dowdy Secretary Song of before.
Lu Han Cheng’s secretary offered a timid interjection, “President… her face shape is pretty much identical to Secretary Song’s.”
Song Xi offered a polite, smiling nod. “CEO Lu, perhaps my makeup was just a bit too heavy before, which is why you didn’t recognize me.”
Plunged into absolute darkness, feeling as though the sky had just caved in, CEO Lu: “…”
It was the arrival of Bureau Chief Liu that forced Lu Han Cheng to find the will to keep smiling and living on!
After brief pleasantries were exchanged, Bureau Chief Liu’s gaze locked squarely onto Song Xi.
“Little Jiang, if I recall correctly, the secretary you used to bring around wasn’t this one, right?”
Bureau Chief Liu didn’t remember what the old Song Xi looked like; he only knew she had been thoroughly unremarkable and hadn’t caught his attention in the least.
But the present Song Xi was undeniably striking—dazzlingly, breathtakingly beautiful.
Unflustered, Jiang Yanzhou explained to Bureau Chief Liu, “The secretary I brought before is her as well. It’s just that today, she isn’t wearing heavy makeup.”
Looking at Song Xi, Bureau Chief Liu smiled warmly and kindly. “Little Song! You look gorgeous even without makeup.”
Song Xi maintained her poised, professional smile. “Thank you for the kind words, Bureau Chief.”
Lu Han Cheng, who had been racking his brain in confusion just moments ago, looked at the scene unfolding before him and instantly understood why Song Xi had deliberately made herself look plain in the past!
“Little Song, how old are you this year?”
Before Song Xi could even open her mouth to answer, Jiang Yanzhou chimed in and answered for her.
“Secretary Song is eighteen years old this year, and she’ll still be eighteen next year.”
That was a full-score answer from the President! A genuine trace of warmth added itself to the smile at the corner of Song Xi’s lips.
Bureau Chief Liu chuckled. “Then let me toast Little Song to borrow a little of her youthful vitality.”
The smile on Song Xi’s lips froze instantly. She was literally dying—where on earth was she supposed to find youthful vitality!
Yet she still picked up her wine glass. When a Bureau Chief proposes a toast, how could a lowly secretary possibly refuse to drink?
A large, knuckle-defined hand clamped down firmly around her wrist. Jiang Yanzhou even reached over, took the wine glass right out of Song Xi’s hand, and told Bureau Chief Liu,
“My Secretary Song has to drive, so we’ll substitute wine with tea instead!”
Lu Han Cheng, who had been thoroughly enjoying the show, chimed in right on cue, “Bureau Chief, I’m not driving. Allow me to keep you company and drink with you.”
Three rounds of drinks later, business matters had been thoroughly discussed, yet Bureau Chief Liu’s gaze remained fixed squarely on Song Xi.
His next question was delivered with absolute bluntness:
“Little Jiang, would you mind letting Little Song drive me home?”