Zhao Linye pressed his lips together and looked at her coolly. "When you joined Chan Gong, didn't Sister Chu give you training? What you shouldn't hear, don't listen to."
Chen Zhuyue clenched her palms.
She knew she had broken the rules and touched his taboo.
As a Chan Gong staff member, she was supposed to be deaf and mute.
Not hearing, not asking, not speaking, not uttering a word—that was the wisest course.
"I apologize, Chairman Zhao. I will explain this matter to Sister Chu, and if necessary, I will voluntarily resign."
Chen Zhuyue spoke, tears welling up in her eyes for a brief moment before she suppressed them.
In that fleeting instant, she had swiftly crafted a trap for Zhao Linye, establishing a persona of forbearance and resilience for herself.
Her raised eyes shimmered with tears, like a helpless, fragile woman bullied by powers beyond her control—unable to resist, yet extraordinarily tenacious, preferring death to humiliation.
No matter how fierce the storm, she would not bow her head in disgrace, simply because she was Chen Zhuyue.
This was a strategy of retreating to advance, a trap to lure him in.
If he took the bait, everything that followed would be subtly altered by her—this unexpected little butterfly who had barged into the plan—quietly shifting the winds and changing the acquisition landscape.
If he didn't take the bait… then she hadn't tried hard enough, and she would simply have to keep pushing.
"Miss Chen, Chan Gong's value lies in its resources, its signals, its decisions. You went to great lengths to enter Chan Gong—surely not just to resign?"
Zhao Linye looked at her, speaking directly. "Whatever you want to do, say it. Don't play tricks in front of me."
Just as Chen Zhuyue had calculated.
Zhao Linye despised stupidity, and even more so, he despised people with ulterior motives who thought themselves clever.
Chen Zhuyue's heart tightened. She knew he must have seen through something.
Had he seen through her trap, or seen through the calculation behind her tears?
"Chairman Zhao, I don't want to be an ant. I want to be someone above others."
Just as a chill finally crept into the man's eyes and he was about to turn and leave, Chen Zhuyue spoke quickly, gambling everything on one throw.
Zhao Linye stopped, turned, and looked straight into her eyes.
A young girl, still green, yet boldly telling him: I want to be someone above others.
She was also telling him plainly: I am calculating you.
Even more so: I have ambition, and it's something I'm willing to show you, and daring enough to let you see.
Zhao Linye smiled.
In all these years, no one had ever dared to be so arrogant, so audacious in front of him.
She was the first.
And she had stirred a ripple in his life—so routine, so bland these past few years—like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface.
"Small person, but no small ambition."
He stubbed out his cigarette and turned to leave.
Zhao Linye returned to his seat at the head of the table, and a faint scent of soap drifted to his nose—not perfume, but a fresh, clean fragrance like a fawn in the mountains beneath the sunlight.
It was a scent he had only ever encountered on one person.
His gaze lifted slightly, landing on the name card placed on the table before him. His brow paused for a moment, then he lowered his head again.
The meeting continued.
Detailed statements, refined summaries—from the big picture to the fine details, from coordination to local matters—step by step, everything was discussed and deliberated.
Led by Li Lingfeng, there was a strong push to acquire this small hospital, but it carried a hint of forceful seizure. Zhao Linye did not approve on the spot.
An hour later, the meeting ended. Li Lingfeng's expression was grim: "Chairman Zhao, this acquisition case has all the paperwork in order—only the final step remains. Why hasn't it been approved?"
Zhao Linye raised his eyes, a cold indifference in them: "You know the inside story better than I do. Li Lingfeng, I am the chairman. I have to consider the entire chamber of commerce. This door cannot be opened."
If he opened that door, today it would be the Li Family, tomorrow the Zhang Family, and the day after the Wang Family.
Zhao Linye was the chairman, not a puppet.
"Xiao Chen, time to work."
The people in Zhegui Ting had dispersed, the tea gone cold. Chen Zhuyue hurried over. Zhao Linye was the last to leave. Chen Zhuyue's eyes brightened as she stood obediently to one side. "Chairman Zhao."
Zhao Linye stopped, raised his eyes, and let his gaze sweep over Chen Zhuyue. "Miss Chen's specialty is medicine. Coincidentally, I have a few medical questions I'd like to consult you on."
Chen Zhuyue's heart pounded like thunder, but she had to stay steady. She didn't agree immediately—instead, she looked at Sister Chu.
Sister Chu was the manager of Chan Gong, her superior, while she was merely a staff member.
"Since Chairman Zhao is asking for you, go ahead."
Sister Chu said, her estimation of Chen Zhuyue's standing rising another notch.
"Thank you, Sister Chu."
Chen Zhuyue changed out of her uniform and quickly left Chan Gong. A luxury car was waiting outside.
A Maybach—one she had never ridden in before.
Secretary Cheng opened the door: "Miss Chen, please."
Again, she didn't sit in the passenger seat. She sat in the back with Zhao Linye.
In the cramped space, they were closer, and the scent of cedar on him grew clearer.
Pleasant to the nose, with an air of distinction.
Just like the man himself.
"You touched the name card on the table."
Zhao Linye spoke slowly as the partition rose, and Secretary Cheng drove with full focus, not listening to his boss's private affairs.
Chen Zhuyue's heart tightened. Instinctively, she analyzed what his question meant—whether he was angry, or if there was another reason.
But after thinking of many possible answers, she rejected them all: in front of Zhao Linye, she couldn't lie.
A hint of panic and unease surfaced on her face at just the right moment. "I'm sorry, Chairman Zhao, I did touch the nameplate."
Zhao Linye didn't look at her, instead closing his eyes. "At least you're honest. The nameplate wasn't crooked, and it hadn't provoked you. You touched it to get my attention."
Chen Zhuyue felt a cold sweat run down her back.
It felt like being back in her school days—after doing something wrong, standing before a stern discipline director, where every little scheme was laid bare and impossible to hide.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Zhao Linye pressed the question tightly, and Chen Zhuyue's mind raced. "Because I want to rise above others."
This was the second time she'd said it: rise above others.
After that, Zhao Linye asked no more.
A mere girl from Shancheng, even if she used a little trick to catch his attention, wasn't quite qualified yet.
When he drove her back to the residential complex, Zhao Linye didn't look at her again. Chen Zhuyue got out of the car, then bent down and said, "Chairman Zhao, could you wait a moment? I'll bring down the umbrella from last time."
Returning the umbrella was a good excuse.
As she bent over, the collar of her plain white T-shirt hung low, naturally revealing a semicircle of her chest.
Very fair.
Zhao Linye glanced at it once. He wasn't short on umbrellas, and his gaze remained calm. "An umbrella—I can afford to throw it away."
His time was precious; he wouldn't waste it on this.
"Then, Chairman, would you like to come up and sit for a while? Have some tea? Though, it might not be quite appropriate—you're swamped with work and very busy."