“Su Ningyue, the director wants you.”
Feng Mengna said to Su Ningyue with an air of superiority, and without waiting for Su Ningyue to react, she turned on her heels and strutted back to her workstation.
While Su Ningyue was still stunned, Hong Lingling quietly reminded her, “Ningyue, be careful.”
Su Ningyue nodded and got up to go to the director’s office.
The moment he saw Su Ningyue come in, Liu Zhenyu immediately changed his expression, warmly inviting her to sit down and even taking the initiative to brew tea for her.
Su Ningyue felt flustered and rushed to brew the tea herself. “Director, I’ll do it myself.”
Liu Zhenyu stopped her and laughed heartily. “Today, let me have you taste the tea I brew.”
Su Ningyue grumbled inwardly—he called her in just for tea? She didn’t buy it!
“How is it? Good?”
She took a small sip. “It has a hint of sweetness. Very good.”
After all, this was West Lake Longjing tea—just a tiny bit of it cost as much as her monthly salary. Truly a capitalist.
Su Ningyue cut straight to the point. “Director, is there something you need to instruct me on?”
Liu Zhenyu didn’t beat around the bush either. He handed her a document.
Su Ningyue took the document awkwardly and asked in confusion, “This is…”
“This document is of vital importance to our tax bureau. It requires Director Gu’s personal signature. Go to the Finance Bureau later and deliver this document personally to Director Gu.”
“Oh, right. I’ll give you the day off today. Once you’ve taken care of this, you’re free to go.”
Su Ningyue’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly stood up. “Director, aren’t these matters usually handled by Sister Mengna? I’m not good with words. I’m afraid I’m not up to the task.”
“Ningyue, you’re the only one who can do this.” Liu Zhenyu didn’t spell things out and directly dismissed her. “It’s getting late. I have a video conference soon, so I won’t keep you.”
Su Ningyue clutched the document tightly, as if it were a hot potato.
She returned to her workstation, grabbed her bag, hesitated for a moment, then went out and hailed a taxi to the city government.
Sitting in the car, Su Ningyue felt uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that something was off.
She thought about it the whole way but couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
It wasn’t until she heard the driver’s voice that she snapped back to reality. Su Ningyue thanked him, grabbed her bag and the document, and got out of the car.
Standing at the entrance of the imposing Finance Bureau, Su Ningyue felt a strange sense of nervousness.
After giving herself a mental pep talk at the door, Su Ningyue finally stepped inside.
In the spacious service hall, even her voice echoed. The receptionist at the front desk asked amiably, “Miss, who are you here to see?”
“Hello! I’m looking for Director Gu. Which floor is his office on?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Su Ningyue shook her head. Only then did it dawn on her that meeting the director required an appointment in advance.
The receptionist said frankly, “Miss, you see, without an appointment, we’re not allowed to disclose anything about the director. How about this—please wait a moment, and I’ll confirm with Secretary Yang.”
Su Ningyue nodded obediently and stood to the side, waiting patiently.
A moment later, the receptionist returned with a warm smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting, miss. Please take the elevator directly to the twenty-third floor. Secretary Yang is waiting for you.”
Why was Secretary Yang waiting for her?
Su Ningyue had a hundred questions in her mind, but she still smiled at the receptionist and said, “Thank you.”
Watching the numbers climb, until the elevator let out a soft “ding” and the doors slid open, Su Ningyue took a deep breath and stepped out. The entire twenty-third floor was eerily quiet; at a glance, only a few people were working in an orderly fashion.
As soon as Su Ningyue took a step forward, she saw a tall, handsome man walking toward her. She knew he was Gu Jingchuan’s secretary, surnamed Yang.
Su Ningyue greeted him politely, “Secretary Yang, hello!”
Yet that single sentence made Yang Haodong’s hair stand on end—who knew, maybe one day Su Ningyue would become the Director’s wife, making her his superior’s superior.
“Miss Su, please follow me.”
Su Ningyue grew even more puzzled. Why wasn’t Secretary Yang curious about why she had come?
When they reached the office door, Yang Haodong stopped and said with utmost respect, “Miss Su, the Director is inside. You may go in alone.”
At that moment, Su Ningyue felt a twinge of fear.
She hesitated for a long while before raising her hand to knock. Soon, a magnetic male voice came from within.
“Come in.”
Su Ningyue gently pushed the door open. This was her first time in the Director’s office—it was spacious and bright, with decor that looked simple yet elegant, making one feel quite at ease.
Behind the desk sat Gu Jingchuan, who was focused on his work, his expression stern and cold. Su Ningyue felt reluctant to disturb him.
At first, Gu Jingchuan assumed it was Yang Haodong and paid no attention. But when no sound came for a while, he vaguely caught a faint, elegant fragrance. This scent was…
His heart trembled. He looked up toward the doorway and saw the young woman in a soft yellow dress. Today her hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders as she approached quietly, bringing with her that subtle, elusive fragrance that seemed to brush past the tip of his nose, instantly stirring his heart.
Su Ningyue walked cautiously to the desk, deliberately keeping a safe distance.
Her wary demeanor made it seem as though what lay before her wasn’t an ordinary desk and a man, but a trap fraught with countless unseen dangers.
From this gesture alone, it was clear just how guarded she was.
Gu Jingchuan, seated behind the desk, took in every detail, and a wave of displeasure rose in his heart.
He felt he hadn’t come across as someone so intimidating, yet the young woman before him was as wary as a startled fawn.
Meanwhile, Su Ningyue was completely unaware of Gu Jingchuan’s thoughts. She was still wondering whether her sudden visit had annoyed this esteemed figure.
At that thought, her nerves tightened further, and her once-fluent speech became halting: “D-Director Gu, I… I’m Su Ningyue from the Tax Bureau. Here… here’s a document that needs your s-signature.”
As she spoke, she reached out tremblingly, trying to hand over the document.
However, Gu Jingchuan’s gaze didn’t so much as glance at the document on the desk. His eyes, sharp as lightning, were fixed intently on the slightly flustered young woman before him, never wavering.
“Am I that fierce? Why do you keep your head down and refuse to look at me?”
Gu Jingchuan’s deep, mellow voice rang out slowly, laced with a barely perceptible hint of confusion.
Huh?!
Su Ningyue looked up and instinctively shook her head.
He wasn’t fierce, but the aura he naturally carried was enough to send chills down one’s spine. Combined with their two previous awkward encounters, she truly dreaded him.
“But I feel like you’re afraid of me. It was the same at the tax bureau last time. Did I do something that gave you the wrong impression?”
This time, Gu Jingchuan was determined to rid the young woman of her fear of him.
Only when she no longer feared him could he gradually draw closer to her.