“Senior, where will I be working?” Cheng Luo officially became an assistant starting today. To fit the role, she had specifically worn a slightly mature black suit.
However, the canvas shoes on her feet still betrayed her youthful student vibe.
Zhai Qing looked up and pointed toward a desk that had appeared in her office at some unknown time.
Cheng Luo asked in disbelief, “I am working right here? Is there no separate office?”
Zhai Qing replied quite matter-of-factly, “It makes it easier for me to supervise your work and help you become familiar with everything quickly.”
“Was the previous assistant also working here?”
Zhai Qing shook her head. “She was very capable and did not need my supervision.”
Cheng Luo: “…”
She endured the humiliation of sitting at a workstation with zero privacy, where she could see the big boss every time she looked up. Any ordinary employee would have been too terrified to function, but fortunately, Cheng Luo was very diligent. It did not take long for her to become immersed in her work, gradually forgetting the presence of the other person.
Zhai Qing was also someone who lost herself in her work. When she finally looked up, she realized it was already lunchtime, yet her new little assistant was still working hard.
She tapped on the desk to get her attention. Sure enough, Cheng Luo looked up with a dazed expression.
Zhai Qing reminded her, “It is time to eat.”
“Oh, oh, oh.” At the mention of it, Cheng Luo realized her stomach was empty. She was about to head to the cafeteria when she turned back and asked, “Senior, are you going to the cafeteria? I can accompany you for lunch.”
Since Zhai Qing joined the company, no one had ever offered to keep her company during lunch. A trace of warmth flickered in her heart. “Alright. Go downstairs and bring up the delivery order.”
“Remember to take the private elevator; it is faster.”
Cheng Luo assumed the food was only for Zhai Qing. She grumbled in her heart: To think she exploits people like this, making a hungry employee fetch her delivery. Does she not know that if you go to the cafeteria late, there will be no good dishes left? What a tyrant!
Cheng Luo complained the whole way, but when she got downstairs, she was stunned. Two delivery bags were placed neatly in front of her. She called Zhai Qing. “Hello, Senior, what did you order? Which one is yours?”
Zhai Qing asked over the phone, “How many are there?”
Cheng Luo answered honestly, “Two.”
“Then bring them both up.”
Cheng Luo was completely confused. Did she have to bring them all up even if there were three? Could someone else’s delivery be in here? Was someone sharing an order with her?
However, wanting to fill her stomach as soon as possible, Cheng Luo did not think too deeply and hurried back to the office. After placing the two deliveries on the desk, she grabbed her meal card, intending to head back out immediately.
But Zhai Qing called out to her from behind, “What, do you not like it?”
Cheng Luo turned around in confusion. She looked down at the two meals again, and suddenly it clicked. “There is a portion for me in here?”
Zhai Qing countered, “Otherwise, would I eat two portions by myself?”
Cheng Luo’s resentment vanished instantly. She recognized the packaging; it was from a very expensive restaurant. She had not even known this place offered delivery services. This single meal probably cost as much as her daily salary. She said a bit cautiously, “This might not be right. Maybe I should just go to the cafeteria?”
Zhai Qing gave an “oh” and said coldly, “Then ask around to see who wants to eat it and give it to them. Just say I ordered too much.”
Cheng Luo heard this and immediately flashed a flattering smile. “They must have all eaten already; everyone runs so fast when it is time for lunch. I will be the one to eat it; we should not waste food.”
Zhai Qing curled her lips slightly, playing along with the excuse. “Then it is yours. By the way, remember to help me ask tomorrow if anyone else wants to eat.”
Like a hen protecting her chick, Cheng Luo immediately said with earnest sincerity, “There probably will not be anyone tomorrow either. I will be the one to eat it!”
Zhai Qing gave her a casual glance and waved her hand to dismiss her.
Cheng Luo returned to her desk. The dishes in front of her were much more lavish than what she had eaten last time, and soon she was eating happily. She lamented in her heart: How can food be this delicious? Rich people really know how to enjoy life!
She chewed her envy of the rich into her stomach, bite by bite.
Afternoon
An unexpected person arrived: Zhai Qing’s biological mother. As soon as she entered the office, she noticed her prize student and asked in a cheerful voice, “How is Cheng Luo doing here? No one is bullying you, right?”
Zhai Qing called out “Mom” helplessly. This was a company, a professional place; how could anyone be bullied?
“By the way, I came here today for something. Are you free tonight?”
Zhai Qing glanced at her little assistant. Receiving the signal, Cheng Luo immediately said, “There is a dinner meeting tonight.”
“Can it be pushed back? Help your mom out this once.” There were no traces of time on Zhai Wen’s face. At that moment, she held her hands together in a prayer gesture, looking pleadingly at her strong-willed daughter.
Zhai Qing did not fall for it. “Tell me what it is first.”
“Actually, it is the son of the dean of our faculty. He just returned from abroad. The dean kept bragging about how his son is both brilliant and handsome. Not wanting to be outdone, I mentioned you. Now he insists on meeting you and treating you to a meal.” Actually, she had regretted it the moment she said it, but since the words were out, she had to follow through. “Good daughter, just go this once.”
After Zhai Qing listened patiently, she said two words to Cheng Luo: “Escort her out.”
Zhai Wen: “…”
Was this really her own daughter!
“Fine, so you are not going?” Zhai Wen turned her head sharply. “Cheng Luo, you are free tonight, right? I heard that boy is over 1.8 meters tall, has dual doctoral degrees, and is handsome and polite. You go meet,”
She was interrupted by Zhai Qing before she could finish. “Stop. She is coming with me.”
“Why are you making your employee work overtime? For the sake of your junior’s happiness, do not make her work tonight. What if they really hit it off,”
Cheng Luo had been standing there awkwardly ever since the topic suddenly shifted to her. She did not really want to meet some dean’s son, so she cast a pleading look toward Zhai Qing.
“Alright, Mom, if you are really bored, go travel. Stop trying to play matchmaker all day.” Poor Mrs. Zhai could not persuade either of them and was instead personally ushered out by her cold-blooded daughter.
After Zhai Qing saw Mrs. Zhai off, she returned to the office to find Cheng Luo still standing there pitifully, as if afraid she might be abandoned. “Senior, I will accompany you to the dinner tonight.”
When they arrived at the location, Cheng Luo realized it was not a simple dinner at all. Instead, it was like a formal banquet. Everyone present was wearing grand evening gowns or suits, while she and Zhai Qing walked in wearing simple attire.
“Senior, why are we here?” Cheng Luo was not familiar with these high-society events at all, so she could only follow closely behind Zhai Qing.
“It is fine, just stay with me.” There was not a ripple of emotion on Zhai Qing’s face, as if she had attended such scenes many times.
“Oh, why is the protagonist so late?” A man wearing a flashy burgundy suit suddenly appeared, a cynical smile on his face.
Zhai Qing frowned. “What protagonist?”
“How do you dare to come when you know nothing? Are you not afraid this is a trap?” A flash of pity crossed the man’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a teasing gaze.
Before Zhai Qing could respond, an elegant and refined middle-aged man walked out. The moment he appeared, he captured everyone’s attention. Without a doubt, this man was extraordinary.
The man’s sharp eyes scanned the room, finally stopping on Zhai Qing. He flashed a kind smile. “Qingqing, come here. Why have you not come home to visit for so long?”
Zhai Qing’s eyes held unmistakable disgust. However, the whispers of the surrounding guests grew louder in her ears. Under the man’s threatening gaze, she eventually stepped forward.
The man smiled with satisfaction, took her hand, and introduced her to everyone. “This is my daughter. She grew up with her mother since she was a child, so she is not very close to me.” As he said this, he looked like an ordinary father who was neglected by his children.
But Zhai Qing knew that this was a hypocritical man to the extreme. In his eyes, everyone was categorized only by their value. If Zhai Qing was cold, her father was a literal stone, and a corroded, rotten one at that.
The only thing she regretted now was that she had actually harbored a bit of a fantasy before coming, thinking that as he got older, he might have begun to repent. But now it seemed it was just her wishful thinking.
The man’s grip on her hand did not loosen at all as he continued, “My only concern now is Qingqing’s marriage. Perhaps because of me and her mother, I have never seen her in a relationship. As a father, I am truly anxious!” By this point, Zhai Qing basically knew what he was planning.
“If any family has a young man of a similar age, please do not forget my daughter.” Her father’s subsequent speech was essentially no different from selling his daughter. Everyone present was powerful and influential, and they all understood his intentions.
But Zhai Qing, the person concerned, almost laughed out loud in her heart. For him to be this desperate to sell his daughter, it seemed the loopholes in his company were indeed significant, and he could no longer solve them himself.
Zhai Qing saw several young men in their thirties eyeing her. Suppressing the nausea in her heart, she yanked her arm out of the man’s grip. She brushed back the stray hairs that had fallen over her forehead from the movement, then looked up at her father with an expression that was both shy and a bit joyful.
Cheng Luo had no idea what had been happening. She only understood that this man was Zhai Qing’s father, but the rest was a blur. However, looking at the senior’s face, she knew nothing good was being said.
She had been standing behind Zhai Qing the entire time, and almost no one had noticed her. Suddenly, her arm was seized by a strong force, and Cheng Luo was pushed in front of everyone before she could react. She found Zhai Qing’s hands resting on her shoulders as they looked into each other’s eyes.
In the next second, a kiss as light as a feather landed on Cheng Luo’s lips.
“Dad, I already have someone I like. My junior.”