The next morning, Shi Ying arrived especially early.
The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she heard an enraged voice exploding from inside the president’s office.
“Uncle, are you serious? You’re sending me to Africa?!”
The office door hadn’t been closed. Since it was still before working hours, the outside area was completely quiet, making the furious voice especially clear.
Shang Chenyan leaned lazily against his chair while flipping through the documents in his hands, not even bothering to raise his head.
“You have a problem with that?”
Shang Yu’s eyes widened.
“You think I DON’T have a problem with it?”
Then what the hell had he been ranting about all this time? Was he talking to himself like a lunatic?
“Uncle…” Seeing that acting tough wasn’t working, Shang Yu immediately switched tactics and softened his tone. He planted both hands onto the desk with a thump. “What did I do wrong for you to chase me away?”
“I’ve been behaving myself lately. I’ve been completing all my work properly. You even made me go do market research in that godforsaken place, and I still went. So what exactly did I do to offend you?”
Only then did Shang Chenyan finally lift his eyes toward him.
Shang Yu was in his fourth year at Jiangcheng University, barely in his early twenties. Youthful and energetic, he was exactly the type girls tended to like.
“You’re offending my eyes.”
Shang Yu furiously raked both hands through his short hair until it became a complete mess.
“Hmph. I’m not going! I haven’t even graduated yet. I still have classes to attend.”
“I’m going to tell Grandpa. If you’ve got the guts, then drag me onto the plane yourself!”
Fuming, he spun around and stormed toward the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang behind him.
His strides were fast and impatient. As he passed the break room, he failed to notice someone walking out at the same time.
Shi Ying had just finished getting water and was about to return to her workstation when she accidentally collided with the person outside.
Warm water instantly splashed all over both of them.
Instinctively, Shi Ying tried to dodge backward, but her balance slipped and she stumbled straight back.
“Careful.”
Shang Yu swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back upright.
Still startled, Shi Ying instinctively grabbed onto the man’s collar, their eyes meeting unexpectedly.
Shang Yu had a pair of charming peach blossom eyes. A few soft strands of hair hung loosely over his forehead. His arm tightened slightly as he helped steady her.
“Th-Thank you…” Shi Ying swallowed nervously, her heartbeat still racing from the sudden accident.
Shang Yu raised an eyebrow.
“You’re new here?”
Shi Ying nodded.
She secretly sized him up while recalling the angry voice she had heard coming from the office earlier.
Then she looked at his face again carefully.
So he was Shang Yu?
Her one million yuan reward?!
The moment that realization hit, Shi Ying’s eyes instantly lit up.
She flashed him a perfect smile.
“Sorry for bumping into you. Your clothes got wet — should I help wipe them off?”
As she spoke, she reached toward the counter for some tissues.
But before she could move any further—
Bang!
The sudden sound startled her so badly that the tissues slipped straight from her hands onto the floor.
Both of them turned simultaneously toward the source of the noise.
At some point, Shang Chenyan had already stepped out of the office.
Standing in the hallway, his tall figure was backlit by the sunlight streaming through the windows, making his expression impossible to read clearly.
“Did I interrupt you two?”
Shi Ying immediately withdrew her hand.
If the big boss caught her slacking off at work, would she get fired?
But work hours hadn’t even started yet!
There were still ten minutes left.
Shi Ying frantically racked her brain trying to figure out how to explain herself.
Meanwhile, Shang Yu completely failed to notice the displeasure radiating from the man.
He casually pulled out a few tissues and wiped at his clothes himself.
“Uncle—”
“Get lost.”
Before Shang Yu could finish speaking, Shang Chenyan’s cold gaze swept over him.
Shang Yu instantly shut his mouth.
Ever since he was little, there was nothing Shang Yu feared.
Except his uncle.
Especially after what happened five years ago—
Shang Chenyan had become particularly… insane.
“I’m leaving right now!”
Shang Yu immediately fled.
“President Shang, I…”
Shi Ying had already drafted several explanations in her mind and was just about to start defending herself when Shang Chenyan turned around and walked back into the office.
“Come in.”
Shi Ying shuffled after him in tiny nervous steps.
Her expression looked so tragic and determined that Shang Chenyan felt an indescribable bitterness surge inside him.
“President Shang, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left my workstation during work hours. I know I was wrong.”
Shi Ying squeezed her eyes shut and blurted everything out in one breath, as though facing death.
Shang Chenyan silently looked at her.
Those damp, deer-like eyes of hers sent waves of dull pain crashing through the left side of his chest.
How could he possibly bear to blame her?
This was all Shang Yu’s fault.
“Mm.”
After a long silence, instead of criticism, all Shi Ying heard was a low, hoarse voice.
“Bring your computer inside. You’ll work here from now on.”
He lightly tapped the black desk.
“Here?” Shi Ying stared in shock.
Working side-by-side with the boss?
What kind of modern torture was this?!
He might as well just scold her instead.
Completely deflated, Shi Ying carried her little laptop into the office. Shang Chenyan pointed toward the seat beside him, and she sat down with puffed cheeks.
The entire morning, Shi Ying sat as stiffly as though she were perched on needles.
Her eyes remained glued to the computer screen, and even replying to messages was done with extreme caution.
Reflected in the glass was the girl’s obedient figure.
As Shang Chenyan breathed in the air faintly mixed with her scent, every breath seemed to make even his soul tremble.
Shi Ying truly couldn’t sit still any longer.
She picked up her cup and took a sip before suddenly standing up.
“President Shang, are you thirsty? I can make you a cup of coffee.”
Shang Chenyan continued staring seriously at the computer screen and responded coldly with a quiet “Mm.”
Shi Ying immediately grabbed his cup and hurried out with cheerful little steps.
The air outside the office felt unbelievably fresh!
She planned to linger in the break room for a while longer.
After Shi Ying left, Shang Chenyan slowly raised his head, his gaze falling upon the seat she had just occupied.
His fingertips gently rubbed against the chair she had sat in.
Then he picked up the coat hanging over the backrest and brought it to his nose, inhaling its scent obsessively.
His Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly as his heart pounded violently inside his chest.
She had really come back.
Even Shang Chenyan’s hands were trembling.
He picked up the cup Shi Ying had used earlier. His thin lips pressed against the rim she had just touched as he kissed it obsessively.
Smack—
The sudden sound instantly dragged Shang Chenyan out of his trance.
Turning his head, he saw Shi Ying standing frozen by the doorway, staring blankly at him.
At her feet spread a puddle of spilled coffee.
“P-President Shang…”
Shi Ying couldn’t believe what she had just seen.
Was he drinking from her cup?
Shang Chenyan’s expression remained perfectly calm.
He casually glanced at the cup in his hand.
“This is yours?”
“Sorry.” Shang Chenyan naturally set the cup back down. “It was sitting on my desk. I forgot it belonged to you.”
Shi Ying suddenly seemed to think of something, because even her earlobes turned bright red.
She hurried over and quickly snatched her cup back.
Watching the girl’s flustered expression, Shang Chenyan spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
“N-No need…” Shi Ying lowered her head. “I’ll just wash it.”
Shang Chenyan hummed calmly, without the slightest trace of awkwardness, making Shi Ying feel like she was the one overreacting instead.
“I’m heading to a meeting. Stay here and continue working.”
“President Shang, I can go work outside—”
Shang Chenyan interrupted her directly.
“Jiang Wen isn’t here for the next two days. You’ll temporarily take over his duties and stay by my side.”
He paused before adding quietly,
“Not a single step away.”
Shi Ying clicked her tongue inwardly.
Did Secretary Jiang normally have to stay glued to him twenty-four hours a day?
No wonder everyone in the company thought those two were a couple.
An hour later.
Shang Chenyan returned from the meeting.
The moment he pushed open the office door, he saw that only his own computer remained on the black desk.
The office was empty.
Empty in the exact same way it had been every single day for the past five years—
With only him sitting there alone in endless loneliness.
Shang Chenyan’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
He abruptly spun around and rushed outside.
Only to nearly collide with someone entering at the same moment.
Reacting quickly, Shi Ying grabbed onto the doorframe, barely avoiding being knocked over for the second time that day.
“President Shang, is something urgent?”
Shang Chenyan stared at her blankly.
His eyes were bloodshot red.
His lips trembled slightly, and it took him a long time before he finally found his voice again.
“Where did you go?”
Shi Ying thought his expression looked strange, but she didn’t think too deeply about it.
Instead, she raised the computer in her arms slightly.
“Director Cheng said she’d help me install some files, so I stepped out for a moment.”
Shang Chenyan said nothing.
He simply stood there motionless, listening to the frantic, chaotic pounding of his own heartbeat—
Unable to calm down for a very, very long time.