### Chapter 20: Double the Password, a Million Times the Flattery…
Just at that moment, the installation technician came over to ask Lin Siyi what she wanted the broadband password to be. Lin Siyi excused herself and apologized to her boss.
Cheng Yixiu nodded. “This is your home. Feel free.”
Standing by the router, Lin Siyi racked her brains. Soon enough, inspiration struck.
“Got it.” To show her loyalty to her boss, Lin Siyi asked the technician to set the password to 5258, a number that’s catchy and easy to remember.
However, the technician reminded her, “Young lady, you might want to add more numbers. Otherwise the password could be easily guessed.”
Lin Siyi thought the technician was overthinking it. Nowadays, if someone really wanted to leech off free Wi-Fi, they could easily download software to crack the password anyway.
But for the sake of her network speed, she added another four digits to the original number, making it 52585258. Double the password, a million times the flattery…
This subtly expressed how deep her admiration for her boss was, even setting her home broadband password like this.
After seeing the technician into the elevator, Lin Siyi mentally prepared herself as she walked back to her apartment.
Based on her observations over the past few days, Yixiu wasn’t a petty person. Yao Dong from the same team had mentioned that he just seemed to have a bad temper but was fair in dealing with matters.
So she decided to explain her mindset during the time she was using his Wi-Fi, hoping he wouldn’t hold it against her.
But what Lin Siyi didn’t know was that Yixiu could be quite petty.
Lin Siyi omitted her true motives and offered an explanation. “When I first moved in, I accidentally discovered there was free Wi-Fi nearby. Boss, you know I just graduated and didn’t have much income, so I thought I’d save where I could. I really didn’t know I was using your network. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare even with a hundred guts. I apologize for any inconvenience I caused you.”
Cheng Yixiu suddenly recalled a moment not long ago when Lin Siyi had confronted him. He asked curiously, “Since you can afford to live here, how come you couldn’t pay for broadband?”
“Isn’t it because I’m an orphan now? Boss, as you can see, I’m so poor that all I have left is this mansion.”
Cheng Yixiu: “…”
*So you’re saying being poor gives you the right?* He thought he couldn’t just let it slide.
Having been in a position of power for a long time, Cheng Yixiu exuded authority. “You have no idea how much psychological distress and resource waste this incident caused me. As the perpetrator, it’s necessary for you to compensate me for my mental and economic losses.”
Lin Siyi was speechless. “Boss, do you usually get rich by extorting others?”
“I haven’t finished speaking. Out of humanitarianism, you only need to compensate me one yuan. This is to make you deeply realize that your behavior of using my Wi-Fi was indeed wrong. For me, the previous losses are irretrievable, and they are considered sunk costs. I won’t waste my precious time on such matters.”
“Then why are you arguing with me now?”
“After all, I’m a boss. If a subordinate makes a mistake, they must be punished; if they achieve something, they must be rewarded. There must be clear rewards and punishments so that the employees will be convinced. If I always ignore your efforts, who knows—you might curse me to go bald behind my back.”
“How could I dare, boss? You are the electricity, you are the light, you are my only provider. I rely on you. You are my superstar.”
“…” Cheng Yixiu once again doubted whether his initial choice was too impulsive. Did he really hire an assistant who flatters at any time and place?
“Be careful not to flatter the wrong way. As punishment, tomorrow night you’ll come with me to my sister’s house for dinner. It’s time for you to showcase your acting skills. After work tomorrow, go home and prepare. I’ll come pick you up.”
Speaking of this, Lin Siyi immediately got interested. “What kind of style does your sister like in girls?”
Cheng Yixiu’s face was arrogant. “You’re asking the wrong question. As my girlfriend, shouldn’t you be asking me what I like?”
“Then, may I ask what style you like, boss?”
“Anyway, not like you.”
Lin Siyi thought to herself, *Well, that’s really putting you out, having to accept me as your pretend girlfriend at your age. Please pay the breach of contract fee in advance so I can afford a flight out of here.*
Cheng Yixiu, unaware of Lin Siyi’s inner thoughts, continued. “Perhaps, for my sister, as long as my girlfriend is a girl, it’s fine.”
In other words, it doesn’t matter how she dressed, as long as she wasn’t a guy.
Lin Siyi suddenly remembered. “So buying me clothes this afternoon was premeditated? For tomorrow’s dinner? Indeed, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
Cheng Yixiu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “You’re half right. There’s no free lunch, but there is a free dinner. Tomorrow night, the dinner I’m taking you to is free. Knowing you’re too poor to afford it, you don’t need to pay.”
“…” Lin Siyi thought, *Is that what I meant? Boss, how did you get into the youth class? With this level, can you even pass reading comprehension?*
“Then what does your sister do for work, boss? Can you at least tell me that?”
“Well, my sister is a career woman. Originally, the company I was supposed to take over was handed over to her to manage.”
*Wow, the whole family is confirmed to be capitalists.*
“And at the dinner table, you’ll meet Shen Yu. Don’t confront her directly; leave the rest to me.”
“Brother, she was the one who provoked me today. I can’t avoid her fast enough. Why would I provoke her?”
“I’m just giving you a heads-up. Don’t overthink it.”
“Okay, got it. Boss, you’re the best.”
Cheng Yixiu: “…” Why does this sound so strange?
The next evening, after work, Lin Siyi didn’t linger at the company. She wanted to say goodbye to Cheng Yixiu in his office, only to find he had left at some point.
Today was another day she rode her bike to work.
Lin Siyi sprayed sunscreen at the company, making sure she didn’t miss any spots before daring to walk out of the building.
In Shen City’s summer, the days were particularly long, often not getting dark until after seven in the evening.
Lin Siyi looked up at the sky. Even the evening sun was a bit glaring.
Back home, her phone showed it was not yet six o’clock.
Lin Siyi took a quick shower, wrapped herself in a white cotton towel, and came out. Considering she was going to someone’s house as a guest, it wasn’t appropriate to dress too casually.
Yesterday, Cheng Yixiu bought her a business suit, but since his sister was a female executive and she was just going as his girlfriend for dinner, there was no need to dress like she was attending a board meeting.
So Lin Siyi found a collared, beaded, sleeveless, knee-length dress she had bought at some point but never worn.
She usually did a good job with sun protection, so her skin was fair and glossy. The dark blue fabric complemented her well.
It wasn’t her usual workday style of a ponytail. Lin Siyi used her fingers to create a casual, textured look, then tied her long curls low at the back of her head, leaving some of the ends loose. This made her look noticeably more mature than usual.
To match the beads on her dress, Lin Siyi chose dangling silver earrings. The small round balls swayed gently, adorning her pink earlobes quite cutely.
While grabbing her bag, her phone rang.
Lin Siyi guessed it was a call from Cheng Yixiu. Sure enough, she was right.
“Boss, what can I do for you?”
“I’m almost downstairs. If you’re ready, you can come down.”
“Almost done. Just changing my shoes and I’ll be out.”
“I’ll wait for you at the entrance of the community.”
“Got it. See you in a bit.”
Lin Siyi took out the pair of Jimmy Choo gradient shiny high heels she had bought through a purchasing agent. When she bought them, she liked the pictures, but when she tried them on, she realized they were practically useless. High heels weren’t as comfortable as flats, and she wasn’t short to begin with.
This time, they finally came in handy, justifying the thousands she had spent on them, which had been sitting unused in her dark cabinet ever since.
Lin Siyi locked the door and checked herself from head to toe in the elevator’s reflective surface. Except for the eyeliner, which could be a bit more natural, everything else looked perfect!
Exiting the community gate, Lin Siyi took a while to find Cheng Yixiu’s car. When she reached out to open the door, she found it was locked.
Lin Siyi knocked on the window. “Boss?”
Inside the car, Cheng Yixiu was on a call. Hearing the knock, he casually turned to look and found it was Lin Siyi. At first glance, he thought she looked quite… stunning, very different from usual.
The door lock was then opened, and Lin Siyi quickly got into the passenger seat.
“Boss, did you park your car so hidden on purpose so I wouldn’t find it?”
“This car is so big. How nearsighted do you have to be not to see it? You don’t usually wear glasses, so is your actual prescription higher than mine?”
Lin Siyi leaned closer. “Can you tell if I’m wearing contact lenses?”
As Lin Siyi leaned in, Cheng Yixiu seemed to catch a faint, pleasant scent from her. *Did she spray perfume?*
But on second thought, it was normal for girls her age to wear perfume. It was just different from her usual scent.
Cheng Yixiu quickly focused on driving and casually asked, “Can you hear my stomach growling?”
Lin Siyi: “… Boss, I’m actually not nearsighted.”
“I figured. You look better without glasses.”
*How to put it?* Lin Siyi’s eyebrows and eyes were naturally beautiful, and if covered by glasses, it would diminish the sparkle in her eyes. Just like this, she looked really good.