Shen Nanci was utterly bewildered. When had she ever said that?
Just kidding.
Impossible. She had definitely never said those words.
Thinking back carefully, she truly hadn’t.
Seeing Shen Nanci lost in her own tangled thoughts, Li Hengyan curled his fingers and tapped rhythmically on the table as a reminder. “Some investors are blind. Forcing an unsuitable role onto someone is worse than casting a fresh face, just to avoid ruining a good script.”
Shen Nanci: “…”
Damn it.
Why were the exact words she had secretly whispered to Song Shinian in the women’s restroom now coming out of Li Hengyan’s mouth?
Had he eavesdropped?
This perverted CEO—he actually went to the women’s restroom to listen in!
From Shen Nanci’s icy glare, which looked as if she wanted to tear him into pieces, Li Hengyan could guess exactly what she was thinking about him right now.
“Secretary Shen, are you wondering how I know?”
Shen Nanci resisted the urge to stand up and dump the salad in front of her onto the head of the calm and composed man sitting across from her.
She forced a standard, insincere smile. “Please, go ahead.”
If he got it wrong, well, too bad!
She’d serve him a plate and salad for his hair.
Screw you, you perverted CEO!
Li Hengyan unhurriedly pulled out a tissue, wiped his hands, then reached into his suit pants pocket and took out his phone.
He unlocked the screen, found the video, and placed the phone on the table.
In the playing video, Shen Nanci was wearing a white blouse and a black knee-length skirt, her back to the restroom door.
In the mirror, Shen Nanci’s face was stunningly beautiful.
From behind, her waist was slender.
Her hips were perky.
Her legs were straight and long, with calves that were perfectly proportioned and smooth.
Her ankles were so fair they seemed to glow.
A beautiful face.
An amazing figure.
Shen Nanci was washing her hands while on the phone, saying exactly what Li Hengyan had just repeated.
Almost word for word.
Shen Nanci watched, her toes curling in embarrassment as if she could dig out the Great Wall and a palace.
She felt awkward, embarrassed, ashamed, and furious.
Moving at lightning speed, she tried to snatch the phone and delete this awful thing.
Li Hengyan seemed to have anticipated this, moving faster than Shen Nanci and deftly pulling the phone away.
Shen Nanci’s eyes were practically shooting flames.
She stared at Li Hengyan as if he were a pervert, gritting her teeth and forcing that same standard, insincere smile. “CEO Li, I never knew you had such a hobby. Stalker or pervert?”
No!
Shen Nanci corrected herself: “You’re a voyeur!”
If she could, she’d really flip the table and scream without caring about her image: “Li Hengyan, you damn voyeur! If I take off my shoe, I’ll slap you to death!”
Tsk.
That scene was too beautiful to imagine.
Li Hengyan suddenly smiled, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “Do you have proof?”
Meaning: You can eat whatever you want, but don’t say whatever you want.
Otherwise, if you say the wrong thing…
There will be consequences.
After calming down and analyzing the situation, Shen Nanci realized exactly who must have leaked this video.
Lin Hui had also been in the restroom that day.
However, she had left early, and Shen Nanci had thought she was alone at the time.
It seemed Lin Hui must have sneaked back in at some point without her noticing.
Shen Nanci couldn’t help but feel angry, though she didn’t show it on her face.
Her expression turned cold.
She was done eating.
“CEO Li, if you trust someone, don’t doubt them; if you doubt someone, don’t use them. Since you’re so wary of me and even have your informants watching me, are you afraid I’ll leak company secrets? In that case, why don’t you just fire me?”
“Or,” Shen Nanci added, “I can resign on my own.”
Li Hengyan hadn’t expected things to escalate to the point of resignation.
Afraid that Shen Nanci wasn’t just bluffing, he decided to quit while he was ahead and let out a resigned, helpless chuckle.
He handed over his phone, accepting his fate and compromising.
He watched as Shen Nanci deleted the content.
Li Hengyan stopped provoking Secretary Shen. “Be good, let’s eat. The food’s getting cold.”
After the meal, Shen Nanci stood by the railing, enjoying the breeze.
Li Hengyan walked over after finishing a phone call.
Shen Nanci was too lost in thought to notice.
The man approached, standing behind CiCi, his arms outstretched as if to embrace her from behind, his hands resting on the railing.
The man was tall, and CiCi nestled in his arms like a little bird.
“The view is nice,” the man remarked, his voice magnetic, low and deep.
Shen Nanci glanced down and saw the hands gripping the railing beside her. She took a step back, firmly colliding with the man’s broad, sturdy chest.
The girl’s eyes widened in surprise.
Li Hengyan chuckled softly, his arm naturally encircling Shen Nanci’s waist.
“Secretary Shen, is the sea beautiful?”
Shen Nanci was already growing accustomed to the day’s surreal events.
And this man surnamed Li—
always getting handsy.
Knowing that physical resistance was futile, she didn’t bother struggling. Shen Nanci turned her head to gaze at the magnificent, expansive sea.
“Why ‘Secretary Shen’ again?”
Li Hengyan let out a soft “oh,” drawing out the tone. “Aren’t you my Secretary Shen, Li Hengyan’s Secretary Shen, surnamed Shen, named CiCi?”
Shen Nanci felt she was adapting rather quickly.
She was no longer shocked or taken aback by whatever words came out of this man’s mouth.
Shen Nanci replied, “My surname is Shen, my given name is Nanci.”
Li Hengyan leaned down, his breath brushing past Shen Nanci’s ear as he chuckled softly. “Mm, I know. Shen Nanci, the third daughter of the Shen family, Secretary Shen, and also…”
“My CiCi.”
With those last words, the man’s voice was tender and lingering.
His pronunciation of “CiCi” was particularly intimate.
It carried a fatal tenderness and affection, as if tempered by time and years, like the murmurs between lovers—as if he deeply loved her.
Shen Nanci’s heart raced fiercely.
She didn’t dare turn around or respond.
Afraid of giving herself away too easily, terrified that if she made the wrong choice or trusted the wrong person, she would fall into an abyss of eternal suffering.
Shen Nanci felt her heart stir.
But she didn’t dare believe.
“Li Hengyan.”
Taking advantage of the man’s momentary distraction, Shen Nanci ducked down and slipped nimbly out from under Li Hengyan’s arm.
Like a little hamster.
She scurried away swiftly.
In his surprise, Li Hengyan heard Shen Nanci call his name.
Shen Nanci looked at him seriously. “What is our relationship now?”
After a pause, she added, “Many people have teased me, and I don’t mind. But I don’t want it to be you. You’re my boss—it’s different.”
“Besides being your boss,” Li Hengyan’s gaze was deep and intense, “there’s also the fact that I like you and want to pursue you.”
Shen Nanci fell silent.
Li Hengyan snapped his fingers, and soon after, bang, bang, bang sounds echoed in the sky.
Shen Nanci jumped in surprise and turned to look.
In the distance, several boats floated on the sea.
The dazzling fireworks exploding in the sky were launched from those boats.
So beautiful.
Shen Nanci couldn’t help but lose herself in the sight.
She also loved watching beautiful fireworks.
She didn’t notice the man behind her. Li Hengyan turned his head and signaled with his eyes. Soon, someone approached.
They respectfully presented something with both hands.
Li Hengyan discreetly opened the box and took out its contents.
Suddenly, something cold and hard touched Shen Nanci’s neck, causing her to instinctively shrink back.
She was about to turn her head.
Above her head, near her ear, came a man’s low, magnetic voice.
“CiCi, don’t move.”