The smile on Gu Qingyin’s lips faded. She followed the voice and saw a woman in a power suit striding toward them, radiating confidence. The woman didn’t spare her a glance, instead smiling faintly at Huo Xingye. "Good morning, President Huo. You can leave this woman to me. I’ll handle her."
A question mark slowly formed above Gu Qingyin’s head. She looked at Huo Xingye as well. "Your girlfriend?"
"My secretary, Bai Jiali," Huo Xingye introduced. "This is Gu Qingyin. She’s my... family."
Gu Qingyin looked far too young. No one would believe him if he said she was his mom. Besides, a mother is family, so he wasn’t lying.
Huo Xingye reassured himself internally while sneaking a sideways glance at Gu Qingyin. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her expression was normal, showing no signs of anger. But a moment later, he felt a bit displeased. ’My introduction was so vague. Why isn’t she angry?’
A flash of surprise crossed Bai Jiali’s eyes, then she looked at Gu Qingyin apologetically. "So you’re President Huo’s family. My apologies, I misunderstood."
She took a step forward—whether intentionally or not, it was hard to say—and squeezed Gu Qingyin aside. Raising a hand to press the elevator button, she then turned back with a smile. "Please, go ahead."
Gu Qingyin blinked. Something felt off.
’This secretary is so hostile toward me. Have we met before? Do I have a feud with her?’
Huo Xingye looked at Gu Qingyin. "Let’s go."
After Gu Qingyin stepped into the elevator first, Huo Xingye followed and took the food container from her, asking casually, "What did you bring?"
Gu Qingyin smiled again. "Crab roe soup dumplings and mixed noodles. And some herbal tea I brewed myself to help cut the grease."
Bai Jiali was the last to get on the elevator. She came in and stood by the door with her back to the two of them. Hearing their exchange, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
’Girls these days are so calculating, chasing him all the way to the office. And President Huo, honestly, how could he indulge her like this? Family, my foot. Does a kept woman even count as a person? Sooner or later, the president will dump her.’
"Did you make the soup dumplings and mixed noodles too?" Huo Xingye’s expression didn’t change, but his tone held a hint of anticipation.
Gu Qingyin looked a little embarrassed. "No, my cooking skills aren’t that great. I can only make tea."
Huo Xingye was a bit disappointed, but he still consoled her, "Being able to make tea is impressive too."
Bai Jiali clenched her fists. ’Why is the president being so gentle with Gu Qingyin? She’s just some little toy kept by a man. What gives her the right?!’
It wasn’t that she was easily triggered; she had just been by Huo Xingye’s side for nearly two years and had never seen him give any woman a second glance! ’Don’t tell me the president has actually fallen for this kept woman?!’
At this thought, Bai Jiali’s eyes couldn’t help but turn red.
With a DING, the elevator arrived at the sixteenth floor.
Gu Qingyin stepped out of the elevator and remarked with a hint of confusion, "It’s not on the top floor!" In the novels she used to read, the domineering CEO’s office was always on the top floor, making it convenient for them to look down on their business empire.
"Being on a middle floor is more convenient for coordinating work," Huo Xingye explained.
Gu Qingyin had a moment of realization.
"President Huo, you have a multinational conference to preside over at nine," Bai Jiali said, then looked at Gu Qingyin with a troubled expression. "This Miss Gu..."
"I’ll arrange things for her. You can get back to your work," Huo Xingye instructed, his voice impassive.
The smile on Bai Jiali’s lips froze for a moment. Then, she gave a polite nod and returned to her workstation.
Besides the president’s office, the entire sixteenth floor also housed the President’s Office Department, which was dedicated to coordinating with various other departments. Inside, there were nearly twenty secretaries and special assistants with varying roles and responsibilities.
Bai Jiali was just one of them.
Bai Jiali watched as Huo Xingye led Gu Qingyin into his office. At nine o’clock, the president came out for his meeting, actually leaving that woman alone in his office! ’What if she has ulterior motives and steals the group’s trade secrets?’
’Does the president trust her that much?!’
Bai Jiali’s defenses crumbled once again.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingyin was half-reclining on the leather sofa, resting. The crab roe soup dumplings had been too delicious, and she had accidentally eaten too much, leaving her feeling uncomfortably full.
She rubbed her stomach to aid digestion while thinking with a worried frown, ’Huo Xingye’s appetite is too small. He ate less than half of what I did. My son is so young, don’t tell me he already has stomach problems?’
Gu Qingyin sighed. ’My poor son, shouldering such a heavy burden at such a young age. It’s really not easy! And those two little rascals don’t even stick around the company to help out; all they know is how to exploit their big brother!’
While they were having breakfast, Huo Xingye had briefly told her about his two younger brothers.
The second brother, Huo Xinghai, loved the stage. He joined a talent show right after high school and shot to fame with his striking looks and exceptional songwriting talent.
He was currently on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, in seclusion to create his second original album.
The third brother, Huo Xingchen, was an esports fanatic. Starting in his first year of high school, he worked and studied simultaneously, juggling school with competitive gaming. Fortunately, he was both smart and talented, getting into a good university and successfully enrolling in their esports program.
He had just been taken abroad by his professor for a training camp at the start of this semester. Barring any surprises, it would be over three months before he returned.
So, for the time being, Gu Qingyin wouldn’t be able to meet her other two sons in person. But since one brother was a public figure and the other was a semi-public figure, there was plenty of news about them online. She wouldn’t have any trouble seeing them.
When Huo Xingye returned from his meeting, he found Gu Qingyin sitting in his executive chair, phone in hand, chuckling to herself. His brow furrowed. "What are you looking at?"
Gu Qingyin’s eyes were sparkling, her face full of pride. "Xinghai’s New Year’s Day performance! My son is so handsome!" Although they were triplets, the three sons didn’t have the same face; each was handsome in his own way. The second son’s looks, in particular, took completely after her.
Hearing this, the tension in Huo Xingye’s brow eased slightly. "Have you just been scrolling through videos on your phone? Aren’t your eyes tired?"
She hadn’t thought about it, but now that he mentioned it, Gu Qingyin did feel her eyes were a bit dry. She glanced at the time and saw it was already five past eleven!
"Are your meetings always this long?" Gu Qingyin put her phone away and sat up straight. "Are you hungry? Is your stomach bothering you?"
Huo Xingye’s expression remained unchanged, but his voice softened considerably. "It’s fine. I’m used to it."
Gu Qingyin frowned slightly in disapproval. "I hear the company cafeteria is pretty good. Why don’t you take me to try it?"
Huo Xingye paused, a strange look on his face. ’We finished breakfast close to nine, and it’s only been two hours. Is she hungry again? She ate more than I did this morning!’
"You don’t want to go?" Seeing his silence, Gu Qingyin’s frown deepened. "No matter how busy you are with work, you can’t skip meals. You’ll get stomach problems if you don’t eat properly."
Huo Xingye froze again. Then it hit him: Gu Qingyin was worried about him.
Instantly, his entire demeanor softened, and a happy smile rippled in the depths of his eyes. "I’m in good health. Let’s go a little later. They won’t have all the dishes out at this hour."
"Alright," Gu Qingyin agreed, getting up and heading for the door. "I’ll go to the break room and get you something to eat."
After Gu Qingyin left, Huo Xingye stared at the empty doorway, slowly raising a hand to press against his heart. He mused, ’So this is what it feels like to be cared for by your mother?’
It was like being submerged in melted syrup, a warm sweetness enveloping him from all sides.