Lin Zhou ran silently, keeping her own pace. Fortunately, Gu Minxuan didn’t talk much. If he had tried to chat while running alongside her, she would have found it unbearable.
“Breakfast together later?” After ten laps, Gu Minxuan’s forehead was only lightly sweaty, and his breathing was steady. He was clearly in good shape.
Lin Zhou smiled politely. “Thank you, but I already bought breakfast.”
Her opinion of Gu Minxuan had initially been neutral. But after he grabbed her wrist last night and tried to enter her room, her impression had shifted.
A man could be flirtatious or playboyish, and she didn’t mind if he was a colleague. But if he set his sights on her personally, that was unacceptable.
After just one encounter, she had genuinely come to dislike Gu Minxuan.
“Alright, another time then,” Gu Minxuan said lightly, not showing any anger at the refusal.
They walked home together, neither speaking more than necessary.
Gu Minxuan had encountered many women who threw themselves at him, but Lin Zhou was the first to show clear resistance.
He had his principles: never chase after someone who was too close. The reason was simple: trouble.
Yesterday, he had only been testing her, trying to see if she was a casual woman. He had miscalculated, and she now thought he had personal interest in her.
This woman was clever and rational. She knew someone’s intentions, and if she refused, she refused—clear and unhesitant.
How could such a woman possibly maintain a relationship with a fiancé while being entangled with Feng Hexu?
Thinking of this reminded him of the favor Qin Cheng had asked of him. So, after Lin Zhou left the elevator, he called out to her again.
“Assistant Lin, I have a friend who wants to meet you. Could you do me the courtesy of having a meal together?”
Lin Zhou instinctively wanted to refuse but could not find a proper excuse. Feng Hexu was abroad, and her workload had never been lighter. She had plenty of free time.
“All right, you set the time and let me know.”
The next morning, at 6:30, they met again on the jogging path, both in short sleeves with towels around their necks, clearly out for exercise.
Coincidentally, Gu Minxuan was again two minutes later than Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou gave him a polite smile, though it carried a trace of suspicion and distance. She did not believe the timing difference was a coincidence. After all, she had deliberately delayed her departure by half an hour today.
On the third morning, Lin Zhou left ten minutes earlier and encountered Gu Minxuan two minutes later. Her look of impatience was noticeable, though she restrained herself out of respect for his position.
Of course, her reaction did not escape Gu Minxuan’s notice.
On the fourth morning, he chose not to go out jogging at all.
Wang Peng came to pick him up and bring over some documents for review. Seeing that he hadn’t gone down to exercise, he asked, “President Gu, are you feeling unwell today?”
Gu Minxuan sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, drinking coffee and watching the runners below. “Assistant Wang, if you saw a woman at breakfast every day, and whether you came early or late, she always arrived two or three minutes after you, what would you think?”
“You mean someone familiar?” Wang Peng asked.
“Something like that,” Gu Minxuan said. She wasn’t a stranger, at least not in a place where you often see each other.
“You’d think she was interested in you,” Wang Peng chuckled. “If she’s attractive, I might consider pursuing her.”
Gu Minxuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. “And if you seemed impatient?”
“President Gu, if I had no interest, of course I’d be impatient.”
Ha!
That was why Gu Minxuan didn’t go jogging today.
For three days straight, he kept meeting Lin Zhou no matter when he left, always a little later than her. Could this be explained? Not at all. If it happened again today, she might finally snap.
He felt unjustly treated. All he wanted was to exercise, yet someone misinterpreted his intentions.
He flipped through the documents. Everything was in order. Tasks he had struggled with for over a month were completed easily by a single woman. He sighed, feeling reluctant to admit that solid foundations were essential.
Compared to Lin Zhou, who had served as Feng Hexu’s assistant for nearly seven years, the newly arrived vice president lacked authority.
That night, Lin Zhou had suddenly inserted herself with Zhang Yang. He had been upset but realized that without her intervention, the issue might have remained unresolved for much longer.
After all, she had done him a big favor, even if it slightly bruised his pride.
He knew Zhang Yang had been the one behind the stalled approvals, but without evidence, he could do nothing.
He had considered asking Zhang Yang for help, swallowing his pride. But he knew Zhang Yang would resist, and any excuse could leave him further humiliated.
“President Gu, I heard someone was gossiping about your competence, and Lin Zhou shut it down,” Wang Peng said, clearly pleased.
“How so?” Gu Minxuan asked calmly.
“Last night, Lin Zhou held a mid-level meeting to warn anyone looking to undermine you. She reminded them that projects belong to the company, not individuals. Teamwork benefits the company and improves efficiency. Zhang Yang and you set an example, and everyone should follow. Any gossipers or saboteurs would face penalties, deductions or even dismissal.”
Wang Peng paused. “She also said the company wouldn’t care about a few months’ breach penalties. Those daring enough to test her could see if she was joking.”
Wang Peng admired Lin Zhou. Under thirty, she had an imposing presence, commanding respect from subordinates.
High-ranking executives trying to interfere with Gu Minxuan’s projects had become much more compliant, and the progress of his projects had accelerated.
“Lin Zhou’s return has clearly had a deterrent effect,” he remarked. The rumor about the future fiancée taking charge proved true. Even troublesome people became obedient. “She’s on our side.” At least, from the current situation, everything she had done was supporting Gu Minxuan.
Gu Minxuan shook his head, smiling. “It’s not that she’s on our side. She’s acting in the company’s best interests.”
Lin Zhou’s authority came entirely from Feng Hexu. She was clear-headed, doing what benefited the company and Feng Hexu most. Her loyalty earned Feng Hexu’s trust.
Looking down, the jogging path was empty. He handed the documents to Wang Peng. “Let’s get to work.”
The film investment company was also progressing well. To give Feng Yunni more freedom, a studio had been set up specifically to handle her management. Though, the young lady was somewhat difficult to manage.