Inside the office.
The tall, aloof man sat in the leather sofa, his powerful hand resting casually on the armrest, with distinct, well-defined knuckles.
His strikingly handsome face featured deep, sculpted features, each as perfect as if carved. His sharp black eyes fixed on the woman before him, and his thin lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile, hinting at a subtle, almost delicate beauty.
The vast space was utterly silent, devoid of any noise. The near-dead stillness made Zhong Yi tense up.
She stood awkwardly across from Jin Chen and handed over the box in her hand. “President Jin, this is a gift from President Yan.”
“Secretary Zhong, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
The man spoke, his voice deep and displeased, carrying an air of arrogance and detachment.
He didn’t even acknowledge the item in her hand.
It’s over.
That tone was clearly accusatory.
She was really going to be done for now.
Zhong Yi lowered her head, not daring to look at him at all. Yet, unwilling to bear the blame for seducing the president, she defended herself one last time before her demise.
“That… that day, it wasn’t me who climbed into your bed. I didn’t intentionally seduce you.”
“You were feeling unwell after drinking the tonic wine, and Lu Zhe asked me to help you back to your room. Then you suddenly grabbed my hand…”
Perhaps Zhong Yi had been overwhelmed by the scent of alcohol on him, her mind foggy. In a half-hearted struggle, it just happened.
Her words made the icy man raise an eyebrow.
“It seems Secretary Zhong still remembers. Since it wasn’t your fault, why did you take leave and avoid coming to the company? Do you think I’m the kind of person who doesn’t take responsibility after what happened?”
He was referring to the three days of leave Zhong Yi had requested after fleeing the next morning.
Jin Chen wasn’t unaware of what had happened that night. He knew it hadn’t been her intention and had planned to discuss it with her the next day. Instead, this woman not only ran away but also took leave to avoid him.
Later, he had to go abroad for business, so the matter was temporarily set aside.
Today, he happened to run into this woman acting suspiciously again.
She had slept with him but didn’t seek him out—instead, she avoided him.
Jin Chen was genuinely curious about what she was up to.
The man’s presence was too overwhelming, and Zhong Yi felt her scalp tingle under his gaze.
“I took leave because I was injured and went to the hospital for a checkup.”
“What kind of injury?” Jin Chen frowned.
Zhong Yi’s voice grew softer and softer. “A tear…”
Jin Chen’s dark eyes paused.
He hadn’t noticed that.
But there had been quite a bit of blood on the sheets that day. Having no experience, he had assumed it was just from breaking her hymen.
“How is the injury now?”
Zhong Yi stood stiffly. “Thank you for your concern, President Jin. It’s healed now.”
In truth, Zhong Yi had been woken by the pain that day. The injury was quite severe, making it painful to walk and impossible to work normally. Left with no choice, she had requested three days of leave.
At the time, she had expected Jin Chen to interrogate her thoroughly, but he had approved her leave without asking anything.
Before she could return to the company, he had gone abroad.
What was meant to come would come eventually.
Zhong Yi continued, “President Jin, you don’t need to worry. I won’t hold you responsible. I won’t breathe a word about what happened that night, and I took contraceptive pills, so there’s no chance of pregnancy.”
Fearing she might be fired, Zhong Yi blurted everything out in a show of loyalty.
Jin Chen curled his lips again, that ambiguous smile returning, his voice sending chills down her spine. “Is that so? Secretary Zhong, are you sure you want to pass up this opportunity?”
Jin Chen deeply despised women who deliberately tried to climb into his bed. He was a man with a cleanliness obsession and had never touched a woman before. Zhong Yi was the first person to make him break his own rule and take the initiative. He was curious—now that she had finally succeeded, would this woman try to use some trick to demand something from him, or perhaps even ask for the title of Mrs. Jin?
However, the title of Mrs. Jin was impossible to give her. He could compensate her with a check, and she could write any amount she wanted.
Who would have thought Zhong Yi would firmly say, “Mr. Jin, compared to you, I prefer my job.”
“I really won’t make you take responsibility, nor will I have any inappropriate thoughts about you. I truly love this job.”
Jin Chen stared at the woman before him, narrowing his eyes slightly as he examined her, trying to discern whether her words were true or false. But from Zhong Yi’s face, aside from embarrassment, he couldn’t detect any other clues.
After a moment, he coldly said, “Secretary Zhong, it’s best if this isn’t some tactic of playing hard to get.”
Even though this was the outcome he had hoped for, for some reason, he felt even more irritated inside.
Jin Chen’s presence was too overwhelming. Zhong Yi took a deep breath, sincerely bowed ninety degrees, and told a small lie: “Mr. Jin, something like this must have been very troubling for you. I’m truly sorry, but I really don’t have any inappropriate thoughts about you. Besides, I have a boyfriend. I love him very much, and we’re getting married at the end of the year.”
Heavens, she had even said this much. Director Jin should believe her now!
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Jin Chen’s originally indifferent expression nearly cracked!
She had a boyfriend!
He had actually become the third party!
Jin Chen never expected that his chastity would be taken by a woman who already had a boyfriend.
Instantly, he felt completely off.
Gritting his teeth, he forced a nearly cruel, cold smile: “Your boyfriend doesn’t mind?”
“It’s fine, my boyfriend is very understanding,” Zhong Yi calmly replied.
Hah.
How understanding.
If he remembered correctly, that night had been her first time too.
“Get out.”
Jin Chen didn’t want to see her.
For the first time in his life, he was utterly vexed by a woman.
But Zhong Yi was still holding the gift: “Then this…”
“Send it back, I don’t want it!” Jin Chen’s tone was harsh.
He was angry.
Zhong Yi didn’t dare linger and quickly left.
Back at her desk, she patted her chest, still shaken.
Her job should be safe now.
She hoped Mr. Jin wouldn’t look for her again.
After calming down, Zhong Yi first sent a message to Fang Wenxun, telling him that Mr. Jin hadn’t accepted the gift, and she had arranged for a courier to return it to him.
Finally, it was time to clock out.
Zhou Shu left the building with Zhong Yi. She had wanted to ask Zhong Yi at noon why she had broken up, but the news of Mr. Jin’s return had interrupted her.
Now she finally had the chance to ask.
“Zhong Yi, why did you break up with your boyfriend? You two were fine on Valentine’s Day.”
Zhong Yi was widely recognized in the company for her good looks and pleasant personality, and many men pursued her.
Lin Hengchuan was a local rich second-generation heir who had actively pursued Zhong Yi for over half a year, unwavering and persistent through wind and rain, before Zhong Yi finally agreed to be with him.
No one expected the breakup to happen so suddenly.
“The day after Valentine’s Day, he went on a business trip. I came across a video online from a passerby showing him kissing another woman. I forwarded the video to him and then blocked him.”
Zhong Yi explained concisely, her voice calm and devoid of emotion, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
Zhou Shu was dumbfounded. “Such precise recommendations. Even big data is helping you catch a cheater.”
“Not only that, I also came across that woman’s video. She said she was traveling with her boyfriend,” Zhong Yi said mockingly.
Zhou Shu asked, “So, have you been feeling unwell lately because of the breakup?”
Zhong Yi chuckled. “The breakup was two months ago. My reaction time isn’t that slow.”
As for pregnancy, that was even more impossible.