Jin Chen averted his gaze, the tips of his ears flushed crimson.
After the people behind them exited, only he and Zhong Yi remained in the elevator.
He frowned slightly, his tone a bit stiff: “Button up the top button of your blouse.”
Zhong Yi was taken aback. She looked down abruptly, her cheeks flushing bright red: “Understood.”
She had been in such a hurry that morning that she hadn’t fastened the button properly, and it had come undone. She hadn’t even noticed until now.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too revealing.
Back in his office, Lu Zhe followed Jin Chen inside to report on work. After talking for a while, the president inexplicably asked: “Does the secretarial office not have a dress code?”
Lu Zhe was puzzled: “Generally, men wear suits, and women have their own matching work attire.”
Jin Chen was only concerned about one thing: “So, there isn’t one?”
“Correct. They are reminded upon joining, but generally, they coordinate their own outfits.”
“Send a notice to the secretarial office now. Everyone must button their clothes all the way to the top.”
Lu Zhe didn’t understand: “…President Jin, there has never been such a rule before.”
“Then it starts now,” Jin Chen said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Lu Zhe: “…”
Just who was this rule tailor-made for?
After the notice was issued, everyone in the secretarial office wore expressions of bewilderment. They found it rather bizarre and couldn’t help but huddle together to gossip.
“What does President Jin mean by this?”
“Why button up? Does this affect the company’s image too?”
“Is President Jin hitting menopause? Why has he been so moody lately? Or did someone in the secretarial office upset him?”
“Did my neck upset President Jin?”
Since Zhong Yi had the most contact with Jin Chen in the secretarial office and understood the president’s thoughts best, they all turned to her for information.
“Secretary Zhong, did President Jin say anything? Why issue such a notice out of the blue?”
Zhong Yi, feeling guilty, avoided eye contact and feigned ignorance: “I don’t know.”
She didn’t dare say it was because a button on her blouse had come undone that morning, and Jin Chen had seen it and reminded her.
At the time, Jin Chen hadn’t said anything more. Who knew he would specifically instruct Lu Zhe to issue a notice?
Otherwise, their performance bonuses would be docked.
So petty.
And why did President Jin do this?
Was he… was he jealous?
But he had ignored her just yesterday afternoon.
Sigh, a man’s heart is as deep as the ocean.
At noon, Zhong Yi had no appetite to go downstairs for lunch and asked Zhou Shu to buy her a bottle of yogurt from the convenience store and bring it up.
She hadn’t expected the pregnancy symptoms to be this severe.
No wonder she had been feeling drowsy lately, with no appetite and unable to eat anything.
She placed her palm over her abdomen, a wave of guilt washing over her.
Little one.
Don’t blame me. You just came to the wrong womb.
I really can’t give birth to you.
I can’t let you become the next me.
Just as Zhong Yi was feeling restless and confused, she received a message from Fang Wenxun.
【Zhong Yi, our President Yan wants to invite your President Jin to dinner. Is he free tonight?】
Zhong Yi: 【He is free, but I don’t know if he’s willing.】
Fang Wenxun: 【Last time, President Jin owed our President Yan a favor. He promised to have dinner with her. Do you know what your President Jin likes to eat? President Yan says she wants to make a good impression on him.】
Yan Shangning liked Jin Chen and had discreetly asked Fang Wenxun to find out Jin Chen’s preferences from Zhong Yi.
She had even sent a gift to Jin Chen, but he hadn’t accepted it and had Zhong Yi return it. Zhong Yi thought President Yan would give up after that.
Zhong Yi was struggling with how to handle her relationship with Jin Chen. She just wanted to work quietly and didn’t want to provoke this man.
She knew she and Jin Chen were from different worlds. Being able to stay was already enough for her; she didn’t dare dream of anything else.
That night should just be treated as a dream.
If President Yan managed to win over President Jin, perhaps he would forget about her.
Zhong Yi readily agreed.
She recommended a restaurant Jin Chen liked.
In the afternoon, after Jin Chen returned from an external engagement, Zhong Yi went to his office to find him.
“President Jin.”
“What is it?”
“President Yan from the Yan Group has invited you to dine at Pinshang at six o’clock…”
“Pinshang?”
Jin Chen frowned. He was sharp enough to sense something off from just that short sentence.
His gloomy gaze swept over the woman before him, his tone tinged with reproach: “You recommended the place?”
Zhong Yi fell silent.
As expected, she couldn’t hide it from him.
A surge of anger rose in Jin Chen’s heart. This woman really had a talent for infuriating him: “You clearly know what she’s after. Why didn’t you help me decline? Instead, you helped set it up. Secretary Zhong, do you not want to work anymore?”
“I’m sorry. President Yan said you owed her a favor and would definitely accept the invitation. She also wanted to cater to your taste, so I recommended this place.”
Zhong Yi’s voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
“So I should praise you for doing a good job?” Jin Chen’s tone was sarcastic.
Zhong Yi shrank back: “…I wouldn’t dare.”
Jin Chen stared at her intently.
Was this woman out of her mind? Others would do anything to claim him for themselves, to climb into his bed and become Mrs. Jin. But not her—not only did she reject him, but she also helped other women pursue him, pushing him away.
He said nothing more, only coldly tossing out the words, “Decline it.”
“Yes.”
Zhong Yi was about to leave.
“Wait.” Jin Chen changed his mind: “I’ll go. You come with me.”
“Me?” Zhong Yi was stunned. Matters like accompanying the president to engagements were usually handled by Assistant Lu.
Unless it was a larger banquet requiring additional staff.
Jin Chen raised an eyebrow: “Do you have any objections?”
“No, I’ll go back to work now.”
Zhong Yi hurried out.
How could she dare object?
Jin Chen sat on the sofa, rubbing his temples, his mood growing even more irritable.
What was so great about this woman anyway?
He had already decided to ignore her, yet he was so easily swayed by her emotions.
He refused to believe that in this world, Zhong Yi was the only woman he felt anything for.
…
In the afternoon, Zhong Yi accompanied Jin Chen to Pinshang.
Pinshang had an elegant atmosphere, making it a great place for dates or business meetings.
But a pleasant environment didn’t guarantee a good mood. At least, when he saw Yan Shangning dressed exquisitely for the appointment, Jin Chen’s mood didn’t improve at all.
In fact, it worsened. If not for the sake of politeness, he would have walked out long ago.
As he listened to Yan Shangning speak across the table.
Jin Chen appeared to be paying attention, but his mind had already wandered, filled entirely with thoughts of Zhong Yi.
Zhong Yi’s voice was more pleasant, her lips were prettier, her eyes were more beautiful, even a strand of her hair was more captivating than Yan Shangning’s.
And that woman was standing with that guy named Fang, chatting happily about who knows what.
Usually, when she saw him, she acted like a mouse seeing a cat.
Was that guy named Fang more handsome than him? Richer? More refined?
Not far away, Fang Wenxun remained unaware of Jin Chen’s hostile gaze, continuing to huddle with Zhong Yi as they gossiped about Jin Chen: “Your President Jin seems to be in a bad mood—why is he looking at me so strangely? I even buttoned my shirt all the way up.”
Zhong Yi chuckled: “How do you know about that too?”
Fang Wenxun: “Dong Yue from your secretarial office—we added each other on WeChat, and I saw him complaining about it in a post.”
Zhong Yi joked: “You’re really something, having infiltrated our Jin Corporation’s inner circle.”
Fang Wenxun let out a sly chuckle.