Even after a lot of mental preparation, when Li Mai saw Zhou Songyan again, her heart still tightened and her eyes turned sore.
She stood up. “President Zhou, I’m here to deliver the Nancheng Resort proposal.”
Zhou Songyan gave her a brief, indifferent glance, closed the door, walked in with long strides, and sat down in his office chair.
Li Mai walked over, placed the documents on his desk, and prepared to leave.
“President Zhou, the documents have been delivered. Goodbye.”
“Li Mai.”
Zhou Songyan stopped her.
Li Mai had just turned around when she froze.
Zhou Songyan walked up behind her, very close— so close that his breath brushed against her neck, so close that she could smell the familiar woody scent on him.
She nervously clenched her fingers.
“President Zhou, is there anything else?”
The man’s voice was low and cold.
“Li Mai, what is your relationship with Ji Wangyu?”
Li Mai was startled and turned to face him.
“What do you mean?”
Zhou Songyan curled his lips. “Is he the rich man you climbed up to? Don’t be naive, Li Mai. Ji Wangyu is indeed rich, but he’s an illegitimate son. Even if he likes you, he won’t marry you.”
“The woman he will marry must be of equal status—someone who can help him in his career, someone who can secure his position in Ji Group.”
“You won’t be enough.”
Li Mai had never known that Zhou Songyan’s mouth—once so good at sweet talk—could also be this cruel.
She had never thought about marrying Ji Wangyu, but hearing this still hurt deeply.
“Zhou Songyan, did you go around in such a big circle just to remind me not to cling to you?”
Zhou Songyan frowned slightly.
Li Mai continued, “Rest assured. I won’t cling to you. Just as you said, what happened five years ago was only a small episode—it’s already over.”
“You are the noble young heir of the capital circle. I dare not reach so high.”
Zhou Songyan felt that she was mocking him.
“That’s for the best.”
“President Zhou, is there anything else? If not, I’m leaving.”
“Wait.”
“What else is it?”
Zhou Songyan: “……”
Was this woman throwing a tantrum at him?
“Explain your company’s proposal to me.”
Li Mai snapped. “Are your eyes just for decoration? Can’t you read it yourself?”
Zhou Songyan: “……”
He looked at her coldly. “Li Mai, is this how Ji Group employees treat their clients?”
Li Mai instantly backed down. “President Zhou, my attitude just now was inappropriate. I’m sorry.”
“But I’m just a secretary. I’m afraid I might misunderstand the Nancheng Resort proposal. How about this—I’ll call President Ji and have the company send someone who specializes in this project to explain it to you.”
Her posture was humble, her tone serious.
Zhou Songyan: “……”
There was nothing obviously wrong with that.
Yet he felt displeased.
His dark eyes stared at her coldly.
“No. You explain it.”
Li Mai: “……”
In the end, Li Mai opened the proposal.
And read straight from it.
Zhou Songyan: “……”
He didn’t stop her. He sat back in his chair.
The woman’s voice was gentle and soft.
Zhou Songyan suddenly thought of certain nights— those cat-like sounds and endless gasps.
It felt as if they were right by his ear.
A certain part of his body reacted.
Zhou Songyan: “……”
He wanted to curse.
“Stop reading!”
His tone was harsh.
Li Mai stopped and looked at him with grievance.
He was the one who asked her to explain.
She didn’t understand it, so reading was all she could do.
Why was he yelling?
Such a moody man!
Zhou Songyan met her gaze.
Those almond-shaped eyes were innocent and clear.
His physical reaction became even stronger.
Damn it—how pathetic.
Zhou Songyan cursed himself inwardly.
“Get out!”
Li Mai put down the documents, grabbed her bag, and ran out.
As if she wanted to stay here anyway.
Bang.
The door slammed shut.
Zhou Songyan clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to calm down, the door was pushed open.
“President Zhou—”
“Get out!”
Zhou Songyan shot a cold glance over.
Sun Yuanjie immediately retreated and closed the door.
He stood guard outside.
He was completely shocked.
What had he just seen?
President Zhou…
Well, they were both men—he understood.
So Miss Li and President Zhou really did have something going on!
Miss Li had stayed in President Zhou’s office for so long—almost an hour.
And just now she had run out in a panic, while President Zhou looked like that.
Sun Yuanjie’s imagination immediately ran wild.
President Zhou had tried to force himself on her, Miss Li had refused and fled in shame and anger, and President Zhou was left furious and unable to calm his desire.
To prevent anyone else from barging in,
Sun Yuanjie dutifully stood guard at the door.
……
Li Mai returned to her company and worked for more than another hour before getting off work.
She was about to head to the bus stop.
To get home, she had to take a bus first and then transfer to the subway.
Ji Wangyu’s car stopped in front of her.
“Get in.”
Li Mai didn’t move. “President Ji, I need to hurry back to pick up my son from school. If there’s any work, could you send it to me on WeChat later?”
“Get in. I’ll take you.”
“No, really, there’s no need!”
The other day, when it was raining, she had already accepted a ride from her boss.
She couldn’t keep doing that—if colleagues saw, there would be gossip.
“Do you want me to get out and open the door for you? Hurry up, parking isn’t allowed here. I have something to talk to you about.”
Li Mai had no choice but to get into the car.
“Address?” Ji Wangyu asked.
“Xinghui Kindergarten.”
“President Ji, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Today at Rongzheng Group—did President Zhou give you a hard time?”
Li Mai was stunned. She didn’t understand why her boss was asking.
Maybe he also thought Zhou Songyan was difficult to deal with.
She had heard that when they went yesterday, Zhou Songyan had brushed them off and asked for revisions to the proposal.
Since he asked, she decided to go along with it.
“President Ji, in the future, could you have someone else go to Rongzheng instead? President Zhou and I had some unpleasant history. He has a bad impression of me, and I think he doesn’t want to see me either.”
“To avoid affecting work, it would be better to send someone else.”
Ji Wangyu sneered inwardly.
A bad impression?
If he really had a bad impression, would he have gone to such lengths—twisting and turning in every possible way—just to get Li Mai to come to Rongzheng?
Li Mai still didn’t understand men very well.
Just like with him—she didn’t understand him either.
Li Mai noticed that Ji Wangyu’s expression didn’t look very good.
She wondered if her request was a bit too much.
Just as she was about to say that it was fine if it was inconvenient—
Ji Wangyu spoke. “Alright. I’ll send someone else.”
“Thank you, President Ji!”
Li Mai felt that aside from being a womanizer, Ji Wangyu was actually a pretty good boss.
She saw that they were almost at the kindergarten.
“President Ji, you can drop me off here. There are too many people ahead—it’s hard to park.”
Ji Wangyu pulled over to the side of the road.
After thanking him, Li Mai jogged toward the kindergarten.
A few minutes later, she came out holding a little boy’s hand.
Ji Wangyu sat in the car, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and rested his smoking hand on the window.
He watched Li Mai enter a nearby residential complex.
Only then did he drive away.
……
Li Mai thought she wouldn’t have any more interaction with Zhou Songyan.
But the very next day—
The company sent her to Rongzheng again, this time to deliver some additional documents.
This time, it was Chairman Ji who personally ordered it.
Ji Wangyu was out on business.
Li Mai had no choice.
She couldn’t just quit her job.
She had a child to raise and couldn’t resign so easily.
She was still hoping that, if she worked hard, she could buy a small apartment someday.
Even if she couldn’t afford one in the capital, buying one back in Sucheng would be fine.
……
When she arrived at Rongzheng Group, it was still Sun Yuanjie who came down to meet her and took her straight to Zhou Songyan’s office.
“President Zhou, these are the documents you requested.”
Li Mai placed the documents on the desk.