Zhou Songyan ignored her and lowered his head to sign the documents.
“President Zhou, I’ve delivered the files. Do you need me to read them today?” Li Mai asked.
Zhou Songyan: “……”
Read them?
Read him to death?
He had wasted an entire hour in the restroom yesterday afternoon.
Zhou Songyan stopped writing and looked up at her. “Go sit on the sofa over there.”
Li Mai thought he had something to say, so she walked over and sat down.
But Zhou Songyan lowered his head again and kept working, leaving her there.
He left her sitting like that for a full hour.
Li Mai fell asleep.
Zhou Songyan put down his pen.
He looked toward the sofa at the woman resting her head on her hand, sleeping soundly.
His dark eyes grew even darker.
When Li Mai woke up, Zhou Songyan’s face was very close to hers. She was so startled that she almost fell to the floor.
A large hand wrapped around her waist just in time.
“Miss Li, is my office that comfortable? You can even fall asleep sitting here.”
Li Mai was so embarrassed she wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.
She pulled free from Zhou Songyan’s hand and moved far away from him.
“Sorry, President Zhou. I didn’t sleep well last night. Your sofa is really comfortable—I fell asleep without realizing it.”
Zhou Songyan straightened up, one hand in his pocket.
“Why didn’t you sleep well? What were you doing last night?”
Li Mai: “……”
She hadn’t expected him to ask that.
Zhou Songyan hadn’t expected himself to ask either.
He felt a bit annoyed with himself.
But he still wanted to know the answer.
“Nothing,” Li Mai said. “I just had insomnia.”
In reality, yesterday after school, the teacher had talked to her about Chengcheng’s behavior.
The teacher said Chengcheng was withdrawn, didn’t fit in, didn’t play with other kids, and just sat in a corner reading.
Li Mai was worried her son might be isolated or bullied at school, so she couldn’t fall asleep.
Zhou Songyan felt that Li Mai was lying.
“Were you out fooling around with some man?”
Li Mai: “……”
She looked at Zhou Songyan speechlessly.
Was there something wrong with this man?
“President Zhou, whether I go out fooling around with men or not seems to have nothing to do with you.”
Zhou Songyan: “……”
He was about to speak—
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Hearing that President Zhou sounded unhappy, a young assistant cautiously pushed the door open and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere.
Everyone in the secretarial department had been guessing who this Miss Li was—she had been sitting in President Zhou’s office for two days in a row.
Something was definitely going on.
But no one dared to ask.
President Zhou had been irritable lately, clearly in a bad mood.
Zhou Songyan felt annoyed just looking at the assistant peeking around.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
The assistant jolted and hurriedly reported, “President Zhou, Miss Ji from the Ji family invited you to dinner tonight. I checked your schedule—you don’t have any dinner plans—”
Before she could finish saying “engagement,” Zhou Songyan cut her off.
“I’m not free!”
The assistant said “Oh” and hurried out.
As she closed the door, she couldn’t help sneaking another look at Li Mai.
Looks like President Zhou is interested in Miss Li, not Miss Ji.
Ah! And there’s also Miss Guan.
What does President Zhou think of Miss Guan?
Some people say Miss Guan is President Zhou’s first love.
……
Li Mai didn’t need to look up to know that Zhou Songyan was glaring at her fiercely.
This man really had issues—always saying random things, with such a sharp, poisonous tongue.
After years apart, the sweet and innocent Zhou Songyan was gone.
Li Mai felt a bit sad.
Things had changed, and so had people.
Under that extremely oppressive gaze, Li Mai gave in first.
“President Zhou, I know you have prejudice against me, but we are at work right now.”
Zhou Songyan said coldly, “Are you saying I can’t separate work and personal matters?”
Li Mai really wanted to say yes—but she didn’t dare.
Zhou Songyan was furious.
Li Mai’s phone rang.
It was Ji Wangyu.
She answered, “President Ji.”
“Where are you?”
“I came to deliver something to President Zhou at Rongzheng.”
“Deliver what? Who told you to go?”
“Chairman Ji.”
“Come back immediately.”
“Understood—”
Before she could finish, her phone was snatched away by a large hand.
“President Ji, Secretary Li and I still have a few points to discuss regarding your company’s proposal. She’ll return a bit later.”
Ji Wangyu: “……”
He really wanted to curse.
Zhou Songyan was being way too overbearing.
But the Nancheng Resort project was an opportunity Rongzheng had finally given Ji Group.
If anything went wrong, his father would definitely push all the responsibility onto him.
Without waiting for Ji Wangyu’s response, Zhou Songyan hung up the phone and tossed it back to Li Mai.
Li Mai was completely speechless.
“President Zhou, I’m just a secretary. I can’t properly explain the Nancheng Resort proposal. You should have a professional come and explain it to you.”
“You’ll explain it.”
“President Zhou, you’re making things difficult for me.”
“Yes. I am.”
Li Mai: “……”
She grabbed her bag and was about to leave.
Zhou Songyan said calmly, “If you leave, take your Ji Group proposal with you.”
“I don’t think Ji Group is very sincere. Let’s forget about this cooperation.”
Li Mai: “……”
“Zhou Songyan, are you threatening me?”
“Think whatever you want. Either way, Ji Group is out.”
Li Mai glared at him. “Kick them out if you want. It has nothing to do with me—I’m just an employee.”
“Is that so? When the chairman of Ji Group comes after you later, don’t blame me.”
“Zhou Songyan, how did you become so despicable?”
“Mm. Five years is more than enough time to change a person. Sit tight and wait for me. Have dinner with me later.”
Li Mai was so angry her chest heaved. “I already made plans. I don’t have time to have dinner with you.”
She still had to pick up her son.
The air around them grew cold.
Zhou Songyan looked down at her. “Who did you make plans with?”
“None of your business!”
“Cancel them.”
“I won’t.”
“Li Mai!”
“Yelling at me won’t help. I really can’t have dinner with you. Didn’t Miss Ji invite you to dinner? Go eat with her.”
Zhou Songyan felt like there was something wrong with him—why did he keep torturing himself over Li Mai?
Li Mai was in such a hurry to leave; she must have made plans with Ji Wangyu.
He was angry at Li Mai, and also at himself.
Coldly, he said, “Get out.”
Li Mai had been waiting for that sentence.
She had wanted to leave for a long time.
Watching the woman run off faster than a rabbit, Zhou Songyan rubbed his temples, full of frustration.
…
Downstairs at Rongzheng, Li Mai ran into Ji Yunshan.
Dressed in a Chanel suit, carrying a Hermès bag, she was leaning against a red sports car.
Ji Yunshan recognized her.
She took off her sunglasses and walked over. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to deliver documents,” Li Mai replied.
“Go back and tell Ji Wangyu to hurry up and get lost back to Sucheng. There’s no place for him here.”
Li Mai couldn’t help speaking up for Ji Wangyu. “Miss Ji, President Ji was called back by Chairman Ji. You should take it up with Chairman Ji.”
Ji Yunshan hadn’t expected a mere secretary to dare talk back to her.
“What’s your name? I’ll have my dad fire you tomorrow! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?”
Li Mai didn’t want to argue with her and turned to leave.
Ji Yunshan picked up her phone and made a call.
“What’s the name of the woman Ji Wangyu brought back?”
“You mean Secretary Li?”
“Yes, her.”
“Her name is Li Mai.”
Ji Yunshan then dialed Ji Kun’s number.
“Dad, fire the secretary that Ji Wangyu brought back.”