The elevator arrived at the underground parking garage.
He Yuan stepped out first. He looked around and found the area unusually quiet—there wasn’t a single person in sight, but it could just as easily be a trap.
He reached his hand back, signaling for Lin Yue to give him hers.
The moment Lin Yue’s fingers brushed his, he grabbed her hand firmly.
Their hands pressed tightly together, palm to palm. Lin Yue’s fingers curled slightly, and she instinctively glanced at the back of He Yuan’s head.
Su Ying stayed hidden in the corner of the elevator and didn’t come out.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Su Ying took one look and saw that people were indeed waiting there.
“Miss Su, is this your boyfriend?”
“Miss Su, Miss Su, is this the man you were seen dating by the riverside?”
“Miss Su—”
“And this gentleman—”
A group of people rushed forward, firing questions nonstop while their cameras flashed wildly.
The moment they appeared, He Yuan wrapped an arm around Lin Yue’s shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace.
Not only that, he used his other hand to shield her face.
The sky-high heels were hard to walk in. Not only was Lin Yue inexperienced, but she was also worried she might be exposed as not being Su Ying. She stumbled and nearly fell, but He Yuan grabbed her shoulder firmly, stopping her from falling.
Fortunately, Su Ying was quick-witted. Taking advantage of the distraction, she had already slipped away.
He Yuan escorted Lin Yue all the way to his car. After helping her into the passenger seat, he shut the door with a bang.
How could those people miss such an opportunity? They clung to the car, trying to open the door, but He Yuan blocked them.
“Everyone, listen to me.”
Hearing this, several paparazzi thought he was about to reveal something and immediately fell silent.
“First, the woman inside is not Su Ying. Second, I am not Su Ying’s boyfriend. Finally, if even a single photo leaks out today, Hengxing’s legal and PR teams will be ready to respond.”
After saying that, He Yuan got into the car.
The paparazzi looked at each other in confusion.
“What does that mean? The person inside isn’t Su Ying?”
“Are you stupid? Just because he says so, you believe it?”
“Hengxing? Is that the Hengxing I’m thinking of? The leading real estate company?”
“Damn… then he is…”
“Wait—does that mean Su Ying’s boyfriend is the heir of Hengxing?”
“So what now? Can we still publish this story?”
While they were still stunned, He Yuan had already driven away.
Soon, the paparazzi received a call from their colleagues stationed at the garage exit, saying that Su Ying had already left.
“Damn, it really wasn’t Su Ying? We got played.”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
“…”
Lin Yue’s skirt had already been shortened by Su Ying. Now that she was sitting in the car, it looked even shorter.
She glanced at He Yuan and, like a thief, quietly removed the hairpins holding her skirt in place, carefully letting it fall back down.
From the corner of his eye, He Yuan noticed her movements and let out a soft chuckle.
While waiting at a red light under the first streetlamp, He Yuan called Su Ying. Only after confirming that she had shaken off the paparazzi did he relax.
On the way back, Lin Yue’s stomach suddenly growled.
In the quiet, enclosed space of the car, the sound made her want to disappear.
He Yuan didn’t say anything. He simply called Aunt Qian and asked her to prepare something light and easy to digest for a late-night snack.
Lin Yue felt so embarrassed she wanted to sink into the ground. It was only ten o’clock—why eat a late-night snack?
In truth, she had a big appetite and got hungry easily, but she had to control herself to maintain her figure. People always said you’d get used to being hungry, but she never had.
Aunt Qian made some millet porridge. He Yuan didn’t eat and went straight to the study to call his driver.
“You won’t be needed for the next couple of days. Go help me find Zhong Mu and check whether he’s still in the country.”
“Yes, sir.”
He Yuan hung up. The people around him usually handled multiple roles.
The two head bodyguards of the He family were Yu Zhao and Fu Han. However, Fu Han mainly worked for other members of the He family, so Yu Zhao was assigned to him.
After finishing her meal and chatting briefly with Aunt Qian, Lin Yue returned to her room and called Qin Yan.
She was planning to move after work tomorrow and asked Qin Yan to accompany her. Qin Yan happily agreed.
Just as Lin Yue was about to take a shower and rest, there was a knock on the door. When she opened it, it was Aunt Luo.
“Miss Lin, are you asleep?”
Lin Yue shook her head. “Not yet.”
Aunt Luo smiled awkwardly. “I wanted to ask you something. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lin Yue stepped aside slightly. “Please come in.”
Aunt Luo entered the room.
“Miss Lin, you’re our sir’s secretary, right? Where did you graduate from? What did you study?”
Her tone was gentle and sincere. Lin Yue thought she was just making small talk and didn’t think much of it. “I studied education in college and foreign languages in graduate school.”
“Oh, I see.”
“What’s wrong, Aunt Luo? Do you have a child or a relative preparing for graduate school?”
“No, no.” Aunt Luo waved her hands quickly. “I have a niece who just returned from abroad. She studied finance, has excellent grades, and is very outstanding. When she heard I work for the He family, she insisted I help her—but I’m just a housekeeper. I don’t understand these things.”
Lin Yue understood immediately and sincerely offered a suggestion. “Aunt Luo, since your niece is so capable, she can apply directly to Hengxing. We always value talent, and I’m sure she’ll be accepted.”
Aunt Luo frowned slightly. Weren’t secretaries supposed to be perceptive? How could Miss Lin not understand such an obvious hint?
Lin Yue held her glass and took a sip of warm water.
Did she really think she was a fool? How could a mere secretary influence Hengxing’s hiring decisions? Aunt Luo had probably failed to get what she wanted from He Yuan and was now trying to approach her instead.
“Miss Lin, that’s not what I meant. I mean—”
Knock, knock, knock—
The door was knocked on again. Aunt Luo glanced at the door unwillingly, but when she saw Aunt Qian, she quickly avoided eye contact.
Aunt Qian greeted Lin Yue and took Aunt Luo away.
Only then did Lin Yue let out a sigh of relief and went into the bathroom with her towel.
Aunt Qian pulled Aunt Luo aside near the staircase. “If you don’t want this job anymore, just say so. Sir has been tolerant, but he’s already put up with you several times. He said the company has its own hiring rules. If I catch this again, both you and Old Dong will be dismissed.”
“I’m sorry, sister. I won’t dare do it again.”
“It’d better be that way.”
“I won’t, I swear. I was just worried about the child. I had no choice. But I promise it won’t happen again.”
Aunt Qian nodded, but she still felt uneasy. It seemed she would have to keep a closer eye on things—if she caught any evidence, she would dismiss them immediately.
To avoid causing any trouble for their employer or the company.