Lin Yue returned to her room and slammed the pillow in frustration. Just then, Qin Yan knocked on her door.
“Lin Yue, open up. I brought you some local specialties.”
Lin Yue got up to open the door. Qin Yan placed the items on the floor and, seeing Lin Yue’s red eyes, handed her a tissue as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “Cried again?”
“No,” Lin Yue said. “I’ve just been under a lot of pressure lately. You know, my major doesn’t match my work. There’s so much information to read and things to learn every day. Today I went on a blind date and ran into a really strange guy. It’s just too much.”
Qin Yan smiled. “So crying is just a way to release stress. I get it. Sometimes my students make me so frustrated that I cry too. But you… you’re efficient at work and sharp with words, yet secretly a crybaby. Kind of cute.”
Lin Yue sniffled, a little embarrassed. “You didn’t go help her clean up again, did you?”
Qin Yan sighed. “What can I do? It’s so hot now, and tomorrow it’ll probably stink.”
Lin Yue felt guilty. “Sorry… it’s all my fault.”
“Don’t say that. This isn’t your fault. Qing Jing is just upset inside. She has a master’s in management from the University of Finance and Law. How could she accept losing to someone who studied education?”
Lin Yue sighed. She and Qin Yan had been college classmates and roommates, so they were close. Qing Jing was a friend from graduate school, and their relationship had always been good. But this interview made them feel like enemies.
Qin Yan was tired too. She patted Lin Yue on the shoulder. “Don’t overthink it.”
Lin Yue nodded.
After Qin Yan left, Lin Yue checked the kitchen. It had already been cleaned, but she had no desire to cook.
She went to the small balcony, grabbed a mop, and cleaned all the shared floors. Then she took a shower, cleaned the bathroom, and went straight to bed hungry.
In her dream, she was starving in the café. He Yuan bought her a hamburger. She ate five of them in a row and scared him away.
Lin Yue looked at herself in the mirror, half-awake, and felt utterly exasperated.
What a ridiculous dream.
At 8:30 a.m., Lin Yue arrived at the company, as always.
He Yuan had an assistant named Zhou Yunce, who usually arrived around 9:00 a.m. Assistants and secretaries have different roles in every company.
Zhou Yunce was a trusted confidant of He Yuan and part of senior management. He participated in decision-making and management matters and assisted in the company’s operations.
If you looked at him individually, he could easily be a vice president in any division under Hengxing Group.
Lin Yue, as the secretary, only handled the most basic tasks under He Yuan’s guidance. She served him exclusively, mostly administrative duties, though He Yuan sometimes involved her in meetings where she mainly took notes. Simply put, she did whatever He Yuan asked. Her work revolved entirely around him—assisting with receptions, handling documents, and taking on small tasks directly connected to him, easing Zhou Yunce’s workload.
He Yuan’s annual salary was in the millions; hers was just a fraction. Yet even so, it was more than what she earned as a teacher.
She had studied education in college and foreign languages in graduate school. She had planned to work with Qin Yan in teaching. But she accidentally found out online that the CEO of Hengxing Group was hiring a secretary.
On a whim, she applied. That night, she told Qin Yan and Qing Jing.
During the interview, she was surprised to run into Qing Jing but quickly adjusted her mindset. Compared to Qing Jing, she had little advantage. When answering HR and He Yuan’s questions, she didn’t recite prepared lines—she spoke honestly.
Just as she was about to go to Qin Yan’s school for an interview, HR notified her she had been successfully hired, with a three-month probation period. She officially became permanent a week ago.
But because of this, her relationship with Qing Jing deteriorated rapidly. She faced mountains of documents every day, dizzying and exhausting, and then had to deal with Qing Jing’s mess at home, which made her want to cry.
Once at work, she never showed personal emotions.
When He Yuan arrived, Lin Yue was still buried in the files Zhou Yunce had given her.
A shadow fell across her desk. Lin Yue looked up calmly, stood, and forced a professional smile. “Good morning, Mr. He.”
“Morning.” He Yuan’s warm, deep voice sounded from her cubicle.
Lin Yue didn’t sit down. She walked around the partition to He Yuan’s desk and began reporting his schedule.
“Mr. He, the morning management meeting has been postponed to 10 a.m. by Assistant Zhou. At 3 p.m., Mr. Zhao from Dachuang will visit.”
He Yuan nodded. Compared to usual, today was relatively light.
“Mr. Zhao will be in the second meeting room. You know his preferences, and anything unclear, ask Assistant Zhou.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll attend the management meeting later as well.”
“Yes.”
“All right, go get to work.”
Lin Yue was about to leave when He Yuan called her again.
“Go buy me breakfast.”
“Yes.” Lin Yue quickly put down her work and went to get breakfast for her boss.
He Yuan was not picky about food. Usually, he ate at home before coming to work. Lin Yue had only bought his breakfast three times before; today was the fourth.
Milk and a sandwich—exactly what he wanted. Assistant Zhou said this combination was unchanging for breakfast.
That was easy enough to manage.
It took fifteen minutes round-trip. When she returned, the milk was cold. Lin Yue took He Yuan’s usual glass, poured in the milk, heated it in the microwave, grabbed a tray from the tea room, and delivered the breakfast to his desk.
“After you finish, put the tray here. I’ll handle it later.”
For convenience, Lin Yue and He Yuan shared an office, separated by a partition. Zhou Yunce had a separate office, just a wall away from He Yuan’s, easy to access.
While He Yuan ate, Lin Yue raised the blinds of the partition. Through the glass, her slim waist was visible to He Yuan.
The morning sun was dazzling. Secretary Lin’s side profile revealed her curves clearly.
Perhaps noticing He Yuan’s gaze, Lin Yue slightly turned her eyes. He Yuan tightened his grip on the glass of milk and quietly looked away.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the first time he had seen Secretary Lin.