The plane slowly taxied onto the runway, moving at a snail’s pace.
At first, Lin Yue thought it was fine, though a bit noisy. But as the speed increased, she nervously gripped the armrest.
He Yuan reached out and patted the back of her hand. “Relax a little. It’s okay.”
Lin Yue nodded and honestly said, “This is my first time on a plane.”
He Yuan chuckled softly. “I can tell now.”
He really hadn’t noticed earlier.
“President He, when I was preparing for this trip, I saw a really funny comment online. Do you want to hear it?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m not sure if it was meant as a joke, but I laughed for a long time. The comment said that first-class feels great, except it arrives at the destination with economy class, which makes them unhappy.”
They both laughed quietly, trying not to disturb others.
The joke eased Lin Yue’s nervousness, and as the plane climbed into the clouds, she completely relaxed.
Outside the window was an endless blue sky, with layers of soft, fluffy clouds floating above.
It was so beautiful and grand that Lin Yue almost didn’t want to look away.
He Yuan saw Lin Yue enjoying the view like a child and couldn’t help smiling. “Looks like I’ll have to bring you on all future business trips. Zhou usually complains about them privately.”
“I’ll stick to economy class then,” she said.
He Yuan said nothing. After all, he didn’t even remember how many flights he took in a year.
He wasn’t paying attention to the scenery outside; his eyes were fixed on Lin Secretary, who looked so amazed by everything.
It’s easy to feel attracted to someone once, but difficult to feel that way about only one person.
Seeing Lin Secretary like this, He Yuan felt his heart stir again.
Two hours felt like a blink, yet Lin Yue still wished the flight would last longer.
The blue sky and white clouds were so beautiful that the sunrise and sunset couldn’t be much worse.
At eleven, He Yuan and Lin Yue landed on time. CEO Yu of the cooperating company was already there to meet them.
Everything was handled efficiently. After brief introductions, CEO Yu led He Yuan and Lin Yue straight to the restaurant, along with some local tourism bureau staff.
The private room had around ten seats, just enough for everyone.
He Yuan was the main guest and the “financial benefactor,” so they had prepared the most expensive menu—about 24 dishes. Lin Yue glanced over and saw nothing He Yuan disliked, so she relaxed.
The hosts also brought assistants and a secretary, along with one female leader. In total, there were three women at the table.
From the airport, Yu’s secretary kept subtly watching He Yuan and Lin Yue.
Yu slightly turned his head. “Secretary Zhao.”
Secretary Zhao gracefully stood up, walking seductively to He Yuan. “President He, let me pour your wine.”
Yu suddenly laughed loudly. “Look at this. Once President He arrives, my status drops instantly.”
“Hahaha, of course! Z City had a week of rain, and the moment President He arrives, it’s sunny. Even heaven favors him.”
Lin Yue was shocked. That was some serious flattery—did heaven even notice?
“President Yu,” Secretary Zhao posed dramatically, “shall I pour the wine now?”
Usually, a secretary always pours for their own boss first. Even if the boss scolds you in front of others, it’s only pretend.
It shows respect for the boss and lets the client feel respected.
So Zhao’s exaggerated behavior confused Lin Yue. She thought the woman wasn’t a secretary but some kind of enchantress trying to seduce He Yuan. She wondered if her boss could handle it.
From their time together, Lin Yue knew He Yuan worked hard but lived a disciplined life. Even as a listed company CEO, he had no airs. Strict at work, yet modest, calm, and gentle.
Unlike other bosses with messy love lives, He Yuan was pure and principled.
In Lin Yue’s eyes, He Yuan was a symbol of purity.
Yet she was curious how he would handle the situation.
He Yuan straightened his posture, a gentle smile on his lips, and glanced at Lin Yue. “Sorry, everyone. I probably won’t be drinking today. I’ve had a slight cold the past few days, and this morning Lin Secretary forced me to take medicine. Please forgive me.”
“Who knew President He needed someone to force him to take medicine? Lin Secretary is mighty indeed,” someone remarked.
Lin Yue caught He Yuan’s teasing glance and gave a polite professional smile. “It’s nothing. President He manages such a huge company, handling important matters daily. As a secretary, these small things are my responsibility—that’s why I earn my salary.”
Yu said approvingly, “Secretary Zhao, see? Since President He can’t drink, let’s toast with tea instead, to thank him for taking time to see the sights of Z City.”
Everyone raised their cups. Secretary Zhao returned to Yu reluctantly, shooting a glance at Lin Yue before leaving.
Lin Yue was puzzled. Had she offended her?
Soon, she was distracted by the food on the table.
But she only glanced, keeping her focus on He Yuan’s needs.
While Yu chatted with He Yuan, He Yuan’s eyes remained on Lin Yue. Noticing she hadn’t served herself from his dishes, he casually spun the lazy Susan with one hand while talking.
Yu noticed this subtle motion and glanced at Lin Yue.
He raised an eyebrow, silently asking: Who’s the boss? Who’s the secretary?
Instantly, Yu smiled knowingly.
No wonder He Yuan ignored the prepared Secretary Zhao—he already had a favorite companion.
Watching He Yuan interact with her naturally, as if serious, Yu realized he didn’t mind spinning the turntable for his secretary in public.
Yu thought He Yuan was foolish, but lucky he didn’t lose his temper.
After that, Yu was much more polite to Lin Yue. He realized that complimenting her made He Yuan easy to talk to.
He became almost overexcited in his praise, leaving Lin Yue feeling overwhelmed. Did he have a screw loose?
He praised the secretary instead of flattery for He Yuan himself.