Lin Yue returned to her room and vented her frustration by pounding her pillow. 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 set the items on the floor nearby and, noticing Lin Yue’s red-rimmed eyes, handed her a tissue with practiced ease. “Crying again?”
“No,” Lin Yue said. “I’ve just been under a lot of pressure lately. You know my major isn’t relevant to this job, and there’s so much material to read and so many things to learn every day. Today I went on a blind date and encountered a real weirdo. It’s just too much.”
Qin Yan smiled and said, “So crying is just your way of relieving stress. I get it. Sometimes I cry too when my students frustrate me. But you’re usually so decisive and sharp-tongued—who would’ve thought you’re such a crybaby in private? It’s oddly endearing.”
Lin Yue sniffled somewhat sheepishly. “You didn’t go clean up after her again, did you?”
Qin Yan sighed helplessly. “What else could I do? It’s so hot these days—it would’ve started smelling by tomorrow morning.”
Lin Yue said guiltily, “I’m sorry. It’s all because of me.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. This isn’t your fault. Qing Jing just can’t accept it in her heart. She has a master’s degree in management from a prestigious university of finance and economics—how could she bear losing to someone who studied education?”
Lin Yue sighed. She and Qin Yan had been college classmates and roommates, so they were naturally close. Qing Jing was a friend she’d met during graduate school, and they had always gotten along well. Who would have thought this job interview would turn them into virtual enemies?
Qin Yan was exhausted herself. She patted Lin Yue’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t overthink it.”
Lin Yue nodded and murmured in agreement.
After Qin Yan left, Lin Yue went to check the kitchen. It had already been cleaned spotlessly, but she’d lost all desire to cook.
She turned and fetched a mop from the small balcony, mopped all the common areas thoroughly, then took a shower and tidied up the bathroom. Eventually, she went to bed on an empty stomach.
At daybreak, she had a dream where she was crying from hunger in a coffee shop. He Yuan saw her and bought her a hamburger. She ended up eating five in a row, which scared him away.
Staring at her sleepy reflection in the mirror, Lin Yue felt utterly exasperated.
What kind of nonsensical dream was that?
At 8:30, Lin Yue arrived at the company, just like every other day.
He Yuan had an assistant named Zhou Yun Ce, who usually arrived around 9 a.m. The roles of assistants and secretaries varied across companies.
Zhou Yun Ce was a trusted confidant of He Yuan and a senior executive in the company. He participated in He Yuan’s decision-making and management affairs and assisted him in overseeing the entire company’s operations.
If placed separately, he would be at the level of a vice president in any regional branch of Stellar.
As for Lin Yue, her role as a secretary involved performing basic tasks under He Yuan’s direction. She served exclusively He Yuan, focusing on administrative management. Though He Yuan included her in meetings, her primary responsibility was taking notes. Simply put, she did whatever He Yuan asked—her work revolved entirely around him. Generally, she assisted He Yuan with receptions and document processing, while also lightening Zhou Yun Ce’s load by handling trivial matters that required direct communication with He Yuan.
Her annual salary was merely a fraction of others’ million-yuan incomes, yet it still exceeded what she earned as a teacher.
Having studied education in university and foreign languages in graduate school, she had originally planned to pursue teaching with Qin Yan. But by chance, she discovered online that the president of Stellar Group was hiring a secretary.
On a whim, she submitted her resume and mentioned it to Qin Yan and Qing Jing that same evening.
During the interview, she was surprised to see Qing Jing but quickly adjusted her mindset. Perhaps feeling she had little advantage compared to Qing Jing, Lin Yue answered the HR and He Yuan’s questions honestly instead of reciting her prepared responses.
Just as she began preparing for the interview at Qin Yan’s school, she received a notification from the HR department: she had been hired, with a three-month probation period. A week ago, she officially became a permanent employee.
However, because of this, her relationship with Qing Jing deteriorated sharply. Every day, she faced piles of documents that left her dizzy, and returning home meant dealing with Qing Jing’s mess. No wonder she felt exhausted and on the verge of tears.
Yet once she stepped into the office, she never showed any personal emotions.
When He Yuan entered, Lin Yue was still buried in the documents Zhou Yun Ce had given her.
A shadow fell over her desk. Lin Yue looked up, calmly stood, and flashed a professional smile. “Good morning, President He.”
“Morning.” His warm, deep voice resonated in her partitioned office space.
Instead of sitting back down, Lin Yue walked around the partition and followed He Yuan to his desk to report his schedule for the day.
“President He, this morning’s operational meeting has been postponed to 10 a.m. by Assistant Zhou. At 3 p.m., Director Zhao from Da Chuang will visit.”
He Yuan nodded. Compared to usual, today was relatively light.
“Director Zhao will be in the second meeting room. You should already be prepared regarding his preferences and taboos. If there’s anything unclear, ask Assistant Zhou.”
“Yes.”
“Attend the operational meeting later as well.”
“Yes.”
“Alright, back to work.”
As Lin Yue turned to leave, He Yuan called her back.
“Buy me breakfast.”
“Yes.” She promptly set aside her tasks to get breakfast for her boss.
He Yuan wasn’t picky about food. Most days, he ate at home before coming to the office. This was only the fourth time Lin Yue had been asked to buy him breakfast.
Milk and a sandwich—his usual order. Assistant Zhou had mentioned that this combination never changed.
He was remarkably easy to please.
The round trip took fifteen minutes. The milk was cold when she bought it, so Lin Yue took He Yuan’s usual glass from his desk, poured the milk, heated it in the microwave, placed everything on a tray from the pantry, and finally delivered it to his desk.
“Just leave the tray here when you’re done. I’ll take care of it later.”
For convenience, Lin Yue and He Yuan shared an office, separated only by a partition. Zhou Yun Ce had his own office next door, just a push-door away.
While He Yuan ate, Lin Yue raised the blinds between their workspaces. From his perspective, a slender waist was visible through the glass partition.
The morning sun was dazzlingly bright. Secretary Lin’s curvaceous figure was fully displayed as she stood sideways.
Perhaps sensing He Yuan’s gaze, Lin Yue glanced sideways slightly. He Yuan tightened his grip on the glass of milk and silently averted his eyes.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled the first time he had seen Secretary Lin.