Lin Yue quietly returned to her workstation.
Tomorrow was the weekend, and she finally had a normal two-day break. With President He going on a business trip until the following weekend, she would have nine days off with full pay—just thinking about it felt amazing.
Secretary Lin took a comfortable sip of water, already planning how to spend those nine days. After all, during her internship, she hadn’t taken a single day off.
Just as Lin Yue was happily lost in thought, He Yuan called out, “Secretary Lin, come here for a moment.”
Lin Yue quickly stood up and walked over.
“Assistant Zhou just called—his mother has been hospitalized and will need about a week of care. Regarding the Wenlv City project in Z City next Monday, you’ll be accompanying me instead. Assistant Zhou will send you all the project materials shortly. You can review them over the weekend and also arrange the itinerary for this business trip.”
“Understood.”
Lin Yue’s voice trembled slightly.
He Yuan, assuming she was nervous, reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there. This is a large project, but if you handle it well, you’ll learn a lot.”
“…”
She wasn’t nervous. Faced with such a large, complex task, she actually felt a bit excited—it was a challenge, after all. She was just lamenting her vacation, which had ended before it even began.
Lin Yue spent the entire weekend buried in stacks of data and documents.
The project was a collaboration between Stellar and local enterprises, marking their first venture into cultural tourism. The total investment had already exceeded 15 billion yuan.
Located between three tourist zones in Z City, the project included the construction of a resort and themed entertainment facilities such as an aquarium and an amusement park.
Just one theme park alone covered nearly 100,000 square meters.
Whenever He Yuan traveled for business, he would inform Aunt Qian. Aside from his clothes, she took care of packing everything else for him.
Upon learning that He Yuan was leaving on Monday, Aunt Qian slapped her thigh and immediately called Lin Yue, asking her to come over early Monday morning to help pack his luggage.
These tasks technically fell within Lin Yue’s responsibilities, but He Yuan, being considerate, usually spared her the extra trip.
Lin Yue found it a bit odd. On Friday after work, it had been agreed that Yu Zhao would pick her up near Third Court—why the sudden change?
But she didn’t dwell on it, assuming it was He Yuan’s instruction.
So, early Monday morning, while Aunt Luo took her husband to the hospital, Aunt Qian headed to the market with the driver—the kind of market frequented by the wealthy.
Lin Yue scanned her fingerprint, entered the passcode, and let herself into the house.
She glanced around but didn’t see He Yuan, assuming he was still asleep.
Lin Yue went straight to the walk-in closet to select a week’s worth of outfits for He Yuan. Just then, He Yuan walked in, wrapped only in a towel.
Their eyes met, and Lin Yue nearly dropped the tie in her hand.
He Yuan usually styled his hair in a side part, neatly groomed. Even when Lin Yue came by every morning, his hair was casually but intentionally styled—not like this.
His damp bangs were swept haphazardly back, giving a tousled, slicked-back look. The fact that his hair wasn’t dripping suggested he had only given it a quick blow-dry before coming in.
His upper body was bare, revealing his well-built physique.
Lin Yue did not particularly like the type of men with overly developed chest muscles and biceps; she believed proportion was crucial.
He Yuan’s physique was just right—he had clearly defined eight-pack abs, though not excessively pronounced. The lines flanking his abs were elegant and sharp, directly challenging the visual senses of any woman.
Perhaps sensing Lin Yue’s fixed gaze, He Yuan cleared his throat as a reminder, “Secretary Lin.”
Lin Yue snapped back to reality instantly, awkwardly shifting her gaze away and giving a slight bow to He Yuan. “President He, good morning.”
“Morning. Why are you here?”
“Aunt Qian asked me to come help pack your luggage for the business trip.”
Besides, she hadn’t meant to stare intentionally—it was just a natural appreciation from a woman’s perspective.
He Yuan nodded with feigned composure. “Wait outside first. I need to change.”
Lin Yue set down the clothes in her hand and left the walk-in closet.
The moment Lin Yue exited, He Yuan’s stiffly upright posture relaxed completely.
He looked squarely at his reflection in the mirror. Was his physique acceptable? Secretary Lin had seemed to stare for quite a while.
After changing and styling his hair, He Yuan went straight to the living room but found no sign of Secretary Lin.
Puzzled, he checked the balcony in the outer corridor—still no one.
Returning to the living room, He Yuan headed toward the small dining area and suddenly spotted Lin Yue through the glass, wearing an apron in the kitchen.
The apron accentuated the slender curve of her waist perfectly.
He Yuan approached. “Secretary Lin, why are you the one cooking?”
Startled but not one to make a fuss, Lin Yue merely tightened her grip on the spatula. Turning at his question, she replied, “Aunt Qian went to the market and asked me to prepare breakfast for you.”
Standing behind her left shoulder, He Yuan asked, “Have you eaten?”
“President He, I’ve already eaten.”
She had been starving when she woke up, so she grabbed a slice of toast to munch on and took a carton of milk before leaving.
The ingredients were all prepped by Aunt Qian. Lin Yue simply fried an egg and some bacon, then heated a cup of milk.
While He Yuan ate, she sat across from him to review the business trip itinerary.
“In the coming days, City Z will be hot with no rain. General Yu, the CEO of the partner company, will personally receive us. We’ll be staying at Yunxing Hotel. The flight departs at 9 AM and lands at 11 AM. They’ve reserved a private room at a renowned specialty restaurant. After lunch, there’s a two-hour break, followed by an afternoon tour…”
“Secretary Lin,” He Yuan interrupted abruptly, “where’s your luggage?”
Lin Yue: “In the entryway.”
He Yuan glanced at his watch. “Let’s go. It’s about time.”
They had two suitcases in total. He Yuan’s was very large—certainly too heavy for Lin Yue to lift—but fortunately, Yu Zhao was there to help.
Noticing Lin Yue’s modest light-gray suitcase, He Yuan asked, “Is that all you’re bringing?”
Lin Yue: “The suitcase looks small, but it actually holds quite a lot. I’ve packed everything I need.”
She had brought travel-sized versions of her space-consuming skincare and makeup products.
Her clothes didn’t take up much room either, though two pairs of shoes were bulkier, since she needed heels for formal occasions.
The journey required a two-hour flight. This was Lin Yue’s first time on a plane. To avoid letting her boss notice, she had done her homework in advance and, being observant, simply mimicked what others did.
The plane ticket wasn’t purchased by her, but by Zhou Yun Ce, so when she found herself sitting in First Class with He Yuan, she was completely stunned.