The plane slowly taxied onto the runway, moving at a snail’s pace.
At first, Lin Yue felt fine, though the noise was a bit loud. But as the speed increased, she nervously gripped the armrest beside her.
He Yuan reached over and patted the back of her hand. “Relax, it’s fine.”
Lin Yue nodded but admitted honestly, “This is my first time flying.”
He Yuan chuckled softly. “I can tell now.”
He hadn’t noticed earlier.
“President He, while doing my research, I came across a really funny comment. Would you like to hear it?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m not sure if it was meant as a joke, but I laughed for a long time after reading it. That netizen said, ‘The First Class experience is great, but arriving at the destination at the same time as Economy Class really annoys me.'”
They both laughed simultaneously, lowering their voices to avoid disturbing others.
Thanks to the joke, Lin Yue’s initial tension eased considerably. As the plane ascended into the clouds, she grew completely calm.
Outside the window, the view resembled an endless blue lake dotted with layers of soft, fluffy white clouds.
It was beautiful and magnificent. Lin Yue found it hard to look away.
Watching Lin Yue’s childlike delight, He Yuan couldn’t help but smile. “It seems I’ll have to bring you on all business trips from now on. Assistant Zhou always complains privately about not wanting to travel.”
“Then I’ll just fly Economy Class.”
He Yuan didn’t respond. He’d lost count of how many flights he’d taken throughout the year.
He paid no attention to the scenic view outside, his eyes fixed entirely on Secretary Lin, who was marveling at everything before her.
Falling for someone once is easy, but consistently falling for only one person is difficult.
Faced with this version of Secretary Lin, He Yuan found himself captivated once more.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, yet Lin Yue still felt it wasn’t enough.
If the blue skies and white clouds were this stunning, surely the sunrise and sunset wouldn’t be any less impressive.
At eleven o’clock, He Yuan and Lin Yue landed on time. General Yu from the partner company was already waiting for them.
With someone handling the arrangements, everything proceeded quickly. After introductions, General Yu took He Yuan and Lin Yue straight to the restaurant, accompanied by some local tourism bureau officials.
A private room with about ten seats was just filled.
He Yuan was the guest of honor and the financial benefactor, so the host had clearly done their homework—they directly served the most expensive set menu with nearly twenty-four dishes. Lin Yue glanced over it briefly, relieved to see none of He Yuan’s dietary restrictions were violated.
The other party had also brought assistants and secretaries, including a female leader, making three women at the table in total.
Since leaving the airport, the secretary by General Yu’s side had been subtly directing her gaze toward He Yuan and Lin Yue.
General Yu tilted his head slightly. “Secretary Zhao.”
Secretary Zhao rose gracefully and swayed over to He Yuan’s side. “President He, allow me to pour your wine.”
General Yu suddenly laughed heartily. “Look at this—the moment President He arrives, my status plummets.”
“Hahaha, of course! It’s been raining in Z City for a week, but the skies cleared up the moment President He arrived. Even heaven favors our President He!”
Lin Yue was astonished. Does heaven even know about this flattery?
“General Yu,” Secretary Zhao said with an affected wiggle, “should I still pour the wine or not?”
Generally speaking, any competent secretary would prioritize pouring wine for their own boss before attending to others. Even if the boss were to scold you publicly, it would only be a performative reprimand.
Firstly, this demonstrates your regard for your own boss; secondly, such feigned scolding allows clients to perceive the boss’s respect for them.
So, watching Secretary Zhao’s exaggerated and affected behavior, Lin Yue was utterly baffled. She felt Secretary Zhao didn’t resemble a secretary at all—more like a female demon trying to devour He Yuan. She just wasn’t sure if her own boss could withstand such an onslaught.
Through their interactions over these past days, Lin Yue had observed that He Yuan, despite his demanding work schedule, maintained a disciplined and orderly life. Even as the president of a listed company, he carried not a hint of arrogance. Apart from being strict in professional matters, he was humble, reserved, calm, and gentle.
Unlike other executives who kept messy entanglements with lovers, He Yuan was self-disciplined, principled, and noble in character.
In Lin Yue’s eyes, He Yuan embodied purity and integrity—a lotus rising unstained from the mud.
Yet she couldn’t help but wonder: how would He Yuan handle this situation?
Just then, He Yuan straightened his posture, a warm and appropriate smile gracing his lips. He tilted his head slightly toward Lin Yue and said, “My apologies, everyone. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join in the smoking and drinking today. I’ve been fighting off a minor cold these past few days, and this morning, our Secretary Lin practically forced me to take medicine. Please, spare me this time.”
“Who would have thought President He needs to be coerced into taking medicine? Secretary Lin, you truly are formidable.”
Catching He Yuan’s teasing gaze, Lin Yue responded with a professional, practiced smile. “Not at all. President He manages Stellar, such a massive corporation. His days are filled with critical decisions and responsibilities. As his secretary, it’s only natural that I take care of these minor details—it’s the least I can do to earn my salary.”
General Yu chimed in approvingly, “Well said. Secretary Zhao, take note. Since President He isn’t drinking, let’s not press the matter. How about we all toast President He with tea instead, to thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to enjoy the sights of our city Z?”
Everyone raised their glasses. Secretary Zhao, visibly displeased, reluctantly returned to General Yu’s side, shooting a glare at Lin Yue before she went.
Lin Yue was completely bewildered. What had she done to offend her?
But soon, her attention was drawn to the dishes on the dining table.
Even so, she only allowed herself a brief glance. On occasions like this, her primary duty was to stay attentive to He Yuan’s needs.
He Yuan exchanged a few casual words with General Yu. While the latter was speaking with his assistant, He Yuan leaned subtly toward Lin Yue, resting his elbow on the table. In a hushed tone, he told her, “Go ahead and eat. There’s no need to attend to me.”
Lin Yue nodded. “Alright.”
Despite his reassurance, she maintained her refined table manners—only serving herself from the dishes directly in front of her and never rotating the lazy Susan.
General Yu kept He Yuan engaged in conversation, but He Yuan’s peripheral attention remained fixed on Lin Yue. Noticing she hadn’t touched the dishes farther away, he continued chatting with General Yu while casually turning the lazy Susan with one hand.
Naturally, General Yu noticed He Yuan’s action and cast a discreet glance toward Lin Yue.
He raised an eyebrow in amusement. Just who was the boss here, and who was the secretary?
A meaningful smile slowly spread across General Yu’s face.
No wonder… no wonder He Yuan had shown no interest in the secretary he’d arranged for him. It turned out he already had a lovely companion by his side.
And judging by He Yuan’s demeanor, his regard for her seemed genuine—so much so that he didn’t mind turning the lazy Susan for his secretary even in such a formal setting.
Tsk tsk, he really is foolish. Fortunately, He Yuan didn’t lose his temper.
After that, General Yu became much more polite to Lin Yue. He had discovered that whenever Secretary Lin was praised, He Yuan would become much more agreeable.
He immediately became as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline. By the end, Lin Yue felt completely numb from all the compliments, wondering if there was something wrong with his mind.
Instead of flattering He Yuan, he was flattering a mere secretary like her.