The meal lasted two hours, and by the time it ended, it was already 1 p.m.
General Yu offered to escort He Yuan back to the hotel to rest, but He Yuan declined.
“Just leave us a driver, General Yu. There’s no need to trouble you further.”
General Yu didn’t press the matter and bid farewell to He Yuan at the restaurant entrance.
Secretary Zhao followed from behind. Surrounded by executives, everyone was chatting with President He. Secretary Zhao’s eyes darted around, and on a whim, she decided to make Lin Yue lose face in front of the crowd. She reached out and pushed the small of Lin Yue’s back.
Lin Yue was standing on the steps and, caught off guard, stumbled forward.
Secretary Zhao had expected Lin Yue to fall flat on her face, but to her surprise, He Yuan reacted swiftly and caught Lin Yue in his arms.
It was a full embrace—He Yuan’s arms went under Lin Yue’s armpits, directly wrapping around her waist and back.
For a moment, the restaurant entrance fell into a serene, almost frozen silence.
Lin Yue blinked her large eyes twice, quickly retracted her hands from He Yuan’s shoulders, and straightened up, looking utterly mortified. “I’m sorry, President He, I lost my balance.”
He Yuan shook his head with a light chuckle. “It’s fine. Be more careful next time.”
Lin Yue turned and shot a furious glare at Secretary Zhao. If it weren’t for the importance of the occasion, she would have exposed her malicious behavior right then.
Even after getting into the car, Lin Yue still felt upset.
He Yuan, of course, noticed her mood but didn’t ask about it during the ride. He waited until they returned to the hotel.
Just as Lin Yue was about to enter her room, He Yuan stopped her.
“Secretary Lin, are you unhappy because you nearly embarrassed yourself at the restaurant entrance?”
Lin Yue looked up and met He Yuan’s gaze. “President He, if I told you someone pushed me and that’s why I stumbled, would you believe me?”
He Yuan frowned slightly. “You’re my secretary. Of course, I believe you. Did someone really push you?”
Lin Yue nodded. “It was General Yu’s Secretary Zhao. I feel like she might have some hostility toward me.”
He Yuan: “Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“How could I? After all, she’s General Yu’s secretary, and I have no proof. What if such a trivial matter jeopardized the project? Wouldn’t that be my fault?”
“Secretary Lin, do you really think that Secretary Zhao is General Yu’s secretary?” He Yuan’s question was somewhat convoluted.
Lin Yue didn’t understand why he asked. “Is there a problem with that?”
“Answer me first.”
“Well~ her way of doing things doesn’t quite seem like a secretary’s style,” Lin Yue replied, furrowing her brows in thought. “But if she’s not a secretary, why would he bring her along?”
He Yuan found her furrowed expression adorable and couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s normal for you not to understand the intricacies of these social gatherings, Secretary Lin, since it’s your first time. That Secretary Zhao is merely a tool General Yu uses to curry favor.”
Lin Yue’s mouth fell slightly open, and her eyes widened in shock. “You mean, this Secretary Zhao is… is here to… to…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the two words.
He Yuan, amused by her reaction, felt a mischievous urge to tease her. “Yes, she’s here to seduce me. So, in the future, if similar situations arise, I trust you won’t mind me using you as an excuse to fend them off?”
Lin Yue shook her head vigorously. “Not at all, not at all.”
So she really was a temptress.
He Yuan smiled with satisfaction, “That’s good. Actually, such situations are quite common. Some secretaries have improper intentions themselves, some are encouraged by their bosses, and then there’s today’s scenario—that woman wasn’t a secretary, just someone the client brought along, possibly even a college student. Whether it works out or not, the other party has nothing to lose. If I had confronted them directly, the project would have fallen through. A subtle rejection that uses minimal effort to achieve maximum effect makes people understand while giving up their intentions, and the project remains secure.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
Lin Yue was momentarily speechless.
Before starting this job, Qin Yan had told her that secretaries often had to handle their bosses’ romantic entanglements. Lin Yue had mentally prepared herself, only to find that He Yuan never gave her the opportunity.
Still, having a hassle-free supervisor was certainly better.
There was a two-hour break at noon. Lin Yue’s room was on a lower floor—a standard room—while He Yuan’s was the presidential suite.
When Lin Yue returned to her room, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.
She had already pulled two all-nighters preparing for this business trip, sleeping only four hours a day. She had planned to catch up on sleep during the flight, but ended up gazing wide-eyed at the scenery—though it was indeed her first time flying.
She spent two full hours watching the blue sky and white clouds, still feeling exhilarated after disembarking.
An hour and a half later, Lin Yue’s alarm rang punctually.
She went to the bathroom to wash her face, touched up her makeup, changed clothes, and headed upstairs.
The afternoon agenda involved inspecting construction progress, visiting some famous attractions in Z City, and later going boating on the lake.
General Yu’s working style preferred conducting business while casually entertaining clients, rather than being confined to dull conference rooms with endless debates.
With both parties being straightforward and intelligent, their discussion wrapped up in less than an hour. The atmosphere between He Yuan and General Yu remained relaxed and pleasant.
Just then, General Yu suggested boating on the lake.
All these arrangements were specially planned by General Yu, who provided He Yuan and Lin Yue with the most luxurious boat.
General Yu’s assistant looked puzzled at his superior. “Why aren’t you sharing a boat with President He? Wouldn’t that facilitate better conversation?”
“What do you know? He’ll be here for seven days—we can talk anytime. This particular moment shouldn’t be disturbed.”
The assistant remained confused until he noticed President He shielding his secretary from the glaring sunlight nearby, then suddenly understood.
He turned to General Yu. “Now I understand why you kept praising Secretary Lin yesterday. I was worried President He might take offense.”
General Yu chuckled. “Even heroes struggle to resist beauty.”
The assistant remarked, “I’d believe it if it were others getting involved with their secretaries, but President He doesn’t seem like that type.”
General Yu tapped his assistant’s head. “Who said it’s just casual fun? Are you blind? He Yuan’s behavior is clearly how one treats their beloved. Though personal and professional matters shouldn’t mix, when love strikes, what can you do? His secretary is obviously fresh out of society. While competent in many aspects, she’s too naive to recognize He Yuan’s attitude toward her. Just wait—when he’s thoroughly charmed her, she’ll probably still be counting money for him. He Yuan isn’t as gentle as he appears on the surface.”
“General Yu, you know him quite well?”
“How many people who thrive in the business world can truly be called harmless?”
Just then, Lin Yue’s laughter drifted over, crisp and sweet like wind chimes tinkling in the breeze.
He Yuan was childishly aiming a bubble blower at his secretary. Lin Yue tried to dodge but couldn’t escape, so she picked up another bubble blower nearby to fight back.
Since her boss had already set aside his dignity to play with her, Lin Yue saw no reason to hold back either.