The two finally had a bit of leisure time, and He Yuan followed Zhou Yun Ce’s example in snatching moments of relaxation amidst busyness.
“Never would’ve guessed you’d fall for someone like Secretary Lin, and even experienced love at first sight.”
He Yuan took a gentle sip of tea, his mind drifting back to Lin Yue under the sunset glow. His gaze settled on the potted plant in the corner as he murmured, “Love at first sight—it sounds rather romantic, but you know I’m not a romantic person. I’d rather call it intuition.”
Zhou Yun Ce remarked, “Nowadays people say love at first sight is just being captivated by looks.”
He Yuan chuckled. “I don’t deny that point. A 27-year-old man can’t remain completely unaffected when he meets a woman he’s attracted to.”
Love at first sight was merely his initial fondness for Lin Yue; true love had to be discovered through time spent together.
He rationally believed this, yet whenever Secretary Lin appeared, his eyes would unconsciously seek out her figure.
This feeling was like invisible, clinging vines—with every subconscious glance, another tendril wrapped around his heart.
Whenever He Yuan thought about it, he couldn’t help but wonder: when all the gaps in his heart were entwined with these vines, what form would his feelings take then?
“You know, during the interview that day, I just casually mentioned it,” Zhou Yun Ce said, looking at He Yuan. “Never thought you’d actually let her stay. But she is quite capable. Sometimes people who appear too perfect instead feel harder to read.”
“It wasn’t me who let her stay—she earned the position herself,” He Yuan corrected. “Besides, you’re right. If I’d directly eliminated her, that would’ve been unfair. Though such dynamics do affect work, but that’s my issue to handle.”
After all, Lin Yue knew nothing about this, treating him merely as her superior while diligently fulfilling her duties every day.
“Good luck,” Zhou Yun Ce patted He Yuan’s shoulder. “Hope you succeed soon.”
He Yuan smiled. “Let’s wait. If I confess now, it might come across as trying to exploit my position.”
Zhou Yun Ce burst out laughing. “If that were the case, Secretary Lin would probably twist your head off. We’ve been working together for over three months—don’t tell me you haven’t noticed she’s like two different people at work and after hours.”
He Yuan rubbed the rim of his cup and quietly remarked, “Quite endearing, actually.”
Though it wasn’t just two personas—she also tended to cry easily.
Zhou Yun Ce laughed even more recklessly.
Meanwhile, Secretary Lin—who was worried about potential issues during the afternoon client meeting—was currently inspecting every corner of the second conference room. After all, the client had severe OCD coupled with mysophobia.
So she remained unaware that her two superiors were discussing her.
Truth be told, Lin Yue herself had some cleanliness tendencies, though not severely.
When He Yuan returned to his office, Lin Yue wasn’t there. He glanced around but didn’t see her.
He stepped out to the outer area and spotted her back, calling out to her.
“Secretary Lin.”
Lin Yue turned around. “President He.”
He Yuan noticed the white cloth in her hand, then followed the line of her long-sleeved shirt slightly pulled up to her forearms—she looked ready to clean.
“You’re…” He Yuan trailed off, leaving the question hanging.
Lin Yue hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll go wipe down the meeting room again. Assistant Zhou told me that Director Zhao from Da Chuang not only has OCD but is also a neat freak. It’s not work hours yet, so it won’t interfere with my duties.”
Unexpectedly, He Yuan frowned slightly and said, “Come with me first.”
Lin Yue’s heart sank. Had she made a mistake by cleaning?
Not daring to delay, she quickly turned and followed He Yuan into his office.
“President He.”
Lin Yue called out nervously.
After three months of working together, Lin Yue didn’t understand He Yuan as well as Zhou Yun Ce did, but she knew his good temper was merely superficial. When it came to subordinates, he disdained putting on airs—everything was dictated by his personal discipline and instincts.
However, she still vividly remembered how He Yuan had snapped during a meeting at the conference table during her internship.
Zhou Yun Ce hadn’t been present that day, and He Yuan needed her to take meeting minutes and handle minor tasks like running the PowerPoint. It was her first time in the conference room, and she witnessed the young president’s decisive methods and formidable presence.
He never raised his voice, but his deep eyes would fix on you as he pointed out flaws in others’ proposals with sharp, biting precision, then offered his own insights and suggestions.
Department heads years—even a decade—older than him were left red-faced and speechless, unable to rebut him.
Lin Yue recalled how, just before adjourning the meeting, He Yuan had casually remarked, “Stellar is currently at a critical juncture of transitioning from asset-heavy to asset-light. What Stellar and I need are talents who can ride the waves, not ones who hang their heads in defeat.”
She had thought it was incredibly cool at the time. Who would have thought that now, it might be her turn to be criticized?
He Yuan glanced up and immediately noticed the hint of grievance in Lin Yue’s eyes. Thinking his stern expression had frightened her, he cleared his throat into his fist and said, “Secretary Lin, the meeting room is cleaned by dedicated staff. Regardless of the client, as my secretary, there’s no need for you to personally handle the cleaning.”
Lin Yue could only nod, though she felt unfairly blamed.
It wasn’t that she wanted to clean—it was because the auntie responsible for the conference room hadn’t been thorough. On ordinary days, it was fine since no one had such high standards; wiping the surfaces and mopping the floor sufficed.
But today’s client, according to Assistant Zhou, was important. As He Yuan’s secretary, assisting with client reception was part of her job.
True, cleaning wasn’t her responsibility, but she didn’t want to complain about the cleaner and risk costing someone their job. That’s why she had decided to do it herself during her break.
“Go take a rest now. You’ll need to be at your best to welcome the client this afternoon.”
Lin Yue murmured an agreement.
No sooner had she returned to her desk than He Yuan pressed the intercom. “Send Vice President Wei to my office.”
Since they shared the same office space, Lin Yue naturally heard He Yuan’s request.
Vice President Wei, Wei Jia, was a deputy in the functional departments. Among the four vice presidents under He Yuan, she was the only female executive.
She oversaw Stellar Group’s office management, human resources, corporate culture, and administrative departments.
Wei Jia soon knocked on the door of He Yuan’s office. Lin Yue stood to greet her, and Wei Jia smiled in acknowledgment.
“President He, you asked for me?”
He Yuan gave an affirmative hum and said, “Director Zhao from Dachuang is visiting at three o’clock this afternoon. It’s almost two now, and my secretary actually still has her sleeves rolled up, about to go wipe the conference room tables.”
Wei Jia’s expression shifted. The cleaning staff fell under her administrative management department. Since He Yuan wouldn’t deal directly with lower-level departments, he had to address the issue through her hierarchical management.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this immediately. I guarantee it’ll be settled before three.”
“Hmm.”
Lin Yue widened her eyes slightly, gazing at He Yuan with admiration. So he had known all along?
Noticing Lin Yue’s admiring look, He Yuan curved the corners of his mouth faintly.