He Yuan touched his hair and found it still slightly damp, so he simply sat down on the sofa, scrolling further down on his phone with his other hand.
As he scrolled, he came across a WeChat Moments post from Teacher Qin, who taught He Lin’s class. After that incident, they had added each other on WeChat, but Teacher Qin had only mentioned she was temporarily acting as the homeroom teacher, implying that He Yuan should add the official homeroom teacher later. Nevertheless, He Yuan had added Qin Yan’s WeChat.
If not for her ordinary looks and strong self-awareness, Qin Yan might have wondered if her love life was about to blossom.
Qin Yan only knew that her student He Lin’s family was wealthy; she had no idea about He Yuan’s connection to Stellar Group. Moreover, Lin Yue hadn’t applied to Stellar at that time, so she unwittingly became an “informant” for someone with 800 schemes in mind.
And now, here was the WeChat Moments post.
In the picture Qin Yan posted, only Lin Yue’s fair, slender hands could be seen tugging at a necktie, which was draped over a creamy pumpkin. Seeing the pumpkin with its drawn-on nose and eyes, He Yuan couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.
Because on the left side of the nose, she had also drawn a black dot.
He Yuan instinctively touched the small black mole on the left side of his own nose. Was Secretary Lin comparing him to a pumpkin?
At work today, she had answered with such confidence, yet it turned out she didn’t even know how to tie a necktie.
He Yuan silently stared at the photo for a long while and saved it.
The next day at seven, Lin Yue arrived at Yuelan Cloud Residence, where He Yuan lived.
He Yuan had informed the property management in advance, so Lin Yue’s information was registered in their system.
Yuelan Cloud Residence was a real estate development by Stellar. Although Lin Yue knew of this famous luxury residence, she had never been inside before—this time, it was thanks to her boss.
The place offered excellent privacy, with each unit having its own private entrance.
It was Lin Yue’s first visit, so she couldn’t get in and had to call He Yuan.
While waiting, a large group of people emerged from the building. The woman at the front was dressed fashionably, wearing black sunglasses and slightly tilting her head. When she saw Lin Yue, she subtly avoided her.
Lin Yue’s mouth fell slightly open. Wasn’t that… wasn’t that the really, really famous actress? What was her name? Su? Su Ying? That should be it, right?
When He Yuan came down, Lin Yue had a look of astonishment mixed with confusion on her face.
He followed her gaze but saw nothing, so he prompted, “Secretary Lin?”
Lin Yue jumped and turned around, clearly startled.
“Did I scare you?” He Yuan asked gently.
Lin Yue quickly shook her head. “No.”
“Let’s go.”
Lin Yue followed He Yuan into the building, her gaze quietly resting on her boss, who was dressed in casual clothes.
Before joining Stellar, she had definitely done some research on the company. When she saw some of He Yuan’s interview videos, she had marveled at his handsome appearance.
After working with him, she realized that while her superior appeared gentle and refined toward everyone, he wasn’t easy to get close to. He had clear boundaries and principles, and his methods were quite firm. Beneath his gentleness lay an unyielding sharpness—a single light remark could make someone feel utterly ashamed.
But today was the first time she had seen her boss in casual clothes, with his hair soft and unstyled, adding a touch of laziness and casualness to his overall demeanor.
“Before entering the elevator, you need both fingerprint and password access. The password has already been given to you, and we’ll register your fingerprint shortly. You can use either of the two master elevators in the residence.”
Lin Yue snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing He Yuan’s words. Master elevators? Did that imply there were service elevators too?
“No need, President He. I’ll take the service elevator.”
He Yuan insisted firmly, “That won’t be necessary. Use this one.”
Lin Yue didn’t persist further, as superiors generally preferred obedient subordinates.
She entered He Yuan’s spacious walk-in closet and selected a light gray pinstripe suit that wouldn’t appear too somber. With no external appointments or formal meetings scheduled for the day, there was no need for overly formal or dark attire.
Next, she chose a blue printed tie with a pocket square in matching tones. Brown leather shoes would complement the gray suit well while enhancing his personal charm.
After He Yuan changed into his shirt, trousers, and shoes, he came directly to stand before Lin Yue.
She helped him into the suit jacket, gently smoothed the front, then assisted with the tie, skillfully knotting it with practiced hands.
Standing at only 165cm herself, Lin Yue couldn’t expect her superior to accommodate her height, so she always had to rise on her toes. Perhaps her close-attendance skills still needed refinement – as she stood on tiptoe, she unconsciously leaned forward, tightening the tie in her hands.
He Yuan instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her against his frame.
Lin Yue’s gaze fell upon the small mole beside his left nostril, inexplicably reminding her of last night’s creamed pumpkin. When their eyes met, the smiling warmth in He Yuan’s peach-blossom eyes made her breath catch, leaving her feeling almost breathless.
Whether from years working in high-rise offices, He Yuan’s complexion was fairer than most men’s. With exceptional bone structure, his face featured elegant contours, a tall straight nose bridge, and sharply defined features that resembled an artist’s sculpted masterpiece. His angular face carried a touch of austerity when not smiling, yet transformed into gentle courtesy when he did.
No wonder female employees in the company constantly admired him.
He Yuan released her with gentlemanly courtesy and asked concernedly, “Are you alright, Secretary Lin?”
“I’m fine.” Lin Yue took half a step back to steady herself. “My apologies, President He.”
“No matter.” He Yuan said, “You’re still new to this. It’s normal to be unfamiliar. You’ll improve with time.”
Lin Yue felt deeply grateful for He Yuan’s patience.
“Secretary Lin, you haven’t had breakfast yet. Let’s eat together.”
Though reluctant to dine alone with He Yuan, before she could refuse he added, “We’ll head directly to the office afterward, and you likely won’t have time to eat then. Assistant Zhou and the vice presidents have scheduled an impromptu morning meeting, and you’ll be responsible for minutes.”
Lin Yue had no choice but to join He Yuan in the breakfast room.
As they sat down, an auntie brought breakfast. Lin Yue immediately stood up, but the auntie stopped her, “Please remain seated, let me handle this.”
He Yuan looked up from his phone’s email and said, “This is Aunt Qian. Besides her, there’s also Aunt Luo and her husband managing all household duties and cleaning. You’ll likely interact with them frequently.”
Lin Yue nodded slightly and greeted them politely.
He Yuan preferred Western-style breakfast and finished eating leisurely. It was nearly 7:30 by the time he completed his meal.
Lin Yue followed behind He Yuan, reporting today’s schedule all the way until they reached the car. She opened the rear door for He Yuan, then got into the passenger seat herself.
“Good morning, Secretary Lin.”
Lin Yue smiled at He Yuan’s driver. “Good morning, Driver Yu.”
Actually, this driver wasn’t very old either, appearing to be around thirty-five. Rumor had it he was a former special forces soldier.