There he was—Pei Yanzhou, clad in a custom-tailored silver suit that accentuated his tall, statuesque frame. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, softening the sharpness of the “business tyrant” aura and adding an air of refined restraint.
He tilted his head slightly, listening to Assistant Chen’s low-voiced report, while a group of impeccably dressed executives followed behind him, exuding undeniable presence.
The group had likely just returned from an outside inspection, striding toward the CEO-exclusive elevator in full force.
Wherever they passed, employees stopped in their tracks, respectfully greeting, “Good morning, President Pei!”
Pei Yanzhou acknowledged them with a faint nod, his expression calm and unreadable, without breaking stride.
Shu Hua panicked instantly.
She absolutely didn’t want him to notice that she was here for an interview today! The acceptance letter hadn’t even arrived yet—what if she didn’t get the position? How embarrassing! And they had agreed to keep her application private—if he “caught” her now…
As the group walked almost directly toward the center of the lobby, heading right in her direction, Shu Hua abandoned all pretense of poise. She quickly crouched down, hiding behind the tall reception desk, curling herself into a tiny ball, silently chanting in her mind: Don’t see me, don’t see me…
She looked like a startled kitten—utterly cute, a little frantic, and mildly comical.
Holding her breath, she listened as the steady footsteps drew closer, her heart racing.
Fortunately, the group didn’t stop; they continued straight to the elevator, and soon the familiar “ding” of the elevator arrival echoed.
They’re gone…
Shu Hua exhaled, ready to stand, when a sweet, slightly puzzled female voice came from above:
“Hello? Miss? Are you… okay?”
Shu Hua froze.
She forced herself to maintain the crouch, raising her head to reveal a stunned yet innocent, flawless face. “Ah?”
The receptionist’s eyes widened as she took in Shu Hua’s face, momentarily speechless. She quickly recovered, masking a little giddy admiration, and professionally pointed to the floor. “Excuse me… your heel… I think it’s on my papers.”
Shu Hua glanced down and saw that her delicate new Dior heels had indeed stepped on the corner of an A4 sheet.
Quickly standing, she picked up the paper, noting a small heel imprint on the edge, cheeks coloring with embarrassment. “Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t notice—really, I apologize!”
The receptionist, struck by Shu Hua’s beauty—the flawless skin, the doe-like eyes filled with a hint of panic—stammered a little, heart skipping a beat. “It’s fine, really! Just a draft, I can print another one. No problem at all!”
Shu Hua still felt bad. “Sorry for making you redo it.”
“It’s nothing!” the receptionist replied warmly. “By the way, which department are you in? You’re so beautiful! I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
Being complimented so directly, Shu Hua blushed slightly, smiling. “Thank you, you’re very pretty too. But I’m here for an interview, not an employee yet.”
“Oh! An interviewee! Have you passed yet?” The receptionist’s eyes sparkled even brighter. She thought to herself that if such a stunning and capable woman became her colleague, just looking at her would make every meal tastier.
“Not yet. I have to wait for tomorrow’s notification,” Shu Hua replied.
“I’m sure you’ll get it! I hope we get to work together!” the receptionist said sincerely.
“Thanks for the encouragement,” Shu Hua said, smiling as her mood lifted. She thought for a moment and said, “Please wait a second,” before briskly heading to the upscale café next door to the building. She bought a hot latte and returned to the front desk, handing it over.
“I really feel bad that I made you spend extra time printing another copy. Please have a coffee—consider it a small apology.”
The receptionist was flustered and delighted, her admiration for Shu Hua skyrocketing.
A beautiful, kind, and capable goddess of a young lady!
They chatted casually for a bit, and Shu Hua, seemingly without thought, asked, “Just now… was that your President Pei? His presence is really overwhelming.”
“Yes! That’s our President Pei!” the receptionist perked up immediately, lowering her voice with a little excitement. “Isn’t he super handsome? So many of the women in our company are his little fans!”
Shu Hua felt a pang of jealousy in her chest, like a sip of sour lemon juice.
The receptionist didn’t notice, continuing in admiration, “But you know, with someone at President Pei’s level, we can only admire from afar.”
“Admire from afar?” Shu Hua raised an eyebrow.
“Exactly! President Pei is a top-tier executive, handsome, capable, and brilliant. He’s in a completely different league from us. Who would dare to dream of getting close? If he were to choose a partner, it would have to be a top-class heiress, fair-skinned and beautiful.”
The receptionist suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right! I think I heard that President Pei got married recently. I wonder who his wife is, all mysterious and secretive.”
She glanced at Shu Hua, purely admiring, and jokingly said, “Honestly, you’d be a perfect match for President Pei! Just standing next to him, it would be so eye-catching! I think his wife has to be as beautiful as you!”
Shu Hua’s heart skipped a beat at the comment, but her face remained composed, a gentle smile forming. “Can you really tell compatibility just by looks?”
“Of course! Beauty is justice!” the receptionist said, clenching her fists with serious conviction.
At the top floor, in the CEO’s office, Pei Yanzhou sank into the large executive chair, rubbing his temples. After a high-intensity morning of inspections, he could finally relax slightly.
Was it his imagination? Earlier in the lobby, he thought he caught a glimpse of a very familiar figure—then it vanished.
That dodging movement… it looked just like the little delicate one at home when she felt guilty about sneaking around.
He picked up his phone, recalling how that morning she had still been curled up in bed, her cheeks rosy, sleeping soundly and sweetly. His usually cold and sharp features softened as he dialed her number.
After a few rings, she picked up with a soft, “Hello?”
“It’s me,” he said, his voice unconsciously low.
“I know it’s you,” came her soft voice, tinged with her usual playful possessiveness. “Can you please label your calls? I never answer strangers anyway.”
Pei Yanzhou could almost picture her now, pouting slightly, and he smiled. “Are you awake?”
“It’s already twelve thirty, of course I’m awake,” Shu Hua said, sitting in a Japanese restaurant, looking at the ramen in front of her. She instinctively hid her whereabouts, teasing him a little, “Under normal circumstances, I can still sleep and wake up early, okay?”
He immediately caught her meaning, letting out a low laugh, his voice through the line tinged with magnetic teasing: “My bad.
“Then… you’re feeling alright? I seem to remember… that someone was feeling quite comfortable later on.”