After going downstairs, Si Yuan placed Ye Mengyun directly on a chair at the dining table. In front of her was a plate of tomato and egg spaghetti, which looked quite appetizing.
Ye Mengyun had only eaten a little with Zhou Zixuan the night before, and hadn’t touched anything since, having been with Si Yuan until 3 a.m. Her stomach was completely empty, and the fact that she hadn’t started complaining yet was probably because she was too hungry to feel anything.
“Is this all you have at home?” Si Yuan handed her chopsticks, and sat down next to her, with an identical plate of breakfast in front of her as well.
“It looks delicious.” Ye Mengyun smiled and took the chopsticks, eagerly stuffing a large mouthful into her mouth.
The moment she tasted it, Ye Mengyun felt her ravenous stomach awakened by the flavor, belatedly protesting its hunger, wishing she would just swallow the food whole.
“So delicious!” After taking a bite of noodles, Ye Mengyun looked at Si Yuan, her eyes shining. She gave her a thumbs up and flattered her, “If I could eat this every day, my life would be perfect.”
Si Yuan, who was focused on her breakfast, paused but didn’t say anything.
Ye Mengyun didn’t care at all. She knew Si Yuan had taken her words to heart, because the word “friendship” had just flashed again, and this time it lasted longer than before.
[System, I think you need to improve this. For example, is there a numerical reference for the conditions for “friendship to stay lit”? Otherwise, I don’t know how much effort I need to put in.] Ye Mengyun secretly gave the system a suggestion in her mind.
[There is no reference number, because these conditions don’t stay lit forever once they are lit. You have to manage them carefully.]
[So realistic? You mean even if we become best friends now, if she finds out what I did before, the light will go out?]
[Yes.] The
system’s single word sent chills down Ye Mengyun’s spine. She glanced furtively at Si Yuan, who was quietly eating breakfast, and suddenly felt an urge to hug the body that had committed those misdeeds, trembling with fear.
If it were her, she would have wanted to grind this body to dust, and Si Yuan probably wouldn’t have been any more merciful.
It seemed she had to keep this secret buried deep inside, leaving this world with the body.
Fortunately, Lu Xue wasn’t stupid; she never left any evidence of her actions. Even with the group of thugs from last night, she had only contacted them by phone, so they didn’t know who she was or what she looked like.
After breakfast, Ye Mengyun watched Si Yuan pack in the kitchen, then sat obediently in a chair, waiting for her to finish. She planned to go to the company together, while also contemplating how to interact with her as her boss at work.
Before she knew it, Si Yuan was ready. Just as Ye Mengyun was waiting for Si Yuan to take her out, she saw her sling her bag over her shoulder and head straight for the door.
What?!
Ye Mengyun’s initial smile froze on her face as she greeted Si Yuan. Seeing Si Yuan about to leave, she quickly asked, “Where are you going?”
Si Yuan calmly turned and glanced at her, saying, “You should have friends, right? Call them to pick you up wherever you want to go. I have to go now.”
Ye Mengyun knew Si Yuan was going to her company, and since it was on the same route, wouldn’t it be better to work together and spend more time together?
Just as Si Yuan was about to leave, Ye Mengyun hurriedly exclaimed, “I don’t have any friends! You have to help me, I have to go to work too, I have things to do this morning.” She wasn’t lying. Lu Xue had a strange personality and didn’t like making close friends; her only friend was Zhou Zixuan, and their relationship was somewhat ambiguous.
Si Yuan glanced at her indifferently and bluntly pointed out, “Wasn’t the one who brought you breakfast this morning?” With her discerning eye, she knew Lu Xue certainly didn’t lack friends.
“He was just doing it on the side!” Ye Mengyun hurriedly explained pitifully, “Besides, I already refused for you this morning, so you have to take responsibility.” Fearing Si Yuan might disagree, she elaborated, “You can drive, right? You can drive me to the company, it’ll be quick. Besides, my place is quite remote; calling a taxi isn’t as convenient as having my car.”
Si Yuan could drive, and after weighing the pros and cons, she said, “Okay.” Finally, as the person inside wished, she turned and went back inside.
Ye Mengyun was already used to Si Yuan’s princess carry, and this time she had completely given up on expecting Si Yuan to be a lady. Anyway, it was just a hug at home; based on her observation, Si Yuan wouldn’t hug just anyone outside, so it wouldn’t be easily discovered.
After placing Ye Mengyun in the passenger seat, Si Yuan naturally took the driver’s seat, and after a series of smooth maneuvers, the car drove onto the road.
“Yuanyuan, do you drive often?” Ye Mengyun asked sincerely, “Your skills are amazing!”
I’ve worked as a designated driver,” Si Yuan replied calmly. “Where are you going?”
Ye Mengyun realized she had seemingly touched a nerve, a vulnerability stemming from her own physical condition. She quickly changed the subject, saying, “Lu’s Group.”
Si Yuan’s hand on the steering wheel paused imperceptibly when the person beside her mentioned Lu’s Group. Her mind immediately recalled the information she had researched about the company before her interview. The president of Lu’s Group was clearly surnamed Lu, named Lu Shenyuan, and the person beside her also had the surname Lu.
Although Si Yuan had mentally analyzed the person beside her, she maintained an indifferent demeanor.
This made Ye Mengyun uncomfortable.
When Ye Mengyun gave her company address, she was waiting for Si Yuan to ask if she worked there and what she did, so she could easily tell her she was the company’s boss. However, she hadn’t expected Si Yuan’s personality to be so reserved that she didn’t even bother to ask someone she knew about her upcoming job.
What’s wrong with you, Miss?! I can’t continue our conversation like this!
Of course, even if the conversation died down, Ye Mengyun was determined to continue the awkward chatter.
She casually asked, “What are you going to do? Is it convenient later? If not, just take my car and drive back when you’re done.”
“Convenient,” Si Yuan replied, putting an end to the conversation without revealing her intention to work at the same company.
…
Ye Mengyun smiled outwardly, but inwardly she was fretting.
This day was so difficult to talk to; she had silently asked two questions, and Si Yuan had only answered one!
Ye Mengyun glared at the window, feeling a bit exhausted.
The car quickly pulled into the parking lot in front of the Lu Group.
“We’re here,” Si Yuan announced after parking.
“Oh,” Ye Mengyun glanced at Si Yuan fastening her seatbelt, opened the door, and got out. She then said to Si Yuan, who was getting out of the car on the other side, “You don’t need to help me; I’ll get in myself.”
Now that they were in public, Ye Mengyun was afraid Si Yuan would suddenly hug her again. She was, after all, the president of Lu’s Group. Being carried in a princess carry by a woman right under the noses of her employees would not only damage her prestige but also do Si Yuan no good.
Si Yuan was actually quite sensible; she was going to work at this company and didn’t want to cause any trouble because of this. She had finally found a job at such a big company, and she had to cherish it.
Si Yuan walked over the car, placed the car keys in Lu Xue’s hand, and watched her enter the Lu’s Group building. When she saw the Lu’s Group employees respectfully nodding to Lu Xue as they prepared to enter, her brows furrowed involuntarily. This must be someone related to the president by blood, right?
After hopping into the CEO building on one foot, Ye Mengyun casually beckoned her newly arrived secretary to help her into the elevator.
“Xiao Yuan, did you notify the person I asked you to come to work yesterday?” Ye Mengyun still maintained a slight CEO-like demeanor when facing her subordinate.
“Yes, I did.”
“Go and notify HR to assign that person to your team. I’m new and will be very busy; two secretaries will be more reliable.”
“Okay, I’ll notify them right away.”
Ye Mengyun was very satisfied with her arrangement.
Since Si Yuan refused to come and acknowledge their relationship, she would use her power to make her come. Becoming her secretary would mean more opportunities to be close to her.
The smell of power was undeniably sweet!
After the elevator doors opened, Ye Mengyun didn’t let her secretary continue supporting her, waving away the outstretched hand and saying, “Go and notify them; I can walk by myself.” With that, she happily hopped into her office.
Ye Mengyun wasn’t actually Lu Xue; she was only there to pretend. Once in the office, she started spacing out. If someone were to push open the door now, they would see her staring blankly at the computer screen, her face constantly changing expressions, looking like a fool.
Ye Mengyun imagined all sorts of expressions on Si Yuan’s face when she saw that she was the boss of the Lu Group. She grew increasingly impatient for the upcoming meeting, and at the same time, she was also preparing to arrange things with Zhou Zixuan.
Zhou Zixuan would probably pick her up again tonight; that would be a good time for the two of them to meet.
Finally, the landline on Ye Mengyun’s desk rang, and she quickly answered the phone.
“Mr. Lu, the new secretary has started work. Would you like to see her?”
Ye Mengyun’s face lit up with joy, but she calmly said, “Let her in.” She then reached for a file beside her and started flipping through it, pretending to be very busy.
Si Yuan had never been very confident in her luck. When she learned that she had been assigned the position of president’s secretary, she was somewhat incredulous. However, considering that there were different levels of importance in the secretarial profession, she thought she was probably overthinking it. But she was very confident in her abilities; with a simple platform, she could perform well.
At this moment, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.” Ye Mengyun, like a proper president, didn’t look up, focusing even more intently on flipping through the file in her hand, occasionally scribbling with her pen, putting on quite a convincing act.
After the CEO’s office door opened, Si Yuan was led by Xiao Yuan to the desk.
“Mr. Lu, this is the new secretary.”
“You can go out now, I have something to say to her.” Ye Mengyun refused to look up, wanting to wait for Xiao Yuan to leave so she could put on her acting skills.
“Yes.”
Si Yuan was still stunned when she entered and saw the person sitting at the desk. Although Lu Xue was busy with her head down and her voice sounded more imposing than before, she recognized the outfit Si Yuan had chosen at a glance.
Ye Mengyun stopped what she was doing after hearing the door close and looked up at Si Yuan.
When her eyes met Si Yuan’s, she pretended to be surprised and said, “Yuanyuan, it’s you!” Her tone returned to normal.
Si Yuan calmly looked at the person in front of her who seemed completely unaware and said, “Mr. Lu.” Her tone was distant and showed no intention of trying to establish a connection.
Ye Mengyun’s carefully prepared lines for recognizing Si Yuan were ruthlessly intercepted. Her initial excitement turned into slight frustration. She abandoned her previous seriousness, smiling broadly as she rested her chin on her hands and looked at Si Yuan, saying, “Just call me Xiaoxue. Aren’t we friends?”
Si Yuan looked at Ye Mengyun inquisitively, “Isn’t the president listed in the company records Lu Shenyuan?”
“Huh?” Lu Xue blinked innocently, “My father died, so I took over the company. The records haven’t been updated yet.”
Si Yuan believed her judgment of character was sound; Lu Xue’s temperament was simply unsuitable for this position, at least not in the short term. She couldn’t help but worry about her.
Ye Mengyun saw the friendship icon on Si Yuan’s head suddenly flash again, and her heart leaped with joy. She felt she might need to add fuel to the fire to make it shine longer.
“I know I don’t look like a president,” Ye Mengyun said dejectedly, “but this company is my father’s life’s work, and I want to try my best to uphold this position.”
Si Yuan felt that Lu Xue didn’t suit this expression. Thinking of the person who had smiled so brightly before, she suddenly felt a desire to protect her.
[System, friendship icon lit up!] [It lit up!]
Ye Mengyun looked disappointed, but inwardly she was screaming with joy because the friendship icon above Si Yuan’s head hadn’t gone dark for a long time after it lit up.