“Shen Zhiyi…”
Ji Yanli kept shaking his head.
In the dream, Shen Zhiyi stood within a white light, smiling at him while tears streamed down her face.
“Ji Yanli, I don’t want to love you anymore…”
“No! I was wrong… Shen Zhiyi, don’t go!”
Ji Yanli jolted awake, the smell of hospital disinfectant filling his nostrils.
His vision was blurry upon waking, but he could see a woman tending to him by the bedside.
Fearful of losing her, he sat up abruptly and pulled the woman into his embrace.
“Shen Zhiyi, don’t leave me.”
“I was foolish before, I was a scoundrel, letting Shen Yanyan deceive me and doing so many things to hurt you…”
Memories of the past eight years flashed through his mind.
He had always responded to Shen Zhiyi’s concern with that same cold demeanor.
“Shen Zhiyi, you’re just Shen Yanyan’s Substitute. Don’t expect me to fall for an imposter like you!”
This cruel, hurtful phrase had been his refrain for eight years.
“…” The woman in his arms spoke with an icy tone. “Ji Yanli, take a good look at who I am.”
Ji Yanli froze, pushing the woman away only to realize she wasn’t Shen Zhiyi.
The woman was his childhood friend Ye Jiayi.
Ji Yanli threw off the covers and got out of bed, heading straight for the door.
Madam Ji quickly grabbed his arm. “Where are you going again? Do you realize you were out in the rain all last night and now you’re running a high fever?”
Ji Yanli’s eyes were lifeless, as if consumed by obsession. “I need to find Shen Zhiyi, to beg for her forgiveness.”
Madam Ji was furious.
She had been pleased when Shen Zhiyi ruined her son’s wedding to Shen Yanyan, but never expected her son to become infatuated with Shen Zhiyi instead.
Damn it (couldn’t help cursing), was he just determined to be entangled with women from the Shen family?
“You were out in the rain all night with a high fever and unconscious, but Shen Zhiyi didn’t care at all. It was the Lu family’s butler who called me.”
“If I hadn’t rushed over, you could have died from the fever! Why can’t you understand? Shen Zhiyi isn’t worthy of you. Jiayi is the one who truly matches you!”
“Whether it’s family background or social status, you two are perfectly suited…”
Out in the rain all night?
Ji Yanli seemed to remember something, pain spreading through his eyes.
The suffering Shen Zhiyi had endured for him back then was far more than just one night in the rain.
“I don’t want anyone else. I only want Shen Zhiyi.”
Madam Ji: “…”
She awkwardly smiled at Ye Jiayi, who was dressed like an elegant socialite beside her. “My son’s not thinking clearly after being out in the rain. Please don’t mind him.”
Ji Yanli stood in his hospital gown, pale and weak, but with determined eyes.
“I’ve never been more clear-headed than I am now. I want Shen Zhiyi. It’s always been Shen Zhiyi.”
He pushed the door open and left.
Ye Jiayi watched the man’s retreating back with cool eyes.
Madam Ji comforted her, “Jiayi, don’t take it to heart. You and Yanli grew up together as childhood friends. He’ll realize who is truly most suitable for him.”
Ye Jiayi smiled. “Auntie, I don’t mind. Shen Zhiyi and Shen Yanyan are just the same type of people. When it comes to dealing with those from the lowest social class, I have plenty of methods.”
Lu Corporation.
“Madam, I need to attend a business dinner with President Lu. There’s a quarterly meeting this afternoon at the company – please follow up on it.”
Han Ming said this as he handed the meeting materials to Shen Zhiyi.
Shen Zhiyi accepted the documents. “Such a sudden business dinner?”
Han Ming: “…” Could it be anything but sudden? President Lu suddenly told him to find a male fitness trainer, then immediately went to work out, all while making sure no one would find out.
Fortunately, as a special assistant, he possessed first-rate skills in talking nonsense.
As they spoke, Lu Junyue, dressed in a tailored suit, walked out.
A pack of disinfectant wipes landed on Shen Zhiyi’s desk.
Shen Zhiyi: “?”
Lu Junyue’s gaze dropped, settling on her ankle.
That ankle had been grabbed by Ji Yanli.
“Disinfect it. Clean it thoroughly.”
Shen Zhiyi knew exactly what was bothering him. “The injuries on my body haven’t healed yet, I can’t bend down…”
The choice she presented was simple.
Either you squat down and wipe my foot for me, or you endure the traces of another man touching my ankle.
The atmosphere grew tense at that moment.
Lu Junyue and Shen Zhiyi’s eyes met, clashing like gunpowder, neither yielding.
“Isn’t President Lu supposed to attend a business dinner? Shouldn’t you avoid keeping people waiting…”
She broke the stalemate first, but before she could finish speaking, Lu Junyue in his pristine suit suddenly knelt before her.
He lifted her high-heeled foot, gently removed her shoe, and cradled her small foot in his palm.
Han Ming immediately turned around, bowing his head.
The man’s palm was scorching hot, yet the disinfectant wipes were icy cold. This collision of heat and chill inexplicably tugged at the hearts of the two maintaining silence.
After wiping her ankle, Lu Junyue helped her put the high heels back on and stood up to leave.
Shen Zhiyi wanted to bid him farewell, but Lu Junyue didn’t even glance at her.
She frowned. Was the puppy throwing a tantrum?
What she didn’t know was that the puppy wasn’t throwing a tantrum—the puppy’s mind was completely occupied by her words from last night: “I’m not interested.”
Shen Zhiyi sat down and began reviewing materials to familiarize herself with the afternoon meeting agenda.
She hadn’t expected the shock awaiting her.
Her finger traced the zeros on the page.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands… billions, ten billions!
$.$ Shen Zhiyi’s eyes sparkled.
“The Lu Corporation’s quarterly revenue reaches ten figures?!”
System: [“Madman Richest Man in the Capital” isn’t just an empty title. Moreover, the Lu family is a century-old enterprise. Their ancestors served in high military and government positions, building connections everywhere.]
[The Lu family’s wealth is a pyramid accumulated over generations. Combined with Lu Junyue’s innate business talent and decisiveness, the family’s peak prosperity isn’t surprising. After all, Lu Junyue’s personal worth reaches trillions!]
Hearing the word “trillions,” Shen Zhiyi’s eyes shaped into $.$.
“Looking at it this way, Lu Junyue seems more like the male lead ‘Child of Destiny’ than Ji Yanli.”
The system chatted with her: [I think so too, but Lu Junyue’s a madman! The entire Lu family are madmen! Once they go crazy, they never consider the consequences.]
[I remember in the original plot, Lu Junyue’s capabilities actually surpassed Ji Yanli’s initially. But later he suddenly went mad for some reason, devoting all his resources solely to killing Ji Yanli.]
[In the end, he was eliminated by the calmly strategizing Ji Yanli, and all his assets were swallowed up by Ji Yanli…]
Shen Zhiyi’s eyes turned cold.
The Lu family assets swallowed by Ji Yanli? Absolutely not!
Her puppy’s money belongs to her!
…
Afternoon, conference room.
Qi Yue, who was overseeing the meeting, spotted Shen Zhiyi and suppressed his displeasure, throwing the documents onto the table.
“There’s no need for Secretary Shen to sit in. Go buy coffee for everyone in the meeting. I want hand-brewed coffee, light ice, no milk, no sugar.”
The others in the conference room fell silent.
This Qi Yue wasn’t just a company director—he was the company’s project king.
The projects he led always yielded the highest returns—to put it plainly, he was the top sales performer.
Was this workplace bullying?
Shen Zhiyi’s lips curved faintly. This was her first time playing in such a low-stakes game.
She leaned back, crossing her arms as a cold gleam lifted in her distant gaze.
“General Manager Lu and Assistant Han are away on business. I’m representing Manager Lu in this meeting. Asking me to buy you coffee—who do you think you are?”
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly chilled. Everyone widened their eyes in shock.
Holy shit! Someone actually dared to confront Director Qi head-on?!
Qi Yue’s face darkened. “What qualifies you to represent Manager Lu?”
“Personal secretary? That sounds nice, but to put it bluntly, you’re just a nanny by Manager Lu’s side.”
“Today, either you go buy the coffee, or you get out of Lu Corporation.”
Shen Zhiyi raised an eyebrow, lightly toying with the jade thumb ring on her finger.
Grandma Lu had given it to her before she left.
“Xiao Zhiyi, this jade ring has been with me forever and represents the highest authority in Lu Corporation. Take it with you—no one will dare bully you. You can strut through Lu Corporation as you please!”