11
That wasn’t exactly a popular book—its style was rather peculiar. … Would Gu Xueyi really read something like that? Chen Yujin suppressed his surprise.
“Thank you, but I don’t need any.” Chen Yujin glanced at the fruit Gu Xueyi had pushed toward him and declined. Mrs. Yan had quite a few tricks up her sleeve, and he was genuinely afraid of getting caught up in them somehow.
As he spoke, Chen Yujin had already braced himself for Gu Xueyi to possibly lose her temper.
Gu Xueyi simply nodded, her expression unchanged.
She began eating slowly, maintaining her elegance as she asked, “Secretary Chen, you’re here because of Mr. Jian’s visit. Is there something you need to advise me on?”
Chen Yujin’s face still held a smile, his features soft and approachable, making it easy for people to accept what he said.
“I hope that when the time comes, madam, you will remain silent.”
But the words that came out of Chen Yujin’s mouth at that moment were not gentle at all—they were so blunt they bordered on ruthless.
Gu Xueyi paused, her gaze lifting slightly as she thought it over.
In this world, she was new here, and there was still so much she needed to learn. Chen Yujin was more professional than she was. With him taking the lead, it would be fine for her to stay quiet—better that than to say the wrong thing and cause unnecessary trouble.
“Alright,” Gu Xueyi agreed.
Now it was Chen Yujin’s turn to pause.
That easy?
He quickly composed himself and said with a smile, “Very well.”
Just then, the sound of footsteps reached the ground floor.
A maid came up to the second floor with a complicated expression and stood before Gu Xueyi. “Madam, Ms. Jian Rui has arrived, and also… also Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu.”
Gu Xueyi frowned.
So, they had let Gu Xuemin and his wife in after all?
They must have come in with this Ms. Jian Rui.
At that thought, Gu Xueyi couldn’t help but turn her head to glance at Chen Yujin.
Chen Yujin, feeling her gaze, blinked slowly with a hint of confusion, leaning his head forward slightly as if to ask what was wrong.
Gu Xueyi’s estimation of this Secretary Chen rose another notch.
He was very clever—he had still firmly kept Gu Xuemin out when they first arrived, unafraid of offending anyone. He seemed all smiles on the surface, but underneath hid a tough, unyielding approach.
Gu Xueyi liked clever people like that.
“Since they’re already in, invite them downstairs for some tea first,” Gu Xueyi said, then turned to ask Chen Yujin, “What is Jian Rui to Jian Changming?”
Chen Yujin fell silent for a moment.
Was Gu Xueyi really unaware?
That doesn’t make sense. The Gu family was so good at currying favor—hadn’t they already thoroughly investigated the Jian family inside and out?
Chen Yujin replied, “She is Mr. Jian’s niece.”
Gu Xueyi nodded.
She sat steadily in place and didn’t move.
Chen Yujin had thought she was about to stand up to greet them. Seeing her composure now, he was once again surprised deep down.
The Gu family was too skilled at scheming—they always showed their eagerness to please at the wrong times. But they had forgotten that now that they were connected to the Yan family by marriage, they were also part of the Yan family’s public image. Fortunately, President Yan didn’t care about such things at all…
How could Chen Yujin know that no one understood how to handle these nuances better than Gu Xueyi?
She had learned from Yan Wenjia early on that Jian Changming was a close friend of Yan Zhao, meaning they were of the same generation. And since Jian Rui was Jian Changming’s niece, she belonged to the younger generation. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t Gu Xueyi’s place to rise and warmly welcome her.
On a normal day, it might not have mattered, but right now, with no one else from the Yan family around, she was the head of the Yan household. How could she casually diminish the family’s dignity by putting them in a lower position?
Downstairs.
The maid invited Gu Xuemin and his wife to have some tea on the side.
Gu Xuemin looked somewhat disappointed. He had wanted to meet Jian Changming—who knew they’d send a mere girl instead? But he couldn’t go to Yan Corporation to see him either. He had no way of getting into Yan Corporation.
Still, he figured he’d make do. Jian Rui was better than nothing.
Gu Xuemin refused to leave.
“Is Xueyi upstairs? I’ll go see her.”
How could the maid say that it seemed Madam didn’t really want to see them?
The maid was momentarily at a loss.
Jian Rui waited for a while, but when no one came downstairs, she understood what was going on. They were waiting for them to go up themselves.
She glanced at Gu Xuemin.
Gu Xuemin’s wife, standing beside him, nodded in agreement. “Yes, let’s go upstairs and see Xueyi. She must have been so worried and frightened lately.”
The maid recalled how Gu Xueyi had looked recently.
She thought to herself, that really didn’t seem to be the case…
Jian Rui cast one glance and then stopped looking, heading straight upstairs.
The Gu family was indeed a troublesome bunch of relatives.
How could a man as refined and upright as Mr. Yan have ended up marrying such a wife?
Seeing Jian Rui go upstairs, Gu Xuemin didn’t wait any longer and stepped onto the stairs as well. The maid downstairs couldn’t stop him any further and could only watch helplessly as he went up.
“Mrs. Yan.” Jian Rui reached the last step, turned the corner, and arrived at the reception room.
Before coming, she had combined past magazine photos with her imagination to roughly picture what Gu Xueyi might look like. But when she actually saw her, Jian Rui froze.
The young woman leaning elegantly against the sofa lifted her gaze to look at her. Her features were like a painting, her demeanor refined and strikingly graceful.
“Please, have a seat,” Gu Xueyi parted her lips slightly. “Coffee or tea?”
Jian Rui answered instinctively, “Coffee, thank you.”
After replying, she slowly walked to the sofa and sat down. A lingering tremor remained deep in her heart, and she even felt a strange numbness in her limbs.
Had she just been… overpowered by Gu Xueyi’s presence?
Jian Rui slowly collected herself and then noticed another person by the sofa. This was someone she had seen quite often, so she immediately greeted him: “So Executive Chen is here too. What a pity—my uncle just left for the Yan Corporation building. He said he was going there to wait for you.”
Chen Yujin was a capable right-hand man under Yan Zhao, and many in the circle addressed him as “Executive Chen” out of respect; very few actually called him “Secretary Chen.”
“…That is unfortunate,” Chen Yujin replied.
But since he was already here, he couldn’t just get up and leave immediately. He could afford not to save face for Gu Xueyi in private, but he couldn’t do so in front of an outsider, otherwise, it would be the Yan family’s reputation that suffered.
Seeing Chen Yujin sitting firmly in place with no intention of moving, Jian Rui felt a flicker of doubt in her heart.
That’s not right.
Gu Xueyi didn’t seem stupid at all. There was no need for Chen Yujin to stay by her side constantly…
Jian Rui wanted to say something more.
She wasn’t the type to be socially awkward in the circle, but standing before Gu Xueyi, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
“Mrs. Yan, you look well,” Jian Rui said.
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized they might have sounded sarcastic?
Gu Xueyi nodded. “Mm, I’ve been sleeping well and eating well too.”
Hearing this, the corner of Chen Yujin’s mouth twitched.
Jian Rui was also taken aback.
Didn’t Gu Xueyi care about Mr. Yan at all?
“These strawberries in particular are quite good,” Gu Xueyi said, pushing the plate forward. “Would you like to try some?”
This was the very plate she had failed to offer to Chen Yujin earlier.
She… she’s actually quite approachable?
Jian Rui took the plate, a bit dazed. “Thank you. I’ll try some.”
Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Chen Yujin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
But then Gu Xueyi turned to look at him. “Secretary Chen, you should head to Yan Corporation first.”
If Gu Xueyi was willing to say that herself, then all the better.
Chen Yujin stood up with a smile. “Alright then. I’ll excuse myself.”
Gu Xueyi slowly rose to her feet, her graceful figure even more striking.
“I’m coming too,” she said.
Chen Yujin: ?
For a moment, he almost thought he had misheard.
Jian Rui quickly put down the fruit and stood up as well. “Mrs. Yan is coming too? That’s not necessary. Why don’t you stay here and let’s chat? I have so much I’d like to talk to you about.”
If Gu Xueyi went and got involved, her uncle would be angry, wouldn’t he?
“Xueyi.” The voice of Gu Xuemin grew closer from the other side.
Jian Rui immediately felt a headache coming on.
How had the situation become such a mess?
“Xueyi.” The original host’s mother, Zhang Xin, was walking at the front. But when she drew near and saw Gu Xueyi’s appearance, she suddenly choked on her words. After a few seconds, she finally managed to continue: “…Have you been doing alright lately?”
“I’m fine,” Gu Xueyi said, barely lifting her eyelids. Her demeanor toward her parents was no different from how she had treated Jian Rui—calm, aloof, and composed with an underlying magnanimity.
She paused, then added, “Yan Zhao’s younger brothers are very considerate.”
Yan Wenjia, who had just arrived near the reception room, stopped in his tracks.
Had he misheard? Or had Gu Xueyi misspoken?
Inside the reception room.
The corner of Chen Yujin’s mouth twitched again.
Even Zhang Xin found herself at a loss for words.
Wasn’t it common knowledge that Gu Xueyi didn’t get along with the Yan family? How—how had she suddenly started talking about how thoughtful they were?
Still, it showed she understood the bigger picture.
Chen Yujin thought to himself.
She had improved so much… No, to be precise, she had improved so much she scarcely seemed like the same person.
“It’s getting late, and we shouldn’t keep Mr. Jian waiting too long,” Gu Xueyi said. Without sparing Gu Xuemin and his wife another glance, she turned to Chen Yujin. “Let’s go ahead.”
With that, Gu Xueyi looked toward the doorway. “Wenjia.”
No one had ever addressed Yan Wenjia like that before. People in the entertainment industry called him by his stage name, Brother Yuan. Yan Zhao called him by his full name. His father called him “Lao Er” (the second son). In short, this was a first.
The distance between the two of them suddenly seemed to shrink. Though it was just an ordinary form of address, dropping the surname made it feel inexplicably intimate.
Yan Wenjia curled his fingers slightly but did not respond.
“Ms. Jian, you must be tired from your journey. Why not rest here for a while? Secretary Chen and I will go to Yan Corporation, and Wenjia will take care of you,” Gu Xueyi said evenly, her manners beyond reproach.
Jian Rui hadn’t expected to be arranged for so quickly.
What else could she say?
Even Chen Yujin hadn’t objected.
“Alright,” Jian Rui nodded.
After all, she had been the one to let Gu Xuemin and his wife in. It seemed Gu Xueyi wasn’t particularly eager to see them either. And Chen Yujin had arrived earlier and hadn’t let them in either—meaning he didn’t welcome them, either.
Yan Wenjia also hadn’t expected to be arranged for like this.
He had never been asked to concern himself with the Yan family’s affairs, nor did he want to. But this time… Yan Wenjia pressed his lips together and stepped out.
Jian Rui heard his footsteps and turned to look.
The Jian and Yan families had frequent dealings, so of course she knew that Yan Wenjia from the entertainment industry was the second young master of the Yan family.
Even so, seeing him again still took her breath away.
The Yan family’s genes were simply too superior…
“Second Young Master,” Jian Rui greeted him.
Nearby, Gu Xuemin and his wife were startled for a moment, then also offered their greetings.
Gu Xueyi gave a slight nod. “Well then, I’ll be going now.”
Chen Yujin had no choice but to go downstairs with Gu Xueyi and get into the car. Gu Xueyi was President Yan’s legal spouse—to put it bluntly, if President Yan really died, she would have inheritance rights. Of course, she had the right to be involved in matters concerning him.
And besides, Jian Changming had originally planned to come directly to the Yan residence anyway. So, it didn’t really make a difference.
Gu Xuemin wanted to follow them, but he knew Chen Yujin wouldn’t allow it. Why embarrass himself in front of Jian Rui?
He exchanged a glance with Zhang Xin. What stunned them both even more was the change in Gu Xueyi.
Since when could she give orders to the second young master of the Yan family?
Their eyes quickly conveyed the thought to each other.
In truth, if they had been more observant, they would have noticed that the servants in the Yan household had already, through a quiet subtle influence, become very obedient to Gu Xueyi’s instructions.
Meanwhile, inside the car.
Chen Yujin turned his head to glance at Gu Xueyi. She had even brought that book along with her.
She wasted no time at all, her head bowed as she slowly flipped through The Human Chair.
If it weren’t for the fact that no one around him had ever known about his personal tastes,
Chen Yujin might have thought Gu Xueyi was deliberately putting on an act to win his favor…
He averted his gaze.
And then there was the matter of Yan Wenjia actually listening to her—that was strange enough on its own.
Yan Wenjia was, to put it bluntly, a completely unruly character. He gave face to no one, did whatever he wanted, went wherever he pleased… not even President Yan had ever given him orders.
Chen Yujin suddenly spoke up: “A while back, didn’t Fourth Young Master get into a fight with Jiang Jing of the Jiang family and end up in the police station?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And President Jiang came knocking?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Gu Xueyi slowly lifted her head, one hand pressing down on the page.
Chen Yujin’s eyelid twitched. He looked down at her hand, only to notice that even the way she held the page was gentle.
He looked away, and then heard Gu Xueyi ask in return, “Did Jiang Er come crying to you?”
Chen Yujin let out a soft laugh. “President Jiang cares about saving face. Even if he wanted to complain, he’d go to President Yan, not me.”
Gu Xueyi nodded. “Well, then there’s no problem, is there?”
“I’m not questioning you,” Chen Yujin said. “I’m just curious—how exactly did you handle it?”
Gu Xueyi furrowed her brow slightly.
She raised her hand and brought it close to Chen Yujin’s face.
Caught off guard, Chen Yujin’s heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched for a moment.
But before her hand actually touched him, Gu Xueyi pulled it back.
She raised an eyebrow, her expression coldly alluring, and asked, “Scared?”
Chen Yujin’s heart was pounding like thunder.
Gu Xueyi said, “That’s how I handled it.”
With that, she went back to reading her book, as if the gesture had been utterly insignificant.
But Chen Yujin was left plunged into a tangled mess of thoughts.
Not only had this exchange failed to clarify why Gu Xueyi had changed… it had only raised more questions in his mind.
That’s how she handled it?
She touched Jiang Er’s face?
With her heavy makeup removed, and that frantic, willful, arrogant expression gone… Gu Xueyi was indeed beautiful. Beautiful enough to hit the aesthetic sweet spot for most people.
Very few could resist her.
But this matter… Chen Yujin’s frown deepened.
Fuck. This was a huge deal.
Wasn’t President Yan about to get cuckolded?
**