“Sisi!”
Jiang Zhuo’s pupils contracted sharply as he instinctively rushed forward to shield her.
Cheng Sisi had no idea what was happening. She only heard his urgent cry and turned around just as he lunged forward, enveloping nearly half her body in his arms.
He was tall, making Cheng Sisi appear especially petite standing before him.
Even then, Cheng Sisi still hadn’t grasped what was happening. She was simply stunned that he had embraced her in front of so many people.
Stepping out of the elevator led directly into the design department’s office.
At that moment, many employees had already arrived and were all staring in their direction.
“Jiang Zhuo Gege!”
Finally, after hearing something like a metallic object clatter to the floor, Cheng Sisi grew tense.
In her panic, she forgot Jiang Zhuo’s earlier reminder not to call him “Jiang Zhuo Gege” at the company.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Even she, as naive as she was, now understood that Jiang Zhuo had rushed over to shield her from something that had been falling toward her.
“I’m fine!”
Jiang Zhuo slowly released her. Despite being the one who had been struck, he still anxiously checked Cheng Sisi over.
“What about you? Are you hurt?”
Cheng Sisi shook her head and moved behind him to inspect his back. “Let me check your back. Were you hit?”
The back of his suit jacket looked neat, with no visible damage from the outside. Worried that he might have been struck on the head, she stomped her feet in frustration.
“Jiang Zhuo Ge… President Jiang, maybe you should go to the medical room to get checked!”
But changing her address now was too late!
From the moment Jiang Zhuo instinctively embraced her, some things had already become impossible to explain.
In the eyes of everyone present, their words and actions seemed suspicious at every turn, making it hard not to speculate.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
As Jiang Zhuo comforted her, the design department manager hurried over upon hearing the commotion.
“President Jiang!”
She was a beautiful woman in her thirties, with smooth, well-maintained skin.
“I’m so sorry, President Jiang. Were you hurt? Let me take you to the medical room.”
“No need!” Facing others, Jiang Zhuo adopted a completely different demeanor—cold and distant, unlike the warmth he showed Cheng Sisi. “What is this?”
His expression icy, he pointed to the metallic object lying at his feet.
The manager crouched down to pick it up and explained, “It’s the design department’s sign that fell off…”
Turning it over, the metal sign indeed bore the words “Design Department” in large letters.
Holding it in her hand, it felt quite heavy.
If one of its sharp corners had struck someone’s head, it could have easily caused serious injury!
“I’m sorry, General Manager Jiang. It’s my responsibility. As the manager of the design department, I have the duty to inspect safety and should have noticed earlier that this sign was at risk of falling. If it had been something heavier, it could have cost lives. It’s my fault, and I’m willing to take responsibility.”
She showed great accountability by proactively taking the blame.
Jiang Zhuo glanced around at the employees in the office, his gaze sharp and piercing wherever it landed, as if countless knives were flying from his eyes.
He naturally knew this wasn’t solely the department manager’s fault.
But it was indeed a significant issue—not just for the design department, but other departments also needed to take it seriously.
And to ensure it was taken seriously, there had to be consequences.
“Then I’ll deduct one month’s salary from you,” Jiang Zhuo said.
He couldn’t punish everyone, so having the design department manager step forward and take full responsibility was the best choice. It not only gave Jiang Zhuo an explanation but also helped win over the team.
Cheng Sisi sighed inwardly at the department manager, thinking that some people become leaders for a reason.
As for Jiang Zhuo, his punishment was neither too harsh nor too lenient.
But she guessed that soon, leaders from other departments in the company would start arranging inspections for potential safety hazards.
“Safety hazards in the company must be taken seriously!”
The department manager nodded to Jiang Zhuo. “I understand, General Manager Jiang!”
Finally, it was Cheng Sisi’s turn.
Jiang Zhuo pulled Cheng Sisi, who was standing behind him, forward and pushed her toward the department manager.
“This is Cheng Sisi. I hope you can look after her in the future, Manager Yu.”
“Of course, General Manager Jiang,” Manager Yu smiled at Cheng Sisi. “You can rest assured leaving her with me.”
Jiang Zhuo nodded, then looked at Cheng Sisi and added, “I have another meeting, so I’ll be leaving now.”
“Okay! General… General Manager Jiang, take care!”
Cheng Sisi watched intently as his figure disappeared into the elevator, thinking he seemed fine and likely hadn’t been injured by the falling sign.
“Everyone, this is Cheng Sisi, our new colleague in the design department!”
Manager Yu began introducing Cheng Sisi to the team, and Cheng Sisi immediately turned around to face the employees alongside her.
“Cheng Sisi was hired for her outstanding design talent. From now on, she’ll be working with all of you. I hope our experienced colleagues will look out for her.”
A man and a woman standing at the back simultaneously let out disdainful snorts.
“Outstanding design talent? More like an outstanding face!”
“Right? I never thought I’d see General Manager Jiang holding a woman like that in public. Do you think she might be his girlfriend?”
“Who knows? That ‘Jiang Zhuo gege’ she called him earlier made my teeth ache.”
“So General Manager Jiang likes this innocent, pure-looking type. He—”
“Alright!” Manager Yu raised her voice to conclude. “Everyone, please return to your stations!”
The two finally fell silent and turned away.
“Sisi, come with me. I’ll show you around and help you get familiar with our design department.”
Manager Yu was very friendly, smiling warmly throughout her time with Cheng Sisi.
For most of the morning, Cheng Sisi was busy getting acquainted with the environment and hadn’t been assigned any formal work yet.
During the lunch break, a colleague invited Cheng Sisi to join them for a meal in the employee cafeteria.
But just as they were about to leave, Manager Yu called her away.
She was taken to the underground parking garage, where she met Jiang Zhuo.
Once Cheng Sisi was brought there, Manager Yu left.
“Get in the car!” Jiang Zhuo rolled down the window and said to her.
Cheng Sisi hesitated for two seconds before getting into the car, taking the passenger seat for the first time.
As he started the car, Jiang Zhuo asked again, “How was your morning?”
“It was good. My colleagues are very friendly, and Manager Yu is also very nice—extremely warm and considerate.”
“And how about you? How do you feel?”
“I was nervous at first, but gradually that turned into excitement and anticipation. This is a field I love, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Their conversation felt like that between a parent and a child being dropped off at school for the first time.
Jiang Zhuo’s gaze was also affectionate, carrying a hint of a “fatherly” vibe.
“That’s good!”
“Brother Jiang Zhuo, where are you taking me?”
“To eat.”
“Ah? Actually, I could have—”
“It’s your first day at work. I should take extra care of you.”
Since she was already in the car, what else could she say? Cheng Sisi could only nod. “Alright, thank you, Brother Jiang Zhuo!”
They arrived at the restaurant, where Jiang Zhuo had reserved a private room in advance and even pre-ordered the dishes.
The server brought juice—exactly what Cheng Sisi had been craving.
However, while serving the other dishes, the server accidentally knocked over the juice on the table, spilling the entire bottle of yellow juice all over Cheng Sisi’s skirt.