Xia Zhi shifted her attention back to Lu Minjie. Although he had aged and lost his hair, he now stood in a suit among the crowd, carrying himself with the bearing of a leader. It seemed that he was doing quite well at Wenyue Group now.
When Lu Minjie heard how Xia Zhi addressed him, he immediately smiled. “Madam, it’s been a long time since I heard you call me that. I’m a bit unaccustomed to it.”
Two days ago, Assistant Song had come to his office with a serious expression and informed him that Wen Shihan and Xia Zhi had been in a car accident and had lost twenty years of memories. He also told him not to be surprised when he saw Wen Shihan at the company the next day.
That was when Lu Minjie first learned about the accident.
Wen Shihan had already stepped back from active management and rarely handled company affairs. He only appeared at the group’s monthly meetings. With such an elusive presence, only someone close like Assistant Song knew his situation. For Lu Minjie, trying to learn anything about Wen Shihan’s recent condition was nearly impossible.
So when he first heard the news, he was so shocked that he stood up from his leather chair. “The boss and Madam were in a car accident? How are they now? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
His rapid questions did not change Assistant Song’s expression at all. He simply said, “They only lost a portion of their memory. Physically, they are fine.”
“That’s good.”
Although Wen Shihan had retired from day-to-day operations, a figure like him, once something happened, it would inevitably affect Wenyue Group’s stock.
As for being called “Madam,” Xia Zhi was still not used to it. Just a few days ago, she had been an ordinary, bottom-level employee in the company. Now, in the blink of an eye, she had become the lady of the entire group.
She took a deep breath to steady herself and asked Lu Minjie, “What did I usually call you before?”
Lu Minjie was pulled back from his thoughts and replied, “You always called me Director Lu.”
Director Lu?
It seemed Lu Minjie had really done well in the company, even reaching an executive level.
What position was he holding now?
“So Xiao Lu, what position do you hold in the group now?” Xia Zhi asked.
She truly wanted to know what role the person she had once mentored had grown into, so she could feel a sense of pride as his former mentor.
“I’m currently the Vice President of Wenyue Group,” Lu Minjie replied with a smile.
Xia Zhi: “!!!” That was an enormous leap in position.
“You mean… Vice President?”
“Yes.”
Even after stepping into the Wenyue Group building, she still found it hard to believe. She looked at Lu Minjie walking beside her, filled with emotion. Who would have thought that twenty years later, her former trainee would become the Vice President of such a major company? Life truly worked in mysterious ways, just like how her past self could never have imagined that she would one day become the boss’s wife.
“Madam, the way you’re staring at me is making me nervous,” Lu Minjie joked as they walked.
Twenty years ago, he had been a shy young man who would blush even when speaking to strangers. Now he had become much more polished, able to speak diplomatically and lighten the atmosphere. Then again, someone who could rise to the position of Vice President at Wenyue Group could hardly remain naïve.
Over twenty years, both people and circumstances had undergone tremendous change.
At his remark, the people around them chuckled in agreement.
Xia Zhi withdrew her gaze and could not help but laugh along as well.
Her once shy trainee had become quite the smooth talker.
Assistant Song and Lu Minjie led the way in front, while Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan followed behind. Along the way, many employees they passed greeted her respectfully as “Madam.”
Each time she heard it, she felt a little uneasy.
Although she had worked at Wenyue Group for two years before, she had never felt any sense of belonging. Her direct superior had constantly manipulated her, even threatening to fire her, while her colleagues excluded her. How could she have felt any attachment to the place?
Only now, hearing the employees address her as “Madam,” did she truly begin to see the company differently and feel a sense of belonging.
She was the boss’s wife. This company was partly hers.
Which meant…
As long as the compensation was sufficient, she could fire anyone she wanted?
Xia Zhi’s eyes lit up instantly. She suddenly had the urge to rush straight to the 26th floor to see whether Manager Zheng was still in the branding department. Just based on his embezzlement alone, she could fire him a hundred times over.
The elevator doors opened. An employee quickly stepped forward, placing his hand against the door and saying respectfully, “Boss, Madam, this way please.”
Xia Zhi was just about to step in when she saw which elevator it was, and her movement halted abruptly.
Wasn’t this…
The very elevator in the middle, the one where she and Wen Shihan had their accident?
Her body stiffened, her face turning pale in an instant. Just the thought of stepping into that elevator made her legs go weak and her body tremble.
She quietly glanced at Wen Shihan standing beside her. His lips were tightly pressed, his expression tense. His usual calm composure was gone.
Seeing that he was just as affected, Xia Zhi felt a strange sense of relief. Her racing heart gradually slowed. It was not that she was being overly sensitive. Even someone like Wen Shihan, who usually remained unfazed no matter what, looked this unsettled. Her fear was completely understandable.
After all, it had been such a terrifying elevator accident.
Just thinking about it still sent chills down her spine.
Lu Minjie was aware of their unspoken rule. They never took the middle elevator. For all these years, whenever Wen Shihan and Xia Zhi came to the company, he would arrange for them to use the side elevators instead. He had not expected this mistake today, allowing an overzealous employee to direct them here first.
Reacting quickly, Lu Minjie laughed it off and said, “He’s new and doesn’t know about your preference, Boss, Madam. Please forgive him.”
As he spoke, Lu Minjie signaled with his eyes for the overly eager employee to release the middle elevator door he was holding open.
The employee looked confused. He really was new and had been selected today to welcome the boss and Madam. Who was the boss? He was the man who had once saved Wenyue Group from the brink of bankruptcy and built its vast business empire with his own hands. In the past, the employee could only read about him online. Now that he could see him in person, he had been so excited that he had not slept at all the night before.
All day, he had been looking for a chance to stand out and make an impression. So when the middle elevator doors opened, he had rushed forward to hold them open, gazing at the almost godlike boss with admiration, inviting him to step in.
He had not expected his good intentions to backfire.
The boss and Madam did not use the middle elevator?
He knew wealthy people often had their own taboos, but he never imagined that avoiding the middle elevator would be one of them.
Dejected, he let go of the door.
“It’s alright.”
Madam’s gentle voice sounded, causing the employee to lift his head instantly. His eyes reddened slightly as he looked at Xia Zhi. He had long heard that Madam was kind and gentle, and today proved it true.
The side elevator doors opened.
This time, everyone entered smoothly.
Lu Minjie pressed the button for the top floor instead of the 26th floor.
Xia Zhi leaned slightly toward Wen Shihan and whispered, “Aren’t we going to the 26th floor to settle things with Manager Zheng? Why did Xiao Lu press the top floor?”
Could it be…
Had that scumbag Manager Zheng also risen like Xiao Lu over the past twenty years and now become an important figure in Wenyue Group, with an office on the top floor?
Just the thought made her feel suffocated.
“Top floor first,” Wen Shihan said.
So it was true… that scumbag…
“To hold a monthly executive meeting.”
“Ah? A monthly executive meeting?”
So he was not just here to deal with Manager Zheng, he was also attending a high-level monthly meeting?
The boss really knew how to manage his time.
“Then later…” Xia Zhi paused and asked expectantly, “Can I go into the meeting room too?”
A high-level monthly meeting of the group.
Twenty years ago, the monthly group meeting had been the most significant event of each month. The executives who usually acted so arrogantly would all shrink back, heading to the top floor as if walking to their doom.
Back then, Xia Zhi had been very curious about what actually happened in those meetings to make the executives so fearful. But as a low-level employee, she had no access to any information and could only keep her curiosity to herself.
Now that she had the chance, there was no way she would miss it.
Wen Shihan glanced at her. “Suit yourself. Go if you want.”
Xia Zhi readily agreed.
She definitely wanted to go.
The elevator doors slowly closed, sealing the space. Uncontrollably, the terrifying scenes of the elevator accident resurfaced in Xia Zhi’s mind. Her face grew paler, and her breathing became more labored.
At this moment, Wen Shihan, standing beside her, felt like a piece of driftwood in a storm. Xia Zhi no longer cared about their superficial husband-and-wife relationship. She tightly grabbed his arm with both hands and instinctively leaned closer to him.
Wen Shihan felt the sudden grip and looked down. Xia Zhi was clutching him tightly, her body trembling with fear. Her face was pale, devoid of any color, her eyelashes fluttering, giving her a fragile and pitiful appearance.
When the elevator reached the 30th floor, it suddenly made a sharp clicking sound. Startled like a frightened bird, Xia Zhi immediately burrowed into Wen Shihan’s arms, trembling even more violently.
The employees of Wenyue Group were long accustomed to how affectionate the boss and Madam could be, so no one made a fuss about Xia Zhi leaning into his arms.
Wen Shihan looked at the woman in his embrace, his throat moving slightly, but he said nothing. He simply… shifted his gaze away.
At last, they reached the top floor.
Lu Minjie held the elevator door open for Wen Shihan and Xia Zhi to step out first.
The moment she left the elevator, Xia Zhi felt as if she had come back to life. Inside, the accident had replayed over and over in her mind, and she had almost thought she would die in an elevator again.
She had heard that people who experienced such accidents often developed trauma. This must be it.
Once she calmed down, Xia Zhi suddenly realized she was still nestled in Wen Shihan’s arms, her arms wrapped around his waist.
Most importantly…
There were many employees standing nearby.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Xia Zhi sprang away from him. She looked up at Wen Shihan and apologized sincerely. “I’m really sorry about just now.”
Wen Shihan gave a soft “mm” and did not pursue the matter.
Xia Zhi let out a small sigh of relief, but when she noticed the finger marks she had left on his arm, her relief vanished.
“Boss, weren’t you scared at all?”
After all, he had gone through that terrifying elevator accident with her.
“I was, but not to the extent…” Wen Shihan paused slightly, then said, “as you.”
Xia Zhi: “…”
Wen Shihan turned to Song Yiwen beside him. “Have someone inspect the elevator later. I heard an unusual sound just now.”
“Alright.”
“Check the other elevators as well. Elevator safety must be taken seriously.”
Xia Zhi nodded repeatedly at that last sentence. It was a lesson learned at the cost of their lives.
Song Yiwen acknowledged the instruction.
The group then headed toward the meeting room.
The meeting room doors were already wide open. From a distance, Xia Zhi could see a large group of people seated inside, all dressed in suits, each holding high-ranking positions.
Her steps suddenly came to a halt.
Wen Shihan, standing beside her, noticed something was off and glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Boss, I’m a little nervous,” Xia Zhi said softly, her voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.
“That’s all it takes to scare you? Weren’t you the one who wanted to see the group meeting?” As he spoke, the corner of his lips curved slightly upward.
He must be laughing at her for being timid yet curious.
Hearing that, the part of her that had been hesitating immediately straightened up again. She could not let her boss look down on her.
Xia Zhi lifted her chin, straightened her back, and strode confidently toward the meeting room.
The moment she stepped inside, all the executives turned their eyes toward her in unison, instantly putting immense pressure on her. She braced herself and swept her gaze across their faces one by one.
Twenty years had passed, and many of the executives from before had already retired, but there were still some familiar faces among them.
The marketing director, who used to glare at her coldly, now stood up on his own initiative, pulled out a chair for her, and said with a flattering smile, “Madam, please sit.”
Back then, whenever she had gone to him for cross-department matters, he had shown her nothing but disdain.
As she sat down, Xia Zhi felt a wave of emotion. Life was truly unpredictable. The once arrogant director who had looked down on her now lowered himself in front of her.
Her gaze moved carefully across the executives again. Based on Manager Zheng’s ambition for power, twenty years would have been more than enough for him to rise into the ranks of senior management. Yet she did not see him among them.
Had he retired?
Or been dismissed?
Or was he still in the branding department?
Curiosity gnawed at her, and she found herself hoping the meeting would end quickly so she could go to the 26th floor and find out.
The monthly executive meeting began, led by Song Yiwen, who presented the company’s development over the past month. It was Xia Zhi’s first time attending such a meeting, and she did not dare to miss a single moment.
She had to admit, Assistant Song was highly capable. Under his management, Wenyue Group continued to grow steadily, with strong performance across various operational metrics. At the same time, the company had reached a stage where certain bottlenecks were inevitable. Instead of ignoring them, Lu Minjie had mobilized resources to address these issues and seek new growth opportunities.
After Song Yiwen finished, each department director took turns presenting their reports. After every presentation, Song Yiwen was able to pinpoint the most critical issues from their lengthy reports and question them so thoroughly that they broke into cold sweats.
No wonder the executives looked as if they were heading into battle before attending these meetings.
It really was that intense.
Xia Zhi’s gaze slowly shifted to Wen Shihan beside her. Back when he was CEO twenty years ago, did he also interrogate executives like this until they were left speechless?
Wen Shihan seemed to notice her looking at him and asked in a low voice, “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Xia Zhi quickly turned her gaze back to the executive currently being grilled by Song Yiwen.
After two and a half hours, the meeting finally ended. The executives looked as if they had been granted a reprieve. After briefly exchanging greetings with Wen Shihan, whom they had not seen in a long time, they returned to their departments to continue working.
Song Yiwen had other matters to attend to, so Lu Minjie took charge of escorting Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan downstairs. When he heard that they wanted to tour the company, he readily asked, “Boss, Madam, which floor would you like to visit?”
“26th floor,” Wen Shihan said.
“26th floor,” Xia Zhi said at the same time.
Their voices overlapped perfectly.
Lu Minjie hesitated slightly. “The 26th floor…”
“The 26th floor,” they repeated.
No more detours, straight to the point.
Lu Minjie followed their instruction and pressed the button for the 26th floor.
As the elevator descended, Xia Zhi’s heart began to race again, her palms damp with sweat.
Several times, she almost asked Lu Minjie whether Manager Zheng was still in the company, but each time she stopped herself.
Manager Zheng was like a thorn in her heart. She did not want to hear about him from others. She wanted to see for herself, and finally pull that thorn out.
Ding.
The elevator stopped on the 26th floor, and the doors slowly opened. The truth was right in front of her.
Xia Zhi took a deep breath, straightened her back, and stepped out with determined strides, carrying an almost heroic momentum. But when she saw the sign at the entrance, she froze.
“Research and Development Department?”
She read the words on the sign one by one.
“Wasn’t the 26th floor the branding department?”
Only then did Lu Minjie fully confirm that, just as Song Yiwen had said, the boss and Madam had truly lost their memories.
“It hasn’t been for a long time.”
“Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“I wanted to, but Madam, you were determined to come to the 26th floor.”
Xia Zhi: “…”
So that was why Lu Minjie had hesitated earlier.
“Then where is the branding department now?”
“30th floor.”
The group hurried to the 30th floor just as quickly as they had come. At the entrance, Xia Zhi finally saw the words “Branding Department.” It felt almost like fate calling to her. Before she even realized it, her feet had already carried her inside.
The employees in the branding department had long received news that the boss and Madam would be attending the company meeting today, but they never expected them to tour the company afterward, much less visit their department.
In the past, Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan had kept a very low profile. Most employees had only seen their photos on the company’s shared system, never in person.
Now that the boss and Madam were standing right before them, many employees continued clicking their mice diligently, but their attention had already drifted toward Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan.
While the employees were secretly sneaking glances at Xia Zhi, she was also observing them. Her gaze swept across the faces of the branding department staff one by one, only to realize that none of the people from her time remained. Every face had been replaced by someone she did not recognize.
And…
Manager Zheng was nowhere to be seen in the office. The manager’s position had been taken over by a stranger.
Lu Minjie, having navigated the business world for many years, could easily tell what Xia Zhi was looking for. Recalling what Song Yiwen had said earlier about her and Wen Shihan losing their memories, he quickly stepped forward and said, “Madam, Manager Zheng was dismissed long ago.”
Xia Zhi: “!!!”
Lu Minjie continued, “He was also sent to prison.”
Xia Zhi: “!!!”
“He’s still serving his sentence now.”
Xia Zhi: “!!!”