Qi Gui is one of Shen Yifeng’s secretaries, primarily responsible for managing his work schedule.
As usual, he arrived at the company at 8:58 AM, clocked in, used the restroom, and went to the CEO’s office at 9:10 AM sharp to clean.
Shen Yifeng’s office is off-limits to everyone except his secretaries when he is absent. Because Shen Yifeng dislikes being disturbed while working, the responsibility for maintaining the office’s cleanliness falls to them.
Qi Gui was humming a little tune as he pushed open the door, but the music died instantly when he saw who was inside.
He wondered why the CEO, who usually never arrived before 9:30 AM, was already in the office at this hour.
Qi Gui immediately composed his expression and stepped forward: “Boss.”
Shen Yifeng glanced up at him briefly before lowering his head to continue his work.
Qi Gui was not surprised; that was simply his boss’s temperament. He looked around the room, and seeing there was nothing that needed cleaning, he prepared to leave. Just as he reached the door, he heard Shen Yifeng’s cold, emotionless voice:
“Qi Gui.”
Qi Gui paused, turned around, and walked back to the desk. “Yes, Boss?”
Shen Yifeng looked up at him, expressionless, and asked:
“Does the company’s afternoon tea service include fruit?”
Qi Gui felt baffled as to why the boss would suddenly ask this, but he answered earnestly:
“Yes, Boss.”
Shen Yifeng fell silent for a few seconds before asking again:
“Is there any in the morning?”
“Yes, there is.” Qi Gui was even more confused. Could the boss be craving fruit?
In the next second, Shen Yifeng spoke again: “What kind of fruits do you have?”
“Cherries, wax apples, grapes…” Qi Gui listed a few items.
Shen Yifeng nodded, then asked: “Are there no honey peaches?”
Honey peaches? The boss wanted honey peaches? Did the sun rise in the west today? Qi Gui thought about turning around to check the sun’s position, though he did not actually do so.
Even though he was not a personal assistant, he had been by Shen Yifeng’s side for several years. He understood his boss’s palate reasonably well: he did not like sweets, he did not like spicy food, and his tastes were as bland and unadorned as his personality. He rarely ate fruit, especially something as syrupy-sweet as a honey peach.
“We do have them,” Qi Gui replied, then tentatively added: “Should I go get some for you?”
Shen Yifeng did not respond, his eyes dark as if he were deep in thought. Qi Gui realized he must have guessed wrong and assumed Shen Yifeng was just asking casually. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Yifeng gave a slight nod.
Qi Gui hesitated, wondering if he had misheard. When Shen Yifeng saw Qi Gui standing still, he frowned and looked up. Receiving the cue, Qi Gui immediately snapped to attention and said: “Understood, Boss.”
With that, he walked out of the office quickly.
The honey peach is a summer fruit, gifted with a natural, thick, honeyed fragrance. Beneath its blushing skin lies flesh that is milky white and tinged with red. The texture is delicate, often making people’s mouths water.
Shen Yifeng looked at the peach on his desk, which was emitting a sweet aroma, and took a bite. The unique, sugary juice burst in his mouth, the cloying sweetness instantly filling his palate.
Feeling the intense sweetness, Shen Yifeng’s brow furrowed immediately. A look of confusion flashed in his eyes, as if he were wondering why it was not what he had imagined. He reached for some tissues to spit out the fruit, then took a sip of his coffee to wash away the lingering sweetness. Only then did his brow relax.
Seeing the remaining slices on the table, he called Qi Gui in and gave them to him.
Just as Qi Gui stepped out with the peaches, he received a phone call from Xu Gu. Xu Gu had been in a car accident on his way to work and was currently at the hospital.
Qi Gui hurriedly set the plate down on his desk and rushed back into the office. Seeing Qi Gui’s flustered appearance, Shen Yifeng put down his work and asked:
“What is the matter?”
“Boss, Xu Gu was in a car accident on his way to work,” Qi Gui said in a low voice.
Shen Yifeng was surprised and asked: “How is he?”
“His left arm is fractured, but there are no other serious injuries,” Qi Gui replied.
“Alright, I understand.” Upon hearing that his employee was safe, Shen Yifeng’s concern dissipated. “Ask HR to approve three months of sick leave for him, and tell Finance to pay his full salary during these three months.” He paused, then added: “Which hospital is he at? Take some time to go visit him on my behalf.”
He then transferred a sum of money to Qi Gui’s WeChat.
After Qi Gui left, Shen Yifeng thought for a moment, took out his phone, and called Uncle Liu to tell him not to prepare his lunch. With Xu Gu gone, there was no one to deliver his meals, so he would just order takeout.
After breakfast, Jiang Wu watched some manga on the sofa for a while before feeling sleepy and going upstairs for a nap. He did not wake up until nearly 11:00 AM.
As soon as he came downstairs, he heard Uncle Liu on the phone with Shen Yifeng. He knew it was Shen Yifeng because Uncle Liu had the speakerphone on, and his voice was very distinct. Jiang Wu recognized it immediately. He only caught the tail end of the conversation and did not know exactly what happened, but the look on Uncle Liu’s face told him it was bad news.
“Uncle Liu,” Jiang Wu called out.
The housekeeper looked toward him. “Little Jiang, are you hungry?”
Jiang Wu nodded, then shook his head. Worried that Uncle Liu might not understand, he added:
“I am okay.”
Hesitating, Jiang Wu asked: “Uncle Liu, did something happen to Mr. Shen?”
Uncle Liu shook his head. “It is not the young master; it is his secretary, Xu Gu. He was in a car accident.”
“Is it serious?” Jiang Wu asked with concern, as he was somewhat friendly with Xu Gu.
“Not too bad, just a fractured right arm,” Uncle Liu replied.
“Oh.” Jiang Wu let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the lingering worry in Uncle Liu’s eyes, he tried to comfort him:
“It is okay, Uncle Liu. It is just a fracture; he will be fine in three months.”
After hearing this, Uncle Liu realized Jiang Wu had misunderstood. He explained:
“I am not worried about Xu Gu; I am worried about the young master. With Xu Gu hospitalized and the young master’s temperament, he will not hire another personal assistant. There will be no one to deliver his meals, and he is so picky.”
At this point, Uncle Liu seemed to have an epiphany. His eyes lit up as he looked at Jiang Wu. Before Jiang Wu could react, Uncle Liu grabbed his hand as if he had found a savior and said quite excitedly:
“Little Jiang, you do not have anything to do lately, do you?”
Jiang Wu was dazed. He did not understand how the topic had shifted from Shen Yifeng to himself, but he nodded obediently: “No.” Besides eating and sleeping, he just played around.
“Then why do you not deliver lunch to the young master today? I will have Auntie Chen prepare enough for two, and you can eat with him. It is a perfect chance to build some rapport,” Uncle Liu said with a beaming smile, clearly very satisfied with his own idea.
Jiang Wu stood stunned, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already standing downstairs at Shen Yifeng’s company holding a lunch box.