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Upon seeing He Jingxiu’s message, Bo Ying didn’t think too deeply about it and replied: “Yeah, don’t you remember him?”
Liang Shun was Bo Ying’s classmate in middle and high school. He had met He Jingxiu a few times and even had meals together. Logically speaking, he should remember.
After Bo Ying asked, He Jingxiu did not reply.
She guessed that he was busy and didn’t dwell on it too much.
In the conference room, Qi Xuezhen couldn’t understand why He Jingxiu’s mood changed so quickly.
Just half a minute ago, during the heated argument and voting, his mood was still pretty good. But now, he exuded an aura of “Are you done yet? If you continue arguing, just leave.”
Qi Xuezhen could feel it, and naturally, others could too.
Mysteriously, the conference room fell silent. The voices of Zhao Xuzhi and Director Li also became much quieter.
By the end of the meeting, they even shook hands amicably.
Qi Xuezhen was a bit confused, dazedly following He Jingxiu out.
As soon as he reached the door, Zhao Xuzhi asked in a low voice: “What happened? Why does President He look so displeased?”
Qi Xuezhen shook his head: “I’m not sure.”
If he knew, he wouldn’t be so nervous.
Zhao Xuzhi glanced at He Jingxiu’s back and furrowed his brows: “Did President He receive any calls earlier?”
“No.” Qi Xuezhen thought for a moment, “But he picked up his phone to chat with someone.”
The two exchanged glances. Zhao Xuzhi, who had been through several relationships, immediately deduced: “Could it be because of a woman?”
After all, he had never seen He Jingxiu display such an unwelcoming demeanor due to work issues.
Qi Xuezhen thought for a moment and denied it: “Impossible. President He is not someone who brings personal emotions into work.”
Zhao Xuzhi gave him a look that said, “You don’t understand,” and declared: “He’s definitely upset because of a woman.”
Qi Xuezhen unexpectedly made a prophecy. While drinking with old classmates last night, he heard some gossip: two classmates from the neighboring dormitory publicly came out as a couple. So, without thinking, he blurted out: “Why don’t you say it’s because of a man?”
“…”
Even Qi Xuezhen himself didn’t expect his words to come true. He Jingxiu’s sour mood was indeed because of a man.
He Jingxiu naturally remembered Liang Shun, but he didn’t know that Bo Ying had cut off contact with him while still keeping in touch with Liang Shun.
Back in high school, He Jingxiu and Liang Shun looked down on each other.
He knew that Liang Shun harbored feelings for Bo Ying, and Liang Shun often sneered at him.
He didn’t understand what was so great about He Jingxiu that made Bo Ying like him so much.
Throughout the morning, He Jingxiu handled documents with a heavy demeanor.
Qi Xuezhen wanted to say something several times, but upon seeing his cold eyes, he swallowed his words back.
Forget it, forget it—better not invite trouble.
At lunchtime, He Jingxiu was still busy.
Qi Xuezhen asked him what he wanted to eat, and after pondering for a few seconds, he said to go to the cafeteria.
When He Jingxiu and Qi Xuezhen arrived at the cafeteria, most employees had already gotten their food and were chatting while eating.
Bo Ying was the same; she sat with Pei Yunmeng, Fang Boyu, and a few others, laughing and talking.
Hearing the commotion at the entrance, she glanced up briefly.
He Jingxiu wore all black today, appearing steady and stern, with a hint of unapproachable allure.
His appearance caused many employees in the cafeteria to gasp and were slightly surprised.
In everyone’s impression, He Jingxiu rarely came to the cafeteria to eat. Most of the time, he either went out for business entertaining or ate in his office.
“Why did President He come to the cafeteria?”
“I don’t know.” A colleague nearby commented, “But President He looks so handsome today!”
“When is President He not handsome?” Someone chimed in, laughing: “But no matter how handsome, he’s not ours.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” The colleague joked: “What if? People need dreams.”
Upon hearing this, Du Nan further away snorted: “Stop dreaming. No matter how many dreams you have, it won’t happen.”
Du Nan was the niece of a senior manager and knew relatively more information.
Hearing her say this, Zhu Xiaoxia immediately asked: “Sister Nan, do you know something?”
Du Nan hummed in acknowledgment, teasing everyone for a moment before saying: “With President He’s background, he must have a prearranged marriage partner.”
“Who?”
Everyone immediately sparked with burning curiosity.
Bo Ying listened and rarely turned her gaze toward Du Nan.
To be honest, she was quite curious about who He Jingxiu’s prearranged marriage partner was.
Du Nan looked at them, beating around the bush: “Do you know Tan Rui?”
“Tan Rui?” Zhu Xiaoxia paused, “Is she the woman who appeared with President He at the year-end party?”
Du Nan nodded slightly: “Yes, her.”
“Really or fake? But when I traveled with General Manager Zhao last time, he complained that a man like President He would remain single, right?” Another colleague from the legal department inquired.
Hearing this, Du Nan scoffed: “What do you know? President He not having a girlfriend doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a prearranged marriage partner.”
She continued: “Men like him play recklessly when young and marry into equally prestigious families when the time comes.”
“…”
The group of people discussed with fervor. After listening for a while, Bo Ying turned her attention back to her lunch.
She felt that listening to Du Nan’s nonsense wasn’t as fulfilling as enjoying her meal properly.
Pei Yunmeng felt the same way and wasn’t particularly interested in He Jingxiu’s gossip.
Both of them buried themselves in eating, discussing the taste of the ribs at noon.
Bo Ying found them a bit sour, while Pei Yunmeng thought they were just right.
“Don’t you find them sour?”
Pei Yunmeng took a bite, “No. Fang Boyu, do you think the ribs are sour?”
Fang Boyu: “Not sour.”
Bo Ying “Oh”-ed, frowning: “Then give it to you. I find it too sour and don’t want to eat anymore.”
Pei Yunmeng didn’t hesitate: “Sure, then eat mine.”
Bo Ying agreed, but her chopsticks didn’t reach over there.
She ate absent-mindedly, her gaze wandering, eventually landing on the man not far away.
To be fair, He Jingxiu was genuinely quite handsome today, even more so than yesterday.
He looked great in black. His proportions were excellent, the shirt tucked into his suit pants accentuating his slim waist and broad shoulders, drawing everyone’s attention.
Bo Ying surveyed him from bottom to top, finally resting her gaze on his face.
Black exuded mystery and restraint, making his features appear more three-dimensional and profound, handsome and charming.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, He Jingxiu turned his head and glanced at her.
Through the crowd, they locked eyes from afar.
Bo Ying held his gaze for a moment, lightly humphed, and averted her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Yunmeng, happily eating, suddenly heard this sound.
Bo Ying: “…Nothing, I thought of something.”
Pei Yunmeng looked at her, “About what?”
Before Bo Ying could speak, Sun Hongbo sitting beside them suddenly stood up and called out: “President He.”
Instantly, everyone at the table turned their heads.
He Jingxiu scanned the crowd, nodding in acknowledgment: “Eat your meal.”
With that, he sat down in the seat next to Bo Ying.
Everyone watched, not daring to lift their chopsticks.
Qi Xuezhen, caught in an awkward position, tried to smooth things over for He Jingxiu: “It shouldn’t disturb everyone’s meal if I sit here with President He, right?”
He explained: “Today’s work was too hectic; I forgot to order lunch for President He in advance.”
No one bothered to check if there were other seats available elsewhere, nor did they think too deeply about it.
A few people chuckled, flattery dripping: “President He, you’ve worked hard.”
“Boss isn’t easy either.”
Bo Ying listened, unsure what expression to make.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at He Jingxiu. He was calmly eating, completely unfazed by being stared at by everyone.
Unconsciously, Bo Ying admired his mental fortitude. If it were her being gawked at like a monkey, she absolutely wouldn’t be able to swallow her food.
Because of He Jingxiu’s presence, everyone waited until he finished before leaving the cafeteria. Surface-level courtesies were executed perfectly, deserving full marks.
After leaving the cafeteria, Bo Ying didn’t plan to return to the office with everyone else.
She had a habit of drinking coffee during lunch breaks, which almost all her colleagues were aware of. So, after walking out, she told Pei Yunmeng she was going to buy coffee at Starbucks, and everyone took it in stride.
After saying that, Bo Ying turned and prepared to walk out.
Taking one step, Qi Xuezhen suddenly spoke: “Won’t Bo Ying return to the office with everyone?”
Before Bo Ying could respond, Du Nan jumped in: “No, she drinks Starbucks coffee at noon. After buying it, she’ll return.”
Qi Xuezhen was momentarily stunned, “Is that so.”
He looked at Bo Ying, who hadn’t left, pointing and asking: “Then can Bo Ying get me a cup?”
“…”
Bo Ying didn’t immediately agree.
Du Nan gave her a meaningful look, hurriedly saying: “Of course, right, Yingying?”
Her promotion and salary increase depended on Qi Xuezhen putting in a good word for her in front of He Jingxiu. At He Corporation, many employees couldn’t curry favor with He Jingxiu, but they would find ways to connect with Qi Xuezhen.
Qi Xuezhen’s official title was assistant, but in reality, he was He Jingxiu’s right-hand man.
Bo Ying was speechless, nodding: “Of course. What does Mr. Qi want?”
Qi Xuezhen: “Black coffee.”
“Okay, I’ll bring it up to you later.”
“Alright, thank you.”
They exchanged words as if no one else was around, revealing no cracks, and no one questioned why Qi Xuezhen asked Bo Ying to buy coffee.
In most people’s eyes, he simply wanted some coffee, and since Bo Ying was going anyway, it was just a small favor.
But Bo Ying knew that someone else actually wanted the black coffee.
With the excuse of buying coffee for Qi Xuezhen, Bo Ying, for the first time, openly went to the top floor.
When she exited the elevator, she coincidentally bumped into another female assistant of He Jingxiu.
“Miss Bo.” The female assistant smiled briefly, “President He is waiting for you in his office.”
Bo Ying’s eyelids twitched slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed as she said: “Okay, thank you.”
Jian Yi smiled gently, “You’re welcome.”
As a competent assistant, even if she was surprised by the ambiguous relationship between Bo Ying and He Jingxiu, she dared not ask too many questions.
Being an assistant required not only sharp eyesight but also discretion.
Under the watchful eyes of He Jingxiu’s assistants, she entered his office.
Like last time, He Jingxiu’s office door was wide open, eliminating the need for her to knock or push the door to enter.
Bo Ying didn’t know if his office door was always open, but she admittedly liked it this way.
Hearing the sound, He Jingxiu looked up at her.
Bo Ying glanced at him, quickened her steps, and placed the coffee on his desk.
“President He, your coffee.”
He Jingxiu sat on his office chair, his gaze directly on her, “Sit.”
“No.”
Bo Ying firmly said: “I still need to return to the office.”
He Jingxiu paused, softly asking: “Don’t you need me to recommend cars anymore?”
“…” Bo Ying hesitated slightly, lowering her gaze to look at him, “You can send me a WeChat message.”
He Jingxiu raised an eyebrow, calmly saying: “Voice message?”
“Can’t it be text?”
How could she listen to voice messages? Her WeChat was logged onto her computer, and it wasn’t convenient to use her phone during work hours.
He Jingxiu mercilessly rejected her request, “No. Typing takes too much time.”
“…………”
Bo Ying was momentarily speechless, “Then keep it short.”
Seeing her tense expression, He Jingxiu felt both angry and helpless.
He hadn’t even gotten angry yet, but she was already acting difficult.
“Go sit on the sofa.”
He Jingxiu rose and approached her, asking: “Do you want any dessert?”
Bo Ying glanced at him, wanting some but feeling that she shouldn’t indulge too much. She needed to maintain a certain demeanor, “I can only stay for ten minutes.”
Too long, and her colleagues would ask questions.
He Jingxiu didn’t even raise his eyes, agreeing: “I know.”
Two minutes later, Bo Ying enjoyed her dessert while listening to He Jingxiu’s introductions, feeling very content.
He Jingxiu recommended several models with beautiful exteriors and interiors suitable for women drivers.
Bo Ying just wanted to buy a car for around 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, with not too high requirements.
After listening to He Jingxiu’s analysis, she felt a bit conflicted: “So, what do you think is better, Mercedes-Benz or Mini?”
He Jingxiu hadn’t driven these two models and wasn’t very familiar with them.
In his opinion, neither was particularly impressive, but Bo Ying insisted, wanting just a small commuter car.
“Not sure.”
He fell silent for a moment, looking at Bo Ying: “If you like them, you can go try them out.”
Bo Ying paused, realizing: “That’s right.”
He Jingxiu “Mm”-ed, making a decision for her before she could speak again: “I have to work overtime today. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see them and try driving, okay?”
Bo Ying blinked, unable to refuse his well-thought-out consideration.
Silent for a moment, Bo Ying nodded, “Okay.”
The next evening, Bo Ying lingered in the office until everyone had left before secretly heading to the underground parking lot.
She knew where He Jingxiu’s car was parked and what it looked like.
Exiting the elevator, Bo Ying walked straight towards it.
Reaching the car, she guiltily looked around before opening the rear door and getting in.
Sitting down, Bo Ying turned her head: “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Turning her head, the seat next to her was empty.
Bo Ying was momentarily stunned, her gaze shifting forward.
Seeing the person in the driver’s seat, she asked: “Did the driver leave again?”
He Jingxiu remained calm: “Yes.”
Bo Ying frowned, looked out the car window, saw no one coming, immediately opened the door, got out, and moved from the backseat to the front.
After settling in, Bo Ying fastened her seatbelt and muttered: “It seems quite nice to be your driver. When you work overtime, he doesn’t wait for you.”
“…”
He Jingxiu didn’t respond to her comment, smoothly changing the subject: “Do you want to look at the cars first or —”
Before he finished, Bo Ying enthusiastically said: “Look at the cars!”
He Jingxiu: “...”
On weekdays, there weren’t many people test-driving cars, and the salespeople also lacked spirit.
When Bo Ying and He Jingxiu arrived, the place was deserted.
Upon entering, Bo Ying immediately saw the small Mercedes-Benz model she wanted to buy.
She looked around, and the salesperson smiled warmly: “Miss, are you interested in this model? Would you like to get in and try it out, experience it?”
Bo Ying looked at He Jingxiu.
He Jingxiu nodded.
“Sure.”
After getting in, the salesperson sat in the passenger seat and introduced the car to Bo Ying.
Bo Ying listened in confusion, feeling lost. She gave He Jingxiu a pleading look, and he took over, conversing with the salesperson.
In the middle of their conversation, the salesperson suddenly said: “Sir, would you like to try the driver’s seat?”
Smiling, her gaze intently fixed on He Jingxiu, “I see you know a lot about cars. Would you like to test the performance first?”
Bo Ying was stunned for three seconds in the driver’s seat, turning to look at He Jingxiu.
What did she mean?
He Jingxiu didn’t agree, “No need.”
He looked at Bo Ying, quietly asking: “Do you want to try?”
Bo Ying was silent for a moment, “No.”
She pushed the car door open, got out, not showing too much dissatisfaction, and softly said: “I don’t think this model really appeals to me. Let’s check out other places?”
He Jingxiu didn’t notice her discomfort, furrowing his brow and asking: “Don’t you like the interior anymore?”
Earlier, when the salesperson hadn’t arrived, she had praised the car’s interior.
Bo Ying was choked by his words, glaring at him with irritation: “Yes. I’m fickle.”
At this point, He Jingxiu belatedly realized something.
He was momentarily astonished, staring at Bo Ying for a moment, then suddenly smiled, “Alright, let’s change places.”
Bo Ying pouted, muttering a soft “Mm.”
Switching to the Mini side, the salesperson was male, tall and handsome.
Bo Ying immediately brightened up, and her words became more animated.
“Miss, would you like to test drive?” The tall and slim salesperson smiled at her, “The roads aren’t congested now; we can go out for a spin.”
Bo Ying hesitated, “But I haven’t driven for a long time.”
The salesperson reassured her with a smile: “No problem. I’ll sit in the passenger seat and ensure nothing happens.”
Just as Bo Ying was about to agree, He Jingxiu took the keys from the salesperson, expressionless, and said: “You sit aside. I’ll test it.”