Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 9: The Curtain Rises

“Xiaowan, are you awake?” Yu Feilan asked gently. “Ah! I’m sorry, President Yu, I must have dozed off.” Li Xiaowan jumped up from the sofa and looked at Yu Feilan across from her, saying sheepishly before immediately lowering her head. “It’s fine. Here, there aren’t so many so-called rules. As long as you do your job well, I won’t say anything more.” There was no hint of reproach in Yu Feilan’s words. Upon hearing this, a wave of warmth instantly washed over Li Xiaowan, and she murmured to herself, “Could it be that President Yu is one of those ‘warm guys’ everyone’s talking about these days?” “Xiaowan, what are you saying?” Yu Feilan couldn’t quite make out what Li Xiaowan was muttering to herself, so he asked. This startled Li Xiaowan. “Nothing at all, President Yu. Just give me your instructions from now on, and I’ll do my best to handle every task you assign me.” She didn’t dare say what she’d actually been thinking, so she changed the subject. “Mm-hmm, I have confidence in your professional abilities. All right, this is the assistant’s office. Here’s your first assignment: get familiar with this floor. I have to step out for a bit, but I’ll be back shortly. Once you’re done, come back to the office and wait for me!” After saying this, Yu Feilan walked straight out. Once Yu Feilan had left, Li Xiaowan let out a long sigh of relief. Although President Yu seemed like a warm and approachable person, this was her first time interacting with him up close, so she couldn’t help but feel nervous. She decided she should familiarize herself with this floor first; otherwise, if she were ever asked to deliver or fetch something, she might end up getting lost. So, she decided to act on her thoughts and stepped right out of the general manager’s office. “Xiaowan, are you heading out?” Fu Xiyue asked with a smile when she saw Li Xiaowan come out. “Yes, President Yu just gave me a task—he told me to get familiar with the top floor. Yueyue, aren’t you and Lingling really busy every day?” Li Xiaowan asked casually; she didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious around Li Lingling and Fu Xiyue. “Oh, you have no idea how busy we are,” Li Lingling chimed in eagerly. “Would you like me to help?” Li Xiaowan asked earnestly. “Thanks for the offer, but no need—we’ve got this covered. You might end up just as busy as us later on, so why not take this chance to explore the place a bit?” Fu Xiyue kindly suggested. “That’s right, Yueyue’s right!” Li Lingling agreed. “All right, then. You two go ahead and get back to work.” With that, Li Xiaowan stepped out of their line of sight, left the reception room, and headed to the left. Since the elevators were on the right, she had no choice but to go left. She wanted to see if there were any other departments on the left. She hadn’t realized it until she looked, but to her surprise, as she walked along, she found one department after another—all kinds of departments—stretching out in both directions, with more offices behind them. The winding path had nearly left Li Xiaowan disoriented, just as the poem says: “A winding path leads to a secluded spot; fallen flowers cover the winding corridor.” However, as Li Xiaowan was walking and looking around, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Not far ahead, she saw a large door with a semicircular arch at the top, above which were clearly inscribed the four large characters “Chairman’s Office.” It was no wonder Li Xiaowan was surprised; since she’d joined the Company, she’d never seen anyone with a higher position than Yu Feilan. She had even looked it up on Baidu Baike in her spare time, but had never seen any mention of a “Chairman.” She had always assumed the Company was majority-owned by foreign investors, and that Yu Feilan was the top executive at this domestic branch—no one in this city’s office held a higher position than him. She never expected to see a “Chairman’s Office” on the top floor, which naturally piqued her curiosity. If she had the chance, she would definitely want to see what the chairman looked like. In her mind, foreign bosses were all very tall and burly, and some even had a slightly rugged appearance. The afternoon passed like that, but Yu Feilan still hadn’t returned. He’d simply sent a message via Li Lingling, telling her not to wait for him and to just clock out on time. This was undoubtedly exactly what Li Xiaowan had been hoping to hear, so she happily stepped into the elevator. When she reached the lobby at the base of the building, she saw Qi Xin'er already waiting there and hurried over. The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked out the front door. Inside the luxury sports car, “Ling Zheng Ge, I just don’t get it—why won’t you let that girl know?” Ye asked, puzzled. “No need!” Feng Lingzheng replied with just three words. On the surface, he showed not a hint of emotion, but deep down, he had already made up his mind. Over the past few days, his elders had been taking turns calling to pressure him into marriage, as if they’d all coordinated their efforts. They’d even brought up his grandmother—who had always doted on him the most and relied on him the most—insisting that she was already at the right age to get married. They added that Uncle Xia—the daughter of her father’s closest comrade-in-arms—had just begun taking over the group’s business. Since Aunt Xia’s health had been deteriorating in recent years, Uncle Xia intended to hand the group over entirely to Xia Yiting to manage, while he devoted himself fully to caring for his wife. However, since Xia Yiting’s capabilities were, after all, limited, she needed someone of exceptional ability to support her at all times—and I happened to be the one they’d chosen. They argued that we were a perfect match, and that a merger of the two conglomerates would not only create a beautiful love story but also greatly benefit the group’s further expansion. But they’d all underestimated me, thinking that by taking turns like this, they could make me give in. Still, I had to find a suitable excuse to fend off their second round of attacks—and that foolish woman who’d threatened me twice in a row happened to show up at just the right moment. Yet for me, love had long since faded away with that scorching summer of years past,and now it no longer stirred even the slightest ripple; her heart was as cold as ashes. Yet it couldn’t be said that her heart was entirely cold, for in a certain corner of her soul, deep hatred still lurked—just a single spark away from erupting completely. And Li Xiaowan, unfortunately, had become that spark in Feng Lingzheng’s eyes. “Ye, notify Lan immediately and have him arrange for someone to clean out my office. Also, tell him I’ll be back at work tomorrow,” Feng Lingzheng said in a commanding tone. “What! Ling Zheng Ge, did I hear that right? You’re going to work at the North Gate Branch? Come on, you don’t have time to stay in one place right now. Don’t you remember? There’s a major matter in the United States waiting for you to return and handle personally,” Ye said in astonishment. “Tell Ying about that matter. Have her send someone to keep a close watch on it. Be very careful—otherwise, we’ll tip off the target. After all, the big fish hasn’t surfaced yet,” Feng Lingzheng said, furrowing his brow. “Got it. So, Ling Zheng Ge, how much longer do you plan to stay before heading back to the United States?” Ye asked. He wanted a specific timeframe so he could give Sakura a clear answer. With Sakura’s fiery temper, even over the phone, he could sense the powerful aura radiating from her. “What, are you afraid Ying will come looking for trouble?” Feng Lingzheng said, a faint smile finally appearing on his face. The thought of Ye—that fearless, legendary figure who had struck terror into the streets of Las Vegas overnight—ultimately falling to a woman younger than himself was amusing. “I’m not afraid of her, because I’ve got Ling Zheng Ge backing me up,” Ye said mischievously, batting his handsome almond-shaped eyes. “Are you so sure I’ll help you?” Feng Lingzheng stepped on the gas, and the sports car raced forward at lightning speed. “Ah! Ling Zheng Ge, slow down! My blood’s rushing straight to my head—I’m never getting in your car again, no matter what!” Ye said, his face pale with panic. Although he loved speed and excitement too, he’d never experienced anything as wild as Feng Lingzheng’s driving. “That’s not up to you.” With that, Feng Lingzheng paid no heed to Ye’s shouts and continued at breakneck speed. Whether behind the wheel or in any other endeavor, he possessed absolute confidence and certainty. A heart that had long been sealed away was finally about to open its doors—though it remained to be seen whether the person fortunate enough to enter would find it a blessing or a curse. “Xiaowan, congratulations on your promotion to Assistant General Manager,” Qi Xin'er said, raising her drink in a toast to celebrate Li Xiaowan’s promotion. She had originally planned to order another bottle of beer to celebrate Li Xiaowan’s promotion, but Li Xiaowan refused, so she let it go. Although they occasionally drank beer, they did so in moderation, fully aware of the saying, “A little drink is pleasant; too much is harmful.” “It’s no big deal, and besides, I don’t feel like I’m up to the task at all,” Li Xiaowan said, her face betraying little joy. “Xiaowan, I believe in your abilities. Haven’t you forgotten? We said before that we’d make our future even more exciting. Oh, and I’ve got some gossip to share that I heard recently!” Qi Xin'er said mysteriously. “What have you heard this time?” A hint of curiosity finally flashed across Li Xiaowan’s face. “President Yu has never hired an assistant to the general manager before. He’s always had just two secretaries by his side. Since you’ve already moved up to the top floor, you have no idea how heated the discussions were in the office this afternoon,” Qi Xin'er said, raising her voice. “So what exactly were they talking about? It can’t be about me, can it?” Li Xiaowan said, convinced it must have something to do with her. “Bingo, you’re right. There were so many different opinions in those whispers—and what’s more, some people even said you’re President Yu’s secret mistress! Since President Yu joined the Company seven years ago, there’s never been a single rumor about him, and there’s no doubt he’s single, so it’s only natural for people to let their imaginations run wild,” Qi Xin'er said, getting more and more excited as she spoke. “Is there really anyone who believes such a ridiculous joke?” Li Xiaowan said helplessly; she was truly at a loss for words when it came to the Company’s gossipmongers. “Of course, people are half-believing it, half-doubting it. But since some people have been complimenting you on your innocent and ethereal looks—which might just be right up President Yu’s alley, given his reputation as a ‘warm-hearted guy’—that’s why a few people have started to buy into it,” Qi Xin'er said as she skewered some meat. “Haha… I never thought I’d one day be linked to the General Manager of a multinational company’s China division,” Li Xiaowan said, finding it amusing even to herself. “Xiaowan, don’t worry about it. That’s what they call turning misfortune into fortune. I don’t think anyone will dare to bully you anymore.” Qi Xin'er was genuinely happy for Li Xiaowan; she didn’t want Li Xiaowan to have to put up with people like Lin Zhenzhen anymore. As for herself, she was fine—because of her strong personality, no one usually dared to bully her openly. If she’d been at the Company at the time, she doubted they would’ve dared to say much either. “Qi Xin'er, now that you mention it, you’re right. From now on, I’ll have a shield to protect me!” Li Xiaowan said, feigning cheerfulness. But Qi Xin'er knew that Li Xiaowan would never actually change her ways because of this; she had always been a person who lived and acted with integrity. Tomorrow is another brand-new day.