You, CEO’s Secret Wife

"Help with what?" Placing her fork back onto the plate, Jian Yun furrowed her eyebrows and grabbed her phone from the table.     

    

"I'm not sure." Luo Yanyan shrugged. "I told him that you'd call back."     

    

She opened her WeChat and scanned through her messages. Other than her high school group chat, there weren't really any other news that concerned her. Even Huo Liancheng didn't provide any follow-ups from his previous message. Seeing this, she decided to give Cheng Muze a call.     

    

"Sister Jian," Cheng Muze answered quickly.     

    

"Brother Cheng," Jian Yun greeted. "I just went for a run, so I wasn't able to grab my phone. Is something wrong?"     

    

"I really need your help. Do you think you can buy some honeysuckle on your way to the company?" She could already see him rolling his eyes from the other end of the line, and she had to stifle a giggle. He complained once more, "Fourth Bro just woke up, and he suddenly realized he had wanted some infused water to drink instead, but I think the great bastard forgot that he had also asked me to host today's meeting. I really can't leave my shift, despite already working overtime–so I was wondering if you could do it for me?"     

    

"I actually have some honeysuckle in my apartment. I can bring it over." Her eyes twinkled. Cheng Muze really had an intriguing personality, one that she couldn't help but be amused by.    

    

She could tell he was busy from the loud mechanical sounds of typing and printing echoing in the background. After hearing her offer, Cheng Muze sighed in relief. "You're a Godsend! I'll leave it all to you," he said, before pausing. "Please send it here directly. I wanted to meet you in the lobby, but I'm practically swamped with work." Before she could say anything else, he quickly hung up.     

    

"You're smiling. That couldn't be another one of your suitors, could it?" Luo Yanyan narrowed her eyes. "You called him Brother Cheng so easily as if you've known each other for ages."     

    

Jian Yun snorted and lowered her head to drink her porridge. "Are you really going to interrogate me about every single man in my life? He's Huo Liancheng's special assistant."     

    

"Well, have you at least considered what I said last night?" Using the back of her hand to support her cheek, Luo Yanyan tapped her spoon on the edge of the bowl as she tried to get her friend's attention.     

    

"I think you know me enough to know that I won't consider it." With a shake of her head, Jian Yun drank the last spoonful of porridge before gazing up at her. "Yanyan, I don't want to get tied down right now, and you know that having a relationship just isn't in the cards for me. Besides, what counts is that my mom's fine, and I have enough money saved up for any other circumstances that could happen. I just don't want to throw away my pride for something I could still handle."     

    

"I'm not the slightest bit surprised." Luo Yanyan sighed, reaching out for Jian Yun's hands. "I'm just here to look at for you, Yun, and from the way Liancheng looked at you that night–I could tell that he isn't like any other guy who'd sleep with you and dispose of you the next day. Plus, he's far more good-looking than Xu Haiyang. If Lin Lanlan could see you know, I bet she'd be burning with jealousy! You should really consider accepting him."    

    

Jian Yun giggled. "I can't possibly date a man I don't like just to make her jealous!"     

    

"Not liking him now doesn't mean you wouldn't like him in the future!" She wagged her fingers. "Yun, why do I feel like you're biased against him? Can't you really find it in yourself to actually like him?"     

    

"It's not that I'm biased against him. It's just that I don't like him." A guilty feeling stirred in Jian Yun's chest, but she didn't say anything more. "All right, I'll head to work now."     

    

"I'll go down with you." Luo Yanyan also reached for her bag.     

    

Just as they were about to walk out the door, Jian Yun suddenly remembered her promise to Cheng Muze and quickly grabbed a metallic box from the drawer and shoved it inside her bag. Without another word, they were off.     

    

By the time she had arrived at Ming's, the elevators and the lobby were already crowded. If Jian Yun were to use the CEO's elevator and head up to the 28th floor, she would never be able to live this down. Besides, the rumors had already calmed down about her relationship with President Huo, and she didn't want to toss another wood into the flames. With a sigh, she shook her head. It seemed that Cheng Muze's request would have to wait.     

    

Once she had checked in for work, she saw Hui, the new arrival, handing her a cup of coffee.     

    

"Good morning, Sister Jian!" She smiled. "I made you a special brew. I wasn't sure how you liked it, so I pretty much just made it how I would've wanted it."     

    

"Call me Jian Yun, please." There was something weird about being addressed as 'sister' by someone unfamiliar to her. Plus, there was something about the woman's smile that seemed artificial. A sense of wariness seeped into her veins. Glancing at the cup of instant coffee, the corners of her lips twitched. "I'm sorry, but I don't drink coffee."     

    

"How about you tell me what you like to drink? I can go get it for you!"     

    

Gazing at the faint lines around Hui's eyes, she grabbed a thermos from her bag and placed it on her desk. "There's really no need. I already brought some water for myself."     

    

"Ah..." Seemingly disappointed, the young woman averted her gaze, but she still made no move to walk away. When Jian Yun opened her bag, she tilted her head to peek inside, only to see a glinting object from the insides of her bag. With a gasp, Hui leaned in a little closer. The box is so pretty! What's inside? Can I see it?"     

    

Hui reached out for the box, only to be immediately blocked.     

    

"What the hell are you doing?" Jian Yun wrenched the bag from the woman's arms, displeasure written all over her face.     

    

"I–I'm sorry. You reminded me of an old friend of mine, so I've overstepped." Hui stiffened. She immediately retracted her arms and folded them over her chest, looking like a dog who had just been scolded. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do it on purpose."     

    

"What's going on?" Upon hearing the sudden commotion, all of their other HR Department colleagues surrounded her work desk. They peered over the scene with furrowed eyebrows and narrowed eyes as they tried to piece together what had happened.     

    

"I–it's my fault." The young woman seemed shaken from Jian Yun's words, looking as if she was just about to cry. The corners of her eyes were rimmed red, and the back of her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She sniffled and avoided everyone's gazes as if she was afraid of being turned into stone.     

    

"Did Hui do something wrong? If so, the girl had only been here a couple of days. You shouldn't be too harsh on her," Sister Xiao scolded, having misunderstood the situation. She had always been a fair woman, and with her years of experience in working in the HR office, she was usually there to fix any disagreements that may happen in the office. Everyone respected her for that.     

    

"It's my fault!" Hui hurriedly covered. "This really isn't Jian Yun's fault."     

    

Seeing the newcomer's piteous figures, her surrounding colleagues began to shake their heads in disagreements. It was obvious that they were moved by the her tears.     

    

"Obviously I'm not the one at fault!" Jian Yun snapped. She didn't know why this Hui woman was acting so pitiful when in reality, she was the one who had started this entire thing! Did Hui really think that she was going to just sit there and let the others misunderstand her intentions? "I don't think we're close enough for you to take things out of my bag!"     

    

"Is that true?" Sister Xiao frowned.     

    

"The metallic box was so beautiful, so..." Not expecting her to be so direct, Hui struggled and failed to come up with a better excuse.     

    

Sister Xiao wrinkled her nose. "Then you're at fault here! Everyone has the right to their own privacy. Would you be willing to put your bag here and let others pry it open to see what's inside?"     

    

"I..."     

    

"What are you all doing here? Is Ming's paying all of you to chat?" As if right on time, Xia Bingbing's voice echoed from the other side of the office. Immediately, everyone had dispersed back to their own cubicles as they finished their respective paperwork.     

    

"I'm really sorry," Hui apologized one last time before hurrying off into the distance.     

    

Wu Wenjing had just arrived in the office when all of this commotion had started. Confused as to what really went on, she glanced at her friend. "What's wrong?"    

    

"How did this Hui woman get in? It's not like the HR Department needed another assistant, or janitor, or whatever she actually does here." Jian Yun furrowed her eyebrows. She had a nagging feeling that the woman was purposely trying to get close to her, and the way she had easily turned her co-workers against her said something else about the kind of woman she was.     

    

"It was Xia bitch who brought her in," Wu Wenjing reminded and shook her head. "Just ignore her."