You, CEO’s Secret Wife

For the next few days, Jian Yun would spend her dinner at the CEO's office, and before she could even notice it, their relationship wasn't as stiff as it had been in the beginning. In fact, as much as she didn't like to admit it, those dinner hours were already starting to grow on her despite the fact of it always ending in playful banter.    

    

Although the company she had was strange, so to say the least, the food was definitely out of this world. In the last few days, she had eaten fresh seafood, stir-fried beef, and even some rosemary chicken. Sometimes, Huo Liancheng would even bring over a bowl of soup–one that was great for her period pains. At this point, she might've gained more weight in this week alone compared to what she normally gained in an entire month! However, that wasn't what had worried her. In actuality, she couldn't help but be concerned over her budding relationship with Liancheng, or whatever some might call it.     

    

Ever since they had started eating together, the man took it upon himself to tease her even harder–sometimes to the point where she was convinced that he had grown addicted to her harsh glares and pursed lips.     

    

However, no matter what words he may throw at her, she made sure to never back down. Whenever he would tease her, she'd annoy him right back, making sure to not give in until she could see smoke blowing from his ears. From an outsider's perspective, their relationship may just be a weird process of getting rid of their masochistic ways, but she couldn't care less. And it seemed that neither did he. These sarcastic retorts had definitely improved from her casual stutters and forced formalities, which had made him even more overjoyed. That was enough to keep him going at this point.     

    

Even Jian Yun found herself becoming more and more unguarded whenever she'd eat with him. She didn't know when it had started, but she started to treat him more as a friend than as her boss, which scared her to no end. Just the mere thought of him becoming something more to her sent a dull ache in her heart. When that happened, she'd draw away almost immediately and hide under her makeshift barriers. No matter how many times Huo Liancheng had proclaimed his love, her past still came by to haunt her–as a warning that she couldn't bring herself to fall for him even if she wanted to...which she didn't.     

    

With a shake of her head, she glanced at the clock only to see that their shift was almost over. Surprisingly, Xia Bingbing had been quiet in the past few days. Not only had she not thrown a tantrum, but she also hadn't deliberately pointed out any faults with the HR Department. Although it was unnerving to see her like this, it was still a nice break for everyone. Finally–for the first time in the month, they could finally head home unbothered and ready for the weekend. Even Jian Yun had to sigh in relief.     

    

"Yun, will we be heading to the bar tonight?" Wu Wenjing stuck her head out of the cubicle.     

    

She slowly shook her head, turning off her computer. "I have other things to do, so I might not be able to go."     

    

"Are you going on a date with that lawyer again?" Wu Wenjing squinted her eyes as a mischievous smile slipped into her lips.     

    

"Of course not." Jian Yun scoffed, turning away to hide her flushed face. She had made sure not to tell anyone about her frequent visits to the CEO's office. Usually, whenever it was time to get off work, she'd usually check to see if the lobby was empty before she'd scurry into the elevator. Even then, she'd press various buttons to confuse everyone as to where she was going. Sometimes, she couldn't help but feel like a criminal who was trying to get away from murder. 'Maybe the police station could hire me with how great I'm doing,' she thought mockingly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at herself.     

    

Luckily, nobody had caught on to what she was doing, because if she was, then she'd definitely be the talk of the entire office. Not only that, but she'd be under the pits of Xia Bingbing's wrath. However, she knew that she could only get away with this act for so long. Now, all she could hope was for Huo Liancheng to get bored with her before that time would ever come. Yet with her rotten luck, that may not be the likeliest of options.     

    

Wu Wenjing had already packed her bag. She sat beside her friend and leaned in a little bit closer. "Speaking of Lawyer Zhou, any progress with your relationship?"     

    

"What do you think?" Just as Jian Yun was about to say anything more, her phone had vibrated. She glanced at the screen and scoffed. "Speak of the devil."     

    

"Every time we speak of that Lawyer, your face gets all scrunched up like you've drunk a bottle of poison." Wu Wenjing snickered, noticing the lack of enthusiasm from her friend's features. "And here I thought you and him were meant to have your happy-ever-after!"     

    

"Don't even start with me." Jian Yun sighed, rubbing the creases on her forehead. These past few days had been awful. Ever since she had started eating with Huo Liancheng, she didn't have a chance to actually accept Zhou Shaolong's offer to eat out, and the man had called over almost every single day. If this continued, her relationship with him would be over before it had even started! And as much as she was happy to leave it at that, her mother wouldn't be pleased.     

    

For Mrs. Jian, Zhou Shaolong was as good as he could get, and she had always showered him with compliments whenever they talked. Jian Yun just didn't have the heart to tell her that they hadn't done anything to progress their relationship. Hell, they hadn't even held hands before, much less lean into each other's arms! Somehow, whenever she was with him, they were like an awkward pair of middle-schoolers, just minus the cuteness of it all.     

    

But how was Jian Yun going to tell her that? Whenever she tried, her mother would immediately pester her about her relationship with Zhou Shaolong. "Not only is he handsome, but he's pretty well-off," Mrs. Jian would insist every time she picked up the phone. It was obvious that the old woman had high expectations of him, and she just couldn't disappoint her. After all, this was the least Jian Yun could do after all the dates that she had ultimately turned down. With a sigh, she swiped the answer button and placed the phone on her ear.     

    

"Hello?"    

    

Zhou Shaolong greeted her, "Jian Yun, can we have dinner together tonight?"     

    

Before she could refuse, he immediately added, "Don't tell me you're working overtime tonight. I'm actually at the lobby right now."     

    

"I..." Jian Yun tried to rack her brains for a better excuse, only to come up with a blank. She stared at the blackened screen of her computer, just wondering what she had gotten herself into. 'I couldn't avoid him forever,' she told herself. If she wanted to develop things with him, then that meant putting her own feelings aside and going out with him. Otherwise, what would her mother do if she found out about this?    

    

However if she agreed in going out with him...then that meant she had to tell Huo Liancheng.     

    

'Whatever,' she thought, shaking her head. She was only doing this for her mother's sake. Besides, it wasn't as if Huo Liancheng had any intentions of marrying her. He was just another rich man looking to have his dose of serotonin, and she needed to look for someone else who could be with her in the long run. Zhou Shaolong was clearly the better choice for her, and at this point, she couldn't really argue against that logic.     

    

Convinced, she slowly nodded. "Wait for me, okay? I'll be down in a bit."     

    

Hanging up, Jian Yun quickly dialed Huo Liancheng's number.     

    

"Is it the end of the world already? Why are you calling me?" His voice sounded from the other end of the line. There was a happy twinge in his words, one that she had been used to hearing in the past couple of days.     

    

"I've got something to attend to tonight, so I might not be able to come to your office later," Jian Yun nervously murmured as her fingernails dug into her palms. Should she tell him of her date? Should she not? Was it better to just leave it alone? With so many thoughts rushing into the back of her mind, she couldn't do anything but sit there, standing the sweat that was beading down her neck.     

    

There was silence from the other end of the line, and he suddenly asked, "What is it?"     

    

"I'm going on a reunion with some of my old classmates." The lie slipped past her lips before she could even stop it, and she immediately squeezed her eyes shut. Besides, if Huo Liancheng found out where she was actually going, he probably wouldn't let her go. This was a much better option, right? Plus, he had no right to interfere with her business. Lie or not, Jian Yun didn't need to explain herself to him.     

    

"I could ask someone to drive you there." His voice had lost all its lightness, and she couldn't tell what he was feeling anymore.     

    

"There's no need. The restaurant's really close." Not wanting to say anything more, she quickly refused. "I'll hang up, okay?"     

    

"Okay." Instead of leaving it at that, Huo Liancheng slowly moved to the French window where he glared down at the busy streets below him. The neon lights glimmered in his line of sight, but he simply ignored him. His gaze danced across the street as if he was looking for someone from the crowd hovering around him.     

    

Within a few minutes, he spotted a willowy figure rushing out of the entrance. Although Huo Liancheng couldn't see her face clearly, he knew that the woman was none other than Jian Yun.     

    

As he was observing them, he saw another man walking up to her. The two spoke a few more words before entering the car and driving off down the freeway.     

    

At the sight, Huo Liancheng pinched the space between his eyebrows and closed his eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he slowly moved away from his desk. It seemed that he had more important things to deal with.     

    

Jian Yun didn't know why, but as soon as she stepped out of the entranceway, she felt as if she was being watched. The hairs at the back of her neck stood in anxiety as she greeted Zhou Shaolong. She tried looking around, only to see that no one was there. The feeling still didn't disappear after she had gotten into his car, which made her feel even more uneasy.     

    

"Are you feeling better?" Noticing that she was distracted, Zhou Shaolong tilted his head.     

    

"I'm much better. Thank you for asking." She scolded herself at the formality of her tone. Why was she being so hard on him?     

    

"Let's go eat first, and maybe after, we could go see a movie." Zhou Shaolong didn't really pay much attention to her unfamiliarity. In his point of view, he could tell that there were hundreds of men who were pursuing her. Seeing her right here beside him gave him a sense of security. At this point, he just decided to go with the flow. As long as she was here with him, he wouldn't push things too far–afraid to scare her off.     

    

"Sure." Even then, Jian Yun still continued to give one-word replies. There was something about the atmosphere inside of the car that made her feel uncomfortable like she shouldn't be here at all. 'You're probably just overthinking things,' she told herself, but even then, she couldn't just bring herself to brush this uneasiness right under the rug.     

    

"What's wrong?" He glanced at her. "You don't look happy."     

    

"I'm just a bit tired." She slowly looked away. Wanting to seem more friendly, she forced a smile into her lips.     

    

"If you're tired, then you shouldn't go to work." He patted her hand comfortingly. "Once we get married, you can resign. After all, it's a man's job to support his wife."     

    

Jian Yun blinked back in surprise. When he had touched her, a sting of disgust raced through her veins. Instead of feeling comforted, she felt greasy and dirty about the way his fingers had grazed against hers. Immediately, she retracted her hand and leaned back against her seat. What the hell was going on with her? Normally, she had more restraint in her actions! And besides, his hands weren't that bad at all. But Huo Liancheng's on the other hand...She shook her head. Now was not the time to think of him!     

    

"I can handle it." She waved him off dismissively. Besides, she had only known Zhou Shaolong for less than a month. It would be too rushed if they started discussing things about marriage. Remembering her last blind date where the man had brought up their marriage right off the bat, she held back a sigh. Sometimes, she wondered if these men were more anxious to get hitched than she was.     

    

Zhou Shaolong had taken her to a nice hotel for dinner, but even the five-star meal wasn't enough to clear her mind. Noticing this, Zhou Shaolong glanced at her. "Why don't we head to the movies?" Just as she was about to follow him right out the door, her phone suddenly rang.     

    

When Jian Yun glanced at the Caller ID, a sense of trepidation crashed down on her like a tidal wave.     

    

It was Huo Liancheng.