Chapter 261: The Old-School Tyrant CEO 5

As the elevator doors slowly slid shut, their voices gradually faded into the distance.

Outside the doors, the secretarial pool instantly erupted into a heated discussion.

“Was that the President’s childhood sweetheart?”

“Must be. I’ve never seen her before, only heard the rumors.”

“She’s way too beautiful. I’m so jealous of the President. This little sweetheart has the temperament, the looks, and the family background. I’d be okay with a big sister like that too.”

The one who spoke was a young beauty from the secretarial team. No one expected such simp-like words to come out of her mouth. Clearly, beautiful women appreciated other beautiful women.

“Get out of here. You want to steal someone from the President? Do you have a death wish?” the others teased.

“True. Our President has a terrible temper. I don’t want to be tied to a stone and thrown into a pond.”

Just then, Assistant Cheng rushed out with some documents. A young secretary with a charming smile stopped him.

“Assistant Cheng? Was that lady our future President’s wife? If she is, you have to give us a heads-up. We don’t want to offend the future lady of the house.”

Assistant Cheng immediately felt a sense of crisis.

What!

Someone was trying to suck up to the boss’s wife before him? This would not do.

He had to be the first. This was a major matter concerning his salary raises.

To prevent others from getting ahead of him, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he placed a finger in front of his lips and gave a soft “shh.”

The meaning was self-evident, leaving them to fill in the blanks with their own imagination.

The young secretary watched Assistant Cheng turn and walk away, unable to help clicking her tongue. “Keeping it quite mysterious…”

“It’s fine. Everyone has seen what the childhood sweetheart looks like now. We’ll just pay more attention when she comes by in the future. Just don’t offend her.”

“Sister Li is right.”

*

Having already gotten into the car, Shen Xiuyan didn’t expect that his dream of finally accompanying Su Mingyue shopping would still fail to materialize.

The two had just finished their meal when they saw Qingqing running toward them at the entrance, looking quite pleased with herself.

Su Mingyue cried out in surprise, “Qingqing, how did you find us here? Didn’t we agree that I couldn’t be with you today?”

“First, I never agreed to that. Second, I really can’t stand looking at his excited face.” Ying Qing tilted her chin up triumphantly, looking like a proud little peacock. “As for how I found this place…”

Su Mingyue held her breath, waiting for the rest.

Ying Qing made a Detective Conan gesture. “There is only one truth! This is the private kitchen closest to his company. No other place would be worthy of his status as a young master, and he wouldn’t go out of his way to eat somewhere else. After all, his time is money. How could he waste it on the road?”

Shen Xiuyan: “…”

What bad luck. How did she manage to stumble upon the right place?

Perhaps the original owner’s time was money, but his wasn’t. He was simply afraid Mingyue would get hungry, and this shop happened to be the closest…

Seeing Ying Qing still standing there looking smugly at Shen Xiuyan, Su Mingyue hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.

“Stop right there. Fix your expression, or I won’t help you in a moment.”

“Fine~” Ying Qing rolled her eyes at Shen Xiuyan and sat down beside Su Mingyue without the slightest bit of politeness.

Then, in one fluid motion, she drank the water and turned her head. The moment she turned, a bright smile was plastered on her face. “Oh, as expected of water poured by our baby. It’s so sweet.”

Shen Xiuyan’s long, slender fingers tapped lightly on the table. Anyone could see he was in a foul mood.

“Ying Qing, I’m telling you for the last time. Don’t call her baby. That’s not a name for you to use.”

“It’s not for me to use? Then you call her that.” Ying Qing stiffened her neck and shrank behind Su Mingyue, looking very much like a fox flaunting the tiger’s might¹.

Clack-

It was the sound of chopsticks hitting a plate. Though the sound wasn’t loud, Ying Qing flinched.

Shen Xiuyan’s temper was notoriously bad, and he had done more than a few crazy things. At the very least, he was an existence in H Country that no one dared to provoke.

She was just a little Movie Queen; she naturally couldn’t withstand his aura.

Ying Qing muttered resentfully, “Fine, I won’t call her that…”

It was as if this incident gave her an opening.

She turned and threw herself against Su Mingyue’s chest. “Waaaah, I’m so miserable! My sister promised to come out and play with me, but not only did she go back on her word, I’m even being threatened…”

Flustered, Su Mingyue stroked her head. “Don’t cry. It’s my fault, okay? It’s just shopping, right? Come on, let’s go now.”

“Sob, sob.” A muffled voice came from Su Mingyue’s embrace. “Without President Shen?”

Su Mingyue looked at the tearful beauty in her arms, then at the noble gentleman across from her whose veins were practically popping out of his hands. It was a difficult choice.

Heavens, why was this happening to her?

While having one on each arm was a delight, this wasn’t something a weak woman like her could endure.

Shen Xiuyan couldn’t bear to see Mingyue troubled. He rubbed his temples. “Forget it. I just won’t go.”

Su Mingyue’s eyes lit up. She quickly looked down and said, “Did you hear that? He’s not going. We won’t take him. Stop crying now.”

Excellent. A win.

The little beauty instantly stopped her fake sobbing and sat up briskly from Su Mingyue’s arms.

Hah, did he really think he could beat her?

Did he think she became a Movie Queen for nothing?

Shen Xiuyan shrugged, signaling Su Mingyue to look at the other woman’s face.

Oh no. Her smile was too wide, and she didn’t have time to pull it back.

Su Mingyue, turning her head, caught her right in the act.

…

Good grief. This “all thunder and no rain” routine wasn’t the first time. How could she still believe it?

If she ever believed Ying Qing again, she was a pig!!!

Su Mingyue looked at Shen Xiuyan apologetically, only to see a trace of grievance on that sharp, handsome face.

Ugh, she was guilty. How could she let down Xiuyan’s desire to go shopping with her?

Su Mingyue quickly tried to comfort him. “Are you busy tomorrow? How about I accompany you tomorrow instead?”

Ying Qing’s eyes darted around. “Yeah, yeah! I’ll come along with you guys tomorrow too.”

Shen Xiuyan gave a cold sneer. “And you’re a Movie Queen? Did you buy the title? Are you really that idle?”

“You—” Ying Qing snapped, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Shen Xiuyan ignored her entirely. Instead, he looked at Su Mingyue and shook his head, his soulful eyes brimming with deep understanding.

“I don’t have anything going on tomorrow, but it really doesn’t matter. If you have work to do, go ahead and focus on that. You don’t need to go out of your way to clear your schedule for me. I don’t know why Ying Qing is being so inconsiderate of your feelings. Unlike her, I…”

Ying Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief. Since when had Shen Xiuyan changed his tactics?

The stench of a “green tea” manipulator was so thick she could practically smell it from where she stood.

Surely Mingyue wouldn’t fall for this act…

She turned her head cautiously, only to see Mingyue’s eyes shimmering with emotion. Dammit, she was actually falling for it.

Translator’s Notes