Chapter 101: Rainy Night Part 1

Xu Yinian had no idea that Secretary Zhou, the woman on the other end of the line, was the same personal secretary she had met alongside Shen Yi before.

Hearing her say, “Miss Xu, please wait a moment,” as if she needed to consult with someone else, Yinian waited quietly. She had arrived earlier than the appointed time specifically to avoid being late, so she was fully prepared to wait.

However, a sudden cold front had swept through. The wind lashed against the exposed skin of her cheeks, stinging sharply. Xu Yinian let out an involuntary, muffled whimper. She didn’t realize that every soft sound she made was being transmitted clearly to the occupants of the car.

Shen Yi looked up, her ambiguous gaze sweeping over the secretary reflected in the rearview mirror.

Every slight movement of the CEO’s features carried an innate, weary nobility. She was a woman of a thousand charms, yet she remained bone-chillingly cold. That single look made the secretary’s heart skip a beat in fear.

In truth, Shen Yi was as cold-hearted as the rumors suggested. She never bothered to be considerate toward her past flings. But then again, which of those partners hadn’t been provided for with the utmost material luxury? There had never been a reason for one of them to take the subway!

Moreover, considering today’s weather… one could hear the howling, torrential wind through the speakerphone.

Secretary Zhou had only agreed to let Xu Yinian come on her own to avoid spooking her—she wanted to bring the girl before CEO Shen without making a scene. How could she have known that CEO Shen would witness the girl shivering in the freezing cold, looking so pitiable while waiting for them?

Recalling how her picky, exacting boss had repeatedly overlooked the girl’s previous intrusions and mistakes with uncharacteristic leniency, the secretary’s heart hammered against her ribs.

She… she’s worried about the girl freezing.

When had the cold and domineering CEO Shen ever treated anyone like this? Every detail of this encounter was tinged with a strangeness that set it apart from her past affairs. It all pointed to one conclusion: Xu Yinian was far from insignificant. In fact, the CEO cared about her immensely!

Realizing this, Secretary Zhou covered the phone’s microphone with her hand and rushed to make amends.

“CEO Shen, that was my oversight. It’s so cold outside; perhaps I should have someone take Miss Xu to your room immediately…”

With her newfound realization, Secretary Zhou understood the priority. The financial aid ceremony was merely a pretext. CEO Shen still had to give a speech and present awards later, and there were too many variables. It was best to get the girl into Shen Yi’s hands as soon as possible.

The “room” was the Presidential Suite on the top floor of the hotel, reserved exclusively for Shen Yi. At best, it served as a private lounge; Shen Yi owned countless properties in the Capital, so she naturally didn’t think much of a hotel suite. As for how the CEO intended to “handle” the girl later, that wasn’t for the secretary to worry about.

Shen Yi remained silent, but her gaze shifted back to the phone on speaker.

The secretary let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief and quickly apologized to Xu Yinian over the phone. She then fire-off a series of urgent instructions to an assistant already at the venue to go and collect her. She didn’t forget to tell the catering department to send hot milk and desserts—things a young girl might like—to the Presidential Suite to ward off the chill and fill her stomach.

Having served a difficult and demanding boss for five years, the secretary’s efficiency and attention to detail were second to none.

A few moments later, an assistant who looked like a recent college graduate arrived, breathless from running, to meet Xu Yinian.

Knowing she had arrived early, Yinian felt terribly embarrassed. Her face flushed a deeper pink, making her look even more docile.

The assistant hadn’t forgotten the text her mentor had sent her: [Make it fast! Run!]

She had expected some high-ranking dignitary and had been terrified, sprinting at a speed that would have broken her university’s track records. Instead, she found this sweet, student-like girl. Though she couldn’t fathom the mystery behind it, she didn’t dare question it.

As she led the way, she secretly messaged her mentor. The reply was blunt: [Don’t worry about the ceremony. Your task today is to look after her. Serve her the best food and drink; treat her like a goddess.]

Seeing how serious her veteran mentor was, the fresh graduate didn’t dare be negligent for a second.

As they walked, Xu Yinian noticed the crowds thinning. This didn’t seem to be the way to the main banquet hall. Her confusion grew until they reached the top floor, where the assistant used a code to open the doors to a Presidential Suite that looked staggeringly expensive.

She finally couldn’t help but gasp, “…M-may I ask what this is?”

“This is the designated guest lounge. My boss said she has to handle the banquet matters first before she can come over. She asked if you could please wait for her here,” the assistant said, using the excuse her mentor had provided.

Faced with the sincere plea of someone her own age, and having already reached the door, Xu Yinian swallowed her words about whether she even wanted to apply for the financial aid. She stepped inside.

The suite was as massive as she had imagined. Her hands and feet, still stiff from the cold, felt out of place in such luxury. Seeing that the assistant had no intention of leaving, she looked at her with a troubled, seeking gaze.

The assistant saw the cake, sandwiches, and milk already prepared on the dining table and remembered the instruction to “serve her well.” Does that mean I should make her eat something?

“It’s still early. Why don’t you have something to eat?”

Xu Yinian shook her head quickly.

The young assistant immediately pressed her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, looking as if she were about to cry. “My superior specifically ordered this. She said you need something hot to drive out the cold so you don’t get sick. If she sees you haven’t eaten, she’ll definitely blame me for being incompetent…”

Xu Yinian couldn’t find a way to refuse such a plea. She sat down properly at the table, cupping the warm glass of milk with both hands and taking a few sips. Combined with the perfectly adjusted heating in the room, a wave of warmth finally spread through her. The frozen numbness in her cheeks and limbs began to fade.