At a glance, she spotted that small section of the pleated skirt and the thin layer of black over-the-knee socks.
Clearly, everything was covered up tightly, yet an incredibly docile, youthful sweetness was still apparent.
Her deep, cold, and elegant gaze paused.
Shen Yi had always preferred her female companions to wear dresses.
In the past, every lover by her side would cater to her tastes by dressing lightly, even in the dead of winter.
Callous as she was, she wouldn’t necessarily spare them a second glance, let alone care whether they were cold or not.
But at this moment, Shen Yi recalled that day when Xu Yinian was waiting for someone at the subway station, and those weak, breathless murmurs over the phone that were mingled with the cold air.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
…Her constitution was so frail, yet she was wearing so little.
Unexpectedly, in this situation, the girl did not dodge for the first time. Instead, she plunged into her gaze, looking both fearful and anxious.
Just like when she had been drugged, it was only when she needed something that she would reveal this side of her—docile to the core and clingy, knowing only how to depend on her.
Her movement as she finally realized she needed to press the elevator button was as clumsy and haphazard as ever.
Yet those timid almond eyes, misty with tears and looking at her as if she were a lifeline, filled with absolute dependence and pleading, were indeed something Shen Yi found gratifying.
Secretary Zhou also finally noticed Xu Yinian, not forgetting that her Young Mistress was still behind her. The signature professional smile on her face almost cracked from the shock.
CEO Shen never approached her to ask about Shen Ruoshuang’s affairs.
As a result, the secretary had no idea that the junior from the Academy of Sciences who had invited CEO Shen was actually Shen Ruoshuang’s mentor, much less that the Young Mistress would also be present at this lecture!
Observing their reactions, the secretary finally realized that they seemed to have known all along, without showing the slightest bit of surprise.
Their relationship was so fraught it was like fire and water; in front of others, they simply pretended to be strangers. It was likely that no one in the entire group even knew the two were mother and daughter.
But why hadn’t CEO Shen reminded the young girl that Shen Ruoshuang was also there?
How could she have imagined that her cold and stern boss was still nursing a fit of jealousy, all because she had been hung up on after hearing the words, “Someone’s here”?
Left with no choice, Secretary Zhou immediately sent a message warning Xu Yinian to be careful not to be discovered. However, Xu Yinian had arrived quite early for fear of being late. Not only did she miss the message, but she also ran straight into the main group.
Secretary Zhou had heard about how the Young Mistress had rushed back through the heavy rain last time after finding out CEO Shen had broken protocol by bringing someone to the main residence.
Moreover, she remembered that the girl was the Young Mistress’s roommate…
If the truth about CEO Shen and Xu Yinian were ever discovered, it would be a catastrophe!
Just as she was about to discreetly signal to her boss that Xu Yinian had arrived, she saw the elevator doors slide shut.
CEO Shen’s footsteps faltered for a moment. “Let’s take the stairs.”
She felt a bit sheepish as the realization dawned on her—it turned out CEO Shen had noticed her long ago.
Though she didn’t say a word to remind her, her hands naturally helped to conceal it…
When a natural-born leader spoke so casually, almost everyone instinctively followed her lead.
Only Shen Ruoshuang withdrew her gaze from the folder, staring coldly at Shen Yi’s back.
Others might not have known, but she understood better than anyone that the woman maintained extremely rigorous plans and habits before doing anything. She would never easily come up with a new idea that broke her own rules. Initially, Shen Ruoshuang thought that CEO Shen’s uncharacteristic agreement to attend the lecture was simply another attempt to exert control over her.
She had even considered whether Xu Yinian, whom she had been carefully hiding all this time, had been discovered.
She had already prepared a contingency plan as early as last night.
But until now, let alone making things difficult, she hadn’t even cast a shred of attention toward her.
It made Shen Ruoshuang doubt her own suspicions for the first time.
Since it had nothing to do with Xu Yinian, Shen Ruoshuang didn’t have the slightest bit of interest. She cast a brief glance toward the elevator entrance before withdrawing her gaze, treating the woman as if she didn’t exist.
“Senior, what’s wrong?”
Shen Ruoshuang’s mentor thought she had been a poor host.
“Too many people.”
Shen Yi only dropped a brief remark; she never wasted time on such meaningless dialogue or trivialities.
Meanwhile, Xu Yinian had dawdled in the elevator for another round-trip. She didn’t dare linger outside for a second longer. Seizing the moment when no one was around, she pulled open the lounge door and ducked inside.
Little did she know, a dark gaze lurking quietly around the corner had already taken in her every move.
The lounge wasn’t large, designed in the school’s typical academic, minimalist, and functional style. Aside from a water dispenser and a printer, there was only a sofa, a full set of office furniture, and a bookcase filled with chemistry-related books.
Xu Yinian spotted Shen Yi’s name prominently displayed in one of the rows at a single glance.
An inexplicable surge of complex emotions, going beyond mere avoidance and fear, welled up in her heart.
She seemed even more formidable than she had imagined…
A moment later, an uneasy Xu Yinian searched the room, only to discover in despair that the only place she could hide was under that office desk.
If someone came, would she really have to hide under there?
This was… way too embarrassing!
