Chapter 153: A Recognized Status Part 1

Xu Yinian only dared to use those glistening, almond eyes of hers to cling to and rely on Secretary Zhou.

But in the next second, the secretary was dismissed by Shen Yi’s cold, harsh voice. Suddenly losing her pillar of support, Yinian could only hang her head, her small, palm-sized face clouded with gloom.

She was still feeling twisted and aggrieved. It was Shen Yi who had told her to come to the company, and it was Shen Yi who had allowed outsiders to walk in at such an inopportune moment.

Xu Yinian had also realized how casually Shen Yi acted in front of others, making no effort to hide the nature of their relationship.

But she clearly wasn’t Shen Yi’s lover…

Raised for over a decade under the principles of the bamboo-pure Xu Yihe, her self-esteem recoiled at the thought of being looked down upon or misunderstood in that way.

Furthermore, Xu Yinian harbored a tiny, private wish that she absolutely couldn’t let Shen Yi discover.

She didn’t realize in the slightest that even her slightly crooked ponytail was enough to stir the rolling waves of possessive desire within Shen Yi.

Having been treated with such blatant double standards, how could Shen Yi possibly let her off? Her cold voice, looking down from above, was clearly laced with suppressed emotion.

“You were looking at my secretary like that just now. Why? Not looking anymore?”

Even someone as dull as Xu Yinian could hear the hint of possessiveness in that rhetorical question.

Is she… is she even jealous of Secretary Zhou…?

How could Yinian know that very few people could withstand that gaze of hers—a gaze that seemed to place its entire soul’s reliance on the other person, looking so pitiable and timid?

And she certainly didn’t know that Shen Yi’s possessiveness didn’t come out of nowhere; that “Secretary Zhou,” who was so kind to her, was actually carefully hiding a secret, hidden interest of her own.

The faint blush on Xu Yinian’s face hadn’t faded yet. Any thoughts of being angry were forgotten as she blurted out instinctively, “It’s… it’s different with you.”

She had no idea that this instinctive “it’s different” played right into that woman’s deliberate desire for exclusivity.

“How is it different?”

Shen Yi’s voice remained unchanged, but her cold, glamorous eyes flickered slightly, suppressing the danger that lurked beneath as she coaxed the girl to speak.

As expected, Yinian remained blissfully unaware. Her cheeks only grew redder as she murmured in a soft, yielding voice.

“…We… we can’t let people know.”

The “we” that had been unconsciously coaxed out of her, along with the implication of a secret, underground ambiguity, undoubtedly pleased Shen Yi once again.

She was so obedient it was almost impossible to hold back.

“Is that why you’re feeling aggrieved?”

The arrogant strength that refused to allow a single person to act willfully or defy her in her presence had now transformed. It became an endless, deliberate indulgence, her tone softening with intent.

Aside from her possessiveness, even Shen Yi’s previously non-negotiable command to “be good” was rarely mentioned anymore.

She had spoiled the girl herself, making her increasingly delicate. Even Yinian’s disobedience and tantrums seemed to be perfectly tailored to her preferences.

Xu Yinian was like a small animal, hypersensitive to who was being mean to her and who was being kind.

She let out a muffled “mm” in her nasal voice, her pitiable, dependent gaze finally winding its way back to Shen Yi with careful hesitation.

Her voice was sticky and thick with grievance. “I don’t want to be… to be thought of as your…”

She stumbled for a long time before she could force out a word that felt too shameful to mention, a word so blurred and quiet it was almost inaudible: “…lover.”

Of course she wasn’t a lover.

Shen Yi knew better than anyone how inglorious a kept relationship maintained by money truly was.

Having had numerous lovers in the past, she was uniquely determined never to put Xu Yinian in such a position.

Same-sex marriage laws hadn’t passed domestically yet, so whether she was called a girlfriend, a partner, or even Madam Shen made no fundamental difference—it all depended on Shen Yi’s favoritism and pampering.

But currently, the issue wasn’t that Shen Yi was unwilling to give her a title.

It was that the girl was counting down the days even while staying by her side, thinking of when she could finally leave.

Even if Shen Yi had the heart to give her a status, that person wouldn’t agree to acknowledge it.

…It wasn’t that she wouldn’t give one; it was clearly Xu Yinian who refused to give her a status.

In this relationship that Shen Yi had forced into existence, Xu Yinian wanted nothing. It was merely the inherent weakness in her character that made her endure it blindly, neither daring nor able to break free.

Of course, this ambiguous relationship was a solid reality—one that even Xu Yinian couldn’t deny, only hide.

As long as Shen Yi didn’t proactively let go, Xu Yinian was undoubtedly hers.

The dark shadows of forceful possessiveness receded into the depths of Shen Yi’s eyes.

“That won’t happen.”

Three short words. They were a steadying, comforting reassurance, delivered with her habitual control over all things.

“No lover is permitted to come here.”

Xu Yinian’s breath hitched as she stared blankly.

That one sentence undoubtedly hid two guarantees.

First, this was a privilege unique to her alone.

Second, Shen Yi had never looked at her as a lover.

Shen Yi indeed didn’t indulge in flirtation; any words that hinted at pampering or love were delivered with a forceful, calculated restraint.

And yet, every single word keenly identified the shameful insecurities that Xu Yinian had never voiced.

Those words, which seemed as devoid of warmth as ever, were actually burning hot as they sank into her heart, dispelling all of Xu Yinian’s unuttered grievances and worries.

Only a moment later, her voice took a turn.

“Compared to that…”

“If they’re going to guess, they would only guess… Madam Shen.”

No one was more qualified to utter those three words naturally than this woman with her innate nobility.

It didn’t sound like a statement; it sounded like she was calling out to someone, a name filled with endless, lingering tenderness that sparked the imagination.

This was the second time she had heard it, and this time, the name—a hundred times more embarrassing than before—had come from Shen Yi’s own lips.

It felt as though something had exploded in her ears with a bang. Xu Yinian’s mind went completely blank.

She met those aggressive, cold, and glamorous eyes, but she couldn’t find a single trace of a joke or mockery within them.

Finally, those red lips spoke each word slowly.

“Weren’t you happy for the other ‘Madam Shen’? Hmm?”

Clearly, coaxing her and making sure she learned her lesson were not mutually exclusive.

With just this one sentence of slow, deliberate torment, Xu Yinian finally understood the reason for today’s provocation.

She had been bold enough to casually say she was “happy for Liu Qiao,” and Shen Yi had found out…

She was… she was doomed!

A tall, graceful shadow stretched to her toes, silently creeping into her field of vision.

It was like a warning sign of dangerous control.

Under this crushing pressure, Xu Yinian had just taken half a step back when she hit the edge of the office desk.

Behind her was the stack of books she had just put down.

And the files and contracts worth tens of millions, which the secretary had neatly laid out for the evening’s video conference.