Chapter 15

Liang Shi rarely wore such a sharp makeup look, especially her eyeliner, which was made even sharper as her eyes were raised, making her seem unapproachable.

She was afraid of running into Li Junqian in the elevator or during routine meetings, so at least her makeup and clothing could help her project a more imposing aura.

A regular meeting is usually held after holidays, and since the Creative Department is directly under Li Junqian, we had to at least meet today. But to our surprise, the last person to walk into the meeting room was Gu Feng, who had just returned from France.

Gu Feng didn't need to attend the regular meeting of the Creative Department and the Brand Department, but he sat in Li Junqian's original seat. Liang Shi's expression was a little unnatural. Could it be that she broke up with him yesterday, and the jerk was holding a grudge and didn't want to see her?

Yao Lei, sitting opposite, was also a little surprised and asked on behalf of everyone in the conference room, "President Gu, why are you the one chairing our regular meeting?"

Gu Feng took the documents Zhou Yun handed him and leaned back in his chair leisurely: "Your General Manager Li has been invited by the Singapore branch for exchange and learning, and by the way, he'll be going to the laboratory there to develop a new fragrance. He asked me to attend the meeting on his behalf, and also to report to me on the work of both of your departments for the next period of time."

Whether he was 'invited' or went to Singapore to avoid her, Liang Shi didn't want to figure it out; in any case, this man no longer had any personal relationship with her.

After the meeting ended, Liang Shi called out to Gu Feng, who smiled and invited her to come upstairs to his office.

On the 23rd floor, Liang Shi passed by Li Junqian's office and couldn't help but steal a glance. The door was made of transparent glass; he really didn't care about his privacy.

In Gu Feng's enormous CEO office, Liang Shi sat on the sofa, and Zhou Yun quickly made her a hot latte. She thanked her and glanced at Zhou Yun, thinking, "She's truly a top-notch secretary."

"Suzie, has something come to mind? Tell me."

Liang Shi raised an eyebrow and smiled: "No, I haven't thought of that yet."

Gu Feng glanced at Zhou Yun, who was organizing the materials for him, and cleared his throat: "So you came to see me... about personal matters?"

Liang Shi nodded: "Through some personal connections, I know that the accommodation you arranged for me was not provided by the company. I don't like to owe people anything, so I have contacted the property management and am preparing to move out soon. Of course, I will reimburse you for the rent."

Gu Feng thought it was something serious: "Forget about the room fee, I'm not short of money. It was just my duty to invite you to Fanning. If you don't want to stay there, you can move out. But since you're so busy, you can ask my secretary for help with renting a place; she knows a lot about this."

As expected, Zhou Yun, who was organizing the documents, glared at him.

...

As luck would have it, Liang Shi ran into Zhou Yun at a Western restaurant at noon. Since he had the opportunity, he suggested treating her to lunch. Zhou Yun didn't refuse, probably because of what he had said in Gu Feng's conference room that morning.

The salad and pasta arrived quickly, and Zhou Yun was telling her about her past experiences renting apartments.

"I didn't expect you to be one of those Shanghai drifters too, drinking water instead of alcohol, we're the same."

The glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound. Zhou Yun took a sip, smiled, and shook her head. "I'm different from you. I'm much more ordinary than you. If it weren't for President Li keeping me during the interview back then, I would probably be even more ordinary."

When Liang Shi heard those two words, he ran his fingers over the glass and asked, "You said karsten?"

Zhou Yun nodded: "I was originally Mr. Li's secretary. Later, Mr. Gu's secretary resigned, so I was borrowed and have been working for Mr. Gu ever since."

Tsk tsk, Liang Shi looked Zhou Yun over again. True to her name, she wasn't striking at first glance, but the more he looked, the more captivating she became. He just wondered if Li Junqian had any ulterior motives back then.

“We are all ordinary people. As for me, I am an orphan with no parents. To be honest, it is quite difficult to live alone in this big city. I want to buy a house, but I am afraid of the housing prices in Shanghai. If I rent a house, I think that I might as well buy a house instead of giving so much money to others.”

Zhou Yun was taken aback when she saw Liang Shi casually mention her background. She hadn't expected that this seemingly strong woman was actually an orphan! She secretly admired her for getting to where she was today through her own efforts.

"Director Liang, my family is from a small place in Guizhou. I have a mother and a younger sister. I am currently living alone in Shanghai. Fortunately, Director Gu pays me a high salary, otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford the rent that is equivalent to my monthly salary in a second-tier city."

Having probably shared their innermost thoughts, Liang Shi felt that Zhou Yun was a very tactful person. Plus, the two were quite similar, both struggling in a big city: "We can meet up for meals and shopping when we have time. I don't have many friends in Shanghai, so we get along quite well."

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "Sure. By the way, which district do you want to rent in? I know some good real estate agents who can help you ask around."

Liang Shi poked at the pasta on his plate with his fork and sighed, "I want to buy a house."

Sure enough, she saw that Secretary Zhou across from her was surprised. Yes, how could she not be surprised? The price of houses in the suburbs was comparable to that of houses in the city center of a second-tier city.

“I used to work in Paris and earned quite a bit of money, which I've saved up. It shouldn't be a problem to make a down payment. I'll be living alone, so it doesn't need to be too big. Of course, the distance doesn't matter, as long as there's a metro nearby. If you know any reliable real estate agents, you can recommend a few to me. I'd like to go look at some apartments this weekend.”

Zhou Yun was very efficient; Liang Shi received a WeChat message from her that afternoon.

Of course, Liang Shi acted quickly. He took a day off, visited several houses with the real estate agent, and signed the contract without hesitation.

She drove back to her residence from Minhang District, smiling the whole way. Even though it was in the suburbs, she would own her own house in the future.

Finally, she found a safe haven.

Zhou Yun's real estate agent friend thanked her for introducing such a straightforward client, and only then did she realize how quickly Liang Shi had acted, immediately ordering a bouquet of flowers from a florist.

The deliveryman couldn't come up, so she answered the phone and went downstairs, carrying a bunch of pale pink tulips. Just then, the elevator doors opened again as they were about to close, and Zhou Yun saw Gu Feng walk in, slightly out of breath.

There were only the two of them in the elevator at that moment. Zhou Yun didn't address him as "CEO": "You, went for a run?"

Gu Feng stared at the flowers in her arms, his brows furrowed: "Did I call you twice and you're deaf? Who brought you flowers in the middle of the afternoon? You dared to accept them in front of me?"

Zhou Yun could tell he was jealous from his expression, so she deliberately hugged the flowers tighter: "Why don't you dare to accept them?"

Sure enough, this man is not someone to mess with. If things don't go his way, he gets furious like a child. The elevator was going up, and there were security cameras, yet he still managed to corner him!

"There are security cameras! Stop messing around!"

Gu Feng didn't intend to do anything to her. Anyway, it was almost time to get off work, and he had hundreds of ways to make her regret going against him now.

"What's there to be afraid of? Headquarters will issue a notice tomorrow, and then we can hold hands openly in the company..."

Before Gu Feng could finish speaking, the woman in front of him shoved the bouquet of flowers into his mouth: "Didn't we agree not to make our relationship public?"

The bouquet was pushed aside, and Zhou Yun's cheek was rubbed by his bent index finger: "You believe what you say in bed?"

Gu Feng was pushed by her, and thought to himself that he had been too lenient with this woman lately. She was taking advantage of his affection and becoming more and more unrestrained. But looking at the woman's blushing and shy appearance, he liked her more and more.

"You shameless person!"

"There are even more shameless ones. Come to my place after get off work and see for yourself."

Zhou Yun was most afraid of Gu Feng doing this; he never kept his mouth shut at the company!

The elevator screen showed that we had arrived at the sixteenth floor. When the doors opened, Zhou Yun glared at him and said, "These flowers are for Director Liang to celebrate her recent purchase of a house."

Gu Feng leaned against the elevator railing and raised an eyebrow at her: "Honey, I didn't suspect you, why are you in such a hurry to explain? Come to my office right after you send the flowers."

The elevator doors closed slowly, Gu Feng's smile undiminished. To be honest, he wasn't worried at all that Zhou Yun would cheat on him. The two of them had been inseparable lately, their sex life was incredibly fulfilling, and this woman had no time for other men. Their relationship was going very well, hmph.

When Liang Shi received flowers from Zhou Yun, he took the opportunity to post them on his WeChat Moments. He didn't write a caption, just two photos: one of the flowers as a blessing, and the other of a property ownership certificate.

There were many comments below. Liang Shi only remembered to check the likes and comments after he had taken a shower and hid under the covers that day.

Almost everyone congratulated her on successfully settling in Shanghai. Gu Feng even said he hoped she could obtain Shanghai residency. Liang Shi internally rejected this idea; her registered residence wouldn't change, not even if she were given a hundred million.

Shanghai is the city she longs for, but her roots will always be in Wenchuan.

After scrolling through her messages and finding none, Liang Shi chuckled to himself. They'd broken up; there was no reason for him to care about her anymore. What was she hoping for?

In the middle of the night, Liang Shi got up to drink water. Fighting off sleepiness, he checked the time on his phone and a WeChat notification popped up—a warm message from a certain man.

Why isn't he sleeping at 3 a.m.? Isn't this man usually on a regular schedule?

He naturally wouldn't reply, so Liang Shi simply didn't look at it, stuffed his phone under his pillow, and continued sleeping.

The next day, Liang Shi arrived at the office, took a sip of black coffee, tore open the sandwich packaging, and then took out his phone from his bag and opened WeChat.

Li Junqian: When I was little, I didn't have enough money, but I did.

Liang Shi was so angry at those seven words that she lost her appetite, as if she couldn't afford to pay her loan. She threw her phone on the table, just as Marry opened the door and came in, looking very excited.

"Director Liang, Fan Ning has gone completely mad!"

Liang Shi was still angry, but he kept his personal and professional matters separate. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is something wrong at the company?"

Marry pointed to her computer: "A notice was posted on the company intranet that, effective immediately, the rule against office romances is completely null and void from headquarters to all branches of the Fanning Group."

Liang Shi glanced at the announcement but didn't feel much. After all, she had already broken up with Li Junqian. Even if they were still together, Li Junqian would definitely not make their relationship public.

"Holy crap, Director Liang, look at the group chat!"

Liang Shi frowned when he heard her swear. She didn't want to pick up her phone: "Hmm?"

Marry was so excited she almost jumped up: "Director Liang, President Gu and Secretary Zhou have gone public! My God, they're actually a couple! I knew there was something going on between them, they were so natural together!"

To be honest, Liang Shi was also quite shocked. After all, one was the president and the other was the president's secretary. It was somewhat dishonorable for them to be together.

Liang Shi couldn't resist and picked up her phone to open the company's large group chat that she had set to "Do Not Disturb." Good heavens, the company's rule against office romances had just been lifted, and the big boss, Gu Feng, had personally taken the lead by posting a public photo and text, without any shame, and even tagged Zhou Yun in the group.

After all, many employees in the company have secret relationships, so naturally most of them support the big boss.

Someone commented below: Could it be that President Gu and Secretary Zhou's trip to the Paris headquarters this time was for love, a journey to break free from their shackles?

Someone asked: Really? Then President Gu and Secretary Zhou must be an incredibly rare and perfect couple, right? Congratulations!

Liang Shi's romance ended without a trace, leaving some saddened and others happy. She placed her phone face down on the table: "This year, the Spring Festival and Valentine's Day are particularly close together. Marry, coordinate with the marketing department and quickly determine the data on all Fanning product categories appearing on major platforms recently. Once you have it compiled, send it to my email."

Marry, still immersed in the big boss's romance, was immediately pulled back to reality by her boss and quickly took notes and got to work.

Just before leaving get off work, Liang Shi made an internal call to Zhou Yun, firstly to congratulate her on finding a soulmate, and secondly to ask if she was available that evening.

After all, it was a competition with the big boss to recruit someone, so Liang Shi was quite flustered.

Fortunately, she received a positive reply. Liang Shi asked her if she wanted to go for hot pot, the really spicy kind, and she readily agreed. One is a girl from Sichuan and Chongqing, and the other is a girl from Guizhou; they can definitely handle spicy food.

...

Inside the hot pot restaurant, Liang Shi swallowed the tripe that had been sizzling in sesame oil, feeling great: "Shanghai cuisine is generally on the sweeter side, and there's no proper Sichuan cuisine in Paris. Today, I've finally satisfied my stomach that loves spicy food."

Zhou Yun empathized: "Mr. Gu is from Shanghai. He eats light food, loves sweets, and can't handle spicy food. I really enjoyed myself today."

Speaking of this, Liang Shi thought of that man, also a native of Shanghai, who also couldn't handle spicy food. But it was no longer her concern.

"You and President Gu are quite a good match, but I'm curious why someone as introverted as you would like someone as extroverted as President Gu."

Zhou Yun smiled shyly, blushing as if the hot pot was too hot: "Well... he's quite witty and humorous, and... very handsome."

Indeed, wealthy children who have lived a privileged life since childhood are the most likely to provide emotional value. After all, if you set aside the troubles that money brings, there are no troubles at all, and you can enjoy life to the fullest.

She admired Zhou Yun.

"President Gu has a good temper. Many employees say he has high emotional intelligence, and it should be quite comfortable to be around him. Shall we go shopping together later?"

"OK."

Liang Shi returned home carrying several luxury goods bags. She was exhausted, but she still took a shower and did her skincare routine before going back to bed. The new house didn't need any renovations; she liked the original style. She only needed to replace the sofa and bed, and she could move in in about a week.

At first, Liang focused on her work, trying to forget what happened in Hong Kong and even before with Li Junqian. But every night, she would think back to those days. This bed, they had even rolled around together.

Is it really worth going that long to avoid her?

Gu Feng probably heard about it from Zhou Yun, so he specially arranged a moving company for her. That evening, Liang Shi treated the couple to dinner.

If Gu Feng hadn't been such a busy man, constantly on the phone, Liang Shi probably would have been full from eating dog food during this meal.

"Household gift".

Zhou Yun handed over a blue box, which Liang Shi took: "So extravagant?"

She pointed to the Chanel bag behind her: "It's too expensive without this bag."

Liang Shi smiled, opened the box, and revealed the Tiffany Classic Smile necklace: "Thank you, I love it."

Just then, Gu Feng returned from his phone call and naturally put his arm around Zhou Yun's shoulder: "I bought it with Yunyun."

Liang Shi put the things in his bag and thanked his boss again. Gu Feng's phone rang again, but this time he didn't leave to answer it, so it probably wasn't work-related.

The English name Karsten made Liang Shi instantly forget how to use a fork.

"When are you coming back? This company is so big, I'm exhausted... What, another two weeks... Are you doing this on purpose?"

"...I'm eating. I helped Suzie move today, and she's treating Yunyun and me to dinner...Tsk, you should come back soon, I have to thank you for those two plane tickets..."

Liang Shi chewed her food very slowly, and even though the Western restaurant wasn't noisy, she still couldn't hear Li Junqian's voice on Gu Feng's phone.

Zhou Yun asked Liang Shi what she wanted to ask. She looked up at Gu Feng, hoping to hear some news about Li Junqian from him.

"Will Mr. Li have to stay in Singapore for a while longer?"

Gu Feng toyed with a stray hair by Zhou Yun's ear: "If he weren't my brother, I would have flown to Singapore and brought him back in a heartbeat."

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "President Li is doing this for the sake of the group's profits. The perfume he developed has really made a lot of money, and it does smell really good, plus you won't smell like everyone else."

Gu Feng, a chauvinist, couldn't stand it when his woman praised another man: "Don't mention him, it's a downer."

Liang Shi had already lost her appetite, and hearing that Li Junqian would be staying in Singapore for a while made her even more uncomfortable. She raised her wine glass and asked, "Frankl, are there any nice KTVs nearby?"

If you're feeling down, the best way to cope is to shout it out. She can't exactly climb to the rooftop or run to the Bund to belt out a song, can she?

Gu Feng was very familiar with KTVs; he had been to all kinds of them. If he were single, he could organize a gathering in five minutes, let alone half an hour, with just one phone call.

"Do you want to sing?"

Liang Shi finished the last bit of white wine: "I'm happy about moving and want to have some fun. If you have any recommendations, I'll take a taxi to sing karaoke for a while."

It's too dangerous for a beautiful woman to be out alone after drinking, especially in a place like a karaoke bar. Zhou Yun was extremely worried about her newly made best friend.

"It's dangerous for you to go alone. Anyway, it's still early, let's go play together for a while."

Gu Feng was a true party animal; in less than fifteen minutes, the three of them were already seated in a KTV room. Liang Shi couldn't bear to watch the young couple embracing, so he went about selecting songs on his own.

Zhou Yun couldn't push Gu Feng away from her embrace at all. Even if they were friends, it was inappropriate for them to be so intimate in front of her! But Gu Feng was such a domineering person that she could only let him hold her.

"Don't worry, we're a real couple witnessed by the whole company, there's nothing to be shy about. Your Suzie has lived in France for so many years, she's very open-minded. Let's just eat some fruit and listen to her sing."

Liang Shi's singing voice is quite different from his speaking voice; when he speaks, his voice is sharp, but when he sings, it softens.

Zhou Yun listened quietly: "It's very beautiful, but I always feel that she is very sad."

After listening to "Still Lonely" on repeat for the fourth time, Gu Feng felt something was off.

He lowered his head and asked Zhou Yun in his arms, "Suzie, are you heartbroken?"

Zhou Yun and Liang Shi's relationship hasn't reached that stage yet: "I'm not really sure about that, but I think it's quite similar."

It's really strange. Liang Shi hasn't been in Shanghai for long, and he's outstanding at work. I haven't heard of him dating anyone in private. Could it be that during the time he and Zhou Yun were in Paris, this woman had some kind of affair?

Liang Shi is skilled and beautiful, and her fame is gradually spreading in the industry. Some people in the industry have even inquired about her. After all, she is from his company and has just arrived in Shanghai, so he naturally wouldn't introduce her to those playboys.

As I was thinking about it, I filmed a video and sent it to my good friend in Singapore.

He received a reply, or rather, a call back, shortly after. Gu Feng walked out of the private room to answer the phone.

When Li Junqian returned to his room after swimming, he saw a video sent by Gu Feng. The woman was sitting in a booth with her legs crossed, holding a black microphone, and her profile was beautiful.

I've long forgotten what it feels like to miss you, because every minute and every second is filled with your thoughts. Your every move tugs at the heartstrings of my life. Who can tell me how free I would be without you? I've even thought of hiding in someone else's warm embrace, but that would be meaningless. My noble sentiments constantly remind me that no matter how much time passes without you, I will still be lonely.

Gu Feng said that Liang Shi sang this song four times, and even seemed to be singing it all night. Li Junqian opened a music app, searched for the song, and after reading the lyrics, he called Gu Feng directly.

"So, when Zhou Yun and I went to France, Suzie was really heartbroken? Which bastard hurt my junior so much? If I find out which scumbag it was, I'll make sure he can't stay in this industry!"

Li Junqian was silent for a while: "I don't know, it's getting late, I'll hang up."

After the call ended, Li Junqian changed his clothes and drove to the lab. Some of his colleagues who were on the night shift saw him and were somewhat surprised.

...

After singing all night yesterday, Liang Shi's voice is hoarse and she can't make a sound today. Of course, Gu Feng asked her about it all night last night, and her reason was that she likes that song and is a die-hard fan of Cheer Chen.

It was such a lame excuse that even Zhou Yun, the "little white sheep," couldn't fool it.

As soon as she sat down, she saw a white box on the desk with a card on it.

If she hadn't seen Li Junqian's handwriting before, she would have immediately called Marry in and asked which bored person had put it there.

How could that be? Isn't he in Singapore? He told Gu Feng last night that he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon?

The card reads: "We recently developed a new fragrance, Xiaoshi. I'd like you to name it."

The box was opened, and sure enough, it contained a bottle of perfume.

Has Li Junqian returned?

This is so unreal!