Decathlon Assistant

It was already late at night when Lin Qingyue coaxed her daughter to sleep. She tucked in the corners of the quilt for her daughter, quietly left, and gently closed the door.

The empty living room was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. She desperately needed to talk. Subconsciously, she picked up her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.

The phone rang once before being picked up.

"What's wrong again, my eldest lady?" Wang Jing's voice came, and there was a slight sound of keyboard tapping in the background. It was obvious that she was still working.

"Jingjing," Lin Qingyue's voice was hoarse and tired, even though she herself didn't notice it. "Are you still busy?"

"It's okay, it's just the end. What's wrong? Did the party not go well?" Wang Jing keenly noticed that she was in a bad mood.

"..." Lin Qingyue paused and took a deep breath, "I saw Shen Yu."

There was silence on the other end of the line for two seconds, and then the keyboard sounds disappeared. Wang Jing's tone became serious: "What's going on? Where are you?"

"He... he was also invited to the party." Lin Qingyue closed her eyes and rubbed her eyebrows. "Besides, he saw Nian Nian."

Wang Jing gasped on the other end of the line. "...Oh my God... Wait a minute, let me save the document." After a burst of rapid mouse clicks, her voice came through clearly again. "Where are you now? Do you need me to come over?"

"No need to come over, Nian Nian is asleep. Let's meet at the usual place. I want to have a drink."

"Okay." Wang Jing said without any extra words, "I'll be there in half an hour."

…

This hidden bar, tucked away in a quiet alley lined with sycamore trees, had been their default haunt for years. When Lin Qingyue arrived, Wang Jing had already taken her usual window seat and ordered drinks as they usually did.

Lin Qingyue sat down and forced a smile. Wang Jing carefully studied her expression and got straight to the point: "Tell me, what's going on? How did you run into him so suddenly? I hadn't heard anything about him attending that party before."

Lin Qingyue picked up the wine glass and took a sip, sorted out her thoughts, and told Wang Jing everything that happened in the lounge at night, including Shen Yu's shock, questioning, and despair, her own panic and forced calmness, and the reason for the breakup that she had not really told her.

Wang Jing listened quietly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the wall of the cup, her brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

…

Lin Qingyue and Wang Jing's connection began during their graduate studies at a top business school. Although not in the same class, they met through a shared elective course, "Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategy." Their group project required a simulated bidding war for a well-established European company. Lin Qingyue, with her calm strategic analysis, precise risk assessment, and powerful data modeling skills, became the team's core. Wang Jing, with her exceptional communication and coordination skills, meticulous process analysis, and keen understanding of human nature, anticipated the potential strategies of other competing teams, perfectly complementing Lin Qingyue.

After another all-nighter on a group project, Wang Jing handed Lin Qingyue a cup of black coffee. Looking at the complex financial forecasting model she had constructed on the screen, she said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Qingyue, you'll definitely be back to take charge of your Lin family's ship. If you need a 'first mate' who can keep up with your pace and help you implement your strategy, why not consider me?"

Lin Qingyue simply took the coffee and replied calmly, "Your abilities are not worth it for a group project."

This statement seemed to have no connection, but Wang Jing understood the recognition in it.

After graduation, Lin Qingyue returned to the family business, starting with the core yet most dangerous investment department. Step by step, she untangled the complex web of relationships and implemented reforms, facing not only the turbulent external world of business but also numerous internal doubts and resistance. She was decisive and forceful, but she needed an absolutely reliable, capable assistant who understood her strategic intentions.

She thought of Wang Jing. A phone call, a brief meeting. Without further ado, Lin Qingyue went straight to addressing several thorny issues currently underway.

Wang Jing didn't respond immediately. Instead, she spent half a day studying the available information and handed her a report. It not only analyzed the core of the problem but also outlined potential implementation paths and risk mitigation plans, even pinpointing several potential internal obstacles.

After reading it, Lin Qingyue said only two words: "Come here."

From then on, Wang Jing became Lin Qingyue's assistant. She was both Lin Qingyue's most capable deputy at work and her most reliable support in life. Only a year older than Qingyue, she possessed a competence and attentiveness beyond her years. During that time, she was practically Lin Qingyue's shadow, handling the complex and arduous official duties while also tending to her personal life, which she had little time for. From arranging meetings to reminding her to eat, from dealing with difficult elders to keeping stomach medicine and extra high heels in her office, the two of them pulled countless all-nighters together.

She was the only person who knew all about Lin Qingyue and Shen Yu's past. Later, when Lin Qingyue unexpectedly became pregnant and decided to give birth in New York and reorganize the overseas branch, it was Wang Jing who, without a word, dropped everything she had just sorted out at home and accompanied her across the ocean. During that time, Wang Jing had witnessed her most intense morning sickness, seen her staring blankly at ultrasound photos late at night, and even seen her endure the pain of her wound while holding a long-distance video conference after giving birth to Lin Nian. In her spare time, she secretly kept an eye on Shen Yu. Although she knew Qingyue was afraid he'd dump her because of the child (she'd lied to her), seeing him become a glamorous and stylish celebrity while Qingyue was languishing from childcare, she felt a pity for Qingyue and felt that Shen Yu was a heartless, ungrateful person. Fearing she'd upset Qingyue, she never mentioned Shen Yu to her.

In those years, the Lin Group grew bigger and bigger, and Lin Qingyue became busier and busier, with the amount of work she needed to handle increasing exponentially. Seeing Wang Jing's increasingly dark circles under her eyes, Lin Qingyue began recruiting new assistants.

"Jingjing, you can't go on like this." Lin Qingyue placed the new appointment letter in front of her. "From today on, my daily life will be handled by my newly hired personal assistant. You will only be responsible for the core business of the group and my most important schedule. I have also found two promising candidates with strong work abilities. Once they have completed the onboarding process, I will assign them to your supervision. Other miscellaneous tasks can be assigned to them. I need your brain to maintain maximum efficiency, and not be drained by trivial matters."

Thus, Wang Jing transitioned from being the all-encompassing, all-encompassing manager to a chief assistant focused on core business and work schedules. This higher position, with greater authority, allowed her to better demonstrate her true business talents. However, years of habit and her deep understanding of Lin Qingyue meant that she would still naturally assume the role of caregiver at times. Their relationship had long since transcended that of a simple superior and subordinate, becoming one of comrades-in-arms and close friends.

…

"...I always thought you dumped him because you were afraid he'd mess with you, but it turns out you're the one who abandoned him after having an affair! I'm completely on my brother's side now. So pitiful, your heart must be broken into pieces." Wang Jing picked up the bottle and wanted to add some wine to her drink, but Lin Qingyue refused. Drinking on an empty stomach gave her a stomachache. "But seriously, boss, you're not a good enough personal assistant now. Didn't you eat again tonight? Don't you even prepare something to fill your stomach? Back when I was taking care of everything for you, would I have let you drink on an empty stomach?"

Lin Qingyue smiled bitterly: "Don't be picky. Xiaoxi is already very good, it's just that I have no appetite." She remembered that Wang Jing was indeed like an all-round housekeeper in the past. She could even take out warm porridge and side dishes from the drawer like magic when she was working late at night.

"That's right. Things are different now. You're the famous Mr. Lin now, and I can only take care of your work. I'm really unable to do anything else." Wang Jing shook his head with emotion and took a sip of wine. "But it's okay. At least now you're drunk, I don't have to drag you home anymore."

This brought back memories for both of them. When Lin Qingyue first took over the Lin Corporation, she was under tremendous pressure. Every time she drank too much, Wang Jing would silently clean up the mess, send her home safely, and show up at the office on time the next day as if nothing had happened.

"Yes," Lin Qingyue's eyes revealed a hint of genuine warmth. "During that time, you worked really hard, Jingjing. Not only did you have to be an assistant, but you also had to be an emotional trash can."

"Oh, why bring that up." Wang Jing waved her hand. "Although it was tiring back then, it was also quite interesting. At least it's better than dealing with reports and contracts every day now. Besides, if I hadn't been both a father and a mother back then, would I have become the 'biggest worry' you have now?" She used a joke to dilute the slightly heavy atmosphere.

She paused, her tone a little more serious. "Honestly, Qingyue, when you decided to go out and have the baby, I was really worried you wouldn't be able to handle it on your own. Luckily, I went with you." She recalled her days in New York, a subtle hint of emotion in her tone. "I was so busy back then. I had to help you look after things back home, take over the mess overseas, and even find time to buy you maternity clothes... But now that I think about it, it was worth it. Not only did I get to see Nian Nian born and grow up safely, but I also got to be her godmother."

"Fortunately, everything went smoothly!" Wang Jing drank the last sip of wine in the glass.

"Well, it's all over."