Chapter 34 I was fortunate enough to receive Miss Yan's help.
The relaxed atmosphere of the brief indulgence at the racecourse over the weekend was quickly replaced by the familiar smells of coffee and paper in the office.
After finishing her work, Yan Shuang opened the publicly available information about the Nancheng project and began to sort out the logical framework of the entire project.
The keyboard clicked faster and faster, and I was busy until I got off work.
She didn't notice her colleagues leaving one after another.
After finishing organizing the last page of data, Yan Shuang rubbed her sore neck and looked up to find that the streetlights outside the window were already on.
The office was quiet, with only her computer screen still glowing with a cold white light. She subconsciously glanced towards the CEO's office; the area under the door was pitch black.
Shangqiu bamboo is gone.
She saved the plan, sent it to her email for backup, and carefully checked the files on the USB drive before shutting down the computer.
As soon as she opened the door, a fluffy shadow darted over, rubbing against her ankle and meowing pitifully.
"Sorry, sorry, Mom is late." Yan Shuang squatted down and gently scratched the orange cat's chin. The little guy stubbornly nudged her palm with his head, his tail held high, clearly in protest.
There was still a little cat food left in the automatic feeder, so Yan Shuang quickly refilled it and opened another can of food.
Watching the cat devour its food, she felt a pang of guilt.
She kicked off her high heels, stepped barefoot on the wooden floor, and took out rice balls from the refrigerator to heat them up.
Amid the hum of the microwave, Yan Shuang leaned against the counter, her gaze fixed on the calendar on the wall.
On Saturday, it was circled in red and an exaggerated heart was drawn next to it.
It was obvious that Zhou Yaqin had been here.
Yan Shuang suddenly lost her appetite.
On Friday, Yan Shuang woke up half an hour earlier than her alarm clock.
The sky outside the window was still dark, and the city was still shrouded in a hazy morning mist.
She tiptoed out of bed, careful not to wake the still-sleeping orange cat, but to her surprise, the little guy was already awake, sitting on the bedside table, tilting his head to look at her.
"Mom has something important to do today." She rubbed the cat's head, her voice still hoarse from just waking up.
In the mirror, Yan Shuang carefully applied her makeup.
She wore more refined eyeliner than usual, applied softer blush, and even chose a more dignified lipstick shade.
She changed into a suit skirt and did one last check of the files on the USB drive.
I'm determined to impress him today.
But when she arrived at the company half an hour early and opened the door to the conference room, it was empty.
"Secretary Yan, good morning." A colleague from the administration department passed by with a cup of coffee, glancing at her with some surprise. "Preparing for the meeting so early?"
Yan Shuang was taken aback: "Isn't President Shang supposed to hear the report on the South City plan at the project team's morning meeting at eight o'clock?"
The colleague's expression became even stranger: "President Shang took a flight last night to the United States on a business trip with Lin Sheng. It was a last-minute decision. Didn't he tell you?"
Of course, he didn't say it.
"So... the meeting was canceled?" She heard her own voice sound dry.
"It's postponed." Her colleague handed her a cup of coffee.
Yan Shuang thanked her and mechanically walked to her workstation.
Outside the window, the morning mist gradually dissipated. She picked up her coffee and took a sip, feeling dejected.
She stayed up all night for this project, repeatedly checking the data, and even prepared herself to face the critical gaze of Shangqiu Zhu.
But for now, no one has witnessed her efforts.
But at least for this moment, she didn't need to face him.
There's no need to be scrutinized by his sharp eyes during reports, no need to worry about saying the wrong thing in front of him, and no need to recall those ear-burning moments of contact.
She took a deep breath. Since she couldn't see him for the time being, she would focus on doing her own thing first.
She was not his possession, nor a "secret lover" who could only exist by depending on him.
She is Yan Shuang, a top student in finance, a secretary who entered the company based on her abilities, and a professional who can independently complete project analysis.
Thinking of this, her mood suddenly brightened.
On Saturday, Yan Shuang had just finished feeding the cat when the doorbell rang urgently.
She opened the door, and Zhou Yaqin was already standing outside, holding several exquisite paper bags in her hand. Her smile was warmer than usual: "Shuangshuang, Mom brought a few dresses for you to try on. You should dress up nicely today."
Yan Shuang was taken aback: "Didn't we say we wouldn't leave until ten o'clock? It's only eight o'clock now..."
"Let's get your hair and makeup done first, the timing is perfect." Zhou Yaqin walked in without waiting for a reply, her gaze sweeping over Yan Shuang's apartment before finally settling on her casually tied-up hair and clean-cut face. Her brows furrowed slightly. "You're just going to go like this?"
"It's just a meeting, does it need to be so formal?"
Zhou Yaqin had already opened the paper bag and taken out a hazy blue dress, holding it up against her: "The Lin family values this meeting, so you need to present yourself properly."
"......"
The Lin family manor is located halfway up the mountain. Yan Shuang got out of the car in high heels.
"Remember, speak less and smile more." Zhou Yaqin tidied her hair one last time. "Mrs. Lin likes well-behaved girls the most."
Yan Shuang wanted to laugh; wasn't this exactly what she had always done?
The obedient and sensible second daughter in front of her parents, the dutiful secretary in front of Shang Qiuzhu, and the Yan family's daughter who is always proper and elegant in everyone's eyes.
She plays this role so well, it's as natural as breathing.
She would naturally behave obediently; she had already decided to act appropriately and then politely decline.
A tree-lined path paved with cobblestones stretched towards the main house in the distance. Yan Shuang followed her mother toward the building that resembled a European castle.
"Madam Yan, Miss Yan, welcome." The butler bowed respectfully and led them into the living room.
On the sofa, Mr. and Mrs. Lin had already gotten up to greet them.
"This must be Shuangshuang! She's so beautiful!" Lin's mother warmly took Yan Shuang's hand and looked her up and down.
"Hello Uncle Lin, hello Aunt Lin." Yan Shuang bowed politely. "Excuse me."
"Not at all!" Lin's father laughed heartily. "Cheng Yu will be here soon."
Yan Shuang smiled and nodded, but felt a sense of relief.
It seems that this young master Lin was not very willing to come to the blind date, and his lateness is the best proof of that.
This kind of rich young man probably despises arranged marriages even more than she does.
That's fine too; both sides are just going through the motions, so Zhou Yaqin can't say anything more.
As she was thinking, the living room door was suddenly pushed open.
"Sorry I'm late."
A deep male voice came from behind her. Yan Shuang did not turn around, but maintained a polite smile.
The footsteps drew closer, and a pair of gleaming leather shoes came into view.
"This must be Miss Yan?" The voice carried a hint of barely perceptible laughter.
Yan Shuang looked up, but the polite words she had prepared suddenly got stuck in her throat.
The man standing in front of her had those slightly upturned phoenix eyes; she had seen them before.
That was her last stroll along the Seine before graduating, after finishing her exchange program in France and preparing to return to the University of London.
As she passed through a small alley, she heard an argument. A young man of Asian appearance was struggling with a burly thief. The man looked frail, and half of his wallet had already been stolen.
Yan Shuang rushed forward without thinking.
With a few swift and decisive moves, she subdued the thief and retrieved the wallet.
"Thank you, sister," the boy said in accented Chinese, his wet eyes resembling those of a puppy drenched in rain.
Yan Shuang simply waved her hand, stuffed the wallet back into his hand, and hurriedly left without even asking his name.
And now, that "poor little thing" was standing in front of her, dressed in a suit and tie, exuding a powerful aura, with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"It's you?" Yan Shuang blurted out.
Lin's mother looked over sharply: "You two know each other?"
Lin Chengyu had regained his gentle and refined demeanor. He smiled and walked up to Yan Shuang, maintaining just the right social distance: "Three years ago in Paris, I was fortunate enough to receive help from Miss Yan."
His voice is very pleasant.
Zhou Yaqin clapped her hands in surprise: "What a coincidence!"
Yan Shuang looked at the man in front of her, who was completely different from the man in her memory.
The boy who had his wallet snatched on the streets of Paris three years ago, soaking wet like a puppy, has now grown into a tall, well-built, and sophisticated young man. Only his eyes still faintly retain a trace of those eyes; back then, his eyes drooped slightly at the corners, and he always looked at people with a touch of innocence.
"It was nothing," Yan Shuang forced a smile, but her heart was racing.
Since he remembers his kindness, things will be easier.
Three years ago in Paris, this big boy who couldn't even protect his wallet must now be thinking of the past.
This man looks so gentle and easy to talk to, he definitely won't refuse.
Taking advantage of the elders' pleasantries, Yan Shuang quietly tugged at Lin Chengyu's sleeve: "Can we talk in private for a moment?"
Lin Chengyu obediently followed her to the French windows. Yan Shuang noticed that his eyelashes were very long, making him appear exceptionally docile.
"Um..." Yan Shuang lowered her voice, "Mr. Lin, I think we can..."
"Pretend to get along well, and then each tell their parents that it's not a good match?" Lin Chengyu picked up on her words, a smile still on his lips.
She looked up at Lin Chengyu, meeting his smiling eyes, and felt absolutely certain.
Thank you for your understanding.
"No need to be so polite." Lin Chengyu blinked, revealing a troubled expression: "But I'm afraid that won't work."
"Why?" Yan Shuang's eyes widened.
"I would never dare to disobey my parents' wishes." Lin Chengyu lowered his eyes. "My father is very strict with me. If I mess up this blind date again..."
His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper.
Yan Shuang looked at his slightly white knuckles and realized that this seemingly glamorous young master of the Lin family was actually just like her, a pitiful creature manipulated by his family.
"Never mind, never mind." Yan Shuang waved her hand dejectedly. "I won't make things difficult for you."
Lin Chengyu looked up, his eyes sparkling: "Thank you for understanding."
His expression was so sincere that Yan Shuang didn't notice at all that when she said "I won't make things difficult for you," Lin Chengyu's fingertips made a faint circle behind her waist, as if he had already drawn her into his territory.
“However…” Lin Chengyu suddenly leaned closer, his faint scent of ebony wafting over us, “We can pretend to date for a while, and then ‘break up peacefully’ once our parents have lowered their guard.”
Yan Shuang's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea."
She didn't see the fleeting glint in Lin Chengyu's eyes.
The man looked down at her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with excitement, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"Then it's settled." Lin Chengyu extended his hand. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Yan."
Yan Shuang grasped his hand without any hesitation: "It's a pleasure working with you!"
Lin Chengyu did not let go of Yan Shuang's hand: "Let me take Miss Yan for a walk in the garden."
Yan Shuang hesitated for a second, but still followed.
Walking through the corridor, the roses in the May Garden are in full bloom.
“You…you look very different now than you did back then.”
Lin Chengyu chuckled lightly, "I had only been in France for a short time then, and I was indeed a bit disheveled."
He reached out and gently brushed away the petals that had fallen on her shoulder. "But things are different now."
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