19. Whose Secret
Vivian let the phone ring for a long time before finally picking it up.
"Vivian, I'm not drunk." Eric said anxiously.
"It's okay. What's wrong?"
"I just spoke without thinking. Let me apologize in person, okay?"
"I forgive you. But I really can't today. I have meetings with my boss all day tomorrow. It's too late."
"Then when do you say it's possible?" He almost acted like a scoundrel.
"Next time you come to Beijing, I'll treat you to a meal. Is that okay?"
"If you cook for yourself, yes."
She was both amused and annoyed: "Don't push your luck."
"Agreed?"
"Okay." Vivian just wanted to get by. Next time? Oh, God knows when.
"Okay. Then don't forget to set the alarm, take a hot bath, and get a good night's sleep."
"When did you become so long-winded?"
At this moment, there were three very light knocks on the door.
Vivian frowned as she opened the door. Someone delivering safflower oil wouldn't be so abrupt.
It was Eric who was leaning against the door. Seeing her grim expression, he quickly stretched out a finger and shook it: "I'm not going in."
"What can I do for you?" Vivian had already taken off her makeup and was wearing an old T-shirt that served as pajamas. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she looked completely out of place.
Ever since she imagined him being respectful and deferential to Yang Ziqi, his original aura had vanished. She thought, he wasn't even as dignified as she was in front of Qiu Fang. After all, in front of Qiu Fang, she still had the advantage of being young.
"I want to tell you," he said, probably having drunk quite a bit, glancing around mysteriously, "that man is not a good person."
"who?"
"I have to drink with you tonight."
"Why do you always use the same line? You don't think it's old-fashioned. I think he's mature and steady, and a very nice person."
"Looking honest doesn't mean he's a good person."
Are you another innocent and good person? Vivian was both amused and annoyed, blurting out: "Please, if you like to meddle so much, it would be better to care about your Miss Yang. I'm not that stupid."
As soon as I said this, I felt as if I was filled with jealousy, like a resentful woman, and I regretted saying such careless words.
He was probably really drunk, and seemed not to hear, just muttering: "Anyway, ignore him."
Vivian curled her lips, gently pushed him away from the door frame with one finger, and waved: "Good night."
After closing the door and securing it, she gently pressed her face against it. The cool wood cooled her burning cheeks. She didn't hear his footsteps, and she suspected the hallway carpet was too thick. But his footsteps eventually faded from near to far, fading into silence.
*
The next morning, the boss had his own breakfast plans and didn't need Vivian to accompany him. The man who had delivered the safflower oil saw that she was alone and sat down with a familiar manner.
She had nothing to say to him, so she could only thank him again stiffly.
Being constantly forced to thank people was really uncomfortable. She consoled herself: breakfast only takes half an hour, so just bear with it and at least be polite.
On such event days, most hotel guests would appear in the breakfast room between eight and nine o'clock. There was no need for coincidence, as it would be difficult not to run into anyone.
Including people you don't want to see.
Eric passed their table carrying two plates, nodded at her, and walked over with a blank expression.
Vivian shrugged and ignored him.
The safflower oil man's conversation with her was mostly about work, the only topic they didn't find odd. She was just being polite. Fortunately, breakfasts were always quick, so they didn't need to stay together for long. Twenty minutes later, she made the excuse of meeting her boss and scurried off, bag in hand.
*
This wasn't a lie. The night before, Zhang Ruolin had specifically told her, "Don't wait for me tomorrow morning. Come knock on the door at five minutes to nine to remind me to come downstairs."
Vivian asked, "How about I order breakfast for you and have it delivered to your room?"
"That's fine."
Leaving the breakfast room, she headed straight for Zhang Ruolin's floor. As she exited the elevator and headed toward the corner suite, she ran into a figure with a strong aroma. Vivian hurriedly apologized and stepped aside, but the figure was extremely impatient, tut-tutting and walking past without paying any attention to her.
Vivian looked back and saw that the woman was tall and extremely thin, with her sequined skirt almost rolling up to reveal her hips.
She could only have come out of the boss's room.
Vivian smiled secretly, thought about it, stood in the corridor and waited for about three minutes before knocking on the door.
The door slid open silently. Zhang Ruolin was adjusting his tie in the mirror and simply nodded at her. Vivian pulled out a copy from a thick folder for him to review later.
Vivian often complained to her friend Chen Chen, "She looks like a decent person, wearing high heels, holding a cup of coffee, and pacing around in a high-end office building. But in reality, she's just a servant girl in a landlord's house."
"There's still a difference, right?" Chen Chen blinked. "In the past, the maids in the room had to sleep with the man of the house. White-collar workers don't have to."
"Not necessarily. Especially for assistants, there are plenty of examples of relationships changing without you even realizing it," Vivian said dismissively. "But... unless you can really get into the fold, otherwise, isn't this just a free job on top of your regular job? Why bother?"
In the workplace, being overly perceptive isn't always a good thing. Some assistants not only have to serve tea and water, but even iron their bosses' clothes and tie their ties. Vivian doesn't want to do any of this. So when interacting with her boss, she always tries to appear a bit dull and less perceptive. These people are used to being served, and it's difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. Being too perceptive and sensible only makes things harder.
She won't be given a raise because of this.
Therefore, when she saw her boss fixing his tie for a long time, she just waited quietly by the side.
Zhang Ruolin dressed, his expression normal, as he explained everything for the day. Vivian pretended to listen intently, but she couldn't help but think of the woman who had just left in a hurry. She wondered, "Why does the boss have such taste?"
Although Zhang Ruolin is old, he can still be considered a middle-aged talent. Not only does he have impressive investment performance, but what is more rare is his good looks. Although he is not very handsome just by looking at his face, among a group of middle-aged and elderly financial men who have gained weight prematurely, his thin face and agile body make him stand out like a crane among chickens, and he is particularly eye-catching.
In the past couple of years, he's been feeling the effects of midlife crisis, so he's taken up hiking and hired a professional outdoor coach to accompany him every weekend. Some people in his circle have even taken up hiking to curry favor with him, hoping to hook up with him and create the chance to run into him.
Naturally, he was surrounded by romantic interests. Vivian had helped him fend for them more than once downstairs at the hotel. For example, while attending an entrepreneurship forum, he had a chance encounter with a female host from a local TV station. After the event, the host lingered in the hotel lobby and insisted on chatting with Vivian until midnight, asking her to "introduce me to Mr. Zhang." Vivian finally managed to coax her out, despite much persuasion.
Vivian had no expectations of her boss's moral standards, but she didn't want to make any mistakes during her work. Her partner in charge of public relations repeatedly reminded her: You must be careful about this kind of thing. Some influencers will do anything to gain traffic, and she must not let her boss get involved in sex scandals.
This kind of shit is what everyone loves to watch.
While her thoughts were wandering, Vivian didn't realize that she was about to step on the sharp pebbles in her shoes.
///
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com