Chapter 78 "Pei Lu, you should have some self-respect..."
After sleeping for a few hours, Lin Chaoyue felt like her bones were about to fall apart.
In contrast, Pei Shuwen looked refreshed and even got up early to make a whole table of breakfast.
It was very plentiful.
But Lin Chaoyue really had no appetite. She ate a few bites hastily, then picked up her bag, supported her back, went downstairs, and got into Pei Shuwen's car with a mournful expression.
Today the driver was driving, and both of them sat in the back seat.
"What time did you meet Aunt Wen for lunch?" Pei Shuwen asked.
"I'll be back before noon, after my lunch break."
"At this speed, is it possible to make it in time?"
The headquarters of Simei Biotechnology and its law firm are located halfway across Ningcheng.
"If I don't have time, can I ask for leave today?" Lin Chaoyue's resentment lessened a bit, thinking to herself that this person still had some conscience.
But before she could even offer a few words of praise in her mind, Pei Shuwen replied nonchalantly, "No."
"Why are you asking me if I don't want to!"
Lin Chaoyue's resentment intensified, and she turned her head away, ignoring everyone.
Pei Shuwen remained calm. Since she ignored him, he continued with his work. He answered a call from Qin Wen in the HR department to discuss this year's performance management, and then answered a call from Secretary Wu to confirm the work for the coming week.
Although Lin Chaoyue didn't want to pay attention to him, the car was too quiet, and Pei Shuwen's voice would occasionally sneak into her ears.
She overheard most of the two phone calls.
Especially after hearing that Pei Shuwen was going on a business trip.
Lin Chaoyue finally couldn't hold back: "Are you going on a business trip this week?"
"Yes, I'm going to Yulin City this weekend to discuss two collaborations. I'll be back in about three days."
Yushi and Ningcheng are separated by only one mountain, but in the past, it took at least two hours to drive along a winding mountain road.
Lin Chaoyue turned slightly to the side: "So, should I come with you on this business trip?"
In the past, Lin Chaoyue would definitely have been unwilling to go on this kind of business trip. After all, Pei Shuwen was away on business, far from the emperor's reach, while she could just slack off at her office and let the days pass by quickly.
But this time, Lin Chaoyue's question was unconsciously tinged with a hint of expectation.
After all, she's Pei Shuwen's assistant now, so he'll probably include her in his schedule, both professionally and personally.
"You don't need to come this time, you can stay at the station."
Expectations were dashed.
Lin Chaoyue's resentment grew even stronger, and this time she glared silently at Pei Shuwen.
Pei Shuwen seemed to finally sense Lin Chaoyue's emotions. He took off his glasses, closed his laptop, and pulled her closer to him.
“Attorney Pei, please have some self-respect. It’s a workday. I’m not your girlfriend. I’m Lin, a special assistant to a partner at the law firm.”
Lin Chaoyue shook off Pei Shuwen's hand.
And in a businesslike manner, I maintained a half-meter distance from him again.
Pei Shuwen wasn't annoyed. She just smiled and coaxed her, "Aren't you supposed to be helping Aunt Wen oversee the goods this weekend? Do you have time to come on this business trip with me?"
"How did you know it was the weekend?" Lin Chaoyue looked at him with some suspicion.
Even she didn't know the exact date.
Pei Shuwen: "Want to know? Come sit closer, Special Assistant Lawyer Lin."
Pei Shuwen spoke in a serious tone, but his hand went straight to her waist. Lin Chaoyue was about to say that Pei Shuwen shouldn't be "indecent" during work hours.
The hand around her waist pressed against the sore spot.
The frequency is moderate, and the intensity is just right.
Apart from that, Pei Shuwen didn't make any unnecessary movements, and the massage felt very comfortable.
Although the driver was still there, Lin Chaoyue did not refuse again, though the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
Her voice unconsciously lowered, and her tone softened: "Are you going to tell me or not?"
Pei Shuwen: "Simei Bio entrusted the firm to act as its legal counsel. I communicated with Aunt Wen's assistant a lot, but of course, I also have some of my own channels."
I almost forgot about that.
Lin Chaoyue was not surprised, nor did she delve into the fleeting serious expression on Pei Shuwen's face.
"Alright, press it properly and don't slack off."
Lin Chaoyue said this on purpose. After she finished speaking, she pretended to close her eyes and rest, to see when he would stop. Unexpectedly, Pei Shuwen really did rub her all the way to the law firm.
"Master Chen, just stop up ahead."
The car immediately drove into the underground parking garage. Since it wasn't a public place at the law firm, she didn't want to get out of Pei Shuwen's car so blatantly.
Pei Shuwen: "I'll drive you to Aunt Wen's place at noon."
"No need to trouble Attorney Pei. Secretary Wu said you have guests coming at noon, so I can just take a taxi myself."
She just distanced herself from me in the car; she was just saying it.
Lin Chaoyue is now truly 'avoiding suspicion'. She got out of the car at lightning speed, closed the door behind her, looked around, and when she didn't see anyone she knew, she slipped into the law firm.
Pei Shuwen stared at Lin Chaoyue for a while until she disappeared from his sight before turning his gaze away.
"The plane lands at 3 p.m. Remember to pick it up on time, but don't tell anyone about this yet."
"Should we keep this a secret from Miss Lin as well?"
"Keep it a secret. It's not appropriate for her to know these things right now."
This office romance feels a bit like an affair.
Lin Chaoyue thought to herself.
She usually hitchhiked with a clear conscience, but this time she seemed a little guilty.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief after walking through the lobby and taking the elevator.
She couldn't help but curse Pei Shuwen in her heart for being so inhuman. If she hadn't been so sleep-deprived and hadn't had a sore back, she would have driven herself to the law firm today.
Bad guy!
A really bad guy!
Lin Chaoyue was cursing in her heart.
She didn't notice anyone following her as she got out of the elevator until she was tapped on the back and turned around in surprise.
"Lawyer Lin," the middle-aged woman said with a smile, seemingly mindful of the crowds coming and going at the law firm that morning, pulling Lin Chaoyue aside before asking, "Has the payment been received?"
"What payment?" Lin Chaoyue asked, puzzled.
The middle-aged woman was the head of the finance department; her name was Zhao Fang.
She had accompanied Meng Yuzhi to the finance department for expense reimbursement on several previous business trips, which is how she got to know her.
But she found it troublesome and didn't care about the money, so she never went to claim reimbursement.
The eldest sister still had that smiling face, completely unlike her previous seriousness: "Look at the account changes. Pei Lu called me specifically about this. Didn't he tell you?"
Lin Chaoyue didn't sleep well last night and was still a little groggy this morning.
After saying "Oh" twice, she silently opened her account amidst her older sister's eager anticipation.
At first, she squinted, but when she saw the long string of numbers on the account that she hadn't seen in a long time, her pupils slowly opened and her eyes widened.
Seven million.
The money arrived last night.
Get your money back after being scammed!
Pei Shuwen surprisingly did not confiscate the money.
She thought she had upset him and that the money was really going to be withheld.
Overjoyed, Lin Chaoyue asked, "Sister Zhao, when did Pei Lu call you?"
"Yesterday, the payment was supposed to be made last Friday, but it was delayed due to some things. Yesterday, Attorney Pei called again to urge him. Attorney Pei really cares about Attorney Lin. Attorney Lin, you..."
Zhao Fang pulled her aside and talked for a while, but she was so overwhelmed with joy that she only heard one sentence: Just yesterday, Pei Shuwen urged the finance department to transfer the money to her.
Who says Pei Shuwen is bad!
She's absolutely blind!
Good person!
Her boyfriend is such a wonderful person!
Lin Chaoyue was readily bribed by the money, even though it was originally her own money. She hummed a tune all morning as she walked, and she couldn't have been happier.
It feels so good to be a rich kid again.
It feels so good to have money in your pocket!
It would be even better if Ms. Zhong could give her the key to Tangwan.
Realizing she hadn't contacted Ms. Zhong for a few days, she thought about it while turning on her computer and decided to call her. Just as she was wondering how to phrase it, she unexpectedly received a busy signal.
"Is Mom busy?" Lin Chaoyue asked herself.
Then I called Lao Lin again, but it was still busy.
"Dad is busy too."
Her parents were both very busy people, and it was common for her to not be able to reach them by phone. She didn't pay much attention to it. After sending a message to each of them, Lin Chaoyue turned off the screen.
Pei Shuwen asked her to write a report yesterday.
She plans to write a thousand words to express her love for anti-fraud work and to also express her gratitude to all the public servants who help victims recover their losses.
She was thinking about it.
Nie Shanshan rushed in, carrying a bag.
"Have you heard? Have you heard? Breaking news!" She pulled up a chair and sat down, panting.
When everyone saw her gossipy expression, they all crowded around: "What's wrong? Shanshan, stop panting and tell us quickly."
Nie Shanshan took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no senior partners from the law firm were around, and finally spoke.
"I heard there's good news at our law firm. One of our senior executives is getting married to the only daughter of Ningcheng's richest man, and the wedding will be held soon."
"Really? I've never heard of this before?"
“Of course this is true, this is fresh, firsthand information,” Nie Shanshan winked at everyone and pointed to the innermost office: “The source is very authoritative.”
Lin Chaoyue looked at the office with a strange expression.
Zhao Fang, who had just been lecturing her for ages, slammed the intern lawyer's hand on the table with the invoice: "Xiao Liu, what's wrong with you? Why is the invoice pasted up like this? If you're so unreliable, Sister Zhao might not be able to introduce you to anyone..."
"Sister Zhao's husband runs a marriage agency," someone whispered quickly.
Combined with recent rumors circulating in the industry, almost everyone tacitly agreed: "I bet they're talking about Pei Lu."
"I wonder who the female lead is?" Nie Shanshan glanced at Lin Chaoyue.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He unconsciously started crumpling paper into balls, and his eyes darted around, just like a student trying to avoid being called on by the teacher.
But at times like these, what you fear most often comes to pass.
"Lin Chaoyue, what do you think?"
When her name was called, Lin Chaoyue stood up abruptly: "Um, I don't know either, I need to go to the restroom."
Everyone was suspicious, but didn't think much of it.
After all, no one could connect Lin Chaoyue with the only daughter of Ningcheng's richest man.
Only Nie Shanshan silently followed.
When Lin Chaoyue washed her hands, she stood behind her like a ghost, her whole body filled with sorrow.
Lin Chaoyue didn't see her at first, but when she looked up and saw the face in the mirror, she was really frightened. Water from her hands splashed all over her face, and water droplets hung on her hair.
She clutched her chest: "Xue, what are you doing standing here? You scared me."
"Lin Chaoyue, you're a jerk. We've known each other for so long, and I've always considered you my best friend, but you've never treated me like a friend at all."
The accusation was too obvious.
Lin Chaoyue felt a chill run down her spine, guessing that Nie Shanshan knew about her relationship with Pei Shuwen.
She remained silent for a moment, hesitating whether to simply be honest.
Then Nie Shanshan burst into tears: "You clearly said yesterday that Pei Lu didn't say anything, but I received a warning from the HR department first thing this morning, waaaaaah, forbidding me from gossiping about my colleagues in private. Pei Lu must have heard it and is 'retaliating'."
So that's what it was about.
Lin Chaoyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took out a tissue to wipe the water, and asked with some confusion, "I already warned you, why were you still gossiping just now? Aren't you afraid the HR department will come knocking on your door?"
During her time at the law firm, she had already deeply experienced the decisive and efficient work style of Qin Wen from the Human Resources Department.
Nie Shanshan pouted: "The HR department asked me to sign a guarantee this afternoon, so I won't have a chance to gossip anymore. Anyway, I still have a morning, so I'll have one last gossip session. Lin Chaoyue, don't change the subject! Tell me quickly, what's going on?"
If you were to ask her who Pei Shuwen is dating, she would know.
After all, she is the only daughter of the richest man.
As for why Nie Shanshan received a warning, how would she know?
But judging from Nie Shanshan's eyes, if she continued to treat her perfunctorily like she did yesterday, this woman would probably pounce on her and bite her at any moment.
Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
Lin Chaoyue decisively shook her head: "How about we talk about who in the law firm is Pei's marriage prospect..."
"What a joke." Nie Shanshan's voice rose considerably: "She's a rich heiress, how could she be one of our people? What kind of rich heiress would give up a perfectly good life to come and work as a beast of burden in our office?"
Nie Shanshan scoffed, and seeing that she couldn't get any information out of him, she turned and left.
Lin Chaoyue, with strands of hair still dripping wet from her forehead, had a look on her face that said, "..."
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