Lin Xi tightened her grip on the doorknob, not opening the door to leave.
Duan Yiheng frowned: "Why are you here?"
Duan Zheng's expression was displeased: "The system malfunction involved a huge amount of cash flow. Where was your monitoring work?"
"Although you resolved it promptly and efficiently, if it hadn't been handled properly, it would have directly impacted future business expansion. Potential clients would have avoided you like the plague."
Duan Yiheng remained calm and said, "This was a serious mistake by my people. I've established an emergency response team to clarify responsibilities and provide real-time feedback. As for subsequent accountability and punishment, I'll handle it according to what's appropriate after I've investigated."
Duan Zheng's expression softened slightly: "Qin Yang went to investigate?"
"Yes." Duan Zheng snorted coldly, his eyes suddenly glancing... Seeing the two sets of chopsticks on the table, he asked, "Qin Yang isn't here. Who's eating with you?"
Duan Yiheng: "My secretary."
Duan Zheng almost choked on his breath: "At such a crucial moment, you're eating in the office with a secretary? Speaking of this secretary, I need to ask you what's going on. The company employees were all talking about it at the restaurant today."
Duan Yiheng: "It's legal and compliant, nothing to discuss."
Duan Zheng: "You're rushing things; it's inevitable that people will discuss it."
Duan Yiheng: "The reason it's so fast is to ensure she makes it into this batch of onboarding training." Duan Zheng narrowed his eyes. This eldest son, aside from business, never wasted words with him.
Today, he kept defending his secretary, which made him suspicious.
"I heard your secretary is a woman?" Duan Yiheng frowned impatiently: "What are you trying to say?"
Duan Zheng scoffed inwardly. The change from "formal" to "you" showed he was angry.
Duan Zheng cleared his throat, adopting a condescending tone: "Don't give me that messy stuff in the office."
Duan Yiheng's face turned completely cold: "What do you mean by messy stuff?"
"What else could it be?" Duan Zheng was enraged by his father's disrespectful question. "Of course, it's having an affair with your secretary."
Duan Yiheng sneered: "Do you think I'm like you?"
"You—"
"Uncle Duan." Lin Xi couldn't listen any longer, and fearing a fight between father and son, she opened the door to the lounge.
Duan Zheng was startled: "Xiao Xi? What are you doing here?"
Duan Yiheng, who had been tense when facing Duan Zheng, relaxed the bowstring the moment he saw her, regaining his calm and composure. His gaze remained unwavering. Lin Xi stepped forward and said to Duan Zheng, "I'm President Duan's secretary."
It was ironic.
Duan Zheng, as the general manager of Yinfan Group, should have addressed him as "President Duan," while Duan Yiheng was the vice president. However, Duan Yiheng held immense prestige and was the president of Yinfan Technology, so the title "President Duan" stuck.
People in the company generally addressed Duan Zheng as "General Manager," to distinguish him from his father. Duan Zheng was genuinely taken aback. He was still racking his brains trying to figure out what position to give Lin Xi, and she had already become Duan Yiheng's secretary.
He instantly became kind: "Xiao Xi, what I said earlier wasn't directed at you, don't take it to heart." Lin Xi glanced at Duan Yiheng; those words were clearly aimed at him. It was no wonder he was cold-hearted when his own father treated her this way.
"Uncle Duan, I didn't take it to heart," Lin Xi forced a smile. "Could you temporarily not tell Mingxuan about me becoming his secretary? I'll tell him myself after the training."
Duan Zheng immediately understood; he had experienced Duan Mingxuan's temper firsthand.
"Okay, I understand," Duan Zheng promised.
If his son ruined things, where would he find such a good informant again? Lin Xi turned and met Duan Yiheng's gaze, letting out a sigh of relief. Duan Yiheng knew perfectly well what Duan Zheng was planning, but he didn't tell Lin Xi.
That evening, while waiting for Duan Yiheng in the parking lot after work, Lin Xi received a call from Liang Yutong. "I've already found a car for you. Want to come out and take a look on Saturday?"
Lin Xi showered her with compliments, relieved that she wouldn't have to commute with Duan Yiheng anymore.
His aura was too cold, and he didn't like to talk. A single glance from him made Lin Xi unconsciously straighten her back. Maintaining that posture all the way to the company left her stiff. If he received a work call in his car, his cold tone made her feel even more uneasy.
Before this, she and Duan Yiheng had no interaction other than an annual birthday greeting. They were practically strangers, with clearly defined boundaries.
He was six years older than her, and a single, casual glance from him was enough to silence her; her fear of him was obvious. After all, few in her family weren't afraid of him. Even Duan Zheng, her father, had to give him a wide berth.
But his birthday was approaching, and she'd been racking her brains for days, unable to come up with a gift. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, lacking nothing, he naturally valued the sentiment. Lin Xi looked down at her phone, clicking her tongue at Duan Yiheng's empty social media posts.
Everyone says to cater to someone's tastes, but she didn't even know what he liked, so how could she give him a gift? Duan Yiheng's car slowly pulled up in front of her. Lin Xi was about to get into the passenger seat when Duan Yiheng waved her to the back. Another day of work reports, Lin Xi finished speaking clearly.
But she was very puzzled. How could a busy CEO like him have time to oversee his secretary's training? She glanced at Duan Yiheng. Should she just ask him what he wanted? This isn't quite right; it lacks any surprise.
Duan Yiheng couldn't possibly be unaware of the repeated glances he'd received. He finally turned to look at her directly: "Just say what you want to say. What's the point of just staring at me? I don't have an answer on my face."
"Who was looking at you?" Lin Xi muttered guiltily, finding a way to continue the conversation, pointing to her shirt, "I'll wash it and return it to you."
Duan Yiheng raised an eyebrow: "It's fine if you don't wash it."
Lin Xi shook her head vigorously: "How can I? I wore this."
Duan Yiheng chuckled: "Is that all you're going to say?"
Lin Xi felt a moment of embarrassment, as if he had seen right through her.
She chuckled, resigned to her fate: "Okay, actually, I didn't know what birthday present to give you."
Duan Yiheng turned his gaze away, staring straight ahead, and parted his thin lips slightly: "I thought you were good at it."
His tone was somewhat ethereal. Lin Xi was surprised: "What?"
"The gifts you've given Duan Mingxuan since he was little are almost filling a whole room."
Duan Yiheng said, "I thought you were good at giving gifts."
"I'm really not good at it."
Lin Xi said, "Before Duan Mingxuan's birthday, he'd hang around in front of me for two or three days, muttering about the birthday present he wanted."
Duan Yiheng: "..." Is that even possible? Seeing his stunned expression, Lin Xi couldn't help but laugh: "Why don't you hang around in front of me for two or three days too?"
"I'm not a three-year-old." Duan Yiheng refused as expected.
"I really am not good at giving gifts." Lin Xi leaned against the central armrest, half-leaning, and asked sincerely, "Is there anything you want? Think about it."
Duan Yiheng: "Nothing, but I have other things."
Lin Xi didn't expect him to answer, but after he did, she became curious and subconsciously asked, "What is it?" Duan Yiheng also leaned against the armrest, leaning to the left.
Their eyes met, a cool, refreshing fragrance lingered around their noses, and the sudden closeness made Lin Xi's heart skip a beat. Her image was reflected in those deep eyes.