The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

The next morning, Shang Yibo was woken up by a phone ringing. He hadn't slept so soundly in a long time.

He pulled his phone out from under his pillow. It was Zhou Yanruo calling. He rolled over onto his stomach and answered the phone groggily.

"Hmm... Yanruo." Her voice was low and still sleepy.

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Yanruo scolded, "Aren't you up yet? What time is it? We're going to Rushang today. There's a morning meeting scheduled, and you're supposed to chair it."

As per the plan agreed upon yesterday at Zimo Garden, he was to go to work at Rushang Group today, where he would assume the role of CEO.

Shang Yibo gave a vague "hmm..." sound. He was deliberately teasing Zhou Yanruo, enjoying hearing her earnest scolding and serious lectures.

As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped up and rushed to the bathroom.

Sure enough, Zhou Yanruo on the phone was lecturing him, "Get up quickly. How long do you need to wash up? You're going to work now, not to have a call. You don't need to dress up. Is ten minutes enough? Okay, I'll give you twenty minutes. I'm heading to Rushang Garden to pick you up now."

Shang Yibo turned on the speakerphone and placed the phone on the washstand. "Um, I know, I know," he mumbled as he brushed his teeth amidst the buzzing of the electric toothbrush.

"Are you brushing your teeth? It's good that you're up." Zhou Yanruo added, "We don't have time to go out for breakfast. There are some wontons in the fridge that we brought back from Zimo Garden yesterday. You can cook some wontons for yourself."

"Um……"

"Morning meetings are usually routine meetings. But today is a little special. I've prepared an agenda for today's meeting, which I'll read to you now. We can discuss it on the phone first."

"..."

"Are you listening? I need to make changes if there are any problems."

"Huh? I'll hang up now."

Didn't you hear me say I wanted to discuss the morning meeting with you?

"I'm hanging up."

"Can't you be serious for once?" Zhou Yanruo couldn't help but chide. "President Shang, you're here to be the CEO today."

Hearing her playful scolding warmed his heart. In his mind, he always felt that Zhou Yanruo's 'playful scolding' was a sign of 'caring'.

"I need to use the restroom, specifically the urinal. Do you want to hear it?"

Zhou Yanruo blushed. "You're so annoying! You should have said so earlier."

"I told you twice that I was going to hang up first. You weren't allowed to hang up."

"Ugh, so childish, I'm hanging up."

Shang Yibo smiled smugly.

A smug smile crept onto Shang Yibo's lips. He had just changed his clothes when his phone beeped with a message from Zhou Yanruo: "I've sent you the meeting agenda. You can take a look on your way. I'm almost there." Shang Yibo knew that Zhou Yanruo exuded a captivating charm when she was focused on her work, and he greatly admired her in this state. Shang Yibo inwardly praised her; Zhou Yanruo was always so charming when she was focused on her work, and he truly appreciated her concentration.

A few minutes later, Zhou Yanruo arrived, and Shang Yibo, after receiving the notification, went straight downstairs.

A few minutes later, Zhou Yanruo arrived at Rushang Garden and habitually drove to the underground parking lot on the second basement level, parking in her designated spot. She picked up her phone, about to call Shang Yibo, when she glanced up and saw him already standing in the opposite parking space. He was wearing a dark, custom-made suit with a light blue shirt and a matching tie. With broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs crossed, he leaned casually against the Cullinan, watching Zhou Yanruo with an air of nonchalant ease.

Zhou Yanruo was momentarily dazed; Shang Yibo before her was still strikingly handsome. Compared to the refined demeanor of years ago, he now possessed an added air of powerful dominance, making him impossible to ignore.

She quickly got out of the car, went to greet him, and said with a smile, "I was just about to call you, but I didn't expect you to be down already."

Shang Yibo straightened up, walked around the car, and came to the passenger side. He opened the car door with one hand and gently placed the other hand above the door. "Yan Ruo, get in."

Zhou Yanruo was somewhat surprised: "You're driving? Is that alright?" Her words carried a hint of worry.

Shang Yibo understood her concerns.

But he wants to shed his celebrity status as soon as possible and be a responsible boyfriend, saying, "From now on, I will pick you up and drop you off at get off work."

*

This morning at Rushang Group, an unusually tense atmosphere permeated the air. Normally, the leisure time before work is always a good opportunity for employees to relax. They gather in the tea room or meet in the restroom to share interesting things in life and chat about gossip that has nothing to do with each other, with constant laughter and joy.

However, today was completely different from usual. Five minutes before the official 9:00 AM start time, the entire office area was unusually quiet, with only the sound of keyboards clicking and the occasional ringing of a telephone. Employees sat upright at their desks, their eyes revealing curiosity and anticipation. They had already learned through their own channels a startling piece of news—today, the group would be appointing a new president, and this president was none other than Shang Yibo, the largest shareholder and a currently popular and highly sought-after celebrity.

This news caused a huge uproar among the employees. Everyone was discussing it, wondering why this big star would give up his glamorous acting career to come and work among them, these "miserable" office workers. Was it out of a passion for business management, or were there other unknown reasons?

The female employees were secretly excited, discussing among themselves in their small group, "We're really in for a treat this time. I never thought that working at Rushang Group would bring us such 'special perks'." They imagined the scene of getting up close and personal with this celebrity president, their hearts filled with anticipation and longing.

The atmosphere in the entire office area became unusually subtle due to the arrival of the new president. Employees were all speculating in their own ways about what changes Shang Yibo's arrival would bring to the company.

The atmosphere in the conference room was far from tranquil. Shang Yibo entered the conference room, and everyone present stood up to greet him: "President Shang." Shang Yibo took his seat first and waved to everyone, "Please sit down, everyone." Although he kept his eyes lowered, he saw right through the attitude of some people who reluctantly got up and then lazily sat down, but he did not point it out.

The Executive Vice President then spoke: "Regarding President Shang, I believe everyone is already familiar with him, so I won't go into details. After careful consideration by the Board of Directors, we have officially appointed Mr. Shang Yibo as the Executive President of Rushang Group, effective today." As soon as he finished speaking, the Chief Financial Officer took the lead in welcoming him, followed by sparse and strained applause in the conference room.

Shang Yibo raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "Today's meeting is adjourned for now. Everyone, please go back to your work. My secretary will arrange individual meetings with each of you later to gain a deeper understanding of the situation." Upon hearing this, the meeting room fell silent instantly; this sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.

Shang Yibo got up and left his seat. Zhou Yanruo tacitly closed the folder in her hand and followed him out of the conference room.