Gently bite the jasmine

Noticing her pale face, Sun Wenxin casually asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Xi shook her head at her: "It's nothing."

Since the two were not yet familiar with each other, Sun Wenxin didn't want to ask too many questions, so he warmly invited her to dinner.

"Eating while enjoying a beautiful view can greatly improve your mood."

Lin Xi was amused by her and even rhymed with her.

Sun Wenxin was quite restless while eating; she nudged Lin Xi and started gossiping:

"I heard our CEO is very handsome, and you want to see him all the time. Is he the legendary god-like handsome man?"

Lin Xi pictured Duan Yiheng's cold, stern face.

The Duan brothers, Mingxuan and Yiheng, don't resemble Duan Zheng much; they are both quite tall.

Although she had never met Duan Yiheng's mother, she had been curious about Duan Yiheng's deep, Western-like features.

Grandpa said that Duan Yiheng's mother was of mixed Chinese and Russian descent, and Duan Yiheng's superior appearance must have been inherited from her.

If Duan Mingxuan is a blazing, fiery flame, then Duan Yiheng is a cold moon hanging high a thousand miles away.

"Very handsome." Lin Xi said truthfully.

Sun Wenxin was not satisfied: "Is being handsome just plain and simple? There are handsome men everywhere. What's important is that unique and distinctive temperament."

Lin Xi paused for a moment and then said, "He...is very lonely?"

Sun Wenxin almost choked: "With so much money, why bother with this pretentious attitude?"

Lin Xi smiled awkwardly: "What I mean is that he is very aloof, keeps to himself, and is someone you can only admire from afar."

Sun Wenxin leaned closer with regret and whispered, "We can't play up close, can we?"

Now it was Lin Xi's turn to cough. She looked at Sun Wenxin in disbelief, wanting to say "How dare you!"

"Just kidding." Sun Wenxin's eyes sparkled. "I just feel sorry, who's dating a man like that?"

Lin Xi: "...He doesn't have a girlfriend."

At least she hadn't heard of it.

Sun Wenxin was surprised: "He's almost thirty, isn't he?"

"Yes."

Lin Xi's mind went blank for a moment, and as she spoke, she took out her phone and flipped through the calendar.

Two weeks later, on the first day after the training ended, was Duan Yiheng's thirtieth birthday.

I should at least give him a birthday present this year, since we see each other all the time.

"What are you thinking about? Let's go."

Lin Xi immediately picked up her plate and left.

After leaving the restaurant, the two naturally went to the restroom.

"Manager Chen, is it true that a new secretary has arrived in the president's office?"

Lin Xi quickly stopped Sun Wenxin and gestured for her to be quiet.

"It's true, she and I are classmates."

"We all know that Assistant Tian was promoted, so it was only natural for Assistant Qin to take his place. We thought that President Duan would recruit a new assistant from within the company, but it turned out to be a secretary. It's like the good stuff is going to an outsider."

Chen Jingyi chuckled: "President Duan has his own considerations when it comes to hiring people; he's not the kind of person who does things recklessly."

"Not necessarily. All men are the same. It's just that Mr. Duan keeps his private life very private, so we don't know."

Chen Jingyi said in a light rebuke, "You can only say that to me."

"Hehe, I was just saying. But it is indeed strange that President Duan has switched to using a secretary. Ever since he joined Yinfan, he has never used a woman by his side."

Chen Jingyi chuckled lightly: "I've heard about this. When he was interning at the company during his university years, a young secretary tried to climb the social ladder, and he was so disgusted that he threw his suit jacket, which had been touched, directly into the trash can."

"Why did they change the rules this time? Is the new secretary some kind of angel?"

Chen Jingyi brushed her long hair aside: "I am quite pretty. I had many suitors when I was in junior high school."

Lin Xi heard a knowing yet contemptuous laugh: "Who knows how this secretary position was obtained? It didn't even go through the personnel department."

Chen Jingyi said casually, "Don't talk nonsense."

Sun Wenxin was indignant and raised her eyebrows as she was about to go inside, but Lin Xi grabbed her arm and said, "This has nothing to do with you."

Sun Wenxin frowned: "Is that Manager Chen inside really your classmate?"

Is this a subtle sabotage by Lin Xi? While seemingly speaking up for Lin Xi, every word is actually a trap, designed to incite others to slander her.

Lin Xi nodded: "We have some history."

Sun Wenxin: "So, are you going to walk or go inside?"

“Of course I’m going to join,” Lin Xi said. “Although it’s the training period, they’ve already started working, so there are some things I need to remind them of.”

Sun Yat-sen's anger subsided somewhat.

Lin Xi heard that Chen Liangyi's voice still sounded uncomfortable. She clenched her fists, slightly raised her chin, and went inside.

Chen Jingyi saw the person in the mirror and greeted him with a smile: "Lin Xi?"

Lin Xi smiled, but her gaze did not fall on the other woman.

"The company allows freedom of speech, but I remember that the 'Employee Code of Conduct' explicitly prohibits employees from spreading false information or maliciously defaming colleagues. The consequences range from a written warning to suspension or dismissal."

Chen Jingyi, unfazed, asked her in bewilderment, "What did I say?"

Lin Xi glanced to the side out of the corner of her eye: "Didn't she say that?"

The man was startled: "Don't talk nonsense."

Chen Jingyi has always maintained a positive image within the company, and this little thing isn't worth sacrificing to protect her.

Upon hearing this, she protected the girl who was slandering Lin Xi and said, "Did you hear that right?"

"You all know whether I heard you right or not." Lin Xi said, facing Chen Liangyi's gaze. "You don't need to absolve yourself. Whether you said it or not, the people you're with have said it. Do you think you can stay out of it?"

Chen Jingyi's gaze turned colder. She stepped forward, her eyes filled with interest, and whispered, "You've changed."

Lin Xi didn't respond to her words, and said seriously, "President Duan hates gossip. It was indeed President Duan who made the decision for me to join Yin Fan. If you have any complaints, you can go to the 36th floor and cry your hearts out."

Chen Jingyi's face turned completely cold: "You, a secretary who is still in training, dare to use your superior to bully others?"

Lin Xi retorted without backing down: "So what? Otherwise, shall we go up to the 36th floor together and talk about what you just said?"

Chen Jingyi choked, and no one knew the anger in her heart except Lin Xi.

The girl behind her tugged at Chen Jingyi's sleeve and said, "Manager Chen, let's go."

Chen Jingyi snorted coldly and walked away without looking back.

Sun Wenxin clicked her tongue twice: "Secretary Lin, it seems you have a long-standing grudge against this Manager Chen. She doesn't look like someone to mess with."

Lin Xi chuckled: "I'm not someone to be trifled with either."

Sun Wenxin gave her a thumbs up: "I figured it out."

Lin Xi's act failed, and he smiled apologetically, "Actually, no, I was indeed using President Duan to intimidate people."

Sun Yat-sen had a sudden inspiration: "I understand, it's like a fox borrowing the tiger's power."

Lin Xi chuckled: "I thought you were going to say 'a dog relying on its master's power'."

"Wow, you're so beautiful, how could I say that to you?"

After this experience, the two became much closer.

The training session started at 1 p.m. During the break, Lin Xi received a call from Duan Mingxuan, who asked why she wasn't home.

Lin Xi gave a perfunctory reply, only to be reminded by Zhang Mo of their meeting that evening.

She sighed wearily, not wanting to be caught between the two of them.

What she didn't understand even more was why Zhang Mo wanted to see her.

The place she arranged to meet wasn't far, just on the street behind the company.

Duan Yiheng texted her before leaving get off work, asking her to wait for him in the parking lot.

Lin Xi said she had made an appointment with a friend, so she went to see Zhang Mo.