As Duan Yiheng stepped out of the car, his foot touching the ground, he caught the sound of Chen Liangyi's utterly vulgar language. Instinctively, he glanced toward Lin Xi; her back was held ramrod straight, and her profile—viewed from the side—betrayed not a single flicker of emotion.
Qin Yang, who had been driving for him, stole a cautious glance from the side, only to find Duan Yiheng's expression inscrutable. Seeing that his boss remained motionless, Qin Yang ventured to ask, "Shall we go over there?" Duan Yiheng signaled for Qin Yang to draw closer, then murmured a few instructions into his ear.
Clenching her fists, Lin Xi strove to maintain her composure as she addressed Chen Liangyi: "Just wait for your termination notice. From now on, not a single company in this industry will ever hire you." No boss wants an employee who is so utterly uncooperative.
Chen Liangyi was about to retort, but Xu Yu immediately raised her voice, calling out to the security guards: "What are you standing around for? Gag her—right now!"
It was at that precise moment that Qin Yang walked over. Only then did the others realize that Duan Yiheng had arrived; heads swiveled in unison, and eyes darted surreptitiously back and forth between Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng. Qin Yang approached Lin Xi and said:
"Secretary Lin, I'll handle things here. President Duan requests that you join him in the car; Mr. Cai from Maosheng is visiting this morning, and you are responsible for receiving him." Lin Xi replied, "Understood." She exchanged brief nods with the HR manager and Xu Yu, then turned and stepped into Duan Yiheng's car.
Under the gaze of every eye present, the Rolls-Royce passed through the main gate and glided slowly into the corporate park, finally coming to a halt in Duan Yiheng's reserved parking space. Qin Yang took out a business card and handed it to Chen Liangyi's mother:
"I am Qin Yang, the President's Assistant. If you have any grievances or requests, let's discuss them in the conference room—and while we're at it, we can finalize the termination of Manager Chen's employment contract. As for any matters concerning you and your daughter after that, they fall outside the scope of our company's jurisdiction."
The elderly woman showed not the slightest shred of guilt for having sabotaged her daughter's career; instead, she strode forward with her head held high, convinced she had emerged victorious. With the company—that towering pillar of support—stripped away, Chen Liangyi would surely have no choice but to submit meekly to her mother's every whim. Consequently, the moment Qin Yang finished speaking, the old woman actually began to urge him to hurry.
Chen Liangyi glared at her mother with eyes that seemed to yearn to tear her to shreds. Meanwhile, back in the car, neither Lin Xi nor Duan Yiheng had yet stepped out. The car windows shielded them from everyone's gaze. Duan Yiheng took Lin Xi's hand: "I thought you might do what you did during that last board meeting—deny this relationship."
Lin Xi still felt a twinge of discomfort, but she knew she shouldn't let Chen Liangyi's words get to her. The more flustered she appeared in that moment, the more she would validate Chen Liangyi's claims.
The affection between her and Duan Yiheng was not the sordid affair Chen Liangyi had made it out to be; their relationship was pure and wholesome. It was merely their respective positions—his as the boss, hers as the secretary—that made for such sensational gossip in the eyes of ordinary people. This was a private matter between her and Duan Yiheng; there was no need to justify it to the world.
Lin Xi squeezed his hand in return and simply smiled. Regarding their previous breakup, she had no desire to compare who had suffered more. If she could have chosen, she would have preferred to avoid that interrogation in the conference room entirely. Yet, she also understood with perfect clarity:
The hidden affection between her and Duan Yiheng had needed that very interrogation to finally break free and emerge from its cocoon. "Don't worry," Duan Yiheng said, tightening his grip on her hand. "I've had Qin Yang go and put a lid on things." Lin Xi turned her face away slightly and said, "Actually, that wasn't really necessary." "It *was* necessary,"
Duan Yiheng insisted. "I want to hear people say things like, 'Duan and Lin make a perfect match'—not the kind of vile, filthy slander that's unfit for human ears." Lin Xi smiled and murmured, "Mm-hmm." Nevertheless, quite a few people had indeed heard what Chen Liangyi had said.
During the brief time Sun Wenxin stepped out to use the restroom, the entire conversation revolved around this very topic: "So, tell me—what exactly is the relationship between Secretary Lin and President Duan?" "Who knows? But where there's smoke, there's fire." "Surely Manager Chen's claims aren't actually true?" "It's explosive stuff! Sleeping her way to the top?
If this ever gets leaked to the public, it'll be a total disaster." Sun Wenxin listened to the whole exchange with a frown. She wanted to reach out and offer Lin Xi some support, yet she was afraid that Lin Xi might not even realize just how wildly—and convincingly—the rumors were already spreading through the office ranks.
Three days later, Chen Liangyi was swiftly dismissed from the company on two grounds: "gross violation of company policies and regulations" and "detrimental impact on the company's image and reputation."
The matter did not end there, however; the internal company bulletin also included a special note stating that Chen Liangyi had collapsed in the Human Resources conference room and had subsequently been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment. No specific details regarding her medical condition were disclosed, as doing so would have violated Chen Liangyi's personal privacy; however, acting on humanitarian grounds, the company provided her with additional financial assistance. Yet, somehow—through channels unknown—rumors began to circulate that Chen Liangyi was suffering from a mental illness and that her emotions had spiraled out of control.
The events of that day remained vividly etched in everyone's minds: Chen Liangyi's sullen gaze, her caustic remarks, her explosive temper... everything seemed to lend credence to that very possibility.
When Sun Wenxin next heard gossip concerning Lin Xi, the prevailing sentiment had taken a sudden turn: "Could it be that Manager Chen was just making wild, baseless accusations regarding Secretary Lin and President Duan?" "That's certainly possible; after all, would you really put your faith in the word of a lunatic?"
"She and Secretary Lin have never gotten along. I heard they were actually classmates back in the day; even before we moved to this new campus, she'd already tried to pull rank and intimidate Secretary Lin." "Is that really credible? She seemed like a perfectly normal person—did she really develop a mental illness?"
"The company wouldn't dare make her psychiatric evaluation report public, since that falls under Chen Liangyi's personal privacy. But my gut tells me it's almost certainly true." "What do you mean, 'a perfectly normal person'? That woman is ruthless! I heard she actually played a significant role in getting her previous boss sent to prison."
"Wow, she really is vicious, isn't she?" "Colleagues in the Sales Department have complained about her before; apparently, she loves running things like a dictator—demanding absolute obedience and brooking no dissent." "...Anyone unfortunate enough to have to work with her is truly out of luck." "Personally, I haven't noticed anything unusual in Secretary Lin's interactions with the various departments. I think these kinds of baseless rumors are completely unreliable."
Sun Wenxin nodded silently. In her heart, she simply could not believe that Lin Xi was the kind of person Chen Liangyi had made her out to be. Even if there *was* something going on between her and President Duan, Sun Wenxin was certain it must be a consensual relationship between two willing adults.
Lin Xi, however, was oblivious to Sun Wenxin's thoughts, for she was currently in Duan Yiheng's office, sharing a meal with him. Pushing aside the celery—a vegetable she detested—Lin Xi asked Duan Yiheng, "Did you tamper with Chen Liangyi's psychiatric evaluation report?" Duan Yiheng looked up:
"No. Why would you think that?" Lin Xi froze for a moment:
"You mean... it's actually true that she has a mental illness?" Duan Yiheng gave a soft "Mm" in confirmation:
"The doctor explained that whenever she hears accusations or remarks she perceives as threatening, she suffers from delusions of persecution and flies into a rage. It is a manifestation of schizophrenia." Lin Xi's chopsticks paused mid-air.
It was actually true. In other words, even if Chen Liangyi cooperated with the company to resolve the matter regarding her adoptive mother, she still wouldn't be able to remain at the firm in the long run—not once her illness was discovered. Duan Yiheng had been paying close attention to Lin Xi's mood these past couple of days; at night, before they went to sleep, he would even read her a short story.
Lin Xi, however, remained skeptical about the whole business regarding Chen Liangyi's illness. Just as she opened her mouth to bring it up again, Duan Yiheng rolled over, pinning her beneath him. "If you don't want to sleep, then why don't you pay some attention to *me* instead?" Lin Xi raised a hand to press against his chest.
"With a big guy like you looming right there, do you really need me to pay attention to you?" "I do," Duan Yiheng whispered against her lips. "Give me a kiss." Lin Xi tilted her chin slightly and pressed her lips against his; Duan Yiheng's breath grew scorching hot as he deepened the kiss.
The bedroom featured a "no-main-light" design, leaving Lin Xi bathed only in scattered, warm light—yet it was more than enough for Duan Yiheng to see her clearly. "Tomorrow is the weekend," Duan Yiheng remarked, his tone heavy with suggestion. Lin Xi's breath hitched against his lips. "And?"
"And..." Duan Yiheng deliberately drew out the word, "...I'm going to eat you up... bite by bite." Lin Xi felt the urge to laugh, amused by his utterly serious tone.
Duan Yiheng buried his face in the crook of her neck, planting soft, gentle kisses...