In her room, Lin Yue vented her frustration by pounding on the pillow. At that moment, Qian Yan knocked on her door.
"Lin Yue, open up. I brought some local specialties for you."
Lin Yue got up and opened the door. Qian Yan placed the items on the floor, noticing the reddened corners of Lin Yue's eyes. She handed her a tissue and remarked, "Crying again?"
"No," Lin Yue replied. "I've just been under a lot of pressure lately. You know, my field is not related to education. I have to go through a lot of materials and study every day. Today's blind date was a disaster, and I met a weirdo. It's just too much."
Qian Yan chuckled and said, "So crying is just a way to relieve stress. I get it. I sometimes cry when students get on my nerves. But you, efficient and articulate at work, are a crybaby in private. It's oddly cute."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Yue sniffed and asked, "You didn't go help her clean up again, did you?"
Qian Yan sighed, "What can I do? With this heat, it'll probably stink by tomorrow morning."
Lin Yue felt guilty and said, "I'm sorry, it's all because of me."
"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault. Qing Jing just feels uncomfortable. As a master's student in management from the School of Finance and Economics, how could she accept losing to someone majoring in education like you?"
Lin Yue sighed. She and Qian Yan were college classmates and roommates, and Qing Jing was a friend she met during her postgraduate studies. Their relationship had always been good, but this interview had turned them into enemies.
Qian Yan, also tired herself, patted Lin Yue's shoulder and comforted her, "Don't think too much."
Lin Yue nodded and made a sound of acknowledgment. After Qian Yan left, Lin Yue went to the kitchen. Everything was neatly arranged, but she had no appetite to cook.
She picked up a mop, cleaned all the public areas, took a shower, and then cleaned the bathroom. Feeling hungry, she went to bed on an empty stomach.
In her dream, she was in a cafe, crying from hunger. He Yuan saw her and bought her five hamburgers. Then, he got scared and ran away.
Lin Yue looked at herself in the mirror, sleepily wondering what a messy and confusing dream it was.
At 8:30, Lin Yue arrived at the company, just like every day. He Yuan's assistant, Zhou Yunce, usually arrived around 9:00. The roles of assistants and secretaries varied between companies. Zhou Yunce was a key figure for He Yuan, participating in decision-making and management affairs, assisting He Yuan in the overall operation of the company. If he were taken out individually, he would be at the vice president level in any area under the Starlight Group.
Lin Yue, on the other hand, worked directly under He Yuan's guidance, primarily involved in administrative management. She assisted He Yuan in receptions, handling paperwork, and occasionally attended meetings to record minutes.
Despite her lower salary compared to Zhou Yunce's million-dollar income, it was still more than what she earned as a teacher.
She had studied education in college and foreign languages in graduate school. Originally, she and Qian Yan were planning to teach at the same school. However, she came across the recruitment notice for He Yuan's secretary online.
On a whim, she submitted her resume. That evening, she told Qian Yan and Qing Jing about it. Qing Jing surprised her during the interview, but she quickly adjusted her mindset. Perhaps she felt she had no significant advantage compared to Qing Jing. During the HR and He Yuan's interview, Lin Yue spoke honestly without using prepared phrases.
As she prepared to go for an interview at Qian Yan's school, she received a notice from the HR department that she had been successfully recruited. However, there was a three-month probation period. A week ago, she officially became a regular employee.
Due to this matter, her relationship with Qing Jing took a sharp turn for the worse. Facing a massive amount of documents every day and dealing with Qing Jing's mess at home, Lin Yue found herself mentally exhausted.
Once in the office, she never showed any personal emotions.
When He Yuan entered, Lin Yue was still busy reading the files Zhou Yunce had given her.
As a shadow fell over her, Lin Yue looked up and calmly stood up, wearing a professional yet fake smile. "Good morning, Mr. He."
"Morning," He Yuan's warm and deep voice resonated in her workspace.
Instead of sitting down, Lin Yue walked around the partition and joined He Yuan at his desk to report on his schedule for the day.
"Mr. He, the morning management meeting has been postponed to 10 a.m. Today, at 3 p.m., Mr. Zhao from Dachuang will visit."
He Yuan nodded. Today was a relatively relaxed day compared to usual.
"Mr. Zhao is scheduled to meet in the second meeting room. You should be familiar with how he operates, but if you have any uncertainties, ask Assistant Zhou."
"Yes."
"You'll also join the management meeting later."
"Yes."
"That's it, get back to work."
Just as Lin Yue was about to leave, He Yuan called her back.
"Go get me some breakfast."
"Yes," Lin Yue quickly put down her work and went to buy breakfast for her boss.
He Yuan was not picky about his food. Most of the time, he finished eating at home before coming to the office. Today was the fourth time Lin Yue had been asked to buy him breakfast.
Milk and a sandwich – that was what he wanted. Zhou Yunce had mentioned that this was the fixed combination for He Yuan, unchanging over the years.
A round trip took fifteen minutes. When Lin Yue brought the milk, it was cold. She took He Yuan's commonly used glass from his desk, poured the milk, and heated it in the microwave. After that, she grabbed a tray from the pantry and placed the breakfast on He Yuan's desk.
"After you finish, just leave the tray. I'll take care of it later."
For work convenience, Lin Yue and He Yuan shared an office with a partition in between. Zhou Yunce had his own separate office, just a wall away from He Yuan's office.
While He Yuan was having his breakfast, Lin Yue raised the blinds between them. From He Yuan's perspective, a slender figure was visible through the glass partition.
The morning sun was glaring, and Lin Yue, standing sideways, revealed her well-proportioned figure.
Perhaps sensing He Yuan's gaze, Lin Yue turned slightly, and He Yuan, clutching the glass of milk, silently averted his eyes.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the first time he saw Secretary Lin.