Emotions came quickly, and they dissipated just as fast.
The girl remained silent for a long time, her thoughts wandering to unknown places.
Chen Jingyuan watched her quietly for a moment, his deep voice tinged with a hint of playfulness as he slowly said, "Earlier in the car, Secretary Liang was quite enthusiastic when discussing her boss's bankruptcy. Why does she become so silent and taciturn when it comes to work?"
Huh?
She snapped back to her senses.
Liang Weining felt a chill down her spine.
This man, by suddenly turning the conversation around, couldn't possibly be intending to settle scores with her after the autumn harvest!
"Not at all."
After uttering those two words softly, Liang Weining fell silent for a moment.
She collected herself, staring unwaveringly at the man, and said in a serious tone, "Mr. Chen stands high in his loft, capable of orchestrating any task with ease. If even someone like you could go bankrupt, I'm afraid the economy of the Hong Kong Region would already be beyond salvation."
After finishing, she added, "Back in the car, it was a joke to liven up the atmosphere. Please forgive me, Mr. Chen; it was unintentional."
Her defense was timely, and her attitude in admitting fault was good.
In just three months, Chen Jingyuan had no idea that his Little Secretary, beneath her obedient and earnest facade, was capable of so many little tricks.
But often, whenever they discussed official matters, she would arm herself to the teeth, never daring to slack off in the slightest.
Occasionally, Chen Jingyuan wondered whether it was because he was too serious, or because his face naturally didn't look approachable enough.
It turned out, Mr. Chen's understanding of his own external image was indeed lacking.
Take this moment, for instance: The man's expressionless face, to Liang Weining, came across with a totally different implication.
Intuition told her that her justifications hadn't pleased Chen Jingyuan at all but had rather been counterproductive. She probably had already upset the big boss the moment she opened her mouth.
Thinking of this, Liang Weining couldn't help but sigh internally.
Working for a living is tough.
Being a secretary to Chen Jingyuan is even tougher.
Amidst these thoughts, the man sitting opposite her finally made a move.
But it wasn't to continue the topic at hand. Instead, he asked leisurely, "In the past two years, has Secretary Liang considered transferring to a different position?"
Liang Weining didn't understand.
"Transfer to what?"
Chen Jingyuan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calm and undisturbed as it fell on the girl's face, his low voice imbued with the night's richness, exposing a touch of weariness rarely seen.
"The Public Relations Department. Your eloquence is more suited for facing the media cameras."
"..."
So, the boss was subtly mocking her.
Liang Weining felt slightly defiant, "I believe that sincere praise cannot be called sycophantic flattery."
Her voice was quite soft, but unfortunately, the listener was interested.
Chen Jingyuan asked with composed tranquility, "Even if it is flattery, so what?"
"You wouldn't like such a person to be your subordinate." The girl sat up straight, her tone filled with certainty.
To this statement, Chen Jingyuan provided no comment, yet he didn't rebut it either.
It was only when he saw the girl's unmistakably clear stance that a barely noticeable hint of amusement appeared at the corners of his lips.
In that moment, the silvery white light shining on the man's face made his distinct features even more profound and attractive, softening the usual hardness of his jaw with a subtle change.
Involuntarily, Liang Weining's gaze wavered a bit.
She thought to herself.
Did Mr. Chen drink tonight?
Before she had time to ponder further, the phone in her bag started to vibrate insistently. Just as she was about to take it out for a look, the call suddenly ended.
Immediately after, her best friend sent three rapid-fire texts.
Asking her for a late-night snack, if she was done with her work, and where she was.
Liang Weining lightly tapped her finger, sending her live location.
Within ten seconds.
Gu Yunzhen: "Meet at Dalijing Station, let's go back together after we eat."
The message couldn't have come at a better time.
Liang Weining turned off her phone and raised her head to look at Chen Jingyuan, "My friend happens to be nearby, inviting me for a midnight snack. Mr. Chen, if you don't have any other work arrangements, shall I have the driver park nearby?"
She had categorized even her private interactions with him as part of work, a very normal psychological state for a subordinate dealing with a superior.
After all, in reality, no one wants their personal time to be excessively occupied by their boss.
Secretary Liang was no exception.
Chen Jingyuan remained silent without speaking, while Josie, who had kept polite and hadn't interrupted, sensed that her daddy was finally done with his work talk, she blurted out, "Is sister going to meet with her boyfriend?"
She had initially called her Secretary Liang, but now she was saying sister.
Even Josie herself hadn't realized how unique Liang Weining had been in her initial impression of her.
She had met many of her daddy's subordinates before.
Whether they were assistants or high-level executives, in her presence, all of them lowered their stance, their language brimming with respect and caution towards her, the "Mr. Chen's adopted daughter."
But Liang Weining was different.
She understood boundaries and distance, and could naturally share poetry with her from an equal perspective, telling her stories about the Poetic Immortal Li Bai.
That brief few minutes in the car tonight, Josie's focus on and understanding of traditional culture, surpassed any Chinese language class at school.
If there's a chance, she would like to hear more from Liang Weining.
That is, if there was going to be a next time.
Naturally, the person concerned was completely unaware that her casual remark had plunged Liang Weining into a mysterious silence.
Boyfriend…
Feigning calmness, she looked up and met the man's deep and composed gaze.
Liang Weining's throat felt dry, so she couldn't help but cough lightly.
After a moment, she collected herself and corrected, "Not a boyfriend, a female friend."
Josie was taken aback.
"Sister, you like girls?"
Liang Weining: ...
Alright, then.
It was her fault for not making it clear.
However, this time, before she could explain, Chen Jingyuan, sitting opposite, spoke up sternly, "Josie, you mustn't be rude."
With the boss speaking, the latter suddenly wilted.
It wasn't hard to see that in the Chen family, from the top down, nearly no one, from peers to juniors, was unafraid of Chen Jingyuan.
Especially Josie, who had been raised by Mr. Chen's side since she was little, and was thus more strictly controlled.
But Liang Weining was surprisingly impressed.
Chen Jingyuan, an extremely ambitious capitalist, would actually let his child delve into Li Bai's poetry.
—To make the most of life's pleasures, don't let the golden goblets face the moon emptily.
If they truly lived as carefree and untroubled as depicted in the poem, how could Josie grow up to possess the strong mindset and courage required to stand firm in the Chen family?
Mr. Chen of the Hong Kong Region had not reached his position today by indulging in timely pleasures.
And for those at the pinnacle of power, what they pursued was certainly not Li Bai's later years of joyful immersion in the natural world.
So sometimes, Chen Jingyuan.
Was really hard to understand.
After getting off the car, she met up with her best friend at the subway entrance.
In the night colored by flashing neon lights, the stretched Pullman briefly stopped, drawing the attention of many passersby; ordinary people didn't even need to see the emblem to recognise the status of the person inside the car, often just a glance at the license plate would tell them.
As she watched the luxury car drive away, Liang Weining pulled Gu Yunzhen to the sidewalk.
As they walked, the latter marveled, "Who says going to university is useless? At the very least, your four years at the University of Hong Kong weren't wasted."
Guessing what she meant.
Liang Weining laughed lightly, "If I told you that in the Zhonggang Group, a bachelor's degree is only considered a basic level, would you still praise me?"
Basic level...
"Alright, then I, with only a high school diploma, probably couldn't even get a job as a cleaner at your company."
Gu Yunzhen seemed to be mocking herself, but there wasn't a hint of inferiority in her tone.
The choice someone makes at the crossroads largely determines the direction of their fate.
But only Liang Weining knew that four years ago, Gu Yunzhen had no choice at all.
She also believed, her Zhenzhen, even without the favor of fortune, could rely on her own efforts to carve out a prosperous future for herself.