Shen Yue had found a new apartment. She packed up her belongings, her current residence, a place she had lived since losing her memory, holding significant meaning and offering a sense of security.
As she packed, Shen Yue realized she didn't have many possessions. Branded bags and jewelry were unnecessary for her new situation.
During her time working at the cafe, Shen Yue had been frugal, spending very little. She understood that affection and money were separate matters.
Anything she owed, she would repay in full.
Early that morning, Shen Yue woke up. Looking at her pale reflection in the mirror, she closed her eyes.
Most of her clothes had been bought by Xie Jiangsheng. After searching for a long time, she finally found a coat she had bought on sale in the street, simply because it was cheap.
Her belongings were packed. Shen Yue placed them in the security room, explained the situation to the guard, and arranged for someone to pick them up later.
With very little money in hand, she took the elevator to Xie Jiangsheng's company.
It was peak rush hour, and the subway was packed. By the time Shen Yue arrived at the company, it was almost ten o'clock.
Clutching the items in her hand, Shen Yue approached the reception desk.
The receptionist greeted her with a smile, "Hello, how may I help you?"
Shen Yue replied, "I want to see Xie Jiangsheng."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, I just need to return some things. Can I leave them with you? You can then pass them on to Mr. Xie."
The receptionist looked troubled. "I'm afraid that's not company policy. If you're returning items, you should have Mr. Xie's phone number. You can call him directly."
Shen Yue thanked her and moved to a nearby lounge area. After a moment's hesitation, she dialed Xie Jiangsheng's number.
The first call went unanswered. On the second attempt, the call was slowly picked up.
"Hello?"
A strange woman's voice came through the phone.
Shen Yue paused. Her hair was disheveled by the cold wind outside, and her face was pale.
"...I, I'm looking for Mr. Xie."
The woman's voice was gentle and polite. "Mr. Xie is in a meeting and may not be available for some time. Is it important? I can relay a message for you."
"...I have something to give to Mr. Xie."
"I see. Perhaps you should wait for a moment. I have something to attend to now."
Shen Yue's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she pursed her lips. "Okay, thank you."
The woman quickly hung up the phone.
Shen Yue found a place to sit. She knew that Xie Jiangsheng was either deliberately making things difficult for her or simply did not wish to see her.
Looking at the items in her hand, Shen Yue felt a pang in her heart.
After hanging up the phone, the secretary remained stunned. As Xie Jiangsheng's secretary, she had certainly interacted with Shen Yue before.
If she had to summarize Shen Yue, it would be: ignorant, overly ambitious, fragile, petty, and stingy.
Her flaws were countless.
Her only redeeming quality was her beauty.
It wasn't just ordinary beauty; no matter how proud Shen Yue acted, it couldn't evoke utter disgust.
But if she heard correctly, Shen Yue had said thank you before hanging up?
???
So polite?
It was quite… flattering.
She then looked up at her increasingly moody boss.
The man, who should have been in an urgent meeting, was sitting in his office chair. His eyes, concealed by gold-rimmed glasses, were dark and deep, his emotions unfathomable.
The secretary respectfully handed him the phone. Unable to guess her boss's thoughts, she dared not speculate, and cautiously probed, "Mr. Xie, would you like me to instruct someone to look after Miss Shen?"
The secretary was unaware that Shen Yue had lost her memory. She assumed Shen Yue was making excuses to cling to Mr. Xie, as that woman was often troublesome, always finding strange reasons, and Mr. Xie always had her dealt with.
However, this time seemed a little different.
Upon learning that Shen Yue had not left and was waiting downstairs, Xie Jiangsheng's expression visibly improved slightly, and he let out a cold snort.
"Leave her be. Otherwise, she will never know her place."
Indeed, he had been too good to her before, which was why she had grown so bold as to say those things to him. Thinking of it now, Xie Jiangsheng felt a surge of anger.
If she wasn't taught a lesson, she would truly believe she could walk all over him.
The secretary felt that Mr. Xie's expression was unusual, with a strange, unidentifiable quality.
Shen Yue waited for three hours. By noon, the secretary finally arrived, her eyes immediately spotting Shen Yue sitting in the corner.
Some people are like that; they become the center of attention in a crowd without doing anything.
The woman had her head bowed, her brow furrowed as if in great distress. Her fluffy hair cascaded around her cheeks, and her delicate, pale face exuded a fragile beauty. A gentle and elegant aura emanated from her eyes, giving an impression of peace and serenity.
This was completely different from the Shen Yue in the secretary's memory. Despite having the same face, this appearance was far more captivating.
As the secretary approached, she unconsciously softened her footsteps and spoke very softly, "Miss Shen?"
Shen Yue slowly raised her head, looking at the unfamiliar woman before her. She asked hesitantly, "Are you..."
The secretary offered an embarrassed smile. "Miss Shen, you truly have a forgetful nature. I am Mr. Xie's secretary. We used to see each other frequently about six months ago."
Shen Yue quickly stood up, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
She had stood up too quickly, and Shen Yue felt a wave of dizziness, her face growing even paler. However, because she was so pale, it wasn't very noticeable.
To others, it just looked like her eyelashes had twitched.
The secretary was overwhelmed with flattery. "It's alright, it's alright. Mr. Xie has just finished his meeting. I'll take you up."
They went up to the elevator together, one after the other. Seeing Shen Yue looking downcast, the secretary assumed she had argued with Mr. Xie and couldn't help but say, "Miss Shen, Mr. Xie is in a bad mood. Just go along with him a bit, and everything will be fine."
Shen Yue knew the secretary meant well. She looked up and smiled at her, saying nothing.
When they reached the office door, the secretary stood aside, gesturing for Shen Yue to enter with her eyes.
Shen Yue took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
The office was very large, its floor gleaming with cleanliness.
As Shen Yue stepped inside, the door behind her was closed.
The man was still working, not even looking up, as if treating Shen Yue as air.
Under this deliberate disregard and neglect, Shen Yue's stiff hands and feet didn't know where to go.