Lu Yanbei sat in his high-rise office, his thoughts frequently drifting.
He felt restless.
He summoned his secretary to bring him a cup of coffee, hoping to invigorate himself. Just then, Cheng Jue walked in, hanging up his phone. "Mr. Lu, the front desk said a Ms. Rong wishes to see you."
"You mean that actress rumored to be involved with you," Cheng Jue added, in case his boss couldn't recall her identity.
"Do I need to teach you how to handle such matters?" Lu Yanbei glanced at him.
Cheng Jue was startled and quickly plastered a smile on his face. "Yes, I will convey your wishes immediately."
Lu Yanbei never treated women who sought him out favorably.
This time was no exception.
Down in the lobby, Rong Qiao listened to the secretary's reply but showed no embarrassment.
She seemed to have anticipated this outcome.
"I apologize for the intrusion," Rong Qiao turned and left without lingering, showing no intention of further pestering.
After she left, the lobby immediately became lively.
"Oh my god, it's my first time being so close to a big star! Rong Qiao is truly stunning, and her figure is amazing!"
"I didn't expect her to have no airs of a celebrity, she's so approachable."
"She's even more beautiful in person than on screen. I'm a fan now!"
"Honestly, in terms of appearance, she and our boss are quite a match. I'd love to see them together!"
"What a missed opportunity! I didn't get her autograph just now, what a loss!"
The girls chattered excitedly, full of energy.
In the van parked not far from the Lu Group building, her agent wore a worried expression. "Even though you came in person, Mr. Lu still refused to see you?"
Rong Qiao shook her head.
"At least I wasn't thrown out, right?" After getting into the van, she took off her sunglasses and casually tossed them to her assistant. "I came today to make a statement. Don't expect too much."
"So, there's still a chance?" The agent's worried heart eased slightly at her words.
Rong Qiao looked up at the tall buildings nearby and said, "One must have dreams. It's just that we can't rush. We'll take it slow, test the waters first."
"It's good that you have a plan," the agent patted her chest, fearing she might do something drastic and completely enrage that influential figure.
"Let's go, don't we have a cover shoot to do?" Due to the recent scandal, Rong Qiao's popularity was at its peak. Businesses eager to collaborate flocked to her, and her schedule was packed, incredibly busy.
This, she thought, was the benefit of being in the spotlight.
So what if she was just a pretty face? As long as she had buzz.
Upstairs, Lu Yanbei had already regained his composure and was diligently immersed in his work.
As six o'clock struck, Cheng Jue knocked on the door and reminded him, "Mr. Lu, it's time to leave work."
Lu Yanbei, his head bent over, instructed, "I'll leave after I finish this document."
Cheng Jue quietly retreated, and then contacted the driver to be on standby.
In the secretary's office, many were still working overtime.
"Hey, haven't you guys noticed that the boss has been leaving work quite punctually recently?"
"Yeah, every day, without fail, around 6:30 PM."
"Something's not right! I smell something fishy."
"Could that rumor be true? Leaving work so early, rushing to a date with his girlfriend?"
"Impossible! If it were true, why would he block her from coming up?"
Just as they were getting into a heated discussion, Cheng Jue knocked on the door from the hallway. "What nonsense are you spouting? Aren't you afraid of being fired?"
"Brother Cheng, we're just discussing privately, we won't spread it around."
"Brother Cheng, you're always by the boss's side, have you noticed anything unusual? Do we really have a boss's wife?"
Hearing them call him "Brother Cheng" so familiarly, Cheng Jue felt rather pleased. However, regarding the boss's personal matters, he dared not reveal anything casually. "Just do your jobs well, and stop being so gossipy all day."
"It's just curiosity!"
"If we knew earlier, we'd be mentally prepared."
But no matter how they tried to probe, Cheng Jue didn't fall for it. "I'm just an assistant, how would I know about the boss's private life? You all have too much free time, have you finished your work?"
The group dispersed like startled birds.
*
At seven o'clock, Lu Yanbei returned home precisely on time.
The entryway light was on, but Su He was nowhere to be seen.
Lu Yanbei frowned.
At this hour, shouldn't she be busy in the kitchen?
Lu Yanbei walked further in with a question in mind. As he passed Su He's room, he stopped.
The door was ajar, with a faint light seeping from inside.
Lu Yanbei hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked.
Su He was sweating profusely from pain and had no strength to respond.
"Su He?" Lu Yanbei called out tentatively.
Still no movement.
The next second, he pushed the door open. What greeted his eyes was Su He's frail figure curled up in the corner of the bed.
"What's wrong?" The sternness on Lu Yanbei's face could no longer be maintained. He walked up to her and touched her forehead. The cool, slightly sticky sensation made his brows furrow involuntarily.
Su He clutched her stomach, unable to speak for a long time.
Lu Yanbei's gaze followed down to the hand supporting her stomach. "Menstrual cramps?"
Su He slowly nodded. "It hasn't been this bad for a long time..."
Lu Yanbei pursed his lips, not replying.
He turned and went straight to the living room. After a short while, he returned with a pack of painkillers and a glass of warm water. "Take the medicine first."
Su He didn't pretend to be delicate and obediently swallowed the pill. The effect would take some time to kick in, so after swallowing, she lay back down. "I'm sorry, I might not be able to cook dinner... What do you want to eat? I'll order takeout for you."
"Rest early if you're not feeling well," Lu Yanbei replied without directly answering her question. Instead, he pulled the blanket up to cover her.
Su He felt quite guilty. "Then, when I feel better, I'll make you a bowl of noodles."
"No need," Lu Yanbei said, his expression darkening.
Su He thought he was angry and tugged at his sleeve with her small hand. "I really didn't know it would be this bad... I promise, it won't happen again!"
Lu Yanbei looked at her pale face, almost devoid of color, and ultimately couldn't bring himself to scold her. "You lie down, I'll make it myself."
"But..."
Lu Yanbei didn't give her a chance to object. He took off his jacket and walked out.
Su He stared blankly at his receding figure, lost in thought.
She had to admit, his appearance was truly exceptional. Broad shoulders, a slender waist, a firm, perky backside, and those impossibly long legs. A perfect model-like proportion, attractive from every angle.
With such a perfect specimen around daily, who could resist! It was only because she had good self-control that she hadn't fallen at his feet.
Su He stole a couple of glances, satisfied with what she saw.
Well, she absolutely couldn't let him discover her staring.
Otherwise, misunderstandings might arise.
What Su He didn't know was that Lu Yanbei had already noticed, he just hadn't pointed it out.
He pondered, since she couldn't recall for a while, why not use his own advantages to seduce her a little? Even if she was only infatuated with his body.