In the president's office.
Su Qingqing's gaze remained fixed on the surveillance screen.
On the screen.
Lin Ze was holding a lunchbox and eating with gusto.
His cheeks were puffed out.
His whole face looked round and chubby.
The way he ate was so adorable.
She had specifically ordered that meal for him.
And he was eating with such relish.
His favorite flavors hadn't changed at all from before.
Su Qingqing's usually frost-cold expression suddenly softened.
The corners of her lips curved upward uncontrollably.
A smile welled up in her eyes.
Tender and captivating.
Assistant Liu's reporting voice came to an abrupt halt.
This rare sight left her stunned.
Su Qingwan's attention didn't seem to be here at all.
And even...
Was she smiling?
A smile?
President Su, who had always been as cold as frost,
was actually smiling right now with curved brows, the corners of her eyes touched with amusement.
Her smile was like a red plum blossom first blooming in the bitter winter.
...Could it be because of Lin Ze again?
Su Qingqing noticed Assistant Liu zoning out once more.
She tapped her fingertips lightly on the desk.
Assistant Liu hurriedly shook her head, trying to banish these stray thoughts.
No, she couldn't gossip about her boss.
Focus on work!
She must not let down President Su's expectations.
"Tell Lin Ze to come to the office."
"Yes."
Assistant Liu replied immediately.
***
Lin Ze held a freshly brewed Americano, taking a slow, leisurely sip.
The bitter liquid slid down his throat, and he frowned.
So bitter!
The company coffee machine is absolute trash, even instant coffee tastes better than this.
If it weren't free, it wouldn't be worth drinking; it would be a waste not to milk the perk.
He wouldn't be caught dead buying this corporate slave brew.
"Lin Ze, President Su wants to see you."
Assistant Liu's voice rang out abruptly from behind him.
"Pfft—cough, cough!"
He almost choked, scrambling to wipe the corner of his mouth.
Looking for me again?
Does this woman have nothing better to do?
He looked down at his wrinkled suit and tugged at it.
He sighed.
Whatever, under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.
In the president's office.
Su Qingqing tossed her keys to her. "Go get the car and wait for me downstairs."
"Okay."
Lin Ze took the keys and looked at them.
It must be nice to be rich.
When would he ever get to own a Rolls-Royce?!
He strongly suspected that Su Qingqing was making him drive her just to show off her wealth in front of him.
Sigh.
Why hadn't he awakened to a Tycoon System?
The kind where you start out with ten billion.
!!
Seeing Lin Ze standing in place without moving,
"What?" Su Qingqing raised an eyebrow.
Lin Ze hurriedly put on a flattering smile. "Got it, Boss is heading down right now!"
Su Qingqing: "..."
Seeing this ingratiating look on Lin Ze, her brow furrowed slightly.
The arrogant young master Lin, full of youthful spirit, from the past—
had now learned to bow his head and become slick.
So why did it make her feel so uncomfortable and sad instead?
***
Lin Ze drove the car downstairs to the company entrance.
Twenty minutes later.
Lin Ze watched Su Qingqing walk over gracefully in slender high heels.
She wore a haze-blue silk suit, and her pearl earrings swayed gently with her steps.
Holy crap!
This outfit has some serious style.
Su Qingqing pulled open the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
Noticing Lin Ze's gaze,
she deliberately raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate profile and the curve of her neck.
Su Qingqing felt Lin Ze's stare.
The corners of her lips curved slightly.
She turned to look at Lin Ze with innocent eyes.
"Why aren't you driving yet?"
"Right, right, driving right now."
Lin Ze snapped out of it.
Su Qingqing was in a good mood.
Just as Lin Ze was about to start the car,
"Ding-dong," the prompt sound rang out abruptly.
"Fasten your seatbelt..."
"I don't know how."
Su Qingqing blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent.
Lin Ze realized what was happening immediately.
How could she possibly not know how?
This woman was clearly doing it on purpose!
If she wanted to make him realize his subordinate status, she could have just said so!
Lin Ze took a deep breath and leaned over.
The distance between them was very close—close enough to count her eyelashes.
He held his breath nervously.
He pulled the passenger seatbelt across, but because he was too nervous, it took him two tries to find the buckle.
Su Qingqing let out a soft laugh, her warm breath brushing against the tip of his ear: "Can't even designated drivers fasten seatbelts?"
Feeling that warm breath hit his skin and send a wave of shudders through him, Lin Ze quickly clicked the seatbelt into place.
He sat up straight, struggling to calm his chaotic heartbeat.
Damn it!
Making fun of him.
He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.
The car surged forward abruptly.
After driving a mile or two,
"Where are you taking me?"
Lin Ze finally reacted.
"Oh, right, um, President Su... where are we going?"
Watching Lin Ze looking so dazed, Su Qingqing found it somewhat amusing.
She looked at Lin Ze's wrinkled suit.
"To Times Mall."
***
The car was parked in the garage.
The two of them took the Times Mall VIP elevator upstairs.
Lin Ze looked at the brand counters all around.
He looked at the luxury shopping bags carried by people around them.
Everything here felt both familiar and alien.
Ever since his family went bankrupt, he hadn't set foot in these luxury shopping venues again.
Su Qingqing noticed his gaze.
"Keep up."
With that, she walked straight into a nearby shop.
Lin Ze lifted his feet and followed her inside.
The sales assistants in the shop lit up when they saw Su Qingqing.
It was like seeing walking bundles of cash.
They immediately bowed at a 45-degree angle.
Lin Ze watched Su Qingqing being surrounded by the sales assistants.
Suddenly, he saw one of the clerks politely ask the customers currently browsing out of the store.
Then she hung a "Closed for Maintenance" sign on the door.
Hiss!
Just going shopping, and they actually clear the place out?!
What kind of celebrity or royal treatment is this!
Seeing the curious gazes cast by the people blocked outside the door, Lin Ze felt a tangible sense of what social strata really meant.
!
Rich people had levels.
You think you're rich,
but when you meet someone even richer,
you drop to the very bottom of the pyramid in a second—
cleared right out along with the rest.
Watching Su Qingqing surrounded by sales assistants,
he silently walked over to the sofa in the corner and sat down.
His eyes were full of dejection.
Ever since the Lin family went bankrupt,
the gap between him and Su Qingqing had become far too distant.
At that moment, Su Qingqing pointed at Lin Ze in the corner.
"Bring out all the men's clothing that he can wear."
The sales assistants all turned their gazes toward Lin Ze in unison.
Uh, what's wrong?
Don't look at me.
I don't have any money.
Don't come over here!
Lin Ze watched as the clerks lined up with clothes for him to try on.
He looked at Su Qingqing,
shaking his head in a panic.
He had thought he was just a bag-carrier!
He never expected Su Qingqing to buy him clothes!
The problem was: clothes costing tens of thousands required dry cleaning.
Dry cleaning fees were very expensive!
He couldn't afford to wear them.
The store manager looked at Lin Ze's worn-out leather shoes, then at his handsome face, and understanding dawned on her.
Oh~
A poor boy caught the eye of a wealthy heiress.
Right, she understood now!
Lin Ze was just a kept man living off a woman, with no decision-making power.
The important one was Su Qingqing.
The manager redirected her gaze back to Su Qingqing and asked with a friendly attitude, "President Su, what style of clothing do you like him to wear?"
That question stung Lin Ze.
The obvious disparity made him feel inferior.
At the same time, he felt deeply guilty.
In the past, he had disdained Su Qingqing's cheap, low-end clothes and dragged her straight into luxury boutiques,
forcibly making her try on clothes and buying her outfits that he thought looked good.
What must her mood have been back then?
Thinking about it now, she probably hadn't been happy.
Su Qingqing extended a finger.
"Try these on."
Her fingertip swept across a rack of clothes.
"That piece, and that one, get an XL."
"These shoes, size 42."
When Lin Ze was pushed into the fitting room, his mind was completely blank.
He checked the price tag—the price of a single suit was enough to cover three months of his salary.
He immediately pushed open the fitting room door, hugging the clothes and poking his head out.
"Um, those aren't necessary, I have clothes to wear."
"No." Su Qingqing's red lips parted slightly.
!!!
"Su Qingqing, what kind of overbearing CEO act are you pulling..."
"If you don't try them on, you can kiss your performance bonus for this month goodbye."
The fitting room door was ruthlessly slammed shut.
Lin Ze looked at his wrinkled suit in the mirror.
He viciously yanked off his tie.
Who do you think you're looking down on?
His clothes were just fine!
And she deliberately brought him to such an expensive store to buy clothes—
spending thousands or tens of thousands of yuan on a top.
He would never do something like that!
"Mr. Lin, are you done yet?" the urge of the sales assistant came from outside the door.
Lin Ze took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped out...