Fu You'an opened her eyes wide and let out an "oh," her previous vigilance instantly vanishing into thin air. "Thank you."
She opened the door adorably, took the items with both hands, and even said thank you.
So smart, yet so silly.
Once she closed the door, Shang Fuyan stopped smiling. He called to have a female assistant sent over; judging by Secretary Fu's behavior after drinking, he had good reason to suspect she might end up sleeping on the floor.
As it happened, Assistant Li was nearby wrapping up a business trip, so he might as well be called back to handle trivial matters right now, saving him the trouble of calling people one by one.
Assistant Li, a native of the Capital, went by the full name Li Quan'neng.
After being admitted to Tsinghua and Peking University, he stood out from his peers with his extraordinary memory and resource-management skills. Once upon a time, he had even dreamed of becoming a titan in the financial world after graduation, able to issue commands with a wave of his hand and work the rank-and-file employees to the bone.
In truth, he had achieved that, but unfortunately, he had also become one of those rank-and-file employees.
The two-month business trip had greatly reduced Assistant Li's stress; without Shang Fuyan's endless stream of tedious tasks, his hairline was gradually making a recovery.
Just as he was happily running a comb across the little patch of plain on top of his head, a text message instantly squeezed out every last drop of his wonderful mood.
"KingHusna Hotel, get over here now."
"..."
It was already ten o'clock at night when he drove to the hotel.
Assistant Li's work was extensive and varied. This business trip was specifically to Country A to handle the boss's personal affairs, and his primary role was to coordinate the boss's various assistants to ensure his daily life and travels went smoothly.
Personal bodyguards, family affairs, travel vehicles, and dietary habits abroad—he had to manage every single aspect.
Fortunately, the Shang Residence had a dedicated housekeeper, otherwise he would just be a twenty-four-hour mother figure.
Taking the presidential private elevator up, the suite door opened the moment he knocked. The boss, dressed in a fitted bathrobe, seemed to be standing guard right behind the door, and the look he cast him was the same familiar, cold aloofness.
Come on, brother, we've practically been colleagues for five years, can't you even crack a smile after two months apart?
Never mind, one shouldn't demand warmth from this workaholic emotionless monster.
Assistant Li only dared to complain internally; on the surface, he plastered on a flawless, foolproof smile. "Sir."
"Mhm."
Shang Fuyan was lazily leaning against the sofa, wearing rimless glasses and looking like he was reading. He motioned for Assistant Li to sit, and then mechanically began issuing work assignments.
The Shang family's affairs were rather numerous, along with various travel arrangements. Shang Fuyan was logically clear, giving instructions word by word, going on for a full ten minutes.
"Did you get all that?"
"..." My friend, didn't you hire me precisely because of my good memory? "Of course."
To prevent data leaks, some confidential matters could only be recorded in Assistant Li's head, so hiring him wasn't a bad deal after all.
"The suite next door, 3003. Go."
"Got it."
You have to hand it to him—following this big boss really paid off. A single night in a presidential suite cost over a hundred thousand.
Just as Assistant Li pulled the door shut, he happened to run into his subordinate, female assistant Qi Fang.
"Assistant Li, you're back!"
Not seeing each other for two months made them miss each other dearly; finally, someone else was there to take the heat in front of the chairman! Qi Fang excitedly exchanged pleasantries with him, and when mentioning how she came to be at the hotel, Qi Fang shrugged helplessly:
"Secretary Fu got drunk. I just gave her some hangover soup and put her to bed."
Secretary Fu—she had just taken office right before Assistant Li left, and the two had only met a few times. "What's the boss's attitude toward Secretary Fu?"
"Secretary Fu is very capable, and the boss appreciates her."
Assistant Li still carried psychological trauma from the betrayal of the previous secretary, so he gave an unenthusiastic "oh" in response.
He needed an early night to adjust to the jet lag. Shang Fuyan found sleeping pills in his suitcase, leaned against the headboard to read the news reports for a bit, and didn't take his medicine and go to sleep until eleven o'clock.
Years of overtime and labor had given him the habit of staying up late, forcing him to rely on medication to fall asleep early.
He had expected this night to be as dreamless and relaxing as the previous one, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fall asleep. Lying on his side, letting the moonlight flood the room, he couldn't even be bothered to move an inch.
At that moment, the sound of a landing came from outside the balcony.
Shang Fuyan froze. Keeping his body completely still, he listened closely to the movement outside. Mind you, this was the thirtieth floor; what kind of person could possibly be walking around outside the balcony?
Could it be someone sent by a rival?
The next moment, a familiar figure appeared outside the balcony's French windows. She stood rather casually by the window, looked around left and right, and then disappeared into the blind spot of the balcony.
"..." No way.
Secretary Fu from next door? How on earth did she get over here!?
Shang Fuyan abruptly threw off the quilt, stood up, and pushed open the French doors to find her. At that moment, the young woman was sitting on the balcony railing, enjoying the scenery. Hearing the movement, she turned her head and looked at Shang Fuyan with a puzzled expression in the moonlight.
"Come here."
Shang Fuyan stretched out his hand and commanded. He certainly didn't have the mood to play the caring big brother and coax anyone right now.
Seeing his expression so stern, Fu You'an sluggishly slid down from the railing.
Shang Fuyan grabbed the collar of her clothes and dragged her into the room. "Ow, ow, ow," Fu You'an immediately cried out in pain. He looked down and saw a noticeable bruise on her ankle.
He immediately bent down, scooped her up in a bridal carry, and asked as he walked, "How did you get in?"
Faced with the interrogation from the person towering above her, Fu You'an matter-of-factly pointed at the balcony next door, which was three meters away. "I jumped over, of course."
"..."
After being placed on the sofa, Shang Fuyan went to turn on the lights, but he kept failing to find the switch.
Fu You'an, with nothing better to do, looked around. The dark environment made her a little scared: "Baichuan, why aren't you turning on the lights? I'm so scared."
Shang Fuyan's footsteps stalled. Did she call him Chen Baichuan?
It seemed the switch wasn't going to be found; this was a dream to begin with.
Following the moonlight back to her side, Fu You'an saw him standing right beside her without moving, and tugged on his sleeve. "Sit down, keep me company. I can't sleep."
Having experienced the previous two dreams, Shang Fuyan adapted very quickly. He wondered if the dreams were actually continuous, and whether Fu You'an still remembered the fact that he had previously denied being Chen Baichuan.
But thinking about it now, this was all a dream and couldn't possibly exist in reality; why should he be so petty about it?
Just play along, and it would end soon enough.
Hearing her words, he sat down. Secretary Fu in the dream was much bolder; even with an injured foot, she climbed right onto him...
"No." He pushed her away.
They say dreams reflect one's waking thoughts—could it be that he harbored improper thoughts toward Secretary Fu? Otherwise, why would he keep having these out-of-line dreams?!
Fu You'an stubbornly grabbed onto him and wouldn't let go.
"Don't push me, my foot hurts." She slapped her palm against his bathrobe-clad chest. Wow, his muscles were really firm and sharply defined.
Being brazenly taken advantage of under the guise of an accident, Shang Fuyan wore a cold face, attempting to scare her off.
She softened her tone: "My foot hurts so much."
"..."
Speechless, Shang Fuyan turned his face away to avoid looking, but the tactile sensation against his chest made it impossible for him to keep his mind on anything else. He found an excuse to push her hands away:
"Let me see the injury."
Fu You'an was wearing her usual nightgown, and when she lifted her foot, her snow-white, delicate calf was exposed.
Shang Fuyan closed his eyes again—what is improper to look at, do not look.
She grabbed his bathrobe, tugging and shaking it coquettishly. "Baichuan, look at the injury."
She conjured a bottle of liniment out of nowhere, shoved it into his hand, and tilted her head, staring at him with naive innocence:
"Can you rub some on for me, please?"