After Becoming a Full-Time Employee, I Signed a Romance Contract with My Ice-Cold Boss - Chapter 7

Who is She?

In the office, Jiang Fengyi spoke first.

“The assistant job isn’t difficult. I’ve asked Xiao He to show you the ropes. She joined two months before you—an enthusiastic young girl, very easy to get along with. Just follow her to get familiar with the work.”

“Your workstation is only a wall away from my office. You can come to me anytime if something comes up.”

“If there’s anything you’re not used to, just tell me directly.”

Xu Que listened quietly.

“I respect your thoughts, so I haven’t publicly disclosed our relationship within the company. Your colleagues in the CEO’s office will only see you as a regular employee.”

“If my mother finds you, you must contact me immediately.”

Jiang Fengyi said a great deal to her in one breath, covering every aspect with meticulous detail, fearing she might have overlooked something. Since she was the one who pulled Xu Que into this situation, she had to take full responsibility.

Xu Que had rarely experienced such thoughtful care from others. Her eyes were fixed on Jiang Fengyi’s moving red lips, and a warm current surged continuously in her chest. Everywhere that warmth passed, it left a dense, tingling sensation, like a seed burrowing into her flesh and beginning to take root.

Past experience told her that care from others had to be exchanged for obedience and sensibility. Thus, Xu Que immediately gave Jiang Fengyi her guarantee.

“I will follow Senior He Shuyi and learn how to be a good assistant, and I will work hard to play the role of your partner in front of your family.”

Jiang Fengyi, however, patted Xu Que’s shoulder and said softly, “Relax. Don’t look so solemn, like you’re heading to a battlefield. You don’t need to put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Just treat this agreement like an ordinary job. I don’t want you to feel burdened.”

Xu Que didn’t understand. “But work means giving it your all and sacrificing a part of yourself!”

Without a job, there was no money; without money, there was no way to survive. Work was extremely important to her—the very foundation of her life. That was why she had been so concerned about whether she could become a permanent employee before.

Jiang Fengyi shook her head. “No, work is just a way to earn money. For some people, work is even just a pastime to fill a boring life.”

“Whether you are happy and whether it suits you is what matters most. If you’re unhappy with one job, change to the next. You must prioritize yourself first.”

A flash of bewilderment crossed Xu Que’s eyes. She wanted to ask more but didn’t know where to start, and the room fell silent for a moment. Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

The two who had just fallen into silence snapped back to reality. Jiang Fengyi reacted first, assuming it was He Shuyi.

“Come in!”

Wu Qi led He Shuyi inside.

“President Jiang, I’ve brought Shuyi… I’ve brought Xiao He over.”

Jiang Fengyi and Xu Que both turned their gaze toward He Shuyi. Already nervous, the girl gripped the hem of her shirt even tighter.

“He… Hello, President Jiang.”

“Hello, Xiao He,” Jiang Fengyi gave her a polite smile and got straight to the point. “This is Xu Que, a new employee joining the CEO’s office today. Xiao He, it will be hard work, but I’d like you to train her.”

Jiang Fengyi always treated her employees generously and rewarded them clearly.

“I’ve already spoken to the finance department. Starting this month, you will receive double salary.” She also respected her employee’s wishes: “How about it? Are you willing?”

!!!

Hearing this, He Shuyi forgot her nervousness and replied hurriedly, “Of course I am! President Jiang, if any more newcomers join the department and need a senior to lead them in the future, you can come to me again!”

Having finished the arrangements, Jiang Fengyi didn’t have time to linger by Xu Que’s side. She had spent so much time giving Xu Que instructions that she had lost track of the clock. Her assistant, Wu Qi, spoke up to remind her: “President Jiang, there is a meeting in the grand conference hall in ten minutes that requires your presence.”

Jiang Fengyi patted Xu Que’s shoulder. “I’m going to the meeting first. If there’s anything you’re uncomfortable with, you can tell me after I’m done.”

With that, she followed Wu Qi out in a hurry.

Once she was gone, He Shuyi relaxed considerably. Facing the big boss Jiang Fengyi made her inevitably tense, but facing the “connected” newcomer Xu Que felt okay. It felt as if they had chatted before—a faint sense of familiarity.

“Shall I take you… take you on a tour first? You can ask me questions directly.”

Xu Que smiled and replied, “Then I’ll thank Senior Shuyi in advance.”

He Shuyi waved her hands frantically. “I don’t deserve that title! You… you can just call me Xiao He like President Jiang does.”

Xu Que had heard the colleague who left with Jiang Fengyi call her Shuyi, so she chose that.

“I’ll call you Shuyi, and you can call me Xiao Xu or Xiao Que.”

“No, no. Do you have a nickname? I’ll call you by your nickname.”

Xu Que shook her head. “I don’t have a nickname.”

Children who grew up in orphanages only had one name; no one had ever given her a nickname.

“Just call me by my name. My friends all call me that.”

The first place He Shuyi took Xu Que was her favorite: the breakroom.

“When you’re tired from work, you can come here to eat some snacks and fruit and rest. There are drinks and yogurt in the fridge.”

Xu Que’s eyes lit up. “So many delicious things! Am I allowed to eat them?”

“Employee benefits! Eat whatever you want!”

The smile on Xu Que’s face deepened. “It looks like I’ll be running to the breakroom quite often after I start.”

He Shuyi had thought this new colleague would be like the other veterans in the office—avoiding snacks to lose weight and mostly drinking coffee. She hadn’t expected she had finally found a “snack buddy.”

“Then we’ll go together. I love snacks too.”

She immediately opened a bag of potato chips, stuffed one into her mouth, and began chewing loudly, not forgetting to gesture for Xu Que to eat as well.

“In the future (crunch, crunch), I’ll have company (crunch, crunch) when I come to the breakroom (crunch, crunch) for snacks. Take whatever (crunch, crunch) you want to eat!”

Xu Que smiled and agreed. This Senior Shuyi was indeed as easy to get along with as Jiang Fengyi had said.

Chewing her chips, He Shuyi was also in a good mood. She had worried the “connected” hire would have a bad temper and be difficult to deal with, but the other woman had been smiling throughout their conversation. Even though it was their first meeting, there was a strange sense of familiarity, as if they had shared deep conversations before.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to see your workstation now.”

Jiang Xuan only found out about the person Jiang Fengyi was seeing joining the company after her meeting ended. Her daughter had arranged for the woman to go directly into the CEO’s office. Her workspace was right next to Jiang Fengyi’s.

After the meeting, she intercepted Jiang Fengyi.

“You’d better give me an explanation. How does an intern from the marketing department get promoted into the CEO’s office? And you intentionally bypassed the HR department!”

“She is my newly recruited private assistant. Naturally, HR wouldn’t know.”

Jiang Xuan stared at her, her gaze sharp.

“You put her right under your nose because you suspect I’ll go looking for trouble with her?” She sneered. “I’m not quite as idle as you think.”

“I put her under my nose because our relationship is good and I want to see her every day.”

“You are my daughter!”

“I am an adult and I have the right to make my own decisions!”

“Jiang Fengyi, you’d better stop right there!”

Jiang Fengyi faced her down without the slightest fear. “This is my business. Don’t you dare try to interfere again!”

The two parted on bad terms.

Xu Que had already learned most of her assistant duties from He Shuyi and was settling into her new role with ease. From a distance, she saw Jiang Fengyi walking toward the office after her meeting.

She grabbed a few blank sheets of A4 paper, tucked them into a folder, and hurried over with the makeshift “document” looking very professional. As she approached, she deliberately lowered her voice, producing a “vocal fry” bass tone that she thought sounded mature and professional but was actually quite hilarious.

“President Jiang, there is a document here that requires your signature.”

Jiang Fengyi couldn’t help but laugh the moment she heard her voice. She thought to herself that having Xu Que work right in front of her was a good idea; at the very least, Xu Que could tell when she was angry and would use silly voices to cheer her up.

“What made you think of using this method to make someone laugh?”

Xu Que, holding the blank document, paused.

To make someone laugh? Jiang Fengyi was unhappy, and Xu Que had a sudden inspiration. She immediately pulled the blank A4 paper back.

Under Jiang Fengyi’s puzzled gaze, she explained, “I’m sorry, I grabbed the wrong document. I’ll go get it for you again, President Jiang.”

She looked so earnest that Jiang Fengyi actually began to wonder if there really was a document that needed signing.

Xu Que distanced herself from Jiang Fengyi as fast as possible. Standing by the desk with the A4 paper, her back to her, she held the folder with her left hand and scribbled a few lines with her right. Fearing Jiang Fengyi wouldn’t have the patience to wait, she almost ran back.

“Pre… President Jiang, this is the document you need.” Xu Que was huffing for breath.

“I’m not going anywhere. Why the rush? Sit down and catch your breath first.”

Xu Que ignored the rest. “Open the folder and look first.”

Jiang Fengyi did as she asked.

A few simple strokes depicted a sunflower smiling brilliantly at her. Next to it was a small line of text: [Don’t be sad anymore~ The sunflower will always face you~]

The simple, casual sketch made with a black pen on a blank sheet of printer paper sent waves through Jiang Fengyi’s heart. She decided she would have this drawing framed in wood and keep it on her office desk so she could see it every day.

“Thank you.”

“Between the two of us, there’s no need for ‘thank you’.”

After Jiang Fengyi returned to her office, He Shuyi stepped forward. She asked curiously, “What did you give President Jiang? She looked like she was in a good mood. She even turned back to look at you before she went in.”

Xu Que said modestly, “Just a drawing. Maybe she wasn’t looking at me, but just checking on everyone’s work.”

Fine, whatever you say. He Shuyi didn’t bother to argue.

Near noon, the elevator—which had been “slacking off” for half the day—suddenly started working, carrying someone up to the 22nd floor.

Ding—

The elevator doors slid open. Zhao Ruxuan, wearing lambskin high heels and carrying the latest Lady Dior bag from this season, arrived at her desk with her sunglasses still on, acting as if no one else existed.

Xu Que’s desk was right next to He Shuyi’s. Seeing this scene, she couldn’t contain her curiosity. She leaned over and whispered:

“Who is she? Why is she only arriving now?”

After all, if she had come any later, they would have been off for lunch. Glancing at the other woman’s luxurious and extravagant outfit—she looked like a display case come to life, wearing every item for sale—Xu Que continued, “Is she in sales too? I feel like the whole office has become her showroom.”

Xu Que used to be an intern in the marketing department, where her job was to introduce the company’s tech products to other firms, but this person didn’t feel like a salesperson. Besides, the sales department was downstairs.

She continued to guess, “Could she be a model? Has our company started a new line of business? It seems my understanding isn’t comprehensive enough.”

Filled with confusion, she asked sincerely:

“But… do models need to work office hours? And why does she sit in the same office as us people who actually need to work?”

Xu Que’s tone was so natural that He Shuyi couldn’t tell for a moment if she was being sarcastic or just stating what she saw.