He Played Emotional Games With His Arch-Enemy - Chapter 6

The fierce sunlight lifted the dome of the sky. After the entire city had been washed by rain the previous night, the air felt thin and clean.

A man with a cold, elegant aura sat upright on a leather sofa, wearing a smoke gray suit. His meticulous collar hugged his slender neck, and his legs were slightly crossed, exuding an air of indifferent nobility.

The vast office was silent.

The female assistant standing opposite him let her gaze linger on him for a moment. Her lips were pressed together, and she looked as if she were hesitating to speak.

Shi Yu lifted his eyes from his documents, his thin lips parting slightly. “Is there something else?”

“CEO Shi,” Zou Yue hesitated, her fingers rubbing against her folder awkwardly. “There really have been a lot of mosquitoes lately.”

“?”

She pointed to a spot just above her own collarbone to demonstrate. “It looks like you were bitten by a mosquito right here.”

Shi Yu remained silent.

Deciphering the hidden meaning behind her words, Shi Yu’s facial expression remained indifferent, but his pale, translucent earlobes instantly flushed red.

Zou Yue, being extremely thoughtful, took a small container of concealer from her pocket. “Would you like to cover it up? We have a meeting this afternoon, and it would not be good if others misunderstood.”

Shi Yu paused.

He sat in a frozen stalemate for a moment, thinking. Finally, he took the concealer and said with a composed air, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, CEO Shi,” Zou Yue replied, nodding respectfully.

She then exited the office, walked through the corridor to the secretarial department, and closed the door with a mysterious air. Behind her, the entire secretarial staff turned toward her with eager, urgent gazes.

Zou Yue took a deep breath, and the others instinctively followed suit. When she could no longer hold it in, she suddenly blurted out, “It is over, sisters. It really is a hickey.”

The tension snapped.

“Heaven help us!”

The men and women of the secretarial department let out a collective wail of despair.

A handsome young man with short hair was the first to speak. “I told you! A man as excellent as CEO Shi definitely already had a girlfriend.”

“I wonder which girl is lucky enough. I am dying of jealousy.”

The most beautiful woman in the department, sporting large waves in her hair, shook her head. “What a shame. I wanted to have an office romance with him. My irresistible charm has nowhere to go again.”

A male colleague scoffed. “If they are not married, nothing is certain. Who says it has to be a girlfriend? Maybe it was just a one night stand. I bet that woman was incredibly passionate; look at how deep that mark is. Tsk, tsk.”

“No way. CEO Shi looks like he is celibate. He does not seem like the type to play around.”

Another girl lowered her voice. “Nonsense about a one night stand. You think everyone is like Duan Jinghuai? He looks like a playboy through and through. The news of his scandal with that female star is number one on the entertainment charts again this morning.”

“Again!?” another female colleague exclaimed, quickly opening Weibo. After browsing a few posts, she sighed. “Do not say that, Young Master Duan really is handsome. When he came to Junyi the other day, his looks were so good my legs went weak. He looks like a celebrity.”

“Stop being such a fangirl. He looks like a scumbag at first glance. I still think CEO Shi is more handsome.”

“Agreed.”

The Junyi secretarial department was busy, so the group could only gossip during their brief moments of leisure before returning to work. Not long after, a tall man arrived at the top floor via the private elevator. Xiao Sun, the receptionist, hurried forward to greet him.

The man was handsome, with a jawline and features as sharp as if they had been carved with a knife. His eyes were deep, reminiscent of a TVB star from the 1970s or 80s. Under Xiao Sun’s guidance, the man walked straight toward the CEO’s office. As soon as the door closed, the secretarial department could not help but start gossiping again.

“Who is that? What an impressive presence.”

“This job is truly worth it. When I was in the business department, I had to face Manager Yuan’s greasy, balding head every day. It was hard to take.”

“You do not recognize him? That is the CEO of Zhonghua Electronics, Shen Zhinian.”

“I heard he was CEO Shi’s senior when they were studying in America. They have a good relationship.”

Outside, the sunlight fell like a waterfall, spilling over the windowsill and cutting the office into two halves of light and shadow.

Shi Yu’s exquisite profile was bathed in the warm sun. His thick, crow feather lashes swept over his eyelids, casting a faint shadow. Hearing the sound at the door, he looked up and met Shen Zhinian’s gentle gaze.

“Shi Yu.”

“Brother Zhinian?”

A hint of surprise appeared in Shi Yu’s brow. He set down his documents and stood up politely. “When did you return to the country?”

Shen Zhinian’s gaze was like a warm April breeze. He curled his lips and said with interest, “I sent you a message before boarding the plane this morning. When I saw you did not reply, I decided to just come over and see you.”

Shi Yu’s expression faltered slightly. There were too many messages this morning, and he had only briefly replied to a few important business ones. Later, he had been so angry at Duan Jinghuai that he exited the app entirely and did not have time to check the notifications buried at the bottom.

“Sorry, I have been a bit busy.”

“It does not matter,” Shen Zhinian said with an easy smile, taking a seat opposite him.

Assistant Yu moved quickly to brew two cups of high grade coffee, placed them before Shen Zhinian, bowed slightly, and then tactfully retreated.

“You have not been back for so many years. Are you adjusting well lately?”

“Yes,” Shi Yu replied with a calm smile. “After all, it is the place where I lived for over ten years growing up.”

The man gave a low laugh, his voice clear and bright. “That is good. I was worried you would not be used to it. If you need anything later, you can let me know.”

Shi Yu nodded and asked, “How long are you staying this time?”

“I will see how things go,” he smiled. “I came back first to celebrate the old man’s birthday. That old fellow has been clamoring for me to come back and see him since last month.”

Shen Zhinian was born late and was the third child in his family. Old Master Shen was now in his seventies and had long since distributed his industries among his three sons to manage while he enjoyed his retirement.

“Uncle Shen is getting older; it is natural for him to be clingy.”

Shen Zhinian shook his head and laughed, his handsome face looking a bit helpless. “As long as he does not pressure me to get married, I will thank the heavens.”

An all black Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the skyscraper that seemed to pierce the clouds.

Duan Jinghuai had been busy all morning. There was a problem with the investors for the port construction, and because his subordinates were not up to the task, he had to handle it personally. Having just finished a multinational meeting in the car, he felt a bit restless. He loosened his tie and leaned back into his seat.

The car window lowered slowly. He cupped his palm around the flame to light a cigarette. The fire lit the tip, and blue gray smoke rose, blurring his features.

Duan Jinghuai narrowed his eyes slightly, lazily casting his gaze toward the corridor outside the opposite building. After staring blankly for a moment, his brow slowly furrowed.

Shi Yu was standing in the silver lit corridor with a man in a formal suit. The two were talking and laughing familiarly. The security guard at the door blocked the man’s face, but he could see the man’s hand resting lightly on Shi Yu’s back as they walked out, their posture exceptionally intimate.

Duan Jinghuai’s gaze darkened.

He did not know what the man whispered into Shi Yu’s ear, but Shi Yu curled his lips in a slight smile. Even though it was faint, his eyes held a certain brightness. The two of them got into a smoke gray Bentley, one after the other. The brilliant taillights flashed, and the vehicle sped away.

Inside the car, smoke swirled. Duan Jinghuai stared for a long time at the spot where the car had disappeared, a dangerous signal slowly brewing in his eyes. It was not until the cigarette burned down and scorched his finger that he snapped back to reality and crushed the butt into the ashtray.

Who was that man?