I Revealed My True Identity After Confessing My Love - Chapter 40

Coincidentally, there was a question similar to the one she had searched for. She clicked on it and found over a dozen answers, ranging all over the place.

Answer: Most likely they want something from you. Someone suddenly praised me for several days before, and it turned out they wanted me to do them a favor.

Answer: They probably made a mistake, so they’re trying to suck up to you first.

Answer: Is there a possibility she has a crush on you or is trying to seduce you?

Answer: Maybe they’ve lost their mind or got triggered at work.

Answer: Some employees are indeed great at brown-nosing. Not only will they praise you, but they’ll also send you gifts under all sorts of pretenses.

Du Xiran looked at these answers, every single one seemed possible yet unlikely. She decided to stop obsessing over these “what-ifs” and just wait to see what Ye Nanning was actually up to.

She took another comfortable shower and lay in bed scrolling through her phone, replying to messages one by one. She noticed a notification on Weibo and clicked it to find that the food blogger had initiated a chat with her again.

This time, the blogger shared a link to a hilarious piece of news. After reading it and laughing for a while, Du Xiran replied with a few emojis.

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【Isn’t it funny?】

Dududu: 【Yes, truth is stranger than fiction. Are you not asleep yet?】

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【It’s still early! Are you getting ready for bed?】

Dududu: 【No, I have to read for a bit.】

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【What book?】

Dududu: 【A professional book.】

Du Xiran picked up the book on her nightstand, took a photo, and sent it over.

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【Wow, I bought that one, but I haven’t read it yet.】

Dududu: 【You read this kind of book too?!】

There was a long pause before the reply came:

Dududu: 【Haha, you’re a bit of a scatterbrain.】

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【Then I won’t disturb your reading today!】

Grandpa Under the Tree: 【I’ll come back to bother you tomorrow】

Du Xiran laughed out loud, finding the blogger more and more adorable.

On the other side, Ye Nanning stared anxiously at her phone. Seeing that the other party didn’t object, she took it as a tacit agreement that she could chat again tomorrow.

Heck yeah!!!

The pursuit plan was proceeding smoothly!

Ye Nanning fell asleep with beautiful dreams. When she woke up the next day, the weather had turned even colder. She opened her wardrobe and realized she only had one coat thick enough for warmth. Her previous clothes had been sent back to the Ye family home, and the cheap clothes she bought online were only suitable for early autumn, she had forgotten to buy winter clothes.

Wearing a shirt with the coat over it, she cooked two bowls of noodles and ran across the hall to call Du Xiran for breakfast.

Before long, Du Xiran walked in with her bag, looking very practiced. “I’ve realized that you moving here is just too convenient. I can finally wake up and have a hot breakfast.”

Ye Nanning smiled. “As long as you like it.”

“Of course I like it. Your skills are impeccable; even restaurants might not do it better,” Du Xiran calculated in her head. “How about this? I’ll join you for meals. I’ll pay you a monthly fee for groceries, and you just make a bit extra when you cook. Is that okay?”

“Of course, but there’s no need for grocery money,” Ye Nanning said.

“That won’t do. If you don’t take the money, I can’t eat in peace. Besides, Du Heruo will be joining on weekends. Ning-ah, in our line of work, we don’t do business at a loss,” Du Xiran said lazily.

Ye Nanning froze. “What did you just call me?”

“Ye Nanning.”

“No, you just called me ‘Ning’.”

“Oh, it probably just rolled off the tongue.”

Ye Nanning pursed her lips and smiled.

After breakfast, Ye Nanning naturally took the car keys and drove them both to the company.

When the car stopped downstairs, she turned to call out, but saw Du Xiran dozing with her eyes closed. She quickly pulled out her phone and added a few more photos to the album named “Light.”

“Manager Du, we’re here,” Ye Nanning finally called out.

Du Xiran opened her eyes groggily and grabbed her bag to get out. “It feels so good to have a driver; I can even slack off a bit.”

Ye Nanning smiled. As the two walked toward the elevator, they bumped into Yan Zhenghao, who had just parked, and Hu Hanqiao, who was hitching a ride with him.

The two greeted Du Xiran politely. She nodded and, as the elevator doors closed, began thinking about the day’s schedule.

The other three, however, each had their own thoughts.

Although Ye Nanning was looking straight ahead, Du Xiran was right in front of her, so she was blatantly staring at the person she liked.

Yan Zhenghao stole a few glances at Ye Nanning. He had been wondering who she liked, but he hadn’t seen her close to any man at school or in the company. Instead, she seemed close to Manager Du. They even came to work together today, was she also just hitching a ride?

Hu Hanqiao’s thoughts were simpler and more cynical. She noticed Ye Nanning was often with Du Xiran. To be able to hitch a ride with the boss so soon after joining the company… she must be quite the flatterer.

In the morning, Du Xiran went to a meeting with other VPs. Several major projects were being assigned. One of them was something both Du Xiran and Old Li wanted to bid for. The higher-ups said they would consider it and told them to wait for the notification.

At the team meeting, Du Xiran mentioned it: “If we can secure this project, the commission is high, but the difficulty is also significant. What do you all think?”

“Of course we do it! While I still have hair left, I’ll earn as much as I can,” Old Wang said. “My family really needs the money right now. As long as there’s a project, I’ll work myself to death.”

Xu Huan also wanted to take on big orders to aim for an early promotion.

Chen Shuimin was a bit more relaxed. “We’re already so busy. When will I finally get to rest and go on vacation?”

Others shared their views. Some felt Old Li’s side was more likely to get the project because they had prior experience, so the higher-ups might trust Old Li more.

Du Xiran nodded. Her gaze inadvertently fell on Ye Nanning, who was taking notes in the corner. “Not necessarily. Old Li’s team has mostly changed. His former key assistants have either jumped ship or changed careers. Now he has two interns. Such an important task won’t necessarily be given to them easily.”

Xu Huan said, “But our team has an intern too.”

“I might not know the work of those two interns, but I have a strange confidence that our Ye Nanning’s professional level is likely better than theirs,” Du Xiran said.

Ye Nanning’s pen paused. She looked at her in surprise, a deep sense of satisfaction rising within her. Nothing is happier than having your efforts recognized especially by the person you admire.

“Hahaha, you really are protective!” Xu Huan laughed. “But I also think our Xiao Ye is amazing. She’s not afraid at all, right?”

The others laughed too, and the team’s confidence surged.

In the afternoon, Du Xiran and Old Li were called in separately for communication. The atmosphere between the two groups became strangely tense. Even Yan Zhenghao stopped stealing glances at Ye Nanning, likely knowing about the competition.

An hour later, Du Xiran returned with a blank expression and stood in front of their workstations. Everyone looked at her with nervous anticipation.

Du Xiran shook her head and sighed.

Seeing this, Ye Nanning immediately said, “It’s okay, I’m sure we can get an even bigger project.” After speaking, she cautiously shrunk back.

The others deflated but immediately began comforting and encouraging each other.

“Sigh,” Du Xiran sighed deeply. “I’m going to take a huge hit to my wallet for afternoon tea today.”

Xu Huan and the others went silent. Only Ye Nanning honestly said, “Manager Du, there’s no need. Let me treat everyone today. I just got my salary.”

Everyone looked at her. Du Xiran couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, leaning her folded hands on the partition of the desk, her lips curving up. “Really? You’re treating?”

“Yes,” Ye Nanning looked up, meeting her gaze directly. “My treat.”

“Are you silly?” Xu Huan nudged her head.

Ye Nanning’s head tilted forward toward the desk unexpectedly. Normally, Xu Huan’s force wasn’t heavy, and she didn’t think she would hit the desk, but as she leaned forward, a hand caught her forehead. The fingers were a bit cool and very beautiful.

Ye Nanning lifted her chin in surprise to look at Du Xiran, who had come to the rescue. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, her eyes shimmering, and her lips moved slightly before she said, “Thank you, Manager Du.”

“We can’t have such a pretty face getting bruised,” Du Xiran teased.

Ye Nanning immediately complimented back, “Manager Du is the most beautiful one.”

Du Xiran looked triumphantly at the other employees. The team: “…”

Xu Huan, unable to take it anymore, patted Ye Nanning to remind her, “No need to comfort this cunning woman. Our team definitely passed.”

Ye Nanning looked at Du Xiran in confusion. Du Xiran smiled at everyone. “Congratulations. You’re going to be very busy next. Old Wang, get ready to lose more hair.”

The group cheered and high-fived. Old Wang rubbed his head. “Now that it’s actually happening, I’m starting to miss them a bit.”

Ye Nanning was also happy. She silently gave everyone a thumbs-up in her heart and then inconspicuously opened a food delivery app.

Du Xiran said, “Moving so fast? You order first then, and come to me for reimbursement later.”

Ye Nanning nodded.

About half an hour later, after Ye Nanning finished handing out the afternoon tea, she took Du Xiran’s portion to her office.

Du Xiran was busy with work. Seeing her put the food down to leave, she called her back. “Wait a moment, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, okay.” Ye Nanning stood behind the computer, her gaze lingering on the serious face and the hands tapping on the keyboard.

A few minutes later, Du Xiran finally looked away from the screen, took a sip of coffee to moisten her throat, and said, “You interns have been here for over a month. Do you know about the two month probation period?”

Ye Nanning nodded. The HR department had mentioned this during the interview. Competition in securities firms is fierce, and the turnover rate is high. Since Zhenghe is a top-tier company, they never lack applicants, so they are very strict with talent. If an intern can’t adapt within two months, they are let go.

“There are only two weeks left until the assessment day. As long as you maintain your current state and don’t make any major mistakes, you won’t be eliminated,” Du Xiran said.

Ye Nanning nodded.

Du Xiran added, “Where there is punishment, there is reward. A ‘Star Intern’ will be selected then, and there’s a bonus. Try to aim for that.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, that’s all. You can go back now.” Du Xiran sipped her coffee, but as she saw her turning to leave, she suddenly called out again. “Are you only wearing this much today?”

Ye Nanning pulled her coat tighter and whispered, “I haven’t had time to buy winter clothes yet.”

“What kind of bizarre spending habits do you have?” Du Xiran asked, perplexed. “You’d rather spend a fortune on a rental and gym, but you won’t buy a couple of warm clothes?”

Ye Nanning gave a sheepish smile. “I bought some, the delivery hasn’t arrived yet… and the company has air conditioning…”

“And when you leave the company?” Du Xiran shook her head helplessly, then handed over the scarf draped over her chair. “Use this for now.”

“Thank you, Manager Du.” Ye Nanning was overwhelmed by the gesture. She took it and wrapped it around her neck twice. The fluffy texture instantly made her feel warm.

Seeing her wearing it now, covering her chin and revealing only half her face with her eyes curved into crescents, Du Xiran couldn’t help but smile. “It actually suits you quite well. But the office has heating, aren’t you hot wearing it now?”

“Not at all.” Ye Nanning suddenly crossed her arms and rubbed them. “I’m actually very cold right now.”

Back at her desk, Xu Huan and several other female colleagues noticed the scarf immediately. “Why are you wearing Manager Du’s scarf?”

Hu Hanqiao, who was passing by with water, turned to look and saw Ye Nanning indeed wearing a scarf with a famous brand logo.

“Manager Du lent it to me,” Ye Nanning said gently.

“Oh my, Manager Du really dotes on you! Why didn’t she lend it to me? I want to wear it too~” Xu Huan touched the scarf, unable to stop feeling the comfortable fabric.

Fearing Xu Huan might be jealous, Ye Nanning said, “Maybe it’s because she sees how poor I am.”

Xu Huan laughed. “You’ll be a rich person in the future.”

The office heating was high. After wearing it for a while, Ye Nanning started to feel hot.

“Your forehead is sweating, just take it off,” Xu Huan said.

“It’s fine, I’m not hot.” Ye Nanning refused to take it off, even pulling it tighter to prove her point.

Xu Huan simply thought she was a very strange woman.

That evening, they had to work overtime. After 6:00 PM, Hu Jiaxu came to ask Ye Nanning to go down for dinner.

“Hey? That scarf is really pretty,” Hu Jiaxu praised.

“It’s Manager Du’s,” Ye Nanning said with some pride.

“Wow, did Manager Du give it to you? She’s so good to you,” Hu Jiaxu said enviously. “I wish I had a female boss too, so we could talk about clothes and bags.”

“It wasn’t a gift, she just lent it to me,” Ye Nanning explained.

The two stepped out of the building and lowered their heads against the biting cold wind. Hu Jiaxu rubbed her hands. “That’s still great. It’s gotten so much colder these last two days. I gave that guy a pair of gloves a few days ago, and last night he just gave me a down jacket, hehe.”

Ye Nanning suddenly paused.

Right! How could I forget?

Isn’t this the perfect time for “providing warmth”?

She touched the scarf, thinking to herself that it was a bit backwards, she hadn’t even provided warmth to Manager Du yet, but Manager Du had provided it to her first.

After dinner, Ye Nanning said, “You go up first, I have something to do.”

“What are you doing?”

“Buying some stuff.” Ye Nanning turned and ran to a nearby supermarket. She spent a long time choosing, as she wanted something practical but affordable.

After buying the items, she rushed back into the company building. Just as she was about to bolt into the elevator, she was stopped.

A hand pressed against her forehead, and Du Xiran’s cool voice sounded from above: “Bumping around like a headless chicken, what are you doing?”

Ye Nanning looked up and saw Du Xiran was about to leave. She asked, “Manager Du, aren’t you working overtime tonight?”

“Going out for a meal with the others.” Du Xiran stepped out of the elevator.

Only then did Ye Nanning realize there were several other VPs and two MDs in the elevator. She nodded and carefully tugged at Du Xiran’s sleeve, whispering, “Manager Du, I have something for you.”

“Old Du, are we going?” her colleagues asked.

“You guys go get the car, I’ll be right there,” Du Xiran replied to her colleagues before looking back at Ye Nanning. “What is it?”

“You’re going to a social event, right?” Ye Nanning asked while pulling things out of her bag.

“Yes.”

“Then… don’t drink too much.”

“Mm-hm.” Du Xiran found it funny. Why did this girl sound like an old mother? She was curious what the gift would be, maybe some anti-hangover medicine?

“Take this.” Ye Nanning handed a pair of gloves to her.

“I’m going to a social dinner, and you give me gloves?” Du Xiran amusedly picked them up. They were pink with cartoon patterns excessively cute. Looking at the bag, they were from the nearby supermarket, which didn’t exactly have the most stylish selection.

Du Xiran raised an eyebrow. “Is there nothing else?”

“There is!” Ye Nanning decided to give her the other item too. “This is for you too.”

Another pair of socks landed in Du Xiran’s hand.

Du Xiran: “…”

She looked at Ye Nanning, then at the socks, falling into a long silence.

Seeing her holding gloves in one hand and socks in the other not exactly the best look for a business social. Ye Nanning had a sudden epiphany. She stretched open the plastic bag. “Here, Manager Du, put them all in here. It’ll be easier to carry.”

Du Xiran: “…”

In the end, Du Xiran arrived at the dinner party carrying a plastic bag. An MD laughed, “What have you got there?”

Du Xiran smiled. “A piece of someone’s heart.”