I Secretly Read My Boss' Diary (GL) - Chapter 4

Yan Zhao couldn’t remember how she got out of the elevator. By the time she came to her senses, she was already sitting in the back seat behind Gong Muyu’s driver’s seat.

Replaying the earlier events in her mind, Yan Zhao covered her face, wishing she could slap herself to death. With her left hand still pressed against her cheek, she glared at Dong Wan, the culprit beside her, whose smug grin nearly materialized into a physical threat.

Dong Wan, barely suppressing her laughter, poked Yan Zhao’s cheek and turned her head away.

Yan Zhao worried that Gong Muyu would notice her subtle movements. When she glanced forward, she unexpectedly met Gong Muyu’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

Recalling the soft touch that still lingered on her wrist, Yan Zhao’s cheeks flushed crimson, and her body grew slightly warm. She cleared her throat and quickly averted her gaze to the window beside her.

Because Yan Zhao’s eyes darted away so quickly, she failed to notice the awkwardness and longing in Gong Muyu’s eyes.

The car remained quiet after the earlier incident. Unfamiliar with their new leader, no one dared to speak much. Yan Zhao’s occasional sighs and Dong Wan and Liu Yiyang’s stifled laughter stood out sharply in the silence.

Gong Muyu periodically observed Yan Zhao’s reactions in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glistened, and a faint hint of embarrassment lingered on her face. Gong Muyu could almost still hear Yan Zhao’s slightly hurried breathing in her ears—that soft, panting sound that conjured inappropriate images in her mind.

A sudden wave of heat overwhelmed her, causing her to unconsciously accelerate. The passengers, caught off guard, gasped in alarm as the car surged forward. Yan Zhao fared worse, slamming her head against the back of Gong Muyu’s seat.

Hearing Yan Zhao’s cry of pain, Gong Muyu finally snapped out of her daze. She glanced at the shaken passengers, pursed her lips, and muttered an apology.

The company was only a twenty-minute drive from the hotel. As soon as the car came to a stop, Yan Zhao was the first to jump out. She initially wanted to pull Dong Wan along, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided it wasn’t appropriate and stepped back to wait by the car for Gong Muyu to emerge.

In the elevator, Yan Zhao deliberately positioned herself and Dong Wan as far away from Gong Muyu as possible. However, the moment the elevator doors opened on the basement floor, a wave of people surged in, forcing Yan Zhao back into close proximity with Gong Muyu.

Catching a faint whiff of Gong Muyu’s natural scent, Yan Zhao couldn’t help but recall the soft, lingering touch from earlier. She stole a glance at Gong Muyu’s pale profile, desperately trying to suppress her racing heart as she forced her gaze elsewhere.

Fortunately, the elevator emptied out on the first floor, allowing Yan Zhao and Gong Muyu to create some distance between them. Yan Zhao secretly exhaled in relief.

Yan Zhao’s company specialized in maritime import-export trade. The founder had possessed extraordinary foresight and unwavering determination. He had scraped together the capital, gritted his teeth, and established the company, handling everything from booking cargo space to managing transportation himself.

As foreign trade boomed, the founder amassed a fortune. Within a few years, he had opened branch offices in major port cities across the country, significantly expanding the company’s shipping capacity. In the blink of an eye, it had become Huaqing City’s largest trading firm.

Although Huaqing City was the headquarters, the company’s staff was relatively small. Even so, excluding the massive Shipping Department, there were still twenty to thirty employees across all other departments.

While Gong Muyu was treating everyone, not all employees were invited. Instead, a few representatives were selected from each department. Yan Zhao’s Operations Department was unique, with a smaller team, so Zhang Sheng invited everyone to the dinner. Still, about a dozen people attended.

Zhang Sheng and the Finance Department Supervisor were already waiting in the sixth-floor lobby. When the elevator doors opened and Gong Muyu stepped out, they rushed forward to greet her. The group swarmed around Gong Muyu, escorting her into the private dining room. As Yan Zhao watched Gong Muyu surrounded by the crowd, she felt a faint sense of disappointment for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.

Given Zhang Sheng’s recent reprimand, Gong Muyu’s reputation for being cold and unapproachable had spread like wildfire through the company in just a few days.

Though some initially planned to get the new leader drunk, a single glance at Gong Muyu’s icy gaze quickly made them reconsider.

Meanwhile, Lisa from the Finance Department glanced at Gong Muyu, then at Sister V, who was quietly eating with her head down. Her eyes shifted, and she said with a smile, “Sister V, didn’t you say you wanted to toast the General Manager? Why haven’t you raised your glass yet?”

Sister V, a veteran employee of the company, had always been at odds with Lisa from the Finance Department. Hearing Lisa suddenly call her out ignited a nameless fire in her heart. However, she didn’t want to appear unfriendly to her colleagues in front of Gong Muyu.

With a forced smile, Sister V stood up, poured herself a glass of red wine, and walked over to Gong Muyu, saying, “You’re right, I was too focused on eating. Good thing Lisa reminded me.”

As Sister V approached Gong Muyu, she subtly signaled Zhang Sheng to join them. Zhang Sheng, unwilling to let Sister V be bullied under his watch, openly waved his hand to his subordinates, and seven or eight of them surrounded Gong Muyu.

“General Manager Mu, I’m not good with words. In short, the entire Operations Department welcomes your arrival. We hope you’ll show us your support and understanding in the future. I’ll finish this glass; please drink at your leisure.”

With that, Zhang Sheng tilted his head back and drained his glass.

Yan Zhao, legendary for being a “one-cup wonder,” inwardly groaned at Zhang Sheng’s words. She wanted to make a hasty retreat, but it was too late. Everyone else had already finished their drinks, and refusing would be disrespectful.

Resigned, Yan Zhao prepared to pinch her nose and gulp it down. But just as she brought the glass to her lips, Gong Muyu spoke up: “Thank you all. Drink if you want, but don’t force yourselves if you can’t.”

Gong Muyu took a small sip from her own glass, then raised it slightly to signal everyone to relax.

Yan Zhao seized the opportunity, taking only a tiny sip before following the others back inside. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone from the General Manager’s table had been watching her as she turned away. But when she glanced back, she saw nothing.

The welcome banquet concluded harmoniously. Stuffed and tipsy, the group emerged from the hotel just after 5 p.m.

The seasoned veterans from various company departments, seeing the early hour and the lingering enthusiasm among the group, hatched a plan. After a lengthy discussion with their leaders, they decided to head to a karaoke bar for some after-party fun.

Yan Zhao sipped her drink, which she’d grabbed from the hotel, while the others ganged up on Sister V and her disloyal crew. After finally prying a round of milk tea from them, Zhang Sheng, beaming with excitement, rushed over to usher everyone into the car.

“Let’s go, let’s go! The boss approved the budget today—time to party!”

“Where are we going?” The group stared at the unusually animated Zhang Sheng, bewildered.

“Wang Cong and the others decided on karaoke. Manager Sun already approved it. Get in the car!”

Yan Zhao had assumed the outing would end with dinner, but now the group was heading to karaoke. She immediately raised her hand to excuse herself, but Zhang Sheng ignored her, waving his hand dismissively. “Today’s a welcome party for the new General Manager. If you want to leave early, you’ll have to tell her yourself.”

With that, Zhang Sheng led the group toward the underground parking garage.

Due to an incident many years ago, Gong Muyu had never developed a fondness for karaoke. However, with everyone in high spirits and Manager Sun personally inviting her, refusing would seem rather unsociable.

Gong Muyu looked up and saw Yan Zhao standing nearby, holding a drink and looking troubled. A sudden impulse moved her to walk over. But before she could reach Yan Zhao, Manager Sun, beaming, approached Yan Zhao, grabbed the hood of her pink hoodie, and dragged her away.

Standing rooted to the spot, Gong Muyu watched their retreating figures until they disappeared into the elevator. Only then did she turn and head toward the underground parking garage.

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