My Boss Always Wants to Join My Family - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Mint Leaves (2)

Her fingertips moved gently downward, the zipper giving a subtle “click.” Calloused pads brushed against her delicate white spine, causing her body to tremble.

—This was truly lethal.

Lu Yue clenched her fists, her earlobes burning a brilliant red as her breathing grew rapid. Time seemed to slow down and stretch out infinitely; it was so quiet she could hear her own breath.

She closed her eyes, her heartbeat thumping against her ears, crystal clear and deafening.

Suddenly, her shoulders felt a release. The gauze sleeves slid down her arms, and Lu Yue grabbed them with lightning-quick reflexes so the dress wouldn’t fall completely to the floor.

She shielded her chest with her arms and shot a glare back at the other person. Zhou Ran stood by the door, her gaze cast downward, as she explained softly: “I’m heading out first.”

Lu Yue backed away to make room.

Unexpectedly, just as Zhou Ran’s fingers touched the door lock, a “knock-knock” came from outside. The sales assistant’s voice rang out: “Miss Lu, do you need help?”

The two froze in place. Panic surged through Lu Yue; ignoring her dress, she lunged forward and covered Zhou Ran’s mouth with her hand.

The dress crumpled to the floor, piling up like layers of petals brushed by a breeze, spreading a faint rustling sound.

Lu Yue pressed against her back, leaning close to the other’s thin, delicate earlobe, and warned in a hushed tone: “Wait!”

“This sales assistant knows me,” Lu Yue hissed through gritted teeth. “If you dare say a single word, I’ll ‘do’ you tomorrow!”

Zhou Ran, who had already stopped moving and had no intention of speaking: “…”

Warm breath fell between her knuckles, the moisture tickling her palm. Lu Yue held her firmly, refusing to let go.

Zhou Ran stood with her back to her, her ink-black hair cascading down her spine like a flowing stream, brushing past Lu Yue’s exposed arms and leaving a trail of chilly moisture.

After a moment of silence, she let out a low “mm.”

“Stay facing the door and don’t move,” Lu Yue instructed uneasily. “Actually, just close your eyes.”

Zhou Ran obediently closed her eyes. Only then did Lu Yue breathe a sigh of relief, quickly snatching her clothes and changing back.

The sales assistant waited for a moment before finally hearing a somewhat hurried, slightly breathless voice: “It’s fine, I’ll be out soon.”

The assistant gave the closed door a thoughtful look, then lowered her head and said, “Then I won’t disturb you. If you need anything, just hang the sign out.”

After a while, Lu Yue cautiously opened the door a crack. Seeing the corridor was empty, she finally stepped out.

She ran out as if fleeing, her heart racing from the stifling atmosphere and her earlobes a deep red. She fanned herself with her hand while striding toward the exit.

Zhou Ran was slightly slower. By the time she came out carrying several items of clothing, Lu Yue was nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Ran: “…”

She hung the clothes back at the return counter, but as she picked up one of the pieces, her fingers suddenly paused, halting her movement.

The sales assistant waited for ages, but Lu Yue never returned. Just as she began to sigh over her lost sales quota, another person approached.

Zhou Ran placed a black card on the glass counter and pushed it forward, her voice cold: “If you please.”

Lu Yue went to the milk tea shop on the ground floor.

She sat comfortably in a rattan chair, swinging slightly while sipping her tea and fiddling with her phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure.

Zhou Ran was carrying a light-colored gift bag. She set the bag down silently and sat on the sofa opposite Lu Yue.

Lu Yue glanced at the bag, curiosity piqued. She put down her phone: “…You bought clothes?”

In her memory, Zhou Ran’s temperament was uniquely eccentric—stubborn, rigid, and never one to adapt easily.

Take her clothing, for example; Zhou Ran had a special obsession with school uniforms. Even for field trips or social practice activities, she was always in her white uniform.

Flat, clean, and perfectly tidy—even the strictest disciplinary officer couldn’t find a single flaw.

Facing Lu Yue’s question, Zhou Ran gave a distracted “mm.” She looked elsewhere, her fingers folded together, rubbing her distinct knuckles.

The car drove steadily on the highway, the scenery outside blurring into countless thin lines.

“And then?” Lu Qian sat in the back seat, asking curiously, “What happened after that?”

Lu Yue held the steering wheel and glanced at him through the rearview mirror, snapping: “What else could happen? Zhou Ran left.”

“What a coincidence,” Lu Qian marveled. “To run into each other like that, Sis, you really are unlucky.”

Lu Yue snorted. The car turned off the highway and drove through the city center, finally stopping in front of a somewhat secluded, old office building.

“Like we agreed, I’m taking you to see my little company,” Lu Yue reminded him. “Whatever you do, don’t tell Mom and Dad, got it?”

Lu Qian nodded: “Understood!”

Lu Yue smiled and patted Lu Qian’s shoulder. The two walked into the building and took the elevator to the seventh floor.

The office was at the end of the corridor. Lu Yue swiped her card to enter, and Lu Qian followed, looking around curiously.

The space was divided into three or four small rooms: a reception area with a water dispenser and a small coffee table, a filming room with a green screen and photography equipment, a meeting room squeezed with three desks, and a tiny restroom.

Lu Qian had been to their family’s Yinglu Group—a whole skyscraper in the city center with exquisite high-end design and a grand entrance that screamed “old money.”

Now, looking at Lu Yue’s cramped, somewhat cluttered little rooms, his expression was one of shock: “This…”

“I looked for this place for a long time. It might be small and a bit run-down,” Lu Yue explained, “but it’s very close to the city center, and the rent is cheap.”

As she spoke, two people sitting at the desks stood up and approached to greet her:

“President Lu,”

“Sister Yue.”

The boy wore a knit hat; he was tall and thin and looked a bit shy. The girl was much more outgoing; she reached out to ruffle Lu Qian’s hair and said excitedly: “Sister Yue, your brother is so cute!”

“Hmph, looks okay, but his brain doesn’t work.”

Lu Yue teased with a smile and introduced them to Lu Qian: “This is Xiao Hong, in charge of PR and creative planning. The other one is Xiao Ming, in charge of filming, editing, and post-production.”

Lu Qian: “…”

Are these names for real?!

Lu Yue shrugged with a nonchalant expression: “Even if I told you their real names, you wouldn’t remember them. Isn’t this better?”

Xiao Ming nodded silently. Xiao Hong had a brilliant smile and said cheerfully: “My name is Hong Ciyu. You can just call me Xiao Hong like Sister Yue does.”

The original name was so poetic, but after changing it to “Xiao Hong,” it felt like being stuck in an English listening comprehension test.

Lu Yue’s small company belonged to the new media industry, focusing on several social media accounts. They posted photos, blog posts, and videos on a daily and weekly basis.

Lu Yue’s status, put nicely, was that of an “influencer” with a mature fan base; put harshly, she was a much-criticized “Internet celebrity.”

Lu Qian felt a bit of resistance toward the term “Internet celebrity.” He didn’t understand why his sister, with her excellent grades and the massive Yinglu Group behind her, wouldn’t return to the family business.

Though he thought this, Lu Qian didn’t dare ask. He pulled up a small stool and sat down to watch Xiao Ming edit a video.

Xiao Hong and Lu Yue went to the reception room. Xiao Hong opened her folder and handed over several sheets of paper.

“This is the shooting plan for tomorrow, and these other two are companies interested in collaborating with us.”

She pulled out a tablet to introduce the two proposals: “Danyu and Serein are both large companies. One wants you to promote skincare, the other makeup. They’ve both sent samples. Have a look, Sister Yue.”

Lu Yue didn’t even look. She picked up the skincare sample, tossed it in her hand, and threw it in a casual arc into the trash can with a “clatter.”

She gave a cold, thin-lipped smile: “I’m not promoting Danyu’s skincare. They dare to charge high-end prices for that crap? They’ll go bankrupt sooner or later!”

Xiao Hong didn’t dare breathe. Shrinking her shoulders, she suggested in a small voice: “What about the other one?”

“Let me see,” Lu Yue glanced at it. “Serein’s cosmetics are reliable. My foundation is from them.”

With the matter settled, Xiao Hong went to reply to Serein. Lu Yue sat on the sofa, looking at the word “SEREIN” on the product. Suddenly, she felt…

Like she had forgotten something.

Serein is a French word meaning “fine raindrops from a clear sky.” In the business world, it was the oldest of the three major beauty giants.

To show her sincerity, Lu Yue decided to go to Serein’s headquarters to personally draft the contract with the marketing department and discuss promotion details further.

She woke up early, changed into a crisp, sharp uniform, applied elegant and exquisite makeup, stepped into her stiletto heels, and set off.

Serein truly lived up to its name as a beauty leader. Its headquarters were located in the most bustling area of the city. Lu Yue gazed up at the towering skyscraper, feeling a sense of awe.

The elevator numbers ticked up. With a “ding,” the doors slid open.

Lu Yue stepped into the elevator. Just as she was about to press the close button, another person stepped in.

“Which floor, please—”

Lu Yue turned her head, but the words caught in her throat before she could finish.

Zhou Ran was in a dark professional suit. Her silken black hair was draped down, covering her neck and back, making her skin appear exceptionally white.

She was holding a stack of documents, her lashes lowered slightly, casting a shallow shadow on her cheek. She looked at Lu Yue for a moment before shifting her gaze away.

Zhou Ran said softly: “Eighty-nine.”

Her reaction was so cold that Lu Yue felt she was the one overreacting. Muttering to herself, she reached out and pressed the button for her floor.

After pressing it, she saw Zhou Ran standing on the right, so she quietly shifted to the left. She lowered her head to look at her documents, not wanting to have too much interaction.

They had come up from the parking garage. The elevator stopped at the lobby halfway, and several men and women who looked like employees stepped in.

Upon seeing Zhou Ran, the employees all bowed without exception, their expressions nervous yet polite as they greeted her: “Hello, President Zhou,” “Good morning, President Zhou.”

Zhou Ran nodded: “Mm, morning.”

Hmph, look at her putting on airs, Lu Yue thought sourly as she turned sideways to make room for the others.

As a result, the group of people, their eyes fixed on Zhou Ran, turned as one and crowded toward the left side, forcibly pushing Lu Yue toward the right.

Caught off guard, Lu Yue was pushed into a stumble, nearly crashing right into Zhou Ran.

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