The CEO and Her Gentle Director - Chapter 6

Her young niece was an absolute master of flirtation. Being only ten years apart in age from Lin Su, she possessed a refreshingly straightforward personality paired with stunning looks, making her incredibly popular with both men and women at school. Not long ago, during her six-month stay in Z City, she had successfully swept the big boss of the XM Group right off her feet and brought her home.

Because she had been raised single-handedly by Lin Su, the bond between aunt and niece was closer than that of most biological mothers and daughters. Perhaps because of this shared environment, the two of them had silently and seamlessly walked down the exact same unconventional path.

The moment Lin Su fired off the message, her young niece replied almost instantly.

Lin Sheng: !!!

Lin Sheng: Are you seriously my real biological aunt?!

Lin Sheng: With your sky-shattering beauty, unmatched intellect, and lethally striking charm, your seduction strategy actually suffered a defeat?!

Lin Sheng: We of the Lin lineage never back down in the face of adversity. Aunt, march forward and face the challenge head-on!

Lin Sheng: A single defeat is nothing. I still have thirty-five alternative strategies up my sleeve that I haven’t even deployed yet…

Inside a luxury king suite of a certain hotel in Z City, a beautiful girl with hair cascading down to her waist sat at the edge of the bed. Her elegant, refined features bore a distinct resemblance to Lin Su. She held her phone, burying herself intensely in typing out a massive wall of strategic advice to forward to her beloved aunt.

Xu Nan, who was leaning against the plush pillows at the headboard, raised her eyes. Extending a slender, elegant hand, she unceremoniously tapped the back of the girl’s head. “Lin Sheng, what mischief are you plotting now? Why is the expression on your face so incredibly suspicious?”

“Is it?” Lin Sheng massaged her head. Seeing that her aunt hadn’t responded yet, she set her device aside. Looking up at Xu Nan while resting her chin in both palms, she offered a mischievous grin. “My dearest Big Boss, this is what they call a proud maternal smirk. Doesn’t my smile look exactly like an innocent, blooming flower?”

Xu Nan cast a sideways glance at her. “Spit it out. What trouble are you secretly stirring behind my back this time?”

“Nothing! How could I possibly be causing trouble? This is a strictly confidential secret between aunt and niece!”

The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Sheng lowered her chin, her fingertips rapidly tapping away across the screen. The expression texturing her lovely face looked distinctly mischievous. Xu Nan could guess with her toes that this woman’s mind was currently overflowing with wicked schemes ready to be unleashed.

Her eyes crinkled into a soft smile, two shallow, enchanting dimples surfacing at the edges of her lips. Leaning against the pillows with her arms crossed over her chest, she spoke in a clear, leisurely tone: “You don’t even have to say it for me to know. Your aunt and Ye Tong used to be lovers, but circumstances ultimately forced them to sever ties years ago.”

“How on earth did you find out?!” Lin Sheng looked up in absolute disbelief, her face a mask of pure shock.

“Why shouldn’t I know? There is plenty in this world that remains beyond your knowledge.” Xu Nan retrieved the laptop resting on the comforter, her long, slender fingers tapping against the keyboard as she drafted a reply to an email Ye Tong had forwarded earlier.

Lin Sheng pouted. Xu Nan was the supreme commander of the XM Group and personally knew both her aunt and the formidable Director Ye. After all, brilliant business minds and powerhouse women naturally Gravitated toward one another. Given their solid rapport, it was only logical that Xu Nan was privy to certain chapters of their history.

Resuming her transmission of romantic tactics to her aunt, she muttered under her breath, “Director Ye is such a gentle, considerate soul. I honestly want to help my aunt sweep her right back home.”

Xu Nan countered, “Alright, save your unnecessary anxiety. They are operating under the same roof on a daily basis now. Your aunt is incredibly shrewd; do you truly believe she lacks the capability to win her back?”

“You don’t understand the mechanics of the situation.”

“My aunt’s temperament is far too suppressed; she acts completely detached and indifferent toward absolutely everything except for me, her precious, beloved niece, of course.” Lin Sheng threw her head back, falling backward across the mattress to rest her head right on Xu Nan’s lap, holding her phone up into the air.

After a brief pause, she added, “And now, Director Ye as well.”

Xu Nan ignored her commentary. Ye Tong had just forwarded a comprehensive portfolio concerning potential fabric suppliers. After a moment of calculated thought, she balanced her laptop on the nightstand. “My little maid, aren’t you on exceptionally good terms with Huang Dan, the General Manager of the HJ Group?”

“What are you plotting?” Lin Sheng shifted her phone away, looking up to glare at her. “We are currently in the middle of our honeymoon. I am strictly refusing any excavation of past history right now.”

“Who is attempting to exhume the past with you?” Xu Nan let out a soft smile. “I merely see a perfect opportunity here.”

“Huh? What kind of opportunity?” Lin Sheng’s brain failed to process the pivot for a moment.

Xu Nan reached out to stroke the thick, cascading locks of hair draped across her lap, lightly pinching Lin Sheng’s earlobe as she explained: “The apparel fabrics selected for Project A happen to feature brands under the HJ Group. Ye Tong just sent an email indicating she intends to secure a meeting with Huang Dan in the near future. Connect with Huang Dan ahead of time and drop a hint. Ensure that when they meet, she brings Lin Su along. That way, the two of them gain a seamless opportunity to interact and collaborate. Furthermore, with Lin Su anchoring the negotiations, the fabric supply chain will proceed without a single bottleneck.”

Lin Sheng’s gears finally clicked into place. Excitedly, she buried her face into Xu Nan’s embrace, snuggling against her. “That is a brilliant strategy! They get to interact, collaborate, and synchronize their efforts all while cultivating their emotional bond along the way!”

“Matters of the heart cannot be forced,” Xu Nan murmured softly. “They understand each other far too intimately already; there is simply a profound hurdle remaining in their hearts.”

“Lin Sheng, their dynamic is entirely different from ours. Your superficial, flirtatious tactics won’t apply to them, so stop feeding your aunt those terrible ideas.”

A slender hand slid down to grasp Lin Sheng’s ear, two fingers suddenly executing a sharp pinch. A jolt of pain shot through Lin Sheng’s ear, and she quickly clasped the back of Xu Nan’s hand, begging for mercy: “Big Boss, gentler, gentler! We can… we can talk this out reasonably! I swear I won’t cause chaos! I am officially the nation’s premier romantic assist!”

Xu Nan hadn’t actually applied any real force. She leisurely retracted her hand and reached out to retrieve her laptop, but Lin Sheng bared her teeth in a dramatic display of suffering, insistently burrowing back into her chest. “I have suffered severe domestic grievances. I demand immediate compensation!”

“Stop squirming and sit up properly to play with your own device.” Xu Nan caught Lin Sheng by the back of her collar, pulling her back out. When Lin Sheng stubbornly tried to cling to her again, Xu Nan fixed her with a half-smile. “My little maid, keep moving and I am deducting your allowance for next month.”

The moment the threat left her lips, Lin Sheng instinctively sat up perfectly straight. Holding her phone with absolute compliance, she sat quietly, no longer daring to interrupt Xu Nan’s corporate focus.

Her entire financial empire had already been surrendered to her partner. If her allowance were cut further, how was she supposed to survive?

Meanwhile, inside the Director’s Office at the LT Group tower.

The suite she currently occupied had served as the Assistant’s Office to the Executive Suite years ago. The two workspaces were positioned incredibly close, precisely designed to ensure the assistant was always within arm’s reach of the CEO’s commands.

The LT Group was a premier titan in S City, commanding numerous subsidiaries across multiple sectors. Given its corporate prestige, its recruitment thresholds were exceptionally high. When Ye Tong had navigated several rounds of intense interviews to successfully enter LT years ago, there had been no shortage of candidates possessing vastly superior academic credentials and track records. Yet, fortune had favored her, and she wasn’t filtered out.

Upon entering the corporate ranks, Ye Tong had harbored grand dreams of transforming into a true industry leader. Her intense focus and dedication quickly earned her the favor of her immediate superior at the time. Yet, fate intervened, crossing her path with Lin Su, which ultimately triggered a profound romance that vanished without a trace.

Inside the adjacent office, Lin Su had meticulously reviewed every single line of the strategic advice her young niece had forwarded. Distilling the absolute essence from her niece’s eighteen chapters of seduction mechanics, she realized the core principle boiled down to one thing: being absolutely, relentlessly thick-skinned.

Half an hour earlier, the moment she blocked the line of sight extending from the Executive Suite, completely masking that striking face from view, Ye Tong felt a wave of inexplicable satisfaction. She briefly organized her office, meticulously arranging her files according to her long-standing habits before descending to the twenty-fifth floor to brief her staff on their daily operations.

Once the directives were laid out, she returned to the thirtieth floor. Settling back into her private office, she cleared her mind and threw herself wholeheartedly into the intense, fast-paced rhythm of her work.

In the blink of an eye, six o’clock arrived. Ye Tong pulled her gaze away from the computer screen, reaching up to massage the faint ache gathering in her neck. Rising from her desk, she exited her suite and walked down the familiar corridor toward the pantry.

The exact moment she reached the threshold, the sight of that familiar, breathtaking silhouette caused her stride to hitch instantly. Lin Su had already turned around to face her. Realizing a retreat was impossible, Ye Tong smoothly pulled back her stepping foot and advanced into the room, offering a light smile. “President Lin.”

A faint smile touched the edge of Lin Su’s lips as she set her teacup down, inquiring softly, “What would you like to drink, Director Ye?”

“Coffee, thank you.” Since the woman was physically obstructing the espresso machine, Ye Tong stopped advancing, turning around to seat herself on one of the barstools lining the counter.

Having spent years by her side in the past, Lin Su understood the exact mechanics of Ye Tong’s palate. Knowing the director despised overly sweet coffee, she deliberately minimized the sugar. Swiftly brewing the espresso, Lin Su carried the cup over and seated herself directly opposite Ye Tong.

“Careful, it’s hot.”

“Thank you.”

Lin Su realized that the phrase Ye Tong directed toward her most frequently now was a sterile “Thank you.” The calculated courtesy sounding far more detached than a conversation with an absolute stranger caused the smile on her lips to flatten imperceptibly. In an even tone, she inquired, “Is Director Ye satisfied with my office arrangements?”

Ye Tong offered a neutral, lukewarm smile. “Since you have already finalized the logistics, President Lin, satisfaction is entirely irrelevant. However, given that my office sits directly adjacent to yours, I simply worry I might disrupt your corporate focus.”

“Director Ye favors absolute quiet, and I share the exact same preference. Neither of us will be a distraction to the other.”

Lin Su’s voice remained clear and cool, her eyes locking onto Ye Tong with a gaze as steady as still water. She retrieved a spoon, slowly and uniformly stirring her coffee. “On your very first day returning to LT, is Director Ye adjusting well to the workflow?”

“It is fine. It feels exactly as it did in the past,” Ye Tong replied, taking an elegant, measured sip of her espresso.

This was the exact arena where she had spent three full years of her career. Returning to the LT tower today after all this time, the faint trace of unfamiliarity had rapidly dissolved with the passage of the hours.

“Even though this is strictly a collaborative venture, I still wish to say: welcome back.”

The detached veneer vanished from Lin Su’s face, replaced by an expression and tone filled with absolute sincerity as though she had anchored her anticipation onto this exact moment for a very long time. Ye Tong lowered her eyelids, intentionally breaking eye contact as she replied softly, “Thank you. However, we share nothing more than a professional partnership. Once it concludes, I will not be returning here again.”

Lifting her wrist, Ye Tong checked the hour. “It is already past six o’clock. Is President Lin not planning to clock out yet?”

“Mhm. Not quite yet.” Lin Su chose not to push back against the director’s definitive rejection. “Is Director Ye preparing to leave?”

“Not quite yet either.” Spending isolated moments with Lin Su always left her feeling distinctly unsettled. Ye Tong downed the remaining contents of her cup in a few swallows, rose from the barstool, walked around the counter, and turned on the faucet to meticulously wash her coffee cup.

Setting the clean porcelain aside, the crisp click-clack of high heels striking the floor signaled Lin Su’s approach. The woman now stood right beside her, holding her own empty cup, seemingly waiting for Ye Tong to finish so she could wash it herself.

Lin Su had been born into immense wealth, completely insulated from menial domestic chores since childhood. Forget cooking meals; she lacked the basic coordination to wash a single dish. Back during their time together, she had constantly insisted on helping Ye Tong with the dishes, only to shatter no fewer than ten porcelain plates in succession before Ye Tong banned her from the kitchen entirely.

Ye Tong’s eyelid gave a slight twitch. Drying the moisture from her palms, she smoothly retrieved the cup from Lin Su’s hand, her tone carrying a half-joking edge: “You brewed the coffee, so I wash the cup. We’re even.”

Neither owes the other a single thing; a clean, definitive boundary. This was Ye Tong’s absolute line in the sand.

Lin Su raised an eyebrow, offering a silent nod without further comment. She originally intended to turn on her heel to leave, but her eyes caught sight of Ye Tong washing the cup, her long sleeves slipping down and coming dangerously close to getting drenched by the running water. Reaching out, Lin Su gently clasped Ye Tong’s forearm, meticulously rolling up her sleeves for her.

Ye Tong froze, completely losing her reflex to react for a few seconds as she allowed Lin Su to adjust her sleeves. The pads of Lin Su’s fingers inadvertently brushed against her bare skin, feeling noticeably colder than the running water itself. Staring at the faint smile detailing Lin Su’s face, the words Thank you gathered at the edge of her lips, but before she could voice them, Lin Su wishing to avoid hearing those sterile words again exited the pantry without a syllable.

Ye Tong bit her lip slightly, thoroughly rinsing the cup before returning to her desk.

The brief interlude dissolved into the background, failing to impact her professional execution. By the time she checked the hour again, it was already 9:00 PM.

Organizing her desk and powering down her computer, the phone resting beside her hand suddenly vibrated twice.

Assuming it was a message from Ji Huaiqiu meaning she could potentially head out to grab a late-night snack she retrieved the device and tapped open WeChat. Her gaze locked onto a financial transfer initiated by Lin Su, and a succession of twitches rippled across her temple. She read the exact text aloud under her breath:

“250?”

Lin Su: Secretary Xiao drove my car away. Transferring you the fare care to give me a lift?