This Time, She Confesses First - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After the decision was made to hold the annual meeting for the East China region in the Shanghai campus, several leaders from the Beijing headquarters arrived in Shanghai a week in advance. While attending the annual meeting was one reason, the more important purpose was to inspect the work and deploy tasks to ensure the Shanghai campus could open smoothly in April of the following year.

During those days, in addition to the normal operation of the campus, Ke Qingyun also had to deal with the headquarters leaders’ work inspections, reporting on the campus’s internal environment, construction progress, when the restaurant would be operational, and other issues. At her busiest, she had six or seven meetings a day and couldn’t even manage a proper meal.

As her assistant, Jing Huan naturally had to keep busy, but she was slightly less burdened than Ke Qingyun. There were some high-level group meetings she didn’t need to attend, allowing her to sneak in a few bites of bread to settle her stomach.

Ding—

Before she could even swallow the bread in her mouth, the elevator door suddenly opened. Ke Qingyun returned from a meeting, followed by Sales Director Yao Jie. Both looked serious. Ke Qingyun was slightly turned to the side, giving instructions to Yao Jie as they walked. Yao Jie’s brows were tightly furrowed, and she nodded intermittently. Neither of them paid attention to the secretarial desk.

The door to the General Manager’s office closed. Jing Huan pursed her lips, forced down the last bite of bread, grabbed her water cup, and took a drink. Once her breathing was regulated, she looked up, secretly glancing at the tightly shut door.

After talking for about ten minutes, Yao Jie emerged from the office, looking grave, and quickly walked away just as her phone rang. Jing Huan immediately answered the ringing line.

“Come in for a moment.”

Jing Huan knocked and entered. Ke Qingyun was currently buried in documents. She looked up upon hearing the sound, then lowered her head again, giving instructions: “Wang Shengke will be visiting the office area later. Go down and tell the directors of each department to tidy up their office environments a bit, aiming to leave a good impression on the people from headquarters. Oh, and the coffee machine in the catering department was broken. Has it been fixed yet?”

Jing Huan was quickly trying to memorize the tasks Ke Qingyun had assigned her when she was suddenly asked a question. She paused for half a second and quickly said, “I’ll go check right now.”

“No need, come back first,” Ke Qingyun looked up, stopping her. “Do you know who Wang Shengke is?”

Surprise flashed in Jing Huan’s eyes, “Mr. Wang, who is in charge of engineering progress?”

“That’s right, it’s him,” Ke Qingyun nodded with satisfaction. “Go meet him at the elevator entrance later, then take him on a tour of the office area.”

Jing Huan nodded, “Understood.”

Jing Huan had met a few leaders from the headquarters, but not this Mr. Wang. After inspecting the environment of all the departments, Jing Huan paid close attention to the movements at the elevator entrance. Soon, a man in a suit came out of the elevator. He was around forty, portly, with thinning hair on top, and his hands were clasped behind his back, eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. This was Wang Shengke, the one who came for the tour.

“Mr. Wang, hello, I’m Ms. Ke’s assistant,” Jing Huan smiled as she went up to greet him. After working as an assistant for over half a month, this kind of thing was easy for her. “Welcome to the Shanghai campus. This is our regular office area. I’ll take you on a tour.”

Wang Shengke didn’t respond. After a thorough look around, he commented, “Too little greenery. The office environment isn’t good. Tell your Ms. Ke to buy more potted plants.”

Jing Huan smiled and replied, “We only recently moved into this office. Some of the potted plants haven’t arrived yet. Once they’re all placed out, the air should be much better.”

Wang Shengke curled his lip and shook his head, remaining silent, looking profound and inscrutable. Jing Huan was a head taller than him, allowing her to see his bald spot clearly. She couldn’t help but associate him with the “pot-bellied, middle-aged bald man” that Qi Mengmeng often mentioned.

“Does this office have coffee?” Wang Shengke settled himself into an empty desk in the administration department. “I woke up too early this morning, feeling a bit tired. Oh, and I want a cappuccino. I won’t drink anything else.”

The young woman at the next workstation couldn’t help but crack a smile, quickly lowering her head to stifle the sound. Jing Huan shot her a side-eye, then smiled and said, “Yes, Mr. Wang, I’ll get you one right away.”

“Go ahead.”

Jing Huan made the coffee and presented it, “Mr. Wang, your coffee.”

Wang Shengke turned his head, not reaching for the coffee. His gaze traveled down Jing Huan’s legs all the way to her face. This kind of scrutiny made Jing Huan extremely uncomfortable, but she could only endure it with a smile.

“You’re a student, aren’t you?” Wang Shengke suddenly asked.

Jing Huan paused, then politely said, “Yes, graduating next year.”

“I knew it,” Wang Shengke chuckled, took the coffee, and pointed his index finger in the air at Jing Huan a few times. “You have that student vibe.”

Jing Huan’s expression instantly changed. She swallowed hard. This finger-pointing, humiliating appraisal made her feel completely uneasy, raising goosebumps on her arms.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Wang Shengke sipped his coffee, glancing at Jing Huan out of the corner of his eye, smugly, “You student girls, you lack social experience. Your eyes look too innocent. Even if you wear short skirts and high heels, one can tell right away.”

Jing Huan played along, smiling widely, “Mr. Wang is truly knowledgeable.”

Wang Shengke shook his head and smiled, “You are too young. You have much to learn. Take your time.”

“…” Jing Huan smiled, “You are right.”

After finishing his coffee, Wang Shengke finally stood up and said, “Take me on the tour.”

“Certainly, please follow me.” Jing Huan began the tour starting with the administration department. This was her routine job, and she introduced it smoothly, but she was constantly interrupted.

Wang Shengke, “How old are you this year?”

Jing Huan forced a smile, politely saying, “Twenty-four.” Then she continued her introduction.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Wang Shengke smiled, his eyes squinting into slits. “You’re so pretty, you must have many admirers.”

Jing Huan suppressed her discomfort, “It’s alright. Mr. Wang, this is the catering department. Employees are usually in the cafeteria, only the clerical staff and nutritionists are in the office…”

“Not dating? Aren’t your parents worried? Many people your age already have children,” Wang Shengke interrupted again.

“They’re not worried,” Jing Huan said expressionlessly. “I’m not considering marriage right now.”

Wang Shengke seemed completely oblivious to the impatience on Jing Huan’s face. He scoffed, his voice sounding old, “True, the nature of girls is to enjoy life.”

Jing Huan clenched her teeth, forcing a smile, and abruptly brought the conversation back, “Mr. Wang, this is the engineering department. If you have any questions these days, you can come here to discuss them with Mr. Qi.”

Wang Shengke looked uninterested, giving it a quick, indifferent glance, and then asked, “Where is Ms. Ke’s office? I want to see it.”

Jing Huan was taken aback, quickly saying, “Visiting Ms. Ke’s office requires prior application. I’ll call Ms. Ke right now to ask for permission. If she—”

Before Jing Huan could finish, Wang Shengke was already heading straight for the office with the General Manager plaque: “Ms. Ke and I are so familiar. We sat at the same table at the Beijing opening ceremony banquet. Talking about application is just being overly formal.”

The General Manager’s office door was pushed open just like that. “Ms. Ke, long time no see.”

“…” Jing Huan was at a loss, quickly following him. “Mr. Wang, you need to knock before entering an office.”

Having not slept well for two days, Ke Qingyun was resting on her chair, covered by her coat, taking a short nap to replenish her energy. She was suddenly startled awake by the loud bang. Her eyes instantly snapped open as a reflex, scanning the doorway coldly, carrying a hint of anger and chill.

Jing Huan’s face twisted in distress, and she quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Ms. Ke.”

“Ms. Ke is in good spirits, taking a nap at this hour,” Wang Shengke looked around the office environment, his eyes landing on the oversized floor-to-ceiling window. Through the window, the shimmering lake surface was visible. “The view is really nice.”

Ke Qingyun removed the coat from her body, slowly sat up, her tense expression relaxing little by little. Her lips curved slightly, “Mr. Wang, what a distinguished guest.”

“Not at all, Ms. Ke, saying that is too formal,” Wang Shengke pointed at Ke Qingyun with his index finger. “You’re not treating me as a friend.”

Ke Qingyun smiled, stood up, walked over to get herself a glass of water, and then leisurely sat on the sofa, “I apologize for the poor hospitality these past few days, Mr. Wang.”

Wang Shengke saw the water in Ke Qingyun’s hand, his expression paused slightly, then he turned back to stare at the lake outside the window. “The coffee here is good, very refreshing. The office environment is also nice, big and bright, and…” Wang Shengke slowly turned his head, his gaze settling on Jing Huan, “The assistant is especially nice. One might think Ms. Ke hired a female celebrity.”

Jing Huan lowered her head, lightly clenching her fingers, her scalp tingling, making her dare not look up at Ke Qingyun.

Ke Qingyun took a sip of water, her lips curving, and said lightly, “When Mr. Wang also becomes a campus general manager, I’ll introduce you to the designer of this office. She can definitely design an identical one for you—no, it should be even better than mine.”

Wang Shengke was stunned. He lightly coughed, looking a bit awkward, “I’m at this age now. How can I compare to the drive of you young people? I can’t compete, I can’t compete.”

“Mr. Wang shouldn’t say that. Didn’t Chairman Yang say that age is absolutely not a restriction in this company, only ability matters?” Ke Qingyun deliberately emphasized the word ability.

Wang Shengke awkwardly pursed his lips.

Ke Qingyun continued, “I hear the land in Wuhan has been secured, and the project is about to start construction. If Mr. Wang also wants a spacious and bright office and a female celebrity assistant, you must strive for it. Please don’t hesitate if you need me to recommend you.”

Wang Shengke smiled, “We’ll talk about it, we’ll talk about it. But I will certainly need to trouble Ms. Ke for some advice when the time comes.”

Ke Qingyun said generously, “Of course. Mr. Wang, please don’t be a stranger.”

“Then I won’t disturb Ms. Ke’s rest,” Wang Shengke said. “I still need to go see Mr. Liang. That old fellow heard I was in Shanghai and insisted on catching up.”

Ke Qingyun nodded and smiled, “Please go ahead.”

“Then I’ll leave you to your work, Ms. Ke.”

“Wait,” Ke Qingyun suddenly turned her head, remembering something. “Mr. Wang likes the coffee here. Why don’t I have little Jing give you a few bags to brew at your hotel?”

Wang Shengke waved his hand, his face ashen, and pushed the door open to leave, “No need for the trouble.”

The office immediately fell quiet.

Jing Huan tightly pinched the seam of her trousers with her index finger and bit her lip, “I’m sorry, Ms. Ke. That was my mistake in my work, disturbing your rest.”

“It has nothing to do with you. Why are you keeping your head down?” Ke Qingyun said, “Lift your head up.”

“…Oh.”

Jing Huan lifted her head, meeting the amused look in Ke Qingyun’s eyes. “Wang Shengke, that old smooth talker. Not much skill, but quite good at judging people.”

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