Wagging My Tail in the Ice Queen CEO’s Embrace - Chapter 63

When Ming Ying followed Fu Anyu into the office, she suddenly felt that starting the “office dungeon” wasn’t such a big deal after all.

Perhaps because it was still working hours, the entire building was exceptionally quiet when she arrived, nothing like the grand spectacle from her dreams. There were hardly any people around to greet or welcome them.

Fu Anyu remained low-key throughout, leading her directly to the executive elevator, swiping her card, and pressing the button for the ninth floor.

“Do I not need to revert to my true form here?” Ming Ying asked after Fu Anyu closed the office door.

“No need.” Fu Anyu shook her head, picking up the electric kettle as she passed the desk and filling it with water from the nearby dispenser. “Treat this place like your own home. All employees have signed confidentiality agreements.”

Only then did Ming Ying feel at ease. She glanced around the office and spotted two swivel chairs, one large and one small. The larger, more dignified black swivel chair was clearly Fu Anyu’s.

But she didn’t immediately take a seat. Instead, she asked Fu Anyu, “Where should I sit?”

Then, she watched as Fu Anyu unhesitatingly patted the black swivel chair and looked up at her. “Come, sit here.”

Ming Ying felt a burst of inner excitement, as if little birds had taken flight and exploded into brilliant fireworks. On the surface, she remained calm as she walked over and sat down, though she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous as she stared at her clasped hands.

“What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?” Fu Anyu asked while the water boiled.

“Coffee, please.” Ming Ying quite liked coffee, and since she had just had tea earlier, she thought it would be nice to switch things up.

Fu Anyu had plenty of time to spare. She retrieved instant coffee and creamer, along with an exquisite white mug adorned with zodiac patterns. Once the water was ready, she began preparing coffee for the little fox.

“The office doesn’t have coffee beans, only instant coffee made from powder,” she explained, placing the steaming mug in front of Ming Ying. “Give it a try. If you don’t like it, I’ll take you to a café next time.”

Ming Ying agreed and took the small spoon Fu Anyu handed her, stirring the coffee slowly.

As she stirred, Fu Anyu picked up some documents and sat in the swivel chair that had been delivered by the logistics department, now positioned opposite Ming Ying.

Somehow, when she saw the little fox’s expectant gaze, she had instinctively given up her own seat. No one else had ever sat in that swivel chair since it arrived in her office, partly because she was slightly particular about cleanliness, and partly because that seat wasn’t one she would casually surrender.

Fu Anyu thought she must be going mad. Seeing the little fox sitting in her spot actually brought her a sense of joy.

Even though all employees had signed confidentiality agreements, internal gossip could still spread. If someone came by later to deliver documents and saw her seat occupied by someone else, she could only imagine the rumors that would start.

For a moment, Fu Anyu felt a pang of panic.

Ming Ying hadn’t brought anything with her when she went out, so while drinking her coffee, she idly glanced at the documents around her to pass the time.

She noticed that Fu Anyu’s desk was piled with grid paper, some of which included photos. Unfortunately, she couldn’t understand any of it, not even the meanings of the words written in the grids.

However, based on the tropes of the CEO novels she had read, any piece of paper with content on the CEO’s desk could be considered an important document.

Thinking about how Fu Anyu had to face such dull and tedious documents almost every day, Ming Ying felt a pang of sympathy for her.

Although her father also had many affairs to handle daily, she could at least understand the contents of those scrolls.

After just a short while, Ming Ying averted her gaze. Holding the mug, she sipped her coffee spoonful by spoonful. Feeling somewhat idle, she looked up at Fu Anyu.

After brewing the coffee for her, Fu Anyu had taken a file and sat down opposite her, quietly starting her work.

After observing for a moment, Ming Ying felt that her presence might be a bit redundant and could even hinder Fu Anyu’s work. After some thought, she stood up with her cup and said to Fu Anyu, “Sister, you should sit here instead. This chair, well, the cushion is too hard. I’m not used to it.”

Of course, she could tell at a glance which of the two swivel chairs was the cheaper one. Even though she knew the other chair would definitely be uncomfortable, she still offered to switch seats.

Fu Anyu also saw through her lie immediately. The little fox was clever and quick to learn almost everything, except for lying, she just couldn’t seem to master it.

But Fu Anyu chose not to expose her and swapped seats with the little fox.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they switched seats, the door was knocked, and a sweet female voice sounded, “President Fu, may I come in?”

“Come in,” Fu Anyu replied, adjusting the height of her swivel chair. As she straightened up, the slight smile on her face vanished, replaced by an expressionless demeanor.

Ming Ying immediately sat up straight as well, holding her cup, and retracted her fox ears and tail. She listened nervously as the door opened, followed by the sound of high heels clicking closer.

She saw a tall woman enter, dressed in a white suit with shoulder-length wavy hair. Her overall attire was elegant and poised.

Noticing the additional person in the office, the woman’s eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly greeted Ming Ying with a polite “Hello.” After receiving a response, she promptly averted her gaze and walked directly toward Fu Anyu.

“President Fu, these are the documents that require your signature,” the woman said.

Ming Ying recalled that women who could enter and exit the CEO’s office and bring documents for the CEO to sign were generally referred to as “secretaries.” While the female secretary was having Fu Anyu sign the documents, Ming Ying discreetly observed the two of them.

Although both were tall with shoulder-length hair, when the female secretary stood beside Fu Anyu, the differences between them were immediately apparent.

The female secretary seemed more delicate and evoked a protective instinct, whereas Fu Anyu exuded a powerful aura. With her cold expression, whether sitting or standing, she gave off an unapproachable vibe.

This was the first time Ming Ying had seen Fu Anyu in her work mode, and this version of her felt very unfamiliar.

She thought this side of Fu Anyu resembled the one she had encountered during their first meeting, expressionless and speaking in a cold tone. It seemed this was what novels often referred to as “work mode.” Only when she returned home, in the presence of trusted acquaintances, would Fu Anyu drop her “ice queen” facade.

Recalling the times Fu Anyu had patiently cared for her, listened to her tantrums, and tried to cheer her up by recommending cartoons, Ming Ying felt a warm happiness in her heart.

This proved that she had already been included in Fu Anyu’s trusted circle and had become someone very close to her.

After Fu Anyu signed the documents, the female secretary took the files and left. Throughout the entire process, aside from the initial greeting, she didn’t say a single word to Ming Ying.

This left Ming Ying inexplicably disappointed. She had been anticipating a scene like the one in novels where the female secretary coldly confronts the CEO’s beloved wife, mocking her for spending less time with the CEO than she does.

However, she also knew that Fu Anyu would never allow such a thing to happen in reality.

“That was Secretary Liang,” Fu Anyu introduced after the secretary had left. “She usually assists me with various tasks when I’m at the company.”

Ming Ying thought back to the documents she had just seen and couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for Secretary Liang.

Being able to understand such complex content, she truly was a talent!

“Why didn’t she say more to me?” Ming Ying asked, already knowing the answer.

She figured that Secretary Liang must be afraid of Fu Anyu. Aside from Xiao Chen, this was the second person she had seen who acted so properly and respectfully in front of Fu Anyu.

Unexpectedly, Fu Anyu replied, “She has always been the model of doing more and speaking less in the company.”

So, she was like that with everyone.

Neither of them knew that the paragon of diligence and reticence, Secretary Liang, had just delivered the signed documents and immediately rushed into the breakroom, eagerly pulling out her phone to open the employees’ slacking-off group chat.

“Breaking news: A young girl showed up in President Fu’s office.”

“Oh?”

“Something’s going on!”

“Anonymous source, your disguise is practically nonexistent. At this time, only one person can enter and leave the CEO’s office.”

“Doesn’t matter, doesn’t matter. Our circle is small, there’s already more than one person in this group whose identity has been exposed.”

“Actually, I saw it too. A young girl got out of the car with President Fu and entered our building.”

“Grabbing my popcorn, ready to listen.”

“Is the girl older? Does she look like President Fu?”

“She’s not old. She looks much younger than President Fu, maybe in her early twenties, or even just eighteen or nineteen. She doesn’t look like President Fu either,” Secretary Liang typed rapidly as she recalled. “Probably not a relative of President Fu.”

“Feels like the CEO’s office is about to have an orange blossom scent. Whoever cleans up after work can take a sniff. [dog head emoji]”

“No way, I remember the CEO is still engaged. She wouldn’t cheat on her fiancé, would she? And just from the description, that girl might even be underage.”

“Don’t ask, just enjoy the ship.”

“No need to overthink it. Maybe she’s a distant relative or an old classmate?”

Secretary Liang had other tasks to attend to, so after chatting with her colleagues for a bit, she turned off her phone and left the breakroom.

Ming Ying spent half the morning in Fu Anyu’s office, and nothing happened.

She had finished her coffee long ago. Sitting in the swivel chair, she flipped through Journey to the West, which Fu Anyu had found for her, killing time while contemplating whether she should take the initiative.

But she never found the right moment. Besides, Fu Anyu had been reading documents the entire time, and Ming Ying didn’t want to interrupt. In the end, she gave up on the idea and immersed herself in Journey to the West, losing herself in the tales of Sun Wukong subduing demons and monsters.

For some reason, she felt as though she, too, was on a journey to the Western Paradise to obtain scriptures, except the scriptures she sought were the “scriptures of love.”

By noon, Fu Anyu had finished organizing the documents and stood up, walking over to the little fox before extending her hand.

“It’s time to eat,” Fu Anyu said. “I’ll take you to see the cafeteria.”

Ming Ying closed her book and placed her hand in Fu Anyu’s, using the support to stand up. As she rose, she felt a slight dizziness, a side effect of sitting for too long.

Seeing her unsteady, Fu Anyu tightened her grip and pulled her into an embrace.

Instinctively, Ming Ying wrapped her arms around Fu Anyu, pressing her face against her chest. Inhaling the faint scent of pinewood, she suddenly noticed Fu Anyu’s heartbeat gradually quickening.

As if discovering a new world, she didn’t pull away but stayed nestled there.

She felt warm breaths brush down from above, and Fu Anyu’s heartbeat grew faster and faster. Yet, she never heard Fu Anyu urge her to let go.

It was almost as if, she was silently allowing this behavior.