Xu Ziyan picked out a set of clothes to wear to work and went to bed early. She was being quite health-conscious now and cherished her little life dearly.
Early the next morning, as soon as she came downstairs, she saw Fu Qixuan finishing his workout and preparing to eat. She couldn’t help but feel admiration: 【This big boss really isn’t a position just anyone can handle. First, you need to be energetic and super healthy, not prone to headaches or fevers that delay work, comparable to a robot.
Wow, steamed buns for breakfast, I love them! I wonder if the company cafeteria is any good. Otherwise, maybe I’ll order takeout for lunch? I share an office with the big boss; if I order takeout, should I order for him too?】
Fu Qixuan sat across from her, his ears filled with the sound of her chatter. Seeing her eat with such relish, he ended up eating a few more bites himself.
Just then, a servant came forward and handed over a card. “Second Young Miss, someone sent this card for you last night. I saw you were asleep and didn’t disturb you. The person who delivered it said you knew about this.”
Xu Ziyan nodded. “I know, give it to me.”
Fu Qixuan asked, “Whose is it?”
“Ding Jie’s, of course,” Xu Ziyan answered offhandedly.
Fu Qixuan frowned. “Are you out of money? I’ll transfer some to you. Don’t spend the Ding family’s money. Ding Jie has ill intentions; have less contact with him.”
Xu Ziyan picked up the card and waved it in front of him, giggling. “It’s precisely because they’re the rival family that I should spend it recklessly. You don’t feel sorry for what isn’t yours. Besides, he used me to stir up trouble; if I don’t take some payment, how can I justify all the acting skills I painstakingly exerted?”
The Fu family members, worried the two might not get along, had specifically come down early. As soon as they descended, they heard them disagreeing. Fu Dongfeng immediately called Fu Qixuan into the study and told him about all the inner thoughts they had been hearing lately.
Following the plotline was no trivial matter; it had to be taken seriously to avoid the possibility of a world collapse. They had already tested it: as long as the plot was followed nominally, or as long as it was followed in Ding Jie’s perception, it was sufficient. So, even though they had discovered problems with Li Dong and Zheng Wenbo, they had held their positions, waiting to play out the later plot.
Since Xu Ziyan put every skill point she earned into luck, they would all exert their strength together, enduring what they could and cooperating as much as possible to help Xu Ziyan complete her part of the plot. The goal was to get Xu Ziyan as many skill points as possible, hoping that good luck truly could turn calamity into blessing and danger into safety. Only then could they truly break free from the plot and continue living.
Previously, Fu Qixuan had never believed in so-called “inner thoughts” and hadn’t discussed the issue in depth with his family. Now, although he was still trying to convince himself to believe this absurd situation, he had finally realized the importance of the matter. Regardless of whether it was true or false, he would cooperate for now. Even if it was fake, being cautious wouldn’t cost him anything.
Once father and son had reached an agreement, Fu Dongfeng felt relieved. His son, though overly self-assured, always kept his promises. He would definitely take good care of Xu Ziyan.
Xu Ziyan and Fu Qixuan rode to the company in the same car. Fu Qixuan started reviewing documents as soon as he got in the car, and Xu Ziyan also began diligently browsing on her tablet.
Soon, Fu Qixuan’s ears grew noisy.
【001, look at this car, isn’t it nice? The exterior is so beautiful!】
【Huh? They say the performance is just average? Next! How about this one? Is it a bit too expensive?】
【Maybe this one instead; the color is pretty, the seats are spacious, it looks really comfortable. I need to go test drive it.】
【Ah, in my last life, I never could have dreamed I’d be casually picking from cars worth millions. This is just too blissful!】
【001, look at this bag, doesn’t it match my outfit today? I should buy it as my work bag. Wow, 800,000. Sure, sure. Needs to be transferred from another store? Then I’ll have them transfer it right now!】
【This massage chair isn’t bad. Only over 200,000. Get one for the office. Oh right, also need a projector screen, plus a headset so I don’t disturb the big boss’s work.】
Fu Qixuan pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he supposed to thank his cheap little sister for remembering him? But remembering or not made no difference. He could hear her “inner thoughts.” Even when Xu Ziyan sat quietly beside him, his ears were filled with incessant chirping.
For the first time in his life, he felt one person could be the equivalent of ten—she had far too many thoughts!
However, Fu Qixuan never spoke up to have Xu Ziyan moved elsewhere. He was determined to keep Xu Ziyan by his side to personally verify whether these so-called inner thoughts were real.
Thus, the two of them entered the company peacefully and quietly. Fu Qixuan had no other impression except that the Xu Ziyan from his past memories had completely vanished, replaced by this new, chirping Xu Ziyan.
Upon arriving at the company, Fu Qixuan automatically switched into Domineering CEO mode. Xu Ziyan also got to experience the feeling of a novel’s domineering CEO firsthand. Employees greeted them respectfully and politely along the way, and there was even a CEO’s Private Elevator. She, the cheap little sister, was also reaping the benefits!
There were quite a few employees in the Executive Office. Lin Xiaoyun had already arrived, having returned to her normal smiling demeanor, no different from the other staff. However, she was wearing a pure white suit dress, which made her slightly stand out.
Thinking about how she had walked all the way in the rain last night and no one had actually chased after her, Lin Xiaoyun gritted her teeth in hatred. She felt the entire Fu family was sick—Fu Qixuan was sick, and this Xu Ziyan was also sick. But she needed to complete the task Ding Jie had assigned to get the remaining money. She immediately looked at Xu Ziyan, trying to make eye contact.
Xu Ziyan thought to herself: 【I took Ding Jie’s card, so I should placate him a bit. That way, spending this money will feel justified. I should advance the plot a little.】
001: 【Host, you’ve found an opportunity to advance the plot and want a reward, right?】
Xu Ziyan: 【You get me. No need to say it out loud.】
She smiled and spoke up, “Assistant Lin, bring in two coffees. My preference is the same as Eldest Brother’s.”
Lin Xiaoyun acknowledged and immediately went to make coffee. The others, seeing this, secretly speculated whether Lin Xiaoyun had some background. How did the president’s sister know Lin Xiaoyun on her very first day?
Xu Ziyan’s desk and chair had already been set up on the other side of the office, some distance away from Fu Qixuan’s. The material and quality were the same as what Fu Qixuan used.
Xu Ziyan didn’t act like a stranger either. Upon entering, she first took a tour of the president’s office, then sat in her chair and spun around comfortably. 【001, quick, look at me! Don’t I look like a domineering CEO? Quite impressive, right? In my last life, I was a department head, you know!】
She took out her phone and started taking selfies. Fu Qixuan had to agree with the conclusion his family had reached these past few days—this Xu Ziyan had a remarkably good mindset.
When Lin Xiaoyun brought the coffee in and was about to leave, Xu Ziyan said, “Stay and tell me about the company. I just got here and don’t understand. Come, sit down and explain slowly. I’ll be working with my eldest brother from now on. Also, tell me about his schedule—what he usually eats and drinks, what time he works, what time he rests.”
Lin Xiaoyun was a lifestyle assistant, handling miscellaneous tasks around Fu Qixuan. Moreover, she had a clear objective and was naturally very familiar with these details. She explained everything meticulously to Xu Ziyan. Wearing a smile, she deliberately sat in an attractive pose, hoping Fu Qixuan would notice how attentive she was to him.
Enticing men was something she was extremely skilled at.
In reality, Fu Qixuan was over there reading documents, growing more and more alert the more he listened. This Lin Xiaoyun hadn’t been here long, yet she had gathered such detailed information about him. Did she observe it herself, or did Ding Jie send someone to investigate him? Either possibility set off alarm bells in his mind.
He didn’t know when the investigation he had ordered on Lin Xiaoyun would yield concrete results. Last night, he had already arranged for people to investigate Ding Jie, Ding Jie’s mother, and every member of the Ding family. He disliked this messy feeling. Knowing yourself and your enemy was the only way to control the situation.
But for now, he still needed to cooperate and act along with these two women. Let Lin Xiaoyun believe she was successfully getting close to him. Let Xu Ziyan believe she was successfully completing her mission. Only this way could they avoid alerting the enemy and let the plotline proceed, helping Xu Ziyan increase her luck value.
He thought for a moment and spoke up, “Assistant Lin, you’ve worked hard lately. You’ll receive a double bonus.”
Lin Xiaoyun quickly stood up and refused, “Manager Fu, you’ve already helped me so much. I do all this willingly. It’s not hard work at all. No bonus is necessary.”
Xu Ziyan screamed inwardly: 【God, what do you mean ‘no bonus is necessary’?! As a wage slave, I can’t stand hearing this kind of talk! If you don’t take it, how can others ask for it? Don’t break the market rate! And ‘willingly’—is that even how you use those words? I really can’t stand this type of person!】
Fu Qixuan also found it quite ridiculous, but he was amused by Xu Ziyan’s outwardly elegant yet inwardly screaming appearance. He chuckled and said, “I know. But this is what you deserve. I’m giving it to you, so just accept it.”
Only then did Lin Xiaoyun agree, seeming a bit embarrassed as she took the opportunity to retreat. And to make his part of the plotline appear more natural, Fu Qixuan watched Lin Xiaoyun leave before shifting his gaze away.
By the time Lin Xiaoyun walked out of the office, her face was flushed.
Xu Ziyan widened her eyes, enjoying the drama. 【Goodness, why am I even reading novels or short dramas? I should be watching the live show right here! Isn’t watching a live domineering CEO and Cinderella better? Oh wait, no, this is a social butterfly, a little poisonous flower who manages to deceive the domineering CEO.】
Fu Qixuan patiently took a deep breath. If it weren’t for the fear of alerting the enemy, would he have to do this? He didn’t believe in any plot where a domineering CEO falls for a Cinderella. He felt not a shred of romantic feeling toward Lin Xiaoyun. It was just like rescuing a stray animal—he had enjoyed doing that kind of thing since he was a child.
The reason he let Lin Xiaoyun into the company was that he had been very busy lately and happened to need a lifestyle assistant to look after him. Lin Xiaoyun was attentive enough and kept saying she wanted to repay his kindness, so he let her come on a trial basis—just a probationary period. But from Xu Ziyan’s mouth, it sounded like he was besotted.
He refused to believe that in the plot, he would be so desperately infatuated with a woman he had merely helped in passing. Impossible!
Sure enough, he then heard Xu Ziyan’s inner thoughts. 【Come to think of it, the original plot didn’t write about their love story. It was just Lin Xiaoyun constantly trying to attract the boss, and the boss, like an iron tree blooming, showed her a bit more care. Then, with my help, Lin Xiaoyun stole the company secrets.
Looking at it this way, did I destroy their love story? Did I cut off their future development?】
Fu Qixuan looked at the documents, but he hadn’t taken in a single word, focusing entirely on listening to Xu Ziyan talk about the plot.
Who knew Xu Ziyan would only say this much to the system before stopping? She stood up to leave. “Eldest Brother, I’m going out to buy some things.”
Fu Qixuan frowned. “You just got to the company and you’re already skipping work?”
Xu Ziyan replied as if it were the most natural thing. “A craftsman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well; sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting. A good work environment helps me think, so of course I need to buy things to set up my workspace first. I’m off, I’ll be back soon.”
Xu Ziyan left the office. Before she even reached the ground floor, she received a message. 【Cheap Older Brother actually transferred money to me? Ten million! I’m rich again!】
Fu Qixuan sent a message telling her not to spend an outsider’s money; the family wasn’t short of such a small amount.
Xu Ziyan hummed perfunctorily in agreement before sliding her phone into her pocket. Only a fool wouldn’t take advantage of a windfall. If Ding Jie was brave enough to give her the card, why wouldn’t she be brave enough to spend it? She intended to make him bleed money.
After Xu Ziyan left, Fu Qixuan called in his most trusted special assistant. “Book an appointment with a psychiatrist for me.” He paused, then amended, “Book one for my whole family. The sooner, the better.”
The special assistant cautiously sized him up. “Manager Fu, did something happen?”
Fu Qixuan couldn’t very well say he suspected his whole family’s brains had problems, could he? He said offhandedly, “Just a routine check-up. Include it with the other items for a full physical.”
What sane person gets their whole family this kind of ‘routine check-up’? But the special assistant didn’t dare say or ask; he just went to make the arrangements.
Unaware of Fu Qixuan’s existential crisis, Xu Ziyan went straight to the car dealership to pick up a car, then went to buy the bag, the massage chair, and the many other things she had fancied that morning. The feeling of swiping the card without hesitation was fantastic, especially since it was the scumbag’s money she was spending.
Ding Jie was in a meeting. His silenced phone kept lighting up—once, then again. He couldn’t help but take a look. They were all…credit card bills???