Chapter 16: He Jingyue Has Taken a Liking to Me?!

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Lu Mingxuan forced a smile. “Not at all, I was just admiring President He’s excellent management skills.”

“Different environments shape different people,” He Jingyue said lightly. “Assistant Lu, at He Corporation, you only need to focus on your expertise and growth without other worries, so your potential naturally shines through.”

Lu Mingxuan’s expression shifted slightly; he forced out a dry laugh. “What President He says is true.”

At that moment, Lu Qiuyi hurried over to hand a glass of water to He Jingyue.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Mingxuan leaned close to her and whispered in a voice only she could hear, cold and threatening, “Feeling confident now? Climbing the high branch and forgetting your roots? Before tonight, I want to see progress reports on the ‘Smart Speech’ compression module, or else...”

His unfinished words were laced with naked menace as his hand rested on Lu Qiuyi’s shoulder, secretly squeezing it hard.

Pain flashed across Lu Qiuyi’s face; she stiffened instantly, nearly dropping the water bottle in her hand.

“Director Lu seems very concerned about my assistant?” He Jingyue’s icy voice suddenly cut through the air. He had turned around without anyone noticing, his gaze landing on Lu Mingxuan’s hand still resting on Lu Qiuyi’s shoulder.

Lu Mingxuan quickly withdrew his hand, plastering on a fake smile. “Caring for the younger generation is only natural.”

He Jingyue no longer looked at him but turned to Lu Qiuyi with a calm yet commanding tone. “Assistant Lu, bring me the golf club.”

Relieved as if pardoned, Lu Qiuyi quickly fetched the club, handing it to He Jingyue with both hands, using the chance to put distance between herself and Lu Mingxuan.

She kept her head down, avoiding He Jingyue’s eyes, her heart racing.

He Jingyue took the club, his fingertips brushing lightly over Lu Qiuyi’s cold, trembling fingers. He said nothing, simply turning back to focus on his aim.

The golf social event lasted nearly three hours.

Lu Qiuyi witnessed the undercurrents of the elite business circle and felt more deeply the shadowy threats of Lu Mingxuan and the unfathomable control wielded by He Jingyue.

When leaving the course, Li Mingyuan, Zhou Zhenbang, and others warmly bid farewell to He Jingyue and made a point to exchange business cards with Lu Qiuyi.

“Young lady, work hard. With President He, your future is boundless,” Zhou Zhenbang encouraged kindly.

Li Mingyuan smiled and nodded at Lu Qiuyi with a meaningful look. “Looking forward to our next meeting.”

Lu Mingxuan lingered behind, his face dark as he watched Lu Qiuyi exchange cards with these powerful figures, a shadow crossing his eyes.

He approached He Jingyue, smiling insincerely. “President He, tonight President Zhao of Hongyuan is hosting a cocktail party. Shall we go together?”

“No,” He Jingyue declined decisively. “My assistant doesn’t drink well.”

Lu Qiuyi:...

Always hitting the sore spot.

The shadow in Lu Mingxuan’s eyes deepened. He said nothing more and turned, leading his assistant away.

Once inside the Rolls-Royce, shielded from prying eyes, Lu Qiuyi finally dared to exhale, leaning wearily against the seat.

He Jingyue removed his sunglasses, rubbing his forehead, appearing somewhat tired. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke.

“How do you feel?”

Lu Qiuyi was momentarily taken aback, unsure what he meant. “Huh?”

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“The first time meeting these people,” He Jingyue added, his tone unreadable. “Chairman Li, Elder Zhou.”

Lu Qiuyi thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Impressive.”

“Remember their faces and names, and the fields they represent,” He Jingyue said calmly. “You’ll need them in the future.”

“Yes, President He,” Lu Qiuyi replied, though internally she felt puzzled.

She was an undercover assistant who planned to quit after this assignment—when would she ever need such top-tier connections?

He Jingyue said no more, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

After a while, as if recalling something, he pulled a costly-looking putter from the golf bag and casually handed it to Lu Qiuyi.

“Here.”

Lu Qiuyi took it, stunned. “President He, this is...?”

“The one you picked up earlier belonged to Lu Mingxuan.”

He Jingyue’s tone remained even. “This one is mine. You performed decently today, so it’s a gift.”

Lu Qiuyi held the heavy putter, unsure how to react.

Was this a reward? A consolation?

She looked at He Jingyue’s side profile as he closed his eyes to rest, unable to fathom the president’s intentions.

Clutching the club, still warm from his fingertips, her tangled emotions grew even more complicated.

When in doubt, ask Zhihu.

Lu Qiuyi secretly pulled out her phone and searched: What does it mean when your boss suddenly gives you an expensive personal item?

An array of answers popped up instantly—

1L: End-of-year bonus, recognition of your work value.

2L: Trying to win your loyalty so you’ll work harder.

3L: Hinting that you should accompany him for golf.

4L: The first few answers sound like clueless men... Your ID suggests you’re female? Girlfriend, is your boss single?

5L: He’s interested in you, and you’re still clueless?!

What?

Lu Qiuyi almost dropped her phone onto the seat.

He Jingyue is interested in me?

By some strange impulse, she began to reflect:

Her flawed reports barely passed his scrutiny; others didn’t fare better—Xie Mingxiao was even criticized;

She couldn’t lead technical meetings, leaving her notebook blank, yet he never openly reprimanded her;

When she caused a drunken scene, he didn’t get angry but took her home;

When Yang Shan slandered her, he dismissed Yang Shan without a word;

Today, he called her “Qiuyi,” defended her in front of Lu Mingxuan, and gave her a putter.

Isn’t this clearly preferential treatment, a classic case of someone saying one thing but meaning another?

Just as Lu Qiuyi’s mind ran wild, He Jingyue suddenly spoke again.

“Assistant Lu, you haven’t submitted your daily reports these past two days; half your year-end bonus will be deducted.”

“If you miss it again, it will be all deducted.”

Lu Qiuyi’s heart sank. …

See? There was no way He Jingyue liked her; capitalists only think about work.

She pouted. “President He, I’ll finish them tonight. Could you please not deduct the money?”

“You’re still bargaining?” He Jingyue said coldly.

Lu Qiuyi immediately wilted, sulking silently, clutching the putter and turning her face to the window, expressing displeasure with the back of her head.

Seeing this, a faint curve appeared at the corner of He Jingyue’s mouth.

The car finally stopped in front of Lu Qiuyi’s upscale apartment building.

“President He, I’ll head in now,” Lu Qiuyi muttered gloomily.

Back in her apartment after two days away, Lu Qiuyi casually tossed the putter He Jingyue had given her onto the entryway cabinet.

She kicked off her heels and collapsed onto the sofa, resigned, pulling out her work tablet.

Opening WeChat, she found the private chat with [J] and began drafting her daily report.

Her fingers tapped the keyboard repeatedly, deleting and revising—it felt more painful than writing a thesis.

After finishing, Lu Qiuyi stared at the screen filled with exaggerated praise and felt goosebumps rise.

Closing her eyes and steeling herself, she hit send.

After a while, she received He Jingyue’s reply: “Consistent performance today as well.”

Lu Qiuyi thought to herself, I’ll just reluctantly take that as a compliment.