Chapter 26: We Are Truly Just a CEO and Assistant

Lu Qiuyi stared at the messages flashing wildly on her screen, then stole a glance at He Jingyue, who was calmly swishing meat in the hotpot next to her. She felt like her brain, which had just recovered, was failing her again.

Xie Mingxiao’s chopsticks hovered in mid-air, Zhang Zhiwei’s tripe dropped back into the pot, and even the usually composed Shen Weiwei cast an inquisitive look her way.

Lu Qiuyi felt awkward, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the floor.

She frantically signaled to He Jingyue with her eyes: Boss! President He! For heaven's sake! Is this something that can be asked in front of so many people? Can’t you see their stares are practically piercing through me?

He Jingyue received her near-cramping gaze, gave her a faint glance, and then used a pair of public chopsticks to place a piece of shrimp paste—which she had lingered on earlier—into her bowl. "Eat up, it’ll get cold."

Lu Qiuyi: ...

Is this about the food?! Is this the time to discuss whether the shrimp paste is cold or not?!

Just then, He Jingyue’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, his brows knitting almost imperceptibly, and gave a slight nod to the group. "Excuse me, I need to take this." With that, he stood up and walked out of the private room.

The moment the door closed, the spirit of gossip in the room ignited.

"Holy cow!" Zhang Zhiwei was the first to exclaim. "What’s the situation? Where did President He tell Sister Qiuyi to move to?"

"Yeah, yeah, Sister Qiuyi, you’d better confess," Li Xiang joined in the fun.

Lu Qiuyi was at a loss for words. "It’s not what you think, it’s because..."

She stalled.

Was she supposed to say it was because President He felt her poor physical condition was affecting her work, so he wanted to monitor her nearby and force her to go morning jogging?

That sounded even more absurd!

Just as she was stammering and the group’s gazes grew increasingly suggestive, the door opened again. He Jingyue returned, looking helpless. "Something urgent came up at the company; I have to head out first. You all carry on."

Lu Qiuyi thought, *Haha, the hot potato is finally leaving.*

"President He, let me walk you out!" Xie Mingxiao immediately stood up.

"No need," He Jingyue waved a hand, his gaze sweeping seemingly casually over Lu Qiuyi, who was burying her head in her bowl, pretending to eat the shrimp paste. "Let Assistant Lu see me out; there are some work matters I need to brief her on."

Lu Qiuyi: ...

Don't get happy too soon.

Lin Xiaoyu immediately pinched Lu Qiuyi’s thigh hard under the table, whispering urgently, "Go, Sister Qiuyi!"

Lu Qiuyi had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand up, following He Jingyue out of the room under the "I know what’s going on" gazes of the entire room.

They hadn't walked more than a few steps from the room when, before Lu Qiuyi could speak, she heard Lin Xiaoyu’s irrepressible, excited voice from behind: "Oh, President He is really something. He clearly can't bear to be apart from Sister Qiuyi, yet he has to find excuses..."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

He Jingyue paused in his tracks, turned around, and looked at the employees in the room with their ears pricked. "Assistant Lu is merely my work assistant, responsible for handling daily affairs. I hope everyone will not misunderstand, and certainly not spread baseless rumors about our relationship; it is not good for Assistant Lu's reputation or her professional development."

After saying this, he gave a slight nod to the group and turned to continue walking out.

Lu Qiuyi: *Why do I feel like he’s only making it worse?*

Good heavens, we really are just in a professional boss-assistant relationship.

At the entrance of the hotpot restaurant, Lu Qiuyi tugged at He Jingyue’s sleeve. "President He, why did you ask that just now?"

He Jingyue stopped and looked back at her, his expression appearing almost innocent.

"I had the moving company I hired for you call to confirm the time, but you didn't answer. That’s why I asked you on the spot how your considerations were coming along. Is there a problem with that?"

Lu Qiuyi was stunned. She quickly pulled out her phone, and sure enough, there were several missed calls and text messages from the moving company.

It had been too noisy in the hotpot restaurant; she hadn't noticed at all.

"For things like this... couldn't you have asked me on WeChat?" Lu Qiuyi countered weakly.

He Jingyue looked at her with an expression that said, *How could you ask such a question?* "I need to confirm as soon as possible to arrange subsequent matters. Phone calls and face-to-face communication are more efficient. Is there a problem?"

Lu Qiuyi: ...

No problem, you’re the boss, you call the shots.

An overbearing CEO doesn't care about logic, only efficiency.

She took a deep breath and tried to rationalize it to herself: *Forget it, living across the hall is fine, too. It’ll be more convenient to observe trade secrets up close.*

"No problem, I’ll go back and pack tonight," Lu Qiuyi quickly adjusted her mindset.

"Hmm," He Jingyue checked his watch. "Do you have a lot to bring? I can have the driver help you."

"No, no need," Lu Qiuyi waved her hands hurriedly. "I don't have much to bring; that place should be fully equipped."

Aside from clothes, bags, and a pile of professional books she didn't understand, the original owner’s apartment didn't have much that was personal.

"Good." He Jingyue nodded, appearing satisfied with her compliance. "Tomorrow morning..."

Before he could finish, Lu Qiuyi’s phone vibrated. She looked down to see a message from [Father Lu]:

[Tomorrow is Saturday, ten o'clock in the morning. Return to the old mansion; there is an important matter to announce.]

Lu Qiuyi’s heart skipped a beat. She replied: [Understood, Father.]

She put away her phone and said to He Jingyue, "President He, then I’ll head back to pack?"

"Go ahead." He Jingyue looked at her and added one last thing: "The password for the new apartment is your date of joining. If you lack anything, just tell the property management, or tell me."

"Thank you, President He."

At ten o'clock that night, Lu Qiuyi dragged a small suitcase and moved into the apartment across from He Jingyue’s.

The apartment was a high-end, professionally decorated unit with an open view and top-tier facilities. It was more spacious and brighter than her previous one, located in an excellent area and exceptionally quiet.

She walked around inside and out, feeling very satisfied.

At seventy percent of the market rent, this was practically a steal. He Jingyue occasionally showed a bit of humanity.

She hadn't been packing for long when the doorbell rang.

Looking through the peephole, she saw it was actually He Jingyue.

She opened the door. "President He?"

He Jingyue had changed into black sportswear, looking fresh and sharp. He seemed less cold than usual, with a bit more youthful vigor.

His gaze swept over her empty living room. "All packed? Is there anything you need?"

"No, no, everything is great. Thank you for your concern, President He." Lu Qiuyi shook her head quickly.

"Hmm," He Jingyue seemed to have just asked in passing. "Set your alarm for seven tomorrow morning. Morning jog."

Lu Qiuyi’s face instantly fell. "Seven? Isn't that a bit too early?"

Tomorrow was Saturday! Saturday mornings are meant for sleeping!

He Jingyue watched her resistance and said calmly, "Adapt to it first. I wake up at six every day."

Lu Qiuyi was instantly filled with awe.

Six o'clock! Is this the self-discipline of a successful person?

In the original owner’s memories, Lu Mingxuan wouldn't get up until at least nine o'clock, and even then, he would do it slowly.

There was a reason He Jingyue could make so much money, after all.

"Fine," Lu Qiuyi yielded. "Seven it is."

"Hmm," He Jingyue seemed satisfied. Before leaving, he dropped one more sentence: "Remember to eat breakfast after the morning jog. And then,"

He paused, looked back at her, and his eyes seemed to carry a hint of a faint smile,

"You can go back and rest."

The door closed, leaving Lu Qiuyi standing there, dumbfounded.

Forget it, don't think about it.

She dove into the soft, large sofa and rolled around.