SDS: Chapter 38

"CEO Qin Is Actually… Kinda Nice?"

 

Ning Muxi remained composed and continued asking, 

"How long have you been working here?"

"Almost two months," 

Tang Keyi replied.

"That long?" 

Ning Muxi feigned surprise, covering her mouth with her hand as she lowered her voice. 

"Let me ask you something—President Qin must be really hard to serve, right?"

Tang Keyi thought about it. 

Aside from being stern and nitpicking his mistakes, Qin Zhiyan wasn’t that bad. 

In fact, he’d been getting gentler with him lately.

Tang Keyi had completely forgotten how terrified he used to be of Qin Zhiyan.

He shook his head honestly. 

"President Qin is actually quite nice."

"Oh, Assistant Tang, you don’t have to be so guarded around me. I was just making conversation. Even if you don’t say it, I already know. There’s not a single person in the company who hasn’t complained about him behind his back. I’ve known him for years—do you think I don’t understand? Back when we were classmates, everyone said his standards were too high, that he was too much of a perfectionist. The students who worked with him all complained about how exhausting it was."

"President Qin does have high standards when it comes to work," 

Tang Keyi admitted, though he didn’t see this as a flaw. 

"That’s why he’s so impressive."

Ning Muxi’s eyes darkened slightly. 

This guy is really shrewd—

so guarded that he won’t even say a single bad word about Qin Zhiyan.

She steadied herself and continued, 

"By the way, earlier I overheard you asking Cong Qiao if President Qin had any favorite restaurants, right? Did he ask you to make a reservation?"

"No. President Qin helped me with something, so I wanted to treat him to a meal."

"Oh, I see. Actually, I know a restaurant that President Qin and I went to before—he really liked it." 

Ning Muxi gave Tang Keyi the address.

"Got it. Thanks."

"You’re welcome. I won’t disturb your work any longer. I’ll be starting tomorrow, so we’ll have plenty of chances to meet. See you next time."

As Tang Keyi watched Ning Muxi walk away, 

he felt as if a heavy stone had settled in his chest, 

making it hard to breathe.

---

During lunch, Tang Keyi overheard colleagues at the next table whispering.

"Did you hear? Director Ning is back. She’s starting work tomorrow."

"I ran into her in the elevator. She’s just as beautiful and elegant as ever."

"She and President Qin are such a perfect match—a strong, capable woman paired with a CEO. A power couple, truly made for each other."

"Everyone says Director Ning must have feelings for President Qin. Otherwise, why would she stay single all these years? It’s obvious she’s waiting for him."

"Our President Qin is famously the 'Iceberg CEO.' Director Ning might be in for a long wait."

...

Tang Keyi’s appetite vanished. 

He barely touched his food before leaving the cafeteria.

In the afternoon, Qin Zhiyan noticed Tang Keyi seemed down, 

but since he couldn’t hear his inner thoughts, 

he assumed he was just struggling to adjust after the three-day break 

and didn’t think much of it.

Qin Zhiyan also didn’t receive any dinner invitation from Tang Keyi.

Because Tang Keyi had made plans to eat with Han Qiuqiu instead.

Han Qiuqiu tossed slices of meat into the hot pot and asked, 

"What’s up with you today, Young Master Tang? You don’t seem too happy."

Tang Keyi stirred his dipping sauce absentmindedly. 

"Nothing major. Just… a female director showed up at the company today."

Han Qiuqiu fished out the cooked meat and plopped it into Tang Keyi’s bowl. 

"Don’t be upset. Eat more. If she offended you, we’ll teach her a lesson."

"She didn’t offend me. It’s just… how do I put it? The things she said didn’t sound wrong, but hearing them made me uncomfortable. It’s weird."

"Tell me about it. I’ll analyze it for you."

"We didn’t even talk much." 

Tang Keyi set down his chopsticks and recounted the day’s events in detail, 

including the gossip he’d overheard in the cafeteria.

After listening, Han Qiuqiu smirked and summed up his thoughts in two words: 

"Heh…"

"What’s that supposed to mean? You think I’m overreacting?" 

Tang Keyi glared at him indignantly.

Han Qiuqiu tossed his chopsticks aside, looking even angrier than Tang Keyi. 

"You’re not overreacting. You’ve just encountered a high-level green tea bitch."

"Huh?" 

Tang Keyi didn’t get it. 

"What do you mean?"

"She was subtly hinting that she and Qin Zhiyan are close. Didn’t you pick up on that?"

"I did." 

Tang Keyi nodded blankly.

"And she was obviously showing off to make you back off."

"What? She shouldn’t even know about me and Qin Zhiyan. There’s no Ning family among the elite circles of the capital."

"You really live up to your 'eternally single' status." 

Han Qiuqiu scoffed. 

"I’ve seen plenty of people like her. Let this young master analyze it for you. Come, Xiao Tangzi, pour me a drink."

Tang Keyi immediately leaned in, 

playing the eager servant as he filled Han Qiuqiu’s glass.

"Let this young master enlighten you." 

Han Qiuqiu cleared his throat. 

"First, let’s put ourselves in her shoes. Based on what your colleagues said, this director likes Qin Zhiyan, is highly accomplished, and Qin Zhiyan has been single for years. If it were you, wouldn’t you start fantasizing?"

"If it were me, I’d just find someone a hundred times hotter than Qin Zhiyan—though that might be a bit difficult." Tang Keyi shrugged.

Han Qiuqiu rolled his eyes. 

"We’re not talking about your behavior. Whatever, I’ll just spell it out for you. These high-achieving women usually have massive egos. She probably thinks she’s the only one worthy of Qin Zhiyan, and since they’re old classmates who’ve known each other for years, she believes she understands him better than anyone else. Most importantly, Qin Zhiyan has been single all this time—she’s definitely convinced herself she still has a chance, waiting for him to turn around and realize, Wow, there’s this sweet, understanding woman who’s been waiting for me all along."

Han Qiuqiu spoke with such conviction that Tang Keyi almost wanted to applaud.

Han Qiuqiu continued, 

"This director never expected that after just a few months abroad, she’d return to find a stunning male assistant—who got the job through connections—by Qin Zhiyan’s side. Can you imagine how pissed and panicked she must be? Of course she had to flaunt her superiority in front of you."

"Uh… that actually makes a lot of sense."

"Of course it does. This young master has been a player for years—do you think I can’t see through these tricks? Call me the Tea Identification Expert." 

Han Qiuqiu lifted his chin proudly.

"Alright, Tea Identification Expert, she also recommended a restaurant Qin Zhiyan likes. Do you think she’s lying?" 

Tang Keyi was starting to buy into the conspiracy theory.

"Probably not. If she were, you’d mention it was her suggestion in front of Qin Zhiyan, and that would backfire on her. My guess is she’s hoping that if Qin Zhiyan goes back to that restaurant, he’ll think of her. This is a classic case of borrowing a knife to kill someone—sneaky and malicious. It’s supposed to be a story between two people, but she’s trying to sneak her name in. Her game is strong."

Han Qiuqiu rubbed his chin, 

looking as serious as if he were analyzing a murder case.

---

Previous       Menu        Next