Chapter 47

Lu Yi protested, “I haven’t even finished packing!”
Lin Jinshen: “I’ll finish it for you when we’re done.”
Every time they finished, she was out like a light. Even if she didn’t mention it, he always helped anyway.
Lu Yi thought she should care about packing, but her body was perfectly happy just watching him. If men’s underwear brands had him as a spokesperson, who knows about sales, one thing’s certain, he’d have a tidal wave of fangirls.
He really was something to look at.
Lin Jinshen proved, with action, he wasn’t just a pretty face.
Counting it up, it wasn’t even twice this month. The “safety supplies” she’d dutifully restocked sat neglected in the drawer, looking like closeout products.
Tonight somehow felt like their very first time again.
It was all wild abandon, no sense of restraint whatsoever.
Lin Jinshen’s self-control frayed with every heartbeat, his gaze dark as midnight. The seriousness he always wore was unraveling. Whenever that happened, Lu Yi felt like the villain, dragging a good guy right down with her.
Even though she was the one who’d been seduced in the first place!
Words failed her, but Lin Jinshen kept coaxing her to speak. She kept her expression tight, but the moment she parted her lips, her voice betrayed her, she heard those sounds, felt her cheeks burn, and stubbornly denied they belonged to her.
He hovered above her, eyes deep and shadowed, the unquestioned king of this private revel.
Her nerves sparked and sizzled; her soul felt split from her body, which shuddered and tightened, helpless to resist. How could people be like flowers, petals blooming open, only to curl back up around the bud?
She couldn’t keep up, clutching at Lin Jinshen’s arms, fingertips digging into his skin.
If it hurt, he never noticed. He bent lower, caught her lips with his, silencing her whimpers with his mouth. His voice vibrated low and slow: “Next time, when I come back from a business trip...”
Lu Yi caught a bit of that, but didn’t really understand.
“You can tell me.”
“?”
Why bring that up now? Lu Yi froze, but before she could puzzle it over, the storm swept her up again, left her floundering and grasping at Lin Jinshen like a lifeline.
When the storm finally settled, Lu Yi curled around his neck, her cheek pressed to his shoulder, their bodies trading warmth.
After all that, the air conditioning suddenly felt way too cold, except for the man beside her, whose skin radiated heat. Unconsciously, she burrowed closer, wanting to fit herself perfectly into his warmth.
She just wanted a few more moments like this.
Later, Lu Yi showered again. She’d spent the last few days traveling for work, so it had become routine to sleep after midnight. Since she wasn’t tired yet, she opened her laptop to check recent emails.
True to his word, Lin Jinshen started tidying up her suitcase: taking out dirty clothes, putting her toiletries and makeup each back in their place.
All she had to do was glance up to see him, moving methodically, every step neat and orderly. Even the way he hung her clothes revealed his penchant for perfectionism, sorting tops and bottoms, arranging by length and category.
Who would’ve thought Mr. Lin was such perfect househusband material?
Lu Yi scrolled through emails, a bunch of CCs for leave requests, surprisingly more than usual. Among them was the designer who’d argued with her earlier today, now asking for sick leave.
Back in the day, the design department almost never had this many leave requests.
But ever since she took over, the number of out-of-office emails was skyrocketing.
She’d been busy learning the ropes, but any more of this and soon she’d have no team left. Lu Yi had zero management experience, and suddenly being responsible for dozens of people was seriously stressful.
After finishing up, Lin Jinshen returned to find Lu Yi staring absently at the screen. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing much, just catching up on work emails.” Lu Yi shut her laptop, intending to set it aside, then hesitated, gaze drifting back to his face.
She didn’t know much about management, but Lin Jinshen did, and far more than she ever could, he managed way bigger teams.
He shifted under her gaze. “What, still want more?”
Lu Yi: “...”
How did he even get that idea?
She let it go and asked, “Actually, I just wanted to ask you about something work-related.”
Lin Jinshen pulled up the covers and settled down beside her. “Ask away.”
Lu Yi set the laptop on the nightstand, then turned to face him, sitting cross-legged. “President Lin, what do you do if your subordinates don’t accept your authority or refuse your management?”
“Do you know exactly who?”
Lu Yi nodded. A clique led by Zhang Fang, the ones hit hardest by her parachute appointment.
“Pull one person out, on the job, they’re bound to make a mistake,” Lin Jinshen said. “A single mistake can be downplayed or blown out of proportion. It all depends on how you handle it.”
“So, ‘kill the chicken to scare the monkeys’? But what if it backfires?” Lu Yi had considered that too, their impression of her was already rock-bottom. Escalating things could just spark more drama.
“There will always be conflict between higher-ups and their team. Your position means you can’t be their friend,” Lin Jinshen replied. “So you might as well lay your attitude and bottom line down from day one.”
Lu Yi mulled that over. He had a point.
After a beat, she nodded.
“Sleep!”
Having made her decision, Lu Yi shelved everything else. She leaned in and pecked a quick kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Thanks, President Lin.”
Lin Jinshen held his pose as she brushed by like a dragonfly’s wing. Several seconds later, he finally clicked off the light, that lingering touch on his lips bringing a faint, slow-blooming smile.
The next day.
Lin Jinshen went to the office, carrying something new. It wasn’t long before a unique vase appeared in his office.
Jiang Xun couldn’t say if the vase was pretty, but in all this time, it was the first new decoration he’d ever seen in the boss’s space, a sign it had to be from some big-name artist, probably worth a fortune.
He didn’t dare ask, afraid of exposing his lack of taste.
The more he dwelled on its price, the more the quirky vase actually started to look stylish. Boss’s aesthetic never missed.
By lunchtime, the boss had glanced at the vase twelve times, two of which lasted over a minute, each paired with the tiniest quirk of a smile.
If he had the chance, he planned to snap a picture and search online, just to see what makes the boss love this thing so much.
At the same moment, Lu Yi stepped into the company.
She’d had the design drawings revised and resubmitted; from the speed of the turnaround, it was obvious there weren’t many changes, just tweaks to dimensions and a few colors here and there.
The design team wasn’t sure they could get away with it. After all, last time she sent it right back. But their team lead, Ren Weixin, didn’t care. Lu Yi didn’t come from their world; how could she possibly read blueprints? The diagrams alone would leave her cross-eyed.
Last time she rejected it? Just posturing, trying to show who's boss.
This time, instead of immediately bouncing the draft, Lu Yi simply had Gan Li call the design team for a meeting.
The designers exchanged glances, all a little uncertain. Ren Weixin gave a dismissive chuckle: “What are you worried about? You’ve still got me, don’t you?”
The meeting was set for three. When the time came, Ren Weixin strolled in holding his thermos, apologizing as he pushed open the door: “Sorry, wasn’t feeling great at the last minute. Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Lu.”
Lu Yi smiled, unconcerned. “No worries, Team Lead Ren. Are you feeling better now? Should we call the hospital?”
“Just an old complaint. Nothing serious.”
“Then I’ll begin.” Lu Yi held the drawings, her tone gentle. “Everyone here has been a designer for years. I’m the new kid, so I might get some things wrong. Please feel free to correct me.”
No one in the design team made a sound. Ren Weixin twisted open his bottle and took a drink.
Lu Yi continued, “If I’m not mistaken, this draft isn’t much different from the last. That’s on me, I didn’t make myself clear. I didn’t ask for revisions. I wanted a complete redesign.”
“Miss Lu, that’s asking a lot. We put our heart into this. We spent time on it. If you say redo, does all that just get tossed? We deserve to know what we did wrong, don’t you think?”
“If you hadn’t interrupted, you’d already have heard my answer,” Lu Yi replied calmly.
Ren Weixin choked on his words and fell silent.
Lu Yi pressed on: “I’m still learning about design, nowhere near as experienced as you all. But tell me, for complex intersections where dimensions can’t be marked, do we just skip the detailed drawings now?”
“Or for furniture materials, is it really enough to only note the surface, and just ignore internal supports and load-bearing points?”
“And since you’re dealing with metal-and-wood edges, you’re just going to pretend the corners don’t need safety angles?”
“…”
Lu Yi looked at the thoroughly problematic drawings and, honestly, barely restrained herself from tossing them straight in the trash. Any old hand at the factory would probably just shake their head at these blueprints.
The design team was instantly speechless.
They’d really thought Lu Yi was just here for show. Fine, they’d all slack off and hand in some shoddy patchwork. Who could have guessed Lu Yi actually knew how to read a set of plans?
Ren Weixin had started off feeling pretty smug, sipping his water, but Lu Yi’s barrage of questions left him looking utterly awkward.
Lu Yi’s tone stayed calm and measured, exactly as usual. But everything she pointed out was basic, no talk of “creative vision,” just fundamental errors. She wasn’t scolding. She was stating facts.
It was the conversational equivalent of calling them useless, utterly serene, but with a knife’s edge.
“Team Lead Ren.” Lu Yi set the drawings down and leaned back in her chair. “So tell me, how did blueprints like these ever get approved?”
Ren Weixin instinctively wanted to argue.
Lu Yi cut him off: “The facts are right here, nothing left to explain. Honestly, the way you act, Team Lead Ren, it’s like you’re retired in place, not actually at work.”
“If it’s a capability issue, that’s fine. I’m sure the company could find someone else who can handle it.”
“Miss Lu…”
Ren Weixin’s face drained to chalk, after all, it was Lu Yi’s company. If she wanted him gone, all she had to do was say the word. A team leader like him could be replaced in a heartbeat.
“It’s on me this time. I’ve been sick lately; that’s why this mess happened.”
Lu Yi didn’t respond. Her gaze swept the rest of the team.
They weren’t about to pipe up, not when the alternative was being singled out. They all ducked their heads and kept their mouths shut.
Ren Weixin just kept on with his self-criticism, blaming himself for this colossal mistake, promising to be stricter in the future, swearing that no trash like this would ever land in Lu Yi’s hands again.
Gan Li bit her lip, stifling a laugh. Oh, how satisfying. Normally Ren Weixin was king of the loudmouths, always the harshest critic, always the sharpest tongue. Now, not a hint of his usual swagger left.
Serves him right.
He wouldn’t even be an innocent victim if he got fired.
After a beat, Lu Yi spoke: “Team Lead Ren, you’ve been with Anyi for seven years, correct?”
“Yes, yes!” Ren Weixin nodded eagerly. “I joined right after graduation, never worked anywhere else. I’ve even had headhunters chase me, thought about leaving before.”
Lu Yi placed her hands lightly on the desk, and smiled. “Then one mistake is forgivable, anything else, and people would call me heartless for not valuing a long-serving employee.”
“That’s all for today’s meeting. Let’s get back to work.”
With a word, she got up and left the meeting room first.
Gan Li transformed into Lu Yi’s fangirl on the spot, squealing with excitement inside and pattering out after her like an overeager hamster.
The rest of the designers touched their noses, at a loss for words. They shot glances at Ren Weixin, who was still slumped in his chair, shaken. He’d fought so hard to climb up to this position, and now he was terrified of being knocked right off.
Ren Weixin sighed, “You all saw it. From now on, keep your heads down. Our new director is not here to mess around.”
That gentle blade, looks soft, cuts deep.
Lu Yi straightened her back and made for her office. As she passed through the open office space, plenty of eyes followed, curious about the drama. When the design team finally emerged looking utterly defeated, everyone could basically guess what had gone down.
Someone couldn’t resist asking what happened. One of the design team cracked a bitter smile, “Got chewed out. Better watch it, you lot. Our princess isn’t playing around, watch out or you’ll be the chicken they slaughter as an example.”
And hadn’t they just been that sacrificial chicken, for all the monkeys to watch?
As soon as her office door shut, Lu Yi all but collapsed onto her sofa, her tension draining away. She’d been nervous too, her palms were sweaty. She’d worried she’d mess it up. Thankfully, things had gone just as she’d hoped.
Phew.
She took a deep breath, feeling like she'd just conquered a battlefield.
Lu Yi pulled out her phone and sent a cat meme: Piece of cake.jpg
Half a minute later, Lin Jinshen texted: [You won?]
He actually got it. Lu Yi smiled silently and replied: [Brilliant strategist deserves a reward.]
Lin Jinshen: [What's the reward?]
Lu Yi sent a blowing-kiss emoji.
Lin Jinshen: [No IOUs accepted. I expect you to pay up after work.]
As her phone's screen dimmed to black, Lu Yi caught her own reflection, she was still smiling. Rubbing her slightly sore cheeks, she realized they'd gotten more and more in sync since the wedding.
Even she had noticed: these days, she talked to him more and more, sometimes even playfully teasing.
How had it all started?
They'd spoken like two customer service reps. "Thank you." "You're welcome." If she had a replay, the ratio of 'thank yous' would probably be off the charts.
Lu Yi had been working at the company for the past couple of days.
Though the design department hadn't flipped their opinion of her after that meeting, they at least stopped brushing her off. The voices claiming she was just a slacker were getting quieter and quieter.
The work she handed out now got done, no shortcuts, no complaints.
As for what they thought privately, Lu Yi neither cared nor bothered.
She had business to attend to next, Lin Wenyun had reached out to her recently, about pairing up with Huayu. To be precise, Huayu was placing a sizable order with Anyi Furnishings.
Huayu had just acquired KS, a budget hotel chain with seriously subpar interiors. Now newly merged, the hotels needed an upgrade, inside and out.
For soft furnishings, they would use Anyi's products, but not off-the-shelf stuff. They needed new designs, tailored to KS's style.
Too much to iron out over the phone, so Lin Wenyun was bringing her team over for a face-to-face.
Lu Yi prepped the meeting room ahead of time, making sure to serve the tea Lin Wenyun liked. Though Lin Wenyun was a wonderful aunt, work was work, no blending business with family. Lu Yi put her best foot forward, determined not to slip up.
That evening, she even texted Lin Jinshen to ask what his aunt was like at work.
Lin Jinshen: "Meticulous, decisive, sharp as a tack. No one can talk circles around her. She likes having multiple solutions, always thinking ahead for risks."
"Got it."
Lin Jinshen picked up on her nerves. "When are you meeting?" he asked.
Lu Yi: "Tomorrow."
Lin Jinshen said, "Relax. You'll do great."
"Hope so."
Nerves were one thing, her prep work was still rock solid.
Lin Wenyun arrived fifteen minutes early: tall, chic bob, power suit, projecting intensity without saying a word. Behind her was the team she'd brought for the negotiations.
"Director Lin." At work, family ties don't count, Lu Yi greeted her with everyone else, addressing Lin Wenyun as Director Lin.
Lin Wenyun smiled, "Oh, come on, I prefer when you call me Auntie. No need for formalities among family."
Lu Yi: "Auntie."
No sooner had she spoken than, out of the corner of her eye, Lu Yi spotted a familiar figure behind the group. She looked, sure enough, it was Lin Jinshen, striding up and coming to a stop beside Lin Wenyun.
Broad shoulders filling out his suit, lips pressed in a thoughtful line, the pressure doubled when the two of them stood together.
Lu Yi: "…"
He hadn't said a word last night about coming too.
Lin Jinshen caught the question on her face and calmly explained, "Director Lin invited me. Thought I'd stop by and check in."
Lin Wenyun: "?"
If a casual "You wanna come?" counted as an invitation, well, so be it.
"…Welcome, President Lin." The words came out stiffly, but Lu Yi had no choice.
With everyone watching, there was nothing she could do but push the meeting forward, motioning the group toward the conference room.
The staff behind Lu Yi audibly exhaled. No one had expected the prince of Huayu to show up, Director Lin's aura was pressure enough. Now throw in Lin Jinshen, and the tiny design department was practically trembling under the weight.
"What is up with that? Those two don't even seem close."
"Wouldn't it be weird if they started getting handsy at work? Chill."
"Honestly though, they're a pretty good-looking pair."
Ren Weixin passed by, frowning, snapping, "Cut the gossip. If anyone from Huayu hears, it'll just embarrass Anyi."
Chastened, everyone clamped their mouths shut.
Thankfully, Lin Jinshen really was just here to observe. He stayed for the first half, saw that Lu Yi was more than prepared, then quietly slipped out of the meeting.
Gan Li had already heard about the Anyi-Huayu arranged marriage before she even joined the company. The rumor mill online had been out of control, and she'd silently eaten her popcorn. But both families prized their privacy, there were only a few wedding photos, none with the bride and groom in them.
President Yi was gorgeous. Gan Li had been so nervous in her interview she’d tripped over her words and thought for sure she’d blown it, only to miraculously be hired.
So she'd always been curious: what kind of man could land someone like President Yi?
Now that she’d seen the two together, Gan Li was screaming internally, these two were a match made in heaven!
But she didn’t forget her job. Stepping forward, she asked, "President Lin, is there anything you need?"
Lin Jinshen: "President Yi’s office?"
"This way," Gan Li gestured. "Let me show you."
"Thanks."
Right before they reached the office, Lin Jinshen said, "Could you call someone for me?"
Gan Li: "Of course, President Lin. Who?"
Lin Jinshen: "Zhang Fang."
Finding out anything about Anyi’s internal affairs wasn’t hard, especially since each department only had so many people, and only a handful whose interests might have clashed with Lu Yi’s hiring.
As deputy director, Zhang Fang stood out as the most likely alternative, if not for Lu Yi’s sudden arrival, the director’s position would almost certainly be his.
Zhang Fang had no idea why he was being summoned. He knew about the recent department drama, but hadn’t taken part. Even Lu Yi had nothing to fault him for.
He didn't dare refuse. Setting aside the marriage alliance, Huayu was quickly becoming Anyi's biggest client.
With these thoughts, Zhang Fang knocked on Lu Yi’s office door.
“Come in.”
Zhang Fang pushed open the door. Years of navigating the workplace had made him a master of saying the right thing to the right people, always knowing how to play the game. He greeted politely, “President Lin.”
“I’m not sure what you needed, President Lin. Did I do something wrong?”
“Have a seat,” Lin Jinshen said.
With nerves still frayed, Zhang Fang pulled out the chair and sat down. He was certain he hadn’t made any mistakes, but it wasn’t like he could defend himself if Lin wanted to pin something on him, especially under the weight of that piercing gaze.
He couldn’t help blurting out, “President Lin, if there’s been some misunderstanding, I was actually thrilled to see President Lu return. Finally, that weight’s off my shoulders. I know she’s just taken over and there’s a lot she hasn’t grasped yet, so I’ve done everything I could to help her.”
Lin Jinshen nodded. “Lu Yi told me as much.”
Oh.
Zhang Fang was caught off guard.
Lin Jinshen spoke, steady and unhurried: “She’s mentioned you repeatedly. Says you’re dedicated, an old hand at the company, always pulling your weight for Anyi.”
Now Zhang Fang was left wondering, what exactly was this about?
“You know Anyi’s culture better than I ever could. I trust no loyal employee will ever be let down here. Sooner or later, your work will be recognized. Don’t you agree?”
Zhang Fang nodded.
Lin Jinshen continued, “The company’s name is still Lu. She won’t be in that chair forever. When she's no longer at the helm, she’ll need people she can rely on.”
By the end of the conversation, Zhang Fang was first stunned, then everything suddenly clicked into place.
Given Lu Yi’s current situation, and Chairman Lu’s approach, it was obvious they were grooming her to take over the company for real. When the time came, she’d need loyal people at her side.
They were never really competitors.
Zhang Fang saw the light. His own thinking had been far too narrow.
Over an hour later, the meeting finally ended.
Lu Yi had assumed Lin Jinshen was long gone, he always had a hundred things waiting. But as soon as she stepped out, Gan Li told her he was still here. In her office. He’d even finished an entire round of tea.
“…”
Lu Yi pushed open her office door, and there was Lin Jinshen, lounging in the seating area. The pot of tea on the table was already half empty.
He’d waited here, all this time, just for her?
Lin Jinshen stood, legs unfolding smoothly. “Done?”
“Yeah,” Lu Yi replied. “I thought you’d already left. You waited here all this time?”
Lin Jinshen glanced at his watch, then pointedly reminded her it was already after work. “I’m here to have dinner with you.”
Lu Yi shot him a teasing look. “Didn’t we agree back then, no need to have dinner together?”
That rule, if she remembered correctly, was his idea.
Of course, Lin Jinshen remembered too. He took his jacket, slung it over his arm, and replied, face unreadable, “Funny, that’s the only one you remember?”
“What about the ‘three times a week’ rule? Didn’t stick in your mind at all?”
Lu Yi: “…”
Lin Jinshen planted his feet, expression serious. “Should I start keeping track of how many dinners you owe me?”