Chapter 22

In a rundown old residential block on the outskirts of Jing City, on the fourth floor of a traditional long corridor-style building.
The dim streetlights flickered like ghostly flames in the dark, only illuminating certain spots. In the areas without light, nobody knew what dangers might be lurking. Su Ruan dragged a heavy trolley, the person on it groaning lowly from the pain. She ignored it, furrowing her brows as she looked at the stairs, hesitating on how to get the person back to her apartment.
Old corridor-style buildings had no elevators. Some hallway lights worked, some didn’t, and the corridors were narrow and difficult to navigate.
Fortunately, Su Ruan had very good luck. She didn’t struggle for long; the person on the trolley woke up on their own from the pain.
Immediately, Su Ruan switched to a nervous expression and crouched beside the trolley.
At the same time, the system forcibly activated a beauty filter, draping her in a soft, hazy glow. The person on the trolley slowly opened their eyes and immediately saw a lively, beautiful young girl, like a newborn animal.
In a hesitant, honey-like youthful voice, she asked, “You’re awake?”
The fierce, almost wild man hadn’t even bared his teeth to growl at the approaching figure before his body stiffened abruptly.
Jiang Sen slowly moved, and his wounds tore open, blood gushing out. Jiang Sen, like Su Ruan, came from a slum on the outskirts. But unlike her, he hadn’t been born there; five years ago, he had fled to this place with his just-one-month-old sister to escape enemies. In his teens, he signed a contract to fight underground bare-knuckle bouts, which is how he met the local gangsters.
Now, working for Lord Luo, he was only twenty but had gained a reputation as a merciless fighter. Today, he had gone alone to a nearby underground casino to deal with a few unruly people for his boss.
He had used excessive force, angering a group of people.
Just now, he had been surrounded and attacked by them. While strong, even an elephant could be brought down by enough ants. Jiang Sen was ambushed from behind and stabbed. Fleeing desperately into a dark alley, he was run into by Su Ruan, who was heading home.
At this moment, his deep, wrath-filled eyes slowly scanned the unfamiliar girl in front of him.
In the dim light, his handsome face, so unlike a typical thug’s, looked almost ghostly. After scrutinizing her for a full minute and confirming she posed no threat, he exhaled heavily, relaxing slightly.
“Who are you?” The man’s voice was cold and tense, rough from long periods of silence.
His sharp eyes locked on Su Ruan. Even after confirming she was harmless, he didn’t fully lower his guard, like a wolf hiding in the shadows ready to kill, any unexpected move, and he could snap her neck.
The pale, delicate girl sensed the threat and shrank back in fear.
She hunched her shoulders, forcing a pale smile, taking tiny steps backward.
Yet she seemed genuinely worried he might bleed to death, anxiously watching him. Her voice trembled, “Um, I… my name is Su Ruan. I live here. I just came back from work at Meise and saw you collapsed on the road. You were bleeding so much…I was afraid you’d bleed out, so I wanted to bring you home to bandage you.”
The man didn’t respond, seemingly evaluating the truth of her words, his gaze lingering a little longer.
“I-I’m not a bad person. I’m actually a freshman at the School of Literature at Jing City Media University. If you don’t believe me, I can go upstairs and show you my student ID. Really, I just want to help.”
She babbled nervously like a child spilling her secrets.
“Don’t look at me like that. Just now, when I was coming back, there were a lot of people with knives running around the alley. They were looking for you, right? They looked really scary. I was afraid you’d get hurt if they found you. That’s why I mustered the courage to bring you home. You’re so heavy; I couldn’t pull you on my own. I have no bad intentions.”
As Su Ruan spoke in fragmented sentences, her body trembled slightly, and her eyes gradually reddened.
The man’s hand pressed against his abdomen was already soaked with blood. Whether from weakness or sensing the girl’s sincerity, he finally chose to trust her: “It’s fine. Thank you for saving me today. I, Jiang Sen, owe you one. Take this.”
He took off a mechanical wristwatch and tossed it into Su Ruan’s arms, then struggled to get up, clutching his abdomen.
Sitting, he didn’t reveal his height, but standing showed he was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Though he looked lean, only Su Ruan knew how heavy he was. Every muscle was solid, unlike the gym-built muscles of rich kids, they contained explosive power.
His steps were slightly staggered but still fast, disappearing quickly into the night.
“Don’t get too close for now…wait, just wait a bit longer.”
Su Ruan stood in the dark, holding the watch up to the streetlight. It was a very expensive high-end men’s watch, worth at least 200,000 yuan if sold on a second-hand platform.
She simply pocketed it, expression cold, muttering to herself, “Someone like Jiang Sen, a ruthless guy who licks blood from knife edges, is extremely cautious. If I act too familiar at first, he’ll suspect I have other motives.”
The alley was eerily silent. The only lit apartment above had gone dark.
Su Ruan folded the trolley and struggled to drag it upstairs.
Her apartment was on the fourth floor, closest to the stairwell window. The trolley was too wide to carry straight up; she had to tilt it to get it upstairs. By the time she reached the fourth floor, she was drenched in sweat.
At the corridor entrance, she suddenly lost her temper, throwing the trolley to the ground.
The trolley was heavy, reinforced with metal for strength. Thrown down, it made a loud thud that echoed like thunder in the empty hallway.
Covering her ears, she waited for the echo to fade, then kicked the trolley in frustration before dragging it to her apartment.
Su Ruan’s family had lived in the building for generations. The white plaster walls were peeling with age, and the door was plastered with small stickers.
Most residents were asleep; or rather, those who remained were extremely poor.
Su Ruan’s commotion drew no complaints because the building was nearly empty. Her trolley wheels grumbled against the concrete, which annoyed the next-door neighbor, a woman returning from a night shift.
She opened the door and glared coldly, “Keep it down! My daughter just fell asleep.”
The neighbors were a single mother and her teenage daughter. The mother, in her thirties, had been deceived by a man and had her daughter out of wedlock. The daughter, sixteen, studied hard but had mediocre aptitude. The mother worked two jobs, day at a factory, night in a red-light district.
Su Ruan timidly apologized, “Sorry, Aunt Zhang, I just came back from the hospital. I was bringing laundry home, too heavy, had to use a trolley. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Zhang Hui’s expression softened, understanding that Su Ruan’s family situation was even worse than theirs. Su Ruan quietly entered her home, closing the door behind her.
Inside, the apartment looked spacious despite the worn exterior. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, with old-style furniture but functional appliances.
She dropped the trolley in her grandparents’ room and went to wash up. The old water heater was temperamental; she mixed hot and cold water in a bucket.
Pouring the water over herself on a small stool, the sound of splashing felt like a silent torment in the dark night. She repeated over the same spots, her expression cold, resentful, almost neurotic.
“I will escape this life…” she muttered, as if saying it aloud would make it true. “I will succeed!”
Under dim light, she stared unblinking at the brownish stains on the ceiling, as if facing some monstrous flood, showing physiological disgust.
The concrete floor was still from twenty years ago, damp areas covered in moss. Moths flew in through the loose windows, circling a single orange-yellow lightbulb. The old bulb got scorching hot quickly, and the moths repeatedly collided with it.
Su Ruan grabbed a handful of water and flung it at the bulb, scattering the moths, who then cautiously returned.
She muttered to herself, “One day… I will live the life I want. I won’t stay in the slums forever. I will rise above. I will.”
After finishing, she felt the chill, put on clothes, and went to bed.
…
The next day was sunny.
The clouds in the east glowed pink like a little girl waking up. Dew rolled on the grass, and the park air was fresh.
She wore a tracksuit, hands on her hips, doing broadcast exercises at the senior fitness center. Today was Monday, her first day on the job per her contract.
Gu An’an was excited; she had never worked before. She felt like a student on a field trip, waking at six to prepare.
Stretching, she almost got kicked by a seventy-year-old man on a walking treadmill. The elderly man wore a white silk Zhongshan suit, moving his legs energetically while scolding her to move away. Other elderly people chimed in, directing her to exercise in another area with more young people.
From entering the park to leaving, the whole process took thirteen minutes, including the exercise and scolding.
Xie’s Corporation wasn’t far. The first message Gu An’an received wasn’t from BOSS Xie Jinxing, but from the chief steward Li, who explained that Xie had a secretary team because of his workload.
“Seven people,” Li explained, dividing responsibilities to handle different areas.
Gu An’an asked about Li’s role. He replied, “I’m the Chief Assistant. I handle BOSS’s schedule and important documents.”
Gu An’an blinked, partly understanding.
Li reassured her, “Don’t worry, you won’t report to me. You’re BOSS’s personal assistant.”
Then he took her to the 29th floor. The floor was huge, like a stadium, with modern design and advanced equipment. A female assistant guided Gu An’an through the secretary work area.
Without clear instruction from Xie Jinxing, she was temporarily given an office, with a direct phone to the BOSS. Some English materials arrived for her to familiarize herself with, which she found intimidating despite her level-six English.
Meanwhile, Xie Jinxing’s plane landed at Jing City Airport. Li met him, briefly reporting Gu An’an’s arrival. Xie Jinxing, exhausted from travel, could barely hide his fatigue.
When he heard about Gu An’an, Xie Jinxing only paused briefly before boarding the car. Leaning back against the seat, he closed his eyes to rest. The car sped toward the company, and when it reached the overpass outside the airport, he finally opened his dry eyes.
“Move her office upstairs.”
Assistant Li froze, then quickly realized he meant Gu An’an.

With the help of translation software, Gu An’an had managed to stumble through barely a finger’s width of that thick stack of English documents when the secretary knocked. Groggy, she looked up to see the smiling woman say, “Your office is on the top floor.”
Gu An’an: “???”
“Hurry up, pack your things and come with me.”
Completely dazed, she followed like a confused kitten being carried out in a box. As she entered the elevator under everyone’s curious gaze, she realized that the once-quiet 29th floor wasn’t as deserted as she thought, far from it. Like soot sprites in Spirited Away, the employees who normally stayed invisible had suddenly popped out for gossip.
What she didn’t know was that, during her short elevator ride upstairs, the Xie Corporation’s internal chat groups had already exploded.
Everyone was wondering why the elite secretary team suddenly had such a young and beautiful newcomer.
When it was revealed that this girl had been personally assigned by President Xie himself, that he’d written her contract, and that she was only a sophomore majoring in film directing, a totally unrelated field, the whole company boiled over like a kettle.
The gossipers came to one shocking, collective realization: their cold, iron-blooded boss…liked women after all!!
A cause for national celebration!
Lily, Xie Jinxing’s legal secretary, led Gu An’an, soft, round-faced, like a freshly steamed bun, upstairs. Adjusting her glasses, Lily studied her intently, eyes glinting strangely behind the lenses.
Gu An’an shivered like a quail. She didn’t know why her office had to be moved upstairs, but if they said so, fine. Somehow, it felt like she’d been promoted to some kind of classified department.
The entire top floor was Xie Jinxing’s domain.
Besides his main office, there was a spacious lounge with a bed, wardrobe, and shower, a presidential suite, basically. The southern section stored AI robots, part of a major private project he’d been working on. The southwest corner housed a large ecological fish tank. Rumor had it that when he worked late, he simply rested in the lounge behind his office.
A true workaholic, someone who’d literally work himself to death.
Gu An’an was in awe. No wonder he was rich, when even someone smarter than you worked harder than you, how could you not be poor?
“This area is off limits,” Lily said gravely. “The boss is extremely private.”
Seeing Gu An’an’s blank look, she added an example: “Once, a pretty and capable colleague tried to sneak into his private quarters during his nap without permission. She was fired within three hours.”
Gu An’an blinked and quickly promised she’d never trespass.
Lily adjusted her glasses again. “Also, don’t touch the robots. They’re maintained by specialists. Break one, and the boss will sue you into bankruptcy.”
“And don’t touch the fish tank either.”
“Got it. Even if you put a knife to my neck, I won’t go near it!” Gu An’an nodded solemnly.
Lily couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Good. That’s all.”
To make it convenient for the boss to call for her at any time, though she couldn’t explain why, she knew that’s what he wanted, Lily arranged for Gu An’an’s desk to be placed right outside his office, separated only by a glass wall. He wouldn’t even have to open the door to see her.
“Boss will be here soon. Wait for him here.”
“Okay.”
Gu An’an watched Lily leave by elevator, then looked around the empty 30th floor. Everything here belonged to Xie Jinxing: his office, his robots, his fish, his gym, wait, he even had a gym up here?! Was he trying to win Employee of the Century?
Damn.
Muttering to herself, Gu An’an started worrying, what if, after a few days, he realized she was utterly useless? Would he make her compensate for the losses?
Outside, the bright afternoon darkened as clouds gathered. The sky looked thin and gray, ready to burst into rain.
July had arrived, the height of summer. But unlike usual scorching heat, Beijing had turned humid and rainy thanks to improved greenery.
After an hour of struggling through English, Gu An’an couldn’t take it anymore. The letters danced before her eyes like tiny tadpoles, drilling into her skull. One more line and she might physically vomit.
Nope. Done.
Hands on hips, she marched to the window to clear her head.
Rain poured down in sheets. She tapped her temple in rhythm with her school’s old eye exercise tune, by the time she reached the fourth set, a black Maybach rolled slowly to a stop at the intersection below.
From the passenger seat, a man in a suit opened an umbrella, walked around the car, and opened the rear door.
Out stepped a man in a silver-gray suit.
Even from above, she recognized that head immediately, Xie Jinxing. He accepted the umbrella from his assistant, opened it smoothly, and disappeared into the building.
Gu An’an jolted and scrambled back to her desk.
She hadn’t understood a thing from those English documents. If he asked her about them, she’d be doomed.
Just then, the elevator dinged.
Xie Jinxing entered the office area, followed by Assistant Li. His eyes immediately fell on Gu An’an, sitting outside his door like a loyal puppy.
“…”
Fresh off the plane, his hair wasn’t as meticulously styled as usual. Rain had dampened his sharp features, making his skin gleam like polished jade. Holding a black umbrella, he stood tall and silent, watching her.
Gu An’an froze, then stammered, “Uncle, uh, boss!”
“…”
Assistant Li: “…”
The senior executives behind him: “…”
The air instantly froze. None of the higher-ups had been informed that a Xie family member had joined the company today. They all stared at Gu An’an, who immediately broke out in cold sweat.
She’d just…publicly outed herself.
Looking up at the expressionless man, she realized she didn’t need to worry about failing, she’d already ended her career in one sentence.
After a long, unreadable stare, Xie Jinxing turned and said calmly, “Take thirty minutes to rest. Meeting after that.”
The executives fled as if pardoned. Assistant Li quickly finished his report and left, too.
Gu An’an stood frozen, watching everyone vanish, along with her million-yuan salary.
Three steps apart, she and Xie Jinxing stared at each other. Watching her emotions shift from panic to despair to resignation, he could practically read her mind. His lips curved faintly.
“Still standing there?” he asked, placing the umbrella neatly on the rack and walking forward. When she didn’t move, he glanced back. “Come here.”
She blinked, realizing he wasn’t angry about her slip-up. Eyes lighting up, she chirped, “Yes, boss!”
He frowned slightly, was he really so old that she had to call him that way? Still, he said nothing and entered his office.
Gu An’an tiptoed after him, stopping at the door. Remembering Lily’s warning, she peeked in cautiously. “Boss, can I come in?”
“…?”
He paused while unbuttoning his suit jacket, turning to her.
“Lily said I can’t enter your office without permission,” she explained seriously.
For a moment, Xie Jinxing was speechless. The little fool stood there, big eyes full of expectation.
Finally, he said, “Don’t touch my desk. Everything else, you can enter.”
Then, recalling her snacking habits, he added, “No snacks. No Coke.”
“!!!”
“Come in.”
She darted inside like a rabbit.
“Boss, what should I do first?” she asked earnestly.
His office was sleek, black, white, and gray tones, modern art on the walls, expensive furniture. Only the tea set by the balcony looked oddly out of place, something more fitting for a middle-aged scholar.
Huh? she thought. Aren’t CEOs supposed to drink black coffee? Why tea?
But she didn’t dare ask. Instead, she found herself staring as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned two buttons, revealing the elegant line of his neck and the faint movement of his Adam’s apple.
His shirt was high-end black silk, the gold cufflinks gleaming faintly. He was, quite literally, expensive from head to toe.
“So, what did you do this morning?” he asked evenly.
“I toured the 29th and 30th floors with Lily, studied the company rules, learned your work habits, and reviewed some documents,” she replied dutifully. Then added, “Also read some project materials.”
“Oh?” He rolled up his sleeves, exposing lean forearms and a luxury watch worth more than her life savings. “And what did you think?”
It’s happening. The test!
Gu An’an’s mind blanked. “Boss, I noticed from the documents and recent news that our rival company is also opening a resort soon. Since Xie Corp’s resort is launching too…are we about to have a business war?”
“…”
“Business war?” he repeated, suppressing a laugh.
“Isn’t it?” she blinked innocently. “Shouldn’t Xie Corp fight back?”
“And how would we do that?”
“Well, like…sabotage their fortune tree? Steal their god-of-wealth statue? Maybe flood their social media with comments?” she suggested timidly.
He held back, but eventually the corner of his mouth twitched. “Then I’ll assign that crucial mission to you.”
Gu An’an: “…”
Yep. Definitely being mocked.
She pouted. “Boss, don’t tease me. I don’t really understand business wars. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work.”
He chuckled softly, then said, “Did Lily tell you? You’re my personal secretary.”
“?”
“Do you know what that means?”
“No?”
“It means you’re responsible for my daily life and personal safety.”
“So basically, a bodyguard and a nanny?”
Trying to keep calm, she asked carefully, “Can you…elaborate on that?”
“It means,” he said slowly, “you protect my personal safety.”
She stared at him blankly. Protect him?
At her size? Against what, papercuts?
Unless…she was supposed to protect the CEO’s chastity?!