136 Draw A Clear Line

For his employees, he was still the same cold boss that carried a monotonous air around him which was enough to make anyone stifle. He had tried to keep that appearance before Raelle as well, but it seemed his wife wasn't fazed at all. Instead, she used her own sorcery to make him soften up.

It had to be sorcery otherwise, how could she destroy all the defenses he spent years building around his heart that was now being crumbled down one by one? He couldn't find any other explanation for now.

Just as he had settled in his office, someone pushed open the door and stepped inside. Shui Xian didn't even turn his head when he heard the click-clack of high heels behind him. There was only one person who would walk into his office in this manner and he actually didn't even have to look to see who it was.

"Shui Xian..." called out the woman who stepped inside his office without knocking at the door. The way she called out to him had a touch of familiarity but it also had a touch of politeness.

The woman before him was dressed in professional attire with her sleek hair neatly tied up in a bun. Her face was radiating with gentleness as she walked over to him. She looked like a mature woman who was not only capable but also had an alluring charm about her. There was a soft smile on her lips that seemed to be permanently etched on her lips.

Shui Xian had turned back to sit down on his chair after giving her a cursory glance once. He opened his bag to take out the laptop and important documents as he said to her, "You're back."

"Yes," replied the lady before she came to sit before his desk. "The other party had been a little difficult to negotiate with, that's why it took me some extra days to finalize the contract. But nothing to worry about now, I've handled everything already."

She looked at his face eagerly as if waiting for some compliments but he only said, "Okay." However, that was enough to make her feel smug and superior since usually he would merely hum and give a nod in acknowledgment to people. And even that was hard to come by. At least, with her, he said a word to acknowledge her hard work.

"How have you been in the past two weeks?" asked the woman with a meaningful smile hanging on her lips. "Did you even take care of your health? Or forgot about it since I wasn't around to remind you?" She sounded like she was being playful but any keen person could clearly hear the underlying meaning behind her words.

"I've been doing very well," he opened his mouth to reply.

"That's good," she said while trying to maintain her smile. "So, it seems you didn't miss me at all."

She made a face, "Shui Xian, how can you say that? Are I and Ma Jin the same to you? There is no difference between us?"

Shui Xian finally looked up for a second as he said firmly, "Yes. Inside the company, you're just an employee like Ma Jin."

"And outside of the company?" she asked hopefully.

"Outside the company, you're just an old acquaintance," his reply was clear and concise that made it difficult for her to continue talking.

While he was focused on work, her eyes were fixed on his face. She didn't know why but she felt like something was different about him. Others might not be able to see it, but she had known him for years now. There was no way, she won't be able to see the slightest change in him. Usually, he wouldn't reply to her teasing words. But today, he seemed to be trying to draw a clear line between them. Not like he usually responded positively to her teasing but today's reaction was still out of ordinary.

"Is there anything else you have to say, Ruan Meilin?" questioned Shui Xian without lifting his head.

"No," she replied softly.

*Knock! Knock!*

With a couple of knocks at the door, Ma Jin opened the door and stepped inside cautiously. He extended the files towards Shui Xian saying, "Master Xian, these are the details for the Han collaboration project."

Shui Xian didn't take the files, and instead said, "Pass all the details to Vice President, Ruan."

Ma Jin cleared his throat before he respectfully offered all the files to Ruan Meilin who took it with a smile.

"Make a proposal," said Shui Xian. "And then set a meeting with Han Group."

"Yes," replied Ruan Meilin before she stepped out of the office.

Outside the office, the female employees that had been gossiping instantly shut their mouths and greeted her respectfully as, "Vice President!" But as soon as she vanished around the corner, the smile on these ladies' faces instantly vanished.

"Hmph! The days had been good without this green tea bitch[1] around," said one of the female employees.

"Shh... Lower your voice" warned the other one. "She is Master Xian's girlfriend. Watch what you say. What if he heard us? Won't we all get in trouble?"

"Oh please!" spoke another one. "Is she even worthy to stand beside our Master Xian?"

"But she had been standing beside him for years now," said the girl who spoke earlier. "Have you ever seen another woman beside Master Xian other than her?"

"She is just exploiting her position of being a Vice President," replied the sharp-tongued woman. "Our Master Xian never even spare her a second glance. She is the only one who can't take hints."

"I really hope you're right and she doesn't get to be Master Xian's wife. It will be a disaster!"

[1] 'Green tea bitch': An ambitious woman who 'pretends to be innocent'