CH 7

Bai Zhen Zhen was at a loss on how to introduce this “sick friend”.

However, Huo Xiang looked quite comfortable, smiling as he stretched his hand out to Jiang Mu Yang.

“Mr Jiang, how do you do. I am CEO Bai’s personal secretary.” Huo Xiang immediately did a 180 from the rudeness he showed Jiang Mu Yu, and began to formally introduce himself, “My surname is Huo, you may call me Secretary Huo.”

CEO Bai.

Secretary Huo.

Bai Zhen Zhen sized up Huo Xiang with her eyes.

The so called “lying with their eyes wide open” was probably this.

“Secretary Huo… Nice to meet you.” Jiang Mu Yang’s expression was a little wooden. He looked towards Bai Zhen Zhen again, “Zhen Zhen, we haven’t met for a few years and your business has flourished so much, to even have a personal secretary?”

Bai Zhen Zhen didn’t reply, quietly spectating Huo Xiang’s performance.

Huo Xiang didn’t disappoint, replying gently: “Yes, CEO Bai spent 5 years to rise from a normal sales executive to a supervisor, then a manager, and today she is the CEO of a listed company. Our company has over ten thousand employees. CEO Bai has to sign quite a few billion dollar deals, thus she hired me as a personal secretary, helping her with both her work and her personal life.”

“CEO of a listed company?!” Jiang Mu Yu gave a strange laugh, “I heard my brother say that Sister Zhen Zhen wasn’t good at anything other than writing literature. I never expected that the scholarly high school student from back than could even take care of a listed company today!”

Huo Xiang quickly replied: “Yes, otherwise where would the old adage ‘Gold will always shine (fa guang)’ come from? To think about it, this saying is also very suitable for Miss Jiang.”

Huo Xiang was evidently fully immersed in his role, to be able to say such things without a single change in expression.

Jiang Mu Yu rolled her eyes at him: “Of course I’m golden; I don’t need you to tell me that.”

Huo Xiang said: “Miss Jiang misunderstood me. For your case, it needs a little amendment – ‘Gold will always be fully spent (hua guang)’. Idling every day, even a mountain of wealth will be whittled down. Miss Jiang should do your best!”

Jiang Mu Yu was angered by Huo Xiang, gritting her teeth, she complained: “What kind of personal secretary is this, such a filthy mouth! Look at you repeatedly spouting nonsense, in what way are you an employee from a listed company? Aren’t you just posing to save your face? Also, if you were really running a huge company, earning big bucks, how could you come to this sort of place to eat?!”

“Then, Miss Jiang, you’re dressed so fashionably, yet you’re also eating here?”

“This is the one and only time! It was completely coincidental!” Jiang Mu Yu raised her voice, “I typically only go to restaurants with Michelin 3 stars and above!”

Huo Xiang gestured towards his clothes: “What a coincidence! Just nice, I was admitted to hospital today. CEO Bai was concerned about her employees and came to visit me, thus I brought her out to experience an everyday worker’s life.”

Jiang Mu Yu wasn’t happy with the explanation, pointing to the take-away containers on the table, saying: “Then what is that? You can’t bear to leave the leftovers behind, and even planned to take them away? How embarrassing!”

“Enough, Mu Yu, don’t cause a scene.” Jiang Mu Yang couldn’t continue watching the farce, and hurriedly pulled on the corner of his sister’s clothes.

How could Jiang Mu Yu let it go like this? When Bai Zhen Zhen didn’t react to her jeers just now, she could have. But this man in front of her had no tact, to actually fight with her. She wouldn’t rest till she won!

Huo Xiang wasn’t going to back down either: “Miss Jiang, it’s not embarrassing to conserve resources. It’s a form of civic-mindedness to save the environment. Besides, the doctor attending to me at the hospital hasn’t eaten yet. Is it wrong of me to bring back some food for him?”

Bai Zhen Zhen was tired of watching the drama, and turned to Huo Xiang: “Alright, I’m also done eating. Let’s go back.”

Hearing that Bai Zhen Zhen was about to leave, Jiang Mu Yang was a little agitated: “Zhen Zhen, why don’t we add each other’s QQ? You didn’t have a phone during high school, so I wasn’t able to contact you after graduation…”

Bai Zhen Zhen realized that this novel was written in the earlier decades. When the author first wrote it, Weixin probably wasn’t invented yet, so everyone added each other on QQ.

“Sorry,” Bai Zhen Zhen humbly rejected, “I’m usually busy working, so I don’t chat on QQ.”

“Then, do you want to exchange phone numbers? There will be a school gathering next month. When the time comes, I’ll invite you.”

Bai Zhen Zhen considered for a moment, before nodding: “Alright.”

She looked towards Huo Xiang: “Secretary Huo, please hand over my name card to Mr Jiang.”

This was an ad-hoc challenge thrown to Huo Xiang, but she didn’t expect that he didn’t even need any time to consider before immediately replying: “CEO Bai, when we met the International Representative this afternoon, due to the other party’s fervor, there were simply too many people so the name cards I had on me were all given out… This is my negligence, please reprimand me!”

Bai Zhen Zhen massaged her forehead.

He was really a god-level opponent at acting.

“Never mind, then give my phone number to Mr Jiang.”

Huo Xiang said straight-faced: “CEO Bai, though this might be a little disrespectful, but I feel I have to remind you. Your calls are all related to billion dollar deals, so I suggest you continue to use your number for work purposes. I can leave my phone number with Mr Jiang, so that it won’t disrupt our usual company business.”

Bai Zhen Zhen also started to show off her acting abilities: “Ah, you’re too much. I told you to prepare another phone for me long ago…”

“CEO Bai, you’re already spending so much to hire me, what do you need another phone for?!”

Bai Zhen Zhen pondered: “That makes sense too.”

“CEO Bai, then I’ll give my number to Mr Jiang.”

Having obtained Bai Zhen Zhen’s agreement, Huo Xiang read out a series of numbers to Jiang Mu Yang.

Jiang Mu Yang had already been stunned by the conversation between these two people. Even after he took out his phone to record down the number, he couldn’t make heads or tails what had just happened.

“Then, we’ll be going first.” Bai Zhen Zhen threw down this line and promptly walked away.

Huo Xiang carried the take-away boxes filled with the dishes, puffed out his chest and followed behind Bai Zhen Zhen.

As he brushed past Jiang Mu Yu, he threw a withering glance at her.

Jiang Mu Yu was angered to the max, spitting out: “How could there be such a low-class man!”

The angrier the “enemy” was, the happier Bai Zhen Zhen and Huo Xiang became.

The two of them walked out with big strides, having a sense of accomplishment, as if they were walking on clouds.

But before 3 seconds could pass, the store owner’s voice halted them from behind: “The two guests – You haven’t paid!!”

Bai Zhen Zhen: “…”

Huo Xiang: “…”

** **

The dinner expenses of two hundred dollars was paid from Bai Zhen Zhen’s pocket.

To show off how generous she was, she directly threw over three hundred dollars, saying: “Keep the change!”

Though this was just an act, but for a CEO and secretary to go out and eat, and the CEO to personally pay for the meal, it was a little too much.

Therefore, under Jiang Mu Yu’s disdainful look, Bai Zhen Zhen and Huo Xiang walked out of the store doors with a thick face.

On the way back, Huo Xiang apologized to Bai Zhen Zhen: “Sorry, Zhen Zhen. I really don’t have any money in my pockets, if not I definitely wouldn’t let you personally pay the bill…”

“It’s alright. You’ve already worked hard today.” Bai Zhen Zhen gave a light laugh, “I couldn’t tell that you graduated from acting school.”

Huo Xiang seriously replied: “I wasn’t taught by anyone, this is all talent.”

Pausing for a moment, he cautiously probed: “However, from what I saw, you weren’t angry despite being made fun of by that young lady?”

“It’s not that I wasn’t angry, but I was lazy to be angry.” Bai Zhen Zhen sighed, “If I became angry so easily, then I would probably be angered to death in the future… Ah, let’s not talk about it, after all even if I can’t afford to offend her, I can still hide.”

Huo Xiang furrowed his brows: “Why? The two of you have a feud?!”

“Isn’t it because of her brother!” Bai Zhen Zhen didn’t hide her thoughts as she spat out, “That Jiang Mu Yu is an orphan adopted by the Jiang family. She doesn’t have any blood relations with her brother, and secretly loved her brother since she was young. Her only wish in this life is to marry her brother! Unfortunately I had a crush on her brother during high school. Her brother is also stupid, to share everything with his younger sister. Thus, Jiang Mu Yu’s hatred and jealousy towards me began…”

“But didn’t you meet for the first time today?” Huo Xiang was curious, “These things that even Mr Jiang doesn’t know, how did you know?”

Bai Zhen Zhen pursed her lips.

She was finished. She had been momentarily distracted by the novel’s dog-blood romance, to actually leak out such important information.

“I’m psychic.” Bai Zhen Zhen decided to go all in, acting mysterious, “I can peek into every person’s mind.”

Huo Xiang stopped: “Really?!”

Saying so, he subconsciously stepped away from Bai Zhen Zhen.

Bai Zhen Zhen slyly looked at him: “What kind of reaction is that? Don’t tell me you have something to hide from me?!”

Huo Xiang didn’t deny: “Who doesn’t have secrets in their heart…”

Bai Zhen Zhen laughed speechlessly.

He believed?! Was his brain spoilt or not!

“However, watching the way you attacked just now, your mind must be quite agile. I happen to have something troubling me recently, could you give me some ideas?”

Huo Xiang happily agreed: “Ok, tell me.”

Bai Zhen Zhen continued: “I have a friend. She has quite a few admirers, but she doesn’t like any of them. However, no matter what she does, those men refuse to give up and always find a way to appear in front of her. What do you think she should do?”

—— System: “That ‘friend’ is yourself.”

—— Bai Zhen Zhen: “Where did you pop up from???”

“Very simple, get married!” Huo Xiang replied.

“Get married?!” Bai Zhen Zhen’s eyes widened.

Huo Xiang continued sincerely: “That’s right, get married. Once your friend has married someone, no matter how those men chase after her, it would be useless. And if they try to ruin her marriage, she can directly call the police. After all, marriage is protected by law!”

“But she doesn’t have anyone she likes! Who would she marry?”

“It’s easy to find someone to marry. There’s many people today who would even divorce for an apartment! She can just find a friend to help, or sign a contract!”

Bai Zhen Zhen had a feeling that she had been enlightened.

She lifted her head to look at the sky: “It’s getting late, we should go back.”

“Ok.” Huo Xiang said simply.

His lips however, hooked up into a deep meaningful smile.

—— Huo Xiang: “System, give me an update on the task progress.”

—— System: “Host has completed 9% of the main task; there’s 6 days remaining for the side task.”