Chapter 30: Where I am, you are there

Ke Zhongyu said coldly, "Eating so fast, watch out for choking to death."

"Thank you for your concern, President Ke." Jiang Lai chewed, her pronunciation becoming clear; after speaking she took another bite, "Cough!"

She didn't choke, but she inhaled it.

Ke Zhongyu frowned, about to get water, but Secretary Cen had already stepped forward and handed it over, while Secretary Guan stood beside her gently patting her back.

The three of them were actually quite harmonious.

Ke Zhongyu gave another cold laugh: "Serves you right."

Jiang Lai slightly suspected she'd been cursed by Ke Zhongyu, silently staring at him without speaking.

Seeing she was fine, Ke Zhongyu turned his head to Assistant Zhou and said, "Stop eating; I need you to get the thing I asked you to check."

Assistant Zhou swallowed the last bite, took a sip of water, and didn't forget to pull out a tissue to elegantly wipe his mouth.

"President Ke, the documents are here."

Ke Zhongyu glanced at it briefly, his gaze sweeping outside without focus, then gestured for Assistant Zhou to leave.

As Assistant Zhou left, he pulled the door halfway shut, suddenly thought of something, and still left a wide gap.

Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan were surrounding Jiang Lai, pressing her for answers.

"Is the President Shen of Star Universe Technology we saw that day your husband?" Secretary Guan couldn't even believe it thinking about it, "We've been by President Ke's side for so long; we have some idea of the executives in A City's big and small companies, and even…"

Secretary Cen whispered in reply: "We even know which boss's recent lover is who, but we truly haven't heard any word that the President Shen of Star Universe Technology is married."

"Normal." Jiang Lai switched to small bites of the bun, speaking calmly, "I've never appeared with him in public."

Secretary Guan: "Then you didn't hold a wedding?"

Jiang Lai was momentarily at a loss for words.

Secretary Cen realized something, tapped Secretary Guan's arm; Secretary Guan pressed her lips, also knowing she'd spoken too much.

Jiang Lai looked at their expressions and said, "We did, and it was quite lively."

Members of the Shen family were present, and Shen Xun's brothers were there too.

Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan sensed something was off, planning to keep quiet and not dare to continue talking about what they'd seen that day at the mall.

President Shen and that woman shared the same perfume scent—either the same brand or it transferred through close contact.

Ding.

Secretary Cen's DingTalk popped up with a private message, still from President Ke.

Ke: 【Continue.】

Secretary Guan: ……

President Ke, act like a human—stop doing things that stab people's hearts!

Secretary Cen saw Ke Zhongyu's head-down working silhouette through the blinds; this doesn't look like eavesdropping.

President Ke's talent for doing bad things while looking serious hasn't diminished—it's increased.

"Secretary Jiang, let me ask a couple more questions—you mustn't get angry!" Secretary Guan urgently took a sip of water, "Since President Shen and you held a wedding, why don't you bring him to events? Is it inconvenient for you? It's fine if you don't say…"

"It's because he thinks I'm not suitable." Jiang Lai still said it; some things only truly move past a little when spoken.

Secretary Guan's face changed: "If his own wife isn't suitable, who is? That woman that day?"

Secretary Cen pressed her lips.

Secretary Guan, you're really brave.

Jiang Lai nodded, sat back in her seat, and started writing the weekly and daily reports.

Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan also knew when to stay quiet.

At noon, Jiang Lai received a delivery call; her new phone had arrived and was placed at the front desk.

She planned to get it after finishing her meal in the cafeteria.

As work was about to end, Assistant Zhou came in carrying three extra-large gift boxes.

Secretary Guan rushed forward excitedly: "Zhou Zhou, what is this?"

"President Ke asked me to give these to you." Assistant Zhou handed them out one by one, saying, "Don't mess up the tech exhibition next week and the evening banquet—got it?"

"Of course!"

"Secretary Jiang, this is yours." Assistant Zhou especially emphasized, "All three are the same."

Jiang Lai saw Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan open theirs in front of her; she also took a look and found a pair of slim high heels, a latest-model phone, and a rabbit plush.

Secretary Cen couldn't put down the red-soled high heels; Secretary Guan kept hugging and kissing the rabbit plush, a limited edition she couldn't snag.

Jiang Lai, meanwhile, saw that phone.

She had seen the latest model when she bought her phone a couple days ago; it cost over ten thousand.

A phone over ten thousand wasn't necessary for her.

"Secretary Jiang, this phone is just right for you!" Secretary Guan came over happily, "You've been having screen issues with your phone."

Assistant Zhou pushed up his glasses.

Right?

President Ke specially ordered that there be the latest-model phone; the rest he left to him to handle.

Secretary Cen likes high heels; Secretary Guan likes all kinds of limited-edition plushies.

So each got one, but they're not exactly the same.

They couldn't buy three of the limited-edition plushies at once; the high heels are three different styles, and the phone colors also differ.

Jiang Lai's is white, while she herself bought black, thinking it's more stain-resistant.

But white looks nice too.

Secretary Guan specially ran to the office door to thank them; Secretary Cen went too, and Jiang Lai felt she shouldn't not go, so as soon as she reached the door she was called inside.

It was already lunchtime, and Assistant Zhou and the others left one after another.

Only the two of them remained in the huge office.

Boss Ke.

"Come look at this." Ke Zhongyu handed her a document, along with the pen in his hand, "See if there's any problem."

Jiang Lai didn't immediately take the pen, she glanced at the first page of the document.

It was a bid document.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Upon closer look, it was another Ke Clan project; her heart eased a little, almost thinking she had violated the confidentiality policy.

Since it wasn't related to her, Jiang Lai had nothing to worry about; she looked up and said, "It's noon."

Time to eat.

Work is over.

She wasn't really here to work; she came to avoid Shen Xun, so she truly didn't want to work.

Ke Zhongyu: "Let's talk after you finish reading."

The boss always just squeezes employees; Jiang Lai had no choice but to take the pen from his hand, which still held the warmth of his palm.

She flipped through the document in front of Ke Zhongyu, growing more serious and faster, the pen in her hand circling one point after another on the paper, making a rustling sound.

"All right." Jiang Lai returned the pen.

Ke Zhongyu frowned, called Assistant Zhou: "Notify the project team of an urgent meeting at 1:30."

After hanging up, he opened the circled section.

"You're sensitive to data; last time Ke Zhongying's paper was, and this project's bid document is too."

He sized her up.

"Someone who doesn't regularly work with data won't have this kind of acuity, Jiang Lai."

Jiang Lai knew Ke Zhongyu suspected her; as long as she didn't admit it, it had nothing to do with her.

"I trained for it in school."

Ke Zhongyu fell silent for a moment, gesturing for her to leave.

At this hour the cafeteria surely had nothing left; Jiang Lai took out her phone to order takeout.

Ke Zhongyu looked at her old phone: "Still not replacing it?"

His tone was a bit heavy.

Jiang Lai said: "I'll change it later."

On her way to get the takeout, she also grabbed her newly bought phone, transferring data while eating the takeout; after just two bites, Ke Zhongyu walked out and tapped his finger on her desk.

"Meeting."

He glanced at her phone again.

She did change it, but it wasn't the one he gave her.

Facing Jiang Lai's confusion, Ke Zhongyu's voice grew deeper: "Where I am, you must be too."