---
Lin Yue's eyes then cautiously flicked around the building.
Gone. Liang Qianyu's car had left.
She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
The heat in her cheeks from hiding was finally cooling off, though embarrassment still lingered.
Just as she was about to reach for the handle, the door opened.
Liang Yexuan stood there, cold and unreadable as ever.
"Are you planning to stay in my car forever?" he asked, voice laced with sarcasm. "Should I just gift it to you instead?"
Lin Yue's face flushed a deeper red.
Why was he always so sharp-tongued?
Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide.
She gave him a nervous, cheeky smile, the kind that only came out when she didn't know what else to do. "No, no... I'm going. I'm going."
Embarrassed, she opened the car door, eyes scanning the surroundings first.
Thankfully, no colleagues in sight.
The last thing she needed was to be seen getting out of the CEO's car.
The rumors would ruin her.
Once satisfied that no one was lurking nearby, she stepped out, bowing her head slightly as she adjusted her bag strap.
Jin Shu, standing near the car with the driver, exchanged a puzzled glance.
"Why's she acting like a secret agent?" Jin Shu muttered under his breath.
The driver whispered back, "Is she hiding from the Young Miss? What's the deal?"
Liang Yexuan, having already begun walking toward the building, didn't say a word.
Lin Yue trailed behind, keeping a careful distance.
She didn't want to be seen walking with him either.
—
Once they entered through the large revolving glass doors, she suddenly picked up pace and dashed toward the elevator like a frightened rabbit.
Her ponytail bounced with every step.
Liang Yexuan's brow lifted subtly.
Why was she running?
For the first time, he really looked at her. Her silhouette was lean but graceful.
The way she moved—made something stir in him.
He realized he had never really looked at her properly.
Not as the scheming woman he'd labeled her.
But as Lin Yue.
Perhaps she wasn't as shallow as he'd assumed.
Not bad…
Or maybe she was just pretending again?
Still, he found himself watching her hair sway until she disappeared into the elevator.
—
He quickly suppressed the strange thought and entered his personal elevator as it opened automatically.
Inside, Jin Shu turned to him carefully. "Young Master... don't you think Miss Lin is a genius?"
Liang Yexuan gave him a cool glance but didn't respond.
"I mean, who else could come up with such a smart plan in just a few minutes? The plan—brilliant. Like a real strategist. She said she wants to be a lawyer, right? She'd make a good one."
Liang Yexuan's fingers curled slightly in his pocket.
"And she's beautiful too. And let's not forget—she saved your life. Brains and beauty. Very enviable."
'Brains, beauty and courage.'
"Don't you think so?" Jin Shu added thoughtfully, "That kind of person is rare. Honestly, she's very—"
"Shut up," Liang Yexuan said flatly.
Jin Shu choked and went silent.
Still, Liang Yexuan didn't deny it. Because a part of him… agreed.
—
On the design floor, Lin Yue stepped out of the elevator, her heart still pounding.
That was the second time she'd been in Liang Yexuan's car.
And he hadn't scolded her.
He hadn't accused her of being scheming or manipulative.
It felt strange.
...It felt good.
Her thoughts were still spinning when she heard a voice call out.
"Lin Yue!"
She turned.
Du Liyao.
She smiled, trying to shake off her lingering emotions, and walked over quickly, placing her bag on the desk.
Du Liyao looked at her, a little frown between her brows. "Where have you been? You're almost an hour late."
Before Lin Yue could answer, another colleague piped up with a grin. "She was making something delicious for us, right?"
"Yeah!" another added giggling. "Miss Lin was preparing food for us!"
Du Liyao's eyes widened. "Really?"
Another girl added, "You didn't have to, Yue. We could've done it together."
Lin Yue smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. "It's okay."
The group of girls beamed at her warmly.
All except one.
Song Ziyan sat at her desk nearby, eyes narrowing.
She didn't say a word.
The moment Lin Yue walked in, something inside her twisted.
What was she smiling about?
She was just a stupid vixen whose husband left.
Suddenly, she squinted at the designer dress Lin Yue was wearing.
That dress—wasn't that from the limited collection she had begged her mother to buy? That was at least twenty thousand yuan.
She lives in a shack, doesn't she? How could she afford that?
As Lin Yue opened her bag to take out a water bottle, a small notebook slipped out, and with it, a pen rolled toward the floor.
Song Ziyan's sharp eyes zeroed in.
That pen—
It looked familiar.
Too familiar.
Her heart skipped.
Her eyes widened.
Her pulse jumped.
She'd seen it before.
Yes. She knew that pen.
CEO Liang Yexuan always used that exact one. She'd memorized the model when she saw it with him.
A limited edition Mont Blanc, gold-etched cap.
She sprang from her chair like a wild cat, rushing over and snatching the pen from where it had fallen just as Lin Yue was bending to pick it up.
She stared at it, her hands trembling with disbelief.
She turned it over.
The initials. L.Y.X.
Her breath caught.
Her face twisted.
"Yes! This is it! This is the one!" she shrieked.
Her voice echoed through the design floor.
Everyone turned.
Song Ziyan's eyes were wide with fury, her face flushed red.
She turned on Lin Yue, voice shrill and accusing.
"What are you doing with the CEO's pen?!"
Lin Yue blinked, stunned. Her fingers still hovered over her notebook.
She looked up.
And saw dozens of eyes staring at her.
---