Chapter 213

Chapter 213: The CEO Hasn't Won Her Over Yet He Xiao Min pressed her palms together and bowed to Chu Tang, biting her lip and putting on a pitiful expression as she begged: "Madam, I was wrong, I really was wrong, I truly know I was wrong. Please don't be angry anymore, okay? You're so beautiful, so kind-hearted and beautiful inside and out, you wouldn't hold this against me, right?" He Xiao Min blinked her big, sparkling eyes, sending a barrage of electric signals toward Chu Tang. "I really need this job. Please, please don't fire me. Boo hoo hoo, beautiful big sister, you're the best!" Just then, with a "ding," the CEO's private elevator opened. Jiang Shixu stepped out, followed by his assistant Lin Sen. Lin Sen shot his cousin He Xiao Min a look: You idiot, the person you were supposed to stop you couldn't stop, but the person you shouldn't have stopped, you went all out to block, didn't you? He Xiao Min shot a look back at him: Damn, I'd never seen her before—how was I supposed to know she was the CEO's wife? Blame yourself for not telling me earlier! In just a few seconds, Jiang Shixu had already walked up to Chu Tang. "Tangtang, you're here." Jiang Shixu's expression was gentle, a smile hanging at the corner of his lips. "Is there something you needed from me?" He Xiao Min, standing nearby, was stunned. Was this really the same CEO who wore a cold, expressionless face all day long? In the three months she'd been here, she'd never once seen the CEO be this gentle with anyone! With that kind of demeanor, who wouldn't believe she was the CEO's wife? Chu Tang handed the document folder in her hand to Jiang Shixu. "I need the legal representative to sign and stamp it." "Alright." Jiang Shixu took the folder and casually passed it to Lin Sen. "Have you eaten?" Jiang Shixu asked Chu Tang again. Chu Tang nodded. "Yes, I have. Go ahead and have it signed and stamped first—once it's stamped, I need to take it back." "No rush." Jiang Shixu's gaze clung to Chu Tang, his eyes as tender as a pool of spring water. "Why not go upstairs for a cup of tea?" "No need." Chu Tang raised her wrist and glanced at her watch. "I have things to do in a bit." He Xiao Min noticed the flicker of disappointment that passed through the CEO's eyes. Wow, so the aloof CEO had this side to him too? And a little pathetic at that? He Xiao Min's gaze shuttled back and forth between Jiang Shixu and Ruan Chutang, the tip of her tongue pressing against her cheek, wearing a gossipy expression as she watched the show unfold. Lin Sen shot her a dagger of a look: Still watching? Here comes your reckoning! Watch out for your job! He Xiao Min twisted her mouth, replying with her eyes: This is a once-in-a-century spectacle! "Lin Sen, take this now and have Cheng Ming sign and stamp it." Jiang Shixu instructed. Lin Sen: "Yes, CEO." Chu Tang didn't want to go upstairs, so she waited downstairs. Jiang Shixu stayed to keep her company. There was a lounge area in the downstairs lobby. Around the coffee table were a long sofa and two single armchairs. Chu Tang walked over to the lounge area and sat down on one of the single armchairs to wait. Jiang Shixu sat on the long sofa on the side closest to Chu Tang. Though they weren't on the same sofa, they were very close. Xiao Min quickly seized the opportunity to brew a cup of tea for Ruan Chutang, scurrying over with it and saying with a smile, "CEO's wife, please have some tea." Jiang Shixu was quite pleased with this gesture, a glint of approval flashing in his eyes. But Chu Tang furrowed her brow and gave a helpless little laugh. "I told you, I'm not." "You will be." Jiang Shixu spoke softly. "The position of CEO's wife can only be yours." Chu Tang knew there was no point in continuing to argue with Jiang Shixu about this, so she changed the subject and asked He Xiao Min, "What's your name?" He Xiao Min's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, oh no. She's not going to fire me, is she? She pressed her lips together, looked up at Chu Tang, and replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "He Xiao Min." "You're pretty amusing." Chu Tang smiled. Hearing that the CEO's wife hadn't scolded her but had actually complimented her, He Xiao Min's anxiety instantly dissolved, and a smile spread across her face. "Hehe, so you're not going to fire me then?" Chu Tang laughed. "Why would I fire you? You're not an employee of my company." He Xiao Min looked at Jiang Shixu. Jiang Shixu: "Tangtang, she just blocked you from going in. If you want to fire her, I'll fire her." He Xiao Min: "?" So in the end, she still couldn't escape being fired? "When did I ever say I wanted to fire her?" Chu Tang shot Jiang Shixu a glance. "I really didn't make an appointment in advance. The girl stopping me was just being responsible for her job. Employees like that are hard to come by—don't go around firing people at the drop of a hat." Jiang Shixu's eyes brimmed with a smile as he said softly, "Alright." He Xiao Min let out a sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back down from where it had climbed up to her throat. Jiang Shixu sat beside Chu Tang, occasionally striking up a topic. "There's a new Japanese restaurant that just opened in the West City district. Want to go try it together sometime?" "No, I've been very busy lately." "No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat." "The West City is too far. Going back and forth would waste a lot of time." "Alright." Jiang Shixu thought for a moment, then added, "How about going to Yunshan for a hot spring this weekend? A friend of mine just opened a hot spring resort over there." Chu Tang's expression was cold. "This weekend I need to go to Haicheng to meet a client." "Okay." ... Twenty minutes passed. Lin Sen still hadn't come down. Chu Tang glanced at her watch. "What's taking him so long?" Jiang Shixu had no choice but to make a phone call to hurry things along. Lin Sen came down quickly. He handed the signed and stamped documents to Ruan Chutang. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Ruan. Something came up with President Cheng that delayed me a bit." Upstairs, Cheng Ming sneezed. Cheng Ming: ? In truth, Cheng Ming had signed and stamped the documents quickly. It was Lin Sen who deliberately stalled, leisurely drinking tea upstairs and refusing to come down. Having been Jiang Shixu's assistant for so many years, he was sharp. Now that the CEO and Miss Ruan were alone together downstairs. Every minute he delayed going down was an extra minute the CEO and Miss Ruan had together. He wasn't that foolish—going down early would only earn him a scolding. Lin Sen sat in the upstairs office, drinking tea and playing on his phone. Only when Jiang Shixu called to urge him did he pick up the document bag and slowly make his way downstairs. Chu Tang received the documents, opened them to check, and nodded when she saw no issues. "Everything looks fine. I'll be going then." Jiang Shixu: "Tangtang, let me walk you out." Chu Tang declined decisively. "No need. A Wen is still waiting for me in the car." "Alright." Chu Tang left. Jiang Shixu watched her retreating figure until it disappeared from sight. He Xiao Min took in the whole scene, shaking her head with a "tsk tsk" sound. Judging by the CEO's demeanor, it seemed like he was chasing after his wife. No wonder Miss Ruan said she wasn't the CEO's wife. The CEO just hadn't caught her yet. ...... Upstairs, Shu Mingyue had been waiting in the reception room on the 27th floor for nearly forty minutes. She had called Jiang Shixu twice, and he hadn't answered either time. Shu Mingyue couldn't wait any longer. She stood up, walked out of the reception room, and headed to the CEO's secretary office. The secretary office had four workstations, all occupied by male secretaries dressed in identical gray suits. Some sat upright at their computers typing rapidly, while others were on the phone. Shu Mingyue picked one secretary and tapped on his desk. "Is President Jiang still in a meeting?" The secretary paused and glanced at her. "No, President Jiang finished his meeting half an hour ago." Shu Mingyue frowned. "Then where is he? I've been waiting for over forty minutes and haven't seen him." The secretary: "I don't know either."