CHAPTER 227: 206: WHAT DO SECRETARIES USUALLY NEED TO DO?

"Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Xiao Shang." Xiao Shang, after a brief moment of surprise, returned to his usual composed expression.

His gaze floated ambiguously between the two of them. "I never thought Shi Yin would have such good fortune."

Back in school, Shi Yin was naturally popular as well.

But his focus was always on academics, and there weren’t many girls around him. Later, he attended a closed-off school, further reducing any chances for romance.

They used to think that Shi Yin would like petite and cute girls, but after seeing Ruan Yuan today, they realized how wrong they had been.

"Yes, she’s very good," Shi Yin said with a hint of a smile on his lips.

He glanced at the drinks laid out on the table, his gaze soft as water as he turned toward the woman next to him. "What would you like to drink? Juice or milk tea?"

Ruan Yuan: "..."

She thought red wine was better.

Ruan Yuan’s gaze landed on his lips, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. She smiled: "What do you think?"

Seeing the enchanting smile on the woman’s face, Shi Yin cursed softly under his breath, calling her a "vixen," before slightly lowering his head and offering his lips, "Juice it is."

"Alright, I’ll listen to you."

"Crash—"

The crisp shattering sound of a glass hitting the ground echoed.

Fragments splattered, some accidentally landing on the woman’s foot, a faint pain creeping in. When she looked down, she saw drops of blood seeping from her calf.

Shi Yin’s eyes darkened. "Does it hurt?"

Disregarding the gazes of others, he pulled her into his arms and carefully used a tissue to wipe away the striking red.

It was just a small wound, yet in the man’s eyes, it seemed magnified a thousandfold. The worry on his face even brushed away the usual hint of a smile.

"It doesn’t hurt. It’s nothing." Ruan Yuan’s heart felt like it was soaking in a warm spring, cozy and comforting.

Once the bleeding stopped, she tugged lightly at the man’s arm, soothingly kissed his cheek.

"I’m sorry, my hand slipped just now."

A soft and delicate female voice chimed in. Following that, a shadow loomed over the woman’s head.

When she looked up, she was met with a youthful and doll-like face.

The other woman had clearly dressed up meticulously, as her makeup and attire were flawless.

However, her style was overly saccharine-cute: a flouncy skirt, flower patterns on her shoulders, and puffy puffed sleeves.

She resembled a girl who had just recently come of age.

Such a girlish vibe was leagues apart from Ruan Yuan’s aura.

Ruan Yuan smiled faintly. "It’s alright."

When she smiled, she was like the most magnificent blooming rose amidst a field of flowers, captivating every observer’s gaze.

And who knew... how many hearts she had shaken?

Jian Xitong was momentarily dazzled by her smile, and the annoyance in her heart magnified exponentially.

Her eyes lingered on Shi Yin, full of emotion. Yet, he didn’t catch her gaze, his attention wholly occupied by the woman’s injured leg.

Ruan Yuan noticed the unabashed stare and raised her brows ever so slightly. Casually, she leaned on the man’s shoulder, completely ignoring the other woman.

The atmosphere between the three grew increasingly awkward.

Xiao Shang hurried forward, handing a glass of red wine to one and a juice to the other, making some polite small talk while introducing everyone.

Yet even with this, the mood didn’t improve much. Jian Xitong unabashedly sat herself right beside the man.

Disregarding the woman in his arms, she stared unblinkingly at his face. "Shi Yin, I heard you recently took on a project from Xing Ye?"

"Yes," Shi Yin nodded.

Just as he reached for a drink on the table, the woman in his arms tilted the stemmed glass in her hand toward him.

He curved his lips into a slight smile and, instead of grabbing a cup, sipped directly from the rim of her glass of juice, where her lips had been moments before.

To Jian Xitong, this scene was bitterly unbearable. Holding back her emotions, she took a deep breath.

With a bright smile like sunshine, she said, "People say you and Shi Wei don’t get along, but I actually think he cares about you a lot. After all, he handed you that project everyone else fought over."

Shi Yin didn’t particularly want to discuss matters regarding Shi Wei at this time, nor did he like the insinuation of "not getting along."

He responded perfunctorily, resting his chin on the woman’s crown. His tone was indifferent. "He’s alright."

Jian Xitong, seemingly oblivious to the lack of interest, continued on and on.

While speaking about him and Shi Wei, she was clearly aiming to showcase how well she knew him, so someone else would notice.

Little did she know, Ruan Yuan couldn’t be bothered to respond, finding her distinctly childish.

Leaning back against the man’s chest, she said, "Shi Yin, let’s go have dinner with Little Zhi tomorrow."

Had she not heard Shi Wei’s name repeated so many times, she might’ve forgotten how long it had been since she last met up with the young girl.

"Sure, shall I make the arrangements?" Shi Yin adjusted her further into his embrace, gently rubbing his chin against her crown.

Compared to his earlier perfunctory responses like "Mm, okay, fine," his tone toward her was much softer now, tinged with subtle indulgence.

"I’ll ask Little Zhi what she wants to eat," Ruan Yuan said, fishing her phone out of her bag and tapping on a familiar avatar.

Lowering her eyes, the cold white glow of the screen illuminated her alluring features. The shadow from her lower lashes seemed to ripple like waves.

The pair remained quietly nestled together. Shi Yin couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge the girl beside him and instead focused his gaze on the pale, delicate fingers tapping the screen.

It was as if an invisible barrier encased the two, one that no one could penetrate or break.

"Shi Yin." Jian Xitong reined in her frustration as she handed him a glass. "Thank you for taking me home yesterday."

Shi Yin glanced at the glass. "I don’t drink alcohol."

"Then what do you drink? Juice?"

Seeing her ready to offer again, he quickly pointed to the woman’s glass in her hand, his tone distant. "No need, this will do."

The expression on Jian Xitong’s face froze, her fingertips growing pale from gripping too tightly.

"Shi Yin, your relationship with Miss Ruan seems really good." She sipped a small mouthful of wine and asked as though unintentionally, "How long have you been together?"

"Not long," he replied.

But long enough to be unforgettable.

Jian Xitong brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with elegant fingers. "I thought it had been years."

She turned her gaze to the woman still fiddling with her phone. "Miss Ruan, what do you do for a living?"

"I’m a secretary."

"A secretary, huh..." It was a perfectly ordinary profession, yet when Jian Xitong said it, her tone was steeped in ambiguous implications.

A fleeting trace of contempt flashed across her eyes before she replaced it with a bubbly and endearing demeanor. "What does a secretary usually do?"

Ruan Yuan chuckled softly to herself. She raised her delicately arched eyes to meet the other’s gaze, her red lips parting slightly: "Play games. And... share a bed."