Lin Xi pushed open the door, her high heels clicking on the floor, even though she tried to walk as quietly as possible. Duan Yiheng didn't look up; he quickly signed his name on the document with a black fountain pen.
Even viewed upside down, each stroke was clear, smooth, and neat.
"Have a seat," Duan Yiheng said, raising his hand to put the pen cap back on and set the document aside. Lin Xi sat down in the chair in front of his desk.
Duan Yiheng naturally inquired about her training. Lin Xi said, "I was a little unaccustomed to it at first, but now I'm fine, everyone's getting along well."
Duan Yiheng: "Yes, training ends this Friday. Take a good rest over the weekend." Lin Xi understood that this meant she was about to officially start working.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked Duan Yiheng, "Do I have an internship period?"
Duan Yiheng: "No, but if you make a serious mistake, you'll be dismissed."
"Okay, I understand." Duan Yiheng glanced to the left and said, "Here are some project documents from before. They don't involve any confidential projects. Take them back and look at them. If you don't understand anything, just ask me."
Last time it was departmental materials; this time it's project documents.
Lin Xi got up to get the documents, but before she could guarantee she would study hard, Duan Yiheng stopped her: "No rush, let's eat first."
Lin Xi was taken aback: "I eat here?" Duan Yiheng: "Sister Mei made soup and had the driver deliver it. She's always worried I won't eat enough when she delivers meals."
While Lin Xi was still doubting his words, there was a knock on the office door. Duan Yiheng let the driver in. The driver, carrying three lunchboxes, narrowed his eyes upon seeing Lin Xi.
"Sister Mei was still nagging about Miss's eating habits at home."
"I said the food at Yin Fan's cafeteria is just as good as hers, and she scolded me for it." Lin Xi chuckled. "Looks like Sister Mei has been nagging me a lot at home." Duan Yiheng's office had a lounge, with a long corridor outside separated by a screen from the dining area.
The driver unscrewed the lunchboxes and neatly arranged them on the table, filling it completely. Duan Yiheng didn't make the driver wait; the driver turned and left the office.
Lin Xi stared in disbelief. "Sister Mei made you eat all by yourself?" Duan Yiheng stood up and pushed her towards the floor-to-ceiling window.
"No way." Lin Xi took a half-step back. "You're the president, I'm the secretary. How can I eat with you?" Especially in the same office.
Duan Yiheng: "…I often eat with Assistant Qin in this office too. He weighed 70 kg when he first joined the company, now he's 83." Lin Xi hesitated, remembering the gossip Chen Jingyi and her subordinates had been saying in the restroom.
"Come eat," Duan Yiheng said, making the decision for her. Lin Xi had no choice but to go.
She glanced sideways, asking curiously, "I was thinking, what if you move to the Taihe Road office later? The office there isn't as big as this one."
"You're overthinking it," Duan Yiheng said, pulling out a chair for her.
He wasn't keen on new things and quite liked the layout of this office. The Taihe Road office was based on the design plans of this one with slight modifications, except the break room was twice the size.
After hearing the explanation, Lin Xi was puzzled: "What do you need such a big break room for?" The break room was just for resting at lunchtime; it couldn't compare to home.
Duan Yiheng handed her the chopsticks: "I'm not some hands-off manager. There's a lot going on at the company, and overtime is the norm. I just take a break when it gets late."
Lin Xi took the chopsticks, surprised: "Why are there two pairs of chopsticks? These aren't for Assistant Qin, are they?"
Duan Yiheng changed the subject: "He has his own utensils. It's getting late, eat up."
Lin Xi asked him curiously: "Assistant Qin doesn't look that fat. Has he really gained 26 pounds?"
Duan Yiheng: "Considering his height, he's a bit overweight." He then looked at Lin Xi, scrutinizing her seriously, and added: "But you, you're too thin. Eat more."
Lin Xi said she was of normal weight and not fat. Duan Yiheng lowered his eyes to eat, then added between bites, "Girls are cute when they're a little chubby."
Lin Xi scoffed, "You men's definition of 'chubby' is probably different from ours." Duan Yiheng thought for a moment, then said, "You were quite cute when you were little."
Lin Xi: "..." She was very chubby as a child; from the side, all you could see were her cheeks and eyelashes.
With each bite of food and each pointless remark, the two ate slowly for half an hour.
Usually, the driver would wait for Duan Yiheng to finish before taking the lunchbox away, but today Duan Yiheng had told him to leave first, so she had to clean up herself. Lin Xi, being perceptive, quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Duan, please go and rest. I'll take care of these."
Duan Yiheng remained standing. "Can you do it?"
"Yes," Lin Xi said. "I'll take them to the break room to wash and then take them with me. I'll give them to Sister Mei tonight."
Duan Yiheng agreed. "That's fine." Lin Xi asked as she tidied up, "Does Sister Mei cook for you every day?"
Duan Yiheng's gaze softened for a moment. He said, "She raised me from childhood; she's willing to take on this responsibility." She wouldn't feel comfortable if he didn't let her cook.
However, he didn't ask Sister Mei to deliver every day, since he wasn't always at the company.
Lin Xi knew that Sister Mei felt sorry for Duan Yiheng because he didn't have a mother. It was just a pity that the nanny who cared for her had passed away due to illness.
In a moment of distraction, Lin Xi didn't notice that the lunchbox beside her wasn't properly seated, and her hand slipped, spilling food all over her.
"Careful!" Duan Yiheng pulled her aside, but it was too late. The dining table was heavy and high, and Lin Xi's light-colored shirt was soaked through.
She quickly pulled the hem of her shirt to prevent it from dripping onto her skirt.
Duan Yiheng grabbed her wrist and led her to the lounge: "I'll call Sister Mei now and have her bring your clothes over. Go inside and tidy yourself up."
Lin Xi was on the verge of tears: "But there's no time. Training starts at 1 PM."
Duan Yiheng glanced at his watch: "I'll have Qin Yang ask you to take an hour off. Just say I have something to do here."
It was indeed an excuse, but Lin Xi didn't want to lie. She couldn't work, and Duan Yiheng would have to clean up her mess.
"Big Brother," Lin Xi turned her head and called out instinctively, then realized it wasn't right and quickly addressed him by his title, "Mr. Duan, could you lend me a shirt?"
Duan Yiheng's eyebrows twitched: "There are some in the closet. Go find them yourself." He stopped outside the lounge.
In Duan Yiheng's wardrobe, shirts of various colors ranged from light to dark. Lin Xi picked one with a similar fabric and changed into. However, the two had vastly different body types, and looking in the mirror, Lin Xi resembled a child wearing adult clothes.
"He doesn't look fat at all, so why are his clothes so big on me?" Lin Xi muttered.
She buttoned the shirt from the bottom up, creating ruffles, and tucked the hem into her skirt. The cufflinks were too long, so she simply rolled them up.
The men's shirt collar was quite crisp, so Lin Xi unbuttoned one button and pressed it down, then let her long hair down to partially conceal it. Only when nothing was visible did she smile with satisfaction.
Time was running out. There was an empty paper bag at the bottom of Duan Yiheng's wardrobe. She put her dirty clothes in it, picked it up, and was about to leave the lounge when she heard a noise outside. The sound grew closer, and Lin Xi was startled—it was Duan Zheng!