Chapter Forty-Three: What Is Your Relationship?

The Company.

Manager Huang called her in through the internal line, only to announce her work arrangement with a meaningful look.

“You don’t need to come in tomorrow. I’m giving you ten days off. Make good use of it.”

“Manager, did I do something wrong?” Manager Huang, notorious in the company as the ‘weasel,’ never granted time off without a catch. Ten days’ leave for no reason must be suspicious.

“Don’t pretend. President Lin called personally to arrange this for you—ten days of paid leave. Consider it a mission to cultivate connections.”

She didn’t even know where she was supposed to go, but it was clear this wouldn’t be a leisurely break, judging by the way Manager Huang’s imagination was running wild.

“I assume you already know. I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning.” Lin Shuo called right as she stepped out of the office, his tone light and teasing. “By the way, if you’re worried I might try anything, you’d better bring some warm clothes.”

“Hello—” He didn’t give her a chance to respond; only the busy tone remained.

After handing over her work, her colleagues all envied her good fortune. Manager Huang usually called people back to work even during scheduled days off, yet she’d caught this once-in-decades lucky break.

Colleague He Li frowned when she saw Bai Yunchuan’s name on the work schedule. She quickly said, “I’ll reschedule with Bai Yunchuan myself. You don’t need to worry about it.” He Li immediately brightened; she had no intention of letting Bai Yunchuan be passed to anyone else—it just wouldn’t be appropriate.

He Li then asked, “What about the Daguan Tower event?”

The Daguan Tower event was sponsored by Lin Shuo. As soon as they secured the contract, Manager Huang had personally assigned it to her. She hadn’t really been qualified, but Manager Huang was shrewd—he’d seen from the start that Lin Shuo’s intentions lay elsewhere. If she did a good job, they’d secure Lin Shuo as a patron; if things went poorly, better it fell on her shoulders than anyone else’s—at least Lin Shuo wouldn’t have grounds for complaint.

She replied lazily, “I’ll handle it.”

On her way out, she ran into Nina in the elevator. Though they hadn’t seen each other in days, Nina was as radiant as ever.

“I heard President Lin arranged your leave.”

“So the gossip’s reached your department, too?”

Nina nodded. “Manager Huang’s secretary is like the company’s CIA—there’s nothing she doesn’t know.”

Nina’s words made her realize she’d underestimated that seemingly idle girl who spent her days shopping online and painting her nails. Everyone said you should never underestimate a secretary; the truly capable ones even commanded respect from their superiors. Turns out, that girl was a master of intelligence gathering and dissemination, which explained how she’d become Manager Huang’s right-hand confidante.

Nina cut to the chase. “What’s your relationship with President Lin?”

“If I said we were former lovers, would you believe it?”

“You?” Nina looked her up and down as if she’d just heard the world’s funniest joke. “No way!”

She couldn’t blame Nina for doubting her. In terms of looks, she couldn’t hold a candle to Lin Shuo’s many glamorous admirers, and as for charming men, she’d never even passed the beginner’s test. She couldn’t help but mock herself: “Who cares what’s real or not?”

It seemed she was about to head far from home. Before visiting hours ended, she made a detour to the hospital. Her father’s condition remained unchanged; the doctors and nurses praised her filial piety, but none of them knew that if it weren’t for her, her father’s ordeal wouldn’t have dragged on for four long years.

She made a point of calling her mother, lying that she was going on a business trip. At the end of the call, her mother hesitantly said, “A few months ago, a developer came by asking about transferring the flower garden land. I didn’t respond. Lately, another company inquired about it—it’s a different one this time. What do you think we should do?”

Lonely Moments: Do Not Speak of Love, Chapter 43—What’s Your Relationship? (Update complete!)