Chapter 12
Caught off guard, Murong Cheng blurted out the words before he could think. He immediately realized his mistake.
“I mean… Hello, CEO Murong!” Unsure what else to say, he decided to accept his fate. He stood up straight and bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees, to show his sincerity.
Bent over, he couldn’t see Murong Yan’s expression, but he heard Duan Shao stifle a laugh.
If this man was CEO Murong, then the person beside him must be Secretary Duan. He should have realized sooner. Why would the General Manager of Legal Affairs have a dedicated driver and secretary? CEO Murong must have been sitting in Cheng Geng’s designated seat at the orientation, which didn’t mean he was Cheng Geng.
The man’s face was strikingly handsome, every feature sculpted to perfection. No wonder even Mu Haoqiong, a man who didn’t care about appearances, had commented on his good looks.
Secretary Duan’s amused expression suggested he wasn’t in serious trouble.
CEO Murong remained silent. Murong Cheng’s back ached from bowing, so he straightened up and took a step back, bumping against the desk.
“Come with me. We need to discuss something,” Murong Yan finally said, seeing the young man compose himself.
“Yes, CEO Murong!” Murong Cheng replied, straightening his back and raising his voice.
His response sounded like a soldier answering a drill sergeant. Duan Shao couldn’t help but chuckle again.
Murong Yan glanced at him, his expression unreadable. Duan Shao quickly schooled his features and turned to Murong Cheng.
“We’re accompanying CEO Murong to a business dinner tonight. You don’t need to prepare anything, just be there. Be observant, follow the CEO’s lead, open doors, that sort of thing. Got it?”
“Yes, understood,” Murong Cheng nodded repeatedly.
He had never been an assistant, but he had seen it on TV. Besides, his days trailing after Fan Hechang at the training base—offering water, fanning him—weren’t that different from being an assistant.
Last time, he and Murong Yan had sat in the back seat, while Duan Shao sat in the front. Now, as the CEO’s assistant, and the most junior among the three, etiquette dictated that he should sit in the front, while the CEO and Duan Shao sat in the back.
So, when they reached the ground floor, Murong Cheng headed straight for the front passenger seat of the black Rolls-Royce.
But as he opened the door, Duan Shao stopped him. “The front seat is mine.”
Murong Cheng froze.
If Duan Shao sat in the front, and CEO Murong sat in the back, where was he supposed to sit? On the roof?
Duan Shao clarified, “You sit in the back with CEO Murong.”
The CEO clearly had a different kind of interest in this young man. While others assumed Murong Cheng was a relative, Duan Shao knew he wasn’t.
No relation to the Murong family, yet treated differently by the CEO. The young man was attractive and seemingly innocent. Duan Shao had a suspicion, but he hadn’t had a chance to confirm it.
Now that Murong Cheng was working on the 28th floor, seeing the CEO daily, it shouldn’t be difficult to verify his theory.
While Duan Shao had spoken, it was Murong Yan’s tacit approval that mattered. He had offered the front seat as a test, expecting Murong Yan to countermand the order and have him sit in the back.
But Murong Yan remained silent.
The driver, Xia Jie, opened the rear passenger door. Murong Yan got in, and the door closed.
Murong Cheng hurried around the car and got in the other side.
He didn’t know where they were going, who they were meeting, or how long the dinner would last. His mind blank, he leaned back against the comfortable headrest, gazing at the setting sun.
The car drove through the city center and finally stopped in front of a traditional-looking restaurant. Murong Cheng followed Murong Yan and Duan Shao inside. Duan Shao accompanied the CEO into a private room, instructing Murong Cheng to wait in the corridor.
The third floor was all private rooms. The corridor was quiet.
The room’s soundproofing was excellent. He couldn’t hear anything from inside.
They had called him, yet he wasn’t allowed inside. And now it was dinner time, and he was stuck outside, hungry. Was this punishment for his day of idleness? He pouted.
His phone buzzed. A message from Mu Haoqiong, asking why he wasn’t home.
This was the first time he was working later than Mu Haoqiong.
[Cheng: Working overtime. Don’t know when I’ll be back.]
He didn’t know when he would be back, or even when he would eat dinner.
Just then, he heard footsteps on the stairs.
Xia Jie walked up and beckoned him downstairs.
“Come on, let’s eat.”
The young man looked around his age, perhaps a year or two older.
“Downstairs?” Murong Cheng asked, confused.
Xia Jie nodded. “Yeah, at a table in the main dining area. They’re eating in a private room. We eat downstairs, and it all goes on the CEO’s bill.”
Murong Cheng hesitated. “But Duan-ge told me to wait outside…”
Xia Jie: “Downstairs is still outside. Don’t worry, we always eat in the main dining area when we accompany the CEO. If he needs us, we can go up quickly.”
Since it was a restaurant chosen by the CEO, the food must be good.
With the meal charged to the CEO, Murong Cheng felt awkward ordering anything expensive. Xia Jie, however, ordered several signature dishes to welcome the new assistant.
“Xia-ge, isn’t this too much?” Murong Cheng whispered after the waiter left.
“We can take leftovers home. Don’t worry, it’s your first meal with the CEO’s office,” Xia Jie dismissed his concerns. “Besides, although CEO Murong might seem a bit cold, he’s actually easy to get along with. He and Duan-ge treat us well.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you, Xia-ge.” Murong Cheng nodded. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Xia-ge, do you know why… I was transferred to be the CEO’s assistant? I don’t think this position existed before.”
A waiter brought tea.
Xia Jie took a sip. “I don’t know why you were transferred. But the CEO decides on positions. He must have felt the need for a CEO’s assistant, so he transferred you. Don’t feel pressured. Duan-ge handles most things. Just follow instructions and do your job well.”
Murong Cheng: “Will I… lose all my weekends as the CEO’s assistant?”
He was grateful to have his job back, but he also worried about becoming like Duan Shao, constantly at the CEO’s beck and call.
Xia Jie considered this. “If you reach Duan-ge’s level, then yes, probably. But you should be fine.”
After a leisurely dinner and hours of playing on their phones, as the restaurant emptied and the streets quieted down, CEO Murong finally emerged from the private room.
Duan Shao settled the bill after seeing off the other guests.
Murong Yan approached Xia Jie. “I’ll drive myself back. You two can go home.”
Xia Jie hesitated. “CEO Murong…”
“I didn’t drink tonight.”
“Yes, CEO Murong.” Xia Jie handed him the car keys.
The CEO took the keys and, without another word to his subordinates, walked out.
Murong Cheng followed Duan Shao and Xia Jie.
“Alright, let’s call it a night. See you tomorrow,” Duan Shao said, his slightly flushed cheeks suggesting he had consumed quite a bit of alcohol.
“Sure,” Xia Jie replied and left.
While Murong Cheng was still processing everything, Duan Shao turned to him. “Aren’t you leaving? It’s after work hours, kid. Where do you live?”
Murong Cheng quickly replied, “Near the company.”
“Oh, then we’re not going the same way. Bye!” Duan Shao waved and left.
Everyone was eager to leave.
As the restaurant lights dimmed, Murong Cheng checked the navigation on his phone.
His apartment wasn’t too far, but taking the subway would be a long detour. Cycling would be faster.
But there were no shared bikes around. Perhaps they had been collected for the night.
Should he take a taxi? The company reimbursed taxi fares after 8:00 pm.
But—
He opened the ride-hailing app. 80 people ahead of him in the queue.
So many people working late. A true tragedy.
He would walk.
He set the navigation to cycling mode and started walking.
There weren’t many pedestrians, but there were still quite a few cars.
Perhaps because there were so many intersections in this area, every few steps there was a red light.
He walked past two intersections. The cars sped up, but he still couldn’t find a shared bike.
At this rate, he wouldn’t reach home until almost midnight. Thinking about having to wake up early tomorrow, he quickened his pace, almost jogging.
As he reached an intersection, a car honked at him.
Loudly, twice. The sound pierced the quiet night.
He instinctively stepped back.
He was just jogging on the sidewalk. Why honk at him? He hadn’t even reached the intersection.
A black car stopped in front of him, blocking his path. He stopped, waiting for the car to move so he could cross.
But the car didn’t move.
Stopping him like this, late at night… was this a robbery?
He took another step back.
The passenger window rolled down, revealing CEO Murong.
The man didn’t speak, just honked again.
He was offering him a ride.
Murong Cheng’s eyes lit up. He hurried forward.
“CEO Murong.”
Without asking his address, Murong Yan started driving.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, next to the CEO, felt strange. He was used to seeing Murong Yan in the back.
The air conditioning was off, but the sunroof was open. The cool autumn breeze filled the car.
While the CEO was driving, Murong Cheng discreetly glanced at his handsome face.
The company’s CEO was driving him home…
As if sensing his gaze, Murong Yan suddenly looked at him, their eyes meeting.
Caught staring, and at his boss, Murong Cheng quickly looked away, his face burning.
A strange feeling fluttered in his chest.
His heart pounded.
Thump, thump, thump. Deafeningly loud.
He hoped Murong Yan couldn’t hear it.
He took a deep breath, but his face continued to burn.
The dim lighting in the car didn’t hide his embarrassment.
Fortunately, the CEO didn’t say anything.
The light turned green, and he returned his attention to the road.
The car stereo played a CD, a soft, mellow English song he didn’t recognize.
The cool night air mixed with the CEO’s subtle cologne.
Murong Cheng couldn’t describe the scent, but he found it intoxicating.
So intoxicating that he almost held his breath.
He was lost in the pleasant silence, not realizing they had arrived at his apartment complex until Murong Yan turned on the overhead light and looked at him.
“Oh, we’re here?” Murong Cheng blinked, looking out the window, surprised that the CEO knew where he lived. He couldn’t ask, so he simply thanked him. “Thank you, CEO Murong!”
“Hmm,” the man replied softly, looking away.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. Before closing the door, he felt it would be rude to leave without another word.
He leaned back in.
“See you tomorrow, CEO Murong!”
