CEO, I'm Not The Girl You Once Knew (Hiatus)

Seven

"You're fluent in several languages, literate in their culture, and could tell me the ingredients of their staple cuisine. And yet, you tell me you have never even once visited any of those places."

Shi Xiao Xi shook her head, smiling slightly at the shocked interviewer.

"That is simply impossible, Miss Shi."

"Impossible or not, you saw for yourself that I am telling the truth, Mr. Han. If I may ask, am I hired?"

"Yes," he said, after a moment. "You're hired. Your transcript does leave a lot to be desired, Miss Shi, but I admit you seem like a very capable person, unlike the background you came from."

"Thank you. I will do my best with this opportunity, Mr. Han. I promise I won't disappoint you."

He stood up from behind his desk, and she smoothly copied him.

"You will start tomorrow, Miss Shi, at seven o'clock sharp. I already gave you the list of the materials you needed to bring, and since you're new, and you don't have a uniform yet, feel free to dress as you like...just make sure that it's suitable for office work, of course. And Miss Shi, if I may just add one small favor..."

"What is it?" she asked without hesitation.

"Although Mr. Lin has many assistants, they're often too busy with work to properly attend to some of his other...needs. If you could buy him some beignets and a cup of black coffee on your way to work tomorrow, I would be eternally grateful."

Ah, she thought, thinking of the many times Lin Zhicheng simply started his day by resuming his endless work after he took a shower and changed. Even during sex, he never seemed to get hungry, and only her growling stomach—Ai Wei's growling stomach, she amended—clued him to the fact that he should probably stop, at least for the moment.

She said her goodbyes to Mr. Han, and went out of his office. Along her way to the elevator, Shi Xiao Xi studied the building where she would be working for the next two years, as per her contract.

Because the Coeval Corporation was the biggest company to have ever been made in China, they had built the largest building to suit it, squatting at the center of the hubbub of Beijing.

Although minimalistic in design, it was easy to see that everything was well-provided for, almost to the point of becoming lavish. There were cleaners around the clock, and anywhere she looked, from the technology to the furniture, they were all top-notch. It really had the air of being an international conglomerate, which of course Coeval was.

Inconspicuously, Shi Xiao Xi peeked at her phone. Mr. Han had told her as they were saying their goodbyes that the whole building had its own wifi, before freely giving her its password. The movie she had downloaded right afterwards was already finished, despite it being merely a minute ago. And it was a 1080p copy.

I'm really going to like working here, she thought happily.

And the speedy internet connection wasn't the only source of her happiness. Mr. Han had given her an estimate of her salary per month, and the amount of zeroes had nearly made her jaw drop. It took a while before Shi Xiao Xi could speak properly again, and stifle the silly grin she could feel spreading across her face. As a third-rate university graduate, this was a job she could only have in her dreams.

Shi Xiao Xi pressed the button on one of the many elevators on her floor, and as the doors opened, she couldn't help but to gasp in surprise.

Fortunately, he didn't hear, because he was too busy typing something on his phone. She stepped aside as he walked out, resuming her silent gawk at his back as he slowly disappeared from view.

The elevator had began closing its doors before she had managed to collect herself and enter, pressing the button for the ground floor. When Shi Xiao Xi was sure she was all alone, she slid down on the ground, her knees unable to support her anymore.

She hadn't known that seeing Lin Zhicheng could cause an avalanche of Ai Wei's memories to cascade into her mind, nearly overwhelming her with the amount of love the other girl felt for him. Shi Xiao Xi hadn't known that being in love could even feel like that—she had nearly thrown herself on Lin Zhicheng earlier, so consumed she was by it. It was easy to see that Ai Wei had loved him deeply; what she felt for Hu Zitao, even before she discovered his cheating ass, couldn't even compare.

Did Lin Zhicheng feel like that towards Ai Wei too? she thought, but quickly shook off the idea before it could even take root. It was unthinkable to even imagine it—Shi Xiao Xi couldn't see how a person could survive after he lost someone he loved so deeply like that, if Lin Zhicheng had felt the same way as Ai Wei obviously did for him.

He had been looking down at his phone, so she didn't get a chance to see his face. But the Ai Wei in her mind had instantly recognized him. His tall height, his slender build, the way his suit fitted his frame perfectly, even the way his hands nimbly typed...it was all so uniquely Lin Zhicheng.

Shi Xiao Xi knew that the tie he was wearing was his least favorite tie...it must have spoiled his mood so early in the morning.

She knew that the phone he was using was new...What happened to his old one? she wondered.

She knew that he had another passionate night of sex, because all the subtle signs were there. Ai Wei was especially proficient at this, because she knew how many women constantly flocked to Lin Zhicheng. She knew he wouldn't betray her, but she also knew his nasty habit of getting drunk when stressed. And a drunk man had no conscience.

I should have been proficient at this too, Shi Xiao Xi thought, shaking her head. If she had, she would have been the first one to dump Hu Zitao the moment she knew he had cheated on her and not look like a fool in her own wedding.

Once again, Shi Xiao Xi admired Ai Wei for her bright mind. Although she clearly loved Lin Zhicheng with all of her being, she was clever enough not to make herself be blinded by it.

It was a pity that she couldn't say the same thing for herself.