The blind boss's nanny

The door was ajar, letting in bright, even light.

Lin Xiaoman took a deep breath and pushed open the door to enter.

There was no one inside.

The huge oval conference table was so shiny it reflected light off the soft yet bright shadowless lamps overhead.

Three walls are built-in bookshelves, crammed with heavy hardcover books and file boxes. Only the wall directly opposite the door is a single smart display screen, which is currently dark.

She chose the seat closest to the door and the one that looked the least conspicuous.

The air smelled of cedar and old paper, and it was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Less than ten minutes later, the rhythmic tapping of a white cane on the ground and another steady footstep came from outside the door.

The door was pushed open again, and Lu Tingzhao walked in first. He was wearing a dark gray cashmere sweater today, which made his skin appear even paler.

Following behind him was a man in his early forties, wearing black-rimmed glasses and with a somewhat gloomy demeanor, carrying a thick folder in his hands.

The man paused for a moment when he saw Lin Xiaoman, then nodded to her as a greeting, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

Lu Tingzhao walked straight to the head seat and sat down, resting his white cane beside him.

The man sat down to his left and opened the folder.

Then, the two completely ignored Lin Xiaoman's presence and began to talk.

Lin Xiaoman was initially completely confused, finding the conversation very strange... How come she couldn't understand it at all?

Furthermore, what is the significance of her being here at this moment?

Until Lu Tingzhao calmly uttered that name:

"In Chapter 8 of the novel, wasn't the foreshadowing of the female protagonist discovering her diary had been replaced too subtle?"

It's past midnight?!

Lin Xiaoman sat up straight immediately, her eyes wide open.

This name... isn't it the pen name of the author of the suspense novel "Midnight Corridor" that she'd been chasing for three months, begging for updates, only to have it recently abruptly stopped updating?!

Before she could recover from the huge shock, the two of them were already having a heated discussion.

"Mr. Lu, you're quite something."

Shaking his head at midnight

"If readers pay close attention, they will notice that I have planted many details starting from Chapter 3..."

"But most readers will only be drawn to the red herring you've deliberately highlighted,"

Lu Tingzhao said,

"For example, the gardener who always appears at midnight."

Lin Xiaoman held her breath.

Gardener? Red herring? Aren't these the very questions she and other readers had been arguing about in the comments section?

For the next half hour, Lin Xiaoman was swept up in a brainstorming session.

She watched and listened as her favorite author and Lu Tingzhao, a business tycoon she thought only cared about financial reports and contracts, meticulously analyzed the motivations of each character, debated the rationale behind each plot twist, and even revised a dialogue they felt was not powerful enough.

Her initial confusion and shock quickly turned into focused listening, and later she almost couldn't resist the urge to raise her hand and join the discussion!

When the story finally reached its climax at midnight, the ending that had all readers on the edge of their seats...

The real culprit turned out to be the old count who had "died" at the beginning, and the entire manor massacre was the ultimate scam he set up to cover up a financial fraud that spanned half a century.

Lin Xiaoman couldn't help but gasp, so excited she almost jumped off her chair!

That's it! The truth she'd guessed countless times but always felt was off! Ah, I see!

The discussion was nearing its end. At midnight, he closed the folder and looked at Lu Tingzhao:

"Mr. Lu, this is the ending you requested, including the resolution of all foreshadowing elements. According to the contract, all copyrights to that novel now belong to you."

As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Lin Xiaoman, whose eyes were shining as she was completely absorbed in the story.

"Miss, do you have any other questions?"

Lin Xiaoman, whose name was called, jumped up and rushed to the two of them.

"I have a question!"

Lin Xiaoman asked all her previous questions and all the details she couldn't understand.

He explained everything in great detail, until Lin Xiaoman showed a look of sudden realization.

Finally, he didn't forget to sign an autograph for her.

After doing all this, Sangeng bent down and shook hands with Lu Tingzhao.

Lu Tingzhao nodded slightly:

"Thank you for your hard work. Qin Xiu will handle all the follow-up matters."

After Sangeng left, the meeting room returned to silence.

Lin Xiaoman was still immersed in the immense shock and satisfaction of the story, her heart pounding like a drum.

She looked at the quiet man in the main seat, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Lu Tingzhao turned in her direction.

Are you satisfied?

He spoke slowly, his voice devoid of emotion, yet it made Lin Xiaoman's heart skip a beat.

"The first reader to know the ending?"

At that moment, Lin Xiaoman suddenly understood everything.

But reason still resisted... Lu Tingzhao, this arrogant and picky man, actually used such a "romantic" way to show his affection to her?

This was far beyond her comprehension.

"Chairman, you..."

Her voice was dry and filled with disbelief.

A faint, mocking smile escaped Lu Tingzhao's nostrils. He slightly raised his face, his unseen eyes appearing exceptionally deep under the conference room's overhead lights.

Don't overthink it.

His voice was calm and even.

"I just don't want to be harassed continuously in the middle of the night anymore."

A lot of things flashed through Lin Xiaoman's mind in an instant.

Both Qin Xiu and Lu Tingzhao themselves have mentioned more than once that she "harassed" Lu Tingzhao.

She composed herself and tried to sort out her logic:

"Chairman, when you say 'harassment,' are you referring to my listening to audiobooks on my phone at night?"

"Otherwise what?"

He countered with a question, his tone revealing a hint of impatience.

"Can……"

Lin Xiaoman frowned, genuinely confused.

"What does this have to do with you? It's my phone, my app, I'm listening in my own place..."

"Lin Xiaoman".

Lu Tingzhao interrupted her, turning his head slightly, his features appearing somewhat cold and hard under the light. His tone sounded casual, yet every word carried weight.

"Even now, are you still going to keep pretending?"

Lin Xiaoman blinked blankly, then subconsciously uttered an "Ah?", her expression genuine.

"I really don't understand what you're talking about."

Lu Tingzhao's fingers, which were resting on his cane, tightened slightly.

His last bit of patience had finally run out.

"You were playing that damned book, 'Midnight Corridor,' on repeat on my bedroom smart speaker in the middle of the night!"

His voice remained restrained, but every word revealed his frustration at being disturbed for so long.

"Those ghost stories kept me awake for weeks!"

The moment those words were spoken, it was as if a bolt of lightning had cleaved through the fog in Lin Xiaoman's mind!

Countless fragments were rapidly pieced together, forming a clear yet absurd outline of the facts.