The pushover offended a top-tier boss

Chen Zheng had not arrived by 7:40 the next morning.

Ye Zhenzhen stood at the entrance of the residential compound, wrapped in a down jacket, took out her phone, and sent Chen Zheng a voice message: "Are you still coming or not? I'm taking a taxi by myself."

Chen Zheng replied instantly, his voice nonchalant: "What's the rush? We don't have to clock in. Besides, if you come to the office with the boss, will they deduct your salary?"

Ye Zhenzhen thought about it and realized it made sense. Besides, her salary was paid by the School of Pharmacy, not the district committee.

So, I went downstairs to the breakfast stall and bought a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

She hasn't eaten and is hungry now.

While waiting for Chen Zheng, she bought a cup of hot soy milk and drank it.

"We've arrived, we've turned the corner," Chen Zheng sent another voice message.

She looked up and saw the black Hongqi car turning from the intersection.

The car stopped in front of her, the window rolled down, and Chen Zheng leaned out, grinning at her: "Get in."

Ye Zhenzhen opened the passenger door and got in, carrying a paper bag. Chen Zheng, with his sharp eyes and nose, asked, "What's that? It smells so good!"

"Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)." Ye Zhenzhen took one out of the paper bag. It was wrapped in oil paper, the outer bread was baked to a golden brown, the meat inside was chopped into small pieces, and a spoonful of braised sauce was poured over it. The aroma was irresistible. "That stall downstairs has been here for several years. It's especially delicious."

Chen Zheng's eyes lit up, and he peeked out the window: "Which stall? The one by the door?"

"Yes, that old man pushing the cart."

"Wait a minute." Chen Zheng said, then opened the door and got out of the car.

Ye Zhenzhen saw through the car window that he ran to the breakfast stall, said a few words to the old man, and then came back carrying a bulging bag.

He got into the driver's seat and put the bag on the center console—three roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers), each with a "full set" of meat, braised egg, bean curd skin, and ham.

Ye Zhenzhen's lips twitched. This is edible?

Chen Zheng started the car, turned the steering wheel with one hand, and took out a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) with the other.

Ye Zhenzhen held hers in her hand, hesitating and not daring to eat it.

"Hey, you eat it." Chen Zheng took a big bite.

"Goodbye," Ye Zhenzhen glanced at the car's interior—leather seats, solid wood trim, all spotless—"Eating in the boss's car, the smell would be too strong..."

"It's alright," Chen Zheng said nonchalantly, "the meat smells good and doesn't smell bad."

Ye Zhenzhen still didn't dare.

While waiting at the red light, Chen Zheng finished the first one in a few bites and reached for the second one.

"It smells delicious. You can have it, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

Ye Zhenzhen looked at the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) in her hand and swallowed hard.

Anyway, the car already smells, so one more bite won't make a difference.

She took a bite.

She couldn't resist taking another bite.

As Chen Zheng drove, he chatted with her: "Tell me, wasn't I awesome yesterday? A pentakill! If I hadn't joined a professional team back then, I would be the KPL champion now."

"Wow," Ye Zhenzhen turned to look at him in surprise, "Then why didn't you go?"

"My family wouldn't allow it. They said playing video games was a waste of my potential, so my brother dragged me back home and sent me to the army."

"You have a brother?"

"Yes, my brother."

Ye Zhenzhen didn't ask any more questions.

The car turned onto Haitang Avenue. This was the former French and Italian concession a century ago, and the buildings on both sides are old Western-style houses with red brick sloping roofs and arched doors and windows. In winter, the leaves of the crabapple trees have fallen, and the bare branches stretch towards the sky, which, against the backdrop of those old houses, creates a quiet, old-time atmosphere.

She had been this road before. When Meng Chen came to see her, they would meet nearby. The crabapple blossoms were beautiful, making for great photos. There were also many unique cafes around, perfect for a coffee break when you were tired.

Back then, I thought these villas were beautiful, and the people living there must have had a very comfortable life every day.

Sometimes I can't help but think, "That's what I call living."

The car was parked in front of a red brick villa with the words "Yuyuan" written on it. In the yard, there was a tree of some kind, but all its leaves had fallen off.

Ye Zhenzhen quickly stuffed the remaining roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) into the paper bag, wiped her mouth and fingers with a tissue, and sat up straight.

Chen Zheng was still gnawing on it.

Not long after, the building door opened.

Zhou Huaijin came out.

Today he was wearing dress pants and a dark gray executive jacket, which, combined with his serious face, gave him an air of formality.

He hadn't even reached the car when he heard the sounds coming from inside.

"Call me 'bro,' and I'll take you to the top rank in three days."

"Tch, you're just a little kid. You'd be more like calling me 'sister'."

He opened the back door of the car.

The person fell silent instantly.

Ye Zhenzhen sat up straight, looking straight ahead, then glanced furtively at the rearview mirror.

Zhou Huaijin sat down, his gaze sweeping over the empty oil paper bags on the center console, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The car smelled of meat.

"Big brother," Chen Zheng glanced at Zhou Huaijin in the rearview mirror, "Ye Zhenzhen bought some roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) downstairs, it smells amazing. Want to try some?"

"Is there no manners at all?" Zhou Huaijin scolded him. "Eating breakfast in the car?"

Chen Zheng shrank his neck: "I was hungry if I didn't eat breakfast, brother. You asked Ye Zhenzhen, didn't she? She couldn't resist and ate too—"

Ye Zhenzhen cursed Chen Zheng a hundred times in her heart.

Bro, you're talking way too casually.

Don't drag me into this, I'm making this up, I'm scared...

"Boss, I was wrong..." She quickly lowered her head and admitted her mistake, her attitude sincere.

Zhou Huaijin glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

She huddled in the passenger seat, cautiously glancing into the rearview mirror.

That look in his eyes was both cowardly and guilty.

"Next time," Zhou Huaijin looked away, her voice softening, "don't eat anything with a strong smell."

Ye Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment.

A mild flavor... is that okay?

Isn't he spoiling Chen Zheng way too much?

However, one is surnamed Zhou and the other is surnamed Chen, so they are not blood brothers.

Before she could think it through, Chen Zheng had already started the car.

With one hand on the steering wheel, he reached for the last roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) on the center console with the other.

Zhou Huaijin saw it in the rearview mirror and reminded him in a deep voice:

Drive carefully.

Chen Zheng withdrew his hand and obediently held the steering wheel.

After a few seconds, she couldn't resist anymore: "Ye Zhenzhen, feed me a couple of bites."

"Huh?" Ye Zhenzhen turned to look at him.

"I'm hungry," Chen Zheng said matter-of-factly. "I can't eat much, and I feel awful."

Ye Zhenzhen looked at him speechlessly.

"Sister Ye," Chen Zheng said with a grin, "feed me, and I'll help you reach the King rank later."

Never mind, the child is still young and growing.

Just as Ye Zhenzhen was about to reach for the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), a cold voice came from the back seat.

"Ignore him."

The voice behind him carried a hint of anger.

"They have absolutely no manners. They dare to order anyone around."

Chen Zheng wisely kept quiet.

Ye Zhenzhen withdrew her hand and sat down obediently.

She secretly glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Zhou Huaijin lowered his eyes slightly, his eyelashes were very long. His features were actually very handsome, but he was usually too serious, making people afraid to look closely.

The man's slightly lowered eyes suddenly opened slowly.

She quickly looked away, her heart inexplicably skipping a few beats.

When they arrived at the office, the three of them walked into the building together.

Chen Zheng and Zhou Huaijin headed towards the executive elevator, while Ye Zhenzhen went straight for the staff elevator.

When Chen Zheng reached the elevator, he turned around and saw Ye Zhenzhen had slipped away.

"Sister Ye, come sit here."

Ye Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously glanced at Zhou Huaijin.

He didn't say anything, he just stood at the elevator door.

The elevator doors opened, and he turned to look at her.

"Aren't you coming over?"

Ye Zhenzhen hurried over: "Thank you, leader..."

Three people went inside.

The secretariat is on the seventh floor, and the secretary's office is on the eighth floor. Chen Zheng and Lin Rui's offices are also on the eighth floor.

The elevator wasn't very big, and with three people standing inside, the air suddenly became a little awkward. Ye Zhenzhen stood in front, staring at her reflection in the elevator door, while Zhou Huaijin stood behind her. She could feel his gaze on the back of her head; it wasn't heavy, but his presence was extremely strong.

The elevator reached the seventh floor and the doors opened.

"Boss, I'm logging off now."

She quickly stepped out of the elevator and took a deep breath.

She went to her workstation, opened her laptop, and was just about to start working when Chen Xuefei came over.

Holding a document in his hand, he walked to Ye Zhenzhen's desk.

"Zhenzhen, you will conduct a second review of this announcement."

"Okay." Ye Zhenzhen took it, glanced at it, and saw that it was a notice about talent introduction policy, with dense text and the official seal of the new district.

She looked at it very carefully, checking it word by word.

The office gradually became lively.

People are talking about their weekend plans.

"Yes, next Friday, Ritz-Carlton, Room 6." A female colleague with curly hair was handing out invitations in the office. "It's my son's 100-day celebration, you all have to come."

"Sister Wang, did you hold your baby's one-month celebration there too?" she asked another colleague, turning to her.

"Yes, it's the best banquet hall in the city, the service is impeccable." The colleague, Sister Wang, nodded with a smile. "Brother Li, why don't you bring your wife along?"

"Okay, I'll definitely be there."

The office had two men and eight women, all of whom seemed to be quite well-off. The quality of their clothes, the brands of their bags, and the content of their conversations all exuded a confident and composed air. They were probably all locals, and from well-off families. Their demeanor was noticeably better than that of the students at the university.

It's not a deliberate sense of superiority, but something that comes naturally from childhood.

Even worse than Guo Jiawen.

Of course, the excitement belongs to others.

No one invited her, and no one gave her an invitation.

She's on temporary assignment and will have to go back sooner or later. Social obligations here are irrelevant.

She looked away and quietly reviewed the announcement alone.

Not long after, Chen Zheng strolled up to the seventh floor.

"It's really lively." He leaned against the door frame, watching the bustling scene in the office with a grin.

"Hey, Chen Zheng!" Sister Wang immediately put on a smiling face, her tone becoming much warmer. "My son's one-month celebration is next weekend. Come over, Hall Six."

"Okay, I'll go when I have time." Chen Zheng nodded.

"These are coconut shortbreads I brought back from my trip last week, have a taste." Another female colleague pulled out a box of pastries from her drawer and offered them to him.

"Want some apples? I also have some Gannan navel oranges here, they're especially sweet." Another colleague leaned over.

Several older sisters surrounded him, their enthusiasm was excessive.

Ye Zhenzhen sat in the corner, watching this scene, feeling a little conflicted.

People were much more enthusiastic about this unofficial driver than about her.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Although Chen Zheng isn't a permanent employee, he's "someone close to the leader." He's always coming and going with the leader, so who wouldn't want to get along with him? Besides, he's young, good-looking, and has a sweet tongue, so of course he's popular with the older women.

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Chen Zheng strolled over to Ye Zhenzhen's table, leaned down, and joked, "Oh, Sister Ye, busy, huh?"

Ye Zhenzhen didn't even look up, her tone somewhat indifferent: "Ah."

"Are you going to the banquet next weekend?" He leaned against the edge of the table, his voice still very low. "I'll give you a ride on the way."

"I'm not going," Ye Zhenzhen muttered softly, "They didn't invite me."

That way, we don't have to give a gift, saving a lot of money.

Chen Zheng glanced at her, but didn't say anything more. He straightened up and said, "Then I won't go either."

Ye Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him.

He had already strolled to the door and gone out.

She lowered her head and continued reading the announcement.