The pushover offended a top-tier boss

After parting ways with Lin Zhi, Ye Zhenzhen called Meng Chen.

"Baby! You've arrived in Beijing?" Meng Chen's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with surprise and joy. "I still have an hour before I finish. Come to the school and wait for me. I'll be done soon!"

Ye Zhenzhen checked the subway route.

The evenings in Beijing in early winter are cold, with a dry, chilly wind blowing from the direction of Chang'an Avenue.

She pulled her coat tighter around herself and walked into the subway station.

During rush hour, the subway was packed with people, and Ye Zhenzhen couldn't help but sigh: Beijing is such a big city, and most people actually live this kind of hurried, nomadic life just to make a living.

It took about thirty minutes to get to Mengchen's school.

She waited another twenty or thirty minutes before Meng Chen finally came out.

Upon seeing Ye Zhenzhen, a bright smile immediately appeared on his face, and he pulled her into his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to give you a surprise." Ye Zhenzhen buried her face in his chest.

The two of them strolled around Houhai.

In winter, Houhai Lake is covered with a thin layer of ice, and the willows on the shore are bare, their branches swaying gently in the wind.

The bar street wasn't bustling yet; a few shops were lit up, with faint music playing from them.

Ye Zhenzhen bought a few souvenirs at a roadside shop.

Meng Chen stood by and waited, without urging her. Occasionally, he would hand her something, and occasionally he would lean down and kiss the top of her head.

Meng Chen bought a group-buying deal for a copper pot hot pot meat set meal from a nearby restaurant.

When the copper pot was served, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the clear broth inside was bubbling away.

Meng Chen ate a lot—mutton, cabbage, vermicelli, and frozen tofu—and his nose was sweating from eating so much.

Ye Zhenzhen didn't eat much; she had eaten quite a lot at Lin Zhi's buffet, and she was still a little full.

After dinner, the two of them held hands and strolled slowly along the shore of Houhai Lake.

It was almost 10 o'clock when I got back to the hotel entrance.

Meng Chen held her hand, reluctant to let go.

He looked at her, his gaze deeper than usual.

"Baby," he said softly, pulling her into his arms, "I'll stay here with you tonight, since you live alone anyway."

"No, that won't do," she shook her head. "This is a business trip; family members can't stay overnight."

"If you don't tell, no one will know. I really miss you, baby."

Meng Chen still refused to leave and lowered his head to kiss him.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and kissed her more and more deeply.

Ye Zhenzhen was a little dizzy from the kiss, but she still maintained a sliver of consciousness.

"Oh dear, that won't work..."

"Shall we go out and get another room?" Meng Chen's voice was low and hoarse, filled with a strong sense of longing.

Ye Zhenzhen's heart started beating even faster.

She missed him too. They hadn't been intimate for a long time, and their last meeting ended badly.

But it's definitely not okay to let him stay here. The people who come here for the meeting are all officials from various places. How can a student like him sneak in?

If I go to stay with him, what if my boss finds out and I get criticized again?

She was about to say something—

With a "bang".

The door to the room next door was suddenly pushed open.

Ye Zhenzhen subconsciously turned her head away.

Zhou Huaijin stood at the door.

He was wearing a thin black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and he was holding a cell phone in his hand, the screen still lit. The corridor light shone on him, illuminating his angular face clearly.

His gaze fell on her and Meng Chen, who were still embracing. Meng Chen's hand was around her waist, and her face was flushed from the kiss.

The temperature in those eyes plummeted to freezing point in an instant.

Ye Zhenzhen suddenly felt like she had been caught in the act of adultery.

She shoved Meng Chen away abruptly. Meng Chen stumbled back two steps, staring at her blankly.

"Leader...leader..." Her voice trembled, and her tongue seemed to be tied in knots.

Zhou Huaijin's gaze swept across her face without lingering, and then fell on Meng Chen beside her, only pausing for a moment. Then he withdrew his gaze, turned around, and took a step into the house, his voice cold.

"Ye Zhenzhen, come here."

Ye Zhenzhen's body reacted before her mind. She released Meng Chen's hand and almost reflexively took a step forward.

Then she stopped, turned around, and whispered to Meng Chen, "You should go now."

-

Zhou Huaijin walked in front, and she followed behind, like a little dog that had done something wrong, not daring to breathe.

The room was larger than hers; it was a small suite. Outside was a small living room, and inside was the bedroom. On the coffee table in the living room were several documents and a laptop, and next to it was a familiar-looking bag—

traditional Chinese medicine.

Wait, why is he taking this with him on his business trip?!

Zhou Huaijin sat down on the sofa, picked up the bag of Chinese medicine, and handed it to her.

"Drink today's."

His voice returned to its usual tone, neither warm nor cold, revealing no emotion whatsoever. It was as if the scene in the corridor had never happened, as if he hadn't seen her kissing another man, as if his mood hadn't been affected at all.

But Ye Zhenzhen knew he was angry.

Maybe I'm upset that she brought her boyfriend to work; it might not be a good thing.

She took the bag of Chinese medicine. The liquid was warm, with that bitter taste she had grown accustomed to but still couldn't accept. She pinched her nose, tilted her head back, and gulped it down in one go.

The bitterness exploded on the tip of my tongue, spreading throughout my mouth, sliding down my throat, and reaching the depths of my soul.

She frowned and threw the empty bag into the trash can.

"I'm done drinking," she asked softly. "Boss, I'll be going now."

She stood up, preparing to walk towards the door.

"Ye Zhenzhen".

"Do you want to," Zhou Huaijin leaned back on the sofa, not looking at her, his gaze fixed on the dark night outside the window, "to change your life?"

Ye Zhenzhen was stunned.

A different kind of life?

What does that mean?

Her mind raced. Did they think she wasn't working hard enough? Was the current situation too bad? Or were they dissatisfied with her and wanted to transfer her away?

or--

She dared not think any further.

"Boss," she took a deep breath, trying to sound determined, "I'm quite satisfied with my life right now. But I won't let you down; I'll definitely work even harder."

She finished speaking and waited a few seconds.

no respond.

She stole a glance at him. He was leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed, his expression indifferent. The corner of his mouth seemed to twitch, like a smile, but not quite.

"Heh." He made a very soft, almost inaudible breath.

Ye Zhenzhen stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.

Once she was sure he wasn't going to say anything more, she whispered "Goodnight, boss" and slipped out of the room as quickly as possible.

The moment the door closed behind her, she leaned against the wall in the corridor, gasping for breath.

The bitter taste of the Chinese medicine was still in my mouth, and I couldn't shake it off.

Now it's all good, I don't have any thoughts about it anymore.

All that remained was lingering fear.

And Zhou Huaijin's last words, and the look in his eyes, she just couldn't understand them.

What exactly does "changing your life" mean?