Chapter Forty-Six: Shut Up! Die, You Queer!

"Miss Mai, you are twenty-three minutes late. I waited for you here for twenty-three minutes. Not bad! You're the first person to keep me, Shen Yanlie, waiting for so long!"

He elegantly brushed his sleeve, glanced at his watch, his whole presence radiating a mesmerizing aura. In his cold tone, looking into his eyes, she suddenly felt as if struck by thunder, the pain flooding her entire body.

What exactly was happening now? Mai Xijun stood frozen, biting her lip, unable to force out a single word. Where was she? What did this man in front of her want?

She remained silent, lips pressed tightly together, her heartbeat louder than anything else. No matter what she said now, it would seem she had no footing to stand on.

Everyone's gaze landed on her, and the once rampant rumors seemed, at this moment, to be looking for something to prove.

"I recall the company policy used to be a hundred yuan fine for every minute late. That rule won't be changed for now. So, if Miss Mai still wishes to stay with the company, she should report to my office after the meeting." His slender finger pointed at her, curling slightly, his lips curled into a wicked smile. With an elegant turn, he left the hall.

Watching his retreating figure, her heart was in turmoil.

In the hall, so many former colleagues now witnessed everything firsthand. His mockery was clearly, invisibly pushing her into an endless abyss.

* * *

Throughout the meeting, Mai Xijun didn’t hear a single word, her thoughts drifting everywhere. Even after the meeting ended, she stood rooted in place, her mind replaying his ferocious grip on her neck, his furious accusations of her cruelty.

When Mai Xijun finally came to herself, she quickly stepped forward and caught a colleague from the HR department. "What on earth happened in the company?"

The colleague seemed wary, glanced around, cupped his hand over his mouth, and whispered, "We have a new boss!"

With that, he hurried away without further pause. It turned out that Shen Yanlie hadn't just taken over the Lu Corporation, but had swallowed up LOV as well. His ambition was far greater than she had imagined...

What should she do now? He had become her direct superior. Should she bow her head, plead for forgiveness to ensure her future in the jewelry world? Or should she hold her head high, maintain her pride, and walk away?

But whatever she did, whether tearing off the mask or begging, neither was what she wanted. She just wanted to stay here, to become a truly qualified jewelry designer!

With an uneasy heart, she knocked on his office door.

No response. She knocked again, still no response. Was he deliberately toying with her? Surely he hated her now, after all the harsh words she had said to him before, telling him never to appear before her again. Shouldn’t she take the hint and leave first? This place belonged to him now...

The last shred of hope in Mai Xijun's heart vanished, her lips twisted in a bitter smile. She should never have provoked him, much less angered him...

"Come in."

Just as she lowered her head, ready to leave, a deep voice sounded from the office.

Yu Wen Si was still curled up on the sofa in his favorite posture, holding a tablet and reading news reports, shaking his head and sighing, "The media's coverage is far less spectacular than the drama unfolding in real life!"

Shen Yanlie sat with his back to the office door, the tall chair obscuring any clue as to his current mood.

Yu Wen Si, meanwhile, after his muttering, started scrutinizing Mai Xijun. This was probably his third time seeing her up close, and every time she gave him a different impression. Was it these qualities that attracted Shen Yanlie? Otherwise, with what he knew of Shen Yanlie, no amount of Mai Xijun would ever be enough for him.

Mai Xijun hadn’t expected a second person in the office. She lightly pressed her lips together, her cheeks hollowing briefly as she suppressed something, then quickly returned to her usual calm, her skin smooth and clear like a peeled egg.

Yu Wen Si watched this scene, craning his neck, swallowing hard, while Mai Xijun remained oblivious to him, her eyes fixed on Shen Yanlie’s back, thoughtful, but clear-minded—she had come to confront Shen Yanlie directly.

Finally, Shen Yanlie pressed his legs against the floor, turned his executive chair slowly, fingers interlocked, his long legs crossed, elbows resting on the chair’s arms. He appeared composed and leisurely, his gaze burning into her.

Mai Xijun did not speak, her fingers opening and closing, again and again. She didn’t even know what title to use for him; everything had happened so suddenly, leaving her unprepared.

Yu Wen Si assessed Shen Yanlie, and when his piercing gaze met Mai Xijun’s, it seemed a silent contest. In the end, Mai Xijun's eyes grew sore, so she turned away—only to meet Yu Wen Si’s inquisitive look.

Shen Yanlie changed his posture, resting his arm on the desk and his forehead on his hand, appearing relaxed and elegant, in no hurry to address Mai Xijun. His patience was legendary, and he stared straight at her, as if she were prey that had come to him, and he had no urgency to strike.

"Ha! Beauty, I hear you were twenty-three minutes late? Not bad! Your new boss hates tardiness even more than your previous one! Still, your new boss is decent—there’s a saying, isn’t there, that the human heart is as soft as tofu? Say a few sweet words and maybe he’ll relent!"

Yu Wen Si chuckled, disregarding Shen Yanlie’s expression, teasing Mai Xijun while indirectly ribbing Shen Yanlie. He had always been curious about how Shen Yanlie’s feelings for this woman had formed.

Mai Xijun bit her lip, clearly holding back plenty of resentment, but she composed herself, adopting an attitude that mistakes must be acknowledged, her smile sincere and gentle. "I’m sorry, President Shen. Late on my first day—I promise I’ll change!"

With that, she bowed deeply, looking at him calmly and directly, without evasion or hesitation.

"Tsk, tsk!"

Shen Yanlie said nothing, but Yu Wen Si, apparently disagreeing, gave a few clicks of his tongue and applauded Mai Xijun. "Indeed, your new boss and your first day—late! Tsk, tsk. How can you fix that? It’ll follow your new boss for life!"

Hearing this, Mai Xijun’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Damn! Was he pouring oil on the fire? She had just thought Yu Wen Si was helping her... The human heart—it's nothing but crumbled tofu!

Mai Xijun shot him a glare, silently commanding him to shut up. Damn fool!