The CEO's Beloved Wife

Chapter10: Lin Jie vs Liu Zhenwei

Mu Zihan walked slowly along the road. The scorching summer had passed, and a cool breeze occasionally brushed past her ears, carrying the scent of early autumn. Her grandmother's health had improved, her mother's rabbit farm had been sold, and the family was finally reunited. Despite her busy work schedule at Han Hai Group, Mu Zihan loved her job, feeling that her value could only be reflected in her performance. Remembering how Dongqing had mentioned that Capricorn women are workaholics, she couldn't help but smile secretly, feeling as if her heart had soared to the clouds.

Liu Zhenwei had arranged to have dinner with Mu Zihan. Lately, he had been feeling agitated. Since she joined Han Hai Group, her days had been filled with work, family care, and visiting her grandmother during her rare free moments. Their dates had become fewer, yet their feelings seemed to deepen with each longing. After dinner, they walked home together, when suddenly Mu Zihan received a text message on her phone: "Good news! I'm coming to your branch tomorrow. I’ve missed you so much. How have you been?" The message was from an unknown number, and she assumed it was sent by mistake, so she replied, informing the sender of the error. Liu Zhenwei, beside her, asked abruptly, "Who sent the message?" "I don't know, it seems to be a wrong number!" she replied. After they got home, Mu Zihan went to the bathroom, and when she returned to the room, she found Liu Zhenwei looking through her phone. She felt uncomfortable, thinking that they should each have their privacy. Liu Zhenwei's actions showed a lack of trust, but she held back, not wanting to argue over trivial matters. Arguing over such small issues could affect their relationship.

The next day, as soon as Mu Zihan arrived at the office, Wang Zhiming called her to the CEO's office. She sighed. She had only been working there for a little over a month and was frequently summoned to the office for various tasks, causing her direct superior, Yin Bingbing, to have a poor opinion of her. As soon as she walked in, Wang Zhiming said, "Manager Lin is coming today to visit our key clients personally." For some reason, hearing that Lin Jie was coming made her think of the text message from last night, and she felt inexplicably nervous. Wang Zhiming didn't notice her expression and continued, "Manager Luo from the Marketing Department is ill. I need you to organize all the client information and arrange Manager Lin's schedule." Mu Zihan mechanically agreed, even though it wasn't within her job scope. But since the boss had asked her to do it, she had no choice but to comply. Returning to her desk, she found Yin Bingbing with a cup of hot tea, who coldly asked, "What is it now? Called to see Wang Zhiming again?" Sensing the sarcasm, Mu Zihan just nodded in response. Leaning on her desk and giving her a sidelong glance, Yin Bingbing continued, "It's great to be young and beautiful; you don't need to do much at all!" Mu Zihan shivered at her venomous gaze but smiled and said, "I think it's better to be an experienced manager like you. You don't get bossed around all day." Yin Bingbing, irritated by her indirect retort, wanted to lash out but couldn't find a reason, so she walked away in a huff.

Mu Zihan spent the whole day organizing the required materials, and by the time Lin Jie arrived, it was already after work. She handed the documents to Lin Jie and prepared to leave, but he stopped her, "Do you have a date tonight? Why are you in such a hurry?" "No, Manager Lin, do you need anything else?" Lin Jie, with his usual expressionless face, replied, "Of course! I sent Wang Zhiming away today so I could invite you to dinner and discuss the client visits." Mu Zihan hesitated and said, "Let's discuss it in the office." Seeing her response, a flash of disappointment crossed Lin Jie's eyes, but he forced a smile and said, "I haven't eaten all day, and I'm starving. If we stay in the office, I can't guarantee I won't eat you!" His words were playful and slightly ambiguous. Mu Zihan reluctantly said, "Alright, I'll treat you."

To facilitate their work discussion, they chose a very elegant western restaurant. Lin Jie was in a good mood, smiling more than usual. For him, discussing work was just an excuse; spending time with Mu Zihan outside of work was a good start. As soon as they sat down, Lin Jie, smiling broadly, asked, "What would you like to eat? We should celebrate our reunion!" Mu Zihan, distracted and thinking about how Liu Zhenwei would react if he knew she was dining with Lin Jie, didn’t notice his excitement. Seeing her absent-mindedness, Lin Jie couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy? Do you know how much effort it took for me to come to your branch? President Chu didn't agree at first; I had to pester him until he did. I didn't plan on saving face!"

Mu Zihan, puzzled, asked, "Why come to our branch? I heard our performance isn't great."

Lin Jie smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting in a way that made Mu Zihan think he was quite handsome. Leaning closer, he asked, "Do you really not know why I came to your branch?" Instinctively, Mu Zihan leaned back, sensing the ambiguity in his gaze. She shook her head, pretending not to understand. Lin Jie, looking disappointed, leaned back in his chair and said softly, "It's for you. Since the day I left, I've been eager to see you again." His serious expression and straightforward confession made Mu Zihan blush. Avoiding his intense gaze, she turned to the waiter and said, "A glass of lemon water, please!" When she recognized the waiter, she was stunned—it was Liu Zhenwei. His dark expression indicated that he had heard everything Lin Jie said. Feeling a mix of nervousness and injustice, Mu Zihan thought she had done nothing wrong but felt as if she had been caught cheating. Lin Jie continued, "I sent you a message last night, and you replied that I had the wrong number. Didn't you even save my number? Don't you feel anything for me?"

"Manager Lin!" Mu Zihan interrupted, standing up. "Let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Liu Zhenwei." Lin Jie, surprised, finally noticed the man next to her. Maybe he had been too focused on Mu Zihan to see anyone else. Observing Liu Zhenwei, who looked younger and a bit immature, he didn't stand up and, with a faint smile, said, "I thought he was a waiter."

Liu Zhenwei, who had come to surprise Mu Zihan with her favorite KFC, had followed her from the parking lot and heard everything Lin Jie said. Now, he couldn't contain his anger and snapped, "You said you were busy with work, and this is what you were busy with? Are you a paid companion?" His harsh words left Mu Zihan stunned. Lin Jie, displeased, stood up and said, "How can you speak like that?"

"Mind your own business," Liu Zhenwei retorted, glaring at Lin Jie before turning to leave. "Zhenwei..." Mu Zihan called after him, but he didn't stop. Embarrassed, she turned to Lin Jie and said, "Manager Lin, I need to go." Grabbing her coat, she prepared to leave. "Zihan!" Lin Jie urgently grabbed her hand, a hopeful look in his eyes. Mu Zihan glanced at him, then lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry." Lin Jie, defeated, let her go.