Chapter 31

"Uh..." Yang Chen regretted choosing the random exam paper. If he had known, he would have chosen English and French, which matched the materials. But now, he could only tough it out and say, "That's just a hobby, I have a bit of a talent for learning foreign languages."

"Oh? What other talents do you have?" Lin Ruoxi placed her hands on her hips, her face full of disbelief.

Yang Chen rubbed his nose, finding it hard to speak. In fact, he had quite a few talents, being most skilled at fighting and killing. If he were to talk about more high-tech things, he could handle fighter jets, tanks, firearms, and hacking, all of which he was pretty good at. However, he couldn't say such things, so he just shook his head and said, "None, my water bottle can only hold so much, my dear wife, you understand."

"Don't call me that!" Lin Ruoxi corrected him, her eyebrows arching in annoyance. "Yang Chen, regardless of the reason, since you've chosen to join Yu Lei International and become my employee, I must make some things clear to you."

"Are you going to fire me?" Yang Chen spread his hands in frustration. "Hey, I finally found a job that meets your requirements, working in an office, decent, and capable. You can't be so cruel to me. Although I'm a bit handsome, which might be harmful to the female colleagues, how could a loyal and faithful man like me flirt? Besides, wild flowers are not as fragrant as home flowers, right..."

"Shut up!" Lin Ruoxi couldn't take it anymore, slapping the table and pouting. This guy was too thick-skinned. Was this how high-achieving graduates from prestigious universities behaved, or was it just that Americans had a different perspective?

Yang Chen's lips twitched as he tried to hold back a laugh. For some reason, he really liked seeing his "wife" flustered.

It was like the poet described... the gentlest moment is when she lowers her head, just like a lotus shyly trembling in the cool breeze...

Of course, Lin Ruoxi might be a lotus, but she wasn't exactly gentle. Her mature and proud urban woman's dignity, combined with the coquettish charm of a young girl, was what made her most attractive.

After a while, Lin Ruoxi calmed down and stared at Yang Chen with a "murderous" look. "Yang Chen, in the company, we need to set some rules."

"Sure, as long as you don't fire me, anything is fine." Yang Chen didn't argue with her.

"First, you are not allowed to call me those embarrassing names. You can only call me President Lin or General Manager, just like the other employees. Second, you cannot come to my office without reason or get too close to me in public; you need to keep your distance... Third, you are not allowed to tell anyone in the company about our marriage; it must be kept confidential from unnecessary people! Fourth..."

"Wait! Weren't there supposed to be only three rules? Why is there a fourth!?" Yang Chen raised his hand in protest.

"Slap!" Lin Ruoxi slapped the table, her almond eyes wide open. "I'll decide how many rules there are! You must follow them all!"

"Uh... Yes." Yang Chen smiled bitterly.

Lin Ruoxi continued, "Fourth, since you work in my company, I will supervise you. You are not allowed to disrupt the normal work order. As long as you behave, I won't fire you, and I'll even let you stay in the company. But you are not allowed to cause trouble without reason... Fifth..."

After listening to Lin Ruoxi for about ten minutes, Yang Chen yawned. By then, Lin Ruoxi had almost finished speaking.

"President Lin, are you done? If so, I'll go downstairs first." Yang Chen smiled in a somewhat flattering way, afraid that more rules might pop up. He had already forgotten how many there were.

Lin Ruoxi pondered for a moment and nodded. "That's all for now. You must follow every rule. In short, I won't interfere with what you do outside the company; that's your privacy, and we won't infringe on each other. But inside the company, you must listen to me and behave."

"Yes, yes, yes..." Yang Chen quickly agreed and stood up to leave.

Just then, the stylish blue phone on the desk rang. Lin Ruoxi pressed a button and heard the cold and indifferent voice of her secretary, Wu Yue: "President Lin, General Manager Xu Zhihong has invited you to a dinner at Blue Bay Hotel at six o'clock to discuss the collaboration between Donghua Technology and Yu Lei International for the autumn fashion show."

Hearing the name "Xu Zhihong," Lin Ruoxi frowned. "Wu Yue, can I decline?"

Wu Yue hesitated for a moment before saying, "President Lin, you have already declined Mr. Xu's three previous private invitations. This time, the discussion is about the autumn fashion show, and the setup and construction of each exhibition area require the support of Donghua Technology's resources and connections. Their reasons are very valid, and if you decline... it might be..."

"Alright, I understand," Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips. "Arrange it for me. I'll go tonight, but don't book two seats."

"Should I go with you, President Lin?"

"No," Lin Ruoxi glanced at Yang Chen, who was about to sneak out. "I'll drive myself. You can go home after work."

"Sure, President Lin..." Although Wu Yue was a bit puzzled, she didn't ask any more questions.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Chen, who was about to run out, hesitated. He turned back and smiled bitterly. "President Lin, you're not really going to make me go, are you? Blue Bay Hotel is a five-star hotel, right? Do I look like someone who belongs in a five-star hotel? Besides, I don't know anything about business negotiations; I won't be of any help."

Lin Ruoxi sneered. "Do you think I want to take you? You'll just embarrass me... But since we're married, you need to be useful at times like this. When we get there tonight, do your best to keep Xu Zhihong away from me, and make sure he gives up completely."

"Can I use physical force?" Yang Chen was a bit impatient. "How about I just take care of him with one strike?"

"No! You must not let him get close to me, and you must also ensure that our business negotiations succeed!" Lin Ruoxi said, emphasizing each word.

Yang Chen took a deep breath and looked at Lin Ruoxi strangely, pouting. "President Lin, are you hiring a husband or an Oscar-winning actor?"

"We signed a contract, and you must play your role well in front of others. A man must keep his word," Lin Ruoxi said, feeling a bit smug at Yang Chen's discomfort.

Time passed quickly. Yang Chen returned to the public relations department and chatted with the female colleagues who were curious about why he was called to the president's office. Soon, it was almost time to leave work.

Throughout the afternoon, Mo Qianyi sat in the office, fuming. She couldn't understand why President Lin Ruoxi, who usually valued her opinions, had directly rejected the suggestion to fire Yang Chen. Moreover, why did she call Yang Chen to her office? Did Yang Chen have a special background? These questions kept haunting Mo Qianyi, even causing her to lose sleep at night.

As for Yang Chen, after declining a welcome party from a group of female colleagues, he quietly went to the underground parking garage reserved for the president of Yu Lei International. He got into Lin Ruoxi's Bentley and headed to the agreed-upon Blue Bay Hotel.

As the night fell in Zhonghai City, neither of them knew what the other was thinking. The first display of affection by the newlyweds was interrupted by a call from Xu Zhihong.