"You! It's all your fault, the things you bought are all cold now, how can we eat them!" Su He was so dazed by Lu Yanbei's kiss that she had forgotten what day it was. By the time they separated, panting, the pile of food on the coffee table had gone completely cold.
"I'll have someone bring up a meal," Lu Yanbei said, reaching for his phone.
Su He, however, objected. "No, I want this."
She paused, then asked, "Does the company have a microwave? I can just heat it up there."
Microwaves, of course, were available.
There was one in the pantry on every floor, convenient for whenever needed.
"I'll ask Cheng Jue to heat it for you," Lu Yanbei sighed, relenting.
"There's no need to trouble Assistant Cheng with such a small matter, I can do it myself." Su He was used to doing things herself. She wasn't missing limbs, and she didn't like being served.
Lu Yanbei grunted, letting her have her way.
Carrying her things, Su He left the office and bumped into Cheng Jue. She asked for the location of the pantry and happily headed over.
It was lunchtime, and the office area was mostly deserted.
However, the pantry was quite lively.
Everyone was discussing what had just happened, their voices animated and engrossed, so much so that they didn't notice anyone approaching.
"You guys should have seen Young Master Lu's expression, it was hilarious!"
"What do you think the boss and his wife were doing in the office to make Young Master Lu look like that?"
"What else could they be doing, of course... you know!"
"Newlyweds, fire meeting tinder, anything is possible!"
"Ah, no wonder his expression held a hint of anger."
"What's he angry about? Could it be jealousy!"
"He ignored her for three years of marriage, and now he's jealous? What was he doing before?"
"I think he's just envious! Envious that the Madam can find someone better after divorcing, while he broke up with his first love and made such a mess of it?"
"Ah, he broke up with Song Yan? When did that happen?"
"Haven't you noticed there's been no news of Song Yan lately! Without the resources Young Master Lu provided, what is she?"
"Oh, so he just can't stand to see others happy!"
Su He stood outside the pantry, unsure whether to enter or not.
She was, after all, one of the subjects of this gossip.
Besides, what did they mean by Lu Jingyang being jealous?
Nothing was going on between them, so what was there to be jealous about!
"Distance creates beauty, understand? A prodigal son returns, realizing his first love was the best, and naturally he'd have feelings."
"Hey, don't you guys speculate wildly, what if someone overhears..." A female employee in a white suit came out of the pantry with her coffee cup and saw Su He standing outside with an innocent expression. Her unfinished sentence got stuck in her throat.
"Bai Lin, why are you blocking the doorway?"
Bai Lin gave a wry smile and respectfully called out, "Madam Boss."
That one address, "Madam Boss," immediately silenced everyone in the pantry.
Su He blinked and feigned calmness. "Oh, I just wanted to use the microwave to heat up some food."
"Madam Boss, please go ahead." Everyone hastily made space.
Su He thanked them and, pretending to be unfazed, began operating the microwave.
The people inside looked embarrassed, while those outside stood awkwardly.
Su He knew what they were afraid of but said nothing.
Gossiping about others behind their backs was hardly a righteous act, and she didn't intend to forgive them so easily. Although they hadn't said anything bad about her, any rumors could still cause trouble for her and Lu Yanbei.
Finally, Bai Lin couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to apologize to Su He. "I'm so sorry, Madam Boss. It was my loose tongue that spoke indiscreetly. I promise, it will never happen again."
Seeing her admit her mistake, the others quickly chimed in with their agreement.
Su He saw that they were remorseful and had no intention of pursuing the matter further. "I have no right to interfere with anyone, but I think it's better to focus on work in the office area. What do you all think?"
"Madam Boss, you are right."
"You're absolutely correct, we will truly mend our ways."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear what just happened. Let this be the last time!" Su He said. "And, don't call me Madam Boss anymore, just call me Miss Su."
"Alright, Miss Su."
With a crisp ding, the heated food was ready.
Su He continued to heat her other items without paying any further attention to the people outside. Seeing that Su He wasn't going to pursue the matter, everyone immediately returned to their posts, patting their chests with relief.
However, this incident made them realize that Su He was not a pushover who could be bullied by anyone. They had initially assumed she had risen through the ranks solely due to her innocent looks and Old Master Lu's support. Now, they had to re-evaluate her.
*
Su He didn't mention the pantry incident to Lu Yanbei, which greatly relieved everyone.
After finishing the snacks with Lu Yanbei, Su He, yawning, went to his lounge.
Sigh. People always got sleepy after eating.
"Get some good rest, and I'll wake you when it's time to go home," Lu Yanbei said, affectionately stroking her face.
Su He happily agreed.
However, before she fell asleep, several unknown calls came in. One of them was from the editor-in-chief who had previously emailed Su He. She had a last-minute unavoidable engagement that day and had sent her assistant to discuss the collaboration.
Unexpectedly, that assistant was extremely arrogant. She categorized Su He as a newcomer to the industry, assuming her success was purely due to luck with a hit product. Furthermore, the company's offered copyright price was five hundred thousand. This assistant, under the guise of acting in the company's best interest, had directly cut the price to one hundred thousand.
She assumed Su He wouldn't scrutinize the contract carefully, and once it was signed, it would be legally binding. Even if Su He discovered something amiss, there would be no recourse.
To her surprise, Su He didn't even look at the contract. Instead, she directly asked questions. The assistance, who had expected to offer a handout, had instead severely offended Su He. The contract wasn't signed, and she was bound to receive a scolding from her superior.
"Who told you to alter the agreement price without authorization?"
"Do you know who she is? I went to great lengths to find out her background, and you ruined it all with your actions, creating animosity."
The editor-in-chief was furious when she learned what the assistant had done.
"She's just a newcomer, isn't she..." The assistant initially refused to admit fault, thinking the editor-in-chief was overreacting.
"What do you know!" The editor-in-chief exclaimed, clutching her forehead. "Setting aside her work, her true identity alone can bring significant benefits to the company!"
"And you went and severed a relationship that was within our grasp!"
"Is it really that serious? Who exactly is she?" The assistant pouted and reluctantly asked.
The editor-in-chief pulled out an investigation report from her drawer and threw it in front of her. "Does it look familiar?"
The assistant scanned the document from beginning to end, her alarm growing with each passing moment.
She could never have imagined that the girl who looked like a university student was actually the wife that Young Master Yan of Lu Corporation protected so fiercely!