LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 98
Li Zhen bought breakfast outside the next day and walked to the company while eating.
When she arrived at the door, she bumped into Zhang Xiya.
"Little Zhen Zhen." Zhang Xiya walked up to her in a few steps, grabbed her hand excitedly, and exclaimed in a low voice, "You were so amazing last night! So beautiful and charming!"
Li Zhen lightly coughed twice, with a hint of pride in her tone, "It was decent."
"Tsk tsk tsk... Just decent..." Zhang Xiya imitated Li Zhen's tone, bumped her shoulder against hers, "Very smug huh, superstar Li."
The two immediately laughed together.
After entering the company gate, Zhang Xiya lowered her voice mysteriously again, "Oh right, you don't know, yesterday President Yu and President Lu reimbursed everyone's ticket money on the company group chat. Everyone has been privately discussing that it's because of you. Those two are being quite high-profile now..."
Zhang Xiya was sweating for Li Zhen.
In case someone with ulterior motives falsely reported to the company and spread rumors that Li Zhen was having an office romance, the penalty would be huge.
Li Zhen's expression stiffened slightly.
Come to think of it, it's true that those two have been disregarding the company's rules more and more lately.
Once in the elevator.
Quite a few people had already come up from the basement levels 2 and 1.
As soon as Li Zhen and Zhang Xiya entered, they saw Yu Sheng in the corner.
Yu Sheng was wearing a black suit, the fabric reflected extremely strong texture under the elevator lighting.
He had one hand in his left pocket and the other holding his phone browsing messages, his posture particularly upright, standing in the corner like a halo around him, his temperament distinctly different from the others.
Zhang Xiya and Li Zhen entered, pressed their floor, and happened to stand diagonally across from Yu Sheng.
"Zhen Zhen, look, President Yu." Zhang Xiya whispered in Li Zhen's ear.
"Oh." Li Zhen didn't so much as glance at Yu Sheng, her gaze fixed steadily on the smooth elevator wall ahead.
"Take a look, I feel like something's off with President Yu today, he didn't come yesterday either, do you think he's sick?" Zhang Xiya prodded Li Zhen with her elbow.
Li Zhen's peripheral vision swept over him.
Yu Sheng's complexion today looked particularly pale, even more lifeless than when she saw him at the Yu residence, his whole body emanating some indescribable frailty.
But Li Zhen only looked for a moment before quickly withdrawing her gaze.
In the next second after Li Zhen had looked away, Yu Sheng glanced over at her.
When they arrived at the advertising department floor, Li Zhen and Zhang Xiya exited the elevator.
They had just sat down when Meng Yuanjie came over too.
As soon as he saw Li Zhen he looked terribly wronged, "While everyone else enjoyed your performance last night, I had a miserable time."
"What happened?" Li Zhen looked up at him.
"This guy, he's too funny." Zhang Xiya couldn't help laughing when she recalled last night's events, "We paid a small amount to watch a big production, he paid a lot just to work a job all night."
Zhang Xiya was glad she had left to go sit halfway through.
Not like Meng Yuanjie, foolishly standing there for two hours.
Li Zhen understood now.
She remembered seeing in the company group chat last night that Meng Yuanjie had been fined.
"I'm speechless too, the people in the company were so excited to see me, just because they know me, they all came to ask me whenever they wanted to use the bathroom, I was busier than the theater staff..." Meng Yuanjie complained indignantly at the memory, gritting his teeth.
Some even asked if he was doing a side gig there together with Li Zhen.
Li Zhen was on stage performing.
He was below as security!
Who could come up with such questions?
He was at his wits' end.
"Why were you helping out at the theater?" Li Zhen asked.
"Meng Changsheng is my uncle! He's always bossing me around since I was little." Meng Yuanjie thought about it, and added, "Oh right, Li Zhen, my uncle called my dad last night, he was so happy he couldn't stop praising you, and kept saying you've got what it takes to become a big star."
Zhang Xiya was proud on Li Zhen's behalf, excitedly saying, "Little Zhen Zhen, are you going to break into showbiz next? You've gotta give me advance notice if you really do, I want to be your number one fan from the beginning."
"Don't know, we'll see where it goes."
Li Zhen pursed her lips, lowering her head fiddling with her fingertips.
-
Around noon, after eating with Zhang Xiya and the others, Li Zhen had just left the employee cafeteria when Zhao Yan blocked her path.
"Li Zhen."
Zhao Yan was still holding a takeout box of food from the cafeteria, his gaze looking to the few people behind Li Zhen.
Realizing, Zhang Xiya and the others walked ahead first.
"Manager Zhao, did you need me for something?" Li Zhen gave a faint smile.
But her smile was shallow, because she guessed that nine times out of ten, Zhao Yan looking for her had to do with Yu Sheng.
"There's something I wanted to ask your help with." Zhao Yan also lacked confidence, unsure if he should be doing this, "President Yu came to work today but has been in poor condition the whole time. We advised him to rest but he refuses to listen. Around 11am his condition got even worse, he didn't eat either, said he had no appetite..."
Zhao Yan glanced at Li Zhen's expression, "I was hoping you could go up and bring him a meal, so that President Yu doesn't go hungry at least."
Flashes of seeing Yu Sheng earlier in the elevator went through Li Zhen's mind.
Other than the necessary concealment from the Li family side, she didn't want any more contact with Yu Sheng, let alone at the company.
Li Zhen pulled at her lips, gently declining with a smile, "I'm sorry, Manager Zhao, I'm quite busy with work today and don't have much time now."
Zhao Yan sighed lightly, disappointed, "I see."
If he had asked any other female colleague to bring President Yu a meal, they'd be delighted.
Yet the one person President Yu most wanted to see firmly refused without hesitation.
Zhao Yan had walked two steps when Li Zhen's voice sounded behind him, "When President Yu has poor appetite, tomato shrimp soup might help."
Zhao Yan's footsteps faltered.
Li Zhen was so familiar with President Yu's lifestyle and habits?
On the way back to the office, Li Zhen received a call from Li Yinnan.
She addressed him as "Dad", her tone a bit cold, "You and my sister are out of that shack already?"
Li Yinnan's intended words stuck in his throat for a moment.
He and Li Yanran had been locked inside for a full four hours before the locksmith he had called from far away finally let them out.
The wound on Li Yanran's head wasn't actually that big originally, but being stuck inside had caused it to become infected.
A head infection was no small matter.
Li Yanran was still lying in the hospital now.
Li Yinnan suppressed his temper, trying his best to make his voice sound gentle over the phone, "I'm having some friends over tonight, wanted to meet Yu Sheng."
"He has to work overtime today, no time." Li Zhen rejected outright.
"Li Zhen, don't be petty, how can you talk to me like this!"
For Li Yinnan's previous requests, Li Zhen had agreed.
Today he had already promised those people Yu Sheng would come.
He didn't expect Li Zhen to refuse.
"Dad, ever since you said you wanted to imprison me, I probably won't be able to talk nicely with you anymore." Li Zhen gave a light laugh, tinged with self-mockery, "I must be the first daughter whose father wanted to imprison her right?
Li Yinnan was at a loss for words momentarily.
That day he had acted rashly.
He shouldn't have torn into Li Zhen before thinking it through clearly.
"Yu Sheng must come today." Li Yinnan's brow furrowed, his tone steady, "Make a request, as my apology for losing my temper that day."
Li Zhen casually said, "Sure, then change the contract to transfer the shares when I get pregnant instead of when the child is born."
"That's impossible!" Li Yinnan's pitch abruptly rose.
"Then forget it." Li Zhen hung up.
That request was impossible from the start.
Giving upon pregnancy would mean she'd get it months earlier.
Li Yinnan would never be that generous to her.
She was just casually finding an excuse to end their conversation.
Her phone rang again.
Li Zhen's brow quirked slightly. She answered.
Li Yinnan said coldly, "Fine, I agree. The shares will be transferred on the day you get a positive pregnancy test report."