Xu Xiuwen suppressed his anger and questioned, “You’re calling me by name now?”
Lu Xinyao noticed the anger hidden in Xu Xiuwen’s expression.
Her heart fluttered with slight panic, but she refused to show weakness.
“I’ve already resigned. Is it a problem if I call you by name now?”
“Suit yourself…”
Xu Xiuwen didn’t press the issue further.
“Let me ask you this—why did you leave without saying a word? And why didn’t you answer my call this afternoon?”
Lu Xinyao didn’t want to answer him, so she chose to play dumb.
“I told you I was resigning. As for the call this afternoon, I thought it was a scam call, so I didn’t answer. I’m no longer your secretary; I don’t need to be available for your calls 24/7, do I?”
“When did you ever tell me you were resigning? Why don’t I know about it?”
“I… I wrote a resignation letter and left it on your desk. I thought you’d seen it.”
“Then why didn’t I see any resignation letter at the office today?” Xu Xiuwen’s gaze locked onto Lu Xinyao.
His intense stare made Lu Xinyao uneasy. She had already told one lie, and now she had to cover it with another.
“Maybe someone accidentally threw it away while cleaning, or it got stuffed into some other documents. How would I know? You’re the one who’s never at the office…”
Xu Xiuwen was infuriated by her lies. He took a sudden step forward, grabbing Lu Xinyao’s hand and yanking her forcefully into his arms.
Her body collided with his chest before coming to a stop.
Lu Xinyao struggled to break free, yelling, “Xu Xiuwen, what are you doing? Let me go!”
But instead of letting her go, Xu Xiuwen pushed her backward with his chest until her back hit the wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat.
He grabbed her arms, raising them above her head, pinning her firmly against the wall.
Lu Xinyao was stunned. When she came back to her senses, she began to struggle and resist violently, screaming for help at the top of her lungs, treating him as though he were a criminal.
Xu Xiuwen glared down at her and threatened, “Lu Xinyao, if you keep shouting, I’ll strip you naked!”
Hearing his words, Lu Xinyao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Xu Xiuwen.
She couldn’t fathom that such words would come out of his mouth.
Seeing the madness in his eyes, fear began to creep into her heart.
After hesitating for a second, she finally stopped shouting.
But staying silent didn’t mean she was willing to be restrained against the wall in such a humiliating position.
“Xu Xiuwen, what exactly do you want?”
“I should be the one asking you—what do you want?”
“I’ve already resigned. Why can’t you just let me go?”
“Heh, resigned? I haven’t even approved it yet!” Xu Xiuwen sneered coldly.
“Why do you need to approve it? Do I not even have the right to resign? Give me a reason—say it!”
“Don’t forget, you were the one who came to me asking to be my secretary.”
“So what? I regret it. I don’t want to do this job anymore, so I’m resigning.”
“I won’t allow you to resign! Do you think this is some restaurant where you can come and go as you please?”
“What gives you the right to stop me from resigning?!”
“Because you’re my woman.”
This time, it was Lu Xinyao who let out a cold laugh.
“Heh… how amusing, Mr. Xu. Let me remind you, your girlfriend is Cheng Lu—or wait, no, there are others too. But one thing’s for sure: it’s not me!”
“And don’t forget, that night, you forced me!”
Xu Xiuwen decided to throw all pretense to the wind.
“So what?”
“What?”
“I said, so what if I forced you? We slept together, didn’t we?”
“Xu Xiuwen, how can you be so shameless?!” Lu Xinyao glared at him with hatred.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly chuckled.
“Shameless or noble, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that things between us aren’t settled yet. Until I say so, you’re not allowed to resign.”
Lu Xinyao stared at Xu Xiuwen for a long moment before sighing in frustration.
“So, what do you want to do about it?”
“I can compensate you.”
“Heh… Xu Xiuwen, stop saying such laughable things. That night was my own fault. I don’t blame you, but I also don’t need your compensation! If you really want to make it up to me, then don’t appear in front of me ever again,” Lu Xinyao said decisively.
Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen’s expression shifted repeatedly.
After a moment of silence, he softened his tone and lowered his stance.
“Come back. Be my secretary again, and I’ll give you a raise.”
“No need. I’ve already found a new job, and I’m very happy there. I’ll never come back!”
Xu Xiuwen said nothing.
Seeing this, Lu Xinyao couldn’t help but add, “Anyway, you already have a new secretary, don’t you? I heard she’s very pretty. You don’t need me at all!”
Xu Xiuwen had been on the verge of giving up.
Lu Xinyao’s attitude was far too resolute, and he was starting to consider whether he should truly stop bothering her.
But then he thought about that night.
The desire to compensate her still lingered in his heart.
However, when he heard her last remark, his thoughts shifted.
Lu Xinyao, as his former secretary, wouldn’t have known about Liu Xinran, who had filled her role during her absence. Even Xu Xiuwen himself had only learned today that he had a new secretary.
So how did Lu Xinyao, someone who had already resigned, know about Liu Xinran’s existence?
The answer wasn’t hard to guess: she must have been keeping tabs on the company.
And the channel? Likely Song Xiaomi.
The same Song Xiaomi who had told Xu Xiuwen where to find Lu Xinyao after some persuasion.
Initially, Song Xiaomi had been reluctant to reveal anything. It wasn’t until Xu Xiuwen claimed he wanted to rehire Lu Xinyao that she gave in and disclosed the information.
Why would someone who had resigned still be inquiring about their former company?
Unless she cared—
And it wasn’t the position she cared about; otherwise, she wouldn’t have resigned in the first place.
Which left only one possibility: she cared about the person.
As this realization dawned, Xu Xiuwen felt a wave of relief.
He noticed the nervous flicker in Lu Xinyao’s eyes and quickly deduced the cause.
After a moment’s thought, he explained, “Liu Xinran was placed in the company by Hang Fei. I didn’t know about her until today. And I haven’t approved her as my secretary—I’ve already reassigned her to the front desk.”
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After hearing Xu Xiuwen’s explanation, Lu Xinyao’s expression remained indifferent, cold even.
But inside, she felt an urge to laugh.
She knew that Xu Xiuwen’s new secretary was a highly educated returnee from the UK. Yet, Xu Xiuwen had assigned her to the front desk?
If that wasn’t a waste of talent, then what was?
How ruthless of him.
Lu Xinyao couldn’t help but glance at Xu Xiuwen, thinking to herself how utterly wicked he was.
In reality, she had already resigned. Whether Xu Xiuwen had a new secretary or who that secretary was shouldn’t have mattered to her.
Yet, upon hearing that Xu Xiuwen hadn’t truly hired a new secretary, her mood inexplicably lifted.
Neither of them spoke, and the corridor fell silent.
The motion-activated lights in the hallway soon dimmed, plunging the space into darkness.
The corridor was now pitch-black, so dark that one couldn’t see their hand in front of their face.
The only sounds were their breathing.
Suddenly, Lu Xinyao yelled, “Xu Xiuwen, let go of me!”
As she spoke, the lights in the corridor flickered back on.
Xu Xiuwen looked down at her.
Her arms were still pinned above her head, pressed against the wall by his grip.
Her body was trapped between him and the wall.
The position, to be honest, was both intimate and awkward.
It reminded him of his time with An Shishi.
Back then, he had used this exact position with her—though she had been facing the wall, her hands pinned above her head.
The memory of what they had done in that position suddenly flooded back, making Xu Xiuwen’s breathing quicken.
When Lu Xinyao finished speaking, she noticed Xu Xiuwen hadn’t let go.
On the contrary, his breathing had grown heavier.
She looked up and was startled to find his gaze filled with danger.
His eyes glinted like those of a predator zeroing in on its prey, full of bad intentions.
Xu Xiuwen studied her closely at this proximity, feeling the warmth of her body through his chest.
This woman had clearly had a bit to drink.
The faint scent of alcohol clung to her, but instead of being unpleasant, it mingled with her natural fragrance to create a scent that was oddly alluring.
Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
The blend of alcohol, perfume, and her natural scent was intoxicating, clouding his mind and chipping away at his self-control.
His thoughts drifted involuntarily back to that night in Feishi, recalling the sensation of being with Lu Xinyao.
His breathing grew even heavier.
Sensing danger, Lu Xinyao warned him, “Xu Xiuwen, don’t even think about it! If you try anything, I’ll scream for help!”
Xu Xiuwen had been momentarily tempted but had no real intention of doing anything to her in the corridor.
However, her threat only piqued his curiosity further.
He wanted to see what Lu Xinyao would do. What could she do?
Letting out a deliberately cold laugh, Xu Xiuwen sneered, “And what if you scream? Do you think anyone will hear? If someone could hear you, they’d have come when you yelled earlier. But did anyone come?”
Lu Xinyao’s heart sank.
To her, Xu Xiuwen’s words sounded like a confirmation of his intentions.
And the truth was, no one had come when she had shouted.
Maybe the neighbors were asleep, or maybe no one had heard her. Either way, it seemed no one could help her now.
Panic gripped her, and without thinking, she blurted out, “Don’t do anything stupid. I... I have a boyfriend!”
Her words stopped Xu Xiuwen in his tracks.
All his movements ceased instantly, and his gaze turned deadly serious.
It was well known: Xu Xiuwen despised being “cheated on.”
To him, the idea of anyone putting him in such a situation was intolerable.
In his mind, even though Lu Xinyao wasn’t his girlfriend or lover, she had been with him—and before that night, she had been a virgin.
For Xu Xiuwen, that made her at least half his woman.
But now, hearing her say she had a boyfriend felt like a slap to the face. It was as if he’d been betrayed.
Lu Xinyao sensed the tension shift in the air.
Of course, she didn’t actually have a boyfriend.
At least not recently—she wasn’t interested in dating for the time being.
But now that she had lied, she had no choice but to stick to it.
Summoning her resolve, she repeated, “Xu Xiuwen, let go of me. I have a boyfriend, and he has a terrible temper. If he finds out you’ve been harassing me, he won’t let you off.”
To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Xu Xiuwen immediately let go of her.
Not only that, but he also took a deliberate step back.
Now standing half a meter away, he stared at her coldly.
His gaze was frigid—so cold it could cut through bone.
“The man who brought you back tonight—he’s your boyfriend?” Xu Xiuwen’s voice dragged, each word laced with venom.
“What does it matter to you?”
“I’m asking you—is he?” Xu Xiuwen’s voice grew lower, simmering with restrained anger.
“And what if he is?”
Seeing the fury brewing beneath Xu Xiuwen’s expression, Lu Xinyao couldn’t quite describe how she felt.
But she refused to back down in front of him.
Her words hit Xu Xiuwen like a blow. To him, it was as good as a confession.
Rage burned hotter in his chest, his eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that felt suffocating.
“Who gave you permission to get a boyfriend?” he asked, voice sharp and dangerous.
“And why shouldn’t I be allowed to have one?”
Lu Xinyao refused to yield, tilting her chin defiantly as she stared back at him.
Though Xu Xiuwen’s glare made her uneasy, she had no intention of backing down.
“Don’t forget, your first time was with me. You’re my woman,” Xu Xiuwen growled.
“Shameless! You forced me!” she shot back, her voice filled with both fury and disgust.
Xu Xiuwen didn’t respond to her words. Instead, he continued to sneer, “I didn’t expect you, Lu Xinyao, to be so desperate. So, how is it now? Is this new boyfriend of yours satisfying you in bed? He looks a bit older, doesn’t he?”
Lu Xinyao was completely caught off guard by Xu Xiuwen’s words. She was utterly stunned, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“Xu Xiuwen! You—You bastard! How can you say that about me?”
“Isn’t it true? You slept with me, and before we’ve even cleared things up, you couldn’t wait to find another man. Isn’t that desperation? Or—what? Are you with him for his money?”
Xu Xiuwen’s words completely trapped Lu Xinyao.
She had no choice but to either admit she was desperate or confess that she was after the man’s money.
It was as if her dignity was being trampled on.
Lu Xinyao felt a sharp pain in her heart. She never expected Xu Xiuwen to see her in such a disgraceful light.
“You’re right, Xu Xiuwen! I am desperate! I do want a man to keep me company in bed. So what? Who do you think you are to interfere? Just because we slept together, you think you have the right to control my life? Let me tell you, that night—I couldn’t care less. I’ll just think of it as being bitten by a dog.”
Of course, Xu Xiuwen didn’t really believe that Lu Xinyao was as desperate as she claimed. Her words stung him deeply, provoking him into deliberately using cruel words to humiliate her.
What he truly wanted was for Lu Xinyao to explain herself. But instead of doing that, she admitted to being desperate and even likened their night together to being bitten by a dog.
Xu Xiuwen was utterly enraged.
He thought, Didn’t you say it didn’t matter? That it was like being bitten by a dog? Didn’t you say you wanted a man to sleep with you?
With that, Xu Xiuwen stepped forward aggressively…
Take the little secretary down first. Slowly… no need to rush.