Xiao Rufeng understood that he only said those words to remind her to be more careful in the future. It had been a miracle that she was able to avoid the impending disaster waiting for her because she was sent to Yan Xiuchen's bed as opposed to other men, who could do lascivious things to her body against her will.
"I wish we'd met under better circumstances compared to last night." Xiao Rufeng bit her lower lip before giving him an awkward smile.
"We didn't." Yan Xiuchen said in a crisp voice, "but it doesn't matter now."
"I suppose you're right. There's no point in dwelling on something we cannot change." She commented.
Yan Xiuchen remained silent, but the slight incline of his head told Xiao Rufeng that he was listening. Xiao Rufeng didn't seem to mind his silence and started eating her breakfast without a word, casually checking him out.
From where she was seated, she could only see the good side of his face, no doubt he was trying to make her feel comfortable by hiding his scarred face again. Looking at him like this, Xiao Rufeng was given a sight of his clean side-profile.
She thought that he was quite good looking, as expected from a man of his status. His slight angular jaw and strong facial features looked flattering on him. He had this commanding aura that could be oppressive and charming at the same time. His dark eyes were narrow and his lips thin, as if he never knew how to smile at all.
Of course, Xiao Rufeng was aware of the reason for this and she didn't blame him for it. The scars on his face looked jagged and deep, indicating that whatever caused it was too serious to leave Yan Xiuchen like this. She was curious to know the story behind it, but she knew it was improper for her to ask him such a personal question.
Yan Xiuchen's movements looked refined, as if he'd been used to such ethics and custom his whole life. His long fingers held his cup of coffee, while he occasionally glanced her way as she ate. He found her toying with her food.
"Is everything alright?" He asked her and Xiao Rufeng couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She couldn't possibly inconvenience him more than she already had.
"Great, thank you. Just wondering how I should proceed after this."
Despite her hunger, Xiao Rufeng didn't have the appetite to eat more. She knew that she wasn't truly safe yet, until she was able to meet Su Xiaofei and find out the current situation outside.
"I've only met Su Xiaofei once." Yan Xiuchen replied. "But I think she's a capable woman. You don't need to worry too much if she's your manager."
Xiao Rufeng smiled at that.
"Actually, I quite envy her." She admitted, piquing Yan Xiuchen's curiosity.
"How so?"
Xiao Rufeng paused as she reminisced how she met Su Xiaofei the first time and how the latter tried to help her improve and promised to make her a queen someday, something Xiao Rufeng wasn't aiming for.
"She's everything I'm not." She answered her benefactor. "When I met President Su for the first time, I thought that she's the most beautiful girl I've seen in my whole life."
"You aren't bad yourself, Miss Xiao. I assure you, your looks are pleasing to look at."
Yan Xiuchen didn't know where he got the courage to utter those words, but he didn't want Xiao Rufeng to worry about her physical appearance. She and Su Xiaofei were both beautiful in their own ways.
Xiao Rufeng stared at his wide eyes and blushed a little. She averted her eyes and cleared her throat, trying to remind herself of what she was saying earlier.
"That's not all. I admire her confidence and how she faced other's scrutiny when they doubted her ability. You see, because she is a beautiful woman, that's the first thing people notice about her. I heard that she got into some trouble with the board when some of them refused to acknowledge her abilities when she became a director at our company."
She eyed Yan Xiuchen, seeing that he was still listening to her. Xiao Rufeng wasn't sure why she was telling him this when they knew nothing of each other before last night.
"But President Su managed to earn their respect, by not arguing with them, but instead showed them what she's capable of through hard work. I want to be like her, even just a bit."
Yan Xiuchen remained silent and stared at his drink. It seemed to him that Xiao Rufeng had high regards for Su Xiaofei but was oblivious to her manager's way.
From what he heard from Song Yiran, that woman was vindictive and would never allow another person to demean her in any way.The mischievous glint he had seen during their first meeting was an indication that his brother might be right, but it surprised him to know that Xiao Rufeng wasn't truly aware of what Su Xiaofei was capable of.
"Then be like her. Work hard and dedicate your best to your craft. The most successful people have failed at least once."
"Does that mean that even you, a bigshot, have failed at least once in your life?"
"More than once. In fact several times, but I learned a lot from it. The mistakes that we make are what teach us to do better next time." He shrugged.
Xiao Rufeng was enjoying her morning talk with Yan Xiuchen, but it was time for her to leave and see the outside world instead. She wiped her mouth clean and rose from her seat. There was a knock on the door, and then the Zhang sisters stepped in.
Yan Xiuchen followed her lead, his hand itching to make her stay a little longer, but he kept his silence.
"Thanks again, Mr. Yan. Please don't hesitate to give me a call whenever you feel like it."
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com