Yan Xiuchen asked no more and fell silent. He had no right to interfere with or to comment on her personal life anyway. It just surprised him that someone had hurt her in a heartless way. However, he also understood that it was already part of life. Of course, Xiao Rufeng had someone in her heart, which only added to the long list of why he couldn't be with her.
"By the way, I heard from Mr. Lu that your assistant fell sick, and now you need someone to help you. I've been thinking, why don't I work as your temporary assistant to repay the favor? What do you think, Mr. Yan?"
Yan Xiuchen blinked at that, not expecting that Xiao Rufeng was aware of his current predicament. While it was true that his assistant was off duty, he didn't think it was right for Xiao Rufeng to step forward and fulfill the spot.
"Aren't you busy with filming your new series?" He frowned. "If you are saying this because you want to repay the favor, you don't have to. I'm not asking anything in return."
Why was she and Su Xiaofei making a big deal of what he had done? Yan Xiuchen thought that he didn't do much for them, aside from keeping Xiao Rufeng safe on his own turf.
Xiao Rufeng sighed. She already anticipated that Yan Xiuchen would turn her down, but she didn't want to feel indebted to him.
"It's just I don't want to feel that I owe you whenever I see you. Won't you consider it? Just until your assistant returns for work."
Yan Xiuchen stared at her, seeing that she wouldn't easily back down on this and that she had already decided to do it. He didn't think that she could be this persistent if she wanted to, which only added to her charm.
"What made you think I would agree? Have you talked about this with your manager? I don't want Su Xiaofei to blame me later if I agree to this." He muttered. He also didn't trust himself being alone for too long with her.
It would be dangerous for his sanity to be in her presence for longer than necessary. It would only make him crave for more of her attention, and he didn't want that. Still, the thought that he would be able to see her and learn more about her sounded enticing for him.
"It's only for two weeks, right? If you are worried that I would mess up your work, don't worry too much. It might not be obvious, but I have a degree in business administration."
Yan Xiuchen's brows rose at that. "You do?"
He was aware that some artists needed to spend years before they could debut, and many had chosen to drop out of school to focus on their careers. So it came as a surprise to him to hear that Xiao Rufeng managed to squeeze time to finish her studies.
"En. It's part of my deal with my father when I was still a trainee at Bluemedia. He said that I can continue my training as long as I complete my studies." She shrugged, "I guess he was hoping that if things don't go well for me in showbiz, I would be fine, as I can always join our family business. President Su also agreed with him, so we ended up attending the same university, but she graduated before me."
"Seems like your father cared about you in his own way." He commented. How could he forget that Xiao Rufeng wasn't simply an actress, striving her way to stardom?
She shot him an incredulous look. "Seriously?"
"Well, technically you are still the eldest miss of the Xiao family, and you are an heiress. Of course, he would want to give and provide what he thinks is best for you."
Xiao Rufeng made a face, but she had to admit that what Yan Xiuchen said was right. She and her father might not be on good terms, but in terms of financial support and her academics, her father did provide the best for her.
"I wish he would stop treating me like a little girl who couldn't make her own decision. I'm perfectly fine where I am. He just needs to make sure his other daughter keeps her distance from me. I don't want to get involved with the company. I'm a responsible adult who knows what she wants and what she needs."
"Of course, you are. You are doing well already, but your father must be thinking that being an actor isn't a stable job. You might be popular now, but who can assure it will remain the same tomorrow?"
She flushed at his compliment and averted her gaze, wanting to look anywhere else but at him. Why were they arguing about her father anyway? She only wanted to settle the tab with him.
"Why are we even talking about my father? Can't you just allow me to repay the favor I owe you?"
"If you can make Su Xiaofei agree, then fine, but I don't want to hear any complaints if you found the job too taxing and hard for you." Yan Xiuchen said as if he was giving her an easy way out away from him, although deep inside he was craving more of her attention.
"Is that a challenge, Mr. Yan? Because that would only make me eager to prove that I can do it." She grinned at him.
Yan Xiuchen stood up, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. Her scent and her body heat were making him uncomfortable, and he needed to get away from her. He knew he could easily lose her if he wasn't careful.
He took a business card from his jacket and handed it to her, seeing the excitement glint flashing in her eyes. Two weeks, she said. A memorable two weeks of his life that he would surely cherish for the rest of his life, once she was out of it.
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