Sixteen

The new office felt cramped compared to Ma Ri's previous workspace, where she'd had a larger desk. The office was bustling as it was the start of the workday. Although she previously worked in this company, there were several new faces for Ma Ri. Either they were new recruits or colleagues from other departments she hadn't encountered before.

The head of the department showed Ma Ri to her desk, and she immediately began organizing it with items she brought from her previous job. Suddenly, she heard her name called by a familiar voice. As she was too focused, she got startled. She turned back to check, hoping her instincts were wrong.

"Han Ma Ri!" A man wearing glasses, looking slightly older than Ma Ri, appeared before her. It was Mr. Yoon, her former colleague from the sales department.

"Ah! Mr. Yoon! Good morning!" Ma Ri greeted him, bowing with a bright smile.

"I thought it was just a rumor, but now that I see you, it feels like a dream, haha! I never imagined I'd be able to see you around again." His tone was friendly, but Ma Ri felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Well, fate has pulled me back here I guess, haha!" Ma Ri replied politely, hoping he'd leave her alone.

"I'd love to work with you again, though I doubt we'll cross paths much now that you're in a different department." He looked disappointed. He moved closer, reaching out as if to touch her shoulder. Ma Ri stepped back instinctively, looked around and noticed how other people in the office were judging her behavior as a new worker.

"Ah, I…" She forced a polite smile, even though she was internally screaming to escape.

"Mr. Yoon! What are you doing here?" Mr. Lee, the department head, approached them, and Ma Ri felt relieved. She could feel that all the eyes, which were gawking at her a while ago, were shifted at their own desks.

"Ah, I was looking for you! I needed to report on someone." Mr. Yoon glanced at Ma Ri and when their eyes met, he smirked as if the employee he was going to report on was none other than her. Her heart raced as she worried about any past mistakes he might dredge up.

"Come to my desk." Mr. Lee gestured toward his office, a bit far from the employees' desks. As Mr. Yoon walked away, he looked back at Ma Ri with that unsettling smirk, making her skin crawl.

He was the main reason she hadn't wanted to work in the sales department. She never imagined she'd see him on her first day back. The smirk on his face was so infuriating that she wished she could punch it right off, to the extent where he'd lose the ability to show those teeth to anyone.

"F**k!" She clenched her fist while gritting her teeth. She glanced around and noticed others looking at her with their big and curious eyes.

"Hello!" Ma Ri gave a polite bow to the others, trying to shake off her irritation. Seeing her friendly gesture, her new colleagues finally approached her.

"Hi! I'm Lee Na!"

"I'm Ah Ri!"

"I'm Dong Shik!"

"I'm Min Gi!"

With Mr. Lee gone, everyone seemed more comfortable introducing themselves.

"Please take care of me from now on." Ma Ri bowed again in gratitude.

Right at that moment, Ryu Gil entered. His eyes wandered, clearly looking for someone. Noticing him, Ma Ri's face lit up with excitement. She had wanted to speak with him ever since she'd seen him in Jiang's office. That day, the tense atmosphere and Jiang's hostility had kept her from observing him, she couldn't even look at his face properly. Now that she finally had the chance, she was thrilled.

"How adorable he is! I bet he'd look so tiny and cute and gorgeous in Jiang's arms," she thought, stifling a giggle as she approached him.

"Hello! I'm Han Ma Ri. We've met before, haven't we?" She extended her hand.

"We have?" Ryu Gil looked puzzled. He forgot about the encounter since he had a lot going inside his head.

"Yes! Never mind if you forgot! We'll be seeing each other often from now on!" Ma Ri grinned, subtly hinting at her interest, though Ryu Gil didn't catch it.

"Ah, we might. I'm Hwang Ryu Gil, the CEO's secretary." He shook her hand in a polite, straightforward manner.

"Would you mind sparing a few minutes to chat?" Ma Ri asked, her excitement was written all over her face. If the people around her knew her true self, they'd definitely understand what her smile was hinting at.

"Sorry, but I have something urgent to do. Could you tell me where Mr. Lee is? Mr. Ahn's been looking for him since morning." He released her hand and scanned the room.

"O…kay! I think he's in his office," Ma Ri replied, her excitement deflating by the rejection.

"Thanks!" Ryu Gil bowed slightly and hurried off to find Mr. Lee.

"Why isn't he picking up the landline?" he mumbled as he left.

Meanwhile, Ma Ri stood still, disappointed as she didn't get to chat with him for a while longer.

"All I wanted was a short conversation. Did he think it'd take all day?" She sighed, then returned to her desk.

As she sat down, she thought to herself, So, he's the serious type, huh? How cute! She bit her lip to suppress a giggle, and the irritation she had from the earlier encounter with Mr. Yoon also melted away because of Ryu Gil.

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It had been a long day for Ma Ri, as she was busy learning the ropes in her new role. Before leaving, she decided to check in with Jiang about a few things. She walked to his office, instinctively opening the door without knocking—a habit from her time at VersaCraft. To her surprise, she saw a guy, a bit shorter than Ryu Gil, standing by Jiang's desk. His posture was…odd. He had his hands clasped behind his back. As he pursed his back up a little, it seemed like he was standing there just to seduce someone. He also swung his body from time to time as he tried to act cute. None of them noticed Ma Ri as she only peeked in before completely rushing inside.

Ma Ri quickly pulled the door back and hid behind the door, standing just like a spy came out of action movies. She got curious as her mind had been filled with some ridiculous ideas. She peeked in again and saw the man leaning toward Jiang, his hands cupping his cheeks, gazing at him adoringly.

Ma Ri gasped, jumping to the worst conclusion. She quickly realized what was going on although her guts were completely wrong. Unable to hold back, she barged in, announcing loudly, "Hello, Mr. Ahn! I heard you were looking for me!"

The young man by Jiang's desk quickly straightened up, looking guilty, as if they'd been caught doing something forbidden. Jiang's irritation was clear, and Ma Ri noted with satisfaction that whatever was going on, Jiang hadn't seemed to enjoy it.

So, this is how it is! she thought, barely able to contain her shock.

"I called you ages ago!" Jiang tried to act cold, but Ma Ri's death stare at him was colder than his tone.

"I'll be off then, Mr. CEO." The younger man bowed politely and left, sensing the tension.

"What was that about?" Ma Ri demanded, a mix of anger and disappointment in her voice.

"What? And I didn't call you. I was looking for Mr. Lee. Get back to your tasks." Jiang's voice was sharp with irritation. He really had a lot since morning. The guy before added more fuel and Jiang was totally exhausted with everything. He just wanted to quit for the day although he had more work to do.

"Oh, really?" Ma Ri narrowed her eyes. "Answer me first. What's the deal with that guy?"

"Didn't you see what was going on? And why the hell should I explain myself to you?" Jiang also raised his voice as he got angry for real this time.

As soon as Ma Ri heard Jiang's answer, her blood started boiling. She could never imagine he'd be a bustard like this.

"You know what? You're such an a**hole. Do you really need my help? Or, you're a jerk who flirts with just anyone?" Ma Ri rolled her eyes in disdain.

"What? F-flirt? What the f*ck are you talking about?" Jiang's frustration turned to shock, realizing she'd misunderstood completely.

"And Mr. Lee sent me. Thank goodness that I came here. Or else how'd I see you flirting with other employees behind your partner's back?" Ma Ri was literally trembling out of anger. It was truly hard for her to hold herself back, since the morning.

Jiang raised an eyebrow, catching her meaning. Though he didn't feel like explaining himself, he wanted to hear her side. "Wait a minute! I can't get it. Mind explaining?"

"Forget it! Just tell me why you needed Mr. Lee. I want to go home." She sighed deeply.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you we should keep our engagement a secret for now," she added, her voice got colder. "But I just don't feel like talking to a jerk like you anymore." She sighed.

Meanwhile, Jiang couldn't process a single thing she was spouting. As he didn't have any energy to quarrel or shout anymore, he remained silent and gave the necessary instructions to her instead.