Above One, Beneath Ten Thousand

Such a cruel description!

Before she could no longer breathe, Tang Miannian stretched her head out, glaring angrily at the wall. Why hadn't she noticed earlier that there was a door there?

What's the difference between this and sleeping in the same room?

Sigh…

Suddenly, Tang Miannian felt that the large web trapping her seemed to have tightened a little more.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Long Yejue stood by the lattice door for a long time, his thin lips curling into a seductive smile. He crossed his arms and then, with a wolfish grin, returned to the bed.

As for her, he was determined to have her.

"Miannian? Miannian, wake up."

Tang Miannian was sleeping soundly when she faintly heard her mother's voice. She couldn't help but act coquettishly, "Mom, let me sleep a bit longer, I'm so tired."

"You're still lying in bed?"

"Hmm, just a little longer," she murmured, lazily turning over.

"If you don't get up, I'll kiss you."

It wasn't her mother's gentle voice anymore, but a deep, enchanting tone, filled with irresistible temptation, so low that it sent shivers down her spine.

Why did that voice sound so familiar?

"Wife, do you really want me to kiss you?" The beautiful voice came again, this time clearer than before.

Tang Miannian's mind raced, piecing together fragments of memory.

It seemed like she was married. She seemed to be living in a man's house. She definitely wasn't at home…

But then why did she hear her mother's voice? Was it just a hallucination?

Tang Miannian suddenly jolted awake and looked directly into the man's amused eyes. He looked slightly disappointed as he said, "You're awake? I guess I can't kiss you awake."

Tang Miannian, "…"

Her mind went blank for a moment, still processing his handsome face so close to hers. When she finally snapped out of it, she realized, how did he end up in her room again?

She quickly glanced at the lattice door…

Sure enough, it was open again.

Tang Miannian nearly broke down in tears.

Was this really okay? Him just casually entering her room?

"It's already 8:30. You still have half an hour. Are you planning to keep pretending to be sick?" Long Yejue's timely reminder broke Tang Miannian out of her daze.

That comment jolted her nerves. She cried out in panic, scrambling out of bed and rushing to the wardrobe.

But when she saw a strapless evening gown, she froze for a moment.

Wasn't this the dress Long Yejue had said was too revealing? Why was it here?

She turned, looking at him for confirmation. He coughed awkwardly before responding, "This dress is fine for wearing at home."

At home?

Tang Miannian's brain seemed to short-circuit.

Who wears such a gown at home?

The world of the rich, she truly couldn't understand it.

After quickly changing clothes and getting ready, Tang Miannian was done in just ten minutes, which surprised Long Yejue. "So fast?"

"Not bad, when I was in school, I could be ready in four minutes."

Back then, she didn't have to care about appearances—just a simple ponytail and sportswear would do.

But now, she had to pay attention to her hair, and her outfit had to be a little more professional, hence the delay.

Long Yejue looked at this small woman with newfound respect, but still teased, "Looks like you were always late to wake up at school, huh?"

Tang Miannian, "…"

That wasn't the point, was it?

She had planned to show off, but instead, he mocked her.

Feeling a little down, Tang Miannian followed him downstairs.

It wasn't that she liked to sleep in; it was just that she had spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed.

One reason was that what happened in the bathroom last night was too embarrassing. The other reason was that his "wife" and "kiss" before leaving had kept her stirred up all night.

She didn't fall asleep until around 2 AM.

How could she possibly wake up early?

Meanwhile, he, the culprit, was as fresh as a daisy.

How could he be so energetic, how could he?!

Tang Miannian grumbled inside, barely managing to eat her breakfast.

"Your hand's injured, how did you manage breakfast?" Drinking her favorite yogurt, Tang Miannian finally remembered the key issue.

"It was delivered by An Yi," the man replied nonchalantly.

Tang Miannian froze for a moment.

Poor An Yi, truly the all-purpose assistant.

It must be exhausting to follow Long Yejue around.

As she drank her yogurt, Tang Miannian thought about how she needed to treat An Yi better in the future; she couldn't let all his hard work go to waste.

Just then, An Yi pushed the door open and saw the two of them eating. With a smile, he asked, "Young Master, Madam, have you finished your meal?"

"Mm, we're done. Assistant An, have you eaten?" Tang Miannian, putting her thoughts into action, looked at An Yi with eager eyes, which made him momentarily lose focus.

What was going on with Madam?

"I've eaten. By the way, Madam, here's some aloe vera gel I brought for you. Use it once your wound has scabbed over; it'll help prevent scars."

An Yi handed her the aloe vera gel with a flattering smile.

Tang Miannian happily accepted it, grateful as she said, "An Yi, you're so kind."

"Ahem," Long Yejue coughed discreetly, "I'm done. Let's go to work. We're already late."

Late…

Tang Miannian was once again startled. She hurriedly grabbed her yogurt and bag, following them out of the house while anxiously saying, "If I keep being late like this, I'll definitely get fired."

Assistant An chuckled reassuringly, "Don't worry, Madam, no one would dare fire you."

"The more they do that, the more it raises suspicion," Tang Miannian muttered, feeling hopeless.

"It's fine. I've already told the finance department head that you're helping me buy some things and working on the reports," An Yi smiled.

"Really? You can do that?" Tang Miannian was a bit taken aback.

"Of course. Don't worry, Madam." An Yi smiled warmly.

Meanwhile, in his mind, he was thinking, I've been so considerate for Young Master. The vacation will definitely come through soon. He was already picturing himself lounging on a Maldives beach, basking in the sun with beautiful women around.

But reality is always cruel. Despite An Yi's self-satisfaction, he failed to notice the cold, enchanting gaze of the man beside him.

Once in the Car, a Sudden Chill

As soon as they got in the car, a sudden chill swept over him.

Carefully glancing at Long Yejue's grim expression in the rearview mirror, An Yi instinctively shrank his neck when he met that cold gaze.

His mind immediately went into high alert mode: Long Yejue is in a bad mood today. I need to be extra cautious.

Tang Miannian seemed to still be brooding over her tardiness, fidgeting with her bag as she muttered, "I really don't think this job is for me."

Recently, things had been going wrong one after another, and she couldn't even predict what would happen next.

Long Yejue, on the other hand, remained completely calm and suggested, "You could be my personal secretary."

Personal... secretary?

The title sounded so uncomfortable, especially the word personal…

And she doubted whether such a position even existed.

But seeing the man's composed demeanor, she couldn't help but wonder if she was overthinking it.

An Yi, who was driving, suddenly realized something and couldn't help but feel a deep respect for his boss.

So, that's what he was planning with this big move.

OSS, you're so devious!

An Yi was sure Long Yejue knew that directly assigning Tang Miannian as his personal secretary would have been rejected outright, so he had purposely placed her in the finance department to make her feel cornered and helpless.

At her lowest point, OSS would offer her the position of personal secretary.

And that's how it worked…

Okay, An Yi couldn't agree with his boss's malicious fun, but he had to admit, it was a brilliant move.

Tang Miannian, still unsure, asked, "I've worked as a secretary before, but don't you already have a lot of them?"

"Yes, but there's no personal secretary yet." Long Yejue replied calmly, his eyes half-lidded as he pretended to be engrossed in the documents in his hands.

"What exactly does a personal secretary do?" She felt like this might be a trap, but she couldn't figure out where the catch was.

"An Yi, explain it to her," Long Yejue spoke, his lips barely moving, giving a subtle command.

An Yi, who had been concentrating on driving, almost lost control when he heard the order.

How should he explain this position?

He glanced cautiously at his boss, weighed the situation for a while, and then said, "A personal secretary is essentially a secretary who is always available for the boss. Unlike regular secretaries in the CEO's office, the personal secretary can accompany the boss on trips and attend necessary events with him."

That should be an accurate explanation, right?

An Yi nervously looked at Long Yejue, relieved to see that his boss showed no reaction. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Tang Miannian, however, was more confused than ever. "So, it's like being a personal maid?"

"Pfft!"

An Yi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Madam's description was too bold.

Although the basic idea wasn't far off, he still had to defend the position. "Actually, the company has been trying to find a personal secretary for the boss for a while, but none of the candidates were suitable. And those who did come in often became infatuated with him on the first day, unable to focus on their work. It ended up being a failure each time. But now that you're here, Madam, it's really the perfect fit."

An Yi's logical explanation made Tang Miannian feel slightly awkward. "Infatuated?"

But thinking about it, she had her own infatuations before, so it wasn't hard to imagine how those women must have felt.

"Wouldn't it cause gossip if I transfer to that position now?" That was the real reason for her hesitation.

"Gossip? Our company is large, no one would dare gossip about it," An Yi said confidently.

Well, if he said so...

Tang Miannian sighed inwardly, realizing that this would be her new reality.

She reluctantly agreed to take the position of personal secretary.

When she arrived at the CEO's office, the other secretaries there were stunned.

Cindy, in particular, was completely confused. Another woman?

Wasn't the boss already involved with Fu Ranran?

Curious, Cindy pulled Assistant An to the corner and whispered, "Who is this woman? What's her background?"

An Yi smiled mysteriously. "She's above one, below ten thousand. You'll understand soon."

With that, he strutted off, clearly pleased with himself.

Cindy froze.

Above one, below ten thousand?

Did that mean…?

Oh my god, she realized something. Above one, below ten thousand…

For everyone else, the sudden transfer of Tang Miannian from the finance department to the CEO's office should have been the topic of much gossip, but surprisingly, no one in the company seemed to mention it. It was as if they had all silently agreed to keep quiet.

Fu Ranran, however, was thrilled. She had been feeling lonely at the office with no one to talk to, but now that Tang Miannian had arrived, it felt like she had found a companion.

In the break room, the two of them sipped on yogurt.

Fu Ranran smiled brightly, saying, "I knew this day would come."

"What day?" Tang Miannian asked, puzzled.

"This day." Fu Ranran's smile took on a mischievous edge. "Having you by my side will make me feel so much more at ease."

"What are you talking about? I don't get it." Tang Miannian felt a bit uneasy under Fu Ranran's gaze, her confusion clear.

"Because you're just that naive."

"..."

Could they get back to having fun anytime soon?