Which One Is Innocent?

Was this... really their usually swift and domineering boss?

They must be hallucinating. Must have opened their eyes the wrong way. Something had definitely gone wrong…

They kept trying to convince themselves.

But Long Yejue gave them no time for comforting thoughts. With a stern expression, he walked over. "Where's your coat? Why are you wearing a different one?"

Tang Mianmian stammered, "I-I got it dirty, so I borrowed one from a colleague."

The man narrowed his eyes at her, seemingly weighing how believable her story was.

Tang Mianmian nodded seriously. "It's true. I spilled coffee on it, so I had to swap with someone."

She felt quite proud of her quick thinking!

Long Yejue stared at her with sharp eyes for a moment before finally letting it go. "Get in the car."

Tang Mianmian quickly hurried over.

One executive saw her heading to Long Yejue's car and kindly reminded her, "Secretary Tang, you should ride with us in the company car."

Just as she was about to open the sports car door, Tang Mianmian froze and blushed.

She had nearly gotten too used to riding in his car and almost slipped up. Gratefully, she bowed her head. "Sorry, I lost my composure."

The executive frowned, clearly not impressed. How did someone like her even get hired?

But Tang Mianmian was secretly relieved. Not riding with Long Yejue… what a blessing.

She turned to leave and head for the company car.

However, Long Yejue stepped out and said coldly, "She's my secretary. Naturally, she rides with me. You can't even handle your own responsibilities, yet you're trying to manage mine?"

His sharp eyes swept across the group, and all the executives bowed their heads, taking the reprimand in silence.

Especially the well-meaning one, who was left totally baffled. What did I do wrong?

After scolding everyone, Long Yejue looked back at Tang Mianmian with a harsh tone. "Secretary Tang, return. Get in the car."

"…" Tang Mianmian, who had failed to escape, turned back teary-eyed and reluctantly got in the car.

The executive stood frozen, completely dumbfounded.

Did I really do something wrong just now?

But… the boss never lets anyone else ride in his car…

Why does Secretary Tang get to?

As everyone watched in confusion, Tang Mianmian climbed into the car, shooting an apologetic glance toward the executive who got yelled at. She truly felt bad for him.

But sympathy was all she could offer.

Anything more… was beyond her power.

After the Aston Martin pulled out, the heavy tension in the parking lot finally eased.

A few executives patted the scolded one in consolation. "You just don't have the right instincts."

"What did I miss?" she asked, still puzzled.

"Have you ever seen the boss take a secretary to a business dinner?"

"…"

Suddenly, it started to make sense.

In the car, Tang Mianmian kept looking back to check if the company car was following. Once she was sure it wasn't, she turned around and angrily said, "Long Yejue, you're too much! It's your dinner, and you just had to drag me along!"

"We're going to Yushiyuan," he replied indifferently.

Tang Mianmian choked for a second, swallowed hard, then muttered, "Fine. It's part of a secretary's job to attend dinners with her boss."

Only then did Long Yejue raise an eyebrow in satisfaction. "A wife accompanying her husband to dinner is only natural."

"You said we wouldn't reveal my identity just yet," she shot back.

His previously playful eyes darkened, jaw tightening ever so slightly. Then, with a step on the gas, the car surged forward at top speed.

Tang Mianmian paled and screamed in panic. "Long Yejue, you petty man!"

The dinner really was at Yushiyuan. But what Tang Mianmian hadn't expected was that the people Long Yejue was meeting were all high-caliber figures.

Even her breathing became cautious.

She'd only ever seen these people on TV, never imagined she'd dine with them. She didn't even dare to blink.

Li Muhao glanced at her and smiled. "Never seen Young Master Jue bring a secretary to dinner before. We all thought you weren't into women—guess that was just a rumor."

"I'm still a man," Long Yejue replied casually, not wanting to draw attention to her.

Tang Mianmian, already nervous, broke into a cold sweat after being called out by Li Muhao.

These people… were not to be offended.

Li Muhao laughed again. His calm demeanor and striking looks made him the type of man women couldn't help but be drawn to.

He was the polar opposite of Long Yejue, yet equally charismatic.

One made women scream.

The other made them blush.

Both were forces to be reckoned with.

But one was in government, the other in business.

There's a reason people always say officials and businessmen go hand-in-hand. Seeing this dinner today, she finally understood.

Li Muhao brought a few others with him, most of them related to the business deal at hand.

Tang Mianmian had been roped in last minute, completely unfamiliar with the case, so she could only sit there with a stiff smile.

Among the officials was a certain Mr. Wang, who was notoriously lecherous. His greasy eyes kept drifting over to her.

Tang Mianmian shivered under his gaze but didn't dare speak out, afraid of messing up Long Yejue's negotiations.

Noticing this, Long Yejue offered to switch her seat.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Wang chuckled. "So protective of your secretary, Young Master Jue. You two must be very close."

Long Yejue didn't deny it. "Didn't Mr. Li just say so? I never bring secretaries to dinner."

The meaning behind his words was clear—to those smart enough to catch it.

But Mr. Wang missed the point entirely and, treating her like a kept woman, leaned in and said, "Miss Tang, you're different from the other secretaries I've known—so fresh and untainted."

Tang Mianmian felt goosebumps rise as he touched her arm. She quickly pulled away and said uneasily, "Excuse me, I need to step out."

Long Yejue's face darkened, cold light flashing in his eyes.

Li Muhao didn't stop Mr. Wang but observed Long Yejue closely, reading much from his reaction.

He raised his glass and said, "Young Master Jue, let's drink. Whether or not this deal goes through, at least we've bonded."

Long Yejue understood: the decision wasn't made yet.

But his calm mind didn't falter. He smiled and replied, "Friendship is more valuable than any deal. With your words, Mr. Li, I'm already content. Business comes second."

Li Muhao was a formidable figure. No wonder he had climbed so high so young.

He practically dominated Jiang City now.

After Long Yejue's second uncle passed, the Long family's influence in this realm had waned. Even their once-lucrative real estate ventures were now approached with caution.

This was exactly why Long Yejue began shifting the focus of Jue Group.

Real estate was a fat piece of meat—everyone wanted a bite.

With the change in Jiang City's leadership, the first person Long Yejue set his sights on was Li Muhao, despite knowing how difficult he'd be.

With Tang Mianmian gone, Long Yejue reined in his anger and continued chatting with Li Muhao.

But Mr. Wang, still thinking of her, excused himself and headed toward the restroom to intercept her.

When Tang Mianmian saw him, she panicked and tried to retreat, but he caught her arm. Drunk, he said, "Miss Tang, how about keeping me company tonight?"

"You're drunk! Let go of me!" Tang Mianmian was terrified—this was her first time dealing with something like this.

Inwardly, she begged for Long Yejue to show up…

But Mr. Wang, clearly targeting her from the start, wasn't letting go. His thick hands reached toward her as he said, "Don't worry, I'll pay well."

"You've got the wrong idea! I'm not that kind of woman. Let go of me!" Tang Mianmian's eyes were red with fear, dodging his hands as best she could.

Getting desperate, he shoved her, pushing open the door behind her—it was an empty private room.

His eyes lit up. "Ah, so it's too public out there for you, huh? You like it here? Perfect—I like exciting places too!"

"Let go of me! Or I'll scream!" she warned, still trying to wriggle free.

Mr. Wang's face turned grim. "Do you know how important this deal is to Long Yejue? Jue Group hasn't touched real estate in years. This connection is crucial. If you ruin it, you'll destroy everything—Jue Group, Long Foundation, and his top-tier status."

Tang Mianmian was stunned—she didn't realize things were this serious.

She had seen how hard Long Yejue had worked on this lately. If… if this really was how it was…

Then causing a scene now would be completely irresponsible.

Trying a different approach, she softened her voice. "Mr. Wang, I'm really not what you think. If you're looking for company tonight, I can help find you someone. How about that?"

"An escort?" Mr. Wang sneered. "Why would I want a dirty woman like that? What kind of man do you think I am?"

The scummiest kind, Tang Mianmian thought silently.

But aloud, she said, "But I'm really not what you think. I'm just a secretary at Jue Group."

"And which secretary these days is still 'innocent'? Maybe Long Yejue's already had his fill and passed you off," Mr. Wang spat crudely.

Face flushed red, Tang Mianmian snapped, "Mr. Wang, please show some respect. I haven't called anyone yet because I still respect your status. But if you really want to cause a scene, it won't end well for you either."

He hadn't expected her to speak like that and, enraged, lunged again. "Fiery, huh? I like that. But you're too naive. You think we'd openly do something like this if we were that easy to bring down? Maybe your boss brought you here on purpose—for us."