The CEO's "Disguise": The Gentle Whirlpool Behind the Cold Face

The CEO's "Disguise": The Gentle Whirlpool Behind the Cold Face

The night was deep, and the hustle and bustle of the city was gradually swallowed up by the darkness. Su Yao, who had been busy all day, dragged her heavy body, as if filled with lead, and slowly walked out of the company building. This day had been truly overwhelming. The high - intensity work had already exhausted her both physically and mentally. Zhang Feng, the project department manager, constantly harassed her. He spoke flirtatiously, deliberately getting close to her during work handovers, uttering ambiguous words, and creating difficulties in project resource allocation. Fortunately, the intern Xiao Yan came to her rescue several times, enabling her to barely endure this tough day. At this moment, all Su Yao wanted was to quickly return to the warm little world of her home and find a moment of peace. She looked around and found a secluded alley that was rarely frequented on weekdays and was relatively close to her home. Thinking that she could take a shorter route, she quickened her pace and turned into it.

It was just past nine o'clock in the evening. The night was like a huge black curtain that descended. The dim streetlights in the alley emitted a faint and flickering light, as if they could go out at any moment, stretching Su Yao's lonely and slender figure long, making her look rather desolate. Su Yao hugged her arms tightly and hurried forward in the growing cold of the night, eager to get home and find peace. However, fate showed its ferocious fangs at this moment.

Suddenly, several rowdy street hooligans emerged from the shadows like ghosts. The tall and thin hooligan in the lead had a nauseating evil look in his eyes. He tilted his mouth and spat out a series of vulgar remarks: "Yo, this little girl, walking alone here at night. Are you waiting for us brothers to have some fun with you?" The short and fat hooligan next to him chimed in, letting out a harsh and strange laugh. The fleshy parts on his face jiggled with the laughter. As he laughed, he rubbed his hands, and his greedy eyes wandered wantonly over Su Yao's body. Then he shouted, "That's right, sister. Look at how dark and dangerous it is. Come with us brothers, and we'll ensure you live a life of luxury." There was also a hooligan with dyed yellow hair. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and the red light of the cigarette butt flickered on and off in the darkness. He staggered towards Su Yao, blew a puff of thick smoke straight at her, choking Su Yao into a fit of coughing with tears welling up in her eyes. He grinned and said, "Beauty, don't be ungrateful. It's your good fortune that we brothers have taken a fancy to you."

Su Yao's eyes widened in horror, filled with panic and helplessness. Her heart seemed to jump out of her throat. She backed away in a flurry, her feet seemed to be nailed in place, and her body couldn't stop trembling. She cried out with a sobbing voice, "Don't mess around!" But the hooligans were relentless. Like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, they stretched out their hands. Some tried to pull her arms, and some attempted to touch her face. Su Yao struggled desperately, but felt that her strength was as tiny as an ant in front of these hooligans.

Just as Su Yao felt desperate and helpless, with fear overwhelming her like a tide, a clear and somewhat unruly voice seemed to come from the sky: "Hmph, aren't you ashamed of bullying a little girl?" This voice instantly shattered the suffocating silence in the alley, like a sharp beam of light stabbing straight at those hooligans. Just then, a seemingly casual figure sauntered over. It was Li Yi, the aloof and cold - faced CEO in the company. At this moment, he had lost his usual tense and solemn demeanor, exuding a sense of ease and decadence. He had just finished a business negotiation and was in a good mood. He was humming a tune and walking unsteadily. When he heard the commotion, he strolled over unhurriedly.

Li Yi was dressed casually. His well - tailored black windbreaker was open, revealing a high - quality white shirt. The collar of the shirt was slightly open, revealing his wheat - colored chest in an unrestrained manner. He was wearing dark blue ripped jeans and limited - edition trendy shoes, looking stylish and casual. His hair was slightly disheveled, as if it had just been blown by the wind, adding a bit more of a free - spirited look. He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, his hands in his pockets, his figure was tall and slender, his head slightly tilted, and his eyes were full of playfulness, as if the chaos in front of him was a farce for his entertainment.

Seeing the hooligans' behavior, the corners of Li Yi's mouth curled into a sarcastic arc, and his smile was tinged with disdain and cynicism. He walked forward unhurriedly, stopped a few steps away from the hooligans, took the cigarette out of his mouth, and twirled it between his fingers. He said, "Yo, what are you guys up to? It's not very nice to bully a girl at night, is it?"

The tall and thin hooligan in the lead glanced at him. Seeing that he was alone and nonchalant, he became emboldened. "Who are you? Mind your own business and get out of here. Don't spoil our good time!"

Li Yi raised his eyebrows, with a half - smile. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you guys are in trouble now that you've run into me. This 'good time' of yours is probably over." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly turned cold, exuding a chilling deterrence.

The hooligans were shocked by his aura, but still unwilling to give up. The short and fat hooligan took out a dagger and brandished it, growling viciously, "You want to play the hero and save the beauty? Don't you know your own limits? If you dare to mess with our business, you'll pay the price!"

Li Yi snorted, flexed his wrists, and his joints cracked. He replied casually, "You guys are no match for me."

The tall and thin hooligan swung his fist and struck. Li Yi tilted his head and easily dodged. At the same time, his shoulders sank, his back muscles tensed, and his left hand shot out like lightning. He precisely grabbed the opponent's wrist and twisted it forcefully. With a "click," the hooligan let out a scream, and his wrist was dislocated and hung down. Li Yi patted his clothes, as if flicking off some dust, and muttered, "Tsk, can't you take it?"

The short and fat hooligan flew into a rage. He let out a loud roar and stabbed frantically at Li Yi's abdomen. Li Yi dodged, his waist twisted, and he kicked the hooligan's knee sideways. The short and fat hooligan fell to the ground. When he tried to struggle, Li Yi followed up with a right - punch to his temple. The hooligan's eyes rolled back, and he passed out. The other hooligans, seeing the situation was bad, scattered and fled.

Li Yi dusted himself off, quickly walked up to Su Yao, stood sideways to protect her, and asked softly, "Are you okay?" Su Yao was still in a state of shock, her eyes red - rimmed. She replied with a sobbing voice, "I... I'm okay. Thank you, Mr. Li." Li Yi nodded slightly. His expression showed no sign of much concern, as if he had just done a trivial thing. He resumed his casual look, put his hands in his pockets, and said, "Let's go. I'll take you home." His tone was neither cold nor warm.

On the way, neither of them spoke. But in Su Yao's heart, it was like a stormy sea, and she couldn't calm down for a long time. She thought to herself, this Mr. Li, who was always cold - faced and high - and - mighty in the company on weekdays, how could he suddenly appear here? Moreover, judging from his skills in dealing with those hooligans just now, he was quick and agile, not at all like a pampered corporate executive. How many unknown aspects did he still hide? Many doubts surged in her heart, but she didn't know where to start asking. She could only follow Li Yi silently, filled with confusion.

Before long, they arrived downstairs at Su Yao's home. She stopped and thanked him, "Thank you so much today, Mr. Li." Li Yi waved his hand gently. "Okay, go back." His eyes were indifferent, and he turned to leave. Su Yao looked at his back, lost in thought. This accident had brought them closer, but Li Yi's unpredictable attitude made her feel puzzled.

Su Yao went home, washed up briefly, and then lay down on the bed. Her mind kept replaying the thrilling scene at night and the various experiences in the company during the day. She couldn't calm down for a long time. She tossed and turned until the middle of the night before finally falling asleep in a daze.

The next day, Su Yao forced herself to get up and go to work, despite her exhaustion. As soon as she sat down at her desk, her phone "ding - dong" rang. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly took out her phone. There was an anonymous text message: "Su Yao, I have ironclad evidence of your family's deliberate frame - up back then. If you want to find out the truth, come to the company rooftop alone at 12 noon today. Don't reveal this, or else you'll bear the consequences." This text message instantly threw her into a state of confusion. Throughout the morning, she was distracted, making frequent mistakes in her work. She didn't even notice the strange looks from her colleagues.

Finally, when it was lunch break, she didn't rush to eat but sat at her desk in a daze. At noon, Su Yao walked towards the company rooftop with a complex mood, step by step. The sunlight shone on the rooftop, but it couldn't dispel the haze in her heart. The cold wind whistled, and she hugged her arms tightly. Looking around, there was no one in sight. Only the railing at the edge of the rooftop shone with a cold and lonely light in the pale sunlight, as if silently telling something. She walked forward a few steps cautiously and asked in a trembling voice, "Is anyone there?" Her voice echoed in the empty rooftop but was swallowed up by the silence, with no response.

Suddenly, there was a slight sound of footsteps, as light as a falling leaf, coming from behind. Su Yao's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly. She was shocked to see that it was Zhang Feng, the project department manager. She never expected that it was Zhang Feng, this hypocritical and sanctimonious guy who always wore a mask of kindness in the company, who had invited her here. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, filled with astonishment and disbelief.

A smug smile appeared on Zhang Feng's face. He folded his arms across his chest and walked towards her leisurely. "Su Yao, didn't expect it was me, right? I'm the one who invited you here." He slowly walked up to Su Yao, stopped, lowered his head slightly, and stared at her intently, his smug look becoming even more obvious. Then he continued, "Haven't you always wanted to know the truth about your family business's decline? Well, I'll be generous enough to tell you today." He paused, and a crafty look flashed in his eyes. Su Yao saw this and felt even more uneasy, knowing that he was definitely not a good person and that there must be hidden tricks in his conditions.

Zhang Feng stretched out his right hand, gently lifted Su Yao's chin with his index finger, forcing her to look at him. The hot air from his mouth sprayed on her face, and he said with an ambiguous tone, "However, you have to promise me one condition. As long as you're obedient and become my woman, I'll tell you everything I know."

Su Yao was so angry that her whole body trembled. She shook her head violently, breaking free from his grasp, and glared at him. "You despicable villain, what makes you think I'll agree to such a shameless request?"

The smile on Zhang Feng's face disappeared instantly. He put on a fierce expression, took a step forward, and gritted his teeth. "You have no choice, Su Yao. If you don't agree, I'll make sure your life in the company gets even harder. And you'll never know the secrets about your family." As he spoke, he waved his right hand to emphasize the weight of his words.

Just as the two were at a stalemate, a voice with a unique hoarseness and vicissitudes of a middle - aged woman came from the other side of the rooftop: "What are you guys making such a ruckus for on this rooftop at noon?"