Chapter 34: The CEO’s Wife Has Arrived

**Chapter 34: The President’s Wife Comes Calling**

Jian Ye had prepared a feast—everything from stir-fries and soups to noodles and regional delicacies. He’d made so much it seemed like the table might collapse under the weight.

He knew Yi Siyu liked spicy food, so he added chili to most dishes. Fish-flavored shredded pork (a classic Sichuan dish with no actual fish), hotpot-style duck, red-braised fish, spicy bullfrog (a common Chinese delicacy), and braised chicken with flatbread—all of it looked good enough to make your mouth water.

He’d also simmered a hearty seaweed and corn pork rib soup, followed by noodles with crab meat and savory beef pancakes. For snacks, there were spicy cumin-seasoned fried chicken tenders and crispy potatoes.

As greens, he served morning glory (water spinach) and shredded lettuce.

Aunt Wen watched in awe.

"You're quite something, Jian," she said. "This many dishes? The third young master will be thrilled. Let me help you pack them up."

"Thank you, Aunt Wen," Jian replied, taking off his apron and pulling several thermal containers from the cabinet. "I made extra, so I’ve left some for you too."

"I couldn’t possibly eat the home-cooked dinner you made for him."

"If it goes uneaten, it’ll just go to waste. Don’t you want to try my cooking?" he asked with a smile.

She tried to refuse, but Jian was persistent. Eventually, she gave in. After he left, she tasted a few dishes—and found them absolutely delicious.

She hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, but this meal awakened her taste buds. She ended up eating several more bites and even had an extra bowl of rice.

The third young master is truly blessed. This household won’t go hungry anymore.

...

Jian Ye asked Xiao Dong to drive him to the Zheyuan Group building.

"Don’t tell Brother Siyu yet. I want to surprise him."

Xiao Dong chuckled. "Understood, Mrs. Yi."

Jian flinched slightly at the title. He still wasn’t used to his new role.

**System 748:** *Host, you’re now the thoughtful spouse bringing lunch to your husband.*

**Jian Ye:** *Don’t overthink it. I just don’t like owing favors to anyone.*

**System 748:** *I get it. Among humans, loving couples always create surprises and romance for each other.*

**Jian Ye:** *What weird books have you been reading lately?*

**System 748:** *Just browsing some titles like *The Handbook for Keeping Love Fresh in Marriage*, *How to Win Your Husband’s Heart*, *100 Ways to Keep the Spark Alive*, *The First Glimpse of Love*, and—*

**Jian Ye:** *Enough already! You know things aren’t real between me and Yi Siyu. Lay off those books, or you’ll turn into a hopeless romantic of a system.*

**System 748:** *Systems don’t walk down the aisle, Host… but I’ve noticed you’ve changed a little since getting married.*

Had he?

Jian Ye hadn’t realized it himself. Maybe his mindset had shifted slightly, making him feel more like a local here.

The more seriously he approached life, the more he realized that those so-called “paper characters” from the novel were no different from real people. They had emotions, their own stories, and experienced all the seasonings of life across dimensions.

Knowing he couldn’t return to his old world, Jian Ye decided staying here might just work out fine after all.

Even in a different world, he could still chase his dreams and shine.

As long as the background character trope didn’t follow him around, he could live a normal life like anyone else.

...

The car pulled up to its destination.

Jian Ye was lugging two large bags as he walked through the entrance of Zheyuan Group.

His unusually good looks drew the attention of some employees in the lobby.

He’d dressed in a blue casual outfit—your typical bright-eyed college kid.

A student stepping into such a corporate setting naturally became the center of attention.

Yi Siyu had told Jian Ye earlier that if he ever wanted to come by, he could call either him or Special Assistant Xu.

Just as he pulled out his phone, debating who to call, a receptionist approached politely and asked, “Who are you here to see?”

Jian Ye hesitated for a moment, then looked up. “I’m here to see Yi.”

“Mr. Yi is currently in a meeting. Do you have an appointment?”

Jian Ye shook his head. “No.”

The receptionist kept her cool and said, “Hold on while I make a call. May I have your name?”

“Jian—like ‘simple’ Jian.”

“Got it.”

He noticed the woman maintained a polite smile the entire time and couldn’t help but admire the top-notch professionalism—exactly what you’d expect from a big company.

Little did he know, no woman could stay stern in front of such a handsome guy. Just a few words from him could make their day.

Not long after, the receptionist hurried back, bowing apologetically. “So sorry, Mr. Jian—I didn’t recognize you earlier. Please, this way. That’s Mr. Yi’s private executive elevator.”

Xu Qingqing had been working at Zheyuan Group for five years now. She was quite satisfied with her job. Compared to the newer hires, she was practically a veteran.

Originally, the group had been managed by the Yi family’s eldest son, until the third son took the reins three years ago.

As a receptionist, she needed to familiarize herself with important clients and relatives of top executives.

Recently, rumors were swirling around the office: Mr. Yi had gotten married.

This gossip had been discussed in various WeChat groups, but no one knew for sure whether it was true.

Since they didn’t dare talk too much about their own CEO, the topic eventually died down.

Who would’ve thought that today, she’d be the first low-level employee to meet the CEO’s husband!

She had just called the CEO’s right-hand man, Special Assistant Xu. The moment he heard the surname “Jian,” his tone instantly turned deferential, and he repeatedly asked if she had offended the visitor in any way.

Startled by his reaction, she couldn’t help asking, “Who is he?” She hadn’t expected an answer, but surprisingly, Special Assistant Xu formally announced “Jian Ye’s” full name and identity to her.

He also instructed her that if she saw this person again, she should send him straight up.

Does the CEO's wife need an appointment to visit her own husband? That would be a joke!

Xu Qingqing was relieved she had kept a professional demeanor earlier—That was close!

Mr. Yi’s husband…so young? Handsome, good-looking, gentle, and surprisingly approachable.

While escorting Jian Ye into the elevator, she couldn’t resist snapping a stealth pic with her phone.

Her heart was still pounding when the doors closed. She excitedly shared it in her company’s gossip group chat.

OMG! What a doting husband—he even brought lunch for the CEO!

This power couple—if we don’t stan now, when will we?!

...

When the elevator stopped on the 17th floor and the doors opened, Jian Ye saw Special Assistant Xu waiting there.

"Mr. Jian, why didn’t you call me before coming?" Special Assistant Xu promptly took the bag from Jian Ye’s hands.

"I was just about to..." Jian Ye scratched his head sheepishly.

It was his first time visiting Yi Siyu’s company, and he looked around curiously.

Damn, this place is fancy. So this is where Yi works every day?

"Let me take you to the boss’s office. He’ll be done with the meeting soon."

Following Special Assistant Xu, Jian Ye arrived at the executive floor.

Other employees were all eyes when they saw Special Assistant Xu leading in a young man with youthful looks.

Secretary Zhang whispered, "Could this be... the guy from the rumors?"

Secretary Wang, clueless, asked, "What rumors?"

Secretary Li smirked like she won the lottery, "Duh! The hubby everyone’s been gossiping about!"

Secretary Zhang gasped, "You’ve got guts calling him 'hubby'! Show some respect and say 'Mr.'!"

Secretary Li pouted, "I always thought Mr. Yi had that ice-king vibe. Never expected him to get married."

Secretary Wang shrugged, "Who says romance is required? For families like theirs, it’s probably a business merger with a ring."

Secretary Zhang frowned, "So you’re saying it’s a marriage of convenience? Then why bring the 'husband' here now? Just for show?"

Secretary Wang immediately shushed her, "Shut it! Don’t spill the tea—are you trying to get us fired?"

...

Completely unaware of the secretaries’ chatter, Jian Ye followed Special Assistant Xu to the corner office, walled off from the cubicle drones.

"Young Master Jian, please wait here for a while. I’ll go handle some things," Special Assistant Xu said.

"Got it," Jian Ye nodded obediently.

Once the assistant left, his curiosity kicked in. He played with the embossed nameplate on the desk, then swiveled in the boss chair like a kid.

He was having way too much fun.

"Jian Ye: Er Tong, this boss is a big shot now too!"

"System 748: Why do humans like being bosses?"

"Jian Ye: Because bosses can boss people around! Like, *fake cough*, Er Tong, go earn me a full year's worth of Green Tea Points."

"System 748: !!! *mock salute*"

"Jian Ye: Or, uh, Er Tong, go stock up on some free items and props from the system store."

"System 748: Even this system can't do that. Bosses are absolute menaces, *whimpers*~"

...

Yi Siyu’s meeting dragged on.

This time, there was a major problem with the product marketing—the packaging design had blatant copycat elements compared to a competitor’s product. There were also screw-ups in communication with the manufacturer, including sending the wrong blueprints. A whole pile of mess all at once.

He chewed out the department managers during the meeting, demanding they come up with several solutions ASAP to stop this from blowing up online.

The company was his eldest brother’s baby. Though it was handed over to him as a hands-off owner, Yi Siyu naturally wouldn’t actually treat it that way.

The demeanor and attitude of a company’s leader determines the spirit and quality of its employees—if the upper beam isn’t straight, the lower beams will be crooked too.

He pushed most grunt work to Special Assistant Xu, but when it came to decisions, he still handled them personally.

Today he was swamped and forgot to call Jian Ye to say he wouldn’t be back for dinner.

After the meeting, Special Assistant Xu approached to say something, but Yi Siyu cut him off: "Order a meal for me, the usual, and bring up a coffee—no sugar."

Special Assistant Xu, recalling how someone had arrived earlier carrying bags of food, snickered inwardly and decided not to remind him, playing dumb instead. "Got it, Third Young Master. You head back to your office first. I’ll bring everything over once I’ve got it."

Hehe, he just needed to buy coffee. Want food? Your wife already brought it for you!

Yi Siyu didn’t catch the sly look in Special Assistant Xu’s expression. He was running on empty.

When he walked into his corner office alone, the secretaries gave him knowing looks.

Assuming they were reluctant to leave early, he waved them off. "You can dip."

The group hesitated, itching for tea but tempted to bolt.

Yi Siyu raised a brow. "What? Don’t want to clock out?"

"We do! We’re out!" they chorused before bouncing like dropped ping-pong balls.

Yi Siyu shook his head, feeling lost, and stepped into his office.

As soon as he pushed the door open, he noticed the lights were on.

Who turned them on? He could’ve sworn he switched them off when he left.

Frowning, he wondered if Special Assistant Xu had done it—but the moment he stepped inside, he got that Spidey-sense tingle.

Someone was here.

Two large bags sat on the desk, and the executive chair was tilted toward the bookshelf.

On the black sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, someone was balled up like a hedgehog.

The boy had waited so long he’d fallen asleep without moving, death-gripping a cushion, his cheek all smooshed, doing that pouty sleep-mumble thing.

Bossman’s frown did a 180 at the sight, and warm fuzzies hit him like a truck.

PS:

Yi Siyu: My man’s out here lookin’ like a snack. *heart eyes emoji spam*