Chapter 24

Chapter 24

An Nuo’s heart pounded.

An intern, barely a few days into the job, unearthing this news—what did that signify?

It signified this intern was a true gossip.

And while this matter was labeled a secret, it clearly wasn’t so confidential anymore. If an intern knew, most of the company had probably already caught wind of it.

Against this backdrop, An Nuo had arrived as an intern himself—

It felt like walking into the lion’s den, a reckless act bordering on self-destruction.

An Nuo began to ponder if an early escape might be his best option.

Seeing An Nuo’s shock, Lenny, oblivious to the truth but highly pleased, whispered with a grin, "...Not many people know about this yet. I heard it in a small ten-person group chat."

"..."

You managed to infiltrate such a private chat?

Have you actually been doing any real work these past few days, or just busy gossiping?

An Nuo cautiously asked, "...How did this news get out?"

He wanted to pinpoint the source of the leak so he could report it to Lu Yunyan later.

Lenny played coy, "...Are you curious too?"

"..."

An Nuo paused. What choice did he have? He could only feign interest, putting on a show of being intrigued despite himself.

"...Well, Lu Yunyan is quite famous, isn’t he? He’s the ideal partner for many omegas, right?"

Lenny said, "Unfortunately, I don’t know the specifics."

An Nuo wanted to retort: Give him back his conscience.

"But one thing’s for sure—their relationship is very good."

"..."

Thankfully, An Nuo still hadn’t eaten anything, or he would have definitely done a ten-meter spit-take.

Hold on, buddy—you’ve likely been fed fake news by an insider.

"There were a lot of rumors before, suggesting they didn’t get along, that it might even be an arranged marriage or something..."

The rumors actually got that part right.

"But then, not long ago, during an executive video call, I heard that Mr. Lu held his partner in his arms the whole time, not even letting go while eating."

"…………"

An Nuo knew it!

He knew they shouldn't have done that—he had suspected it!

There were about ten people in that meeting—who could guarantee that every single one of them would keep quiet? Now, figuring out who leaked the information wouldn’t be easy.

Even if Lu Yunyan could punish them, he couldn’t possibly target that many people at once, could he?

What kind of ten-person group chat is this?

How did they manage to dig up such private details?

The crucial point was, while listening to his own gossip firsthand, An Nuo had to act normal to avoid raising Lenny’s suspicions.

"They get along that well? How enviable..."

Sometimes, An Nuo admired himself for being able to say such things with a straight face.

"I don’t think you need to envy them," Lenny said with a laugh. "You’re so good-looking. As long as you manage to stay here, you’ll definitely meet a high-quality alpha sooner or later."

"..."

Lenny added frankly, "I’m not really interested in working. I came here to find an excellent alpha partner."

An Nuo was stunned. "...Huh?"

Lenny smiled openly. "Big companies like this offer plenty of opportunities. Most of the higher-ups are top-tier alphas—talented and wealthy. I just want to marry someone like that."

Lenny asked him, "Mind if I ask, do you have a boyfriend?"

"...No."

Although he did have a husband.

"That’s perfect! If you’re interested, we could get a group together and go to a mixer sometime."

"..."

Lenny meant well, and he was friendly and easygoing. If An Nuo hadn’t joined in this messy situation, he might have been grateful to have such a kind colleague.

But An Nuo was too uncomfortable. The reality of his situation made it impossible for him to return Lenny’s friendliness sincerely, leaving him no choice but to make excuses.

During the meal, An Nuo not only heard gossip about himself but also plenty of news about other higher-ups.

By the time they returned to the office, he finally had time to check his phone.

There were unread messages from Lu Yunyan.

Lu Yunyan: "Sorry, I still can’t come back today."

Lu Yunyan: "How was your first day at work?"

Ever since An Nuo complained about his sudden coldness, Lu Yunyan had started messaging him daily.

Although his replies were still slow, he now proactively shared his day-to-day plans.

An Nuo wanted to say it was fine, that the intern work was not bad and he had handled it easily.

He also wanted to say the cafeteria was nice and the cakes they sold were delicious—he’d love to bring one home.

But in the end, An Nuo told Lu Yunyan: "It feels like rumors about me are everywhere here."

Lu Yunyan was probably on his lunch break too, as he replied surprisingly fast this time.

Lu Yunyan: "?"

An Nuo: "It seems like everyone knows about you getting married. I heard people discussing it as soon as I arrived."

Lu Yunyan: "Who was discussing it?"

Of course, An Nuo couldn't give up Lenny.

An Nuo: "Everyone." He added, "He indiscriminately dragged everyone into it. Let them all go down together."

An Nuo: "Shouldn't this be a secret?"

An Nuo: "But it turns out to be an open secret?"

An Nuo: "Did someone from the last video conference maybe leak it?"

But Lu Yunyan's reaction was calm.

Lu Yunyan: "This kind of thing was bound to get out. Most of the company's executives know."

Lu Yunyan: "If only they didn't know it was you."

An Nuo: "It better be that way."

An Nuo: "Otherwise, I'm out of here. I'll really leave. You have no idea just how awkward it was to listen to."

Lu Yunyan sent a laughing emoji.

Lu Yunyan: "So, what did you hear people saying about us?"

An Nuo: …

Remembering the scene from the video conference still made An Nuo cringe intensely.

Not to mention it being spread around and eventually coming back to haunt him.

Should he tell Lu Yunyan?

If it could persuade Lu Yunyan to cooperate and be more discreet, An Nuo would be more than willing to explain.

But—

Considering how Lu Yunyan usually behaved in these situations, not only would he not tone it down, he’d probably get off on it and then take it even further.

An Nuo: "Are you secretly enjoying this?"

Lu Yunyan: "No."

Which meant yes.

An Nuo wouldn't trust Lu Yunyan so easily again.

The issue of him giving me the cold shoulder hadn’t been settled yet.

And the matter of him secretly leaving a hickey on An Nuo’s back hadn't even been brought up yet.

At this point, his crimes weren't just unforgivable—they were absolutely inexcusable!

An Nuo: "We’ll talk when you get back."

This kind of thing couldn’t be explained through text messages. An Nuo needed to ask him face to face in person.

Lu Yunyan: "I won't be back tonight. Probably not until tomorrow."

An Nuo: "Okay."

In the afternoon, An Nuo continued to get into the swing of being an intern, putting together several spreadsheets and organizing some meeting materials.

When faced with countless unfamiliar company names and product names, he felt dizzy looking at them for a while.

But looking at the final product filled him with a sense of accomplishment and the touching realization that he had finally become an adult.

At the end of the workday, Lenny wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he was taking a bunch of selfies at his workstation.

An Nuo, who was still getting his things together, asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Lenny said, "Filming a vlog about my intern daily life. Gotta ride the company’s clout while I can. It’s a chance to earn some extra cash and increase my chances of being noticed by an alpha in the company."

If An Nuo was surprised at noon, now he was impressed by such drive and follow-through.

"Tch."

But Sean seemed dismissive. An Nuo’s sharp ears caught his soft scoff.

The sound was faint, and Lenny, too focused on his video, didn’t hear it.

An Nuo instinctively glanced toward Sean, and their eyes met.

But Sean remained composed, acting like he didn't care, calmly meeting An Nuo’s gaze.

His expression basically said: One’s like a little princess slumming it, getting all excited over making a spreadsheet. The other’s obsessed with finding a husband, treating the company like a matchmaking platform.

Being grouped with these two, my career is really doomed.

An Nuo picked up on the hostility but couldn’t say anything, only watching as Sean stood up and left.

…

The next morning, Lu Yunyan returned.

An Nuo was busy checking product lists on the system and working on summary tables, with no time to check his phone. He had no idea Lu Yunyan had come directly to the office.

While he was fully focused on his work, he was startled by Lu Yunyan’s voice not far away.

"Prepare for the meeting later. Have an intern sit in."

An Nuo’s heart skipped a beat, thinking he was hearing things. He secretly glanced up and saw Lu Yunyan’s distinct profile, proving it was real.

He quickly checked his phone.

Lu Yunyan: "I'm almost at the office."

Lu Yunyan: "I got you some treats. Come to my office later."

Who! Wants! To! Go! To! Your! Office?!

An intern who's only on their second day going into the CEO's office to snack—is that even acceptable?

Is that acceptable?

An Nuo quickly turned his phone face down, pretending he hadn’t seen anything, and went back to reviewing the checklist.

Then he heard Lu Yunyan’s voice getting closer.

First, another voice asked hesitantly, “...Should we bring an intern in? There didn’t seem to be such a rule before?”

“We can make an exception today.”

Lu Yunyan’s tone sounded dead serious.

“Might as well see how this group of interns performs.”

“...Well, you’re right.”

“There are only three interns here?”

“Yes.”

Lu Yunyan’s voice was now right over An Nuo.

Without looking up, An Nuo could already imagine how deliberately provocative and smug Lu Yunyan’s expression was.

And his motive for calling an intern in was, in itself, one big intentional provocation.

“Then it’ll be you—the one looking down.”

“...”

In his mind, An Nuo was already throwing punches and wildly beating up Lu Yunyan, but in reality, he could only reluctantly raise his head slowly.

They made direct eye contact.

There was no need to even pretend and ask, “Huh? Me?”

Lu Yunyan’s gaze had already locked onto him.

Outwardly serious, but inwardly, he was practically full of mischievous intentions.

Lu Yunyan said, “Yes, you. What’s your name?”

An Nuo clenched his fist discreetly—his greatest wish at that moment was to punch Lu Yunyan repeatedly.

“...I, I’m An Nuo.”

“Mm, An Nuo. Then it’s you,” Lu Yunyan said. “You’ll join this meeting. Take notes for me to review.”

“...”

“Do a good job. Don’t make me disappointed in this batch of interns,” Lu Yunyan said, feigning sincerity. “Head to the conference room. The meeting starts in five minutes.”

An Nuo swallowed his pride and replied, “...Yes.”