Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next morning, when Wei Jinchuan arrived at Shenghua to report for duty, his face still bore a faint, suspicious blush.

Shen Yue called Linda over. "He's a friend's younger brother, here to get some experience. Give HR a heads-up, and you'll be taking him on after that."

Though he referred to him as a "friend," Wei Ziyu had actually been abroad until three months ago, when he made his first appearance in Haicheng. Shen Yue had only met him briefly at a banquet that night and had barely exchanged a few words—they were basically strangers.

Watching Shen Yue tell such a bald-faced lie, Linda maintained a professional smile and politely extended a hand to Wei Jinchuan. "Just call me Linda."

Wei Jinchuan gave her hand a perfunctory, limp shake without even touching her skin, replying coldly, "Wei Jinchuan."

Wei Jinchuan. Linda had long heard the name but was seeing him in person for the first time. She discreetly sized him up and could understand why Shen Yue was so smitten with him.

His inner qualities were still a mystery, but externally, he certainly had the looks. Those eyes, that nose, those lips—Linda had met many people, but few could hold their own next to Shen Yue without being overshadowed. Wei Jinchuan was one of them.

She led Wei Jinchuan to the HR department to get him processed and returned alone shortly after.

Shen Yue glanced at the empty space behind her and paused. "Done already?"

Linda raised an eyebrow, looking pleased with herself. "Of course. You can always count on me."

Shen Yue nodded; he had full confidence in Linda's capabilities.

After a moment, Linda’s formal expression softened. "Mind if I get a little nosy?"

Never one for formalities with Shen Yue, she leaned forward, resting her hands on his desk and staring directly at him. "What's the deal with you and that guy, Wei Jinchuan? Didn’t President Zhao say you’d stopped pursuing him? Why bring him into the company now?"

Shen Yue curved his lips into a smile. "He really tells you everything, doesn’t he?"

She quickly shook her head, waving the thought away. "It’s mainly because you’re just that impressive. That guy is stubborn—more obstinate than my grandma’s plowing ox. If even you can crack him, I truly have to take my hat off to you."

Having worked alongside Shen Yue for so many years, Linda had watched his flings come and go. Shen Yue was handsome, came from a good family, and had a flawless personality—considerate to friends, lavish with lovers, witty and charming without being promiscuous. Even after breakups, none of his exes had a bad word to say about him.

Only Wei Jinchuan had held him off for a full three months under his relentless pursuit. He was different from Shen Yue’s previous lovers, never softening his stance even slightly. This time, Linda had thought their President Shen might meet his match, but somehow, he’d managed to pull it off.

Shen Yue smiled but didn’t explain that he hadn’t actually intended to "tackle" someone as difficult as Wei Jinchuan.

On his first day at work, Wei Jinchuan repeatedly popped into Shen Yue’s office under the guise of "gaining experience," though everyone knew what was really going on.

As a newcomer, he hadn’t yet handled many tasks, so most of his questions were about trivial office matters—like what to do if the printer jammed or whether the dying plant outside the office should be thrown out. It felt less like asking for help and more like being a nuisance.

Shen Yue’s patience wore thin after answering a few questions. When Wei Jinchuan came in again with another asinine question, he raised an eyebrow. "I believe I asked Linda to show you the ropes."

One seated, the other standing, Shen Yue had to tilt his head back to look at the man standing before his desk. Yet, even from this angle, he didn’t seem at a disadvantage. His narrow peach blossom eyes narrowed sharply, and though he wore a faint smile, his gaze from below carried an inexplicable pressure.

Wei Jinchuan didn't bat an eye, as if he’d anticipated the question. "Linda went out to meet a client."

"Even if she’s meeting a client, you should go along," Shen Yue replied, still reviewing documents without looking up. "Even if you’re not familiar with the business, you can at least fetch coffee and water, right? We’re not paying you this salary to worry about whether plants are dying or printers are jamming. Anyone can do those tasks—even our janitors could handle them."

His tone was unusually stern, unlike the gentle way he usually spoke to Wei Jinchuan, carrying an added sharpness. Wei Jinchuan’s lips tightened. "You want me to fetch them coffee and water?"

"What else? I acknowledge your academic record is impressive, but in the workplace, everyone starts from scratch. Which fresh graduate doesn’t? Did you think just because you got in through connections, you’d get special treatment?"

Finally, Shen Yue looked up from the stack of documents. He could tell Wei Jinchuan was upset. Closing the file, he leaned back in his chair. "Angry?"

After such a scolding, how could Wei Jinchuan not be angry? But since Shen Yue asked, admitting it would make him seem petty. Wei Jinchuan bit out, "Why would I be angry?"

"Good, if you’re not angry." Shen Yue beamed. He was always free-spirited and capricious, and even though Wei Jinchuan’s mood was clearly shifting, he remained unhurried. "Don’t take it personally. I’m just used to speaking this way at the office. It’s not aimed at you, Jinchuan. I’m doing this for your own good. You need to learn properly."

Wei Jinchuan paused, incredulous. "You want me to serve tea and water, and you call that for my own good?"

Never mind Shen Yue’s small company—even the client Linda was meeting today was nothing compared to the Wei family. Wei Jinchuan didn’t see what he could possibly learn from such tasks and scoffed inwardly.

"Exactly," Shen Yue said, his voice soft and slow. Once he turned gentle, the spring-like warmth in his peach blossom eyes seemed to overflow. "I acknowledge your academic record is outstanding, but the workplace isn’t school. Good grades alone aren’t enough—you need to deliver results. Especially for fresh graduates like you, what do you think resumes are for? Do you believe good grades alone will land you a job? You’re too naive.

"Your resume only reflects your academic abilities, but if those abilities don’t translate to the workplace, even graduates from top universities can be let go. You should be grateful—grateful that you have the Wei family backing you, grateful that Shenghua is humane enough not to burden you with heavy workloads right away but instead assigns someone to guide you slowly... Do you know how many companies in today’s job market are willing to give newcomers a learning opportunity like I am?"

Wei Jinchuan had interned at his family’s company during his junior year, surrounded by flattery and praise. He couldn’t relate to what Shen Yue was saying. "Even if—"

"Even if you can’t make it outside, you can always go home and inherit the company, right?" Shen Yue impatiently cut him off. Their values were too different. If not for that fleeting encounter three months ago, he doubted their paths would ever have crossed.

Shen Yue said mockingly, "If you’re so eager to inherit the company, you shouldn’t have come here. Since you’re here, you’ll follow my rules... Wei Jinchuan, are you thinking of resigning?"

"..."

Having known Shen Yue for so long, this was the first time he’d called him by his full name. Wei Jinchuan paused. "...I didn’t say I wouldn’t learn."

"Good," Shen Yue said with a warm smile. "If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask Linda. She’s very experienced—many of our senior staff were trained by her. Your learning ability is no worse than theirs, so you should do just fine."

By the end, his tone carried a barely noticeable laugh, as if deliberately inviting deeper scrutiny—like a captivating hook that made one want to lose themselves in it.

Wei Jinchuan found himself unconsciously drawn in by his words. He suddenly turned away and muttered under his breath, "...Got it. I’ll study hard."

Author's Note:

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