Chapter 175 Same Job, Different Fate

Chapter 175: Same Job, Different Fate

The next morning, the automatic doors of the airport arrival hall slid open, and two figures walked out side by side, dragging their suitcases.

Lin Wei wore a sharply tailored camel coat, her face showing the weariness of a long flight, yet her eyes still held professional clarity.

She turned her head and glanced at Zhou Jin beside her, who was also travel-weary. They exchanged a look, both reading the tacit resignation in each other's eyes.

“Together?” Lin Wei asked.

“Together,” Zhou Jin nodded.

The two got into the same car, heading to the Qingye Group.

No one spoke during the ride. One leaned back in the passenger seat, resting with eyes closed, while the other sat in the back, scrolling through unread messages on his phone. The street scenes outside flew backward, the familiar city skyline coming into sharper focus in the morning light.

The car pulled up at the Qingye Group building. They got out, walked into the lobby, took the elevator, and remained silent the entire way.

The CEO's office was at the end of the corridor. Zhou Jin stood at the door, glanced at Lin Wei, and gave a slight chin lift, signaling her to knock. Lin Wei took a deep breath and knocked three times.

After a lengthy pause, a voice came from inside: “Come in.” It was cool, brief, and emotionless.

Lin Wei pushed open the door.

Behind the desk, Shen Qingci was bent over, going through documents.

He wore a light gray shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing pale, slender wrists. His slightly long ink-black hair was tied up, falling over one shoulder, with a few strands escaping from behind his ear, swaying gently as he turned the pages.

His eyelashes were lowered, casting a small shadow beneath his eyes. He was quiet and focused, like a meticulously detailed Chinese painting frozen in time.

Lin Wei's eyes swept over the sofa.

Lu Lin was lounging there, casual and lazy. One leg stretched out, the other slightly bent, toying with a silver lighter. The lighter flipped between his fingers, the flickering flame casting shifting light and shadow on his face.

His shirt was unbuttoned at the top two buttons, with one side of the hem untucked from his waistband. He looked completely relaxed, wearing a smug, satisfied smile.

Lin Wei paused. Her sixth sense told her that something major must have happened during her absence.

Her gaze moved from Lu Lin back to Shen Qingci's face.

Those usually pale, paper-thin lips were now a vivid red, slightly swollen, as if they had been kissed raw.

She quickly lowered her head, staring at her own shoes, with only one thought in her mind: Lu Lin had eaten his fill?

Behind her, Zhou Jin walked in with a straight face, went straight to the sofa, and was about to speak.

“Don’t talk to me.”

Lu Lin’s voice rang out lazily. He didn’t even glance at him, still playing with the lighter.

“I’m Mr. Shen’s personal assistant now, not your President Lu.”

Zhou Jin stood there, looking at the face that practically screamed “I’m Mr. Shen’s man now,” and was silent for a moment.

His mind raced: So now he’s not President Lu anymore? Then what about all these years as his special assistant? Was it just his lot in life?

He sighed inwardly.

Did he really have to do this job?

Yeah, he really did.

After saying that, Lu Lin turned his head to look at Lin Wei, his tone dripping with pride: “Vice President Lin, I’m Mr. Shen’s personal assistant. If anything comes up, talk to me first. If I can handle it, don't trouble Mr. Shen.”

Lin Wei was silent for a moment. She looked toward Shen Qingci behind the desk, waiting for him to say something.

Shen Qingci raised his eyes, glanced at Lu Lin, then lowered his head again and continued looking at the documents in his hand. A few strands of hair slipped from behind his ear, falling beside his face, covering half his face.

His attitude was obvious: Let him have his fun.

Lin Wei and Zhou Jin were both silent.

They looked at the smiling man on the sofa, and a storm raged inside them: In just one week, Lu Lin had started doing role-play... and Mr. Shen wasn’t stopping him... It felt like the sky was falling.

In the end, Lin Wei had to report the work to Lu Lin.

Zhou Jin stood to the side, expressionless, gazing out the window. His gaze swept over the two people in the office—one quietly handling files behind the desk, the other lounging on the sofa, smiling as he listened to the report.

Who would have thought that after one business trip, his boss had become someone else’s assistant, and by the looks of it, seemed ready to stay that way forever.

Lin Wei finished reporting. Lu Lin let out an “oh,” lifted his eyes, and looked at her, speaking lazily:

“Vice President Lin, you can take a break starting today. Mr. Shen has entrusted the company matters to me. You—”

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Wei was stunned.

She looked up at Shen Qingci behind the desk. Shen Qingci was watching the three of them, and when he met Lin Wei’s gaze, he tilted his head slightly, as if questioning.

“Mr. Shen...” Lin Wei’s voice trembled a little. “Why? If it’s because I went abroad without permission—”

“I’m sorry...”

Shen Qingci’s voice suddenly rang out. When Lin Wei heard those three words, her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes instantly turned red.

She bit her lip, struggling to hold back her tears.

Lu Lin, seeing Lin Wei’s suddenly reddened eyes, became instantly alert: Is someone copying his bit?

“I’m sorry to interrupt you,” Shen Qingci said, watching Lin Wei’s expression and realizing she might have misunderstood, so he continued to explain, “To avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding, let me clarify.”

He put down his pen, leaned slightly back in his chair, and fixed his eyes on Lin Wei.

“Vice President Lin, I’m grateful for your trip abroad this time, but I hope you'll communicate with me before you act in the future. Because sometimes, there are things you can’t solve. You have a family, so there's no need for you to take risks on my behalf.”

He paused, his voice softening a bit:

“What Lu Lin said is my intention too. You can take a break starting today, six months of paid leave. Xiao Ya is about to start high school, and I hope you can spend more time with her during this time off.”

“If you'd rather not—”

“I'd rather not.”

Lin Wei’s voice was hoarse but came out in a rush, as if afraid that speaking too slowly would make her miss her chance.

Shen Qingci looked at her, as if he had been expecting that answer all along. He showed no surprise, he didn't push further; he just nodded slightly.

"Then work half time, take the other half off."

Lin Wei stood frozen. Looking at Shen Qingci's face, as clear and cool as jade, her nose suddenly stung. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat tightened.

In the end, she just nodded and said in a very soft voice, "Thank you, Mr. Shen."

Shen Qingci didn't look at her again. He lowered his head and flipped open the next document.

Zhou Jin stood by the window, watching Lin Wei go from red-eyed to breaking into a smile. He felt a swirl of emotions. He silently averted his gaze and thought to himself:

Why are people so different?

When will he ever meet a boss like that?