After Becoming an Alpha, I Became a Charmer (GL) - Chapter 25.1

Minister Li and Yu Qingyi arrived at the foot of the mountain where everyone was gathered. They planned to hike this morning and eat lunch at the mountaintop restaurant.

Minister Li nudged Yu Qingyi, who was still distracted, and asked, “Qingyi, what are you thinking about?”

Yu Qingyi’s eyes refocused. He seemed to have figured things out, letting out a soft breath. He chuckled and said, “Nothing. I was just thinking about how to tell everyone that Secretary Xia helped eliminate the perverts in the company.”

Minister Li saw the look of composure in Yu Qingyi’s smile and secretly nodded in satisfaction.

It’s a good thing Yu Qingyi’s feelings for Xia Zhiyu haven’t deepened. It would have been troublesome if he had fallen deeply in love. Although he didn’t think Xia Zhiyu would choose Yu Qingyi over Ruan Wu, Xia Zhiyu had pursued Yu Qingyi before. If Ruan Wu ever found out, and misunderstood that Xia Zhiyu and Yu Qingyi were in love, it would be bad.

His idol only needs to worry about work; he’ll handle the suffering of love for her.

Zhao Sheng and the other two had assumed they could just ask anyone in the restaurant at noon to find out what happened. However, when they arrived at the restaurant near noon, they found only a few ordinary tourists—none of the company employees were there.

Zhao Sheng and the others quickly contacted the Alphas from the other branch companies to inquire about the situation. They learned that the head office employees had all gone hiking and hadn’t returned, likely planning to eat directly at the mountaintop restaurant.

Zhao Sheng heard the person on the other end speaking normally, clearly unaware that the police had taken Zhou Chong and Xie Li away that morning. Zhao Sheng asked hesitantly, “Old Qiu, do you know about Zhou Chong and Xie Li?”

Old Qiu said, “Didn’t those two return to the company early on business? Why does your tone suggest there’s something else?”

“Ah,” Zhao Sheng sighed. “I unintentionally heard today that those two never left the resort yesterday. They were only taken away by the police this morning. Something must be going on. I thought you, who used to hang out with them, would know something.”

“You shouldn’t say that. I saw those two were trouble early on. They’re not my kind of people, and I haven’t hung out with them in a long time. But it’s not surprising they were arrested. Before, they just used money to lure naive Omegas. In the last two years, they’ve gotten worse. A while ago, Zhou Chong and Xie Li jointly molested a minor Omega who was still in Omega school, making the person depressed. The parents came knocking. Fortunately, the family was short on money, and they spent a six-figure sum to silence them, so it didn’t escalate.”

“That happened? This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Zhao Sheng was surprised.

“We chatted when we went back to the room after drinking yesterday. They were bragging about it themselves,” Old Qiu said. “Don’t you dare mention this to anyone. They hold grudges. They even said yesterday that before they came on the spring outing, they hired a few menacing thugs to cause trouble at that family’s snack shop and drive them out of A City to vent their frustration. Be careful they don’t hold a grudge against you and try to sabotage you.”

Zhao Sheng immediately said, “Don’t worry, Old Qiu. You know me; I’m completely tight-lipped.”

After hanging up, Zhao Sheng looked at Yu Chou and Ke Miao. Both shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t learned anything.

Zhao Sheng suppressed his excitement and said, “I just heard some news from Old Qiu.”

Zhao Sheng shared the news with them. The two immediately understood Zhao Sheng’s intention and said in unison, “Go see Ms. Ruan!”

The resort belonged to the Ruan family. Ruan Wu couldn’t possibly be unaware of the police’s arrival. Therefore, the arrest of Zhou Chong and Xie Li must be related to Ruan Wu. Maybe she happened to witness something they did. Regardless, Ruan Wu greatly detested this kind of behavior, especially from Zhou Chong and Xie Li. If they used the information they just heard from Old Qiu to request a meeting with Ruan Wu, she definitely wouldn’t refuse.

“I’ve never been inside Ms. Ruan’s private courtyard. Today is a good day. Maybe we’ll even get a chance to look around.”

The three exchanged a smile.

The weather was nice today. Xia Zhiyu wasn’t interested in doing anything else. While Ruan Wu worked in the room, Xia Zhiyu stayed in the courtyard, sunbathing and scrolling on her phone. The entire morning passed this way.

At noon, the resort staff delivered lunch for the two of them. Xia Zhiyu suddenly thought it would be nice to eat in the courtyard, enjoying the view of the distant mountains and delicious food—a great pleasure in life.

Xia Zhiyu set out the food and tableware and went inside to call Ruan Wu.

Walking to the bedroom door, Xia Zhiyu gently knocked. After a faint “Come in” was heard from inside, she lightly pushed the door open.

After her talk with Ruan Wu this morning, Xia Zhiyu had suddenly become more self-aware. She realized that, due to Ruan Wu’s unusual tolerance, she had done many things in the past half-month that Ruan Wu would normally dislike. If Ruan Wu hadn’t been so lenient, she might have been fired by now.

“Ms. Ruan, the staff delivered lunch. The weather looks nice today, so I set it up in the courtyard. Is that alright?”

Ruan Wu was staring at her computer screen, looking at files. She looked up briefly at Xia Zhiyu, noticing that Xia Zhiyu was standing right next to the door, as if afraid she would be scolded if she got too close.

Ruan Wu stared at Xia Zhiyu without speaking.

What does this mean? Is she acting petty just because I said a few things to her this morning?

“Ms. Ruan?”

Ruan Wu looked away and said faintly, “I’m not hungry. You eat first.”

“Okay, Ms. Ruan.” Xia Zhiyu responded obediently and left Ruan Wu’s bedroom, even thoughtfully closing the door behind her so Ruan Wu could continue to work quietly.

Ruan Wu looked up at the door and slowly frowned.

What she had just said was meant to give Xia Zhiyu an opening. If Xia Zhiyu had just urged her to stop working and eat first, she would have agreed.

But Xia Zhiyu didn’t even try to persuade me and just left?

Hmph. I didn’t realize Xia Zhiyu had such a temper before. Taking advantage of my tolerance, she dared to slam the door and leave in front of me (?). She must not want to work here anymore.

Xia Zhiyu was determined to be a well-behaved and sensible secretary. She would follow whatever the CEO said, never contradict her, and never try to persuade her.

So, after leaving Ruan Wu’s bedroom, she genuinely did as Ruan Wu instructed. She sat down on the stone bench, picked up her chopsticks, and prepared to eat first.

Just as she decided what to eat, Ruan Wu suddenly pulled open the door, walked out, and sat down directly across from her.

Huh? She changed her mind that quickly?

Xia Zhiyu suppressed her surprise and immediately handed Ruan Wu a pair of chopsticks. “Here you go, Ms. Ruan.” She made no attempt to ask why Ruan Wu had changed her mind.

Ruan Wu felt a little stifled. Xia Zhiyu must be doing this on purpose.

She took the chopsticks and said coldly, “Secretary Xia, after lunch, help me organize the documents.”

“Yes, Ms. Ruan.”

“Call the legal department tomorrow morning and have them issue a public notice about Zhou Chong and Xie Li’s case.”

“Yes, Ms. Ruan.”

“You’ll accompany me to the Xie family’s business dinner the day after tomorrow. Buy a suit.”

“Okay… Ms. Ruan, I don’t have money for a suit.” A good suit would cost at least four figures. The gown she wore yesterday was one the original “Xia Zhiyu” had bought with tears for a high-end dinner party.

Ruan Wu’s brow finally relaxed, having heard something other than “Yes, Ms. Ruan.” “The company will reimburse you.”

“Yes, Ms. Ruan!”

Ruan Wu: “…”

This wasn’t the first time the two had eaten together. Before, whenever Xia Zhiyu found something delicious, she would use the serving chopsticks to place it directly in Ruan Wu’s bowl. Ruan Wu, finding the taste to her liking, had tacitly approved of this behavior.

Today, Ruan Wu picked up her chopsticks, casually chose a dish, and ate it. She then put down her chopsticks and watched Xia Zhiyu taste every dish, waiting for her to put the best ones in her bowl.

But Xia Zhiyu didn’t serve her any food.

Ruan Wu’s expression grew colder. She came out to eat with her voluntarily, and Xia Zhiyu is still throwing a tantrum?

“Ms. Ruan, do you not have an appetite?” Xia Zhiyu looked up, seeing Ruan Wu staring coldly at her, barely touching her food, and asked a question.

“No, I don’t have an appetite,” Ruan Wu said, intentionally cold. “Secretary Xia, however, seems to be enjoying her meal.”

Xia Zhiyu chuckled. “The resort’s food is quite to my liking. Ms. Ruan, do you need me to ask the staff to send over a few other dishes?” Xia Zhiyu suppressed the urge to lecture Ruan Wu and offered a gentle suggestion.

“No need.” She was already full from being angry. It didn’t matter how many dishes they brought.

“Yes, Ms. Ruan.” Xia Zhiyu responded and continued eating without further persuasion.

Ruan Wu stared at the crown of Xia Zhiyu’s dark head. She just doesn’t want to sleep with her again. Xia Zhiyu clearly misunderstood her intentions before, and I’ve already indulged her twice. What more does she want?

Other people who like me can’t even touch me.

Just then, Ruan Wu’s phone rang. Ruan Wu saw the contact name, paused, and answered.

“President Zhao.”

Zhao Sheng? Xia Zhiyu immediately looked up alertly, watching Ruan Wu’s expression. She couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but Ruan Wu’s frown deepened, yet her tone became increasingly gentle.

“You actually have other information.”

“Alright. You three can come over. Let’s discuss this face-to-face.”

Ruan Wu hung up the phone.

Xia Zhiyu was very surprised. Ruan Wu is letting Zhao Sheng come to her private courtyard? What on earth happened?

“Ms. Ruan, you…” Xia Zhiyu couldn’t help but worry about Ruan Wu, but she closed her mouth halfway through her sentence. The great Omega female lead has her own plans. I should worry more about myself.

Ruan Wu thought Xia Zhiyu was about to ask a question and waited for her. But Xia Zhiyu abruptly stopped talking, as if someone had put a hand over her mouth.

Ruan Wu: “…” She’s not restricting Xia Zhiyu. She’s restricting herself.

“Zhao Sheng said he heard that Zhou Chong and Xie Li were taken away by the police this morning and wants to provide additional evidence of their crimes.”

“They committed more serious crimes?” Otherwise, Ruan Wu wouldn’t so easily agree to his request.

“Mhm. Molestation only gets them about ten days in jail. Zhao Sheng said the information he has can put them away for ten years.”

“Then I won’t eat anymore.” Xia Zhiyu understood the mindset of Ruan Wu’s admirers very well. Zhao Sheng and the other two already knew she had differentiated into an Alpha. Her presence as Ruan Wu’s secretary was already annoying enough to them. If they found out she was also staying in the courtyard, she would definitely end up on their hit list.

Ruan Wu also knew how crazy her admirers were. She didn’t stop Xia Zhiyu.

Xia Zhiyu packed all the food and tableware into the sealed containers nearby, moved the containers to the adjacent storeroom, and then went to the living room to move her camp bed and other personal items into Ruan Wu’s bedroom.

Zhao Sheng and the others would likely stay in the courtyard, and they might enter the living room, but they would never dare step into Ruan Wu’s bedroom.

Shortly after Xia Zhiyu finished tidying up, she saw Ruan Wu sitting there, opening her laptop and pretending to work. Xia Zhiyu was somewhat touched. Ruan Wu is even pretending to work so she doesn’t expose me.

“Ding-dong—” The doorbell rang.

Xia Zhiyu and Ruan Wu exchanged glances, adjusted their demeanor, and walked to the gate to press the switch. The metal gate slowly opened. The originally smiling faces of Zhao Sheng and the other two immediately vanished when they saw Xia Zhiyu.

“Secretary Xia? Why are you here? How long have you been here?” Yu Chou asked.

Xia Zhiyu smiled and said, “President Zhao, Ms. Ruan just called me over. Ms. Ruan said the matter was urgent and told me to hurry. You can see the dust on my shoes from running over.”

“Ms. Ruan is waiting for you gentlemen in the courtyard. Please come in.”

Zhao Sheng carefully examined Xia Zhiyu. Seeing the dust on her shoes and nothing else unusual, the three men took their eyes off her and walked into the courtyard.

Ruan Wu was pretending to work, staring intently at her laptop.

Zhao Sheng and the other two stopped a short distance from her, afraid of disturbing her and incurring her anger.

Everyone knew Ruan Wu loved her work most of all.

You could annoy her in other areas, and she wouldn’t get angry, but if you interrupted her work, Ruan Wu wouldn’t spare anyone’s feelings. You would just have to face her cold shoulder.

They were here for praise, not a scolding.

Xia Zhiyu was surprised by their behavior. She had frequently interrupted Ruan Wu’s work for all sorts of reasons. Ruan Wu had never held it against her.

Even Alphas who like her don’t dare to interrupt her. Given this, Ruan Wu’s treatment of me seems to be more than just tolerance…

To avoid highlighting her special status in front of the three men, Xia Zhiyu also stood quietly on the side, waiting for Ruan Wu to finish working without disturbing her.

Seeing Xia Zhiyu’s behavior, the three men, who were secretly observing her actions, finally felt relieved.

They weren’t afraid of an Alpha being close to Ruan Wu; they were afraid of Ruan Wu favoring a particular Alpha.

Xia Zhiyu was already unique enough just by being Ruan Wu’s secretary. If she could also interrupt Ruan Wu’s work without any consequences, she would truly be someone they couldn’t afford to let stay.

Five minutes later, Ruan Wu closed her laptop, rubbed her temples to relax her eyes, and then opened them and “noticed” Zhao Sheng and the others. She stood up in surprise. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you remind me?”

Ke Miao immediately chuckled. “They say people are most charming when they’re working. We were all captivated by Ms. Ruan’s concentration the moment we walked in and forgot to move.”

“Come over here and sit down. Let’s chat over tea,” Ruan Wu instructed Xia Zhiyu. “Secretary Xia, the resort’s new green tea is on the third shelf of the living room cabinet. Please take it out and brew a pot.”

Xia Zhiyu agreed and walked inside. Halfway there, she awkwardly turned back. “Ms. Ruan, I don’t know where the teapot and teacups are.”

Ruan Wu said, “They’re on the shelf above the tea leaves.”

“Yes, Ms. Ruan.” Xia Zhiyu then walked into the living room.

Zhao Sheng and the others relaxed, watching her. They were now certain Xia Zhiyu hadn’t spent much time in the courtyard. Even when she came, it was only to help Ruan Wu work.

The four of them chatted about the courtyard’s scenery for a while. Xia Zhiyu then brought out the brewed tea and placed it on the stone table in front of them.

Ke Miao asked, seemingly casually, “Secretary Xia, where did you get the hot water?”

Xia Zhiyu said, “President Ke, there’s a water dispenser in the living room. I just used that.” She suddenly reacted, asking Ruan Wu with some concern, “Ms. Ruan, shouldn’t this tea be brewed with mountain spring water?”

Ruan Wu said, “The water dispenser uses mountain spring water at the perfect temperature.”

Xia Zhiyu sighed with relief. “I thought I had ruined your good tea, Ms. Ruan.”

Xia Zhiyu poured a cup of tea for each of the four, then stood aside to listen to their conversation, maintaining a proper demeanor and making no effort to join the discussion uninvited.

Ruan Wu said, “Have some tea first, and then we’ll talk about business.”

Zhao Sheng and the other two took a sip of tea like Ruan Wu, praised it, and then Zhao Sheng, under Ruan Wu’s curious gaze, told her the information he had heard from Old Qiu.

“Now, that family is probably in serious danger. I initially dismissed it as a rumor, as Zhou Chong and Xie Li usually put on a good front in front of us. No one ever suspected them. I never thought they would do something like this. It’s truly unbelievable.”

Ruan Wu and Xia Zhiyu could tell from his evasive manner that he only knew that the police had taken Zhou Chong and Xie Li away and had no idea why they had been arrested.

Ruan Wu said, “Yes, I was also very surprised when I was called over that day. I never imagined Zhou Chong and Xie Li would be so insane as to not even spare an Alpha.”

Zhao Sheng, Yu Chou, and Ke Miao exchanged shocked, subtle glances.

So they were arrested for molesting an Alpha.

The identity of the Alpha who had so captivated them was obvious: the most eye-catching person at the banquet last night was Xia Zhiyu.

“Secretary Xia, you must have been through a lot,” Zhao Sheng said, turning to show concern as if he had known all along.

“It’s fine, President Zhao. I’m quite strong when I’m drunk. They didn’t touch me before I kicked them out last night,” Xia Zhiyu said with an innocent smile.

“Kicked… kicked them out?” Yu Chou was astonished.

Those were two Alphas, and male Alphas at that. If he remembered correctly, Xia Zhiyu was wearing high heels last night and could barely walk. Could she really stand firm and kick two male Alphas away?

“So Secretary Xia is very strong,” Ke Miao said.

Xia Zhiyu said, sounding slightly embarrassed, “I wasn’t that strong before. My physique improved after my secondary differentiation. Combined with the boost in strength from the alcohol, I was able to kick two of them away.”

“I was wondering last night, since they dared to lay hands on an Alpha, it suggests this wasn’t the first time they’ve done something like this. How many employees at the head office have been subjected to their advances? What about people outside the company? I initially thought the charge of molestation was too light for them. I was just about to find someone to investigate them when President Zhao happened to know something about them. Regardless, I thank you on behalf of the company for the lead. After obtaining full evidence, I will hand it directly over to the police, and I will also find someone to protect that family.”

After hearing Ruan Wu’s words, Zhao Sheng and the other two felt a strange jolt in their hearts.

Ruan Wu’s methods against Zhou Chong and Xie Li were ruthless. While they were mesmerized by this side of Ruan Wu, a sense of fear rose within them.

If Ruan Wu were to discover their long-running conspiracy, their fate would be even more miserable.

“We need to leave for the company return trip at 5 p.m. Presidents Zhao, Yu, and Ke, you still have some time to enjoy yourselves. I have some work to deal with, so I won’t see you out,” Ruan Wu said, using the tea to dismiss them.

Zhao Sheng and the others reluctantly stood up. Ruan Wu personally walked them to the gate. Xia Zhiyu followed them out. “Ms. Ruan, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll go back now.”

Ruan Wu nodded. “Go ahead.”

Watching Xia Zhiyu and the three men walk away together, Ruan Wu’s gaze gradually darkened.

After the series of tests just now, Xia Zhiyu had successfully been removed from the three men’s list of people to be wary of.

Zhao Sheng, Yu Chou, and Ke Miao’s attitude toward Xia Zhiyu immediately became enthusiastic.

“Secretary Xia, you seem a few years younger than Ms. Ruan. The three of us are older than you. Calling us President Zhao, President Yu, and President Ke is too formal. Just call me Brother Zhao, him Brother Yu, and this is Sister Ke.”

Xia Zhiyu looked startled and quickly waved her hands. “President Zhao, I couldn’t possibly. I’m just a small secretary. How can I call a few general managers my brothers and sister?”

Zhao Sheng gave Yu Chou and Ke Miao a look. The two immediately understood.

Yu Chou chuckled. “You’re being too formal, Xiao Xia. Heroes come from all backgrounds. We simply admire your character, and your title doesn’t matter.”

“Exactly. The first time I saw you today, I felt a connection. You look very much like one of my cousins, but she hasn’t had your luck to differentiate into an Alpha.” Ke Miao said, taking off the exquisite watch on her wrist. She picked up Xia Zhiyu’s hand and prepared to put it on her. “I bought this watch a while ago, and I’ve always loved it, but my wrist isn’t slender and fair enough. It’s not as beautiful as yours. I can tell just by looking at your wrist that this fine watch has found its true owner.”

Xia Zhiyu was surrounded by the three of them, unable to dodge. She could only “helplessly” watch Ke Miao put the watch on her.

She basically knew what Zhao Sheng and the other two were planning now. If she refused too obviously, it might arouse their suspicion, so it was better to play along.

“Thank you for the watch, Sister Ke. I gratefully accept.” Xia Zhiyu loved the watch and kept raising her wrist to look at it.

Zhao Sheng chuckled. “It seems Brother Yu and I will have to give you a gift too, or you won’t call us ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Xia Zhiyu quickly said, but still didn’t call them ‘brother’ or ‘sister’.

Now, Zhao Sheng and the other two understood: Xia Zhiyu was greedy for money.

Greedy for money is good. We were just afraid you didn’t have a weakness.

“I don’t have anything suitable for you right now, Little Sister. But I’ll definitely make it up to you when we get back.”

Xia Zhiyu laughed. “No need. That would make me seem like I care about money. It’s really not necessary, truly not necessary.”

“Sister Ke’s watch is enough. I didn’t think so at first, but on closer look, Sister Ke also looks a lot like one of my cousins.”

“What a coincidence,” Zhao Sheng chimed in, secretly scoffing. All this ‘connection’ is bought with a watch.

The four walked together for a while. Xia Zhiyu mostly only responded warmly to Ke Miao. When the other two spoke, her smile faded, illustrating the concept of “changing face” perfectly.

“We’ve reached our destination, Little Xia. Let’s exchange contact information. I can let you know if there’s any good news.”

Xia Zhiyu’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Sister Ke. You’re even nicer to me than my cousin.”

The two warmly added each other on WeChat. When Zhao Sheng took out his phone, Xia Zhiyu said, “My contacts list is full. Sister Ke was the last one I could add.”

“Little Xia, I truly admire you. Why don’t you delete some people you don’t contact much? That way, I can let you know when I’ve bought you a gift, or if you see something you like but are temporarily short on cash, I can conveniently pay for you.”

Yu Chou’s excuse was the same as Zhao Sheng’s.

Xia Zhiyu reluctantly pretended to delete two contacts and added Zhao Sheng and Yu Chou.

The three men, having achieved their goal, found an excuse to part ways with Xia Zhiyu.

Xia Zhiyu was afraid of being followed, so she decided to wander outside before returning.

Unconsciously, she walked to the foot of the mountain, where she ran into the head office employees who had finished lunch on the mountaintop and were descending.

Before Xia Zhiyu could speak, a group of people saw her, let out a surprised cheer, and rushed toward her.

“Secretary Xia, we all heard what happened last night!”

“Secretary Xia, thank you!”

“Secretary Xia, I apologize for the cold shoulder I gave you before. I never knew you were actually such a good person.”

Hearing this, Xia Zhiyu quickly said, “The old me definitely had problems and caused you trouble. That was my fault. But I promise I will be a good person from now on.”

Xia Zhiyu had dealt with crowds like this before she transmigrated, so she handled it smoothly. Everyone surrounding her felt acknowledged.

However, having hundreds of people gathered here wasn’t ideal. Fortunately, Sister Zhou from HR made a suggestion that solved Xia Zhiyu’s immediate problem.

“Why don’t we just create a group chat and add Secretary Xia? That way, everyone can ask questions in the group, and Secretary Xia can reply if she’s willing.”

“That’s a great idea.” In a group chat, everyone had an equal chance to talk to Xia Zhiyu, whereas here, only the people in the front row had an advantage.

Minister Li was slowly coming down the mountain when his phone suddenly started buzzing with frequent notifications. He took out his phone in confusion and saw that someone had added him to a newly created group. The group was so active, with constantly refreshing messages, that the notifications wouldn’t stop since he hadn’t muted them.

Why suddenly create a new company group? Minister Li scrolled up in confusion. Soon, countless mentions of “Secretary Xia” flooded his screen.

Minister Li’s heart jumped. What is going on? Who added Xia Zhiyu to a group?

Minister Li quickly messaged the group admin, Sister Zhou.

MinisterLi: Sister Zhou, what’s going on with this group? I just got down from the mountain, and the notifications almost deafened me.

SisterZhou: Haha, Minister Li, this group is special. Secretary Xia is in it too! Everyone was so excited about what happened yesterday and wanted to talk to Secretary Xia. I figured there was no way Secretary Xia could handle hundreds of people, so I suggested creating a group. It turned out to be quite effective. Now anyone can ask Secretary Xia questions directly in the group, or send private messages. Everyone said my idea was brilliant, hahaha.

MinisterLi: Haha, that’s really good.

Minister Li nearly went crazy holding his phone. He had just been congratulating himself for eliminating a romantic rival for Ruan Wu, and now Ruan Wu had hundreds more rivals in the blink of an eye.

With Xia Zhiyu’s looks, figure, and current personality, what single Omega or Beta wouldn’t be smitten? And private messages? Isn’t Sister Zhou afraid that Xia Zhiyu is a ‘sea queen’ who will date a bunch of people at once???

This isn’t a convenient company chat; it’s a hotbed for infidelity!

No! I must tell Sister Zhou to turn off the private message function.

MinisterLi: Sister Zhou, I thought about it, and I don’t think private messaging is appropriate for the group. It’s not that I don’t trust Secretary Xia’s character, but given Secretary Xia’s current popularity, people won’t tell anyone what they chat about with her. Even if their private messages aren’t romantic, gossip travels fast, and jealousy and suspicion can make people irrational. If rumors start spreading, it will be bad for the company’s image, and Ms. Ruan won’t be happy when she finds out.

Minister Li sent the message and waited nervously for Sister Zhou’s reply.

SisterZhou: You’re right. I didn’t think it through. Minister Li, you’re absolutely correct. If there’s something to say, it can be said in the group. Private messages are unnecessary. I’ll turn them off now.

Minister Li went to great lengths to finally convince Sister Zhou to disable private messages and breathed a sigh of relief.

But he quickly gathered himself. There was something more important waiting for him.

Everyone could only chat with Xia Zhiyu in the group, which made it easier for him to monitor. If he was too busy to monitor, he could ask his wife to log into his account and monitor for him.

Minister Li was so moved by his own devotion that he almost cried. He dared say that no one in the entire Ruan Group was as loyal to Ruan Wu as he was.

After joining the group, Xia Zhiyu successfully extricated herself and walked toward the courtyard while checking the group messages.

In the group, aside from him and the admin, who were openly identified, everyone else used a nickname, so Xia Zhiyu couldn’t tell who was who.

However, Xia Zhiyu had an excellent memory. After answering many people’s questions, she often remembered what she had just discussed with a particular person and continued the conversation, which earned her a lot of goodwill.

Minister Li was so focused on his phone that his eyes became red. Seeing Xia Zhiyu become more and more popular, even winning over people who originally only intended to lurk, he was heartbroken.

It’s uncontrollable. Xia Zhiyu’s charm is simply uncontrollable.

After Xia Zhiyu and the three men left, Ruan Wu continued to work in the courtyard, waiting for Xia Zhiyu to return so she could have a serious talk with her.

But Xia Zhiyu still hadn’t returned, causing Ruan Wu to be unable to concentrate on her work. Her work efficiency was less than half of what it usually was.

Just as Ruan Wu was about to send a WeChat message urging Xia Zhiyu to hurry back, Xia Zhiyu finally returned.

She was holding her phone, looking down with a smile. It was clear she was having a pleasant conversation with someone, and she had a valuable women’s watch on her wrist.

The secret happiness that had blossomed in Ruan Wu’s heart when she saw her instantly vanished, replaced by a blank expression.

Xia Zhiyu hadn’t expected Ruan Wu to leave the gate open. She only looked up after walking into the courtyard.

Seeing Ruan Wu still in the courtyard, Xia Zhiyu immediately put away her phone and said, “Ms. Ruan, I have something to tell you.”

“I also have something to tell you,” Ruan Wu said in a cold tone.

“Ms. Ruan, you first?”

“You first.” Ruan Wu closed her laptop and raised her chin, signaling Xia Zhiyu to sit across from her.

Xia Zhiyu sat down and immediately held up her wrist to show Ruan Wu the watch. “Ms. Ruan, guess who gave me this?”

Ruan Wu’s hand under the stone table immediately clenched. Xia Zhiyu really is conniving. She’s already found a way to provoke me like this.

“I won’t guess.”

Ruan Wu looked at the watch, finding it extremely annoying. “As long as you haven’t violated the contract, anyone can give you a watch.”

Xia Zhiyu thought Ruan Wu was still upset about them sleeping together. She looked slightly embarrassed. “Don’t worry, Ms. Ruan. I definitely won’t violate the contract again.”

She stopped being coy, took off the watch, and placed it in front of Ruan Wu. “Ke Miao gave me this watch.”

She recounted her conversation with Zhao Sheng and the other two, detailing how she had pretended to be greedy for money. Ruan Wu’s expression grew more serious. When she heard that Xia Zhiyu had added them on WeChat at the end, Ruan Wu finally couldn’t hold back. “No! Delete their WeChat accounts.”

“Why?” Xia Zhiyu was confused. “They were so enthusiastic toward me so suddenly. Something must be wrong. Don’t you want to know what they’re up to, Ms. Ruan?”

“No, I don’t. They are dangerous. I don’t need you to put yourself at risk for me,” Ruan Wu said without hesitation, her face taut.

Xia Zhiyu was stunned. “Ms. Ruan, you…”

Ruan Wu turned her face away. “Don’t misunderstand. You are just a regular employee of the company. You only need to do your job. There’s no need to get involved in this sort of thing.” Then, trying to cover up her true feelings, she added, “I wouldn’t encourage any other employee to do something dangerous either.”

A smile she couldn’t suppress spread across Xia Zhiyu’s face. “I know, Ms. Ruan. You are a good boss who cares about your subordinates.”

Ruan Wu looks so cute trying to cover up her concern.

She should just say she cares about me. I wouldn’t misunderstand. Xia Zhiyu had read the novel. She knew Ruan Wu would unconsciously care about anyone who treated her sincerely. So Ruan Wu has seen everything I’ve done during this time?

My concern for Ruan Wu is genuine. It’s great that Ruan Wu didn’t misunderstand.

Xia Zhiyu’s smile grew wider. Ruan Wu couldn’t help but say, “Stop smiling for a moment. Did you hear what I just said?”

“I heard it, I heard it.” Xia Zhiyu put away her smile and seriously analyzed the situation for Ruan Wu. “Ms. Ruan, since you already know those three are dangerous, it means you’ve already started investigating them and have some leads. But just as you don’t want me to be in danger, I don’t want you to be in danger either. That’s why maintaining contact with them is essential. If they reveal any plans to me, you can make arrangements beforehand. You know I’m very strong. Two Alphas are nothing to me. Unless someone points a gun at me, ten people surrounding me won’t hurt me.”

Xia Zhiyu was clearly determined to do this. Ruan Wu knew that even if she objected, Xia Zhiyu might still secretly contact those people, which would be even more dangerous.

“If you insist, I can agree, but after this, you must be with me constantly.”

“Even outside of work hours?” Xia Zhiyu asked.

“You’ll move into my house. You’ll be with me after work, too. Otherwise, I won’t feel safe.”

Xia Zhiyu thought Ruan Wu was so rich that she must have many rooms in her house. Living at Ruan Wu’s house would improve her living environment and save her rent money. “Great. I’ll move into your house when we get back.”

“And the two bodyguards you hired for me, they should continue to follow me.”

Following Ruan Wu was equivalent to following Xia Zhiyu. Xia Zhiyu smiled. “Okay, I’ll contact them later. Thank you for the expense, Ms. Ruan.”

The bodyguards’ salaries were not low.

“Money is the least valuable thing to me,” Ruan Wu said, inadvertently showing off her wealth.

Xia Zhiyu nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Once you have a certain amount of money, it just becomes a string of numbers.” She had experienced this before she transmigrated.

“I’ve looked at this watch. It hasn’t been modified in any way. Their approach to you must have been a spur-of-the-moment decision.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t have discussed so much with Xia Zhiyu in front of the watch.

“The gifts Zhao Sheng and Yu Chou send you might be different. Do not carry them with you after you receive them.”

Ruan Wu looked at her wrist. “If you really like watches, I’ll buy you another one as a reward for taking this risk for me.”

“Not yet,” Xia Zhiyu said. “They will definitely investigate me when they go back. I have debt. Wearing expensive accessories will surely arouse their suspicion.”

Ruan Wu was silent for a moment, still wanting to give Xia Zhiyu a gift. “Then I’ll give it to you after we resolve their problems.”

“Okay. Thank you in advance, Ms. Ruan.”

This time, Xia Zhiyu didn’t refuse, and Ruan Wu sighed with relief.

“Ms. Ruan, you said you had something to tell me. What was it?”

Xia Zhiyu asked.