After Becoming an Alpha, I Became a Charmer (GL) - Chapter 27.2

Minister Li followed Ruan Wu and Xia Zhiyu into the CEO’s office. He secretly shot Xia Zhiyu a pleading look. Xia Zhiyu shrugged, indicating she could not help him.

He’s in Ruan Wu’s hands now. He can only rely on himself.

Xia Zhiyu poured two cups of tea and placed them in front of Ruan Wu and Minister Li, then excused herself to return to her office to handle work.

Minister Li and Ruan Wu were alone in the large CEO’s office. Minister Li sat bolt upright, barely managing to keep his legs from shaking.

He felt so insecure now. As Ruan Wu’s loyal fan, he knew perfectly well that Ruan Wu’s true personality was not as gentle as she appeared.

“Minister Li, you know me very well?”

Finally, after a heart-stopping silence, Ruan Wu spoke her first sentence.

Minister Li quickly shook his head. “No, no. Just a general understanding.”

Ruan Wu said, “Since Minister Li understands me, you should know that I like direct communication, and I also like people who are direct.”

Minister Li was jolted. “Ms. Ruan, I misspoke just now. I truly understand you well because I am your loyal fan. I deeply admire you.”

Ruan Wu took a sip of tea. “Everyone in the company admires me, but they are not like you.”

“I… I…” Minister Li was at a complete loss for words under Ruan Wu’s gaze.

“Tell me the truth.”

Ruan Wu prompted him.

“Oh, right.” Minister Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and composed himself. “The truth is, I don’t know if it’s fate or talent, but even though I haven’t interacted much with you since I joined the company, I can always see the ‘other you’ within your body. Sometimes when you’re smiling, I can tell you’re angry. I know you despise those Alphas, which is why you sent them all to the branch companies with excuses. I also know you like Secretary Xia very much, which is why you haven’t let her leave. I…”

“Wait.” Ruan Wu’s expression changed slightly. She frowned and asked, “I like Secretary Xia? Where did you get that idea?”

Minister Li said, “At the resort, when I accidentally discovered you, Ms. Ruan, intercepting a potential romantic rival.”

Ruan Wu’s heart skipped a beat. She decided to ignore her own feelings for a moment. “Intercepting a potential romantic rival? What rival?”

Minister Li omitted the name “Yu Qingyi” and the fact that Xia Zhiyu had once pursued him. He honestly recounted how he had hinted to an Omega who had developed a strong liking for Xia Zhiyu that Secretary Xia and Ruan Wu were a couple, thereby making the Omega abandon his romantic feelings for Secretary Xia. “I just don’t want you, Ms. Ruan, to be bothered by things outside of work. I think Secretary Xia is great. She helps you with work and brings you happiness in life. Plus, she’s the only Alpha you’ve ever kept by your side. As your loyal fan, Ms. Ruan, I have a mission. I must rush to the front lines and defeat all potential enemies for you!”

Minister Li grew more and more excited, standing up by the last sentence.

Ruan Wu: “…”

“Sit down first.” Ruan Wu rubbed her temples, at a complete loss as to how to explain to Minister Li that there was no romance between her and Xia Zhiyu.

Minister Li regained his composure, his face beet red. He sat back down uneasily. “I know Ms. Ruan’s charm is boundless, and no one can take Secretary Xia away from you, but wouldn’t you feel more at ease if no one was even trying to take her? Ms. Ruan, I genuinely believe this and acted on it. Yesterday, when they suddenly created a group and added Secretary Xia, I would have stopped it if I had known beforehand, but the situation was already decided when I saw it. I could only try my best to minimize opportunities for others to over-interact with Secretary Xia in other ways, such as advising the admin to turn off the private messaging function and constantly monitoring the group for inappropriate messages and reminding members to recall them before Secretary Xia could see them.”

Ruan Wu: “…If you put this much effort into your work, Minister Li, I believe you would have advanced further than just a minor managerial position.”

“Ms. Ruan, I don’t have time to monitor the group during work hours, but my wife helps me! She’s also a loyal fan of yours, Ms. Ruan.”

Minister Li suddenly showed a look of gratitude and shyness. “Speaking of which, it was our shared admiration for you, Ms. Ruan, that brought my wife and me closer and eventually led us to marry. Ms. Ruan, you are the matchmaker for my wife and me.”

Ruan Wu confirmed that Minister Li was harmless—just a pure loyal fan, and also a shipper of Ruan Wu and Xia Zhiyu.

Minister Li didn’t understand her deeply. His guess about the alternate account was merely a coincidence.

If he truly understood her, he wouldn’t mistake her affection for Xia Zhiyu as romantic love.

If Minister Li knew how she treated her friends, he wouldn’t have made such a mistake.

Although Minister Li’s assumptions were all wrong, Ruan Wu found that there was no need to explain, as Minister Li’s actions were precisely what she wanted. The fewer people pursuing Xia Zhiyu, the better, while her contract with Xia Zhiyu was in effect.

So, after listening to Minister Li’s confession, she remained silent for a moment and then said, “You may leave now.”

Minister Li left the CEO’s office in a daze. After returning to his private office in the Design Department and sitting down, he finally snapped back to reality. His eyes grew brighter.

Ms. Ruan didn’t refute my guess, nor did she stop me from continuing to protect her and Secretary Xia’s love. That means Ms. Ruan doesn’t just like Secretary Xia a little; she likes her a lot! He was right; he understood Ms. Ruan better than anyone else. He was the chosen one among Ms. Ruan’s loyal fans, and his status had even been openly acknowledged by the principals!

At 5 p.m., Ruan Wu, who usually stayed for two hours of overtime, packed her things and prepared to leave exactly on time.

Xia Zhiyu said, “Ms. Ruan, I can actually wait for you for two hours.”

The great Omega female lead, who loves her work, is clocking out on time for my safety. I’m so touched!

Ruan Wu looked up at her. “Stop with your wild imagination. I told you yesterday that I’m taking you home after work to pack your luggage.”

Xia Zhiyu realized her mistake, but Ruan Wu accompanying her back to her rental apartment to pack was even more touching.

“You’re truly too good, Ms. Ruan,” Xia Zhiyu sighed. “I really worry that I’ll be single forever if I can’t find someone as good as you.” Once you’ve met the best, it’s hard to fall for anyone else.

Ruan Wu pretended not to hear anything, deliberately looking cold. “I’m giving you three minutes to prepare. I won’t wait if you’re late.”

Zhang Yu and Zhao Ze were now formal employees of the Ruan Group and had a private office next to the CEO’s office. They could do whatever they wanted when Ruan Wu was in the company, but when Ruan Wu left, they had to be her personal bodyguards.

A clause in their contract specifically stated that Xia Zhiyu’s safety was just as important as Ruan Wu’s.

Xia Zhiyu returned to her rental apartment, accompanied by Ruan Wu and the two bodyguards. The landlord hadn’t arrived yet.

She had contacted the landlord before leaving work to discuss moving out. The landlord had said over the phone that she was nearby and would come over shortly to discuss it face-to-face.

The four entered the apartment. Ruan Wu looked around the environment, clearly not satisfied.

Xia Zhiyu explained, “It’s just for sleeping, so I didn’t bother adding furniture or appliances. One bed is enough.”

Ruan Wu said, “When you pay off your debt and buy a house, I’ll give you a set of furniture and appliances.”

“You’re so thoughtful, Ms. Ruan~ Heart-hand gesture~” After realizing that Ruan Wu had taken her on as a friend to protect, Xia Zhiyu had returned to her usual boldness and wasn’t afraid to say anything to Ruan Wu.

Ruan Wu was used to it and didn’t react, but the two massive bodyguards suddenly felt superfluous. To avoid hindering Ruan Wu and Xia Zhiyu’s “flirting,” they could only try their best to minimize their presence.

“Knock, knock, knock!” The door knocked when Xia Zhiyu was halfway through packing.

Xia Zhiyu walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was the landlord.

The landlord’s sharp eyes scanned Xia Zhiyu’s clothing. She was dressed the same as before, with no visible difference, but her entire demeanor was much more vibrant than before, less self-effacing and sneaky.

“Little Xia, you said you want to terminate the lease?”

The landlord got straight to the point.

“Yes. My friend has a spare room and asked me to stay with her, so I don’t need to rent anymore for the time being. I just paid the rent, and you came to check the apartment then. There were no problems, and I went traveling afterward and haven’t lived here since. You can keep this month’s rent. Just refund my deposit, and I’ll move out today.”

The landlord was unhappy with Xia Zhiyu’s words and pulled a face. “It doesn’t work that way. The contract states that you must notify me one month in advance if you want to end the lease. You must pay an extra month’s rent and move out next month, or I won’t refund the deposit.”

“It’s only three days short of a month. I can pay for those three days.”

“One month. You must pay for one full month, or you can take me to court.” The landlord was defiant, relying on the deposit as leverage.

She had noticed a long time ago. Xia Zhiyu lived alone here, without any family or friends. No one had visited her in three years. A Beta with no background, no family, and no friends was the easiest to manipulate. She wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to take advantage of her.

Xia Zhiyu frowned. “The deposit is one month’s rent. Can I just forfeit it?”

Although she hated losing the money, dealing with this kind of person was too much trouble.

Seeing that she was so easily placated, the landlord’s arrogance grew. “Of course not! You’ve lived in the apartment for three years and worn it out. In addition to the deposit, you also need to compensate me 10,000 yuan for the wear and tear on the house, or I’ll cause a scene at your company and get your job revoked!”

“You’re being unreasonable.” Xia Zhiyu was good-tempered, but not a pushover.

“Zhao Ze, Zhang Yu.”

Zhao Ze and Zhang Yu were sharp-eyed. They saw the change in her expression, immediately flexed their biceps, and stood on either side of Xia Zhiyu. Zhao Ze spoke in a booming voice. “Boss, did someone upset you? Tell us. Should we break her legs or beat her until she throws up this time?”

The landlord hadn’t expected two muscular men to walk out of the apartment. She was so terrified that she staggered backward several steps, barely catching herself on the wall.

Hearing Zhao Ze’s words, the landlord almost fainted. “I’m telling you, this is a society governed by law! Try laying a finger on me!”

“Why didn’t you say that when you broke the law? Now you’re acting like a hypocrite.” Ruan Wu walked out from inside. Her icy gaze startled the landlord, sending a chill through her heart.

“You wanted to cause a scene at her company? I’m her company’s boss. If you dare cause a scene, be prepared to face a lawsuit from our entire legal department.”

On the way back, Xia Zhiyu sighed. “I’m so glad you came with me, Ms. Ruan. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have known what to do with her. Dealing with her would have wasted too much time, and the legal process is too complicated.”

Under the heavy pressure from Ruan Wu and the two bodyguards, the landlord finally only took three days’ rent and refunded Xia Zhiyu’s one-month deposit.

“Were you always so easily bullied?” Ruan Wu was still very displeased thinking about what happened.

She couldn’t imagine how Xia Zhiyu, with her good temper, had managed for the past two decades, especially since she was an orphan with no family. She had no one to help her when things went wrong.

“It’s not being easily bullied; it’s choosing not to care. Life is hard enough. To live an easier life, you have to care about fewer things.” Also being an orphan, the reason Xia Zhiyu was so different from the original “Xia Zhiyu” was because she was optimistic and mentally resilient.

“Besides, I met many kind people during my upbringing. They helped me and cared for me, allowing me to grow up and do what I love without asking for anything in return. Compared to those traumas, I’d rather remember the things that make me happy when I think of them.”

Xia Zhiyu turned to Ruan Wu, smiling, her dark eyes shining like stars. “For example, you, Ms. Ruan. You are now the biggest motivation for me to live well in this world.” If I can periodically enjoy Ruan Wu’s homemade food, I’m willing to stay in this world forever and never go back.

Ruan Wu was briefly stunned. Her ears, hidden by her black hair, suddenly felt hot.

She looked away, feeling awkward, and a faint sadness suddenly arose in her heart. Xia Zhiyu seems to be falling more and more in love with me. How can I possibly reject her without hurting her?