An Inner Life of a Cold Beauty Omega Secretary - Chapter 7

“I’m not,” Mu Zheng said, staring at her. “Looking at you like this, President Ye, you don’t seem to need any consolation.”

Ye Baiwei thought to herself that she shouldn’t have made it so obvious. Losing the Sanhe project was expected according to the original plot; there was nothing worth being sad or upset about. To avoid showing any clues, she had worked hard to maintain a neutral expression—logically, it shouldn’t have been noticeable.

Then again, Mu Zheng had been by Ye Baiwei’s side for nearly five years. Detecting a micro-change in her expression was likely no difficult feat.

“Secretary Mu, one doesn’t necessarily need to cry to prove they are hurting inside.”

“I know.”

“If you know that, then how do you know I’m not hurting right now?”

“…”

Mu Zheng indeed had no evidence to prove whether Ye Baiwei was sad or not. But based on her understanding of Ye Baiwei and her own intuition, Ye Baiwei wasn’t sad at all.

Seeing her unable to answer, Ye Baiwei didn’t press further. After all, Mu Zheng hadn’t guessed wrong; she just lacked the evidence to support her theory. If Ye Baiwei used her knowledge of the plot to get smug, it would be a bit like bullying.

Ye Baiwei turned and continued walking, this time remaining silent.

Following behind, Mu Zheng thought she had stepped on a landmine, feeling a bit uneasy. She didn’t know what to say, and since Ye Baiwei was the type to hold grudges, she was sure she’d face some retaliation later.

“President Ye.”

Ye Baiwei responded as she walked: “Does Secretary Mu have something to say?”

Mu Zheng hesitated before saying, “I’m sorry about just now. I didn’t mean to question you.”

[I can yield when I must. I’ll endure it!]

Ye Baiwei felt like she’d been stabbed in the back. Guessing that Mu Zheng had misunderstood her intent, she sighed and asked, “Secretary Mu, do you think I’m angry?”

[Is it not obvious?]

[Who doesn’t know you’re a shameless woman with a volatile temper? Your outbursts are like technical glitches—one might think you were a malfunctioning exhaust fan in your past life!]

[I’m cursed with bad luck, ending up with a boss who has mental breakdowns. Next time I look for a job, I’m definitely hiring a Feng Shui master to calculate my fortune first!]

These words were quite heart-piercing. Ye Baiwei clutched her chest, feeling like she was spitting blood, but she couldn’t blame Mu Zheng for thinking this way. The original Ye Baiwei was indeed a volatile woman, behaving exactly like someone having a sudden “glitch.”

“I’m not angry,” Ye Baiwei said to herself. “What you said wasn’t wrong, Secretary Mu. I really don’t look like I’m in mourning. In fact, I’m truly not upset that the Sanhe project was snatched away.”

Ye Baiwei turned sideways and decided to speak the truth: “Let’s put it this way: I never liked that project to begin with. As you said just now to comfort me, that project isn’t easy to complete. It’s not just a matter of difficulty; the subsequent development troubles are extremely thorny.”

“So, President Ye gave up the project on purpose?”

“Mm… you could say that.”

Mu Zheng had researched Sanhe Town before. The scenery there was nice—green mountains, clear water, and small bridges—very suitable for tourism, living, or retirement. However, due to the terrain, there were many ravines and a large area of wild forest on both sides. Whenever it rained or wind blew, a massive amount of mud and water would pour into the town.

To solve this, a major engineering project would be needed on both sides of the town to block the inflow. While it sounded simple, actually starting construction would be exceptionally difficult.

Setting aside the budget—the Ye Group didn’t lack money and could throw away hundred-million-dollar projects without blinking—the main issue was that this flood and mud prevention project required massive manpower and resources for surveying. One had to ensure the local terrain met construction conditions and that the work wouldn’t harm local soil and water resources. This alone was enough to scare off most investors.

“Ye Changze wants to use this project to solidify his position as successor, so I’ll let him have it,” Ye Baiwei smiled. “Provided he can actually succeed.”

Mu Zheng asked, “What if he actually succeeds? Aren’t you worried your position as successor will be taken away?”

That was a good question. If the position were taken by Ye Changze, it wouldn’t be a huge loss for Ye Baiwei. She wasn’t the original character, after all; whether she succeeded or not wouldn’t break her heart.

However, as the saying goes, “the winner takes all.” Given Ye Changze’s character, if she lost the battle for succession, he would surely make life difficult for her. Just as he’d thought to himself earlier, he’d definitely try to make her do something humiliating.

“He hasn’t succeeded yet, has he?” Ye Baiwei said. “This project can’t be finished overnight. Given what an idiot Ye Changze is, he’ll be lucky if he can even start construction within six months. As for whether he can finish it, that depends on how much Ye Kanglin helps him.”

To gain control of the entire Ye Group, Ye Kanglin would undoubtedly spare no effort to help Ye Changze finish the project. But when it came to the throne, how could Ye Feng stand by and watch?

Ye Feng already disliked Ye Changze, and Ye Kanglin was a troublemaker. Both father and son were eyeing the Chairman’s seat, yet their abilities didn’t match the position. Ye Feng wasn’t a fool; he wouldn’t let Ye Kanglin secretly plot for Ye Changze.

In short, she didn’t need to worry about Ye Changze finishing the project. The person who should be worried was Ye Feng. After all, Ye Feng was still in the Chairman’s seat; Ye Kanglin’s urgent move was equivalent to trying to force Ye Feng into early retirement. How could Ye Feng ever agree to that?

“I’m sure you understand what I mean, Secretary Mu.”

Mu Zheng naturally understood. In that case, Ye Baiwei really didn’t need to worry about Ye Changze completing the project because Ye Feng wouldn’t allow it.

Her mind was quite meticulous.

No wonder Ye Changze had never won.

“Where do you plan to go next, President Ye?”

Ye Baiwei said, “The meeting is over, so home, of course. Unless you like it here, Secretary Mu?”

Mu Zheng clarified: “You might have misunderstood me. I meant, what are your next plans? Are you just going to leave the Sanhe project matter alone?”

If she hadn’t asked, Ye Baiwei really wouldn’t have cared. With Ye Feng there, she didn’t need to exert herself. But if she ignored everything, Ye Feng would certainly be displeased with her. The Ye family had many children; it didn’t strictly have to be his biological daughter.

It seemed she had to do something.

But she wasn’t the original Ye Baiwei; she really didn’t know what the next move should be.

“So, what are your thoughts, Secretary Mu?”

Mu Zheng didn’t speak, but her eyes remained fixed on Ye Baiwei. Her gaze seemed even colder.

What… happened?

Ye Baiwei felt a chill down her spine. She didn’t think she’d said anything wrong.

But soon, she knew why.

[Why the hell are you asking me for my thoughts? Am I your mother?!!!]

[Are you the boss or am I?!!]

[Asking me about this… why don’t you just give me the President’s seat while you’re at it! If I knew what to do, would I be here working as your secretary?!!!]

Ye Baiwei blinked. Mu Zheng’s words… were actually quite logical.

“I meant, what are your personal thoughts on the matter?” Ye Baiwei tried to cover for herself. “You care so much about this; could it be you’re afraid my position will be taken, so you’re worrying about my future?”

Mu Zheng seemed to be restraining something. There was a subtle shift in her brow, but if one didn’t look closely, it was impossible to tell.

“You are my boss, President Ye. Naturally, I hope my boss continues to do well.”

[If you get kicked out, who am I supposed to get my salary from!]

[Worrying about your future? Please remember: narcissism is a disease. Seek help!]

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Mu Zheng frowned slightly. “President Ye, you seem quite ill today. Are you sure you don’t need a hospital?”

The sentiment was good, but why did the words… sound so strange?

Ye Baiwei raised her hand and shook it. “No need. We’ll talk when we get back.”

Just as she finished speaking, a man walked toward them.

Calling him a “man” was a bit much, as his face was very young. He looked particularly well-behaved and belonged to the “cute” category, with little dimples on both cheeks. His skin was very white and his waist was thin, though his legs were a bit short. He clearly wasn’t very old.

If Ye Baiwei’s eyes weren’t deceiving her, he was likely between 18 and 20 years old—still of student age.

Seeing Ye Baiwei’s eyes linger again, Mu Zheng assumed she had set her sights on him. She offered a specific reminder: “President Ye, he is your cousin, Ye Ning. He is an Omega, 19 years old, and a freshman in college.”

Co-cousin?!!!

Her cousin?

Wait, cousin aside, why did Mu Zheng feel the need to specifically remind her of that?

If it were a cousin, the original Ye Baiwei would have definitely met him, which meant her memories should have an impression. Mu Zheng didn’t need to remind her.

Could it be… the original Ye Baiwei hadn’t met her cousin, or Mu Zheng (thinking she was the original) was worried she’d have ulterior motives and lose her “animalistic” self-control? Was she reminding her that this was a blood relative so she wouldn’t charge at every good-looking Omega she saw?

Ye Baiwei glanced at Mu Zheng’s eyes out of the corner of her own. Uh… it seemed that was exactly it.

“Are you worried I’ll lay a hand on him, Secretary Mu?”

Mu Zheng wouldn’t dare say it out loud. When Ye Baiwei set her sights on someone, she usually got them. She was just an accompanying secretary; she had no right to interfere in personal matters. “President Ye, Ye Ning is intended for a family alliance marriage in the future. If something goes wrong, you might not be able to answer to Chairman Ye.”

So that was the reason.

Her guess had been right.

But this Ye Ning really was quite good-looking—the kind of appearance that made one feel protective…

Wait, why was she thinking that?

Could it be the influence of the original body making these thoughts pop up?

No—

Absolutely not!!!

She was a Pure Love Warrior; her everything would only belong to her partner!

Ye Baiwei quickly looked away from Ye Ning and asked Mu Zheng: “Alliance? Who is he supposed to marry?”

Mu Zheng answered truthfully: “It’s not clear yet. Regardless, it’s best if you don’t get any ideas about him, President Ye. If the Chairman investigates, it will be hard for you to explain.”

Ye Baiwei awkwardly covered her face with her hand. She was certain that if she hadn’t transmigrated, the original beastly Ye Baiwei would have definitely made a move on Ye Ning.

This was her own cousin! The original Ye Baiwei really was a piece of work!

Oh wait, she had to add the word “original.” Her name was also Ye Baiwei—saying that was like insulting herself!

At that moment, the footsteps stopped in front of Ye Baiwei and Mu Zheng. Then, Ye Baiwei heard a youthful male voice from behind her.

“Hello, Cousin Baiwei.”