"It sounds like I'm being devoured and taken for everything."
"You seem distracted. Do you have plans later?"
Duan Jinchen and Jiang Ruoqi stood side by side at the edge of the studio. In the dim light, Jiang Ruoqi was looking down at her phone, the harsh glow of the screen illuminating her face and drawing Duan Jinchen's frequent sideways glances.
They hadn't known each other long, and the young master still held no fondness for his beautiful female boss. Even on a weekend, she had to work and dragged him along for the ride. She was just looking for trouble, seizing any opportunity to make his life difficult.
If it weren't for the fact that she could report directly to the group, he wouldn't have come at all!
Joining the family business just to be an assistant—he was already the laughingstock among his friends.
Duan Jinchen let out an almost imperceptible sigh. But after working together these past days, he had to admit that this woman had a knack for handling people and situations.
At work, she was decisive and results-oriented. It was clear that her ability to take risks and bear responsibility had gotten her this far. A leader who dared to own the consequences and never threw her subordinates under the bus was already better than ninety-nine percent of managers who just passed the buck.
When dealing with people, though, she wasn't as sharp. She knew when to be evasive and play along.
Especially with that smiling CEO. He had blocked the project's funding request, deliberately baiting Jiang Ruoqi to come to him. After a conversation that was ostensibly advice but actually a warning, he had twice called her by the wrong name. Even Duan Jinchen, standing by, felt his teeth itch, but Jiang Ruoqi took it all in stride without showing the slightest dissatisfaction or resentment, not even to her own people.
Of course, she also had no qualms about bossing him around.
Duan Jinchen felt that even in his dreams, he was ordering iced Americanos with an extra shot. If this workload continued, he was afraid Jiang Ruoqi would overdose on caffeine and drop dead at her desk from a racing heart.
Caught spacing out, Jiang Ruoqi turned off her screen and didn't bother to deny it. She simply admitted, "Yes, I do have plans."
"You didn't have to come today," Duan Jinchen voiced his earlier confusion.
It was just an ad shoot. Jiang Ruoqi wasn't the type of leader who didn't know how to delegate, so why was she micromanaging even the small stuff?
"In principle, I didn't have to," Jiang Ruoqi said slowly. "But I need to show my dedication. I have to prove to your dad that I'm hardworking and responsible—that he's not wasting his money on my salary."
"Even though this kind of posturing isn't common in Gangcheng's workplace, it's different in the mainland. If you don't perform when others do, it changes how your boss sees you."
"Survival of the fittest applies everywhere." Jiang Ruoqi turned to look at Duan Jinchen and added, "You... probably have to deal with it too. Just listen and don't let it bother you."
Duan Jinchen was momentarily speechless. "Is this how you talk to me?"
"What do you mean?" Jiang Ruoqi asked knowingly. "You expect me to treat you like the young boss I need to flatter?"
"Sorry, can't do that."
Duan Jinchen rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Ruoqi added in a low voice, "If you can't stand it, go tattle to your dad."
"Do you think I'm that childish!" Duan Jinchen couldn't hold back.
"Not really." Jiang Ruoqi twisted the diamond ring on her index finger and glanced sideways at Duan Jinchen.
Today she was wearing a long-sleeved jumpsuit with wide-leg pants and cream-colored contrast at the collar and cuffs. She wasn't short, and in heels with her long curly hair loose, combined with a lazy, teasing expression, she exuded an indescribable allure.
"Between you and me, on the surface we're boss and subordinate, and in reality, that's also the case. To put it bluntly, you're very likely one of my future bosses. So all the group's arrangements for me boil down to one thing: serving you."
"So when I occasionally get upset and take it out on the source of my frustration, I hope the Second Young Master will be understanding."
Duan Jinchen was speechless. "Unbelievable. Who's supposed to understand whom?"
Complaints aside, to be honest, his interactions with Jiang Ruoqi were far more comfortable than dealing with those sycophantic, fake-polite people in the company.
Though he wasn't ready to admit that he judged by appearances or that Jiang Ruoqi had real skills, Duan Jinchen thought their mutual bickering was pretty nice.
"To be fair, I don't want to quit yet."
Jiang Ruoqi's sudden, out-of-the-blue statement caught Duan Jinchen off guard. He looked down at her, puzzled.
"So you want to make Glint work, and so do I. I'll do my part within my job scope. Mutual benefit—can we cooperate?"
Jiang Ruoqi's eyes caught the light, shining brightly. "And let's make a deal in advance. When you become the young boss, don't be too tight with my budget, okay? You get what you pay for—how can you do marketing without spending money..."
"Some nerve..."
Duan Jinchen rolled his eyes hard this time.
Others wanted promotions and raises, but she only cared about her little corner and her meager budget. No wonder she had to take the fall in Xinhai through back channels.
Duan Jinchen put on a serious face and stared straight ahead, pretending to be dignified, but his gaze kept drifting toward Jiang Ruoqi.
Fine, he admitted it. With just a few simple words, she could really soothe him and make him feel good.
But admitting it didn't mean Duan Jinchen would give in. The young master was proud and valued his dignity. He was willing to temporarily align with Jiang Ruoqi, but when it came to words, he just grunted in response.
Jiang Ruoqi understood. Tsundere—that was the basic persona of most young rich second-generation guys. It was understandable.
"We're almost done shooting. Keep an eye on things here. Send me a message after the samples are back at the office, and also have Cathy confirm the sample release schedule." Jiang Ruoqi counted on her fingers, then patted Duan Jinchen's shoulder. "I have something to do, so I'm off."
"Wait, you're just leaving like that?" Duan Jinchen straightened up as Jiang Ruoqi started packing her things.
"Didn't you see I have plans?" Jiang Ruoqi shook her phone. "And the shoot is over now."
"What's so urgent that you can't wait a little longer for it to wrap up?" Duan Jinchen muttered, thinking she was just putting on airs.
Since it was a personal matter, Jiang Ruoqi could have ignored him. But this wasn't too personal—it was actually saving the company money—so she had to show off.
"I'm moving. Moving a day earlier saves the company a thousand. Enough said—my 'driver' has been waiting at the door for a while."
Jiang Ruoqi bent down to pick up her coat, draped it over her arm, and didn't forget to encourage Duan Jinchen, who was still mumbling that the company wasn't short on her travel expenses.
"Keep it up, Assistant Duan!"
Duan Jinchen: "..."