Although Ma Weiwei didn't lack tens of thousands of yuan, Tong An'an was not shameless enough to accept favors without reciprocation.
She refused, "If you're not staying, then I won't either. I'll find a place and move out as soon as possible. You can talk to the landlord about terminating the lease when you have time."
Ma Weiwei understood Tong An'an's personality and knew she was proud, so she didn't insist.
She simply offered a way out, "My family hasn't let me go out recently, and I'm also not in a good mood, so I'll just be lazy for a few days. You stay for now. I'll let you know in advance when I decide to terminate the lease."
After sending a string of WeChat messages, she put her phone on the table. Tong An'an lost her appetite.
Jiang Jingyu observed her every move and expression, keenly sensing that she was troubled.
"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly unhappy?"
How could she tell her boss about something like this? Tong An could only pretend to be strong.
"I'm fine. It's about my best friend. She said her family wants her to go on a blind date."
On the way back after dinner, Tong An'an had lost the mood to chat.
Life required money at every turn, but she was just an intern who hadn't been made permanent. The immense pressure of life made it hard for her to breathe.
A small gap in the car window allowed a hint of cool breeze to blow in, stirring her hair.
She stared blankly out the window. In Jiang Jingyu's eyes, it was a picture of a melancholic beauty.
However, some things were not to be probed if the other party didn't speak of them.
He respected her greatly and didn't disturb her.
They arrived downstairs at her apartment complex. Tong An'an said goodbye to him. Jiang Jingyu didn't rush to leave. He stared at the streetlights of the complex for a few seconds before slowly turning his head.
"Tong An'an, can I discuss something with you?"
If the boss had something to instruct, why would he say "discuss"? Tong An'an quickly nodded.
"From now on, you'll have breakfast with me every morning."
"I live alone, and no one cooks for me. I used to have bread and milk every morning, and I'm tired of it."
"From now on, you'll come to the company an hour earlier each day, and I'll give you overtime pay."
Coming to the company an hour earlier was not difficult, and why the extra pay?
Tong An'an quickly waved her hands, "No, no, it's fine. I have to eat breakfast myself anyway. If we eat together, why would I need pay?"
Actually, mentioning money between them so often made Jiang Jingyu feel a bit awkward.
Seeing her say that, he changed his strategy.
"Then, I'll pick you up by car from now on, and we can have breakfast on the way."
"Ah?"
"I can't have you accompanying me for nothing. Didn't you say that sleeping and waking early is good for your health? Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning at seven, I'll pick you up here."
After speaking, Jiang Jingyu unbuckled her seatbelt, "Go back. Rest early."
Tong An'an knew that the truly powerful were often lonely at the top, their inner worlds so solitary that they often developed eccentric habits.
She knew of many historical figures like that.
It was the first time she encountered a boss of Jiang Jingyu's caliber in real life, and she finally understood that such things were not mere legends; they were real.
To put his mind at ease about eating, he was actually looking for a meal companion in a mere employee...
Money doesn't fall from the sky. Worrying about it is useless. She should focus on familiarizing herself with the business first.
Back home, she reviewed vocabulary while cleaning, during her shower, and before going to sleep.
She woke up and was reviewing vocabulary every minute of every second.
Until Jiang Jingyu appeared, she was still standing by the roadside, holding a dictionary and reviewing words.
After getting into the car, they greeted each other. Jiang Jingyu saw that she was still holding the dictionary and said.
"You keep studying. I'll call you when I find a suitable breakfast place and stop."
She didn't refuse and continued reviewing words.
The car drove for a while, and Jiang Jingyu stopped by the roadside. He went to buy two breakfasts, and they ate in the car.
Tong An'an asked him, "Aren't you afraid of the smell?"
"Cars are meant to serve people. Should I worship them like deities? I'm not that particular. Eat up."
They ate in silence. Tong An'an was still reviewing words while eating.
It wasn't early when they arrived, and it was peak rush hour. The parking garage was crowded.
If anyone saw her getting out of the CEO's car, who knew what rumors would spread.
Jiang Jingyu wasn't worried about his reputation being damaged, but he was afraid she couldn't handle it.
Therefore, even though the car was still far from the parking spot, he stopped it as soon as it entered the garage.
"You go up first. I have something to attend to and need to go out for a bit."
Tong An'an felt extremely embarrassed, "You're taking me to the company even though you have something to do? That's too much trouble. You don't need to do this in the future. Just tell me directly if you need something. I can walk myself."
Jiang Jingyu thought to himself: She's really so foolish. Has she never been in love? So unobservant!
Back in the office, the more he thought about it, the more interesting he found her.
Since Zhang Yang had seen through everything, he didn't hide anything and asked him to look up Tong An'an's information.
Soon, the information was delivered. He found that this girl was pretty much as her mother had described.
She had been a good student since childhood, had a good reputation during university, and had never been in a relationship.
It made sense. As a humanities student with few male classmates and a shy personality, it would be strange for her to have a boyfriend.
Since Zhang Yang was also interested, Jiang Jingyu, fearing he might be upset if he interfered halfway, confessed to him.
He showed him Lu Jiaying's photo.
"This is my first girlfriend. The moment I first saw Tong An'an, I felt a sense of instant familiarity. So, I'm sorry, Zhang Yang. If you need anything, I can introduce someone else to you. She's not available."
Zhang Yang was also stunned when he saw Lu Jiaying's photo.
How could two people in the world be so similar?
It seemed the boss had taken an interest in her from the first meeting. He had been so foolish...
"Mr. Jiang, what are you saying? I understand. No need, no need."
"It's good that you understand. Then I have a task for you."
Jiang Jingyu stated directly, "I'm not young anymore. Since I think she's suitable, let's try to get to know each other."
"You've been with me for several years and know my lack of experience in this area. I don't know how to express many things and am afraid of scaring her. I can only work on it behind the scenes."
"You should go to her department more often and gather some gossip, so I have a direction to approach her."
Zhang Yang truly marveled at fate.
Tong An'an, oh Tong An'an, you never imagined you would become the boss's wife at Zhan Corporation, did you?
The boss decided to pursue you as soon as you joined. What incredible fortune!
"Yes, Mr. Jiang."
The two continued their interactions as meal companions, chatting intermittently. Soon, Friday afternoon arrived.
There were no overtime arrangements for the weekend. Jiang Jingyu planned to go shopping for groceries after work and have Tong An'an come to his place tomorrow.
At this moment, Zhang Yang delivered more good news: Tong An'an was looking for a new place to live. She was heard to be moving.
"Elaborate."
Zhang Yang said, "I heard from Anna that her roommate's family had some issues, so they terminated the lease. She can't afford the current rent by herself and wants to find a smaller place."