Ling Yuchen looked up at her, his gaze warm and steady as he said, "A wedding should look like a wedding."
His intense gaze made Xia Wantang shy away from making eye contact.
Her heart felt flustered.
This marriage seemed to be becoming more real.
But hadn't they agreed before that getting the certificate was just for household registration?
It was quite contradictory, wasn't it? They were in a romantic relationship, yet it was a fake marriage?
Was this what they called half-real, half-fake?
And she was a conflicted person by nature.
Despite agreeing to be his girlfriend, she constantly thought about breaking up in the future.
She knew her own personality: insecure, sensitive, and extremely lacking in a sense of security.
Even knowing these issues, she still couldn't be with Ling Yuchen like a normal couple.
She dared not think about the future, dared not think about growing old together.
Because the gap between them was too vast, and wealthy families were only more complex.
There were too many uncertain factors between them.
Xia Wantang lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
Ling Yuchen couldn't see her expression, nor could he guess her thoughts.
He knew Xia Wantang had reservations, but he didn't know what they were.
Perhaps what they lacked was a heart-to-heart conversation.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, it was enough for him to be sure of his feelings.
Xia Wantang was the one he wanted to spend his life with.
In her, he found passion, longing, and frequent thoughts of her.
From the moment she entered his world, she had filled the void in his life.
The car stopped in the underground garage of Tengkong Group, and the three of them took the elevator directly to the top-floor CEO's office.
After lunch.
Ling Yuchen buried himself in work again, while Xia Wantang also began her tasks.
Han Xiao had prepared a work schedule for her.
The first thing to do upon arriving at work was to ventilate the CEO's office, light incense, and dehumidify the air.
She was responsible for the CEO's coffee and hot tea, and for reminding him to drink water and rest.
To organize and sort his documents.
These were all minor tasks, very easy, one might even say she was somewhat idle.
But Han Xiao had told her that this was her job description.
The CEO's personal secretary was responsible for the CEO's daily life matters.
These were tasks he had handled before, but now he could relax a little.
Xia Wantang was half-believing, half-doubting this.
However, she didn't dwell on it, as she couldn't understand the world of the wealthy.
For the entire afternoon, Ling Yuchen didn't look up, completely engrossed in his work.
Xia Wantang helped him by sorting and organizing.
She promptly sent out the processed documents for the secretaries outside to disseminate.
As evening approached, Xia Wantang reminded him, "CEO, it's time to eat."
Ling Yuchen continued to scan the documents in his hand and asked, "What did you call me?"
"Yuchen," Xia Wantang muttered softly. "But I think calling you CEO at the company is better."
Ling Yuchen chuckled lightly, "But there are only the two of us here. Who are you calling out to?"
Xia Wantang: "..."
Ling Yuchen took a deep breath, tiredly massaging his temples, and reached for his coffee cup.
The cup was empty.
Xia Wantang quickly picked it up and said, "It's already past six. You shouldn't drink any more, or you won't be able to sleep tonight. I'll get you a cup of hot water!"
With that, she took the cup and left.
Ling Yuchen's lips curved upward, and his fatigue seemed to vanish.
Very good, she was starting to care about him.
In fact, Xia Wantang hadn't thought that much about it. After a few days of being together, she was just less formal with Ling Yuchen.
After all, besides the superior-subordinate relationship, they also had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
And they had already gotten their marriage certificate and were seeing each other every day.
She washed the cup and put it back in its place.
Then she got another cup and filled it with hot water.
As she was about to leave the pantry with the cup, she heard a woman's voice from outside the door.
And the tone suggested an unusual familiarity.
"Brother Yuchen, this is the limit."
"Mm, thank you. I'll have Han Xiao transfer the payment to your account."
Brother Yuchen,
This relationship was unusual!
Xia Wantang suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
What kind of relationship called someone "brother"?
Childhood sweethearts?
Or lovers?
Except for a biological sister, all other "sisters" were fake.
Although she wanted to hear what else they would say, she didn't want to eavesdrop.
So, she walked out with the tea cup.
"There's no need to be so formal."
"Things are as they are. Also, I have many more things to trouble you with."
Ling Yuchen was still sitting in his office.
In front of his office chair sat a short-haired woman, dressed in a black professional suit, with a stunning figure.
Her revealed profile had well-defined features, a high-bridged nose, and red, full lips. The way she looked at Ling Yuchen clearly showed a spark in her eyes.
Women's intuition was always accurate.
She liked Ling Yuchen.
Xia Wantang didn't deliberately hide the sound of her footsteps.
As soon as she appeared, both of them looked up.
Ling Yuchen's expression was calm, but his gaze towards Xia Wantang was noticeably gentler.
Xia Wantang placed the tea cup in front of Ling Yuchen, her voice softer than usual.
"Yuchen, your hot water."
A fleeting glint flashed in Ling Yuchen's dark eyes as he casually glanced at Xia Wantang.
Then he picked up the teacup, concealing the faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips.
In front of outsiders, she had never called him by his name before.
Xia Wantang maintained a graceful smile and stood beside Ling Yuchen, boldly appraising the woman in front of them.
From the front, the woman wore light makeup, which enhanced her delicate and exquisite features. Her short hair added a touch of competence and a hint of fierceness.
She was beautiful, but not the fragile, ornamental type of beauty.
Situ Jing seemed taken aback by Xia Wantang's presence, her expression becoming a little unnatural.
But she still stood up and extended her hand politely, saying, "Hello, I'm Situ Jing."
Xia Wantang gently shook her outstretched hand and smiled, "Hello, I'm Xia Wantang."
Meeting Xia Wantang's clear, bright eyes, Situ Jing felt uncomfortable.
"I'll go pour you a glass of water. You two continue chatting," Xia Wantang said, then lowered her head and complained to Ling Yuchen, "Why didn't you tell me you had a guest?"
Ling Yuchen looked up at her, a smile in his eyes.
"She's my childhood friend's sister. She's a lawyer, and she's here to discuss business."
"Oh."
Xia Wantang replied perfunctorily and turned to leave.
From her response, Ling Yuchen detected a hint of pique.
He curved his lips into a smile, his gaze exceptionally gentle and doting.
Situ Jing watched him, unable to look away for a long time. She had never seen this kind of look, this vibrant Ling Yuchen before.
After Xia Wantang entered the pantry, Ling Yuchen finally shifted his gaze back.
His eyes on Situ Jing returned to their usual indifferent state.
"Is there anything else?"
Situ Jing forced a smile and gently shook her head, then turned to leave.
She had overstepped.
He had a girlfriend.
She would need to be mindful of her boundaries in the future.
But what was so great about this Xia Wantang?
In terms of education, qualifications, and family background, how could she possibly be worthy of Brother Yuchen?
What was the use of being good-looking? She was just a pretty face.