“I understand that not everyone can be Chen’s assistant. I was actually looking to be your assistant’s intern instead, so that I can learn the ropes from him,” Ouyang Qing replied with a twinkle in her eyes.
Nan Chen did not reply.
His silence was not an acquiescence to her request, but a rejection.
Nan Chen’s assistant was hand-picked from a large pool of elites. He was considered among the senior leadership of the company, and definitely the crème de la crème.
Both IQ and EQ were necessary to qualify for the position. Nan Chen’s assistant must be able to read his mind just by looking at him.
Jiang Zhe had only managed to rise to the post after many years of learning and toiling. Needless to say, a fresh graduate like Ouyang Qing was definitely not equipped to be Nan Chen’s assistant, not even as an intern.
“Chen, am I putting you in a difficult spot?” Ouyang Qing asked while looking at the man with her innocent eyes.
“You’re indeed not good enough for the role, I can’t practice favoritism,” Nan Chen replied.
The man wasn’t being political – he really meant his words.
Apart from his outstanding capabilities, the reason Nan Chen could be at the helm of the Nanshi Corporation at such a young age was because of his impartiality.
He had always promoted his employees based on meritocracy and ensured that the right people were placed in the right positions. That was one of his core guiding principles in managing the organization.
The most capable would be placed at the top. Other factors, such as familial ties, would not be an element of consideration. That was the culture of the Nanshi Corporation.
Even Nan Chen’s one and only brother, Nan Xing, was only the corporation’s Senior Vice President. He did not get to enjoy special privileges just because he was Nan Chen’s brother.
When he performed badly at work, he still had to be deployed to Africa as a punishment.
Even though Ouyang Qing was sweet-looking and likable, Nan Chen would not make any exceptions to the company rules just for her.
An obvious glint of disappointment flashed across the young lady’s eyes.
Her true intention was not really to learn the ropes of an assistant, but to take advantage of the proximity to get closer to Nan Chen.
“I understand, Chen. Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t really serious about it anyway,” Ouyang Qing beamed at Nan Chen as she said that.
“I’m glad to know that,” Nan Chen replied.
Actually, Ouyang Qing still had plenty of options to choose from, provided it wasn’t related to the CEO’s assistant. However, she was not keen on the other positions, as her only objective to intern at the Nanshi Corporation was to bond with Nan Chen.
It would defeat her purpose if she were to intern in any other departments.
After a brief silence, Ouyang Qing tentatively asked, “Chen, are you really not eating? Not even a bit?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“Let’s talk about your girlfriend then. I remember there’s someone you’re dating.”
“That’s already in the past,” Nan Chen replied simply.
“Did you break up?” Ouyang Qing was very interested in the topic of Nan Chen’s romantic affairs.
“Yeah.” Nan Chen did not want to engage in this topic.
Luo Fei had disappeared in a jungle in M nation, and no one knew if she was dead or alive. As such, Nan Chen did not see a point in talking about her.
“What was the reason for your break up? Did you not love her anymore?”
Nan Chen did not reply. He had never loved the woman before, not even a single bit.
“Or did you fall in love with someone else? I’m really interested to know the type of women you are attracted to.”
Ouyang Qing was starting to lead the conversation to Nan Chen’s private life.
It was clear that the man was disinterested in the conversation, as he had not uttered a single word.
Sensing Nan Chen’s indifference, Ouyang Qing began to feel awkward.
Nan Chen glanced at his watch.
It was easy for Ouyang Qing to infer what that action meant—it’s getting late, we should get going.
“Let’s go then. Chen, I’m so happy that you took me out for dinner today, I enjoyed the food so much. I was planning to have a drink with you as well, but I guess we’ll have to wait for another day to do that. Thanks for the treat, Chen. It’s on me next time.”
Since she had not managed to achieve her aim today, she had to set up another date with him in order for her to continue trying.
Nan Chen stood up without responding.
Ning Ran had taken a cab home herself.
She was insistent on not letting Feng Minsheng drive her back, as she did not want him to know her new address. She was currently staying at a villa estate in Red Maple City.
Cheng Xiangyun was the one who found the good rental deal. The owner was letting out the villa at only three thousand a month. Ning Ran had initially suspected that the villa was owned by the Nan family. She only agreed on the move after checking the housing information and confirming that the owner wasn’t a ‘Nan’.
In reality, she did not have much choice. Without her knowledge, Cheng Xiangyun had already moved all her belongings to the villa. She was also forbidden to return to their previous apartment as according to Cheng Xiangyun, it had already been rented out.
Ning Ran, who would otherwise be homeless, could only ‘make do’ with moving into the villa.
It went without saying that Cheng Xiangyun had also moved in together with Ning Ran, as she was the one who rented the place.
The best part about staying in the villa was the privacy it provided. It was so spacious that even if ten more people had stayed together with them, the occupants of the house would still not bother each other.
“Aunt! Aunt!”
Ning Ran often forgot the password to open the gate. As she had left her keys at home, she could only shout for her aunt to let her in.
Cheng Xiangyun was in the middle of following a guided yoga practice on TV when she heard Ning Ran’s cries. She switched off the TV and headed downstairs at once.
“Aunt, can you cook me a bowl of noodles please? I’m starving to death!” Ning Ran said weakly.
“Holy crap! What happened to you? I thought you went for dinner with that BMW guy?” Cheng Xiangyun was bewildered.
“I don’t even want to talk about it. It was so embarrassing!” Ning Ran whined.
“What happened? You didn’t get to eat?”
“I’ll tell about it after you cook my noodles, it’s a long story.”
“Why are you always making me worry? You are always depending on me to take care of you even though you are already so old.”
Cheng Xiangyun let out an exasperated sigh before going into the kitchen to prepare noodles for Ning Ran.
A bowl of delicious, piping hot chicken noodle soup was served after a while.
Ning Ran took one mouthful of noodles and exclaimed, “This is so yummy! I can’t believe I kept thinking about eating that beef when there is such delicious food at home. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought humiliation upon myself!”
“Hmm? Sounds like you have something juicy to share! Quick, tell me now.”
However, Ning Ran was so hungry that her mind was fully focused on eating the noodles. Story-telling could wait.
She polished off everything in a few more minutes. Feeling satisfied, the woman pointed to the bowl and said, “I’ll tell you what happened after you wash the bowl.”
“Ning Ran, you’re crossing the line! You have always been in charge of washing the dishes after I cook. You can’t ask me to wash the dishes too!”
“But I can’t exercise after eating. Please wash it for me.”
“Is washing dishes even considered exercise? That’s something new to me. Go and wash it yourself!”
“OK, I’ll do it then. I’m just afraid that I might forget the events of the night after that,” Ning Ran said as she stood up.
“Fine! I’ll do it. Follow me to the kitchen and tell me about it while I wash the dishes. Did you sleep with that BMW guy?”
Cheng Xiangyun was certainly the queen of gossip. In order to hear the latest gossip, she would be willing to make all sorts of compromises.
The two of them entered the kitchen together. Cheng Xiangyun did the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, while Ning Ran described the happenings of the night to her.
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
“There’s nothing interesting about it at all! Isn’t this just a story of two paupers being rejected mercilessly while trying to enter a high-end restaurant?” Cheng Xiangyun felt cheated at the lackluster account and turned up her nose.
“How can you say that? You’re boosting the enemy’s morale and reducing ours! How am I a pauper?” Ning Ran was indignant.
“If you are not a pauper, why are you back home to eat noodles?”
Ning Ran was tongue-tied. “I… It’s because I refuse to settle!”
“Oh right, are you sure that the man you saw with the young lady was Sir Chen? You didn’t see wrongly?”
“I’d have to be blind to not recognize that poker face of his.”
“That’s right. With Sir Chen’s stunning good looks, it’s impossible to mistake anyone else for him. But if there was another woman with him, does it mean that I no longer stand a chance?” Cheng Xiangyun suddenly mourned.
