Li Dongyan stood in front of the elevator on the eighth floor, his cold eyes staring at his reflection in the mirror-like elevator door, but his mind was filled with Cen Kaiyin's figure.
Cen Kaiyin…He fell into the memories of the girl who gave him an unforgettable smile.
Ten months ago, he appeared in front of the elevator door in the basement of the Samsung Department Store with extreme dissatisfaction. He was angry and could not understand why his father forced him to stop his half-completed PhD studies. The Samsung Department Store, whose performance was growing every year, did not need him so urgently to come back. Why was his father always so domineering? Without giving him a chance to speak, she hurriedly hung up, looking like she was saying," You can only listen to my orders."
He had enough of his father's tyranny, so he took a dozen hours flight from the United States back to Taiwan not to comply with his father's request. Since his father was unwilling to listen to what he had to say over the phone, he had to explain it to him face to face.
The anger brewing in him made his expression look even more dangerous than usual.
At that time, the elevator door opened with a clang, and a girl with a fresh smile and a sweet voice appeared in the elevator.
"Hello, which floor are we going to?" She opened her big innocent eyes and asked politely.
His anger was extinguished in an instant. He stood rooted to the ground and looked at her.
She was very beautiful, so beautiful that she was very approachable. The two shallow dimples at the corner of her mouth made her smile exceptionally deep and sweet. He was immediately deeply attracted to her, and her warm smile created a warm atmosphere in the cold elevator space that made people unable to leave.
"May I know which floor you want to go to, sir?"
The sweet voice sounded again. He pulled back his consciousness and cleared his throat unnaturally.
"Eighth floor." He stepped into the elevator and quickly glanced at her name tag, silently memorizing her name in his heart.
Later, he found out that it was because it was her first time being an elevator attendant that she was so nervous that she kept making mistakes.
He clearly said that he wanted to go to the eighth floor, but she somehow pressed the button to the thirteenth floor. When the elevator door opened, she saw the messy scene of the spring tea exhibition.
She was obviously stunned by the scene in front of her. She looked at him awkwardly, and two faint blushes appeared on her fair cheeks.
It was a very charming shy expression. He looked at her with a rare smile in his eyes and a slight smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You said you wanted to arrive!”
"Eighth floor." He pressed the button and gave her a nonchalant smile.
It was this smile that encouraged her. She shrugged and said, feeling amused,
"I'm sorry, sir. Today is my first day at work and my first time as an elevator attendant. You're my first customer, so I..."
"A little nervous?" He continued her words and turned to face her, who was smiling very sweetly.
She nodded.
He looked at her and slowly put his hand into his pocket. He looked down at the floor thoughtfully, his eyes flashing with some kind of decision.
"Today is also my first day at work.”
When she heard that, she opened her mouth in surprise. Her smile became even more cordial as she pointed at him.
"Is this your first day at work too? Which department are you in?"
He didn't answer her question, but threw her a few words coolly when the elevator reached the eighth floor.
"Dongyan, my name is Li Dongyan." Then, he strode out of the elevator.
It was as if he had smelled the clear and sweet air after the rain. Her smile dispelled the haze that enveloped his heart. The dissatisfaction in his heart towards his father suddenly disappeared. He was no longer full of complaints about his father forcing him to return to China to take over the position of general manager. Because of her sparkling eyes, he even began to look forward to working here.
It was at that time that Cen Kaiyin had quietly entered his heart. His love for her grew at a speed that even he could not imagine. As long as he did not see her for a day, he would feel that something was wrong all over his body, and nothing would go smoothly.
Just as he was approaching her step by step in his own way, Cen Kaiyin was escaping from him at an even faster speed. She was like a frightened bird now. He couldn't even get a friendly look from her, let alone a smile.
He knew very well how this situation was caused, but he had no choice. His natural personality coupled with his upbringing had formed a face that always looked like it had just been taken out of a freezer. Because of his unique identity, he was required to be more serious and elegant than others wherever he went. As time passed, smiles abandoned him and he forgot how to smile.
Of course, he had also grinned at the mirror like a fool and tried to smile like Leo. In the end, he realized that there were only four words to describe his smile at that time! It was a tragic sight.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Why was Leo's smile admired and mesmerized by others, but his smile was so awkward?
He stared at the elevator door cautiously and tried to smile. Hmm, it looked good. If he could deepen his smile a little…
The elevator door opened with a clang. Cen Kaiyin slowly raised her head, and then her eyes widened in an instant.
No way! She blinked and blinked again. She must have cried until her eyes were blurry. Otherwise, how could she see the general manager's smiling face? How could a cold-blooded animal that was flown from the Arctic laugh?
Li Dongyan's mind went blank for two seconds, and then he instantly returned to his ice-sculpture-like expression. Damn Leo! That damned smile! He stomped into the elevator.
"Hello, general manager. May I know which floor you want to go to?”
Hearing her respectful question and seeing her lowered face, he was even more furious. She had become like this ever since she became the general manager for the first time.
He still remembered that when she found out that he was the general manager, she secretly threw him a smile after the initial surprise. Later, in order to close the distance between them, he started to ask her some things that service staff should pay attention to. Perhaps he was scared by his serious tone, she answered a little reluctantly. Later on, her answer was simply fragmented, making him nervous. Once he was nervous, his tone became even worse. It was until she pursed her lips and tears silently fell from her eyes. Only then did he realize that he had made a fool of himself.
From then on, Cen Kaiyin would have this kind of evasive expression every time she saw him, as if he was some kind of monster that would eat people.
"The parking lot." He spat out three words like ice.
Cen Kaiyin's white-gloved fingers quickly pressed B4. Then, like a child reflecting on her mistakes, she stuck close to the panel, and even her breathing became extra careful.
It only took a few seconds to get to the parking lot, but these few seconds felt like centuries to her.
She was really unlucky! She looked up at the indicator light on the elevator door and could not help but purse her lips bitterly. He had just been scolded, and the first customer on duty in the elevator was him again. Could it be that what Li Zhiyi said was true? Did she really have a conflict with the general manager?
His natural aura always made her feel breathless. God! She really wanted to run out of the door…
At this moment, she suddenly felt a chill on her back, so she quickly straightened her back. She could completely imagine the general manager's cold eyes staring at her back, as if trying to find another excuse for him to scold her. She wished she could dig a hole in the elevator to escape his gaze.
In fact, Li Dongyan looked at her with guilt. Her red and swollen eyes reminded him of his cruelty. He was very frustrated that he always outsmarted himself.
He was eager to say something to save the stalemate, but his mind, which had been praised as extremely clever since he was young, turned several times and could not find a suitable opening. His mood became worse and worse as the indicator light continued to go down, and his face became uglier and uglier.
The elevator stopped on the first floor. Cen Kaiyin walked out and called out in a sweet voice,"The elevator is going down." She looked around and was disappointed to find that no one wanted to go downstairs. At this moment, anyone would be fine as long as they could accompany her through this difficult time.
At this moment, Leo walked elegantly from the entrance to the elevator. Her eyes lit up as if she had met her savior.
"Manager, are you coming downstairs?" she shouted, her voice filled with excitement.
Leo nodded happily and greeted her in his usual friendly tone.
" I thought that what happened just now would make you lose your energy. I didn't expect you to still be so energetic. The enthusiasm of a Taurus is really surprising..." He gradually approached the elevator, but because of the angle, he still didn't see Li Dongyan. " Don't worry, I'll talk to Li Dongyan. He's really not gentle. He always uses scolding to replace concern…"
He was so focused on talking that he didn't notice Cen Kaiyin winking at him.
When he stepped into the elevator, Li Dongyan's extremely cold gaze immediately forced him to retreat.
" Alright, find a time. I'll let you 'talk' about me.”His tone was very gentle, but his gaze was completely different.
"Uh…I suddenly remembered that I still have something to do. I'll go down later.”
" M…" She looked at the manager's back, her half-opened mouth finally turning into a sigh.
Yes, even the manager was unwilling to share the elevator with the general manager. Unless it was necessary, no one wanted to get along with this cold-blooded animal, even his own good friend was no exception. She retreated into the elevator dejectedly.
He saw her shrink into the corner of the elevator again, and the accumulated anger almost exploded in his chest. She was smiling at everyone except him. She was like a mouse cowering at the sight of a cat. She was afraid that he would swallow her up the moment he opened his mouth. He was very dissatisfied with this situation.
" Miss Cen Kaiyin…" He suppressed his anger and spoke coldly.
"Yes, General Manager." The answer was immediate and full of vigilance.
"Don't you think you're too close to the elevator panel?”This caused the distance between them to widen.
Her shoulders trembled. Was this wrong? The rule was that the elevator lady had to stand in front of the panel and pay attention to which floor she was on at all times. It did not say that she could not be so close to the panel, but since the general manager had spoken, it must be her fault.
She turned around and kept bowing to him.
"I'm sorry, general manager. I'll immediately improve it. I'm sorry..."
Her groveling was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire, and Li Dongyan's expression was extremely ugly.
"Don't just apologize to me.”
The elevator suddenly stopped with a bang between the second and third floors, and all the lights went out in an instant.
Cen Kaiyin looked up and was stunned for two seconds. When she realized what was happening, she immediately covered her mouth and gasped in horror.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here." He took a step forward and stood in front of her, pressing the emergency button.
Heavens! She was only afraid when he was around! Cen Kaiyin thought as if she had fallen into an abyss. Why was she so unlucky? Why was he so unlucky! They would reach the fourth-floor underground parking lot in a second. Why did the elevator stop at this time? Why did he lock her in the elevator with this person?
His breath was right above her head. She felt her scalp go numb, her limbs go cold, and she could faint at any moment.
Wasn't this the best opportunity? Li Dongyan stared at her eagerly in the dark. He would take this rare opportunity to say something to improve the relationship between them! What should he say?
He thought for a long time and finally said,""Miss Cen Kaiyin…"
He clearly felt a distinct tremor in his shoulder under his chest, and his eyebrows rose in anger. Please! He had already tried his best to adjust his tone. Why did she still look frightened?
"Yes, general manager. I know what you want to ask me. Under such circumstances, we should first press the emergency button immediately to inform the staff that someone is trapped inside. Then, we must appease the guests in the elevator and tell them…"
"I didn't want to ask you that."
She was once again shocked by his suddenly raised voice. She stared in horror at the figure who still had a sense of existence in the darkness. Did she guess wrong? Otherwise, what was he going to ask her? At this point, was he still in the mood to interrogate her? Also, she didn't know if she could ask him to take two steps back from her. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest.
However, she only dared to think about it. Knowing that he was standing right in front of her, she did not even dare to breathe loudly.
" I mean... you..." He wanted to ask her how she felt about him, but he was afraid that such a question would be too abrupt. He hoped that there would be a perfect start between them. It was precisely because he wanted perfection that he became overcautious. "You…How long have you been working here?”In the end, he asked such an irrelevant question.
Was this referring to her satisfaction with her work? She guessed.
She lowered her head humbly and said," It's been ten months…I know my performance is not good enough. I still need to work hard. I will definitely study hard and…"
"I didn't mean to ask you that." He interrupted her impatiently again.
She held her chest in fear, frowned slightly, and pursed her lips. Fear oppressed her. She really did not know what to do, and her eyes were filled with tears.
" General Manager, I know that you've always been dissatisfied with my work performance, but I…I really…"
He could tell from her trembling voice that she was crying again. He could not help but close his eyes in frustration, and regret instantly filled his heart.
" Miss Cen Kaiyin…" He felt a little helpless. He reached out to hug her a few times but retracted his hand. In the end, his hand gently landed on her shoulder and tried to make his voice sound gentler. "That's not what I meant. Really, I…I've never been dissatisfied with you.”
At this moment, the elevator suddenly moved and quickly arrived at the parking lot. When the elevator door opened, Leo and a group of staff members were standing at the door with all kinds of tools. Their nervous expressions looked funny, but Li Dongyan couldn't laugh at all.
" Uh..." Leo knew that they had come at the wrong time.
Cen Kaiyin quickly turned her face away and wiped away her tears.
Li Dongyan's hand left her shoulder, and his gentle expression was replaced by a touch of coldness.
"Manager Leo." There was no warmth in his voice. "Aren't you coming too 'quick'?”
"I sympathize with your experience." Li Zhiyi said as he put a mouthful of rice into his mouth. There was not much sympathy in his tone.
Cen Kaiyin closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Let's eat first. There are still two classes to stand in the afternoon.”Xiao Yazhuang opened the lunchbox for her. They were working as elevator attendants this week, changing shifts every two hours.
Eating was always a happy thing for Taurus people who valued food, but at this time, she picked up the rice in the lunchbox and had no appetite at all.
She looked up at the two of them.
"Tell me, why does the general manager like to pick on me so much?”
Xiao Yazhuang tilted her head and thought for a while before answering,""It shouldn't be special to you, right? Virgo people always find reasons to nitpick others. They always feel that everything in the world is not perfect, so they need to work hard to be picky.”She said her thoughts objectively.
Cen Kaiyin put down her chopsticks and asked in confusion,""But don't you think that the general manager's firepower is completely focused on me? He never made things difficult for you, but he always made things difficult for me. Sigh, if this goes on, I'll really break down. I've only been working for ten months. I originally hoped to be able to work for ten years…"
"Impossible. The company won't want an old waitress.”Li Zhiyi quickly retorted.
Xiao Yazhuang rolled her eyes. "Can't you say something more productive?”
Li Zhiyi shrugged and looked at the ceiling with an expression that said," That's just how I am."
Cen Kaiyin's head hung on the dining table, and her tone was full of frustration.
"Don't blame her. Any constructive words are useless to me now. I really feel tired.”
She was almost unable to work in this place. She liked a peaceful working environment, just like a cow hoping to graze leisurely in a peaceful pasture. If she was blamed, she would only be frustrated and want to escape.
" I suddenly thought of…" Li Zhiyi bit his chopsticks, tilted his head, and frowned. "Do you think the general manager's nitpicking on you is another form of affection?”
Cen Kaiyin almost jumped out of her chair when she heard that. She covered her chest with her hands and looked shocked.
" Don't scare me. I'm already pitiful enough..." She glared angrily at Li Zhiyi, who was laughing.
"Can you not joke about this? I don't get along with Virgos the most.”
Li Zhiyi didn't care about her glare and continued to immerse himself in the fun of shocking people.
"If you can say such words, it means that you have no knowledge of astrology at all. Let me tell you what the book says! Virgo and Taurus are very compatible with each other. The compatibility index is 100%, the compatibility is 90%, and the coordination is 100%. It's good luck to be together. This proves that you're a match made in heaven. Believe me, you'll definitely be very happy together…"
Li Zhiyi's deliberate emphasis made Cen Kaiyin bury her face in her palms and moan in pain.
" Oh, please don't say anymore…" Being a couple with the general manager? Kill her!
Xiao Yazhuang glared fiercely at Li Zhiyi.
"Did anyone say that you look like Snow White's stepmother? Very evil."
Li Zhiyi's mouth was wide open, and his lips were twisted in dissatisfaction.
"What did you say? I have a bad heart? How am I evil? Huh? What bad intentions? I was just joking. Can't I just joke? Besides, the general manager is so handsome, and his family background is so prominent. He's the heir to ten chain department stores in Taiwan. It's such a blessing to be his girlfriend.”
"Then why didn't you say that you were chosen by the general manager?”
" I..." Li Zhiyi's face turned red and suddenly became very shy.
"Aiya, you know that I've already given my heart to Manager Leo…I'm not a promiscuous woman!”
Hearing this, Xiao Yazhuang did not know what else to say other than rolling her eyes and sighing.
Cen Kaiyin put her hand on her forehead and sighed. Of course, she didn't believe Li Zhiyi's words. She even sympathized with the general manager's future girlfriend. She would definitely be like her, sitting on pins and needles every day.
Girlfriend? Thinking about it, she felt a chill down her spine. She suspected that there was really someone who could get along with such a meticulous person. If there was anyone who could appreciate him, that person must be a Virgo.
Sigh! It was really annoying. It was her turn to be the elevator attendant this week. Thinking about the chance to meet the general manager like this morning, she felt like she couldn't eat. Even if it was only for a few seconds, she felt unbearable.
"Caine, aren't you going to eat?" Xiao Yazhuang looked at her back and asked.
"I can't eat. I'll go to the top floor to get some fresh air..."
Leo had just come out of the elevator when he saw Miss Wang pacing back and forth in front of the general manager's office. She looked hesitant as if she wanted to knock on the door but didn't dare to.
Miss Wang was also one of the members of the service team. She was in charge of the service desk on the eighth floor. Because the eighth floor was the office of the manager level and above, there would be people visiting every day. Her job was to receive the visiting manufacturers and VIPs, bring them to the VIP room, and then make tea and coffee for the guests.
Making coffee for the general manager was also one of her jobs. Because the general manager had a perfect personality, he was used to handling his own affairs, so he did not hire another secretary.
According to Manager Leo, it was because he didn't trust others.
When Miss Wang saw Leo, a smile immediately appeared on her lips, and she looked relieved.
"What's wrong?" Leo looked at the door of the general manager's office, as if he could smell the smell of gunpowder coming from the room.
Miss Wang sighed and gestured for him to look at the coffee in her hand.
" I don't know what kind of explosives the general manager ate today, but he's been cursing all morning. Those managers were scolded like idiots and morons by him, so miserable…"
Leo's mouth twitched. It was easy to understand. Li Dongyan wouldn't be called Li Dongyan if he didn't curse. However, he knew why he was especially angry today. It was because he had ruined his " good thing."
Actually, the person he wanted to scold the most was him, but he had to find an excuse to wander around until now! He only came back after noon. Poor scapegoats…
"What does this have to do with coffee?"
"That's right. What does it have to do with my coffee? He's in a bad mood, and he's so picky when it comes to drinking coffee. One moment, he says it's too strong, and the next moment, he says it's too weak. This is already my third cup…He didn't scold me, but he kept asking me to make it again. How different is that from scolding me for being clumsy?”She pursed her lips helplessly and aggrievedly and deliberately glanced at Leo. "Manager, are you seriously looking for a replacement for me? I've been married to my husband for seven years and finally got pregnant this year. My husband is very worried that I'm under too much pressure here and keeps asking me how my resignation is going…"
Leo took the coffee from her hand and gave her an apologetic smile.
"I got it. I'll report this to the general manager later. I'll send the coffee in for you. It's thunder and lightning inside. It's not good for the baby…"
Hearing this, Miss Wang looked relieved.
"You really should have appeared earlier. If you came, we would have been saved. It's simply like chickens and dogs ascending to heaven…"
" Yes, I'll go in and turn myself in now..." He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response.
Li Dongyan looked at the document in his hand with a serious expression like an officer. He looked up at Leo and decided to treat him like an invisible person.
Leo didn't stand on ceremony with him. He found a sofa and sat down. He took a sip of the coffee in his hand and looked as relaxed as if he was on vacation.
Li Dongyan finally couldn't stand it anymore.
"Isn't that coffee for me?”he asked coldly. Leo was getting more and more out of hand. Did he think that he wouldn't be angry at him just because he was his good friend?
"Yes, but in my opinion, you shouldn't be in the mood to drink coffee now, so I'll do it for you.”After saying that, he took another sip and let out a satisfied sigh.
Li Dongyan gave him a warning glance.
"Watch your tone, Manager Leo. You're talking to the general manager.”His cold gaze fell on Leo's feet on the glass table.
Leo wasn't scared by his words at all. He even adjusted his posture so that his feet could stretch more comfortably on the glass table. After standing for the whole morning, his legs were sore and numb as if he was protesting. He deliberately ignored the angry sparks in Li Dongyan's eyes and the tight corners of his lips. He looked at the clock on the wall.
"It's noon break now. I don't have to be a manager for an hour and a half. You can also have an hour and a half without being a general manager.”He raised his hand to stop Li Dongyan from cursing. "Please! Dongyan, can you not be like a workaholic all day long? If you were willing to divert some of your energy from work to your personal feelings, you wouldn't have to sulk here alone today.”
"What are you trying to say?" He closed the document, put the pen cap back on, and looked straight at Leo.
"If you still insist on being so formal, then fine, I'll be direct!”He retracted his leg and sat upright on the sofa, facing him. "I want to talk about Cen Kaiyin."
Li Dongyan's face instantly tensed up. He had never thought of talking about her with anyone else. He had his own plans, and he liked to act according to them.
"What I want to say is that platonic love is outdated. Cultivating feelings slowly is even more old-fashioned. If you still want to put your self-esteem and career before love and use a cold appearance to hide your inner feelings, then the love that has sprouted in your heart will wither before it can bear fruit.”
Leo couldn't stand it anymore. Why did he have to keep his emotions so secret and then act weird all day because he couldn't breathe normal air?
Li Dongyan's expression didn't change at all. In fact, Leo's words did shake his heart, but he had high expectations of himself. He even controlled his facial expressions very strictly. Most of the time, he had no expression on his face.
"Dongyan, you like her very much, right?”
Another sentence hit the nail on the head. Li Dongyan clasped his fingers and looked away uncomfortably.
"This is my personal matter."
"Of course, I just want to remind you that if you like her, you should express it with more positive actions. Don't tell me that you look at her more every day, please! It was impossible for women to know what you were thinking from your gaze. They usually believed in practical things, such as a bouquet of flowers, a warm phone call, a romantic dinner, a valuable gift, etc. Believe me, these things were worth a thousand words.”
Li Dongyan frowned in disagreement. "You mean you want me to act like a playboy?”
Leo sighed. He knew that this guy was stubborn. He was too meticulous, like a soldier. He did everything in a certain way. This was why a relationship that was easy and easy to get was so lonely and hard for him.
" What I mean is that you should pursue her in other ways. You've noticed it yourself. Your 'love' offense will only make Cen Kaiyin tremble like a frightened bird.”
Li Dongyan closed his eyes in frustration. He also knew about this situation, but…
" I had a chance to improve this situation today, in the elevator…" He looked at Leo with lingering anger. If this guy hadn't come so quickly, he would have…
Leo interrupted his thoughts.
"You should thank me for coming in time. Otherwise, the one who handed in her resignation today wouldn't be Miss Wang, but Cen Kaiyin. You don't know her at all. She's a Taurus girl. She has a deep-rooted obsession with the ideas that have already been formed. It's difficult for you to change her perception of you with just a few words. In other words, your actions in the elevator only made things worse.”
"You mean she has a negative impression of me?”he asked lightly.
"Without a doubt."
Li Dongyan's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his brows furrowed in displeasure. He was very confident in everything he did because he had carefully evaluated and calculated. He did not think that he would fail, so…
"I don't agree with you." Li Dongyan's eyes were firm.
Leo shrugged indifferently. "You can disagree, but you'd better refer to other people's experiences. The number of women I've dated and pursued is much more than you think. You can't deny this, right?”
He really couldn't deny that Leo was a famous playboy. From the past until now, countless women had been 'poisoned' by him.
Leo finished the last sip of coffee and continued,"Also, have you ever considered that a person who is fancied by someone like you who is obsessed with cleanliness will also be the focus of everyone's pursuit? When you were still looking for a perfect way to express yourself, would she fall in love with another person at this moment and then leave as a couple?”
Li Dongyan clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, and his face turned gloomy. How could this be? Cen Kaiyin was the only girl he had taken a fancy to in so many years. He could not imagine her being with someone else. Just seeing her smile at another man made him so excited that he wanted to kill someone.
He stared at the corner of the table in deep thought, so calm that no fluctuations could be seen in his heart.
"You just said…Miss Wang is going to resign?”
"Yes, I am."
"Then ask Cen Kaiyin to come up and replace her.”
Leo opened his mouth in surprise and frowned.
"If you do this, you'll give her!"
"It's decided then." After saying that, he stood up and walked out of his office.
It was decided! He wanted to put Cen Kaiyin under his nose and watch her closely. Before he thought of a countermeasure, no one was allowed to approach her.#
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。