The Female CEO Falls in Love with Me

Didn't we decide not to pursue it further? Wen Qianyi is a capable and elite member of our team, isn't she? Why bring it up again?

Li Yan said calmly, "That's a matter for the HR department. I just went to observe for the sake of learning how the company operates. Whom they hire is up to them. I was just a friendly extra, really just passing through."

Zhang Yurong snorted coldly, "I initially thought hiring talent was enough, but now it seems some people made private agreements, which is serious cheating for the company!"

Li Yan was puzzled, thought for a moment, and then chuckled, "Private agreement? You really overestimate your husband's capabilities. If I could pull off such schemes, would I still be idling around? They let someone as useless as me tag along, confident they could lift me up despite my uselessness."

Zhang Yurong was taken aback, yes, this guy doesn't lack ability; he lacks the right attitude! If he were that scheming, he wouldn't be just muddling along now.

She felt a bit desolate inside, pitying herself for always striving to be the best from a young age and largely succeeding. Who would've thought she'd marry a husband content to be the most useless, ordinary person.

"With your conspiracy theories, I'm starting to suspect…" Li Yan said seriously.

Zhang Yurong felt a chill, too lazy to argue, and casually asked, "Suspect what?"

"Wen Qianyi is a beauty, and you've noticed how warmly she dotes on your husband, so you're, what, jealous! Hahaha!"

Zhang Yurong felt provoked, this accusation was utterly baseless! She burst into an exaggerated guffaw and said derisively, "Me, jealous? You've got to be kidding! I didn't get jealous even when you checked into a hotel that day! I'm so calm that whatever you do outside, I can't be bothered to care!"

"Heh heh... really? Then how come you remember it so clearly? I didn't even say it was a hotel, yet you've analyzed it down to me checking into one?"

Laughing loudly, Li Yan sped up the car. Teasing pretty women was his forte, but with Zhang Yurong, it was different due to her status and cold demeanor, so he'd never been interested in teasing her before. This was the first time he was teasing his wife.

As the car kept accelerating, darting through the bustling streets at night, Zhang Yurong's face changed, and she scolded, "What are you trying to do? Why are you driving so fast?"

"I'm beside myself with joy, discovering you could be jealous over me! Haha..."

"Crazy!"

"Relax, my little QQ didn't have any problems; do you think it'll ruin your Mercedes-Benz?"

"..." Zhang Yurong was speechless. Am I really afraid of the car getting ruined? I'm worried you'll crash, you idiot!

"You stop right now, let me drive!"

"This is my car; I should be the one telling you to stop..."

"If you keep this up, I'll... I'll call the police on you..."

Li Yan glanced at her tense expression and laughed, "Instead of spending so much energy, why don't you check your seatbelt and enjoy the experience of a master driver?"

Seeing his nonchalance, Zhang Yurong couldn't help but feel annoyed, "Keep your eyes on the road!"

...

After parking in the garage, Li Yan got out of the car and left. Zhang Yurong sat alone in the car, still dazed. The wild ride back had been too much for her. She'd always been a rule-abiding girl and even bought a steady car, rather than a flashy one like most young people chase. Since the first day she drove, she'd never crossed the speed limit, and Li Yan forcing her to go so fast just now left her unsettled, even making her forget the scolding she wanted to give him.

In high spirits, Li Yan went for a run as usual.

Running is quite interesting; it can bring many rewards. When Dao Chang introduced Murakami Haruki's new book about running on 'Eight Minutes of Reading,' he mentioned how disappointing he found Haruki during his 'Norwegian Wood' days and hadn't paid attention to him since. But this book about running showed him that running had become a form of spiritual practice for Haruki. He realized long-novel writers should run like Haruki, to strengthen their bodies and have the stamina to write.

While running, he also listened to music, but not as nonchalantly as Zhang Yurong. He listened to oddly tuned songs that most people would scold him for liking, yet he found somewhat intriguing and kept on listening.

A song, a book, a painting… they all have life. When a popular song spreads like wildfire, one more listener doesn't matter. But when no one listens, adding a single listener might give it special meaning.

That gun, you threw it away

I didn't say I couldn't use it

I needed it, to kill someone

Yesterday

I couldn't sadly sit next to you

...

The opening lines pulled Li Yan in. The lyrics were unique, the accompaniment was decent, but the aging man's voice was a bit raw, with little singing talent and often off-tune. Yet, because he wrote it himself, one might say it's not off-tune but the quirkiness of the tune. However, when he duetted with a female singer, his voice and singing skills seemed utterly amateurish by contrast.

Because it was too much for most people, the CD Li Yan initially left at the gym was almost treated as scrap metal by Zhang Yurong for recycling. So he would sometimes listen to it and then stash it away to avoid its demise.

Just as he was listening to "Ulaanbaatar Night," Li Yan's phone rang. Seeing that it was Wen Qianyi calling, he answered immediately.

"Are you done with your stuff? Confirmed you're free tomorrow, right?"

"All done; I'm free tomorrow."

"What are you panting from? Dizzy..."

Li Yan wiped his brow, "You're the boss; can you be more serious? I'm running."

"Running at night? What's wrong with you?" Wen Qianyi seemed genuinely surprised.

Li Yan was speechless, stepped off the treadmill, and brought his phone close to the speaker.

"It's the song, so quiet... quiet as in calm." Li Yan was a bit skeptical, hoping it wasn't an opera aria reaching the high notes.

"Ugh! What a terrible song. As long as you're free, just be ready; I'll take you to a gathering tomorrow." Wen Qianyi instructed briefly before hanging up.

Just as he ended the call and was about to continue running, the phone rang again, this time from an unfamiliar number.

He waited for it to ring a bit longer, ensuring it wasn't a scam call that hung up after one ring, then he answered. Not wanting a repeat of the earlier situation, Li Yan had already adjusted his breathing and turned off the music.

"Thank heavens! You finally answered! You need to come save me!"