The Female CEO Falls in Love with Me

"Hey... Li Yan, where are you taking me?"

Having just seen Li Yan's demeanor, Huang Ying had already guessed that he wanted to help her out. Feeling awkward and not knowing what to say, she let him lead her out without resistance. But now, as they were walking and Li Yan neither spoke nor let go of her hand, she became a bit anxious.

"Aren't you going to eat? I need to eat too, so let's do it together." Li Yan led her to a bus stop while holding her hand.

Huang Ying awkwardly looked down, avoiding his gaze, and quietly said, "You don't need to pretend anymore, you can let go of my hand now."

"No way, if I let go of your hand, you'll pretend not to know me and run off. There are thousands of people on the beach; how can I feel at ease if another pervert wants to bother you?" Li Yan loosened his grip slightly, worried about hurting her, admiring her tanned yet delicate hand.

Feeling embarrassed after being called out by him directly, getting through the most awkward moment had taken quite some effort, Huang Ying meekly agreed, "I won't run. But with so many people around, holding me like this makes it feel quite unnatural, as if I've been caught stealing..."

Li Yan was speechless and released her hand. Seeing Huang Ying rubbing the spot he had grabbed, he asked, "Did I hurt you?"

Huang Ying looked up at him, feeling a little uncomfortable, and shook her head, "No, I'm just not used to it..." This was the first time a boy had held her wrist and led her like this, making her wrist feel unusually awkward.

"By the way, do we need to take the bus to eat? Is here okay? I still need to go back later..."

"There are so many people here, the prices are high, and the food isn't good. Why not walk a bit further?"

"Oh." Huang Ying lowered her head and said nothing, thinking that she needed to collect ten bottles to exchange for a dollar, so saving money was crucial.

She initially thought to mention that there were cheap meal boxes for seven dollars each nearby. However, she didn't know how Li Yan would respond if he found out about it. Deciding to treat him to a meal, she knew he wouldn't speak carelessly.

After working for so long amidst the hot weather and especially being near Li Yan, she felt nervous. Using her handkerchief, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and palms.

Seeing this, Li Yan sighed slightly. These days, girls generally use fragrant branded wet wipes to wipe sweat and even carry reusable handkerchiefs. It was a rare sight.

As the bus arrived, many people rushed on. Li Yan protected Huang Ying as they boarded, but there were no seats left. If it's just one stop away, after buying their tickets, Li Yan and she stood close to the back door.

They were quite close to each other but found it inconvenient to talk, so they just looked outside. The bus driver was somewhat impatient, driving quickly, and took a sharp turn, making many of the standing passengers sway significantly by inertia.

Li Yan stood firmly, quickly adjusting his balance. But being too steady had its drawbacks. Standing so close to Huang Ying, if they had both swayed with inertia, it would've been fine with a bit of body contact. However, since Li Yan didn't move, others swayed, causing someone to bump his shoulder, and Huang Ying ended up getting thrown into his arms, letting out a small cry.

Fearing she'd fall, Li Yan quickly reached out to steady her waist.

Once she had stabilized herself, Li Yan's hand was already away. Knowing he didn't do it on purpose, Huang Ying quietly said, "Sorry, thank you." Internally, she was speechless; technically, she had been held by him, but now she had to apologize and thank him...

The stop came quickly. Huang Ying was still processing the situation, lost in thought. As the back door opened, Li Yan nudged her off the bus from behind.

"Here? We could've just walked, you know. It's only one stop away, and the minimum bus fare is two yuan." Huang Ying felt pained for the money, even more so after picking up recycling. Two people costing the equivalent of collecting forty bottles.

Li Yan went to find his car and drove up.

"Get in."

Huang Ying brushed her hair, frowning slightly. Since Li Yan was driving, he might be taking them to a farther place to eat. Even if it's more cost-effective, it wouldn't be fast food, and they're wasting gas money. Whoever pays, it's still a waste, and he might even drive her back afterwards, causing more hassle and waste.

"Are you already counting how many bottles and cans you need to collect? Get in the car! I need to have a good talk with you."

Huang Ying blushed and reluctantly got in the car.

More than ten minutes later, Li Yan found a restaurant with a nice environment, making it convenient for their conversation later. Led by him, Huang Ying hesitated but followed him inside without protest.

Knowing she was reluctant to spend money, Li Yan ordered for himself and lit a cigarette, saying, "Don't worry about the expense; this is that old pervert's money, right?"

Seeing him pull out money, Huang Ying leaned closer and whispered, "Li Yan, I know you wanted to help me just now. But you shouldn't extort money from people, that's illegal!"

"What did he promise to give you? 800?" Li Yan had already overheard their conversation before.

Huang Ying hurriedly shook her head, "80. 800 is the quantity; it couldn't have been that much. The staff just wanted me to leave quickly."

Li Yan handed her a 100 yuan bill, "This is what he should've given you."

Then he added another bill, "This is for the time I spent dragging you to eat."

"Consider it as me taking up your afternoon."

Feeling confused, Huang Ying quickly said, "No need, what is it you really want to do? I didn't even say you were taking up my time."

Li Yan took a puff of his cigarette, glanced sideways, and whispered, "Quickly, take it first, then refuse."

Thinking for a moment, Huang Ying stood firm, "I can't accept this. You... won't return it to him. Keep it for yourself then. Besides... accepting it might cause misunderstandings." As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed; it would give the wrong impression of their pure coworker relationship...

"Return it, and they'll think you think it's not enough money," Li Yan replied leisurely, "I have thick skin, it doesn't bother me. Or do this, you take it, and when you pay later, people will think I'm just returning the money to you."

Huang Ying thought this was a bit unreliable, but feeling awkward, she quickly accepted it.

"How much more does your mom's treatment need?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Ying's face dimmed, and she quietly said, "She's still hospitalized, hasn't had surgery yet. If she does, it'll cost at least 300,000."

She forced a smile, "Li Yan, you want to help me? Thanks, but it's not a matter of a few hundred or thousand. I know collecting recyclables isn't nearly enough. I'm just trying to keep myself busy, or I'd feel useless and... I'd break down."

As she said that, gazing out the window, her eyes showed a hint of bewilderment as if speaking in a dream.

"But like this... your body won't endure. Even if your spirit doesn't break, your body will. If you make mistakes at work during the day and lose your job, your mom would be even more devastated."

Huang Ying snapped back to reality, forcing a smile, "It's okay, I'm used to it, a little more pressure is manageable... That person just mentioned something, and in some aspects, he made some sense. But don't worry, there's no need to persuade me. I understand; I won't resort to such extreme measures."

Li Yan nodded, seriously saying, "Good for them."

"…"