He had come to find her purely for business matters. How foolish she was! For a moment, she had actually thought that “Can’t I come if there’s nothing specific” might have hidden another meaning.
Cheer up!
Quickly organizing her emotions, Shao Pingxi looked at him with a serious expression, preparing to report her work progress.
Huo Junren listened to her work report on one hand, while on the other, he subtly gazed at her, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes.
He… hadn’t seen her for three weeks now. She seemed to have lost a bit of weight… Was it because she was too busy? Was her diet irregular? Or was she eating carelessly during meals?
In fact, upon returning to the headquarters, his first destination was Shao Pingxi’s office.
Undeniably, the planning department held a crucial position in the Huo Corporation, but the case Shao Pingxi was handling wasn’t important enough to warrant the CEO personally coming to find her immediately upon arriving.
He knew very well that his first priority in coming to find her was not strictly business.
“…That concludes my report,” Shao Pingxi methodically and concisely reported her work to Huo Junren.
“Mm,” he responded briefly, “continue with your work.”
“Understood, President Huo,” she firmly put on her cold, professional woman’s mask.
Feeling he had lingered long enough and should leave, Huo Junren stood up.
Suddenly, the office door unexpectedly opened again—
“Manager Shao, here’s your fragrant coffee! Oh, by the way, Lawyer Li sent a gift for you earlier! Do you want to open it now—” May burst in.
“Uh…” Only after charging into the room did May notice Huo Junren’s presence.
May had been in the pantry making coffee for Shao Pingxi when Huo Junren entered the office, so she was unaware of his arrival.
“President Huo…” May’s hand holding the coffee trembled involuntarily.
The CEO of Huo Corporation was capable, good-looking, from an excellent background—everything was top-tier! Only the “cold front” he emanated was so strong that it unconsciously made these junior employees feel afraid.
The temperature on Huo Junren’s face plummeted below zero after hearing May’s words.
“President Huo, I’m sorry! I… didn’t mean to…” Seeing the CEO’s lips tightly pressed with a frosty expression, May reflexively thought she had angered him and hurriedly apologized.
“Lawyer Li? Is this the newly appointed chief legal counsel—Li Jianyong?” Huo Junren asked, seemingly ignoring May’s apology.
“Yes,” May immediately answered, not daring to be the least bit negligent.
“An unmarried man, brazenly and openly sending a gift to a woman—his intentions are clear to everyone,” Huo Junren revealed a smile like the god of death. “Isn’t that right, Manager Shao?”
The… the CEO was so terrifying! Witnessing his hellish, murderous smile up close, May trembled uncontrollably.
Although his smile, more terrifying than a sharp blade, wasn’t directed at her, May still felt incredibly scared.
“President Huo, whether Lawyer Li is pursuing me or not has nothing to do with you, right!” Did this man who had once heartlessly abandoned her have any right to care?
“Nothing to do with me?” Huo Junren’s expression completely disappeared, leaving only infinite coldness and—a sinister atmosphere. “Manager Shao, you are a manager I hired, and although Li Jianyong is the chief legal counsel, he is ultimately my subordinate. In the Huo Corporation under my management, workplace romances are not permitted!”
“Not permitted?” As if unexpected by Huo Junren’s statement, Shao Pingxi couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise, but soon suppressed it and critically responded: “President Huo, don’t you think this rule is a bit too arbitrary and unreasonable?”
“Arbitrary and unreasonable?” A cold mockery instantly spread across his handsome face.
“I simply don’t want unnecessary romantic entanglements in the company, adding unwarranted complications.
When a man and woman are in love, being together constantly is naturally good, but who knows how long a relationship can last?
If emotional waves surge and the relationship breaks, having to work daily with an ex-partner will only create awkwardness and discomfort.
Emotional disturbance will definitely affect work efficiency and quality! Huo Corporation is a top-tier enterprise that only needs top-tier talent. I won’t tolerate even the slightest flaw!
Manager Shao, by now, do you still think prohibiting workplace romances is an arbitrary rule?”
Huo Junren’s words were powerful and eloquent.
Unwilling to lose in momentum, Shao Pingxi countered: “Lawyer Li and I rarely interact on work matters. Even if we become lovers in the future, even if we break up, it won’t cause workplace disruption.”
The eight words “become lovers with Lawyer Li” were like kindling, making the anger already burning in Huo Junren’s heart blaze even more intensely.
“I don’t care about work interactions. Rules are rules, with no exceptions, no compromise!” His bone-chilling tone escaped his lips. “Manager Shao, do you understand?”
As the boss and CEO, his position was stronger than anyone’s. From the beginning, she was destined to lose this argumentative battle.
“…Understand, how could I not understand,” she raised a sarcastic smile, “President Huo speaks so frankly and explicitly, it’s hard not to understand.”
“Very good,” he smiled, but his face showed no sincerity, “Then, don’t let me see any man in Huo Corporation attempting to pursue you in the future.”
He would absolutely not allow any man to pursue her!
During his revenge, no man could touch her.
Those who are not from the Huo family can pursue me, right! Yes, she had lost a battle, but that doesn’t mean she won’t fight back.
“The regulations only limit Huo’s employees. I won’t interfere with men from outside, but…” he paused, a sarcastic curve forming on his lips, “I seriously doubt how many men will continue to pursue you once they understand what kind of woman Shao Pingxi really is?”
A woman who is unfaithful and fickle in love, no matter how beautiful or charming, will make men hesitate.
“Mr. Huo, what do you mean?” Huo Juren’s obviously derogatory remarks caused her beautiful willow-like eyebrows to furrow.
“What I mean is that no matter how good-looking an apple seems, once people discover that beneath its beautiful red exterior lies only a mass of rotten flesh, all the passionate suitors will immediately vanish. After all, no one is interested in something already rotten.”
“Mr. Huo, why don’t you just directly say that I’m that apple with a gorgeous exterior but rotten inside?” If you want to insult me, why not be direct?
“Your expression seems to say: ‘I don’t agree’!”
“No! Mr. Huo, I agree! I actually completely agree with your statement that seems to be implying yourself. Having a beautiful face and recklessly playing with others’ emotions, treating others’ genuine feelings like a joke – using the metaphor of a superficial rotten apple might not be the most apt, but it does describe the situation quite accurately.”
The emotional wound sealed for over a year was now forcefully torn open again.
Upon hearing this, a fierce cold current immediately swirled around Huo Juren.
“Who is the one with a beautiful face, recklessly playing with others’ emotions, treating others’ genuine feelings like a joke – someone even more rotten than a rotten apple?” Shao Pingxi’s accusation was deliberately provoking Huo Juren’s anger.
She played the victim’s role so brilliantly! She even portrayed him as a heartless man deserving universal condemnation!
In fact, who was the woman who was with him while simultaneously being ambiguous with Li Jiangshu?
Memories flashed through Huo Juren’s mind, scene after scene. His fists suddenly clenched tightly.
