Chapter 103: Chapter 103

After five in the afternoon, a black Bentley drove into Villa No. 6 of Yunding Palace and came to a steady stop.

The sunset was in full bloom, dyeing half of the sky a tangerine red.

Zhu Yilan, sitting in the passenger seat, opened the door and got out. As she looked up, she noticed Fu Jichen had already gotten out of the car and was stepping onto the stairs in front of the door.

Being frequently by his side, she could naturally tell that his steps were more hurried than usual.

Zhu Yilan wasn’t sure why she paid attention to such details, but she silently followed with her bag in hand.

After entering the house, Fu Jichen initially headed towards the elevator, but then he heard a voice coming from the kitchen, gentle and with a humbly inquisitive tone.

"Is this how you pinch it? Why does it look lopsided..."

Changing his steps decisively, Fu Jichen headed for the kitchen. From the doorway, he saw Shen Jianian standing by the kitchen island, her hands covered in white glutinous rice flour, shaping a flat dumpling and placing it into a white porcelain plate.

She wore a soft cream-colored knit set, with a slightly cropped top ending just at the waist, creating an effect that highlighted her long legs, making her appear tall and slender, with a fragile elegance. She had on fluffy slippers and white long socks wrapping her delicate ankles.

"I think I didn’t shape it well," Shen Jianian was so engrossed that she didn’t notice the person behind her, continuing her conversation with Cheng Jin about the dumpling-making technique, "Will it spill open while cooking?"

As she spoke, she turned her head slightly, her long black hair tied into a low bun with a few loose strands falling by her cheeks, exuding a gentle and serene demeanor.

"Let me see..." Cheng Jin turned around, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of a tall black figure, and upon closer look, hurriedly put down the dumpling she was shaping and went up to greet him, "You’re back? Look at me, so focused on making dumplings I didn’t even hear the door open."

Shen Jianian turned her head, and at the doorway, the man was looking at her with an ambiguous smile.

Behind him, Zhu Yilan stood silently, dressed formally in a taupe suit with a houndstooth coat draped over her shoulders, holding a large tote bag in her hands.

Shen Jianian went to the sink to wash her hands and walked over, her clear black-and-white eyes meeting Fu Jichen’s. Unsure of what to say, her eyes were slightly bashful, as if caught in a mischief.

Fu Jichen gently squeezed her hand before looking toward Zhu Yilan, waiting nearby, "I’ll go get the documents."

Zhu Yilan maintained her formal work expression, "Okay."

Fu Jichen glanced at Shen Jianian, released her hand, turned around, and slowly stepped into the elevator.

Cheng Jin went back to cooking dumplings, leaving just the two women in the living room. Zhu Yilan nodded lightly at Shen Jianian in greeting, "I heard you were injured, are you alright?"

The scar on Shen Jianian’s neck had faded significantly; she no longer bothered to cover it and left it exposed, visible at a glance.

"I’m fine now, thank you," Shen Jianian expressed her gratitude with a smile and invited her to sit.

Zhu Yilan sat down on the sofa; the indoor heating was quite warm, so she removed her coat and held it in her arms. Shen Jianian poured her a cup of hot tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.

The two weren’t very familiar and had little to talk about.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Yilan lifted the teacup, blew on it slightly, took a small sip, and was the first to speak, "Once your injury is healed, will you be joining the group for work?"

With Fu Jichen’s official return, he would certainly take on the position of Group President.

The headquarters is different from the branch office in Yicheng; the tasks of the secretary’s office are very heavy and complex, which not everyone can handle. Upon joining, she was likely going to the marketing department, having previously spent a few years at the headquarters, so if Shen Jianian needed any help, she could ask some people she knew to make things easier for her.

Shen Jianian looked a bit confused, "I don’t know."

"That’s true." Zhu Yilan curved her lips into a shallow smile, "Mr. Chen will surely give you the best arrangement."

With Fu Jichen’s support, Shen Jianian probably didn’t need her help, so she dismissed her earlier idea.

After a while, Zhu Yilan, holding her teacup, said sincerely, "Actually, I can tell that you don’t really like being an assistant."

Shen Jianian looked up at her, unsure of how to respond.

Zhu Yilan was telling the truth; she had learned the cello since she was a child and rarely had interests besides that. Becoming Fu Jichen’s assistant was his idea, and later, she thought that if she were to take over the company in the future, she would need to learn something. With this thought in mind, she fully committed herself to the job.

As for passion, there wasn’t much.

"The dumplings are done."

Cheng Jin’s voice came from the kitchen, pulling Shen Jianian back to reality.

At the same time, the elevator doors opened, and Fu Jichen walked out with two documents in hand. He had changed into casual clothes, which delayed him a bit.