Secretly Seducing the Third Female Lead Behind the System’s Back - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Do You Mind That I’m a Girl?

After the lunch break, everyone returned to the tiered conference room and took their seats.

Bai Chu and Xie Xin sat in the third row. Before long, He Youran also sat down on Bai Chu’s other side, followed closely by An Hao.

Xie Xin rolled her eyes but didn’t dare speak recklessly in front of Bai Chu anymore.

She stared at her blank notebook, unable to figure things out. Wasn’t President Jiang supposed to be a different kind of person, according to the rumors?

She began to reflect on herself—how could she let gossip influence her impressions of someone? That was clearly her mistake.

When Xie Xin looked up again, Jiang Yisheng had entered the room.

The conference room fell silent in an instant. Everyone assumed Jiang Yisheng would sit at the head seat, but she glanced around and then fixed her gaze on a certain spot, a faint smile appearing on her face.

She slowly walked toward the aisle seat next to Xie Xin.

Xie Xin raised her head just in time to meet Jiang Yisheng’s eyes.

She swallowed hard and stood up to greet her. “Hello, President Jiang.”

“Hello.” Jiang Yisheng smiled at her in return.

Xie Xin nervously clasped her hands in front of her, unsure why Jiang Yisheng was approaching her. At that moment, she felt like every gaze in the room was on her.

“President Xie, would you mind switching seats?” Jiang Yisheng finally spoke.

Xie Xin didn’t dare refuse and quickly nodded. “O-of course.”

She hurriedly gathered her things and whispered to Bai Chu, “President Bai, I’ll go sit up front.”

Bai Chu also looked up at Jiang Yisheng and responded softly.

Jiang Yisheng then naturally sat to Bai Chu’s left. As soon as she sat down, she leaned against Bai Chu like she had no bones in her body.

Bai Chu turned her head and spoke in a calm, clear voice. “Jiang Yisheng.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yisheng replied, looping her arm through Bai Chu’s, her voice lilting at the end.

“Sit up straight,” Bai Chu said softly.

Jiang Yisheng pouted but obediently straightened up.

Bai Chu rested her hands on the table, fingers interlaced, waiting for the meeting to start.

Jiang Yisheng looked at Bai Chu’s left wrist. She was wearing a suit, so Jiang Yisheng couldn’t be sure if she was wearing the bracelet she had given her.

Jiang Yisheng tugged gently at Bai Chu’s sleeve.

Still nothing in sight.

She grew anxious and used both hands—one to hold Bai Chu’s hand, the other to pull harder on the sleeve.

Finally, she saw the bracelet.

Satisfied, she carefully pulled it down a little so it would peek out from the sleeve.

“I thought you were going to rip my sleeve off,” Bai Chu commented quietly.

Jiang Yisheng gently traced circles on the back of Bai Chu’s hand with her finger, smiling mischievously. “How could I? I just wanted to see if you were wearing it.”

Bai Chu didn’t say anything, letting her mess around with her hand.

Jiang Yisheng held Bai Chu’s hand up to her eyes and examined it seriously. Her nails were neatly trimmed, her fingers slender and fair—truly beautiful.

She compared it to her own. Bai Chu’s fingers were clearly longer.

As she stared, her thoughts began to drift. A blush rose on her cheeks.

She quickly shook her head and placed Bai Chu’s hand back on the table, focusing on fiddling with her own pen.

Bai Chu glanced at her, curious about her sudden obedience. When her eyes landed on Jiang Yisheng’s pink ears, a trace of confusion flickered in her gaze.

At that moment, applause filled the conference room.

Yu Mushan and Jiang Hang entered, and everyone stood up to welcome them.

Off to the side, He Youran clapped while glancing at Bai Chu and Jiang Yisheng, feeling like something was… off.

Yu Mushan raised a hand. “Please be seated.”

The applause died down.

“Welcome to Yujiang Corporation. We’re honored to have so many talented individuals gathered here today. I’m Yu Mushan, one of the company’s chairpersons. This is the other chairperson, Jiang Hang…”

As Yu Mushan spoke, Jiang Yisheng sat upright, listening attentively to her mother on stage.

When she’d read the novel, it only mentioned how much Jiang Yisheng’s mother doted on her daughter, but not how capable she really was.

Yu Mushan had studied her way out of a rural village. In college, she had a keen sense for business and managed to make some early money.

After graduation, she started a business with a bit of savings and eventually met someone with similar ambitions. They developed feelings over time and worked toward a shared dream.

By the time the company went public, the two finally made time to get married. There was never a question of one handling the home while the other handled work—they faced everything together.

Even in the days before giving birth to little Jiang Yisheng, Yu Mushan was still going around to meetings with a huge belly, personally inspecting sites.

When it was time for the delivery, Jiang Hang postponed all company matters and never tried to take over or push Yu Mushan into a background role.

Together, they weathered every storm and brought the company to where it is now.

Jiang Yisheng looked at her parents on stage. If she hadn’t heard her mother’s late-night stories about the difficulties of starting a business, she might’ve thought her mom had been blessed by the heavens.

But now, she only felt that her mother was brave and formidable—and she was incredibly proud.

Yu Mushan smiled at the audience, her gaze drifting slightly.

Her expression didn’t change, still delivering her speech gracefully, but in her heart she grumbled: This kid… so lovestruck, I wonder who she gets it from.

With Yu Mushan and Jiang Hang’s speeches finished, the training officially began.

The instructors had been brought in from various city departments. Knowing how formal this event was, Jiang Yisheng earnestly picked up her pen to take notes.

But after a while, the pen tip started circling on its own, the writing became messy, and ink blotches dotted the page.

When she opened her eyes again, her head was resting on Bai Chu’s shoulder.

Bai Chu seemed to sense it and gently said, “Funny how you wake up right when the teacher says class is over.”

Jiang Yisheng rubbed her eyes but remained leaning lazily on her shoulder. “Maybe it’s a bad habit from school.”

Bai Chu didn’t comment and capped her pen. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Jiang Yisheng followed her out of the conference room.

After tidying up her workspace, Bai Chu asked, “Want to eat?”

“Of course! I want hot pot,” Jiang Yisheng beamed, still half-asleep, tilting her head against Bai Chu again.

Bai Chu braced her hand against Jiang Yisheng’s shoulder to keep her from leaning, then gently turned her around. “Let’s go.”

After eating hot pot, Jiang Yisheng wanted to see a movie. The theater was upstairs, so they took the elevator.

They bought snacks and drinks and sat in the waiting area. Jiang Yisheng munched while watching Bai Chu.

“Bai Chu-jie,” she called sweetly.

Bai Chu looked at her, waiting for what she’d say.

Jiang Yisheng offered her a popcorn kernel.

Bai Chu opened her mouth and ate it, chewing slowly.

Then Jiang Yisheng shyly offered her drink. “Want to try mine?”

“Didn’t I already try it earlier?”

Usually, Jiang Yisheng would offer both drinks first, let Bai Chu pick one, and then drink from the same cup afterward.

“Oh.” Jiang Yisheng started to pull the drink back, embarrassed.

“But I kind of forgot what it tasted like. I could try it again,” Bai Chu added.

Jiang Yisheng’s eyes lit up and she quickly brought the drink back to Bai Chu’s lips.

Bai Chu took a sip through the straw. “Not bad.”

Jiang Yisheng’s eyes widened. Watching Bai Chu sip from her cup made her heart race.

She stared at her lips and then deliberately drank from the same spot Bai Chu had used. “Tastes even sweeter now.”

Bai Chu stuffed two more popcorn kernels in her mouth. “Eat more.”

Then she awkwardly sipped her own drink.

Jiang Yisheng chewed, feeling like the happiest person in the world.

“Bai Chu-jie,” she called again.

“Hmm?” Bai Chu responded softly.

“I never knew what being in love felt like. But today… I finally do,” Jiang Yisheng said earnestly. “I feel so happy.”

Bai Chu gave a light cough to stop her. “Don’t say things like that.”

Still, her ears turned slightly red.

“Is it because I’m a girl?” Jiang Yisheng asked gently, her eyes soft and vulnerable.

Bai Chu met her intense gaze and looked away.

But the next moment, her face was cupped by a pair of cool hands.

Jiang Yisheng wouldn’t let her dodge. She asked plainly, “Answer me.”

Bai Chu’s cheeks were squeezed slightly by Jiang Yisheng’s palms, making her lips puff out adorably.

Jiang Yisheng was over the moon.

“No,” Bai Chu finally said after a pause, lowering Jiang Yisheng’s hands.

Jiang Yisheng beamed. As long as Bai Chu didn’t mind that she was a girl, she still had a chance.

Her hand slowly warmed inside Bai Chu’s.

They were watching a lighthearted romantic comedy celebrating female empowerment. Bai Chu paid close attention.

Her left hand was being held by Jiang Yisheng, who was occasionally kneading or toying with it—but Bai Chu was already used to it.

Suddenly, a soft warmth pressed against the back of her hand.

Bai Chu froze slightly and turned.

Sure enough, Jiang Yisheng had kissed her hand. Even in the dim light, Bai Chu could clearly see her trembling eyelashes.

Bai Chu’s fingers stiffened, and she slowly tried to withdraw her hand.

But almost immediately, Jiang Yisheng tightened her grip, intertwining their fingers.

Bai Chu tried again to pull away—still no use.

“If you pull away again, I’ll be mad,” Jiang Yisheng said sweetly.

So Bai Chu stopped resisting and let her hold it.

Because of this little interlude, she couldn’t focus on the rest of the movie. That fleeting heat on the back of her hand haunted her.

It wouldn’t go away.

After the movie, Bai Chu drove Jiang Yisheng home.

Jiang Yisheng held her pink plush toy and looked out the window, music playing in the background.

Bai Chu kept glancing over. It felt like a feather was gently brushing her heart, making her feel ticklish and light.

When they arrived at Jiang Yisheng’s home, Bai Chu walked her to the door.

Jiang Yisheng opened her arms for a hug.

Bai Chu lowered her gaze and gently wrapped her in an embrace, her hands resting on her lower back.

Though she’d touched her waist plenty of times while caring for her foot injury, this hug somehow stirred her heart even more.

It felt like only by hugging her tighter could she ease the restless flutter in her chest.