You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Qi Zhen had breakfast outside first. There was a breakfast shop near the company park that made particularly good rice noodles. The broth was simmered in advance and seasoned with sauces. Handmade rice noodles were cooked in a big pot, scooped out immediately, and put into the soup—the essence lay in the fresh flavor.

She added a bottle of iced soy milk, then topped her noodles with pickled long beans and preserved radish before finding a quiet corner to slowly enjoy the meal alone.

Autumn was already halfway through, and the weather had gradually started to cool down. A bowl of hot soup noodles warmed her from the inside out.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the street yet. Tall trees stood on both sides of the road, their branches bare—leaves had all fallen off. A scattered few still lay on the ground, forming a golden path.

Qi Zhen strolled leisurely toward the company. Halfway there, she felt a little warm, so she took off her suit jacket and held it in her hand, planning to put it back on if it got cold later.

The company was quiet, nothing like the usual bustle. Not a single other candidate was in sight.

Qi Zhen pressed her lips together. She had originally planned to avoid suspicion by not interacting with Yan Yiyun at the office until the results were out. However, seeing how empty it was today, she felt a bit braver.

She knew Yu Xiaotao would arrive half an hour early every day to prepare materials for Yan Yiyun. At this time, Yan Yiyun’s office should be occupied.

When Qi Zhen knocked, Yu Xiaotao was frowning over a pile of documents. Hearing the knock, she nearly jumped out of her chair.

Was the boss here already?!

With a mix of panic and dread, she walked step by step to the door, mentally preparing dozens of excuses.

It didn’t matter when she started work—what mattered was having the materials ready before Yan Yiyun arrived. If Yan showed up and found nothing prepared, that would be on her.

With a spirit of martyrdom, Yu Xiaotao opened the door. Just as she forced a smile, it froze on her face—standing there was Qi Zhen.

She let out a breath of relief and patted her chest. “You scared me to death.”

“Did I disturb you?” Qi Zhen asked gently, handing her a box of yogurt.

Yu Xiaotao accepted the yogurt but didn’t let her in. The president’s office contained a lot of confidential material, and any slip-up would be too much to bear, so she was extra cautious.

Fortunately, Qi Zhen had no intention of going in. She handed over a lunch bag with a smile and said, “This is for Miss Yan later. It’s the caramel pudding she wanted.”

Yu Xiaotao took the bag and replied with a “got it,” silently thinking to herself: Miss Yan this, Miss Yan that—so formal, yet you’re still making her caramel pudding.

After handing the bag to Yu Xiaotao, Qi Zhen sent a message to Yan Yiyun:

“I made caramel pudding this morning and gave it to Xiaotao. Don’t forget to eat it later.”

Yan Yiyun: “!!!”

She had just gotten up and was eating breakfast at the table. Auntie Li had made fresh bamboo shoot soup dumplings. The wrappers were handmade—thinner than usual—filled with finely chopped bamboo shoots and minced meat, seasoned in advance. Once steamed, a single bite would release a burst of umami soup that coated the tongue in unbelievable flavor. Then came the tender meat filling, mixed with bamboo shoots—not greasy at all, and surprisingly refreshing. Paired with sweet soy milk, it was the perfect autumn breakfast.

She’d been happily eating the dumplings, but now her heart was stirred by the message.

While chewing a dumpling, she messaged Qi Zhen:
“Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

Qi Zhen replied quickly:
“Already eaten.”

Yan Yiyun felt a bit disappointed—if Qi Zhen hadn’t eaten, they could’ve eaten together.

As if reading her mind, Qi Zhen followed up with:
“Let’s eat together once the results are out. We agreed to avoid suspicion ^_^”

Yan Yiyun replied gloomily:
“Oh.”

The results would be announced on Tuesday—just two days away. Not that long, she comforted herself. Besides, Qi Zhen knew she’d be upset about it and had even sent a message to comfort her.

Even though it was subtle, it was still comfort.

She hurriedly finished the soup dumplings, grabbed her shoulder bag from the sofa, and got ready to leave.

Auntie Li chased after her, holding a cup of soy milk. “You’re done already?!”

Yan Yiyun took the cup, drank it at the entryway, and said, “All done.”

Watching her disappear out the door, Auntie Li shook her head, half-sad, half-relieved. “Xiao Yun really has grown up…”

Yan’s mother slowly chewed a dumpling. “She’s just rushing off to chase her little girlfriend, no need to fuss.”

Yan Yiyun arrived at the company and headed straight to her office, arriving ten minutes earlier than usual, giving Yu Xiaotao a fright.

She still had two more documents to organize. Seeing Yan come in, she panicked—if the boss asked for them now, she wouldn’t have them ready.

Looks like I’ll have to arrive ten minutes earlier tomorrow too.

Yan Yiyun walked straight over, making Yu Xiaotao’s heart pound.

But instead of asking for documents, Yan simply stretched out her hand and asked, “Where’s my pudding?”

Only then did Yu Xiaotao realize that her boss had rushed in early just to eat her love-filled dessert. She sighed in relief and said quickly, “In the fridge. I’ll get it for you.”

When Yan Yiyun saw the pudding Qi Zhen made, she was genuinely surprised.

The pudding was soft, springy, evenly colored, and the caramel topping was just right. The spun sugar threads were beautifully crafted—so beautiful, in fact, that she almost didn’t want to eat it.

Yu Xiaotao saw her taking dozens of photos from every angle with her phone and forced a smile, reminding her, “Miss Qi said the sugar threads will melt if it sits out too long.”

“Oh, right.” Yan Yiyun put down her phone and took a bite—and was instantly stunned by the taste.

“So good!”

Yu Xiaotao: “……”

Are you shouting for me to hear? I’m not the one eating it.

Yan Yiyun looked completely immersed in delight. She’d always thought Auntie Li’s food was amazing—fresh ingredients, generously made. But Qi Zhen’s was somehow even better.

This caramel pudding was sweet but not too sweet—perfectly suited to Yan’s taste. A subtle, delicate sweetness.

After finishing the pudding, Yan looked at her phone.

Qi Zhen had already messaged:
“Glad you liked it.”

Then asked:
“Was the sweetness okay?”

Yan replied:
“Perfect! Just right!”

After she sent the message, she thought about the deeper meaning.

Did this mean Qi Zhen had specifically adjusted the sweetness for her? Was that why the pudding was such a perfect match for her taste?

A rush of sweetness filled her chest, even sweeter than the pudding itself.

How could Qi Zhen be so wonderful?

Her gentle thoughtfulness—so delicate and heartwarming—was completely irresistible.

A new emotion rose in Yan Yiyun’s heart, unfamiliar and intense. She wanted to monopolize Qi Zhen’s gentleness—every bit of it. That desire consumed her, tormenting her heart.

No one needed to tell her—she already knew it clearly.

She had fallen for Qi Zhen.

After finishing the pudding, she raced through the documents Yu Xiaotao had prepared, then headed for the meeting room.

Inside, two board members were already seated. When they saw her come in, they both sighed in relief.

Without her, they didn’t dare make any decisions.

Yan Yiyun ignored their nervousness and said directly, “Let’s begin.”

This round of interviews was about department planning and vision. Combined with the scores from yesterday’s interviews, the candidate with the highest total would be given a trial post—simple and straightforward.

What Yan Yiyun valued most were proven results and clear planning. The former filtered for capable candidates; the latter selected the one she truly wanted.

Since yesterday’s interviews, today’s candidates had improved. Even her usually icy expression looked a little less intimidating.

Halfway through the interviews, Yan rubbed her temples and signaled the assistant team to pause for a break.

After hearing so many presentations, she was disappointed—few were satisfactory.

The candidates were doing better in terms of attitude, but their speeches… even more boring than yesterday.

So many buzzwords and empty talk—what use was that?

If that was enough, she wouldn’t have bothered with internal interviews at all—she could’ve just used the current staff.

She circled a few names—these were departments worth trying.

Then she circled others—these had no one suitable and would need headhunters to fill the roles.

Technically, she shouldn’t have to handle this herself. But since she was replacing the entire executive team with her own people, there was no avoiding it.

It wasn’t about distrusting her father—it was just that family-run businesses couldn’t keep up with the times.

Yesterday she’d eliminated some clearly unqualified candidates. Judging by how smoothly this morning was going, things should wrap up around noon.

Then she could finalize candidates in the afternoon, fight with the board tomorrow, and replace a group the day after. Her plans were finally falling into place. That thought put her in a great mood.

She sipped her coffee and asked Yu Xiaotao, “Who’s next?”

Yu Xiaotao, every bit as calm as her boss, answered, “Design department—Qi Zhen.”

Before Yan could speak, the two board members were already talking.

“Is that the one with the impressive resume from yesterday?”

“Yeah, and she speaks well too.”

Yan couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Hearing others praise Qi Zhen made her happy too.

Once the room quieted, Yu Xiaotao stepped out to call Qi Zhen in.

Today, Qi Zhen wore a navy-blue suit—well-tailored, with slim-fit trousers that gave her a sharp look. Unlike the elegance of yesterday, this was a different kind of charm.

Yan Yiyun nodded in satisfaction. Trousers looked good too—Qi Zhen really could pull off anything.

Qi Zhen’s eyes swept calmly across the three people in the room without lingering on anyone in particular. Her lips curved in a perfect smile.

She greeted them briefly, introduced herself, and opened the materials she’d brought.

Just the cover made all three of them straighten their backs.

Qi Zhen had brought an actual planning proposal—far beyond most candidates.

Whether long-term or short-term, most opened with one diagram and then rambled nonsense—not what Yan Yiyun wanted.

Seeing their reactions, Qi Zhen knew she had made the right move.

She kept her graceful smile and spoke in a steady, clear voice as she presented her plan.

Her proposal seemed ordinary at first glance, something anyone could do. But as she dissected it piece by piece, it became obvious—it was custom-designed for Xingyun Entertainment.

Qi Zhen had won many awards. On competitive stages, someone had to present the proposal. Since her team disliked social interaction, they’d pushed her forward. After so much practice, she had mastered the art of public speaking.

Yan Yiyun found her entire train of thought being pulled along by Qi Zhen. In just a few sentences, she fully understood every aspect of the plan—from concept to execution.

“…That concludes my initial proposal. If given the opportunity, I’ll adjust the plan based on results.”

As her voice trailed off, Qi Zhen smoothly ended her report.

Only then did Yan Yiyun snap out of it—she had actually been entranced listening to Qi Zhen’s presentation.

Compared to the earlier dull and clichéd pitches, the contrast was striking. Some people really do make others look bad.

Her eyes lit up with admiration as she looked at Qi Zhen.

This was exactly the kind of person she wanted.