NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: The Decision That Shook the Financial World of the Imperial Capital! The Strong Xu Yan!:
Zhou Song shook his head in excitement. “I have no idea! Everyone in the company is buzzing with curiosity, but no one has any concrete information.”
“I’ll check it out later,” Lu Fei said with a smile. “There are lots of smart people around. It doesn’t really concern us. Just focus on work and leave early.”
Zhou Song looked at him incredulously. “You’re way too calm! This decision has rocked the entire financial circle in the Imperial Capital!”
“Is it really that big of a deal?” Lu Fei asked.
“Of course it is! Out of the 32 top financial companies in the capital, Mingyu Finance was the only one to avoid the risks in time. Not only did we avoid losses, we actually made a small profit! Everyone is in shock. They’re all trying to figure out who advised President Xu.”
“Whoever gave her that advice is set for life.” Zhou Song added.
Lu Fei nodded in agreement. People with that kind of talent would never be short of money—like himself, for example.
After chatting for a bit, Lu Fei returned to work. It was Thursday, which meant that after getting through today, he’d just have to survive Friday, and then the weekend would arrive!
At 5 p.m. sharp, Lu Fei stood up and left the office right on time. He had finished his tasks earlier in the day, leaving him with seven hours of free time before bed at midnight. As he walked toward the elevator, he couldn’t help but think, “It’s a shame Little Flower is gone.”
Meanwhile, over at the apartment next to Lu Fei’s—1503, Building 5, Royal View—Xu Yan walked through the door. She had prepared 30 new outfits and other essentials in the room. Sitting on the sofa, she sent a quick message to Chen Yu.
“After 5 p.m., you handle everything for me. Anything that can’t be dealt with, wait until I’m back in the office tomorrow.” She instructed.
Chen Yu replied almost instantly. “Got it, CEO Xu.”
Just as she was about to put her phone down, a new message popped up.
“What happened yesterday? You haven’t explained anything yet.” it read.
Xu Yan’s head throbbed at the sight of it.
The message was from her mother, Tang Shufang.
Xu Yan could be stern with her company’s directors, but when it came to her mom, things were different. “I have my own business, Mom. Don’t worry about me.” She replied.
Tang Shufang wasn’t so easily satisfied. “Business? You’re either working or working. Don’t disappear on us like that again. You scared your father and me half to death.”
Xu Yan sighed. “Okay, next time I’ll let you know before I disappear, alright?”
Her mom quickly responded with a question mark. “What do you mean, next time?”
“It’s really just business.” Xu Yan tried to explain.
“What kind of business?” Her mother pressed.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Yan typed, “I need to meet the person who gave me the advice to sell off the Xin’an Energy stock.”
Her mother responded in seconds. “Is it a man or a woman? How old are they?”
Xu Yan felt a headache coming on. “Mom, stop it. It’s just business.”
Tang Shufang didn’t let up. “Oh, if you can bring home a boyfriend, I’ll let you go. Deal?”
At 25 years old, Xu Yan hadn’t yet had a serious relationship, which made her mom a bit anxious.
“Money is way more interesting than relationships,” Xu Yan replied. “I’m not interested in men.”
“If that’s the case, I’m open to girls too.” Her mother quipped.
“Mom!” Xu Yan coughed loudly in shock.
“You either give me a reasonable explanation and let me in on what you’re doing, or you bring home a son-in-law. Your choice.” Tang Shufang said firmly.
Grinding her teeth, Xu Yan gave in. “Fine, I’ll handle it, okay?”
Xu Yan knew her mother well.
While she was a kind person and never used her wealth to look down on others, when she wanted answers, she would stop at nothing to get them. There was no way around it—she’d have to stall for time.
After ending the conversation, Xu Yan checked the clock. It was exactly 5 p.m. Then, she felt a strange sensation, almost like a sudden urgency.
In a matter of moments, she transformed into a cat once again.
“So, it really did happen again,” she muttered to herself. “Alright, time to act.”
She waited for a bit, then ran to the door, jumping up to push it open just as she had planned. The door, designed to close on its own, now had a combination lock, allowing her to come and go as a cat without needing a key. It was perfect.
Xu Yan then positioned herself outside Lu Fei’s door.
After a minute passed, she felt an instinctive urge to sit down, then lie down. She had worked all day, eaten, and now, as a cat, she was growing sleepy.
“No!” She thought, fighting the drowsiness. She forced her small legs to stand.
“I’m too stubborn to act like a real cat. I’m not waiting here like some pet for its master to return.” She told herself.
She was Xu Yan, CEO of Mingyu Group! Lu Fei was just her employee—she was his boss!
She needed to maintain her pride and wait for him to come home, standing tall like the master of the house.
But 10 minutes later, Xu Yan was fast asleep on the ground.
At 5:45 p.m., Lu Fei arrived home.
Just as he was about to unlock his door, he noticed a familiar sight. Little Flower was curled up, sleeping on the floor.
Startled for a moment, Lu Fei then smiled and lifted the cat by the scruff of its neck. “Little Flower! You actually came back?”
Xu Yan, jolted awake, felt a surge of irritation.
“How dare you treat your president like this? And what’s with this name? Little Flower? It’s so embarrassing. It sounds like some village girl.” She thought.
Despite her annoyance, there was little she could do. Lu Fei held her by the scruff of her neck, leaving her powerless to resist. He carried her inside, setting her down gently once they were indoors.
“Welcome home.” Lu Fei said, grinning.
Xu Yan snorted in disdain.
“This isn’t home. I’m here for information—and to evaluate my employee’s performance.” She thought.
If Lu Fei proved to be competent, she’d consider promoting him. But once she figured out how to stop turning into a cat, she would never come back.
As for this being home? Impossible.
She thought inwardly, “I’m the CEO. You really think you’re going to keep me as a pet?”