138. A Huge Misunderstanding

In Beicheng, after a month of study and adjustment, Guo Jingyuan finally settled into her internship life.

Huaguang Communications was an odd place. Every colleague seemed incredibly polite and warm toward her. The stories Chen Ruowen had told her about interns being bullied never once manifested here, which truly puzzled her.

Most importantly, the company provided free dormitories—actual dorms—and her three daily meals were covered by a pre-loaded dining card usable at the staff canteen. It was essentially an all-inclusive setup. Even her salary was paid on time, often a few days before the end of the month. In fact, just after finishing her onboarding paperwork, her bank account had already received her internship pay for the next five days.

This sudden shift in her circumstances left her questioning reality. However, Guo Jingyuan didn't dare praise Beicheng out loud. What if her luck ran out the moment she did?

After finishing the photocopies for the next day's meeting, Guo Jingyuan overheard two female colleagues whispering behind her.

"Did you hear? Young Master Lu is coming to inspect the company tomorrow!"

"Is that for real? I thought he was planning to go into politics like the elder Mr. Lu and the second master? Why would he come to the company?"

"Can a state-owned company even be called a regular company? At the end of the day, it's still part of the system. What’s the difference?"

Hearing their hushed discussion, Guo Jingyuan turned around, looking confused. "Is the Young Master Lu you’re talking about the new leader?"

The two women rolled their eyes internally. *How pretentious.*

"Aren't you the one who got in through his back door?" they thought. "Now you’re acting like you don't even know who he is? That’s too fake."

But networking in state-owned enterprises was complex, and neither woman dared to offend Guo Jingyuan openly. A few years back, another intern had arrived—someone who looked perfectly ordinary and didn't even recognize the company’s vice president, Lan Hai. It was only after he left that they realized he was actually the vice president’s only son. The staff had been terrified ever since and never dared to underestimate a newcomer again.

Assuming Guo Jingyuan was just acting modest to avoid drawing attention, they forced warm smiles. "Young Master Lu is the son of our CEO. He’s a real rising star."

Guo Jingyuan nodded blankly. "Do you all like him?"

The woman with pink eyeshadow twitched her lips, unsure how to respond. It was unclear what kind of relationship she had with him; if she started acting like a fan girl and offended her, the consequences could be dire. "Haha, how could we dare to have any ideas about Young Master Lu? Someone like him, a dragon among men, surely needs an exceptional woman by his side. Don't misunderstand us, Xiao Guo."

Guo Jingyuan nodded, though she found her colleagues' behavior quite strange.

True to the rumors, the next morning, the young man suddenly appeared at the conference table. He wore a crisp, casual suit, his spine straight, exuding an aura of scholarly refinement.

The people in the room acted as if they didn't notice his presence, proceeding with their reports as usual. As an assistant secretary, Guo Jingyuan was tasked with transcribing every word of the meeting to be organized into minutes for the CEO’s office.

Taking minutes required total focus, so Guo Jingyuan didn't notice that the young man sitting across from her had been staring at her intently since halfway through the meeting, a faint smile on his lips.

*It’s her. What a coincidence.*

After the meeting, Lu Xiu walked straight into the CEO's office.

"Young Master Lu!" The woman with pink eyeshadow scrambled to her feet and bowed.

Lu Xiu nodded curtly and walked behind her, staring at her computer screen. "What are you working on?"

Flattered and nervous, she vacated her seat, standing with her hands clasped over her stomach. "Young Master Lu, this is the monthly satisfaction survey from various departments regarding the canteen. I'm compiling the results for an annual report to help with next year’s vendor bidding and selection."

Lu Xiu nodded, examining the summary table closely. He asked a few sharp, insightful questions, which the woman answered with trembling precision.

"Good work," Lu Xiu praised before moving on to the next colleague. "What are you working on?"

"R-reporting to you, Young Master Lu, our communication qualifications expire next quarter. I’m updating the certification records for all our engineers and technicians to prepare for the contract renewal and audit."

"Oh? How many people do we have with professional titles?"

Lu Xiu went around the office, showing interest in everyone's work, before finally strolling over to Guo Jingyuan.

"What are you working on?"

Guo Jingyuan was focused on her screen, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, not sparing a glance for the big boss behind her. "Hello, Young Master Lu. I’m organizing the meeting minutes."

"Oh? Let me see."

Lu Xiu leaned over, taking the mouse from her hand, and began to read from the top. The girl’s profile was just as beautiful as it had been months ago, pure and angelic. Her expression was the same as the first time he saw her—earnest and focused, as if the meeting minutes were something sacred.

"You might have misheard this part," Lu Xiu said, pointing at the screen. "We said 'black-box testing,' not 'black-core.' You can think of it as putting a program in a box that outsiders can't see into, and testing it in the dark. That’s why it’s called a black box."

Guo Jingyuan’s face flushed as she hurriedly corrected the typo. "I-I’m sorry, I didn't know..."

"It’s alright," Lu Xiu smiled.

It was the first time he had seen the girl so flustered. It was completely different from the description his second uncle had given him. He wondered how anyone could paint such a gentle, diligent girl as arrogant and lawless; clearly, rumors were not to be trusted.

Watching her diligently follow his instructions to correct the text, his heart softened.

"Chen Ruowen?" he whispered.

Guo Jingyuan’s typing stopped abruptly. She turned around, staring at him in shock and confusion.

"H-how do you know that name?"

*How does he know Chen Ruowen? Is he her friend? Right—when Major Yu introduced me to Huaguang, didn't he tell me to call Ruowen for her opinion? As two major companies in China, it's only natural for the second generation to know each other, right?*