The President's Sweetheart Secretary - Chapter 25 - Always Scolding Me

Haimian’s lips quivered, almost on the verge of tears. It was blatant bullying. She nodded vigorously, trying to keep her voice steady, “Understood.”

The room fell silent for a couple of seconds. Then, the door to the Assistant Office opened, and a few people began leaving for the day. They casually chatted with Haimian, “Not leaving yet, Haimian? Need a ride?”

Others chimed in, “I can give you a lift too, no need to be shy.”

The atmosphere shifted, becoming light and cheerful. Haimian forgot her fear and smiled naturally, “That wouldn’t be good. What if your wife sees us? You might not sleep well tonight.”

Everyone burst into laughter, including Li Yi.

As they took a few steps forward, the laughter abruptly stopped. They finally noticed the president standing in the doorway of the President’s Office. Their expressions shifted, and they stood at attention, bowing slightly, “Good evening, President.”

Liang Tongheng’s gaze lingered on Haimian’s face. He hadn’t missed the change in her expression, and it left him feeling slightly unsettled.

With a plan forming in his mind, Liang Tongheng turned to the assistants, “Everyone free tonight?”

The assistants shook their heads in unison, “No plans.”

Liang Tongheng nodded in satisfaction, “Let’s go out for dinner. My treat, to welcome Secretary Lin.”

The assistants’ eyes lit up. A dinner on the president’s dime? They had to choose somewhere fancy! Li Yi suggested with sparkling eyes, “How about that Japanese restaurant across from the barbecue place we went to last time?”

Haimian was dumbfounded, watching them like they were putting on a show. Wasn’t this dinner supposed to be for her? Shouldn’t they ask if she was available? Ignoring her opinion seemed a bit much.

Remembering Huahuan’s message, Haimian timidly spoke up, “Um, tonight I…”

Before she could finish, the president’s sharp gaze cut her off, “What? You have plans tonight?”

Tears welled up in Haimian’s eyes, and she shook her head meekly, “I was just wondering if I could skip the alcohol tonight.”

Liang Tongheng snorted softly, turning away as he led the way.

Li Yi shrugged, patting Haimian’s shoulder reassuringly, “Don’t worry, we probably won’t drink much. Everyone’s driving. I’ll give you a ride home after dinner.”

Haimian gratefully thanked Li Yi. He had been a great help to her lately, and she appreciated it.

Not far ahead, Liang Tongheng clearly heard Li Yi’s words.

The group arrived at the Japanese restaurant Li Yi had mentioned. Haimian felt uneasy the entire way, as she had never gone out with a group of men on her own before.

Even with Li Yi looking out for her, Haimian was still very nervous. She couldn’t help but think of Huahuan. Oh right, Huahuan!

Haimian quickly took out her phone to call Huahuan, but there was no answer. She sent a message instead, explaining she was busy tonight and would make it up to her later.

Assistant A noticed Haimian’s actions and teased, “Calling your boyfriend, Secretary Lin?”

Haimian awkwardly put her phone away, “No, I don’t have a boyfriend. I just saw a missed call and was returning it. Don’t make things up.”

“My bad, my bad. You’re so pretty, anyone would assume you have a boyfriend,” Assistant A chuckled, winking at Li Yi, who ignored him.

Haimian rolled her eyes at Assistant A, “Stop talking nonsense.”

Assistant A laughed heartily, “You’re too easy to tease. Alright, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Haimian finally noticed the dishes had arrived. Trusting the assistants’ choices, she happily picked up her chopsticks, ready to dig in.

But before she could take a bite, Li Yi poured her a cup of sake. The clear liquid sounded pleasant, though she would have preferred it in someone else’s glass.

Haimian glanced at the sake, then at everyone’s filled glasses, puzzled. She turned to Li Yi with a questioning look, wasn’t there supposed to be no drinking?

Li Yi blinked innocently, “Sake doesn’t really count as alcohol, honestly.”

Haimian felt like crying, realizing she had walked into a trap. Everyone was smiling at her, except Liang Tongheng.

Gritting her teeth, Haimian said, “I’m sorry to spoil the fun, but I can only handle one drink. My tolerance is low, so if anything weird happens, please forgive me.”

With that, Haimian stood up, raising her glass towards Liang Tongheng. Her words caught in her throat, “President, I toast to you. Thank you for your guidance.”

Liang Tongheng stared at Haimian for a few seconds before finally raising his glass, “You’ve worked hard.”

Haimian was moved to tears. Even if the president didn’t mean it, the words were enough. She wiped her eyes and boldly declared, “Come on, everyone, raise your glasses. Cheers!”

The table fell silent, surprised by Haimian’s rare assertiveness. Liang Tongheng, however, allowed a slight smile to play on his lips, “Cheers.”

Everyone snapped back to reality, eagerly raising their glasses in a lively toast.

As Haimian had warned, her tolerance was indeed low. After one cup of sake, her face turned as red as if she’d applied too much blush. But her mind remained clear, as she still remembered her favorite dish, the pig intestine hot pot.

Gradually, as the alcohol took effect, Haimian became more relaxed, chatting animatedly with the assistants like one of the guys.

When her gaze accidentally met Liang Tongheng’s, Haimian tilted her head, swaying as she got up and stumbled over to him. Unable to find a seat?

No problem, Haimian simply plopped down next to Assistant D, forcing him to move, then dragged her chair closer to Liang Tongheng.

“President, you’re sitting here all quiet and alone. Must be boring, right? Haha, don’t worry, I’m here to chat with you. What do you want to talk about? I’m all ears.” Haimian only remembered he was the president, forgetting everything else.

As she spoke, she draped her arm over Liang Tongheng’s shoulder. He stiffened momentarily but didn’t notice her discomfort. She even squeezed his shoulder, muttering, “So stiff.”

Liang Tongheng was speechless.

Disliking being touched, Liang Tongheng removed Haimian’s hand and pushed her back to her seat, speaking sternly, “Sit properly.”

Haimian protested, leaning back towards him, “We’re buddies, right? What’s wrong with a little shoulder-to-shoulder? We’re not girls. Come on, let’s drink. I toast to you.”

Liang Tongheng’s expression darkened further as he pulled her away again, his tone more severe, “Enough fooling around!”

Haimian fell silent, then pouted and burst into tears, “You’re scolding me again! You always scold me. You know I’m scared, but you do it on purpose.”

Great, now she was crying. Li Yi was relieved they were in a private room with good soundproofing. Otherwise, people might think a group of men had done something to a girl.

Unable to bear it, Li Yi stood up, attempting to separate them, only to be pushed away, “Go away, I don’t like you.”

The assistants, both shocked and amused, looked at Li Yi sympathetically. Getting rejected by someone you like was tough.

Li Yi was speechless.

Helplessly, he tried again to coax her away, speaking softly, only to be pushed back and even slapped by Haimian’s unintentional hand.

Li Yi stood there, stunned, unable to process what had just happened. The usually gentle Secretary Lin had turned into a different person after drinking and even hit him!

By now, everyone had finished eating, and the president’s face had darkened further because of Haimian. He decided to call it a night.

Li Yi suggested, “President, maybe you should take her home.”

Liang Tongheng, feeling a headache coming on, looked at the still-clinging Haimian. For the first time, he understood the phrase “hoist with his own petard.” Maintaining his composure, he accepted the troublesome task.

He tossed Haimian into the car, buckling her seatbelt before realizing he didn’t know where she lived. Oh well, a hotel it was.

Since Haimian had fallen into a deep sleep, Liang Tongheng had an easy drive. But he had to carry her princess-style into the hotel room.

After tossing her onto the bed, he noticed her flushed face from the alcohol. Her lips, already red, seemed even more vibrant, almost as if they might bleed.

Due to the heat, Haimian had unbuttoned the top of her shirt, revealing a small patch of pale skin.

After tucking her in, Liang Tongheng stood by the bed, gazing at her for a moment before leaving.

The next morning, Haimian woke up with a slight headache, sitting up groggily. Her face itched, and after scratching it twice, she realized this wasn’t her home!

Oh no, the decor screamed hotel. Cold sweat broke out on Haimian’s forehead as she lifted the covers, relieved to find her clothes, though wrinkled, still intact.

Trying to recall last night’s events, her memory only went as far as drinking a cup of sake and eating a bit. Haimian could only hope she hadn’t done anything embarrassing.

Suddenly, she panicked, checking her phone. Seeing the familiar signs of being late, she almost fainted. Realizing she wouldn’t make it on time, Haimian tearfully dialed the president’s number.

After a few rings, the call connected, and a familiar voice answered, “Hello? Who is this?”

Haimian’s heart skipped a beat at the sound, feeling the urge to kneel, “President, can I be half an hour late?”

Liang Tongheng, leisurely enjoying tea and a game of chess with his father, wasn’t surprised by Haimian’s call. However, the content caught him off guard.

After listening, Liang Tongheng wanted to facepalm, “It’s Saturday. You can work overtime if you want.”

Haimian didn’t immediately grasp it, “Oh, Saturday? Okay, I’ll come in early on Monday. Sorry for bothering you, President.”

“Alright,” Liang Tongheng calmly ended the call, setting his phone aside.