"So, you're saying you don't know where your wife is?" Grandfather Mo asked furiously as the family sat down after their evening routine.
Marie had tried calling Xia Ruyan several times but received no answer. When Mo Yichen returned home, she asked him, and he replied angrily that Xia Ruyan had left the office earlier, and he didn't know where she went.
But now, with the clock nearing 9 p.m. and still no sign of her, even he was starting to worry.
"We argued. She left the office," he admitted, a hint of guilt in his voice.
"Sir, if I may correct you, you were arguing with ma'am. She simply left," Marie interjected gently. She knew Xia Ruyan. That woman didn't argue. She never did. Mo Yichen shot her a glare, but Marie didn't flinch.
"Why don't you just call her?" Grandfather Mo snapped.
"I… don't have her number," Mo Yichen muttered dryly. He had wanted to call her earlier, only to realize he didn't even have her contact saved. Grandfather Mo slammed his cane on the floor.
"You ungrateful brat! Is this how you treat your wife?"
The twin Mo brothers, seated nearby, exchanged curious glances, watching the family drama unfold.
"Grandpa, you know why we got married," Mo Yichen replied, frustration boiling over. He was angry at the situation, at himself, and now, at everyone around him. In the background, Marie continued dialing Xia Ruyan's number.
Mo Yiran watched intently, his sharp eyes missing nothing. He had been waiting patiently for a flaw that might reveal why his cold, aloof brother had chosen her of all people. Now, he was certain: the marriage wasn't born of desire. There was another reason, something hidden and calculated. And he was determined to uncover it.
"Sir, at least admit you may have done something to upset ma'am," Marie said, voice low but firm. She may have looked like an assistant, but her posture and precision, she was trained in something far more than housework. No one quite knew what, but she wasn't ordinary.
"Mind your own business. You think you have the right to speak like that here?" Mo Yiran snapped, irritation flashing in his eyes. How far the aristocratic Mo family had fallen, so far that even the servant of that woman dared speak to the head of the house like an equal. He had to act quickly. They needed to be driven out before it was too late.
Before Marie could reply, her phone pinged. She checked it and let out a sigh of relief.
"Ma'am," she answered quickly and politely. Mo Yichen snatched the phone from her and put it on speaker, shooting her a warning look.
"Marie…" Xia Ruyan's voice came through, soft and hoarse, as if she had caught a cold. "I just need some time alone. I'll come back when I feel alright."
Before anyone could respond, the line went dead. She had cut the call and turned her phone off.
Silence fell.
"Sir," Marie said quietly, "perhaps you did something that truly disturbed ma'am." She didn't accuse him outright, but her tone made it clear: she knew the signs. She had seen Xia Ruyan retreat like this before, only when she was deeply hurt.
And this time… she wasn't just hurt.
She was mourning again.
Mo Yichen just glared at her. "You don't need to meddle in matters between a couple," he said coldly, then walked out.
Mo Yichen drove aimlessly, his mind replaying the argument he'd had earlier with his nominal wife. His reaction had been too intense, disproportionate, even, as he kept reminding himself that she was nothing more than a deal. Just a temporary arrangement. Then why had her words, her boundaries, cut so deep? Why did they leave a bitter taste in his mouth?
He didn't want to be attracted to her, didn't want to give her any part of his attention. Attachment is dangerous, he muttered like a prayer.
With a screech, he abruptly pulled over onto a remote, empty road. Leaning his head against the steering wheel, he exhaled shakily. Why did he feel that strange pull toward her? Why did he want to claim her as his? And why did those grieving eyes of hers shatter something inside him?
She was supposed to be a phase, a test he had no choice but to endure, something that would eventually pass, leaving him unshackled. Then why was she becoming something more than just a deal?
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, frustration twisting in his gut. He had no answers to any of his whys.
The next two days were hard for Mo Yichen. He couldn't find Xia Ruyan anywhere. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. But on the morning of the third day, she was suddenly back at the office, calmly organizing the upcoming conference as if nothing had happened.
She wore white again, elegant and ethereal.
Lee Jian greeted her with a nod. She acknowledged him with a slight tilt of her head, then quietly returned to her work. On her desk sat a towering stack of files, records from previous conferences. She was studying the office culture, learning everything from scratch. Without a word, Mo Yichen stepped into his office and exhaled a long breath of relief.
She was back. And safe. Only now did he realize how deeply her absence had affected him.
Xia Ruyan organized everything with precision and diligence, leaving no room for error. As she moved gracefully around the office, whispers trailed in her wake, murmurs of awe, envy, and curiosity.
"Who is she?" "Where did she come from?" "Wow… is this beauty part of our staff?" "Why haven't we seen her before?"
She could hear it all, subtle voices floating just loud enough to sting. "I heard she's from the secretarial office," one woman said.
"Hmph, probably used her pretty face to get in," another sneered, her tone thick with jealousy. One would think, where did the jealousy come from, when you don't even know the other person, and have no connection with them.
Xia Ruyan paused. Her gaze drifted to the second woman, who was dressed to the nines as though headed to a banquet rather than the office. Ruyan looked at her calmly and then looked away. Not even worth a second glance. The woman flushed red with embarrassment.
The next day, the conference hall was alive with poised chatter and flashing cameras. The annual inter-corporate summit had drawn CEOs, executives, and media from across the industry, and every detail was flawless.
Thanks to Xia Ruyan.
She moved through the venue like she owned the air. Every cue, every speech card, every screen projection was timed to perfection. The floral arrangements had matched the backdrop. Even the refreshments were color-coded to the brand palette.
People noticed.
"Who's that woman in white?" one of the senior executives whispered to another.
"She's not just eye candy. She's managing the whole floor."
"She's from Mo Corp? Mo Yichen sure knows how to hide his aces."
In a far corner of the office, the woman who had earlier sneered at Ruyan was watching with narrowed eyes. Her name was Qin Feifei, a junior marketing executive with bloody lips, sharp stilettos, and a sharper temper. She had clawed her way into every inner circle by flattery, gossip, and sheer persistence, and now, she felt threatened by a woman who hadn't even tried to impress anyone.
"She's just a secretary," Qin Feifei hissed to a colleague. "She probably slept her way in." The colleague didn't respond, uncomfortable. But Feifei was already planning something. If it hadn't been for Secretary Xia, this could have been her moment to showcase her abilities. She had been trying for weeks to win favor with her seniors, hoping to land a key role in the annual conference. But all her efforts had crumbled the moment the opportunity was handed to that secretary on a silver platter.
She had been with the Mo Group for four years and was still just a junior executive. And now, another woman was here to snatch resources and spotlight from her? She hated it.
Driven by spite, she'd bribed an intern to switch the keynote presentation USB with a corrupted one. She wanted to humiliate Secretary Xia—let her climb high, so her fall would be even harder. Her plan had been foolproof.
But when the screen lit up flawlessly and the keynote played with perfect alignment, her face drained of color. How?
Across the room, Xia Ruyan was already speaking to the guests. Though she uses minimal words, her voice is calm and effortlessly charismatic.
"Hello, I'm Qin Feifei, from the marketing department". She greeted with a smile, extending her hand, but Xia Ruyan didn't shake hers, as she never did..... Hiding her embarrassment, Qin Feifei continued,
"Looks like you got lucky," she said sweetly. "I heard there was a tech issue earlier… strange how it disappeared."
Ruyan didn't even glance at her. She calmly sipped her tea, then said coolly:
"Luck is what amateurs rely on. I rely on backups."
Feifei's smile faltered.
"And next time," Ruyan said smoothly, "tell your intern not to name the sabotage file 'Final_Final_V3_REAL_THIS_TIME.' Amateur move."
A small laugh erupted behind them. Feifei turned to see several employees pretending to be busy, failing. They were laughing; she wanted to humiliate her, but she was the one left with a black face.
Her face turned beet red as she excused herself to hide in a corner.
By the time the event wrapped up, the murmurs had turned into clear interest. One compelling voice made itself known.
"Miss Xia," a tall man approached her after the final Q&A. He was Mr. Liang, CEO of NovaTech, one of the fastest-rising tech firms in Asia. "Your management today was exceptional. You've got an eye for order, and a brain for chaos."
"Thank you, Mr. Liang," Ruyan replied with a polite nod.
"I don't mean to be too forward, but if Mo Corp ever fails to appreciate you…" He held out a gold-embossed card, "NovaTech would be honored to bring you on board. With double your current compensation."
Gasps from the staff around them. Even Lee Jian looked stunned. From the top level, watching from the glass balcony, Mo Yichen's expression darkened.
He didn't know when he had walked there. He hadn't meant to stop. But the moment he saw her, with half the room either envying or admiring her, something twisted inside him.
When Liang handed her the card… And when she tucked it into her file folder without hesitation… That stung more than it should have. His fingers clenched against the railing.
A moment later, as Xia Ruyan headed to the exit, she found her path blocked. Mo Yichen stood in her way.
"Did you enjoy the attention?" he asked, too casual to be innocent. She tilted her head. He scowled.
"Don't be naive. CEOs don't throw around offers without ulterior motives." She looked straight into his eyes, as calm as ever, the calmness he vowed to break.
"I've experienced it, President Mo," she said, voice low. The air snapped between them. For a second, it was just them. No crowd, no contract.
Just pride.
And something dangerously close to tension. He opened his mouth to say something, but she leaned in ever so slightly and whispered:
"Don't worry. We both have our own motives."
Then louder, as she walked past him: "And I won't leave yet, but if I do, I'll send you a memo. After all, you like things reported, right… CEO Mo?"