Contract Marriage: Emperor CEO's Secretary Wife

Chapter 84 - Underwraps

"I've compiled the market performance of ZhiQi Industrials for the past five years. Here's the projected data for the product collaboration once we launch this. Most factors have been considered including the demand and the pricing preference of the niche."

Xiu Mei handed over another clipboard as she continued with her summary performance reports.

"For the fashion line partnership with Chanel, our team is already in contact with the design team in France and they presented the suggested raw material we could use for this year's line. For the Mango Collection, the designs have been approved and the production is now ongoing. We'll be able to introduce the Mango Collection line to the public in 3 months' time."

After two weeks of successfully recuperating in the Lu home, she finally got the doctor's go signal to resume working again. Oh! And she finally knew why her doctor seemed very familiar, Dr.Tang was also the one who treated her when she had a fever and was brought here too. And from what she understood with Lu Chen and Tang Li's interactions, it seems like they have a boss-subordinate relationship instead of friends.

Xiu Mei was a bit puzzled at that point. Since Lu Corporation wasn't involved in anything related to medicine as of the moment, she wondered how Dr.Tang became Lu Chen's subordinate. Is he really just simply a family doctor?

Anyways, that's not the important thing today. The most important news is that she can finally work!

Hurray for her workaholic body that's already screaming for work. Haaa, Xiu Mei, you've really gotten similar to your boss. You're becoming too much of a workaholic now.

"Very well. I need constant updates on the Product Collaboration with ZhiQi Industrials. I leave the fashion line on your hands." Lu Chen remarked as his eyes skimmed over the paper before he decisively closed it. He placed it on the stockpile of clipboards while he returned the other two clipboards back to Xiu Mei.

"Understood." Xiu Mei took the clipboards and nodded slightly before walking towards the door.

"Wife," Lu Chen called out.

Instantly, Xiu Mei's head spun around and stared daggers at Lu Chen. She was eyeing him dangerously as if to warn him to not continue his words anymore.

She angrily marched back and stood in front of Lu Chen's table and crossed her arms.

"What part of the 'Don't call me wife at work.' did you not understand?!" She scowled at him while lowering her voice.

Didn't they have an agreement this morning? Didn't he promise her not to call her 'Wife' in public?!

"I did understand." Lu Chen nonchalantly said.

"So what was that 'Wife' just now?"

"I just said 'Oh'."

"Huh?" A look of puzzlement crossed her face when she tried to think about what Lu Chen meant with his previous statement.

What was Lu Chen suddenly talking about? What 'Oh' was he saying?

"This morning, I just said 'Oh'."

"..."

Wait, was he talking about their agreement this morning?

Damn it!

Xiu Mei facepalmed in exasperation. She wondered why sometimes, Lu Chen would be so difficult to understand, and the other times, he using confusing lines.

Is she going to have to use most of her brain cells when talking with Lu Chen for the next twelve months?

"So are you saying that didn't agree?"

Putting her brain into the max function, she pieced together Lu Chen's sentences and reached to a conclusion while considering Lu Chen's normal way of thinking.

He just said 'Oh'. Meaning he didn't say yes.

Lu Chen nodded as he flashed a smile at her, resting his chin on his hands. He genuinely looked like he was enjoying talking with her at the moment.

"You can call me a different one, just don't call me wife."

After all, since this is her workplace, it'd be inappropriate if she doesn't differentiate her position the moment she steps in the building.

Also because Xiu Mei decided to keep their marriage under wraps because first, she didn't want the drama and surge of reporters at the company every morning.

Second, their marriage is just a contract marriage. Who knows if they do divorce after one year so it's just going to be a pain if they publicize their marriage and they divorce a year later. She's just creating another juicy story for the reporters to feast on.

Third, she did not want the other employees to treat her differently. Since she already became the emperor CEO's wife, technically, she's also the boss of the company now. But once the employees discover her change of marital status, they might get intimidated and start distancing themselves to her.

It doesn't look like it but she does have a decent circle of friends within the company that she would sometimes talk to and hang out with from time to time. Since they're all from different departments and some are now working in different branches, they could only spend a few hours of their day hanging out with them.

"Then Mrs.Lu."

"..."

Dang it, the big boss is hard to defeat!!

Why is Lu Chen so shameless??? Is he deliberately provoking her right now? Was he really enjoying teasing her right now? When all she wanted to do was to flip his table in frustration??

"Can't you just be serious?"

"I am serious."

"I don't see how you're being serious right now."

"Oh, that's too bad. Because I'm seriously flirting with you right now."

"..."

"..."

"..."

So he was really just teasing her?

Fine. If that's the game he wants to do, then fine! It doesn't mean that she should play along in his games.

Xiu Mei instantly reverted back to her professional mode and flashed a business smile at him.

"Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to play along with you right now, Mr. Lu. Because I still have countless reports to read and work to do." Xiu Mei walked back to the door and reached for the door handle but before she turned it open, she looked back to Lu Chen again who was following her figure with his eyes.

"Oh! And Mr.Lu?" Xiu Mei flashed her business smile again as she continued, "I suddenly had the urge to go out with my brother for dinner tonight. Do please enjoy your dinner with Lu Qiang tonight, okay?"

And with that, she furiously slammed the door making the sound echo so loudly outside.

The two people in their stations, Lu Shao and her assistant, raised their heads and looked at her in confusion.

She just directly ignored their curious gazes and apologetically smiled.

"Sorry about that, my hand slipped." Making up a lousy excuse, she walked back to her working terminal and buried herself into her piled-up work again.

The other two, understanding what Xiu Mei was trying to say just returned back to what they were working on again.

On the other side of the door, Lu Chen was left dumbfounded in his seat as he deciphered Xiu Mei's remarks before she...angrily slammed his office door.

….Did he tease her too much?

Didn't Tang Li say that women like men who can flirt with them? He's doing it right yet Xiu Mei's reaction was completely the opposite of what he wanted.

Should he just fire Tang Li for being useless?

Instead of growing their relationship, it's more like he's digging a pit to fall in every time he follows his advice!

Lu Chen tapped a few on his phone once again and quickly put it on silent. He placed it beside his desktop as he continued working. A few seconds later, he could see that someone was calling him but he acted like he didn't see it and just directly ignored his calls.

He spent another hour working and reading reports before he finally noticed the time. It was almost 5 pm and Xiu Mei should be clocking out anytime now. Since she's still not completely recovered, he still forbade her from doing overtime and working long hours than needed.

He fixed his table and got ready to go home with her. The only way to stop her from working is if he also stops working so it's better if he clocks out with her.

He took one last look of the time on his desktop but paused when he read the date underneath it.

Lu Chen counted in his head and silently cursed.

Damn it, he got too busy again that he almost forgot. He should quickly inform Lu Shao to start preparing and book tickets for three people.

Last year, he only got to invest a couple of hours to bring Lu Qiang there before immediately leaving the place. But now, he's bringing Xiu Mei. That would be the best time to introduce her to them since she took the most important role in Lu Qiang's life right now.

He took one last look at the date before shutting down his desktop. After sending a short message to Lu Shao's phone since the matter coming up is very important.

After all, June 20th is approaching. It was the death anniversary of when Lu Qiang's biological parents passed away.