Chapter 2

Outside Qi He’s office, Chiang Ning bit her lip and told me, “Don’t get smug. I owe you for today, and I’ll pay you back!”

Then she stalked off.

What was that?

What was that bizarre attitude?

Mystery solved. Chiang Ning was the heroine.

I was just an exceptionally poor beauty.

Fuck.

I’d planned to tell Qi He I wasn’t the heroine once my probation paperwork was done.

I’d get more severance that way.

But the next morning, he called me into his office again and said he was giving me a raise.

I was just about to refuse.

Qi He lowered his eyes, something flickering in his gaze. “Triple your salary.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I couldn’t even imagine how much I’d get when he fired me.

Determined to prove she was better than me, Chiang Ning worked herself half to death every day. She was practically living at the office.

I told her, “Chiang Ning, you’ve finally become everything I hate.”

She savaged a mouthful of bread. “Just you wait. I’ll make sure everyone knows who’s the best!”

Wow. What an exemplary heroine speech…

She’d probably never guess she’d lost to me because my family was poorer.

All right. I’d make sure she won next time.

Three days later, Qi He summoned me again.

He watched me in silence, his dark eyes unreadable.

This fucking routine again…

Right on cue, his thoughts rang out: [Why hasn’t the romance progress moved?]

[She’s already met me.]

[Shouldn’t falling in love with me be as easy as breathing?]

Ha-ha.

Delusional bastard.

After a long pause, he said evenly, “Jiang Ning, you’re very capable. My secretary has just resigned. You can take over her job.”

His thoughts told a different story: [Maybe our first two meetings were too brief to leave a strong impression.]

[As my secretary, she’ll see me every day. How could she not fall in love?]

…

Buddy. Dial down the crazy.

Out loud, I said, “Of course. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Qi.”

Hesitating for even a second would be an insult to money.

The secretary standing beside him, however, looked as if her world had ended.

Right.

Apparently she hadn’t known she’d resigned.

The poor working stiff.

Don’t worry. Once I passed probation, I’d quit. She could come back then.

When Chiang Ning found out I’d become the CEO’s secretary, her world ended too.

She pointed a trembling finger at me for ages, then let out a wail and ran off crying.

I hadn’t actually done the heroine any lasting damage, had I…?

But it was fine. Once the truth came out,

she could trample all over me and put me in my place.

So melodramatic.

I couldn’t wait.