She Would Protect Her Ship!

She Would Protect Her Ship!

The tip of his pen paused slightly. Lin Su lifted his eyes toward the glass window, somehow feeling that someone was watching him. Gu Lin was the only one sitting inside. Lin Su raised an eyebrow, silently blaming himself for overthinking.

[Of course the domineering CEO's gaze is fixed on work and the female lead. This little cannon fodder should just work diligently.]

He lowered his head again and focused intently on his work.

Gu Lin stopped working, gently rubbing his brow as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was getting late. He rose to his feet, slipped on the suit jacket draped over the back of his chair, and used his long fingers to straighten every crease.

For some reason, his dark eyes fixed inscrutably on his own five fingers. They were well-jointed and very... long.

Half a second later, he chuckled. What was he even thinking? He gathered his thoughts, the smile already gone from his lips, and strode toward the door.

The pen in his hand finished its final stroke just as the office door opened. Without giving anything away, Lin Su glanced at the time on his computer.

[It's still so early. The domineering CEO isn't being a code monkey today? Does that mean I can go downstairs to eat too? Kind of happy~]

"President Gu, would you like me to order food for you?" As he spoke, he pretended to pick up the phone.

Gu Lin did not answer. He stood quietly by the door with an indifferent expression, his gaze falling on Lin Su's hand resting on the phone.

[Hey, why isn't he saying anything? Hurry up, or there'll be too many people and we won't get a spot in line. What then?]

Unexpectedly, his boss smiled calmly. His thin lips finally parted. "Assistant Lin hasn't eaten yet, right? Let's go together."

[What is this? What is this?! Is he ordering me around?]

Lin Su nodded slightly, his expression gentle, his red lips curving into another elegant, appropriate smile. "Thank you, President Gu."

Smiling on the outside and crying on the inside—this was exactly Lin Su.

Gu Lin started walking, the corners of his lips slowly lifting. Even his indifferent features became more vivid.

[I won't get to eat my favorite little cake. So sad.]

"Right." The man ahead stopped, then casually said over his shoulder, "Come back to the old house with me tonight."

Lin Su's mind buzzed. When Gu Lin glanced over, he stood there with his mouth slightly open for a long while.

[I must be hearing things, right? Isn't being used as a shield supposed to be the female lead's role in the early stages?!]

"Is there a problem?" Gu Lin's brows furrowed slightly, and his dark eyes were somewhat cold, as though he was displeased.

Lin Su abruptly came back to himself. A trace of embarrassment appeared on his amiable face. "Understood."

[Sob, he's so fierce! Careful, or your wife will run away someday!]

Gu Lin walked on in silence, answering in his heart, She won't run away while I'm beside her.

Cafeteria

"President Gu actually came to eat in the employee area."

"The big boss came to experience commoner food too?!"

"I haven't seen Assistant Lin in so long. He's gotten fairer and more handsome~"

"Don't you think the two of them look especially good together?"

That remark made Gu Lin cast a cool glance over. The people discussing it shuddered in fright.

They all picked up their trays and fled.

The cafeteria was pretty good today. They even had his favorite sweet-and-sour crispy ribs. It wasn't a loss not to eat downstairs.

[Wow, I have to stay elegant later. Yes, that's right!]

Gu Lin put food into his mouth, and the motion of chewing made him forget his urge to smile.

Joy shone from his brows, his peach-blossom eyes curving upward and gleaming with excitement—before he suddenly looked a little disappointed.

[Only three pieces left. I strongly suggest everyone be allowed to get food twice. No, three times. Just one plate would be enough...]

Then an even bigger surprise came: piece after piece of sweet-and-sour ribs landed in his bowl.

"I don't like them. Throwing them away would be wasteful." The man kept his eyes lowered as he ate methodically.

Not just Lin Su—the entire staff was stunned. Their proud, cold, impartial, stone-faced CEO was actually serving food to an employee. And he still looked so familiar with him. Why did it feel a little sweet and doting?!

Lin Su knew his boss did not like sweets. Especially when he said such cold words, there was no room for anyone's imagination to run wild. Lin Su smiled and thanked him.

[I can eat them again. One, two, three... nine pieces! Happy.]

Gu Lin took a sip of his drink, hiding the smile at the corner of his lips. His special assistant looked reserved on the surface, but inside, he was as adorable as a child.

Wait, had he just called a man adorable? He seemed to have smiled too. Realizing something was wrong, his dark eyes suddenly contracted. Was he...

That was the first time Gu Lin had panicked. He forcibly suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, his expression remaining indifferent, though the fingertips holding his tray visibly trembled.

"President Gu!"

It was Lin Su calling him, his voice somewhat urgent.

With a clatter, Gu Lin's wandering thoughts finally returned.

The person in front of him had taken the price of his distraction for him. The gentle and elegant Assistant Lin had been splashed all over with food in front of half the company, and his clothes were soaked too.

Lin Su had never been this disheveled in his life. Never mind the water stains all over him—the thing that hurt him most was...

[What a pity about those sweet-and-sour ribs. They might as well have fallen into my mouth.]

The girl kept apologizing, her teary eyes enough to make anyone go weak all over.

[Fine...]

Gu Lin frowned. Fine what?

Lin Su waved his hand without getting angry. "It's all right. Just be more careful in the future."

[Pretty! Such a beautiful girl. It must definitely be the floor's fault.]

At that moment, someone hurried over, bending at the waist as he apologized. "Sorry, sorry. She's new and a bit clumsy. President Gu, are you all right?"

[Fuck? I'm the one who got hurt, okay? Tch, he's even more of a bootlicker than I am.]

Ignoring the older man, Gu Lin undid his jacket buttons and draped it over Lin Su's shoulders.

"Let's go."

Lin Su nodded at that. "Yes, President Gu."

The flatterer received no response. With so many people watching, it was equivalent to losing face in front of the entire company. His cheeks heated up, and he viciously glared at the pitiful woman in white.

Assistant Office

After the three of them returned, they discovered that Assistant Lin's desk was empty.

Assistant Lin resigned!?

Those five words struck like thunder on a clear day. What shocked them even more was that Assistant Lin came back—wearing their boss's coat.

This was huge. It could make the group chat's top headline.

And so, messages began bouncing around in "Commoners Want to Work Group 1 (500)."

Soy Sauce Tastes Bad: Shocking, the boss is hugging the little assistant [Image].

Attached was a photo of Gu Lin with an arm around Lin Su's shoulders.

Assistant Office - Xiao Zeng: Holy shit, capital letters: A MATCH. Whoever breaks up my ship, I'll never forgive them.

Planning Department - Xiao Liu: President Gu finally got a clue? Did he fall for our gentle little Beta Su Su~

Planning Department - Old Chen: Damn, you rotten girls, an A and a B won't have an ending!

Assistant Office - Xiao Jiang: Assistant Lin went into the room—pfft, the office. Are they going to take a mandarin duck bath!

Sales Department - Xiao Zhang: Assistant Jiang, note the time.

Assistant Office - Xiao Jiang: Okay!!

Assistant Office - Xiao Jiang: Forgot to mention it, but Assistant Lin's desk seems to have been moved into President Gu's office. (Sneaking a peek)

Mu Xiaomu, who was not in the group chat, sighed at her own cleverness. Although a plate of food had been wasted, her ship's relationship would make a qualitative leap after today. She would protect her ship!