Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase
Chapter 38 - 35: One-Sided Love

Chapter 38: Chapter 35: One-Sided Love

After taking a day off at home, Fu Jichen arrived at the company half an hour early the next day.

Shen Jianian, who lived under the same roof as him, was forced to accompany him.

Sitting at her workstation, Shen Jianian yawned and lay on the desk to catch up on sleep. She had stayed up until two in the morning reviewing meeting materials last night and was really exhausted.

There was no other way. She currently knew nothing and had to work harder, spending more time than others.

The sound of a pair of high heels disrupted her dream. Shen Jianian groggily sat up and found that the person who came in was Zhu Yilan. She quickly stood up and greeted, "Good morning, Secretary Zhu." _{f|re(e)web.n\ovel. (c)o.m}

"Morning."

Zhu Yilan nodded slightly, her gaze fleeting across Shen Jianian’s face before heading to her private office.

To be honest, putting aside her jealousy over Shen Jianian being able to become Fu Jichen’s woman, Shen Jianian herself was not really to be criticized, at most her business skills were not proficient and she couldn’t keep up with the overall efficiency of the secretary office.

Ever since she arrived here, she hadn’t relied on her identity to act superior, hadn’t looked down on anyone, and definitely hadn’t been lazy or tricky; instead, she worked harder than others. Just this alone was worth admiration.

Zhu Yilan placed her bag on the desk, took out her phone, it was now eight-thirty, there was still an hour before the meeting started.

She glanced outside through the glass door, seeing that Shen Jianian had arrived, indicating that he was also here, probably in the office now.

Zhu Yilan focused her thoughts for a moment, left the secretary’s office, headed straight to the president’s office a few meters away, and knocked on the door.

In the one or two seconds of waiting, a layer of sweat formed on her palm, and her throat felt like something was stuck in it, making it hard to breathe. Thinking back to when she first joined the Junshan Group, she wasn’t as nervous as she was now.

That night was too rushed and chaotic, there was no time to say many things she wanted to express.

Hearing a low voice from inside, "Come in," Zhu Yilan took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Despite having mentally prepared herself beforehand, her heart still trembled fiercely at the sight of him.

"Mr. Chen," Zhu Yilan stopped in front of the desk.

Fu Jichen pressed a hand on the open folder on the desk, lifted his eyelids to glance at her indifferently, his tone as cold as before, "If you have something to say, say it."

Zhu Yilan couldn’t help blushing, out of shame and embarrassment, along with a twinge of anxiety, unsure if she could continue staying by his side.

"The matter from that night was a moment of my confusion, failing to recognize myself. I hope you can forget it." Zhu Yilan’s voice lowered, "From now on, I will focus entirely on my work, without diverting my attention elsewhere. Please, give me another chance, I will prove it to you."

Fu Jichen withdrew his gaze, looked at the document in front of him silently.

Zhu Yilan swallowed nervously, feeling as though a sword was hanging above her head, ready to fall at any moment and determine her fate.

After a long while, Fu Jichen responded unemotionally with a single word, "Okay."

In an instant, Zhu Yilan felt as if the sword above her head had been moved aside, and she was saved. A hint of a smile appeared on her tense face, "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I won’t disturb you anymore then."

She turned to leave, just as she gripped the doorknob, she heard him suddenly call out from behind, "Wait."

Zhu Yilan stopped and looked back, quietly awaiting his instructions.

Fu Jichen’s expression relaxed, and he said, "After work, take Shen Jianian to the store to pick out a few dresses."

Compared to everyday clothes, evening dresses require a more precise fit, so it’s best to try them on in person.

Zhu Yilan’s demeanor remained unchanged, she smiled faintly and asked, "For what occasion?"

"Banquets or something like that."

"Okay, I understand."

Organizing her mood, Zhu Yilan left, adding a new item to her schedule on her memo. Staring at that line of words, she couldn’t help but feel sad.

Feelings can’t just be retracted like that, and within a short period, it’s hard for her to truly find peace of mind.

However, since she had decided to control her emotions, such matters would not be few in the future, and she must learn to pretend as if she doesn’t care.

*

After work, Zhu Yilan grabbed her bag and went to find Shen Jianian.

"Pick out dresses?" Shen Jianian looked at her in surprise.

Zhu Yilan nodded, "Mr. Chen’s arrangement."

Shen Jianian was a bit puzzled, as Fu Jichen hadn’t mentioned it to her.

After a moment of thought, she associated it with the wedding invitation from the day before yesterday; Qin Fan and Yin Shuyao’s wedding banquet was about to be held at the Silver Sea Hotel under the Qin Family. Was Fu Jichen planning to attend?

But she hadn’t said she would go.

"It’s getting late, hurry up, ride with me," Zhu Yilan glanced at her watch, not asking for her willingness. To her, her boss’s words were orders that must be executed.

Shen Jianian reluctantly followed Zhu Yilan and got into her car.

In the car, she called Fu Jichen. The first call was not answered, so she called again. This time, it connected, and she directly asked, "I don’t want to attend the wedding, can I not go?"

At Yin Shuyao’s wedding, her uncle and aunt would definitely be there. She didn’t want to see that family again, let alone let them see her with Fu Jichen.

Zhu Yilan, who was driving, glanced at her distractedly. She didn’t hear wrong; Shen Jianian actually refused the boss.

On the phone, Fu Jichen’s tone was lazy, but his words left no room for argument: "No, you can’t."

Does he just like to force others? Shen Jianian angrily hung up the phone, her chest heaving with fury, and she cursed under her breath, "Lunatic."

Zhu Yilan looked at her in astonishment and glanced at her again.

Shen Jianian, in her anger, asked the moment their eyes met, "Does he treat you like this too?"

"What?" Zhu Yilan didn’t understand.

"I’m talking about Fu Jichen. Does he often make you do things you don’t want to do in private?"

Zhu Yilan was stunned for a moment. Her words sounded odd, as if a misunderstanding had occurred.

"That night at Rose Manor, I was looking for the boss for work-related matters, not what you’re thinking." Zhu Yilan explained calmly.

Shen Jianian looked at her in shock. That night, she ran out of Fu Jichen’s bedroom, clothes disheveled, eyes red, hair and makeup losing their usual perfection, clearly looking bullied. Anyone would misunderstand and think that something happened between her and Fu Jichen.

Zhu Yilan looked straight ahead, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel, pondering how to regain her dignity. After thinking it over, she couldn’t find a good phrase, and said dryly, "I’m one-sidedly in love with Mr. Chen, nothing more than that."

Shen Jianian remained silent all the way.

The destination was a high-end brand store in the mall. After parking in the underground garage, Zhu Yilan got out, locked the car, and walked towards the elevator.

Zhu Yilan walked quickly, and Shen Jianian barely kept up with her pace. Once in the elevator, she turned around and stood, watching Zhu Yilan press the button for the fifth floor.

"And you?" Zhu Yilan suddenly asked, "Are you dating Mr. Chen?"

When she spoke, Zhu Yilan didn’t look at her, her eyes fixated on the numbers changing above the elevator.

Shen Jianian couldn’t answer. She and Fu Jichen... it was just a transaction, there were no emotions involved, let alone a relationship. Certainly, she couldn’t share this with an outsider.

Her relationship with Zhu Yilan wasn’t deep enough for that, so she could only remain silent.

Zhu Yilan was not insistent on getting an answer. Since Shen Jianian didn’t want to talk, she pretended she hadn’t asked.

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and they both walked out.

"This way." Zhu Yilan had been here many times, familiar with the surroundings, and pointed to the right for Shen Jianian, "This brand suits you."

Shen Jianian followed her into the store, where a sales assistant in a dark blue business suit approached and greeted warmly, "Miss Zhu, you’ve come with a friend? Looking for a dress?"

"Help her pick a few dresses for the banquet," Zhu Yilan pushed Shen Jianian to the front.

The sales assistant’s eyes moved to Shen Jianian’s face and immediately lit up. She dealt with a variety of female customers every day, and while she had seen beauty and outstanding temperament, someone as striking as this was truly rare.

"This lady has fair skin, outstanding looks, and a slender, well-proportioned figure. Many styles would suit her," The sales assistant’s usual compliments had an intention to induce purchases, but this time it was sincere.

Zhu Yilan browsed around in the store and asked Shen Jianian, "Have you found anything you like?"

Before Shen Jianian could answer, the sales assistant enthusiastically started her pitch, "You can try our store’s signature piece. It just arrived from Europe last week, a show model, globally limited edition. A celebrity’s stylist came to borrow it last night, but our manager didn’t give it."

As she spoke, the sales assistant led them to a slightly more open area where a mannequin in a glass showcase was draped in a smoky blue gauze dress. The fabric was very light, like clouds or mist, seemingly able to reveal skin tone beneath when worn. The bodice and skirt were beautifully adorned with three-dimensional light pink and mint green silk flowers, with branches and leaves embroidered with glossy silk threads.

The entire dress exuded ethereal elegance and luxury. The sales assistant could imagine how stunning it would look on Shen Jianian.

"Shall we take this one?" Zhu Yilan turned her head to seek Shen Jianian’s opinion, "And pick two more for other important occasions."

The waiting sales assistant heard this and her eyes lit up instantly.

Shen Jianian often flew abroad with her girlfriends to watch high-end brand shows and had some understanding of show dresses. Judging by the materials and design, this one wasn’t cheap. If it was the work of a famous designer, the brand effect coupled with personal fame would make it even more expensive, likely reaching seven figures.

In the entertainment industry, actresses usually borrow such dresses for red carpets and return them afterward. Buying them outright was too extravagant.

"Perhaps it’s better..."

Just as Shen Jianian began to speak, a familiar and arrogant female voice suddenly came from behind, "I’ll take this dress, please wrap it up for me."

Shen Jianian’s body went stiff.

There was no need to turn around and verify anything. She knew the speaker was Yin Shuyao.