Chapter 33: Unexpectedly Endearing

The area where He Jingyue lay was the resort’s most exclusive VIP zone. The soft white sand was meticulously groomed, and large parasols cast comfortable patches of shade. A glance upward revealed the boundless, shimmering blue ocean.

Lu Qiuyi was never one to shortchange herself. Since no one was here to keep her company, she decided to enjoy these premium amenities with a clear conscience. She positioned her beach chair at a distance from He Jingyue that was neither too close nor too far.

The sea breeze wafted over, carrying a cool, salty freshness. The sky was a vast, washed-out blue, with a few wisps of clouds drifting leisurely by. The water was so clear that one could see the fine white foam kissing the shoreline again and again. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an incredibly cozy, relaxing, and healing afternoon.

Yet, Lu Qiuyi felt entirely out of sorts.

Lying alone on her chair, her eyes—shielded by sunglasses—couldn't help but dart toward her colleagues nearby, who were laughing, playing beach volleyball, and tossing a frisbee. Before transmigrating into this book, she had been a "finance dog" worked to the bone; after transmigrating, she was an undercover assistant living in constant anxiety. Was it really so difficult to simply enjoy some sun and sand?

After watching the scenery for a while, she felt not soothed, but even more despondent. She simply pulled her sunglasses down to cover her eyes completely, attempting to forget her troubles through sleep. However, with her eyes closed, her senses became abnormally sharp. She could clearly hear the faint sound of He Jingyue turning a page in his book, and could even vaguely smell the cold, crisp scent of cedarwood radiating from him.

Damn it all!

Before long, Lu Qiuyi found sitting so close to He Jingyue unbearable; even her breathing felt restricted. No, she couldn't stay here! She bolted upright, grabbed the armrests of her heavy beach chair, and dragged it with great effort, scraping it a long distance away from him. Two deep furrows were left in the sand, acting like an invisible boundary line.

Perfect!

Looking at the safe buffer zone between them—enough room for three more people to lie down—Lu Qiuyi finally felt the air grow a bit fresher.

"..."

Even with his high-quality sunglasses on, He Jingyue had taken in the entire scene: the puffed-up look on her face and the laborious effort she had made to draw a line between them. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but in the end, he said nothing, merely returning his gaze to the pages of his book. Sometimes, he truly found his little assistant’s inexplicable thought processes and temperament hard to fathom. She was the one who had moved closer in the first place, yet now she acted as if her territory had been violated.

Strange as it was, this unmasked, almost clumsy, and straightforward expression of emotion made him find her somewhat interesting, especially compared to the people around them who were always either trembling with fear or currying favor.

At around eight in the evening, Lu Qiuyi was curled up on the sofa in her room, mindlessly scrolling through a melodramatic TV show while munching on a fruit platter she had brought back from the restaurant, when a steady, unhurried knock sounded at the door.

She shuffled over in her slippers to open it, and as expected, He Jingyue was standing outside. He had changed out of his daytime casual wear into soft, dark loungewear, which stripped away some of his usual sharp, professional edge.

He Jingyue informed her as a matter of course, "The nearby night market seems quite lively. Let's go take a look."

Lu Qiuyi instinctively wanted to refuse; she didn't want to be his lackey again. "Mr. He, I'm a bit tired. I'd like to rest early..."

He Jingyue’s gaze swept across her face, cutting her off. "You had plenty of strength to drag that chair this afternoon; you don't look tired at all. Besides, you're just idling anyway."

Lu Qiuyi: ???

Listen to that—was that something a human would say? Who did he think caused her to be so isolated that no one dared to hang out with her? And wait, wasn't he reading behind his sunglasses at the time? How did he even know she had snuck off to move her chair? Did this man have eyes on the back of his head?!

Despite the frantic internal monologue, the instincts of a corporate slave forced her to yield. Resigned, Lu Qiuyi grabbed her room key and phone. "...Oh, alright."

The commercial district of the resort at night was indeed a sea of people, a complete transformation from the tranquility of the day. There were stalls selling grilled squid, freshly squeezed juices, colorful smoothies, shell crafts, handmade woven goods, and flowing beach dresses and straw hats—a dazzling, overwhelming array of choices.

He Jingyue was clearly ill-suited for such a noisy and crowded environment. When he caught a glimpse of Lu Qiuyi holding two skewers of sizzling, oil-dripping squid covered in chili powder and cumin, his expression of disdain was barely concealed. Shortly after, she stopped at another vendor to buy a cup of mango smoothie, its colors as vivid as a rainbow.

Watching her hold the oily squid in one hand and that cup of questionable, sugar-laden frozen drink in the other, eating with such delight, He Jingyue finally couldn't help but speak up. "Eat less of this street food. The ingredients and hygiene aren't guaranteed. If you get a stomachache and it delays your work, I won't be helping you."

*Zero taste. You don't understand the joys of life!* Lu Qiuyi rolled her eyes internally and deliberately took a large bite of the squid, chewing with an audible smacking sound. Junk food might be unhealthy, but it was delicious. It was a shame she rarely ate these things to maintain her image; she was only indulging because she was on vacation. His expression and words were truly ruining her appetite and her mood. If he hated it so much, why even come to the night market?

Was he here to experience the hardships of the common folk? Or was he just here to annoy her?

Sure enough, from one end of the street to the other, He Jingyue showed no interest in the myriad of tropical-themed trinkets and handicrafts. His eyes swept over them without lingering; he didn't find a single thing worth looking at. He didn't look like someone out for a stroll, but rather someone there to inspect the revenue of the commercial street.

Lu Qiuyi, on the other hand, operated on the principle of "since I'm already here," buying a few cute shell wind chimes, a chubby wooden starfish carving, and a silk beach scarf printed with large red hibiscus flowers. As the items piled up, she couldn't hold them all. She hesitated for a moment before tentatively handing two of the lighter shopping bags to He Jingyue. "Mr. He, could you give me a hand?"

He Jingyue glanced down at the bags, which were printed with comical patterns. Surprisingly, he said nothing and reached out to take them.

The resulting scene was somewhat surreal: the refined and elegant, tall and imposing President He, who looked as if he had just stepped off the cover of a financial magazine, was holding cartoonish shell wind chimes and colorful, vacation-themed shopping bags. It created a stark, hilariously cute contrast with his cold, elite aura.

Lu Qiuyi snuck a peek and almost burst out laughing; she quickly looked down and took a huge slurp of her smoothie to hide it. After finishing the last drop of her drink and tossing the empty cup into a bin, she looked at He Jingyue, who was still striding along with an air of unbothered ease despite being in the middle of a noisy crowd, and couldn't help but sigh.

Shopping with one's boss was truly one of the most boring things in the world.

According to the tourist map, there was a small plaza ahead where a local folklore performance was scheduled for the evening. Lu Qiuyi decided to go check it out; at least it counted as an activity.

As she moved forward with the crowd, Lu Qiuyi couldn't suppress her sense of grievance. "Mr. He, look, all the colleagues are over there having a bonfire party, playing games, grilling, and singing—they're having so much fun. Only the two of us are wandering the night market all alone. Don't you think we seem a bit... excluded?"

"Excluded?" He Jingyue glanced at her calmly. "In management and social behavior studies, the term 'exclusion' requires the other party to exhibit clear and proactive behaviors such as alienation or rejection to be valid. From my observations, they haven't made any move to ostracize you or me; they have even been quite polite and respectful toward you. Therefore, this cannot be called exclusion."

He paused, then clearly articulated two words: "This is 'awe'."

"It is perfectly normal for subordinates to maintain a proper sense of distance and reverence toward their superiors; it helps maintain hierarchical order and efficient execution."

Lu Qiuyi was just about to retort when a crisp, surprised, and charming female voice cut clearly through the noisy background of the night market.

"Jingyue? Is that really you? What a coincidence!"