Chapter 16: The Roses Sent by Gu Hanchen

"President Huo, please go to the guest room to rest for a while. I'll go and see who sent the roses."

Yuan Xi entered the elevator and reached the reception area, right when most departments at Michen Company started their workday, and numerous colleagues who had just arrived were gathered around the reception desk.

On a day like Valentine's Day, seeing flowers at the reception isn't strange, but 999 roses are indeed rare.

"Are these imported Ecuadorian Explorer roses? On a day like today, one rose costs thirty already, right? This many, just the roses alone must be around thirty thousand, right?"

"Secretary Yuan is so lucky!"

"It's my first time seeing so many roses."

Yuan Xi approached the reception desk and sneezed loudly.

Seeing Yuan Xi approaching, her colleagues made way for her.

The PR Manager, Fang Qin, came up to Yuan Xi and said, "Secretary Yuan, congratulations, such a large bunch of roses; the person who sent them must really love you deep down."

Yuan Xi thought for a long time and couldn't figure out who could have sent the roses besides Huo Shiyuan.

It's funny, actually. She had never been in a relationship, living a single life for 26 years.

In high school, she aimed for Jiang University, studied hard with no distractions, and kept her distance from male classmates. Whenever a boy showed the slightest sign of puppy love, Yuan Xi would nip it in the bud.

In university, Yuan Xi wanted to enjoy a normal university romance and youthful campus life like her peers.

But, sadly, her adoptive parents passed away unexpectedly. Although her friends helped gather her tuition fees, Yuan Xi didn't want to owe anyone and filled her spare time with part-time jobs, leaving no room for romance.

During her senior year internship at Michen, Yuan Xi became even busier, squeezing no time for dating.

Yuan Xi picked up the folded card next to the flowers and opened it; the few bold words on it were all too familiar to her.

Yuan Xi even thought of the high school boy who had confessed to her, but she never expected it would be him who sent them.

"Gu Hanchen!"

"Mr. Gu sent them!" the receptionist nearby read it out loud, "Secretary Yuan, Mr. Gu treats you so well!"

"Mr. Gu likes you so much, so many roses."

"Secretary Yuan, you and Mr. Gu..."

Seeing her colleagues' suggestive looks, Yuan Xi coughed and said, "I'm already married, and I have a child. These roses are a 520 gift from Mr. Gu for every female colleague; you're all welcome to take one."

"Thanks to Mr. Gu."

"Mr. Gu is so handsome!"

Yuan Xi held the card, rendered speechless. To say that Gu Hanchen liked her, she might as well believe that the world would end tomorrow.

Yuan Xi got into the elevator, just as she met Gu Hanchen inside.

"Mr. Gu, good morning."

Gu Hanchen being on time for work at nine-thirty was few and far between.

Gu Hanchen saw the card in Yuan Xi's hand and yawned, "Did you receive the flowers I sent you?"

Yuan Xi said, "I've shared them with my female colleagues. I'm already married, Mr. Gu, please don't do things that could make my husband misunderstand."

Gu Hanchen scoffed, "The day before yesterday, while I was drinking with Chu Yan, Yan Baofan, and Chu Lin, I heard that your husband is a soft-mannered country boy from a rural area who doesn't even own a house in Jiang City."

Yuan Xi frowned, surprised to hear how Chu Yan and Chu Lin had spoken about Huo Shiyuan behind his back.

After getting out of the elevator, Yuan Xi told Gu Hanchen, "President Huo is in the guest room."

"So early?" Gu Hanchen entered the guest room.

Yuan Xi prepared two cups of coffee and also entered the guest room.

Huo Shiyuan took the coffee and looked up at Yuan Xi, asking, "Secretary Yuan, who sent the roses?"

Gu Hanchen replied, "Who else but me?"

Huo Shiyuan glanced at Gu Hanchen and said coldly, "I heard from Secretary Yuan that she's already married, yet you still sent her roses?"

Gu Hanchen replied, "Don't talk about her freeloadin' husband. No house, no car, yet he's eyeing Yu Xi's yet-to-be-listed Michen shares thinking about buying a luxury car. That kind of man isn't worthy of Yuan Xi."

Gu Hanchen picked up his coffee, "Only I am worthy of Yuan Xi!"

"Hem, Hem!" Shiyan coughed lightly.

Yuan Xi furrowed her brows. "Mr. Gu, what are you blabbering about in front of President Huo?"

"Where am I blabbering? What did your husband give you today? If he didn't buy you flowers, can't I?"

Shiyan uncomfortably touched his nose.

Gu Hanchen said, "My family is pushing me to go on arranged dates. Rather than marrying someone like Yu Xiaoxiao, I would rather marry you, so you wouldn't resign.

Although you are not the glamorous type of beauty I prefer, you are still quite pretty. Marrying you wouldn't be a loss for me, and being the lady boss of Michen Company wouldn't be a loss for you either."

Yuan Xi said, "Mr. Gu, I am already pregnant."

Gu Hanchen replied, "Two for the price of one, isn't that great? My grandma has always been eager for a great-grandchild, now she can get two at once. For the sake of our Michen Company, I don't mind helping you raise your little siblings."

Shiyan said, "Secretary Yuan's husband would mind."

Gu Hanchen raised his eyebrows. "President Huo, you are not Secretary Yuan's husband. How would you know her husband would mind? Not even a single flower on May 20th, does he even have the right to object?"

Shiyan changed the subject by asking about work, "How is the roadshow in the United States coming along?"

Gu Hanchen answered, "It's been ready for a while…"

Shiyan said, "Let me check."

Seeing them engaged in work discussions, Yuan Xi returned to the office to do her own tasks.

After a busy day, she didn't even know when Shiyan had left Michen Company.

Before the end of the workday, Yuan Xi went early to the building next door to select her dress, get her makeup done, and have her hair styled.

Today, being Si Chen's wedding, she was attending as Gu Hanchen's female companion, representing Michen Company in some capacity. She aimed not to overshadow the bride but also not to be too casual.

After she was styled, Yuan Xi saw Gu Hanchen's Aston Martin sports car as she descended the stairs.

Gu Hanchen, looking at Yuan Xi, joked, "I take back what I said about you not being a great beauty. How did I never notice how beautiful you are?"

Yuan Xi said, "Mr. Gu, no secretary ever falls for her own boss, so please stop disgusting me."

Yuan Xi knew that Gu Hanchen felt no real romantic feelings for her, his so-called pursuit was purely because he didn't want her to resign before Michen Company's IPO.

Gu Hanchen said, "Why not? Isn't today's wedding between Si Chen and his secretary?"

Yuan Xi was speechless.

Her freshly done hair became messy because Gu Hanchen insisted on driving with the roof down.

Arriving at the wedding venue, Yuan Xi tidied her hair in the car for a while, as Gu Hanchen lit a cigarette next to her.

After getting out of the car, she took the cigarette from Gu Hanchen's hand and put it out, "Mr. Gu, sorry, but I have a child now, and I can't inhale your secondhand smoke."

Gu Hanchen scratched his head, "Sorry, I forgot."

From a distance, Yu Xiao saw Yuan Xi near Gu Hanchen's sports car, snatching the cigarette from him and was visibly annoyed, "Yanyan, that's Yuan Xi right? We already warned her last time, and she still dares to come as Gu Hanchen's companion to the Si family's wedding."

"She really is shameless!"

Chu Yan looked from afar and disdainfully smiled, "Xiao Xiao, you don't need to worry about her competing with you for Gu Hanchen. Yuan Xi is already married and pregnant."

Yu Xiao asked, "Married? How do you know?"

Chu Yan said, "Because she is the long-lost true daughter of our Chu Family."

"Yanyan." Chu Lin joined Chu Yan, "Have you taken a photo with the bride yet?"

Chu Yan shook her head, "Not yet."

Chu Lin looked toward the bride, frowned, and said, "Isn't that Yuan Xi's husband?"

Chu Yan asked, "What did you say, brother?"

Chu Lin said, "The man in the dark blue shirt next to the bride, that's Yuan Xi's husband…"

"So handsome!" Yu Xiao's eyes lit up.

Chu Yan scoffed, "Being handsome is useless. He's just a pretty-faced country boy who survives on his wife's earnings, too poor to even afford a house, needing to rely on his looks even to own a car."

Yu Xiao asked, "But this is Si Chen's wedding. Yuan Xi only got in because she came with Gu Hanchen. How did her husband get in here? He seems quite familiar with the bride, doesn't he?"