The Domineering CEO's Vain Trophy Husband 8

To avoid affecting the quality of his sleep that night, Ming Yao had deliberately kept his mind on recent projects before drifting off, but this intentional effort seemed to backfire entirely, producing the opposite of what he'd hoped.

When he woke up, Ming Yao still remembered those hazy, soft eyes, carrying an elusive, almost imperceptible allure — like a crack in a perfect, dreamlike world that invited the gaze of an onlooker, ceaselessly radiating an unsettling dissonance that made his heart tremble. His instincts whispered of danger, but the desire to draw closer remained irresistible.

Ming Yao reflected on whether he had allowed Lin Zhi to get too close, to the point where this entangled feeling had formed between them. Upon careful consideration, he found that Lin Zhi hadn't actually taken the initiative to approach him. When Ming Yao didn't want to see him, he simply wouldn't.

If Lin Zhi got too close in the workplace, then he would keep the man at a greater distance.

Yet, Ming Yao discovered that in the workplace, even as his personal assistant, Lin Zhi seemed to faithfully observe a principle of 'keeping his distance.'

On his first day of work, Lin Zhi handled the tasks Ming Yao had assigned him from the secretarial office outside, and Ming Yao didn't catch a single glimpse of him the entire day. Let alone coming in to deliver documents or pour coffee — even Lin Zhi's own work files were sent to his office by the other secretaries.

By the time Ming Yao left work, the young man who had spoken of hitching a ride with him had long since vanished from behind his desk, nowhere to be seen.

Ming Yao looked at the empty seat, then turned to the others and asked: "Where is he?"

The special assistant replied somewhat quietly: "He said he had finished all the work you assigned him, so he left when it was time to clock out."

The company had no mandatory overtime requirements — as long as the work was done, one was free to leave. But because the boss was a workaholic, the entire secretarial office had taken to staying late voluntarily, not least because the overtime pay was quite generous. In theory, if the work was finished, you could leave on time.

The colleagues in the secretarial office didn't know who this suddenly parachuted-in gorgeous secretary was, so when he said he was leaving, none of them dared say much about it.

Ming Yao thought of the impeccably executed document Lin Zhi had submitted, said nothing, and went back to his office to work overtime.

Just last night, he had posed that question with such an attitude — asking if Ming Yao wanted to try something with him, speaking as though he intended to ride home with him every day and put on the full airs of Mrs. Ming — yet today, he was nowhere to be found.

Ming Yao stared at the proposal on his computer screen, the cool edge between his brows deepening without his noticing.

The stylishly off-duty Lin Zhi was at that very moment in a pet shop, gazing at the dogs, pausing in front of those little darlings to make his selection.

System No. 01 was somewhat puzzled: [Host, are we just going to leave like this? We didn't even get to see the Mission Target today.]

System No. 01 felt this was such a good opportunity — being the personal assistant, no less — so many chances to create moments of privacy could have been engineered. Yet, the Host hadn't set foot inside even once today. Wasn't becoming an assistant a complete waste?

Lin Zhi reached through the cage patting a puppy on the head, his eyes curving as he replied: [Sometimes, the farther you are, the closer you get to them.]

System No. 01 felt a little dizzy: [That's a bit circular. I don't understand.]

[Retreating to advance. Just watch obediently.]

Lin Zhi didn't elaborate further. His gaze settled on a Samoyed — known for its "smiling angel" face — a small, white, fluffy ball of adorable goofiness.

Everything must be done with the right balance of tension and ease. Getting too close too fast would only irritate someone.

Someone like Ming Yao, with his strong sense of personal territory and ever-present wariness, would not enjoy the feeling of having his life thoroughly encroached upon by another person. Things could only move slowly. At a time like this, keeping out of sight was actually the best approach. Of course, one couldn't vanish without a trace entirely — everything Lin Zhi did had left its own mark.

System No. 01, though still somewhat muddled, thought of the Host's general style and concluded that there must be a reason behind it all, and asked no more.

"Has the customer found a pup you like? They're all from the same litter, and all have very good temperaments. The eldest and the second are more lively; the youngest is half a beat slower, a bit quieter, but just as cuddly."

The young shop owner stood to the side, introducing the litter of Samoyeds to Lin Zhi, his expression gentle as he spoke of the little animals.

Lin Zhi thought about Ming Yao's personality and chose the liveliest one.

The shop owner opened the cage and lifted out the most boisterous eldest pup, giving its ear tip a little pat.

"This one is called Nuonuo. You're welcome to change its name anytime — after a while it'll get used to its new one. We'll be launching a new promotion in a few days with a chance to win a VIP quarterly card from our shop. There are discounts on bathing, vaccinations, and various pet supplies, and some items can even be given for free. Would you like to exchange contact information first?"

The shop owner placed Nuonuo on the front desk and looked toward Lin Zhi.

The shop's glass reflected Lin Zhi's profile — his features so striking that one couldn't help but lose themselves in the sight.

The veterinarian nearby couldn't help but widen their eyes at this. Since when did they have a promotion coming up? And a quarterly card giveaway?

As a comprehensive pet hospital with licensed breeding qualifications, their prices had never been cheap.

Lin Zhi had no objections and exchanged contact information with the shop owner, then reached out to pat Nuonuo's fluffy head. The little Samoyed wagged his tail happily, utterly endearing.

After paying, Lin Zhi said: "Things are a bit inconvenient lately. I'll come to pick him up in a few days."

The shop owner nodded, and using Nuonuo's little paw, waved it at Lin Zhi in farewell.

Lin Zhi had barely stepped out of the pet shop when his phone buzzed with a message from the shop owner, who introduced himself as Guan Yi. Until Lin Zhi came to take the dog away, Guan Yi would send daily video updates so Lin Zhi could see how his future pet was doing.

After picking out the dog, Lin Zhi didn't immediately bring the matter up with Ming Yao, and simply went to work as usual.

Unlike the straightforward tasks he had been given on the first day, the workload on the second day increased considerably.

Even when Ming Yao left the office for meetings or events, Lin Zhi never once looked up at him, and clocked out on time after finishing his work.

This went on for several days in a row. Ming Yao had barely exchanged a word with Lin Zhi.

He could have called Lin Zhi into his office to discuss the work the man had handled, but Lin Zhi's output was so transparent and clearly done that there was simply nothing worth asking about. And if Lin Zhi wasn't speaking to him, there was no particular reason for Ming Yao to go out of his way to initiate a conversation either.

Never mind work — even in their domestic life, Ming Yao had barely sensed Lin Zhi's presence these past few days.

If it weren't for checking the home security cameras and seeing that Lin Zhi had indeed come home, Ming Yao might have thought the man had never been there at all.

Old Master Ming called him and said: "Zhizhi came to keep me company for dinner yesterday. Said he's learned quite a lot working under you. What do you think of him?"

The Old Master hadn't expected Ming Yao to bring Lin Zhi directly to his side, but it seemed the two of them were getting along quite well.

Ming Yao's fingertips brushed the edge of a folder, and he said quietly: "Capable."

Old Master Ming chuckled: "That's good then. Zhizhi is family, after all — we keep the good fortune within the family."

After hanging up, Ming Yao pressed his lips together and dialed the secretarial office.

Lin Zhi was simultaneously handling his work and deepening his understanding of the vast structure of the Ming Corporation, when he saw Special Assistant Gao appear before him.

"The boss wants you to accompany him to tonight's banquet."

Special Assistant Gao, naturally aware that the person before him was the boss's wife, spoke with considerable courtesy.

"Understood."

Lin Zhi nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

All according to plan — not for nothing had he made a special trip to see the Old Master yesterday.

If Ming Yao had remained patient, Lin Zhi might have needed to do something else. Fortunately, Ming Yao knew his value.

Special Assistant Gao went to report back. Ming Yao had been on the verge of asking whether Lin Zhi had seemed willing, but thought better of it and said nothing, watching the assistant leave.

At the banquet, the guests were clearly quite curious about the attractive companion by Ming Yao's side. When Ming Yao indicated that Lin Zhi was his secretary, their enthusiasm was undiminished.

Ming Yao had always given the impression of being difficult to approach. His previous assistants had been the poker-faced type, so the arrival of a beautiful, amiable, and seemingly approachable secretary naturally drew people in.

Among the guests were some who knew Lin Zhi and had spoken with him before. In their minds, Lin Zhi's standing was clearly not ordinary — in no time at all, he had come to work at Ming Yao's side. The chatter grew all the more lively and warm.

Ming Yao observed the young man at his side, smiling and conversing with ease, and thought of the way Lin Zhi had asked him for a haute couture suit before they left — which gave him the peculiar, private sense of being the only one who truly knew the man's real nature.

Naturally, people from Hesheng were also present at the banquet. Ming Yao watched Qiu Qingrong holding a glass of wine and chatting with Lin Zhi, then said coolly: "I hear your company is researching new extracts?"

Since Ming Yao had opened the subject, Qiu Qingrong naturally followed his lead.

Though they were close in age, Ming Yao was already the one holding the reins at Ming Corporation, while Qiu Qingrong was merely the head of Hesheng — the Qiu family's ship was still steered by his father.

Lin Zhi slipped away during a lull to use the restroom. On his way out, he ran into Qiu Qingrong.

"I mentioned inviting Mr. Lin for a tasting last time, but the right moment never came. Would Mr. Lin happen to be free tomorrow?"

Lin Zhi replied with a slight note of apology, "Tomorrow won't work, I'm afraid. I'll be accompanying my partner."

"You're married?"

Qiu Qingrong was somewhat taken aback, his gaze dropped to Lin Zhi's bare, unadorned fingers.

Lin Zhi smiled faintly and gave a small nod, offering no further explanation.

On the ride home after the event, Ming Yao suddenly asked: "Are you close with Qiu Qingrong?"

"We're acquainted. He invited me for drinks, and I told him I needed to spend tomorrow with my husband." Lin Zhi propped his chin in his hand, looking at Ming Yao with an air of lazy ease: "Not entirely a lie, either — since I'll still be working for you tomorrow."

Ming Yao said nothing, which was as good as agreeing.

Without quite realizing it, he was letting his body relax against the back of his wheelchair, thinking that this was exactly how Lin Zhi ought to be — there was no need for him to say more than necessary to competitors, and certainly no need to arrange private drinks with them in secret.