Chapter 40: It Was Him Helping Us All Along?!

With hearts filled with apprehension, the two entered the building and headed straight for the Chairman’s office.

"Knock, knock, knock."

As the sound of knocking echoed through the office, Liu Yanbin, seated behind his desk, managed a wry smile. He knew it was Yang Mi coming to see him. Just moments ago, while seeing Li Qing off downstairs, Liu had spotted Yang Mi and had quickly retreated to his office to avoid any suspicion. But now, it was clear that Yang Mi had come to inquire about the situation.

"Please, come in," Liu said nonchalantly.

After Yang Mi and her assistant entered, Liu feigned a look of surprise and smiled. "Ms. Yang, what brings you here? Come, sit down."

He rose to welcome them with great courtesy. Although he was playing the role of the Chairman, he knew he had to maintain a level of respect—after all, this was Mr. Li’s woman! At least, that was how Liu perceived it.

Yang Mi walked in and smiled, "Chairman Liu, please don't be so formal."

After they sat down, Liu poured tea for Yang Mi and He Baibai. To an outsider, it might have looked as if Liu were the small-time assistant and Yang Mi the big boss. Feeling uncomfortable with this, Yang Mi quickly said, "Chairman Liu, you really don't need to be so polite. I’ve come today to thank you. Thank you and the company for helping me weather this crisis."

Liu paused for a moment before realizing she was referring to the calming of the online public opinion. But he hadn't been the one to handle that—Li Qing had. Liu felt a sudden wave of trepidation; he felt like he was receiving credit he didn't deserve.

He quickly laughed and replied, "Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all. That..." His mind raced, struggling to find the right words.

Yang Mi, preoccupied with thoughts of Li Qing, didn't notice Liu’s unease. "I’m truly grateful. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do." She hesitated for a moment, then probed with a smile, "Oh, by the way, Chairman Liu, I saw someone downstairs earlier... a friend of mine. Did he come to see you about something?"

Hearing this, Liu realized that Yang Mi was indeed deliberately keeping her relationship with Li Qing a secret. He chose to play dumb. "Your friend? Coming to see me? Who would that be?"

Seeing Liu’s puzzled expression, Yang Mi asked again with a smile, "The one holding the child. He’s my friend. I just wanted to ask if you happen to know him?"

Liu felt caught in a bind. It was clear Yang Mi wanted to know what Li Qing was doing here, and he couldn't blame her—seeing Li Qing there would naturally cause her concern, especially with him holding the child. If something were exposed, it could be very detrimental to her.

Liu decided to simply make something up while maintaining a serious demeanor. "Oh, you mean Li Qing?"

Yang Mi’s gaze tightened, her heart jumping into her throat. "Yes, Li Qing. Chairman Liu, are you friends with him?"

Liu took a sip of tea and chuckled. "I suppose you could say we're friends. We went to school together, though we haven't been in touch much since. Ms. Yang, I was actually just about to mention this to you. In fact, this whole online incident was largely thanks to your friend."

As he spoke, Liu inwardly gave a wry smile. *Friend? He’s my boss's boss! This entire company is owned by your child! I’m just an employee...*

When these words fell, both Yang Mi and He Baibai were stunned. Yang Mi, in particular, blinked her beautiful eyes, her gaze flickering with disbelief. "Chairman Liu... you’re not joking, are you? Could you tell me more?"

Seeing her reaction, Liu immediately understood that Yang Mi hadn't known Li Qing was helping her. He said calmly, "I didn't know Li Qing was your friend at first. It wasn't until you were in trouble that Li Qing suddenly contacted me, asking me to pull strings to help you settle the matter. He spent quite a lot of money on it. Otherwise, to be honest, I wouldn't have invested so much capital into hiring all those PR firms."

By saying this, Liu avoided revealing Li Qing’s true identity while returning the credit to its rightful owner. After all, he hadn't been the one to settle the storm. If Yang Mi only thanked him, what would Mr. Li think? As a subordinate, Liu was well-versed in the nuances of human relationships.

Yang Mi was left speechless. To her, this news was simply incredible. She never imagined that after her scandal broke, Li Qing would have actually come to her aid. Suddenly, she recalled what Xuanbao had said earlier—that "Daddy would take care of Mommy." Though she had pondered it, she never truly believed it was a reality!

Feeling a warmth spread through her heart, she was deeply moved. Liu had mentioned that Li Qing spent a lot of money and pulled various strings... he must have paid a high price for this! It was no wonder that in the midst of such a crisis, the Chairman hadn't abandoned her; perhaps it was because Li Qing had interceded on her behalf.

Looking at Liu, Yang Mi said gratefully, "Chairman Liu, thank you. I’ve really caused you so much trouble. I don't know how to thank you enough..."

Liu felt ashamed and quickly replied, "Ms. Yang, this was all part of my job... though, actually, you really should thank your friend. He spent a lot of money for me to smooth things over."

Yang Mi nodded, her expression sincere. "I understand. I will be sure to thank him properly. But if you hadn't been willing to use your connections, this wouldn't have been resolved so well. Thanking you is only right."

Faced with her gratitude, Liu felt anxious but dared not show it, so he simply returned the sentiment. After Yang Mi and He Baibai offered their thanks and presented some gifts as a token of appreciation, Liu became truly fearful. In his eyes, anything belonging to Yang Mi was essentially Li Qing’s, and he wouldn't dare accept anything from him. He found a few excuses to politely decline.

After chatting for a while longer, the two left the office. Back in the car, Yang Mi sat in the passenger seat, lost in thought, her emotions complex.

"Sister Mi, I really didn't expect this—Li Qing was the one who helped you!" He Baibai said, looking shocked. "He’s actually quite capable to be able to pull strings with the Chairman!"

Yang Mi didn't hear her assistant; her mind was entirely on the fact that, despite the lack of any real romantic connection, he had helped her without hesitation when she was in trouble, all while she remained completely unaware. This moved her, and even left her feeling a sense of guilt. It was already a burden to have him look after the children, and now he had gone out of his way to help her—he had truly been more than kind.

"Do you think..." Yang Mi whispered, "that Li Qing must have faced a lot of difficulties trying to help me...?"