10 The Third Wheel in a CEO Romance
Liu Shishi stared angrily from the top of the window of a nice office suite. The memory of a stuck-up, lowly girl fawning all over the likes of her CEO really ground her nerves. How dare she, a no-name office girl named Zhao Xiaoyun with virtually no background, be allowed to drape her hands across his lovely body and breathe the same air that he expelled?
After a thorough background check, Shishi found the girl to be unworthy of the likes of Li Cheng Han, the CEO of the large conglomerate called, the WeiLi Group.
Honestly, who but the best of women could ever be a match for the young, handsome Mr. Li, who possessed massive wealth and had the pick of any woman he wanted. Personally, Shishi knew that several of her coworkers would fall prostrate merely for a chance to embrace that chiseled form under the perfectly tailored suit. After all, they would do virtually anything for the opportunity be the 'chosen' one, regardless of how secretive his desires may be.
The cold, sharp glare that Mr. Li gave others as he examined them closely hinted a predatory sense that laid beyond the commanding and business-like demeanor that was proper for a CEO. It was no secret that he liked to play around after business hours. And boy, did he like it rough, hearing stories from those he had spent a night with. Shishi was fully prepared for the consequence of fulfilling his every wish when it came to her turn.
Though Mr. Li had not touched her yet, she saw herself as one of those worthy of his attention. Bred with the best education that China offered, Shishi had quickly risen to the top of the company. Her competence had attracted the attention of Mr. Li, who had personally picked her to be his secretary. Being his right-hand man brought her extreme pride as one of those who could be closest to him.
She believed that it was only a matter of time before he caved from her advances and saw her as one who would stay by his side. Why wouldn't he? She was gorgeous, having tailored her looks to fit those that Mr. Li had chosen before. She was smart, having shown to make wise decisions that greatly benefited the company. She was loyal, having accomplished everything Mr. Li had desired with a smile.
Who else could be a perfect match for him than herself?
Yet, that minx of a girl came from nowhere and sniped his attention away from her. A girl of dubious intentions, who was hardly worthy of the seconds that Mr. Li spent on her. Shishi had made attempts to show him how lowly Zhao Xiaoyun truly was. The girl even refused to accept him for who he was!
Yet, her attempts had failed so far. Mr. Li apparently didn't mind her attitude towards him, one that lacked utter devotion. She had dared to turn down the offers he made, making excuses that he had been too mean to her and such. Such blasphemy!
Shishi couldn't stand her complaining. She had secretly tried to rearrange their work schedules so that they had little overlap between departments. Yet, Mr. Li actively sought her out.
She had told the other women who were 'favorites' of Mr. Li about Zhao Xiaoyun, and they had banded together to cause her all sorts of misery. There was no rest for those who trampled upon the good graces of Mr. Li!
Yet, like a stubborn cockroach that wouldn't go away, she continued to go to work and shrug off the jeers of those making fun of her. A normal girl would've quit by now and left town, never to be seen again. It was like she had some kind of divine power shielding her from despair and bringing Mr. Li to her at the right moments. What kind of sick joke was this that the Gods decided to pen?
Shishi didn't like where this was going. She would have to ramp up her attempts to drive a wedge between the two of them.
What would be next?
Should she start revealing the disturbing fetishes that Mr. Li had? Shishi doubted that a simple girl such as Zhao Xiaoyun could stomach the twisted nature that he truly had. Only those most devout of heart could withstand the abuse that he loved to secretly dish out.
Maybe get his parents' involvement? Potential mother-in-laws were rather scary forces of nature, especially when it seemed like the prospective wife was 'unsuitable' in their viewpoint.
Of course, she would layer it on with a healthy dose of bullying, belittling and destruction of character. She had plenty of fodder gathered on her to use as blackmail. Covering all of her tracks was crucial to avoid any unexpected faceslapping. After all, she had far more to lose if she lost face, compared to Zhao Xiaoyun.
Shishi cackled as her plans seemingly fell into place. All she would have to do now was to tell the others and execute them.
The door to the office suite blew open at that moment, with the excited CEO walking confidently towards her.
"Shishi! I need you to book some appointments!"
"Yes, Mr. Li!" Shishi said with a cordial smile.
"The best restaurant overlooking the harbor! Jewelry that sparkles like the sun! A lavish hotel!" Mr. Li paused for a moment to ponder. "Make it the President's suite. Ensure that it's soundproof. I'm in the mood to make a lot of noise." He smirked as the fantasies swirled in his head.
Shishi's face remained frozen in place. She didn't like where this was going, but she managed not to let her expression slip. "Excuse me, sir? Do you have an important guest?"
"An outing with my new favorite. Xiaoyun has been depressed lately. It is the best opportunity to impress her with my advances and shower her with my love." Mr. Li smirked to himself, thinking it was the perfect plan. "Yes, the perfect time to tear down her resistance..I can't let this chance escape while her guard is down. She is finally ripe for the taking."
He licked his lips at the thought of dominating his new toy. He had gotten rather attached to her in the recent weeks. She may even be suitable for more than one use.
Shishi ground her teeth, realizing that her ploys had partially accelerated this outcome. If she hadn't messed with her so much, then Mr. Li likely wouldn't have seen it as an opportunity to make his advances. Her schemes had backfired!
"As you command..," she said robotically, putting on a mask to hide her disgust.
Shishi turned away to bite her thumb. The situation that she was now presented with enraged her. She would have to figure out a way to sabotage this date.
Just then, she felt a hand fondle her back. Slightly surprised, Shishi jumped a little before turning around to face Mr. Li.
"Shishi, my dear. I never did offer you thanks for all that you have done. Maybe after this arrangement, we can set up something personal for ourselves?" He gazed into her eyes.
Shishi's heart nearly stopped. This had been the moment she was waiting for. If she could somehow stop Mr. Li from having a night with Zhao Xiaoyun, then she would be sure to lure him in with her charms.
"Of course. I am all yours. Do what you wish to me." Shishi gave him a seductive smile.
"Excellent. You will be next on my list. Look forward to an exciting night. Or would you prefer a little taste ahead of time?"
Mr. Li bent over, pushing her against the desk. Her back rested gently on the bare portion of it. Stroking her outer thigh, his lips now dangled slightly over her own, his breath teasing her nose. She wanted to melt against the heat of his body.
Suddenly, Mr. Li jerked up. Confused, Shishi looked up in surprise at the sudden action. He was staring out the window.
"Is that..a flying truck?"
Shishi wasn't sure she heard him correctly. Did he say a 'flying truck'? They were in an office building many stories up. She must've heard wrong. But as she turned around to look, her gaze froze, and her jaw hung slack.
For some reason, a truck was sailing in the air, flying towards their direction. It was tethered to a plane flying above it, which speedily closed the distance between them. By the time they realized that the plane was neither slowing down nor turning, their feet were slow to react.
"It's going to crash into the building! Save me!" Mr. Li shrieked as he backed away and bolted for the door.
Shishi was still laying on the desk. It would be too late even if she tried to run now. She watched in horror as the tether was released, essentially throwing the truck at them. There was no doubt in her mind that it was going to plow into this office.
"So, this is how it ends?" Shishi closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable crash that would erase her life.
The glass shattered as the loud revving of an engine tore its way into the office. Those that were working in the building at the time felt an explosion rock the floors above, causing everyone to stop what they were doing.
At first, people thought it was an earthquake, but the loud noise had clearly happened above them. That was the day that everything changed for the WeiLi group.
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Diesel cursed after he was teleported away from the scene of the wreckage. Kami-sama had the bright idea of an aerial service once again. Given that he had just promised to commit himself to his job more seriously, he had agreed to it.
"It couldn't be any worse than last time, right? Hah, I was just fooling myself! If only I had known that I was going to be carried for miles and miles hanging on a harness as a plane lifted me into sky. I want my hazard pay, Kami-sama! You know that I'm afraid of heights!"
Kami-sama give him a strained smile. "That would've taken the fun out of it. You did an excellent job, especially since I gave you the option of which one to send for the request."
"Well, if I had a choice, I would've sent them both, but you said that they only needed one villain, right? Had to choose the worse of the evils."
"Ohoho. Good thinking. It looks like this world's problem will be permanently solved thanks to you. Had you picked the other choice, someone else would've just filled into that role eventually."
"Yeah, yeah. I had a feeling that would've been the case. After watching the whole drama play out, it seemed like any other CEO romance story that I skimmed through before."
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Moments before.
Shishi opened her eyes. The dust in the air still had not settled down. She coughed as a layer of it had made its way into her mouth, spitting it out.
She was alive? How could that be?
A cursory look around the room had revealed the horrible state that it had become. At the far end of the room where the entrance was, a truck rested there. It was the truck that she had seen flying towards them. It had somehow sailed above the desk, missing her completely.
Instead, a pool of blood had gathered where it had ended up. The only one who had been standing there at the time was Mr. Li!
She hurriedly got up and went over to check on him. As she saw the pale expression upon what remained of his face, she knew that there was no saving him.
Shishi felt the strength give out from her knees. The dream was over. Her love had been killed. What would she do now? What had all her efforts up to this point been for?
She mourned her lost for a moment, thinking that she had lost everything.
But wait, had she?
She reconsidered her options now.
She knew plenty about the company to keep it going. Her abilities were irreplaceable assets. It was impossible for them to do without her, since she was in the know for every project that Mr. Li had been involved in. No one else could step in at a moment's notice, now that he was gone.
Though she felt like she had a broken heart, what had been the reason for her dogged pursuit of Mr. Li's affection in the first place? It had mainly been to set herself up for life. The easiest way would've been to be the CEO's wife, but now, another option lingered in her mind.
Why not be the CEO herself? She had the capability. She had the charisma and the drive. She certainly had the following from her coworkers to pave the way for approval.
Shishi smiled widely, a smile that showed off her genuine self for the first time in a while. If anyone else had been present, surely, her smile would've looked out of place among that dismal scene.
But she didn't care. She was no longer a puppet. She was no longer one of those jealous women pursuing a handsome lead. Who cared about Li Cheng Han? She had no reason to look down on Zhao Xiaoyun either.
They were no longer the star roles. This was now her story to tell.