Confessing To An Annoying Boss

Qiao Ziman forced out an awkward smile, thinking, Great, she caught me being confrontational again. My impression score must have dropped to the eighteenth level of hell by now.

Chi Yin’s face remained emotionless as she said, “Come with me,” and then turned to walk away.

The lack of a formal address but clear direction made Qiao Ziman’s heart tighten. Still, she thought she couldn’t show fear in front of Liu Dahai, so she calmly replied, “Oh,” and followed with her head held high.

Today, Chi Yin was wearing a fitted black dress, which, compared to the sultry outfit from their first meeting, looked more formal. Over her shoulders, she draped a matching silk jacket adorned with silver chains. Qiao Ziman recognized the brand—it was a high-end Italian luxury label, with even the cheapest items costing six figures.

Qiao Ziman felt that Chi Yin’s already formidable aura was amplified several times by the expensive outfit. Even the sound of her high heels clicking on the marble floor made Qiao Ziman nervous, and she began to mentally prepare her explanation.

The two of them entered the office one after the other. Chi Yin: “Please, have a seat.”

Qiao Ziman obediently complied, sitting stiffly on the edge of the sofa. Chi Yin began attending to her work and the office suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

What’s going on? Qiao Ziman wondered.

Chi Yin took a few calls, still showing no intention of addressing Qiao Ziman.

Qiao Ziman, having prepared herself, finally spoke up, “President Chi, I…”

Chi Yin calmly interrupted, “Please wait a moment.”

Qiao Ziman swallowed back all the words she had prepared.

Knock knock.

Chi Yin: “Come in.”

Someone came in with a stack of documents that had piled up over the past few days. Feeling a bit bored, Qiao Ziman discreetly observed Chi Yin out of the corner of her eye. The woman had her long curly hair neatly tucked behind her ear, revealing a sharp, well-defined profile. Her eyes were cold and piercing. She handled her work with swift precision, always pointing out the oversights concisely.

A group of people gathered around the desk, not daring to breathe loudly. Qiao Ziman also felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Half an hour passed, then another half an hour. Waves of people came and went, then came again. 

How long is she going to make me wait? She’s doing this on purpose, right? Qiao Ziman’s frustration grew, and whatever nervousness she had completely evaporated. She stood up and called out with a bit of force, “President Chi!”

Chi Yin paused her writing and looked over at her, a hint of a smile in her eyes. “Sorry for the wait.”

Qiao Ziman was momentarily dazzled by that soft smile, and most of her anger dissipated. She pulled out the draft she had prepared earlier and started, “President Chi, I wanted to explain what happened before.”

“Is it related to work?” A slightly stern voice interrupted Qiao Ziman, and she looked up in shock. Chi Yin’s expression had returned to its usual coldness, as if that smile earlier had been her imagination.

Qiao Ziman rubbed her eyes, “. . . no.”

Chi Yin glanced at her watch, her gaze growing even colder. “This is work time.”

“Okay.” Qiao Ziman swallowed her words back down.

“Qiao Ziman?” Chi Yin called out to her.

“Hmm?” Qiao Ziman was a bit dazed and confused.

Chi Yin pulled out a stack of drafts from the drawer, and Qiao Ziman recognized them as the designs she had submitted to the client. Yesterday, Qiao Ziman had communicated with the client, and they were very satisfied with her design. All that was left was the company executives’ approval.

Qiao Ziman was a bit puzzled and asked, “President Chi, is there an issue?”

Chi Yin handed her the drafts and calmly said, “It needs revisions.”

Qiao Ziman frowned, “Why?” 

She had spent three months pouring her heart and soul into this project, from researching to designing scenes and characters. She was confident it was perfect. Taking her work seriously, Qiao Ziman looked Chi Yin directly in the eyes, without flinching, “Give me a reason.”

Chi Yin didn’t rush to explain. She took out a thermos from her bag, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of water.

…This person is so weird, using a thermos in the middle of summer.

Chi Yin, speaking to herself, said, “It can hold ice water too.”

Qiao Ziman’s face flushed with embarrassment, having her thoughts seen through. She raised her voice, “Who asked you about that?”

Chi Yin’s lips barely curved into a smile, but in the next instant, as their eyes met, the smile vanished. She said seriously, “I’ve heard about you, Qiao Ziman. You switched careers midway and still managed to advance to the top of your field through hard work, but is this really the extent of your ability?” 

“In the field of concept art, the most critical skill is sensitivity to color. Even slight deviations can drastically change the conveyed atmosphere. I’ve marked a few areas with color discrepancies. Rework them, considering the character’s development.” Chi Yin’s tone softened, “I believe in you. But if you can’t do it, that’s okay; the client is willing to accept some flaws.”

Naturally competitive, Qiao Ziman snapped, “Who said I can’t?” She snatched the drafts and immediately began revising them after leaving Chi Yin’s office.

In no time, the morning had flown by. Qiao Ziman stretched at her desk, ready to take a breather. As she zoned out, it suddenly dawned on her—had she just been manipulated? What was all that ‘I believe in you’ talk? Wasn’t it just empty praise? This President Chi was no ordinary person.

Just then, Chi Yin and the HR manager walked over. The HR manager clapped their hands, “Everyone, please pause your work. We have an announcement to make.”

Everyone turned their attention to them. The HR manager continued, “President Chi is still getting familiar with the company and needs a capable employee who knows the company well to assist her. Secretary Gao, who usually works with President Wang, is on leave for her wedding, so President Chi plans to temporarily select someone from among you elite employees to serve as her assistant.”

Everyone seemed eager; after all, this was a great opportunity to get noticed by the leadership. But Qiao Ziman didn’t see it that way. This woman was trouble, and Qiao Ziman had no intention of getting involved.

But Chi Yin’s gaze lingered on her.

Chi Yin even walked right up to her, tapping the table with her fingers. “It’s you, Qiao Ziman.”