Chapter 562: I Really Do Need an Assistant!

Chapter 562: I Really Do Need an Assistant!

Li Ruobing stared at Wu Chen for several seconds, then gave him a strange look.

She clasped her hands behind her back, hooking her fingers together, and swayed her shoulders slightly as she walked around the foot of the bed at an unhurried pace. Her eyes stayed on Wu Chen, and a knowing, narrowed-eyed expression gradually spread across her face, as if to say, So this is what you’ve been waiting for.

At last, she reached the left side of the bed, where Wu Chen was sitting.

“Are you serious?” Li Ruobing bent down suddenly and leaned close to his face.

Sometimes the two of them spoke as though they were exchanging riddles. If someone else had been present, they would have had a hard time understanding what Li Ruobing meant by that abrupt question.

At certain moments, though, Li Ruobing could keep up with Wu Chen’s train of thought.

Translated more plainly, “Are you serious?” meant: Do you really want me to make it up to you through role-playing?

When Li Ruobing asked, she didn’t look resistant, nor could she quite be described as eager. “Curious” was the more accurate word. In her view, if a partner wanted something, it was acceptable as long as it wasn’t too outrageous or too perverse.

They were passionately in love. There was nothing strange about that.

The important thing was to keep it within reason.

Li Ruobing really was a little curious. Normally, she was genuinely cool and forceful. Sometimes, even when she realized that easing up would make a situation go more smoothly, she still refused to soften her stance. The image she’d maintained for years, along with her pride, made it difficult for her to accept doing that.

It was also why, socially, she was in some ways less adept than her younger brother, Li Ruotai.

But role-playing was different.

If the people around her knew she was only acting, then it wouldn’t be a question of pride or her true image. She could let herself go a little—though even then, Li Ruobing couldn’t completely let go.

She wasn’t sure how far she could go, and that was what made her curious.

“I am serious,” Wu Chen said with a smile, looking into her eyes. “But the specifics might not be what you’re imagining.”

“Is it something outrageous?” Li Ruobing’s expression shifted.

“Because you’re my girlfriend, from one perspective it really is outrageous, so you’re free to refuse.” Wu Chen gently pinched her delicate chin. “Let me remind you again: it’s outrageous in a way completely different from what you’re thinking. It’s not something that happens in bed.”

“Huh?” Li Ruobing was taken aback again, and a blush briefly spread across her face. She’d already imagined something extremely perverse, only for Wu Chen to say it wasn’t that kind of thing.

“What were you thinking just now?” Wu Chen asked, teasing her.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Li Ruobing shot him an annoyed, coquettish look and rested a hand on his waist. “You just wanted to embarrass me in front of you, didn’t you? You deliberately led me to think in that direction and then laughed at me…”

“Ow, pinching me again.” Wu Chen put on an exaggerated show of pain.

“Stop pretending. I barely used any force.” Li Ruobing took her hand away, straightened up, planted a hand on her hip, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Now tell me. What have you got planned? What do you want me to do?”

“I’ve made a decision.”

As he spoke, Wu Chen held out a hand. Li Ruobing gave him hers, and he idly played with her fingers.

“I’m getting busier by the day. I keep handling things personally, and the number of calls I take keeps increasing. It’s seriously interfering with our relationship, so I’ve decided to hire an assistant—someone who can help me take care of some of my affairs.”

“My dear Mr. Wu, your wording is very formal. ‘Busier by the day,’ ‘handling things personally’…” Li Ruobing imitated his smile and immediately began teasing him. “But given your track record and the way you’ve always behaved, let’s have the truth. Which woman have you set your sights on this time?” By the end, her tone had turned exasperated.

“Don’t make things up. I really am looking for an assistant,” Wu Chen said with a completely serious expression.

“She’ll be a woman, right?” Li Ruobing asked bluntly.

“Yes,” Wu Chen said, nodding.

“She’ll be beautiful, right?”

“Correct.”

“She’ll have an extraordinary background?”

“Mm… yes.”

“And eventually you’ll sleep with her?”

“Yes,” Wu Chen answered, still nodding.

Li Ruobing snatched her hand back, put her hands on her hips, took a deep breath, pressed her lips together, and glared at Wu Chen with an expression that said she was furious. She was barely stopping herself from swearing.

Every answer was yes! So why the hell was he denying it?

Damn it!

As if he knew what she was thinking, Wu Chen wagged a finger. “No, no, no! You need to get the logic straight. I genuinely need an assistant. That’s the prerequisite! There are so many people in the world, and I know a great deal about them. When I choose an assistant, ability comes first. I need someone who can take over the things I handle myself—even if she can only take over part of them. She has to be capable of handling them. That’s the most important thing!”

“If she doesn’t meet that requirement, I won’t hire her no matter how beautiful she is or how powerful her background might be. I really am serious!”

“Among all the people in the world, I don’t know everyone, but the number of people I do know is enormous. So there must be some who meet my requirements. I have options!”

“Once ability is established…”

“A woman would certainly be preferable. There are many things I do that it’s not convenient for a man to get involved in. For example… you women. You, Sister Rong, Qingying, and the others. I can’t let another man get involved in matters concerning you—not even let him know about them!”

“I believe you can understand a man’s possessiveness and sensitivity about private matters. As a man, there are things I can let a woman know, but not another man.”

“Then, on top of those two requirements, if I still have a choice, of course I’ll choose someone beautiful. At least she’ll be pleasant to look at. We’re visual creatures. If I can choose someone attractive, why would I pick someone unattractive? Liking what you see matters!”

“On top of those three requirements, there’s background. Someone who already has powerful connections and a strong network is obviously more suitable than someone without them. She can use her connections to help me, which makes her the better choice. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

“And finally… I need her absolute loyalty. She’s going to learn a great many of my secrets—possibly even more than you know. And she’s beautiful and has an extraordinary background. Isn’t the simplest way to ensure her loyalty… to add another woman to my life?”

Wu Chen spoke the entire time with a smile, his expression utterly earnest.

Li Ruobing stared at him in astonishment.

She even raised her hands.

Clap, clap, clap…

She applauded him several times. Wu Chen was incredible! He could actually say something like that! It was outrageous! And his reasoning was almost impossible to refute. Li Ruobing had to marvel at how strong his nerve was: he could deliver that speech with such a serious expression.

What amazed her even more was how completely Wu Chen had taken control of her state of mind.

She was now intensely curious.

Someone who could meet Wu Chen’s standards for ability was already an extreme rarity. Li Ruobing knew she herself didn’t qualify. Her personality was a problem: her excessive forcefulness could cause difficulties in social situations. Even setting that aside, she doubted she could take over some of the things Wu Chen handled personally. Her strength lay in business, not in Wu Chen’s particular way of doing things.

It was difficult to define the limits of Wu Chen’s abilities at all. He’d never revealed any weakness. Whatever he tried, he seemed to succeed. It was terrifying.

His thinking, his methods, his whole way of reasoning—all of it challenged people’s understanding of what was possible.

And yet he could find a “powerhouse” capable of taking over some of his work, who was also beautiful and well connected?

Could a woman that extraordinary really exist in this world?

Who was she? And…