The Forbidden Line

It wasn’t just Jiang Jifeng who was caught off guard. Wen Yang felt the same.

To prevent glare, the lights in the meeting room had been dimmed. The stray light from the projector flickered across his indifferent face, and as his deep eyes slightly narrowed to focus on her, Wen Yang’s heart skipped a beat.

Meeting in Beijing… was it truly a coincidence? If so, it was a cruel trick of fate.

Three seconds passed, yet it felt like an eternity. He eventually withdrew his gaze and returned his attention to the proposal on the screen.

The first time she met him, perhaps due to the presence of his elders, he was the picture of a refined, cultured gentleman with a gentle tone. The second time, at the Hong Kong Marriage Registry, he had been noticeably colder and more aloof.

Now, at their third meeting, he sat at the head of a massive conference table, the imposing aura of a powerful superior radiating from him completely.

Wen Yang didn’t know which one was the real Jiang Jifeng.

She pulled her thoughts back and focused on the presentation.

The screen displayed data on the sweet mandarins from Xin’an, Jiangmen, and Fang Hui began her report in a clear, formal voice. However, Jiang Jifeng’s arrival had been too sudden. The PPT had just been organized by Wen Yang minutes prior, and Fang Hui hadn’t had time to familiarize herself with it. Her delivery was stiff, and she found herself frequently reading directly from the slides: “Over the past few days, I visited the Xin’an District of Jiangmen City…”

Fang Hui paused, looking up at the screen. As a COO, this was her first time making such a blunder, and it was happening right in front of the new boss.

Before Fang Hui could recover, Jiang Jifeng raised a hand to interrupt. “Did you make this?”

He didn’t intentionally lower his voice, but his casual tone carried a terrifying weight. Even a veteran of the business world like Fang Hui couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. It sounded like a question, but it was a statement of fact.

Jiang Jifeng’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. On the third tap, Fang Hui offered a strained smile. “President Jiang, this PPT was made by my assistant, Wen Yang. She’s new, so the formatting might not be perfect. I was supposed to go to Jiangmen myself, but there was an issue with the livestreaming department, so I had Wen Yang go for the field inspection instead. However, I will be taking full responsibility for the agricultural series, including—”

“Sorry.” Jiang Jifeng’s low voice cut her off, sharp and uncompromising. “I don’t like people taking credit for others’ work.”

“The person who did the inspection and made the PPT should be the one to report.” He paused, his gaze landing on Wen Yang. “Wen Yang, you do it.”

Fang Hui’s long-winded explanation had already made Wen Yang’s heart race. It was clear that Jiang Jifeng was a strict taskmaster. Despite it being their first day working together, he had seen through Fang Hui instantly.

Being called out by a titan of industry like Jiang Jifeng, the workplace novice Wen Yang took a deep breath. She stood up and, in her best professional form, articulated the findings of the field research and the targeted strategy for the stagnating sales of the Xin’an sweet mandarins.

Throughout the entire report, she didn’t look at the PPT once. Every word was delivered perfectly. “The above is the report from Team A regarding the sales issues in Jiangmen.”

Jiang Jifeng leaned back in his executive chair, his black suit making his presence feel even more low-profile and dangerous. He stared at the screen, his expression unreadable—no one could tell if he was satisfied or not.

Just as everyone was holding their breath, Jiang Jifeng finally turned his gaze to Wen Yang. “What do you believe is the biggest factor behind agricultural stagnation? And what is the specific strategy? A PPT is just talk on paper; no matter how well it’s done, it doesn’t prove anything. I want to hear your personal thoughts on these two points.”

Wen Yang replied: “Most cases of stagnation are due to platform issues, supply capacity, logistics, and after-sales service. As for the strategy, I suggest providing convenient retail channels, expanding market reach, reducing sales links and costs, and increasing information transparency and trust.”

When she finished, Jiang Jifeng said neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad.’ Exactly thirty minutes had passed. He said simply: “Meeting adjourned.”

As Team A reached the door, Jiang Jifeng suddenly added: “Wen Yang, stay behind. I have questions for you.”

That tone… it didn’t sound like business!

The members of Team A caught the scent of gossip, especially Fang Hui. She glanced at Wen Yang, her eyes filled not with curiosity but with fear that the new boss would bypass her and blame Wen Yang directly for the project’s shortcomings.

But Wen Yang knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. In fact, she had questions for him, too.

Xiao Gao politely pulled out a chair for Wen Yang. She didn’t refuse and sat opposite Jiang Jifeng. The lights in the room had been turned back up, white and piercingly bright.

Jiang Jifeng opened his metal cigarette case, intending to smoke, but then perhaps remembering the presence of a lady, he placed the case on the table instead. He lifted his eyes and got straight to the point.

“Did the Old Man arrange for you to be here?”

His tone, gaze, posture, and movements were all utterly nonchalant. It made Wen Yang feel incredibly uncomfortable.

She knew that he, too, found it absurd and suspiciously convenient to meet in the same company in the same city. But for him to immediately assume she was “arranged” denied her own hard work. It framed her as a woman obsessed with him, chasing the Jiang family’s golden boy all the way to Beijing.

He isn’t the only one who was forced into this; I was too.

The words swirled in her mouth. This marriage had started with her grandfather shamelessly seeking out the Jiang family. In that regard, she was at a disadvantage. Realizing this, she restrained herself and replied politely, “President Jiang, I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know if ‘here’ refers to Beijing or this company, but both were my own choices and decisions.”

Jiang Jifeng gave a soft, dry laugh. It was the first time she had seen him smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He dismissed her claim with a light air: “There are no such coincidences.”

“Wen Yang, tell the truth. I won’t blame you.”

This was a man who timed his project reports to the second. She didn’t think he was the type to engage in idle chatter. To a man like him, once he decided on a reality, it was fact.

But Wen Yang hated this type of “self-determined” conversation the most. He made it sound as if she and the Jiang family patriarch were co-conspirators with an ulterior motive.

“I said no, but if you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.” Wen Yang stopped entertaining him. In the office, they were boss and employee, but as they were discussing private matters, she was legally his wife—their status was equal. He had no right to interrogate her so rudely. “I came to Beijing to be far away from Hong Kong. Now that meetings are unavoidable, I ask that you do not seek me out privately in the office again.”

“It’s best if we both act as if this relationship doesn’t exist.”

She had said her piece, regardless of whether she offended him. She stood up and left, leaving Xiao Gao and Jiang Jifeng alone.

Assistant Xiao Gao looked down, his heart pounding like a drum. Miss Wen looked delicate and sweet, but when she spoke, she was formidable. In his ten years of working for Jiang Jifeng, this was the first time he had seen someone talk back to the boss.

Xiao Gao didn’t want the families to clash, so he cut in: “President Jiang, it’s possible the Madam was also surprised to see you in Beijing.”

She was, after all, his legal wife. Calling her “Madam” was only proper. However, the title made Jiang Jifeng pause for a moment. He lit a cigarette, the minty smoke stinging his throat. After a silence, he said: “If she wasn’t arranged by the Old Man, then try to keep her presence in Beijing a secret from him.”

Otherwise, there was no telling what the Old Man would do.

Xiao Gao: “And regarding the Madam in the office…?”

“Didn’t she say it herself?” Act as if the relationship doesn’t exist.

Actually, this was for the best. He didn’t want to waste energy maintaining a loveless marriage. Now that she had drawn a line he wasn’t allowed to cross, he could invest 100% of his energy into his career. It was exactly what he wanted.

Wen Yang returned to Team A, and Fang Hui was the first to rush over. “What did the boss want?”

Fang Hui was curious, but mostly scared. Wen Yang wanted to say they were discussing Xin’an, but she didn’t want to create unnecessary misunderstandings—after all, the boss had just publicly criticized Fang Hui for taking credit.

She couldn’t exactly say they were discussing their marriage. After thinking it over, she remembered what the director had said on WeChat and fabricated a lie: “When everyone went down to welcome him, I wasn’t there. The boss said he noticed my absence and asked where I was. I suppose… he thinks I don’t take the welcoming ceremonies seriously.”

It was a ridiculous excuse, but the ridiculous thing was that everyone in Team A believed it.

The others whispered: “What? Is he that petty? Scolding you privately just because you missed the welcome?”

Fang Hui asked: “Nothing else?” Wen Yang shook her head. She knew Fang Hui was asking about work. She said firmly: “Nothing.”

Fang Hui still looked skeptical. However, Wen Yang had no time to worry about her. She was restless, wondering if Jiang Jifeng would tell the Jiang family about what she said, causing a rift between the two houses. Could she even stay at this company?

But then she realized he likely agreed with her. He probably wanted the relationship to be non-existent too. If that were the case, it would be perfect. They were just strangers with a certificate, after all.

Half an hour later, Fang Hui was called into the meeting room.

Between Wen Yang being kept behind and Fang Hui being summoned, Team A was in a frenzy of whispers. They speculated that the boss was going after Fang Hui for taking credit or for letting an assistant handle a field trip. They were terrified of the new boss’s strictness.

While Wen Yang was wondering about the outcome, the director, Ke Li, rolled her chair over. “I actually think President Jiang did the right thing,” Ke Li whispered. “Fang Hui dumped the hard work on you and tried to enjoy the results. You shouldn’t have been so obedient and given her the PPT.”

Wen Yang didn’t want to hold a grudge. She was new and hadn’t completed her probation; it was only natural to do more. She smiled gently. “It’s all the same. It’s the result of Team A’s hard work.”

Only someone as good-natured as Wen Yang would say that, Ke Li thought. She gave up on the topic. Over the past month, she had learned Wen Yang’s personality: obedient and sweet. Any task Fang Hui gave her was completed excellently. Perhaps she really needed this job.

Ke Li changed the subject. “Don’t you think the new boss is handsome? I’ve seen top idols who aren’t as good-looking as him. And his aura is incredible, don’t you think?”

Wen Yang admitted that Jiang Jifeng was attractive. His beauty wasn’t ordinary; it was as if God had meticulously carved his features.

Ke Li pressed for an answer. Wen Yang could only nod vaguely. “Mhm, he’s quite handsome.”

“‘Quite’?” Ke Li looked at Wen Yang, wanting to say her standards were too high. But then she saw Wen Yang’s face.

Wen Yang was sitting near a floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the first snow was falling, a blanket of white. She looked like an elf emerging from the snow. Her wavy long hair fell to her waist. Even without makeup, her skin was like white jade. Her almond eyes were full, her nose was petite, and her lips were pink and moist. She looked like a delicately carved porcelain doll.

She was famously beautiful at Shengle Media. The COO of the 7th floor, who handled streamers, had tried to recruit her several times, but she had always politely declined.

A person that beautiful truly had the right to have high standards.

Ke Li was about to say more when Fang Hui walked out. She went straight to Wen Yang’s desk and tapped on it. “President Jiang wants us to turn today’s PPT into a written proposal. We need to work overtime tonight to get it to him.”

Fang Hui’s tone was gentle. It seemed that Jiang Jifeng’s request for the proposal had put her at ease; she no longer feared being fired over the PPT incident. This also made her fully believe Wen Yang’s lie about the “welcoming ceremony.” She even comforted Wen Yang: “I feel like the boss is the type to focus on the task, not the person. Don’t take the welcome thing to heart. Just work hard.”

Wen Yang nodded.

The proposal was just an expanded version of the PPT, but it still required effort. By the time they finished the meal ordered by HR, it was 8:00 PM. Team A, having experienced the boss’s strictness, stayed to work even if they weren’t directly involved in the proposal. Behind them was Meeting Room No. 1; people had been filing in and out all day. Each group got exactly 30 minutes. The timing was impeccable.

At 8:15 PM, Wen Yang finished printing the proposal and gave it to Fang Hui. Fang Hui carried it into Meeting Room No. 1. Wen Yang sat at her desk, sipping ginger tea to warm up, waiting for Fang Hui to return in case there were edits.

Five minutes later, the door opened. She thought it was Fang Hui, but she turned to see Jiang Jifeng. He was leaving. His assistant was helping him into his coat while whispering to him.

The proposal she had just worked overtime to finish was gripped in his large, well-defined hand. His expression was flat. He paused as his assistant adjusted the collar of his knee-length coat. For a brief three or four seconds, his gaze shifted toward the window and met hers.

In that moment of eye contact, she saw his deep eyes, carrying a hint of nonchalance. Wen Yang felt that he seemed to handle everything with effortless ease, always maintaining an air of calm composure.

Wen Yang lowered her eyes and pretended to be busy. A few seconds later, the tall silhouette was gone from her peripheral vision.

Ke Li, who was still sitting next to her, nudged her. “Did you see that? The boss looked over here! I’m certain he was looking at your seat! He even stared for a few seconds before leaving!”

Perhaps it was because of their hidden secret, but Wen Yang felt a surge of guilt. She stammered softly, “Maybe… he just… remembered who I am.”

Ke Li patted her shoulder. “Don’t think too much. You do such great work; he won’t make things hard for you. But try to avoid him in the future. If he gets in a bad mood, he might pull you aside to scold you again.”

Wen Yang: “……Mhm.”

At the Bvlgari Hotel ballroom, toward the end of a cocktail party, someone mentioned the proposal Jiang Jifeng had brought with him.

Jiang Jifeng sat at the head of the table. The man next to him said, “President Jiang, your company is full of talent. This proposal is perfect—more sophisticated than many in our circle. I’d guess the author has several years of industry experience.”

Jiang Jifeng took the offered drink and took a shallow sip. Wen Yang’s face appeared in his mind.

He didn’t like to judge whether a woman was “pretty,” because beauty shouldn’t define a woman. He had met many types of people and could read them well, but no matter how many times he saw her, Wen Yang’s eyes were always clear as water.

The Elder Jiang had chosen her partly because of an old promise, but also because, after meeting her, he loved her clean and pure nature. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed the marriage registration.

She said she came to Beijing to be far from Hong Kong, proving she had no heart for this relationship either. In private matters, he had no comment, but in professional matters, her proposal was indeed excellent.

He vaguely recalled his grandfather mentioning she had just graduated this summer. She was twenty-two.

Upon returning to his residence, Jiang Jifeng received a call from the Elder Jiang.

His brow furrowed and his temples throbbed. He had been so busy with meetings and social functions today that he had forgotten to suppress the news of Wen Yang being in Beijing. An afternoon was more than enough time for the Old Man to find out.