The weather was good today, but Li Meng's mood was irritated by the lecherous man in front of her.

Before her eyes, an ugly display of cordiality was being played out on the face adorned with layers of fat.

"Miss Li Meng, isn't it destiny's arrangement that we coincidentally meet here? How serendipitous! Isn't it? Ha ha, isn't it?"

Huo Mingchen held a medium-rare steak in his left hand and a hot cup of cocoa in his right. His face was adorned with a villainous grin, it felt so unnatural from inside out, nauseating, ugly, lecherous...

"Miss Li, you are so slim, men won't like that. I understand men. For a woman, some parts need to be fuller."

Li Meng slammed her chopsticks down with a "snap", her tone filled with anger.

"Mr. Huo." After a few seconds, Li Meng tried to control her erupting emotions.

"I didn't invite you to join me for lunch. There are many vacant seats. Please change your seat."

Huo Mingchen chuckled, picked up a cut piece of steak, put it in his mouth, and started chewing loudly. It seemed as if Li Meng was the medium-rare steak that was about to be swallowed by him.

He licked the sauce on his hand, casually touched Li Meng's fair hand, tenderly rubbing it, all the while whilst talking provocatively.

"Don't be so angry, it's bad for health. Look at you, you earn so much money, treating me to a few meals won't hurt. Why be upset. How about from now on, I pay!" Huo Mingchen acted as if he had done a good deed.

"Besides, won't what is yours be mine in the future? Why differentiate between you and me now!" He said, while slyly moving closer to Li Meng.

Li Meng could no longer tolerate it and forcefully withdrew her hand from his greasy fat one.

This guy was shamelessly trying to take advantage!

"Mr. Huo, I was clear last time that we are not suitable. Today, I am reiterating that, Mr. Huo, there is absolutely no relationship between us. Please do not disturb my meal."

Huo Mingchen's face darkened. He thought to himself, "She's already an old maid; if it weren’t for her remaining allure, why would I put in so much effort to win her over? She should be grateful I'm wasting my brain cells on her."

Huo Mingchen tried to regain his composure, aiming to intimidate Li Meng and deflate her arrogance.

"Miss Li, how old are you now? If I'm not mistaken, you're already twenty-six. Do you know what that age implies to men? Let me tell you. It implies that you've lost your competitiveness in vying for men."

He said all this with a smirk, but his eyes kept wandering over Li Meng, full of mischief.

"But me, I truly admire you, Miss Li. I'd like to share a living space with you, so we can learn more about each other. As for accommodation, let's move into my place first. We will split the rent. Let's simulate life as a married couple; with the spouse cooking, doing laundry, and cleaning. Remember, no more dating other men."

Li Meng's face turned pale with anger, and she retorted, "Mr. Huo, please show some respect!"

"Huh? Where did I disrespect you, Miss Li?" Huo Mingchen feigned confusion, his face an image of innocence.

"Without cohabitation, how would we know if we're suitable for each other? Matrimonial harmony encompasses many factors, not just daily living but also... certain other aspects which we'll only know after trying. Despite your high-income job and beauty, exams will be administered if you wish to be my wife. As far as marriage is concerned, I don't just pick any woman to be my wife."

"Are you done, Mr. Huo?"

Li Meng sneered in anger, coldly pushing back her chair and standing up. She couldn’t believe that she'd been entangled with such a rogue for so long.

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Huo. I'll be leaving now." Li Meng settled her portion of the bill, picked up her bag, and swiftly walked towards the door. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between this plague and her.

Just as she was about to exit, Huo Mingchen's deliberately loud voice echoed from behind, "Having a meal with the fiancé and not even willing to split the bill once? You're too money-minded."

Li Meng's footsteps came to a halt; she spun around and retorted loudly. When her reputation was at stake, she couldn't help but argue with such trash.

"Mr. Huo, if you keep speaking without evidence, I'm calling the police accusing you of harassment. Lastly, let me announce again, even if I, Li Meng, can't get married this lifetime, I won't give you a second glance."

Ignoring the curious stares from the crowd, Li Meng stormed out of the restaurant, her body trembling with rage.

Huo Mingchen, who just moments ago had been smug, now looked ashen-faced, his eyes bloodshot as he stuttered out an explanation to the people around him, insisting that it had all been a misunderstanding.

Through the glass window, Li Meng saw the guests in the restaurant all pointing and whispering about Huo Mingchen, which made her feel a little better.

Truly an awful day, she thought. Not only hadn't she got a chance to eat, but also had to put up with an awful man. Glancing at her wristwatch, she noticed it was almost time for work. Hastily, she started to sprint towards the subway station.

But something felt off. In her haste, she had exerted too much force, and the strap of her bra had come undone, bobbing slightly within her shirt as she ran.

With crowds of shoppers all around, she couldn't find a place to adjust her clothes discreetly. Noticing the nearby shopping center just a few steps away, she figured she could use the restroom there.

After a few more steps, however, her situation worsened, as the other strap of the bra snapped off, causing it to hang loosely inside her blouse.

Crossing her arms over her chest to hold her bra in place, she scanned the area, pretending to be deep in thought while looking around for a secluded spot.

A hotel was close by, the back door located in a narrow alley where a BMW was conveniently parked. If she hid in the narrow space between the car and the wall, she hoped she would go unnoticed.

Slipping quickly into the small wedge, Li Meng let out a sigh of relief, swiftly unbuttoned her shirt to expose her pale shoulders, adjusted the straps, brushed against the car window to flatten her blouse, accentuating a crease, and buttoned up her shirt again, smoothing out her messy hair as an afterthought.

She exhaled a long sigh in relief, thinking how she got away with it remarkably, without causing any sensation.

At that moment, however, to her complete surprise, the car window slowly rolled down.

Bit by bit, a handsome man's face became visible through the car window. The man had just enjoyed a vaudeville show, and the carefree grin lingering on his face hadn't entirely faded away yet.

When the car window was fully lowered, the man turned his head sideways with his arm resting on the window, gazing at Li Meng ponderously.

The angular outline, the exquisite facial features… Li Meng recognized him…

Feeling embarrassed, Li Meng bowed her head deeply. Even standing in a busy street adjusting her shoulder strap was a better option than embarrassing herself in front of him.

"Who knew that Assistant Li is a woman of depth!" The man stared at Li Meng's upper body with his hand propped beneath his chin, appearing as though he was savoring something.

Subconsciously, Li Meng covered her upper body with both hands, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"President… President Qu, I didn't notice it was your car in my hurry…" Li Meng wasn't lying. Who would bother to check the plate number at such a crucial moment? To verify whether or not it's the boss's car.

"Oh, so… then, you…" Qu Jianhua seemed to be absorbed in the scene that had just unfolded, unable to snap out of it.

"I simply rushed over here and adjusted my attire. I didn't deliberately try to seduce you." Li Meng quickly interjected. She couldn't explain reasonably why she happened to be standing in front of her boss's car and getting undressed…

This was an unmistakable act of seduction.

"Oh, finished explaining?"

"Yes!" After answering, Li Meng froze. She felt as though she had fallen into some sort of trap but she couldn't tell where the trap was.

Qu Jianhua pursed his lips, showing a subtle smile not easily noticeable.

"Well, if it wasn't for seduction, then move aside, you're blocking me from reversing."

"Oh, okay."

Li Meng felt a mix of joy and sorrow. The boss was about to drive away – what a reprieve! She hastily made way for him.

Standing aside, she watched as the boss backed up his car and then drove off.

But unexpectedly, Qu Jianhua reversed and came back, stopping his car right next to Li Meng.

"Get in," Qu Jianhua commanded in a no-nonsense tone.

"I'll take a taxi," Li Meng declared, determined not to interact with the boss any closer than ten meters, even if he deducted her salary or bonus...

"We only have twenty minutes," Qu Jianhua reminded her, indicating the urgency of the situation.

"I... I'll take a taxi," Li Meng's resolve was nearly crushed by Qu Jianhua's domineering attitude. But thinking of the possibility of being misunderstood and gossiped about by her co-workers, she persevered.

"Only the guilty are afraid," Qu Jianhua provoked her.

"I am not..."

"If you're not, then get in the car to prove your innocence," Qu Jianhua opened the passenger side door for Li Meng.

Sure enough, it worked...

Li Meng opened the car door, settled herself in the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt.

The moment the car began to move swiftly, Li Meng instantly regretted it. She felt she had been tricked. Now she wouldn't be able to explain herself.

She was essentially a lamb in a wolf's den. Li Meng nervously sat in the passenger seat, Qu Jianhua's handsome face continually looming in her peripheral vision. She couldn't help thinking of the glimpse she'd inadvertently caught earlier, and her face was burning hot, like a piece of coal.

Qu Jianhua drove unconcernedly, a constant grin tugging at the corners of his lips, unable to hide his apparent amusement.

"Mr. Qu." With courage summoned up, Li Meng decided to seize another opportunity to defend her own reputation.

"No conversation is allowed with the driver while driving," Qu Jianhua intentionally denied Li Meng the chance to speak.

"Um, can I step out of the car before we reach the company's entrance? I don't want our colleagues or acquaintances to see us together."

The steady-paced car suddenly swayed a little. It was Qu Jianhua's hand trembling from laughter that accidentally jerked the steering wheel.

"What? Together? You're making me get the wrong idea," Qu Jianhua said while laughing.

Li Meng really wished she could just bang her head and die. The boss easily caught her slip of the tongue again and took her as a laughing stock.

Forget it, thought Li Meng. He's the mighty boss who's never been involved in any scandal. He's not afraid of the subordinates gossiping and spreading rumors all over. Why should I, a minor employee, be scared?

In the end, Li Meng chose to remain silent, letting Qu Jianhua enjoy his laughter.