1 I transmigrated into a CEO romance novel, becoming the CEO's secretary—and a minor female villain. My name is Sarah Shen. Honestly, it's not exactly transmigration; I just suddenly realized I'm living inside a book. It's a melodramatic angst-fest called After His Wife Left, Mr. Li Begged for Forgiveness in the Crematorium. The male lead is my boss, Lucas Li. As a child, he was saved by the female lead, Sophia Song, but he mistakenly thought it was her sister, Sunny Song. Later, Sunny died in a car accident, and all evidence pointed to Sophia. Lucas sent her to prison. Years later, she gets out, they have a tumultuous entanglement, Lucas discovers the truth, regrets everything, and successfully wins her back. Why do I believe this ridiculous story? Because my boss, Lucas Li, really doesn't like his wife, Sophia Song. He really did love her sister, Sunny. And Lucas really did send Sophia to prison. But none of this has anything to do with me, a minor character who appears in the first few chapters to mock the female lead and pine for the male lead. The problem is, this book has a bug. I never mocked the female lead, and I don't love the male lead. I'm in love with the male lead's 24/7, on-call, all-powerful assistant and bodyguard—Ethan York. Yes, the man behind every CEO. Why him? Don't let his cold, "don't come near me" exterior fool you. He acts just like his boss, ruthless in business. But actually, he is incredibly cute! If he says one sentence to me, his ears turn red. Accidental physical contact makes him freeze up, eyes glazed, stuttering. This... is a certified pure boy! I seriously suspect he likes me too! Although the book describes him as emotionless and cold as a machine, to me, Sarah Shen, that's nothing. Sisters, I'm going to chase my love! Okay, maybe I'm too naive. The plot has reached the point where Sophia Song is released from prison and escapes. Lucas Li, furious upon hearing the news, declares: "Damn woman, how dare you run?" He immediately sends Ethan York to catch her. Now I can't even see Ethan's shadow, while Lucas handles business alone in the office. I don't see any hidden love for the heroine here. Pah, scumbag. I'm sitting in my office chair, typing a word occasionally, humming a tune. I'm bored because no one dares to provoke Lucas right now; anyone who goes in comes out crying. Sigh, he cares about the heroine but doesn't realize it. Ah, I miss my little Ethan. Is he hungry? Did he eat? Did he catch the heroine... Looking at my phone, I suddenly have a bold idea. I open WeChat and find Ethan's contact. Our last interaction was still "I accepted your friend request, now we can chat." What should I send? "Hi!" ...Too stupid. "Assistant York, did you eat?" Eat, eat, all I know is eat! Help, what can I send that isn't awkward but still polite? I typed and deleted, typed and deleted. Unbeknownst to me, on the other end, Ethan was staring at the "Typing..." status, so nervous he could cry. "Tsk, why is my phone lagging?" I started tapping randomly on the screen. Nothing happened until I tapped the video call button. Suddenly, as if possessed, it started dialing... It... dialed. I froze, stunned by this sudden "inspiration." Before I could hang up, the video connected. !!! "A... Assistant York, good morning." I gave an awkward smile and a stiff wave. Good morning? It's noon! I want to strangle myself. On the screen, he looked at me. He was wearing a black suit, his narrow eyes cold, lips pressed into a thin line. I noticed his eyes were slightly red. That damn Lucas Li must be overworking him. Lucas deserves his "crematorium" chasing arc. At that moment, Lucas Li sneezed in his office. Ethan looked at me, then glanced away. If you looked closely, he seemed a bit flustered. "Secretary Shen, g... good morning." 2 As he spoke, Ethan lowered his head slightly, afraid to look at me. Even through the video, his ears were visibly red. He seemed shy. Oh my god, that hit my soft spot so hard. I was melting from the cuteness, immediately picturing a shy golden retriever. Forgive my doting expression, which caused Ethan to quickly hang up the moment he glanced up at me. Me: ??? On the other side, Ethan clutched his phone, his cold mask crumbling. He rested his forehead in his hand and laughed. Sarah is... too cute. Days of exhaustion were swept away. Ethan looked at the call log—less than five minutes—and silently took a screenshot. This was his first video call with Sarah. His photo album also had a screenshot of Sarah adding him on WeChat. He didn't use WeChat before. When Sarah wanted to add him, he panicked and immediately set one up just for her. So, his only contact was Sarah. Just one is enough, hehe. There was also a photo of Sarah eating with him (actually a company dinner where we sat together). And the coffee Sarah gave him (actually, I gave one to every employee—don't ask, it's survival). Ethan looked at the photos and smiled with satisfaction, then felt a pang of loss. He and Sarah shouldn't just have this... there should be more... (Boy, your thoughts are dangerous.) Back to me. Hung up on, I was confused. The only explanation was that Ethan was stunned by my beauty. Sigh, what a cutie. I realized Ethan seems to care a lot about his character setting in the book. But he probably doesn't realize his acting is terrible, or rather, his ears and mouth can't keep up with his performance. The next day. I was still a hardworking employee, but with a twist—drama was unfolding. Our heroine was caught while escaping and brought to the company. I sat in my exclusive drama-watching spot, watching Ethan lead a slow-moving woman. This is the heroine, Sophia Song. She kept her head down, face pale, wrapped tightly in clothes that couldn't hide her frailty. Three years of prison crushed a woman's dignity and love. The light in her eyes was gone, replaced by a dead pool. She walked like a zombie. Huh? You ask why I'm suddenly so poetic? Oh, I just copied the original book's description. That... doesn't count as plagiarism, right? Actually, I was only focused on Ethan. I stared at him the whole way. I stared so hard he started walking with the same arm and leg forward. But this block of wood still wouldn't look at me, staring resolutely ahead. Fine, for the sake of his character, I silently withdrew my gaze. When they reached the CEO's office, I looked again. Ethan stood sideways at the door, gesturing for Sophia to enter: "Madam, the boss is waiting inside." No emotion at all. Ethan truly was like the cold robot described in the book. He seemed to be like this with everyone else. Sophia's dull eyes finally rippled. She looked at Ethan with sorrow: "Assistant York, why?" She had begged him to let her go, but was brought back anyway. What was the difference between here and that place? Except behind this door was a man more terrifying than prison. So pitiful, my heart broke watching. Unfortunately, Ethan remained unmoved, not even blinking: "Madam, I am just following orders." Actually, I understand Ethan. Lucas Li is the kind of "great" boss who ships employees to Africa for making mistakes. Plus, the book emphasizes Ethan's loyalty. But that didn't stop me from being annoyed at the current Ethan. So I ran to the bathroom to cool off. (Actually, yesterday's hot pot upset my stomach.) Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the bathroom, Ethan followed. He stopped when he saw I went into the ladies' room. Many female employees going in and out saw the boss's assistant standing at the door like a guardian deity and didn't dare enter. Inside, I was puzzled by the unprecedented silence. Because he was at the company, Ethan dared not show much expression, leaving his mind to run wild. "Is Sarah angry? Her cheeks were puffed out." "The book says girls get angry mostly because of jealousy. Is it because I was too close to Madam just now?" "The book also says when a girl is angry, you have to coax her, treat her to dinner and movies, and give gifts. What gift does Sarah like..." ... 3 I washed my hands and walked out of the bathroom. I immediately saw Ethan with his head down, deep in thought at the door. I stopped in my tracks. Seeing me come out, he panicked, his thoughts scattered, trying his best to maintain his reasonably well-managed cold face. Seeing him like this, juxtaposed with the cold robot from earlier, the contrast was hilarious. Only I could see it. I suppressed a laugh and greeted him: "Assistant York, something the matter?" He looked at me, face flushed, and seemingly mustered great courage to say: "Secretary Shen, are you angry?" ...Okay, from his look earlier, I thought he was going to confess his love. I overthought it. This block of wood won't bloom that easily. But noticing my mood from so far away... I was touched. Ethan really hits all my soft spots. I shook my head to indicate I wasn't angry, but Ethan's eyes seemed disappointed. Me??? So you want me to be angry? I sighed silently. Holding the philosophy that wood won't bloom without watering, I decided to take the initiative. "Assistant York, are you free for dinner this week?" A few days later. Ethan and I agreed to meet at a mall. Everything would be perfect... if the heroine wasn't there. God, if I sinned, let the law punish me, not Lucas Li demanding I go shopping with his wife and having Ethan guard us. My pink-bubble fantasies were popped by Lucas Li. If not for the overtime pay, I might have fought him. Ethan followed behind us. I didn't need to turn around to feel his low pressure. He didn't dare fight his boss either. We really are a pair of star-crossed lo... no, star-crossed wage slaves. Wearing my professional smile, I asked the numb-looking Sophia Song with concern: "Madam, is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Sophia stopped, turned to me with dull eyes: "Can I leave this place?" My smile froze... No, really no. If you leave, Ethan and I are booking a multi-year tour to Africa tomorrow. I didn't speak. Ethan moved to enact his robot protocols, but Sophia sneered: "Forget it. You're just his dogs anyway." Then she walked into a western restaurant. Me: Insulting. Too insulting. If not for the money, do you think I'd want to guard you? Today was supposed to be my sweet date with Ethan. I'm just a worker, why treat me like this! I was furious. But to avoid flying to Africa tomorrow, I forcefully swallowed my anger and turned to look at Ethan with grievance. Ethan didn't care about Sophia's words, but he cared about Sarah. "Sarah is wronged." He immediately remembered the book saying girls need coaxing when wronged, preferably physical comfort, like a hug. He didn't dare hug Sarah now. He hesitated, then reached out and held my hand, thumb rubbing it a few times like soothing a kitten. I stared wide-eyed at this sudden flirtation. The grievance in my heart vanished, replaced by warmth. The calluses on Ethan's hand tickled, but my face burned hotter. Ethan was even worse; he really gathered his courage to hold my hand. Soon, he let go. His first sentence was: "Secretary Shen, let's find Madam." ...... 4 Fine, seeing as this block of wood finally made progress, I'll forgive that sentence. I stepped forward with a smile, not caring if Ethan followed. I missed the silly grin he had while looking at his hand behind me. If I saw it, I would have taken a picture. Ethan looked at his hand, grinning like a fool. "Sarah's hand is so soft. Didn't want to let go. Good thing I controlled myself." "...Not washing this hand today." "Lucas Li, let me go. I've already paid for my sins..." "Let you go? Sophia Song, your sins can never be paid off in a lifetime!" "Why? I was in prison for three years. I have nothing left!" "Sunny's life is gone too! Three years isn't enough!" ...... Ethan and I stood outside the door, two cold faces listening to the fierce argument inside. Here's the situation: Lucas took Sophia to a banquet, watched coldly as she was humiliated, and when her family was mentioned, her suppressed emotions finally exploded. Lucas watched with a hidden joy he didn't even realize. He felt the proud Sophia Song of years ago was finally back... not the lowly woman who knelt at the drop of a hat. Sophia didn't want to endure it anymore. Brought to the company, she started arguing with him. Hence the opening scene. When Ethan told me the full story... My expression was: Lucas Li is sick. He is mentally ill. Before, he hated Sophia's pride, finding her arrogance annoying. Now he wants that proud Sophia back after destroying the very capital of her pride. I couldn't help glancing at Ethan beside me, worried if decades with Lucas twisted his worldview. Feeling my gaze, Ethan looked back. "Is Sarah scared?" "Boss is indeed too fierce. He scared Sarah." Lucas: ??? The argument inside continued. Lucas brought up Sophia's parents to threaten her into obedience. If she pleased him, he could help repay the Song family debts (forgot to mention, Lucas bankrupted the Song family). See, how "caring." Sophia quieted down instantly, tears in her eyes. She had long forgotten she was still the eldest Miss Song. The Miss Song who once obsessively loved the Li family heir. Unfortunately, it wasn't mutual. Lucas didn't like the look in Sophia's eyes. She used to look at him with joy. Now, only fear, terror, and a trace of hatred. He pretended not to care, hooked his lips, and adjusted his cuffs: "What? Miss Song is unwilling?" ... Ethan, don't stop me. Let me go in and teach Lucas the difference between being a human and being a dog. I clawed at the door. Ethan clawed at me. Perhaps worried I'd rush in and beat Lucas, he didn't know who to help. In the heat of the moment, he blurted out: "Sarah..."
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