The Substitute Bride - Yizhan

Chapter One 💐

While Zhan was busy with his work on the computer, he noticed Lan Wang Yibo, his incredibly attractive boss, walking in. He lifted his head.

"Good morning, Mr. Lan."

"Do I have an important appointment this morning, Zhan?" Yibo asked as he turned to his table, staring at him. Then he grimaced. "What are you wearing?"

He raised his eyebrow at the distaste on Yibo's face. "Which of my outfits are you talking about, Mr. Lan?"

"That long-sleeved polo you're wearing, why is it all buttoned up to your neck? Aren't you feeling a bit hot in that?" Yibo didn't wait for an answer and went straight into his office.

He really should feel insulted, but honestly, he was smiling way more than he was bothered. If his boss hadn't been in a bad mood when he came to the office, he probably wouldn't even notice what he was wearing.

Yibo didn't hold back showing his dislike for the clothes Zhan chose to wear daily. As the secretary of the CEO, he has the choice not to wear a uniform. And for the past year, since he became Lan Wang Yibo's secretary, Zhan had no issues with his style. Sometimes uncomfortable, but his disguise served him well.

He stopped what he was doing, stood up, pulled out the memo pad, and followed Yibo.

"There's nothing scheduled for this morning, Mr. Lan," he said as he approached Yibo's desk. "But you have a meeting with Mr. Nie Mingjue at Mandarin Oriental at two o'clock." He placed the piece of paper on Yibo's desk.

Yibo barely glanced at the memo pad and opened his briefcase.

"There is also the list of who called you and they're all waiting for a return call. Who do you want me to call first?" Zhan thought it was kind of pointless to ask since he knew roughly who he would call first.

"I could use a cup of coffee, Zhan," said Yibo, as he pulled out some papers from his briefcase.

"Zhou Fei strictly instructs you to call him when you arrive."

When Yibo heard his girlfriend's name, he shifted his focus to the memo pad and scanned the notes. "First, call Mr. Nie Mingjue, Zhan," he instructed, pushing the paper aside and back to his work.

"Sir, Zhou Fei wants you to give her a call as soon as you get here. That's her order, and she's been calling non-stop," Zhan reminded.

Zhan was really tired of dealing with her attitude every time he mentioned that Yibo wasn't around yet.

"She says you are not answering, and you are not at home either," Zhan added.

Yibo muttered something indecipherable. "I got caught in an early traffic." He sighed. "I will call her. Get me that coffee, please."

As soon as Yibo grabbed his phone and called his girlfriend, Zhan quickly looked away. Shen Zhou Fei, a socialite and a successful model who made a name for herself overseas, just got back to China from Europe. It's been less than a month since her return, and she and Yibo are already planning their wedding.

Shen Zhou Fei is the daughter of the general manager at Lan Heavy Equipment & Trucking, which is the sister company of Lan Engineering located in Shanghai. From what he knows, the Shens reside in a big subdivision in Shanghai. But he also learned that Yibo's girlfriend has been renting a townhouse in Beijing since her return from abroad.

Yibo's father, Lan Huang Quiren, manages Lan Heavy Equipment & Trucking while Yibo runs the engineering and construction firm. Recently, though, Mr. Lan has had Mr. Shen manage the other company for about six months, following doctors' advice after he had a mild attack.

With a heavy heart, Zhan picked up the cup and poured some coffee from the coffeemaker. It was strong, with a little creamier, and no sugar. He could make Yibo's coffee perfectly even with his eyes shut. He tried it himself once and grimaced. How on earth does Yibo enjoy such strong coffee without any sugar?

A little while later, Zhan walked back into Yibo's room holding a cup of coffee.

He could hear Yibo on the phone, sounding bored as he said, "I'll try to be there."

Then Yibo sighed patiently. "I've got tons of meetings lined up this afternoon, Fei. I can't be sure if I can —all right... all right!" Yibo hung up the phone with a thud. "Damn," Yibo muttered.

He was surprised that the conversation between the two ended quickly. Yibo usually enjoys long talks with his girlfriend, especially with their wedding coming up. So, it's a good thing their conversation between the two didn't last long since he can't help but feel a little hurt. Emotions he shouldn't feel because he has no right.

"Thank you, Zhan," Yibo said as Zhan set the coffee cup down on his desk. Yibo didn't even look at him and remained glued to the contract he was reviewing.

Instead of getting back to his tasks, Zhan sighed and propped himself up on his desk. His thoughts drifted to Yibo's upcoming wedding to Shen Zhou Fei. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd still be working for Yibo once he was married.

He had no issues with Lan Wang Yibo. He knows Yibo's attitude by heart. But he is not sure if he can deal with his future wife.

Shen Zhou Fei is the definition of a spoiled brat and full of herself. Shen Zhou Fei thinks she's the most gorgeous woman in the world. Zhan couldn't help but make a face, because, honestly, she is pretty beautiful. Before she became a model, she was the runner-up in a major beauty pageant.

He looked around inside his small cubicle outside Yibo's office. Half of it was made of fiberglass, giving him a clear view of the whole engineering and accounting department on that floor. The personnel and admin teams were down below on the ninth floor.

Everyone is busy with their work. He enjoys his job at the company and he gets along well with all the employees.

In just a year as the executive secretary, he earned the nickname "little boss." His colleagues respect him, and they're the ones who gave him that title.

Why, uh, he was the first secretary to last a year with Lan Wang Yibo. Yibo is strict when it comes to work and he's got a bit of a temper. He really can't stand secretaries who are just clock-watching, especially when there's a new project on the table.

The earlier points aren't the only reason other secretaries didn't stay with Yibo. They didn't resign on their own, instead, the HR did not extend their probationary period to six months and immediately terminated because they did not meet the company's standards.

The real reason: almost all of Yibo's former secretaries fell in love with him. Why, Zhan couldn't blame Yibo's former secretaries. Seriously, who could resist Yibo? He's tall, fair-skinned, stunningly handsome, and on top of that, super-rich.

Before he sent in his application to the company, he made a vow to himself that he wouldn't like his future boss if he got the job. He ate what he said. The consolation, Yibo had no clue about his true feelings. And couldn't even bring himself to talk about it with his cousin Ziyi.

He let out a sigh, reminiscing everything that had happened over the past year...