Chapter 36: The Star-Struck Second Young Mistress

Upon hearing that she had been sent to keep her company, Kong Lingxin felt a strange sense of ease. Although Wan Si was Meng Zexiao’s secretary and ostensibly part of his camp, Kong Lingxin felt none of the usual guardedness she felt toward others. Perhaps it was because Wan Si’s appearance was so unremarkable—average build, average features—that she did not seem like the type of woman Meng Zexiao would ever take into his harem. Moreover, in Wan Si, Kong Lingxin saw a reflection of her own past self, working diligently and respectfully in a kindergarten.

Noticing Kong Lingxin watching her with a smile but remaining silent, Wan Si began to feel a bit restless. Compared to Meng Zexiao, Kong Lingxin, though seemingly approachable, remained a mystery; perhaps her sincere smile felt out of place in this grand villa.

"Young Mistress, what are your hobbies?" Wan Si asked.

The question made Kong Lingxin alert. Was she working with Meng Zexiao to investigate her? Was she trying to determine if she was the "real" Kong Lingxin through these details?

After a moment of careful thought, Kong Lingxin replied, "I don't really have any hobbies. I usually just stay at home. I don't have a circle of my own; I just revolve around one man."

Seeing the helplessness in Kong Lingxin’s eyes, Wan Si felt a pang of pity. It seemed that in the life of a wealthy socialite, everything was abundant except for freedom. "If you don't mind, Young Mistress, shall we go out for a stroll?"

Hearing this suggestion, Kong Lingxin, who had spent the entire day lost in memories of Gu Yiming, responded eagerly, "Yes! Take me out."

Soon, a driver took them away from the Meng family villa. When Wan Si asked where she wanted to go, Kong Lingxin replied that she would leave it to her, as the real Kong Lingxin was completely unfamiliar with City B, having never been anywhere beyond the streets she had traveled before.

Along the way, Kong Lingxin kept her words to a minimum, fearing she might say something that would betray her. Wan Si, having years of experience as a secretary, was adept at managing the atmosphere. She spent the drive sharing her own story—her upbringing, her education, and her career—knowing that to understand others, one must first let them understand oneself.

Through Wan Si’s narrative, Kong Lingxin learned that she had come to City B from Shanxi for school and stayed to work. Her career had not been smooth; as a salesperson, she had once been nearly drugged by a client with ulterior motives, and when she sold villas, she often had her commissions stolen by saleswomen who were more attractive than her.

Eventually, she realized that to survive in City B without a powerful background or stunning looks, one must possess extraordinary ability. Through four years of grit and determination, she transformed from a workplace novice into a professional success at a mid-sized company, eventually joining Meng Zexiao’s secretarial team with the highest score in the interviews.

Listening to her, Kong Lingxin thought to herself: *So, this man’s team doesn’t necessarily require beauties after all.*

When the conversation lulled, Kong Lingxin suddenly asked, "Wan Si, do you like Huang Xiaoyong?"

"Huang Xiaoyong?" Wan Si asked, confused. "Do you mean the celebrity Huang Xiaoyong?"

Kong Lingxin nodded. "Yes, him."

Wan Si had never expected a wealthy socialite to follow celebrities, and she could recall nothing about the actor other than his name. Embarrassed, she replied, "I’m sorry, Young Mistress, I don’t know much about him."

Kong Lingxin smiled. "That's alright. I just saw some of his promotional material recently and felt he was quite passionate about charity, so I took a liking to him."

Wan Si nodded. "I’ll keep an eye out for when he comes to City B for promotions. Actually, our Dingsheng Group has an entertainment division. If you like him, I can ask the Second Young Master to have someone from the entertainment company sign him. We could have your favorite stars appear at our annual meetings or events; it would be easy for you to meet them."

Kong Lingxin chuckled softly and turned to look out the window. "Do you really think your Vice President Meng would sign a male star I like to his company? It would be a miracle if he didn't suppress them until they had no roles to play and no songs to sing."

Wan Si froze, realizing she had overlooked the most realistic problem of all. Regardless of the hobby, no man—especially a billionaire like Meng Zexiao—would allow his wife to admire another man.

At twenty-nine, Wan Si found it more realistic to focus on paying her mortgage and earning her year-end bonus to support her parents. Celebrity culture was a thing of the past for her, but to build a rapport with the Young Mistress, she resolved to try.

"Then we’ll do it without the Second Young Master knowing!" Wan Si said. "I can get tickets to his events, and I’ll accompany you. I promise not to tell him, but you’ll need a good excuse to leave the house. Otherwise, if he starts investigating, I’ll lose my job. To be honest, I’m very satisfied with my salary at Dingsheng, and without this job, my quality of life would drop significantly."

Kong Lingxin looked at her hesitantly. "Why are you doing this? Meng Zexiao is your boss, after all. Would you really risk being fired just to be close to me? To be blunt, Secretary Wan, your behavior is not logical."

Wan Si smiled. "Young Mistress, you must have heard of 'eye affinity'? Sometimes you meet someone for the first time and just like them for no reason at all, feeling as if they are an old friend worth treating with sincerity. If you don't mind me overstepping, I feel we have that connection. I can also tell you don't particularly dislike me. If you weren't my boss's wife, I think we could have been friends."

Kong Lingxin couldn't discern if Meng Zexiao had sent Wan Si to manipulate her, but for the chance to see Gu Yiming again, she decided to take the risk. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Secretary Wan."

Wan Si laughed. "No need to be so formal, Young Mistress. Just call me Wan Si; 'Secretary Wan' sounds too distant."

Kong Lingxin agreed. "In front of others at the Meng household, you can call me Young Mistress, but when it’s just the two of us, you can call me Lingxin. To be honest, I really dislike that title. I'm only twenty-one; being called that makes me feel decades older."

Wan Si nodded happily, agreeing to her request.