The Marriage Partner Is The Villain Boss Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Teacher Xu, this will be your workstation from now on.

The white-haired old professor led her to a spacious and tidy office. In the far corner were two monitors, and the desk had been wiped clean in advance, looking spotless.

Mhm, okay.

Xu Zhiyi set down her handbag, her expression calm as she met the varying gazes of her four male colleagues—as it happened, she was the only woman in this office.

Thomas kept praising you in his letters and showed me the academic achievements you’ve made in recent years. They are indeed impressive; you’re a young person with your own ideas. Work hard. Our Research Institute is one of the best in the country, and we certainly won’t mistreat you when it comes to project funding.

After a few brief words, the old professor smiled freely and turned to instruct the young man next to her workstation. Xiao Zhou, take Teacher Xu around to familiarize her with the institute. Oh right, isn’t there a graduate student without a supervisor recently? You can let her follow Teacher Xu to learn.

Alright. The man responded respectfully. After the old professor left, he stood up and spoke very politely. Teacher Xu, right? My name is Zhou Bo. I’ve been here for over two years…

Nice to meet you.

Xu Zhiyi shook hands briefly and got straight to the point. The professor meant that I also need to supervise students?

Yes, because our institute has a joint training partnership with XX University. Every year, about one or two graduate students will be assigned to you. Actually, supervising them is quite simple. Just give them some small projects and have them publish an SCI paper; that’s enough to meet the graduation requirements.

I see. Xu Zhiyi nodded and asked a few more questions about the projects. Once all her doubts were resolved, she thanked him again and prepared to return to her workstation.

Wait, Teacher Xu, haven’t you recognized me yet?

There was a hint of resentment in Zhou Bo’s tone.

? Xu Zhiyi maintained her utmost composure, replying indifferently, Sorry, I really don’t remember.

Jiang Huaian mentioned you to me.

Zhou Bo gave a cramped smile, a flash of smugness glinting in his small, single-lidded eyes behind his glasses.

Oh.

Hearing the familiar name, Xu Zhiyi didn’t show much of a reaction. She turned on her computer, put on her headphones, and began her day’s work.

No personal matters during work hours—that was her principle.

…

6:00 PM.

Xu Zhiyi rubbed her aching shoulders, finally looking up from the mountain of literature and data.

Having experienced years of high-intensity life abroad, she didn’t have the habit of taking a noon break. She had grabbed a few quick bites at the cafeteria for lunch before diving back into work.

Teacher Xu is really hardworking. You aren’t planning to be promoted to Associate Professor within two years, are you? Zhou Bo had made a couple of sarcastic remarks earlier, but receiving no response, he had been forced to shut up dejectedly.

Before leaving, Xu Zhiyi said her usual I’m heading out first to the other teachers in the office.

As for what Zhou Bo would say about her behind her back, she didn’t care and wasn’t particularly bothered.

Of course, if he didn’t always hover in front of her eyes, she would like the atmosphere here even more.

—It was very suitable for academic research.

What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?

Even though she tried her best to hide it, Pei Qingyan, who had come to pick her up, still noticed something. She knitted her beautiful brows. Did someone bully you?

No.

Xu Zhiyi gave a forced smile and took the initiative to get into the car. Where are we eating?

Regarding Jiang Huaian and those old stories from years ago, she didn’t want to mention them, much less let them affect her current life.

Let the past be the past, even if it was just her own wishful thinking.

Mhm, let me set the navigation…

Pei Qingyan signaled for her to fasten her seatbelt and stepped on the accelerator. The car sped into the light, drizzling rain.

Perhaps because of the rainy day, it grew dark especially early. Grey mist shrouded the edge of the clouds, swallowing all the colorful sunset glow and replacing it with drifting darkness.

Xu Zhiyi stared blankly out the window for a while, then suddenly withdrew her gaze and looked at the dark circles under the woman’s eyes. Don’t wait downstairs at my place so early in the future.

She ultimately didn’t want the other woman to be this exhausted because of her.

Although she didn’t know much about Pei Qingyan’s work, only vaguely knowing she held a role similar to a company CEO, she knew that in terms of busyness, Pei Qingyan must be much busier than herself. How could she feel right about taking up the other woman’s private time?

No, the woman replied without a second thought. If I don’t go early and be more diligent, how will I increase my chances of spending time with my wife?

…

When that magnetic voice softly uttered the word wife, Xu Zhiyi admitted her heart skipped a beat for a moment—her face might have even turned red.

But in the next second, she lifted her face, which floated with a faint blush, and looked seriously at the woman driving. President Pei, I am a very greedy person.

If you are doing this just so I’ll agree to marry you in a month, then there’s no need. What I want is persistence that lasts for a decade as if it were a single day. If you can’t be as attentive after marriage as you are now, it would be better to let me lower my expectations from the start.

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a screech as Pei Qingyan decisively pulled the car over to the side of the road.

I’m not just playing around. Her gaze was burning, startlingly bright. I’ve wanted to do this since six years ago.