190: Chapter 190 The assistant is quite pretty.

Just as Chen Fan was about to lead Lin Xi toward his office, Qiao Linlin walked over.

She was wearing a black women's suit today with straight-legged trousers. She looked capable and sharp, a far cry from her usual lazy and casual appearance at home.

Seeing Chen Fan arrive with a beautiful girl, a flash of surprise crossed Qiao Linlin's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and a smile immediately returned to her face.

"Boss, you're here." Her tone was as natural as a casual greeting, and her gaze fell on Lin Xi with just the right amount of curiosity. "Is this a new employee for the company?"

The moment Chen Fan saw Qiao Linlin, his heart tightened slightly.

He was a bit nervous, fearing that Qiao Linlin might do something out of line.

He was also afraid that Lin Xi, standing beside him, might notice something.

He blamed his own carelessness for forgetting that Qiao Linlin was still at the office.

Fortunately, Qiao Linlin behaved very normally today.

Her clothes were normal, her tone was normal, and even the way she looked at people was normal—exactly how an assistant should act toward their boss.

Chen Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is my girlfriend," he said in a steady tone. "She's here to see the company."

Upon hearing the word "girlfriend," Qiao Linlin couldn't help but let her gaze linger on Lin Xi for an extra second.

She wanted to see exactly what kind of person Chen Fan's official girlfriend was.

The first thing she saw was Lin Xi's face—exquisite features, fair skin, and a clean, sharp ponytail.

Even though Qiao Linlin had always been quite confident in her own looks, she had to admit at this moment that this girl was indeed beautiful. It wasn't the kind of beauty from heavy makeup, but a clean, comfortable beauty that radiated from within.

Qiao Linlin's eyes darted, and the corners of her mouth curved into a perfect arc.

"So the Lady Boss is here."

There was a hint of teasing in her voice, but she gauged the boundaries perfectly. It didn't feel offensive; instead, it had a friendly quality that closed the distance between them.

Lin Xi blanked for a moment, a faint blush creeping onto her face as she quickly waved her hands. "No, no, don't call me that."

"Alright, go back to your work," Chen Fan quickly spoke up to let her leave.

"Alright, Boss." Qiao Linlin nodded, gave Lin Xi another smile, and then turned to leave.

The sound of her high heels clicking on the floor faded into the distance.

Only after Qiao Linlin was far away did Chen Fan let out a long breath in his mind.

He took Lin Xi's wrist. "Let's go, I'll take you to see my office."

The two of them walked through the office area to the end of the hallway. Chen Fan pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lin Xi in first.

Lin Xi walked in and first stood at the door to look around.

The office was larger than she had imagined.

Floor-to-ceiling windows took up almost an entire wall, and sunlight poured in from outside, filling the whole room.

Just like in the TV dramas she had seen before, there was an imposing desk and a boss's chair.

Beside it were a sofa and a coffee table, with some green plants arranged around the room.

Lin Xi walked in slowly, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the desk.

She walked behind the desk and sat in the high-backed chair for a moment.

Her body sank in, her back enveloped by the soft leather; it felt as if she were being gently cradled by a giant hand.

She swiveled the chair and couldn't help but let out a soft "Wow."

"Your office is so big." Lin Xi turned around to look at Chen Fan. "It's much bigger than my dad's office."

Hearing Lin Xi mention her father, Chen Fan finally remembered—after all this time, he only knew that Lin Xi's father was an official, but he wasn't sure exactly what he did.

"Speaking of which, I still don't know what Uncle Lin does," Chen Fan asked.

"He's at the County Development and Reform Bureau," Lin Xi said. "He's a Section Chief."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan understood.

No wonder every time he saw Uncle Lin, he always felt the man carried an aura unique to those within the government system. So he was a Section Chief.

In the ecosystem of a county town, this position was not simple.

Upwards, he could reach the county leaders; downwards, he managed the approval of specific affairs. He wasn't exactly all-powerful, but he definitely had significant rank.

While Chen Fan was thinking about this, Lin Xi suddenly spoke.

"By the way, that girl who greeted you just now, who is she?"

Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm.

"Which one?" He played dumb, his tone as natural as if he really didn't understand.

"The one who called me 'Lady Boss'." Lin Xi leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on his face.

Hearing Lin Xi ask about Qiao Linlin, Chen Fan's heart tightened, but he still spoke without changing his expression.

"Oh, you mean her," his tone was as casual as if he were discussing something trivial. "That's my assistant."

"Assistant?" Lin Xi repeated the word, her voice carrying a hint of hidden meaning. She turned around, leaning against the bookshelf and tilting her head to look at him. "She's quite pretty."

Chen Fan could hear a slight hint of sourness in her tone. It wasn't strong, but it was clear, like a few drops of lemon juice in plain water.

His expression remained normal as he looked into Lin Xi's eyes.

"She is quite pretty," he said, his tone so serious it didn't sound like he was just humoring her. "But she's nowhere near as good as you."

The corners of Lin Xi's mouth curved up, and that bit of sourness was mostly washed away by his words.

"Smooth talker." She turned her face away, but the tips of her ears had quietly turned red.

After two seconds, she turned back, as if remembering something, her eyebrows arching slightly. "But seriously, why did you hire such a pretty assistant?"

Chen Fan's heart tightened, but he didn't budge an inch.

"She was hired during the recruitment process," Chen Fan said casually. "She's capable and reliable. I hire people based on their ability, not their looks."

Seeing Chen Fan's serious face, Lin Xi didn't know if it was true, but in the end, she chose to believe him.

Striking while the iron was hot, Chen Fan quickly changed the subject. "Since you're here, do you want me to introduce you to our company's business?"

At those words, Lin Xi's eyes lit up.

She quickly nodded.

Before coming, she had thought Chen Fan's company would be at most a small team of a dozen people, with an office squeezed into some inconspicuous corner with a few computers and tables, similar to those student entrepreneurship clubs at school.

She hadn't expected to find an entire floor of an office building with sixty or seventy employees, workstations neatly arranged, and everyone buried in their work. That busy yet orderly atmosphere completely exceeded her imagination.

So she especially wanted to know how Chen Fan had spent these past few months and how this company had been built from scratch.

Seeing that Lin Xi's attention had shifted, Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief.

He pulled her over to sit on the sofa, sat down opposite her, and began to speak unhurriedly.