The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

Shen Yao had just gently placed her water glass on the coffee table, preparing to quietly leave the lounge with Fang Yunci, giving Xie Yunzhou some peace and quiet. Just as she turned around, she heard a series of rapid, suppressed breaths behind her.

She immediately turned around and saw that Xie Yunzhou's face was even paler than before, and his lips were even a little cyanotic. He was clutching his chest with one hand and trying to reach into his suit pocket with the other, and his breathing became extremely difficult.

Asthma? Shen Yao's heart skipped a beat!

A golden opportunity!

The thought shot through her mind like an electric current. Almost simultaneously, her body reacted. Her face instantly filled with just the right amount of panic and concern. She rushed back to the sofa, knelt down, and spoke in a hurried, worried voice:

"Mr. Xie! Are you alright? Is it asthma? Where is your medication?"

Her movements were quick yet orderly, her gaze sweeping rapidly over Xie Yunzhou's entire body before finally settling on the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

The situation was urgent, and she asked urgently while reaching into his inner pocket. To maintain her balance and facilitate movement, she braced one knee against the edge of the soft sofa, almost leaning against Xie Yunzhou's side.

This sudden, extremely close physical contact caused Xie Yunzhou, whose consciousness was already somewhat blurred due to suffocation, to stiffen abruptly.

He could clearly smell the girl's light, clean fragrance, feel the warmth of her arm through the thin fabric, and feel the inevitable touch as she anxiously searched for medicine.

A strange feeling of being touched so closely by a woman, which was extremely unfamiliar, mixed with physical pain, caused a very faint blush to appear on his pale face due to embarrassment.

He instinctively tried to avoid it, but the suffocating pain held him firmly in place.

Shen Yao keenly noticed his momentary stiffness and slight unnaturalness, but her hands did not stop moving. She quickly and accurately took out a portable spray from his inner pocket.

"Is this it?" she asked urgently to confirm. After receiving a difficult look of affirmation from Xie Yunzhou, she immediately handed the spray to his mouth and helped him inhale it.

The entire emergency procedure took only a few dozen seconds. Shen Yao's performance was smooth, calm, and professional, unlike that of an ordinary student assistant.

Throughout this process, she never forgot that there was another person in the room.

From Fang Yunci's perspective, this scene was full of breathtaking beauty.

This seemingly young girl displayed decisiveness and composure in the face of unexpected events, as well as a charm that she exuded unintentionally, far beyond her years.

A few strands of her hair, slightly disheveled from her haste, fell beside her cheek. Her smooth, white calves and slender ankles were fully revealed beneath her skirt as she knelt, their lines flowing gracefully. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her face full of genuine anxiety, a mixture of vulnerability, focus, and a hint of subtle allure that precisely struck a chord with a certain hidden aesthetic preference of his.

The moment the girl rushed forward, he didn't immediately step forward; he simply watched quietly, his gaze deep.

Soon, the medication took effect, and Xie Yunzhou's breathing gradually calmed down. His face was still pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He leaned back on the sofa, slightly out of breath, his gaze complex as he looked at Shen Yao, who was still kneeling beside the sofa. His voice was hoarse and low: "Thank you."

His tone was weak and he seemed clearly uncomfortable with the close contact they had just had.

Shen Yao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her body slumped slightly, and a look of lingering fear appeared on her face. She gently wiped away non-existent beads of sweat with the back of her hand, her voice still trembling with lingering fear: "N-nothing, that's good. You scared me to death."

Only then did Fang Yunci slowly step forward.

He didn't look at Xie Yunzhou first, but instead looked at Shen Yao with tenderness, his gaze gentle and appreciative, his voice steady and pleasant: "Miss, are you alright? Thank you so much for your quick reaction just now."

His gaze swept over her slightly disheveled hair and her still-frightened eyes, taking in her vulnerable yet alluring appearance.

Shen Yao raised her head and met Fang Yunci's gaze. Two blushes appeared on her face, as if she was shy or still recovering from the shock. She gently shook her head: "I'm fine. It's what I should do."

Fang Yunci smiled slightly, said no more, and then bent down to inquire about Xie Yunzhou's condition with concern.

Shen Yao obediently stepped aside, her head bowed and eyes lowered, but her heart was pounding wildly in her chest with excitement.

Seeing that Xie Yunzhou's breathing had calmed down and his complexion had softened considerably, Fang Yunci straightened up and turned his gaze back to Shen Yao, who was standing quietly to the side.

His eyes held undisguised appreciation, like a wise elder sizing up a delightful junior.

He asked in a gentle, somewhat casual tone, "I really owe you a lot for what happened just now. You reacted quickly and handled it very professionally. You seem quite young; you're still in school, right?"

Shen Yao lowered her eyelashes slightly and answered softly, "Yes, I just started university this year."

"Freshman?" Fang Yunci raised an eyebrow, a hint of genuine surprise finally showing on his usually composed face. He looked Shen Yao over again. "Only eighteen?"

"Hmm." Shen Yao nodded, raising her eyes. Her clear eyes were filled with innocent curiosity as she timidly asked, "Sir, and you? And how should I address you?"

She perfectly portrayed the admiration and slight timidity that an eighteen-year-old girl should have for a handsome and refined successful man.

Fang Yunci was amused by her innocent questioning manner, and he frankly replied, "Fang Yunci. Yun as in permission, Ci as in farewell. As for age, I'm definitely much older than you."

"Hello, Mr. Fang," Shen Yao greeted him politely. Then, as if to ease the tense atmosphere or simply to find a topic to talk about, she continued the conversation with a student-like seriousness, "I'm at Shanghai University, majoring in Journalism and Communication."

"Shanghai University? School of Journalism and Communication?" A hint of understanding flashed in Fang Yunci's eyes, which then turned into a deeper smile. He looked at her meaningfully, his tone full of approval, "It's a good school, a good major. It really tests your overall qualities."

He paused, his gaze lingering for a moment on her delicate yet earnestly simple face, before slowly uttering a few words: "A smart and outstanding girl."

The praise sounded ordinary, but combined with his seemingly insightful gaze and meaningful tone, it made Shen Yao's heart tighten slightly.

She sensed a hidden meaning in his words, as if he saw through the deliberate effort behind her excellence. She maintained her expression of joy and shyness at the compliment: "Mr. Fang, you flatter me. I still have much to learn."

Throughout the conversation, Xie Yunzhou remained seated on the sofa, eyes closed, seemingly resting. His face was still somewhat pale, and he remained silent. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that his thick eyelashes would occasionally tremble slightly, indicating that he was not asleep.

The strange sensation from the brief but intense physical contact during the first aid session didn't seem to have completely dissipated from his tense nerve endings.

Fang Yunci took in Shen Yao's shyness and Xie Yunzhou's silence. He said nothing more, but smiled gently at Shen Yao: "Thank you for today. You can go ahead and get back to work. I'll look after Yunzhou here."

Shen Yao knew when to stop, so she politely bowed slightly to the two men and said, "Mr. Fang, Mr. Xie, I'll go out now. Please call me if you need anything."

She turned and left the lounge with light steps, gently closing the door behind her.

The moment the door closed, the lounge returned to silence.

Fang Yunci walked to the sofa, looked at Xie Yunzhou who still had his eyes closed, and said with a hint of teasing, "What's wrong, cousin? Scared by a little girl?"

Xie Yunzhou didn't even lift his eyelids, coldly uttering two words: "Mind your own business."

Fang Yunci smiled nonchalantly, but his gaze drifted thoughtfully to the closed door.