Mo Ye waited outside the office at the small secretarial desk when he arrived on the top most floor. Inside, he could hear the two talking about things like work experience, so he took a seat and waited until he was needed. His brief glimpse through the open door showed his boss stretched out in his chair like a sunning tiger, and Miss Joseph sitting upright and rigid in a chair across from him. His boss's demeanor was far too laid back. It was a little spooky. In the last year, Mo Ye had not seen the man relax like that. Even in the back seat of the car, when the night was long over and morning near after yet another business banquet or event, Gu Cheng sat with his back straight and shoulders squared. Mo Ye shook the thoughts from his head and used the computer at the desk to go over CEO Gu's schedule for the rest of the day in case some more rescheduling was needed. The day had not been as empty as his boss had let on, and rescheduling meetings had taken most of his time while waiting in the Research and Development division.

For the past year, since taking up leadership over all the different companies under Gu Corp, Gu Cheng had kept an eye on every part of their running. Corrupt individuals were kicked out, and talented or promising ones were promoted. Each company could run it's self without his intervention, but he still insisted on meeting once a week with every department head in every building. The rest of his time was spent in the newly formed entertainment division of Gu Corp. The entertainment industry seemed to have more corruption than any other that Mo Ye had seen the inside workings of. The first week that Liu Wan was employed as CEO Gu's personal secretary, she reported on every unwelcome advance, threat, and bribe she had been offered in just that week alone. Every person in the company was hired based on their reputation in the field, and yet so many were accustomed to using the backdoors to get things done. If even the big boss's secretary could be told by some lowly division manager that she needed to 'entertain' some director to be able to get ahead in the field...as a man Mo Ye felt sickened. He understood that his boss was trying to clean up the industry from the inside, but it seemed an impossible task. Not that he would ever tell him that.

Inside the office, Gu Cheng was explaining the things that he would be expecting. "You will accompany myself and Assistant Mo to all meetings and company tours, helping Assistant Mo as needed. You will also need to be available at any time for any duties that may be required of you. Nothing will be asked of you that you do not have the ability to do."

"May I ask for examples of some of these other duties?"

Gu Cheng lowered his lids and watched her beneath his thick eyelashes. "I need meals prepared when I am not required to eat outside of the home for business. When Secretary Liu is not available, I may need someone to accompany me to an event. Other things will be needed that I can't think of at this time, but none will ask more of you than you can give."

"I don't mean to be rude in asking this, but if you dislike having others in your home, why would you want me there to cook?" Zaria tilted her head to the side as she asked. For someone with an intense fear of germs, it seemed like an odd request.

"I trust that you would not overstep your bounds," he answered. His gaze turned inward, and he shifted in his seat. There was the sound of a throat clearing before he called out to Mo Ye for a glass of water.

"I do not know if anything that I make will be up to your standards, CEO Gu. I may have worked in a restaurant, but I did not run the kitchen, nor did I make the food. I only know simple dishes that I made at home for myself and...for myself." She stumbled over the words, not wanting to talk about her dad. He would probably want to know why her dad was not coming to get her. She looked down at her cast, wondering what her dad would have to say about the things she had seen so far. She did not see the tightening of CEO Gu's jaw, but she did notice when he straightened up in his chair. A deep breath, and she fixed the polite smile back on her face and waited for his response.

Gu Cheng watched her closely. His spine was straight, his feet evenly spaced and set neatly on the floor in front of his chair. Any trace of the casual demeanor was gone. "If you accept this position, you will need to be available at any time of the day. If you feel like you can do that, then I will have Assistant Mo Ye draw up a limited contract. We will start with three months, and if you are still in City C, we can go from there when the time comes."

Zaria felt off balance by the sudden shift in tone. If she was gone before three months were over, it was not like he could seek her out for the fees for breaking contract. Accepting would mean having a roof over her head and perhaps enough money to get a few more things for her next journey. "I will accept it."

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Mo Ye entered with a glass of water and took notes as to the wording that would be required for the contract. Zaria was dismissed to the waiting area while the contract was prepared. Gu Cheng seemed to be annoyed with her again,but she had already said that she didn't know how to cook well. If he was angry about that, then it was his own fault for offering her the position. It was no real worry. The worst that could happen was that he could change his mind and rescind the offer and she would be no worse off than she was when she walked into his office.

That did not happen, though. The contract was typed up and given to Zaria to go over before signing. She looked it over and saw nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. A signature and a thumb print at the secretarial desk, and she was officially an unofficial employee of Gu Corp.

Gu Cheng walked from his office, straightening his shirt sleeves and refastening them at he wrist. Mo Ye handed him his suit jacket, left behind in the lab earlier. "If you have everything that you brought with you, Miss Joseph, I will show you to where you will be staying. This evening I will show you how to prepare some basic dishes for dinner. "

"Everything I have is in Director Chiu's car besides my money and new phone," she said politely, following him to the elevator.

There was no response to her statement. She watched as he spoke to his assistant, mesmerized by his side profile. When the elevator arrived, he turned away and stepped inside, motioning for her to enter as well. Assistant Mo nodded and stepped away from the doors as they closed.

"Will Assistant Mo not be coming down with us?" She asked quietly.

" I have told him that after he is done with his tasks, he can have the rest of the day off." Gu Cheng pressed the button that would take them directly to the parking garage.

Zaria fiddled with her fingers and watched as the numbers on the screen ticked downward. "I probably should have mentioned this before, but I don't know that I can drive a vehicle here. I don't know the traffic laws or if the vehicles differ from what I know."

From the corner of her eye, she could see those strong but slender fingers begin to rub at his temple. "Do you think I am so lacking that I am incapable of driving my own vehicle?"

"No, not at all, I didn't mean for it to sound like that," she earnestly shook her head. "I thought...I don't really know how wealthy people handle things, and you were being chauffeured earlier, maybe it's bad manners to let you drive?"

"Was Chiu Leong not driving himself?" He seemed as though he was not sure if he should be offended or not.

"Oh... that's true." The chime dinged alerting them they had arrived at their desired floor, and she obediently followed him out. He did not respond, and she began to feel bad, so she apologized, "I am sorry if I have said something insulting. There is a lot that I don't know about life here. For that matter, there are a lot of things that I don't know about the lives of the upper class. I will do my best to learn so that I do not offend you."

Gu Cheng did not speak. He pressed his key fob to disarm the alarm on his vehicle. Ahead of them, lights blinked on an all black SUV. Zaria looked at it curiously, trying to compare it to models she was familiar with in her world. The styling and sleek lines screamed speed, and the tinted windows and all black detailing made her think it was likely a very expensive vehicle. Thinking back to her little jalopy, she sighed wistfully. Was it still parked in front of the restaurant where she had left it? Or had it been towed away when she did not return?

Gu Cheng reached the side of the vehicle faster with his much longer legs and opened the door for her. He looked at her sad expression and frowned. "I am a skilled driver. You don't have to look so concerned. I let my assistant drive me during the day so that I can get work done during the commute. You are safe."

"I'm not concerned about that," she answered truthfully, sliding into the luxury vehicle gingerly. He watched as she reached for her safety restraint and closed the door, crossing quickly to his own side.

"You looked worried." He fastened his own restraint and watched as she twisted, trying to fasten her belt without banging her arm around. The latch went in with a click, but she pulled her hand back quickly, her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I just pinched my hand. Dumb. I've never broken a bone before. This whole one arm thing is new to me." Her eyes grew large when cool fingers wrapped around her hand and pulled it closer.

"Let me see." Gu Cheng turned on the overhead light and brought her hand closer to his eyes. She could feel his breath tickling the skin and quickly pulled it back. Her ears felt warm, and she closed her eyes to steady her heart. Attractive men were definitely a nuisance.

Gu Cheng's expression lightened for a moment before growing frigid again. "Did you not have any difficulties with the seat belt in Director Chiu's car?"

Zaria shook her head, eyes still closed. "No, I wasn't allowed to do my own seat belt." The air grew cold suddenly, and she shivered, rubbing her hand along her arm. Her thin top was billowy to catch the breeze, but it did not do much to keep her warm when out of the sun. She opened her eyes and looked out the window, noticing that they were still parked. Her large dark eyes blinked at him nervously. "Is everything alright? I have my belt on correctly, don't I?"

Gu Cheng put the keys in the ignition and turned the vehicle on. The engine was nearly silent in the enclosed space, and she was surprised that a large vehicle could be so quiet. She leaned forward and looked at the controls and dials curiously. "Sit back," he ordered, his voice cold once more. They pulled out of the spot and drove toward the exit.