Song Qi Nian slipped a note across to Miao Ziai. "Xiao Ai, I heard about Yang Hongbin's daughter being hospitalized. How is she doing?"
"Don't worry too much," Miao Ziai replied. "Yang Hongbin resigned to 'take responsibility.' Chairman Shen considered his years of service at Dingsheng Yao Group—if not merit, then at least dedication—and gave his wife a substantial settlement. His daughter has recovered now."
Song Qi Nian nodded, her emotions churning beneath her calm exterior.
"And Xie Xue Yi? She threw her weight around because of her connection to Yang Hongbin. Now that everyone knows about their affair, she can't show her face here anymore."
Song Qi Nian gave another quiet nod. The revenge brought her no peace.
Lin Lanxing stormed over, fixing Song Qi Nian with a hostile glare that sent Miao Ziai scurrying back to her desk with just a quick "take care" glance at Song Qi Nian.
"Well played, Song Qi Nian," Lin Lanxing spat. "Getting rid of both Yang Hongbin and Xie Xue Yi in one move."
Song Qi Nian refused to acknowledge her, keeping her eyes fixed ahead.
Her indifference only fueled Lin Lanxing's anger. She leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing Song Qi Nian's ear. "You think you've won? Brother Shen knew about Xie Xue Yi's treatment of you all along. Want to know why he never stepped in?"
Song Qi Nian turned to face her with ice in her eyes.
"After what your family did to my sister, did you really think he'd make things easy for you?"
Lin Lanxing walked away with a satisfied smirk, while Song Qi Nian's fingers clenched around her pen until her knuckles went white. Slowly, deliberately, she uncurled them one by one.
Watching from a distance, Lin Lanxing's satisfaction curdled into frustration as she observed Song Qi Nian's composure return. She had hoped to provoke her into confronting Shen Chi Yan, knowing his existing disdain for Song Qi Nian. An emotional outburst might have pushed him to remove her from Dingsheng Yao Group—or better yet, end their marriage entirely.
But this damned Song Qi Nian was proving more resilient than expected. Yang Hongbin and Xie Xue Yi had failed to break her. They were utterly worthless.
Still, Lin Lanxing consoled herself, if Song Qi Nian had weathered this storm, there would always be another. And next time, she wouldn't escape so easily.
Shen Yu Shu headed toward Song Qi Nian, and Lin Lanxing watched with a cruel smile playing across her lips.
Setting a coffee cup in front of Song Qi Nian, Shen Yu Shu caught her eye. "Are you okay?" he asked with a gentle smile.
Song Qi Nian nodded, giving him a quick thumbs-up in thanks.
Miao Ziai joined them shortly after. "Nian Nian, Yu Shu, it's lunch time. Should we eat together?"
The cafeteria was relatively empty when they arrived. Dingsheng Yao Group prided itself on its dining facilities, offering both Chinese and Western options prepared by certified master chefs.
Song Qi Nian stared listlessly at her food, unable to muster any appetite.
"Oh... Chairman... Chairman Shen is here..."
At Miao Ziai's awestruck whisper, Song Qi Nian turned to see Shen Chi Yan entering with Lin Lanxing. She quickly looked away, her pulse quickening. Since when did Shen Chi Yan eat in the employee cafeteria?
The bustling cafeteria fell silent at his arrival. Every employee froze, waiting for their president's next move, as if they were courtiers awaiting their emperor's command.
Lin Lanxing spotted Song Qi Nian and turned to Shen Chi Yan with a smile. "Chairman, shall we sit over there?"
Shen Chi Yan's gaze found Song Qi Nian, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the man sitting across from her.
As they approached, people scrambled to clear a path. The restaurant manager and head chef rushed forward, practically falling over themselves to attend to him.
"Chairman Shen, what would you like to eat today?"
Shen Chi Yan's eyes swept over Song Qi Nian's tray—mapo tofu, shredded potatoes, cucumber salad. Nothing but vegetables.
He leaned close to the manager's ear, murmuring instructions. Within moments, servers appeared bearing fresh dishes for every table—premium abalone, seafood platters, and an array of clay pot soups steaming with fragrant broths.
Miao Ziai gaped at the feast spread across their table, her eyes sparkling with delight.
"If only Chairman Shen ate here every day—we'd feast like this all the time!"
Shen Yu Shu laughed softly as he picked up a piece of beef tenderloin and placed it on Miao Ziai's plate. "Weren't you just saying how hungry you were? Eat up."
"Oh, I am! Nothing better than enjoying these incredible dishes while admiring my idol's perfect face. This is heaven!"
While Miao Ziai basked in her joy, Song Qi Nian sat rigid with tension. Shen Chi Yan was seated just across from her—one glance up and their eyes would meet.
She watched as Lin Lanxing hung onto his every movement. Of course he indulged her; she was his beloved sister's sister, after all.
"Nian Nian, you've barely touched your food. Here, have some shrimp."
Song Qi Nian looked down to find that Shen Yu Shu had already placed peeled shrimp in her bowl. She waved her hands frantically, trying to signal that he didn't need to go to such trouble.
"Yu Shu!" Miao Ziai's voice carried across the cafeteria. "I want peeled shrimp too! You can't play favorites with Nian Nian like that!"
Song Qi Nian felt a cold stare pierce through her, and her muscles tensed. She might as well have been sitting on broken glass.
"Everyone, look outside! Someone's confessing!"
A shout drew the crowd's attention to the windows, and that burning gaze finally lifted. Song Qi Nian let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
But her relief lasted only a moment.
"Hey, there's writing up there!"
"Song... Song something Nian..."
"Song! Qi! Nian! I! Like! You! Will! You! Be! My! Girlfriend!"
The loud, robotic voice echoed across the area, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Song Qi Nian froze. Whatever small sense of relief she'd felt a moment ago evaporated in an instant, replaced by a jolt of panic.
Before she could process what was happening, Miao Ziai grabbed her arm, practically bouncing with excitement. "Nian Nian, quick, come look! Someone's confessing to you!"
Two drones circled above, carrying banners with her name on them, while a few others floated around with colorful balloons, putting on a garish display for all to see.
Song Qi Nian’s stomach sank. She felt like the ground might swallow her whole. Desperate, she instinctively glanced at Shen Chi Yan. His gaze was fixed on her, cold and cutting, and she swore if looks could kill, she’d already be in pieces.
"It’s not me!" she blurted out, her voice almost a whisper to herself. "It has to be someone with the same name!"
But Miao Ziai was too busy marveling at the scene to notice, and worse, she didn’t understand the frantic hand gestures Song Qi Nian was throwing her way. Song Qi Nian’s fingers moved faster, hoping Shen Chi Yan would somehow read her silent pleas and not jump to the wrong conclusion.
Suddenly, the phone on the table buzzed. Grateful for the distraction, Song Qi Nian picked it up. It was a WeChat message from Shen Ke Qin.
"Sister-in-law, how’s my idea?"
Song Qi Nian blinked at the screen and typed back a quick, irritated "?"
Shen Ke Qin’s reply came almost instantly.
"Someone confessing to you—does it make my brother jealous? Let me tell you, if he gets jealous, it means he still cares about you. You need to seize this opportunity!"
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