Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan arrived at the company and returned to their respective offices. Xia Yan glanced at the time—there was still half an hour before the meeting. She frowned, organized the collected materials on the desk, and gently moved the mouse with her fingers, her gaze fixed intently on the numbers flickering across the screen.
The intercom suddenly rang. Xia Yan picked it up, and by the time Secretary Zhou came to knock on her door, she had gathered a stack of documents and followed him to the conference room. Ke Yaru had been on leave due to her concussion and hadn’t come to the company, so she naturally didn’t attend this meeting.
“Xia Yan, hand out these materials.”
Hearing Lu Zhengting’s command, Xia Yan acknowledged the task, glanced at the stern-faced man, placed the documents one by one in front of everyone, and then stepped aside.
Lu Zhengting clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the table, and squinted as he scanned each person present, as if observing their expressions or lost in thought. The project manager nervously rubbed his hands together, occasionally lifting his eyes to steal a glance at Lu Zhengting, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
“President Lu, it seems the Xia Corporation has caught wind of our negotiations with Runfeng. They’ve already drafted a plan specifically targeting us. And I’ve received word that Runfeng is now reconsidering.”
Xia Yan looked at the project manager, who was around forty years old. His tone clearly lacked confidence as he spoke. Her mind wandered briefly, and the image of Ye Yunchen surfaced. This manager had been promoted by Ke Yaru, likely a rushed decision after Ye Yunchen’s abrupt departure.
Lu Zhengting sat motionless, his face expressionless, not uttering a word. Xia Yan noticed from the corner of her eye that he suddenly pressed his lips together. Confused, she looked over. The planning manager, seated next to the project manager, hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, “In my opinion, Ye Yunchen is clearly targeting our Lu Corporation this time. He’s reduced his demands with Runfeng and inflated the profits…”
“So, Manager Mu, according to you, Runfeng is about to be snatched away by Ye Yunchen?”
“Manager Li, I’m just stating the facts. Why don’t you ask the information department? The data and materials they’ve collected show that Ye Yunchen has put in serious effort this time.”
“Manager Mu…”
Xia Yan observed the room, listening to their debate. Suddenly, she saw Secretary Zhou answer a phone call and return with an unusually grave expression. Puzzled, she watched as Secretary Zhou approached Lu Zhengting and whispered in his ear. When Secretary Zhou stepped back, Lu Zhengting’s face turned extremely dark, radiating intense anger and sharpness. He tapped his fingers on the table a few times, producing a crisp, rhythmic sound.
The arguing in the conference room came to an abrupt halt. Everyone had seen Secretary Zhou’s expression when he returned from the call, and now Lu Zhengting looked the same. Those present exchanged uneasy glances, waiting for him to speak.
The silence stretched everyone’s nerves taut. Even Xia Yan, seated at the back, felt the oppressive, tense atmosphere. She glanced at Secretary Zhou but got no useful information.
“This meeting ends here. Dismissed.”
With that, Lu Zhengting stood up and left the office first. At the door, he gave Xia Yan a meaningful look and said flatly, “Xia Yan, come to my office.”
As the others filed out, Xia Yan couldn’t decipher the look in Lu Zhengting’s eyes. She left the conference room and caught up to Secretary Zhou. “Secretary Zhou, what happened?”
“Xia Yan, you’d better go see President Lu first.”
Hearing this, Xia Yan knew she wouldn’t get any answers from Secretary Zhou. Perplexed, she watched him walk away and then made her way to Lu Zhengting’s office, completely baffled. Lu Zhengting sat in his black leather chair, his clear, dark eyes fixed intently on her.
The scrutinizing gaze made Xia Yan uneasy. She frowned and asked, “President Lu, is there something you need from me in your office?”
“Have you met with Ye Yunchen?”
Xia Yan was taken aback. “Huh? Yes, I did meet with Brother Ye, but…”
“But what?”
“I met with Brother Ye because of Xiaojia’s matter. Are you asking me this because it’s related to the Runfeng project?”
“Runfeng has decided to cooperate with Ye Yunchen.”
“How could that be? Didn’t Runfeng say earlier they’d prioritize us?”
Lu Zhengting watched Xia Yan closely, not missing any expression on her face. Seeing her natural reaction, he averted his gaze and fell into thought.
Xia Yan blinked. “Lu Zhengting, are you calling me in because you think this has something to do with me?”
“Yes. Our quote to Runfeng was leaked.”
“Leaked? But what does that have to do with me?”
“Not many people have access to those materials.”
“So? So you skipped the investigation entirely, and just because I met Ye Yunchen once, you directly suspect me? Lu Zhengting, I’m asking you—do you suspect me too?”
“If I suspected you, I wouldn’t have kept this under wraps.” Lu Zhengting said coldly.
Sensing the shift in his tone, Xia Yan froze. “So there’s no way to salvage this now?”
“They’re signing the contract at ten this morning.”
Time was already against them. With only ten minutes left until ten o’clock, Xia Yan didn’t know what to do or what was running through her mind. This year, Runfeng abandoning Lu Corporation to partner with Xia Corporation sent shockwaves through the industry. It was well-known that Runfeng and Lu Corporation had worked together for five years, and this sudden change hinted at something unusual.
After signing the contract with Ye Yunchen, Runfeng’s head held a press conference to make the announcement. At the event, Ye Yunchen sat upright in a black suit, drawing the attention of many female journalists, especially with his handsome features and warm, spring-like smile. He answered every question from the reporters with remarkable patience.
During the press conference, someone in the crowd suddenly raised a hand and stood up, addressing Runfeng’s head. “President Chen, according to an insider, the reason Runfeng abandoned its partnership with Lu Corporation to switch to Xia Corporation is because of a leak of commercial secrets. Is that true?”
Runfeng’s head, President Chen, frowned slightly, looking displeased at the reporter. “That’s not the focus of today’s press conference.”
“President Chen, it’s said that the person who leaked the information works at Lu Corporation and has a close relationship with President Ye beside you.”
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen furrowed his brow, leaned forward toward the microphone, and said, “I don’t know who you’re referring to as having a close relationship with me and working at Lu Corporation. But I can tell you, without evidence, this is slander or rumor-mongering, trying to stir up trouble.”
“President Ye, can I interpret this as you being flustered? Since I dared to ask, I naturally have evidence.”
Lu Zhengting’s computer screen displayed the press conference. Xia Yan stood nearby, barely daring to breathe, because as soon as the reporter’s question came out, she vaguely sensed that what followed would involve her. She lowered her eyes and cautiously glanced at the silent Lu Zhengting, her lips parting.
Sure enough, the reporter had come prepared. The evidence he presented clearly showed Xia Yan appearing at the entrance of Xia Corporation the previous afternoon and meeting with Ye Yunchen. The short video clip clearly captured their expressions—they seemed to be arguing about something. When Ye Yunchen placed his hand on Xia Yan’s shoulder, she calmed down and nodded slightly…
Seeing this, Xia Yan was furious. “That’s not how it happened! The situation wasn’t like that!”
The most damning part of the video wasn’t just the face-to-face encounter between Xia Yan and Ye Yunchen, but also their conversation, which was transmitted word for word. Though the content was unclear, one could faintly hear Xia Yan say, “I’ve already sent you what you asked for…”
Lu Zhengting remained unresponsive. Unable to guess what he was thinking, Xia Yan angrily reached out and turned off the video. She stared fixedly at him. “I’ve never denied meeting Ye Yunchen, but I will never admit to discussing company matters with him privately.”
“Mm.” Lu Zhengting glanced at her. “I believe you.”
“I really haven’t done anything to harm the company’s interests. Lu Zhengting, you have to believe me…” Xia Yan, ignoring his words, spoke rapidly. Then she paused, widened her eyes, and asked uncertainly, “Did you say you believe me? Really? Do you truly believe me?”
“Of course I believe you.”
“I was so afraid you wouldn’t.” Xia Yan said softly. “Now that this has blown up, how are you going to handle it?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“How? They have evidence, even if it’s forged, but…”
“Bang…”
The office door was suddenly pushed open. Startled by the noise, Xia Yan stared in shock at the person entering—Lu Zhengting’s mother, Jiang Mingxiu. Her terrifying expression and the fury radiating from her were unmistakably directed at Xia Yan.
Jiang Mingxiu strode up to Xia Yan and swiftly slapped her across the face. Those who had followed her in were caught off guard, frozen in place outside. Xia Yan turned her head, her cheek stinging with a burning pain. Jiang Mingxiu’s strike was so fast that Xia Yan couldn’t react, let alone anticipate such an action from her.
Lu Zhengting shot a sharp glare at the people standing outside. “Get out.”
At his command, they quickly dispersed, not daring to linger.
The office door closed. Lu Zhengting stood up abruptly, walked over to Xia Yan, lifted her chin, and examined her reddened cheek. A flicker of pain flashed in his eyes.