"President Pei!"
Just as the two of them stepped out of the company entrance, a woman blocked their path.
Su Banxia followed the voice and looked over, her heart jolting as she quickly lowered her head.
"What is Miss Su doing here?"
Pei Shaoze clearly didn't have a favorable impression of the woman who had suddenly appeared.
Su Sinian glanced at Su Banxia behind Pei Shaoze, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. Then she composed herself, looked at Pei Shaoze, and said seriously, "President Pei, won't you reconsider the collaboration proposal with our Su family?"
"Is Miss Su waiting here just to ask me that?"
Pei Shaoze's voice was icy cold.
"I know this is a bit abrupt, but I urge you to give it serious thought."
Su Sinian's eyes held a trace of anticipation, and as she gazed at the man before her, a sense of longing stirred within her.
Before meeting Pei Shaoze, she had heard many people praise him, and at the time, she thought they were exaggerating. But when she saw him in person, she realized there really were people in this world who could live up to such acclaim.
Pei Shaoze caught the look in Su Sinian's eyes, frowned deeply, and said coldly, "Miss Su would be better off going back to revise your proposal than wasting time here with me."
With that, ignoring Su Sinian blocking their way, he took Su Banxia and walked around her.
As Su Banxia passed Su Sinian, she instinctively turned her face away, afraid of meeting her gaze.
Finally back in the car, Su Banxia let out a deep breath.
"Is it really that hard for you to come out with me?"
Pei Shaoze gave her a cold glance and asked flatly.
"After all, I've never been to such a grand occasion before. A bit of nervousness is understandable."
Su Banxia pushed up the thick glasses on her nose, speaking in a businesslike tone.
Seeing her like this, Pei Shaoze couldn't help but snort. This woman was truly strange—others couldn't wait to flaunt their beauty, but she went out of her way to hide herself away.
When they reached their destination, Pei Shaoze didn't bother with Su Banxia at all, striding briskly into the restaurant. Su Banxia, lagging behind, momentarily lost sight of him and wandered around the vast restaurant in a big circle. Wearing high heels, she felt like her calves were about to give out.
"Damn Pei Shaoze, and I thought you were a decent person—it was all a facade!"
Su Banxia crouched down in frustration, rubbing her legs, feeling deeply resentful.
Just as she was feeling dizzy and disoriented, Su Sinian appeared behind her out of nowhere.
"Got a minute? Let's talk."
Su Sinian gave her a cold glance, completely devoid of the gentle attitude she'd shown Pei Shaoze.
"I..."
"Don't worry, I won't take up much of your time. Just a simple chat. You wouldn't deny me that, would you?"
Su Sinian's lips curled into a sly smile.
Su Banxia frowned slightly, knowing that refusing would only make things worse, so she nodded lightly and followed Su Sinian out of the restaurant.
Once outside, Su Sinian surveyed the surroundings, a beautiful smile playing on her lips.
"No wonder it's Yan City—even the night scenery is so perfectly exquisite."
"Nothing in this world is absolutely perfect; there's always some flaw."
Su Banxia replied, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
"That's a profound statement, little sister."
Su Sinian smiled faintly.
Su Banxia stood quietly to the side, saying nothing.
"When did you come back to the country?"
When Su Banxia didn't respond, Su Sinian turned and studied her with a scrutinizing look.
Su Banxia's lips twitched slightly. "Does that matter to you?"
"Banxia, are you still so hostile toward me?"
Su Sinian looked at her calmly, a clear hint of displeasure on her face.
"You're the eldest Miss of the Su family. How could I dare to be displeased with you?"
Su Banxia's words were laced with obvious distance.
Su Sinian pursed her lips and smiled lightly. "A few years ago, you left for abroad without a word. Mom and I looked for you for a long time."
"If you have something to say, just say it directly. I need to get back to President Pei."
Su Banxia had no patience for her emotional appeals and cut her off without hesitation.
"Fine."
A flicker of malice passed through Su Sinian's eyes, then she sneered, "I just wanted to ask, what exactly is your relationship with President Pei?"
"I'm an employee of Ding Sheng Group and President Pei's personal secretary. Surely you're not going to interfere with what job I take after coming back?"
Su Banxia said flatly.
"If that's the case, then things are even simpler. Father recently wanted to collaborate with Ding Sheng Group on a project, but President Pei has been dragging his feet. I don't think this should be too hard for you, right?"
Su Sinian's lips curled coldly as she stared at Su Banxia.
Hearing this, Su Banxia couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just a secretary. How could I make decisions for President Pei?"
And even if she could, she would never help with this!
"Do you think you have a choice?"
Su Sinian snorted coldly. "Don't forget how you met Lin Tongze in the first place."
That casually spoken sentence from Su Sinian made Su Banxia freeze.
Seeing her reaction, Su Sinian felt satisfied. She walked around to Su Banxia's side and patted her shoulder lightly.
"My dear sister, I know you've always been sensible. For the sake of the Su family's interests, you should know what to do, right?"
"You!"
Tears welled up in Su Banxia's eyes.
"Father and I are waiting for your good news!"
Su Sinian sneered, not giving Su Banxia a moment to think.
Su Banxia stood frozen in place, her mind a tangled mess. What kind of people were these? They were clearly using her.
Just as she was about to say something, her phone rang, cutting off all her thoughts.
Su Sinian glanced at the caller ID and smiled faintly at Su Banxia.
She had thought the collaboration with Ding Sheng Group was a lost cause, but it seemed fate had thrown her a huge surprise. Even if Su Banxia was just a minor secretary at Ding Sheng Group, she was still a member of the Su family. Having someone on the inside would surely make things much easier.
Su Banxia looked down at the incoming call, shot a wary glance at Su Sinian, and stepped aside cautiously, holding the phone to her ear.