"Banxia, that's not funny at all."
Fang Shiqing was momentarily dazed.
Seeing her like this, Su Banxia immediately grew anxious: "I'm not joking with you. I heard it with my own ears. Shiqing, you..."
"Alright, Banxia."
Fang Shiqing weakly cut her off, then gave a faint smile: "I know you don't like Haoran, and you're afraid I'll get hurt, but this is my own business. I know what I'm doing."
"Shiqing..."
Su Banxia opened her mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Fang Shiqing smiled calmly: "I still have work to attend to, so I can't chat with you anymore."
With that, without waiting for Su Banxia's reaction, Fang Shiqing stood up to leave.
Seeing this, Su Banxia felt deeply unsettled. Lin Haoran was a complete scumbag—how could she just watch Fang Shiqing walk straight into that fire pit?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Su Banxia returned to the office with a face full of dejection.
"Couldn't convince her?"
Pei Shaoze saw her crestfallen look and immediately guessed most of it.
"I will stop Shiqing!"
Su Banxia sat down, slammed the table, her eyes burning with determination.
Pei Shaoze let out a faint laugh: "They're in the heat of a romance right now. No matter what you say, you're just an outsider. It's useless."
"Shiqing is my best friend. If I just let her be, my conscience won't let me rest!"
Su Banxia's eyes shone with unwavering resolve.
Pei Shaoze stroked his smooth chin, unable to help but remark: "You really are a textbook bleeding heart."
"President Pei has never had a true friend, so naturally, he wouldn't understand my actions."
Su Banxia said coldly.
"Then I'll be curious to see if Fang Shiqing actually accepts your good intentions."
Pei Shaoze glanced at her sideways, a hint of a sly smile on his lips.
Su Banxia snorted, tossed out a "we'll see," and then buried herself in her work.
After interviewing a few new hires, Fang Shiqing returned to the HR department. Thinking about Su Banxia's words, she felt a mess of emotions.
She knew Su Banxia's personality—she wouldn't make things up like this.
But during this time, she had spent time with Lin Haoran and didn't find him to be the kind of person Su Banxia described.
Two conflicting emotions clashed violently in her heart. After thinking it over for a while, Fang Shiqing could only come up with one possibility: maybe Su Banxia had misunderstood Lin Haoran.
With that thought, Fang Shiqing finally let out a slow sigh of relief.
Just as she was lost in thought, her phone rang, cutting off her train of thought.
"Haoran?"
Answering the call, Fang Shiqing couldn't suppress the excitement and joy in her heart.
"I was about to call you earlier, but I didn't want to disturb your work. You're not busy now, are you?"
Lin Haoran stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a trace of coldness flickering in his eyes.
"I'm resting in the office right now!"
Fang Shiqing said with a light laugh.
Lin Haoran's lips curled up: "Do you have time tonight? I'll take you out to dinner."
"You have time today?"
Fang Shiqing was a bit surprised. For Lin Haoran, a busy man, to make time for her was practically a miracle.
"Since we've known each other, I've never really had the chance to spend quality time with you. Even if you don't say it, I'd still feel guilty. Luckily, I'm not too busy lately, so I can give you all my time."
Lin Haoran's voice was incredibly gentle, carrying an irresistible charm.
Hearing his words, Fang Shiqing's heart fluttered. Blushing, she said softly, "I do have time tonight."
"Then just wait for me to pick you up."
Lin Haoran smiled calmly.
After hanging up, Fang Shiqing felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat. Facing Lin Haoran, she still couldn't help but feel nervous.
Back in the office, Su Banxia channeled all her anger into her work, venting it furiously.
The mountain of documents was quickly cleared away.
Pei Shaoze watched her drive and couldn't help but tease: "If you worked at this efficiency every day, your salary would at least triple!"
"Just a spur-of-the-moment thing."
Su Banxia picked up the files and moved them directly to Pei Shaoze's desk: "I've already gone through them all. The rest is up to you."
"Don't you want to know what your best friend is up to tonight?"
Seeing Su Banxia's sour face, Pei Shaoze couldn't help but smirk.
Su Banxia paused for a moment, then glanced at him: "What could she be doing?"
"Here, this recording—I think you'll like it."
As he spoke, Pei Shaoze hit play.
Fang Shiqing and Lin Haoran's phone conversation came through. Lin Haoran's syrupy voice grated on Su Banxia's ears, cementing him as the epitome of a scumbag.
"This..."
Su Banxia's face gradually flushed with anger, her fingers unconsciously curling into fists: "Where does Lin Haoran get the nerve! He's even worse than Ren Yuan!"
"Looks like your first love really did a number on you."
Pei Shaoze leaned back in his chair, looking completely at ease.
Su Banxia gritted her teeth in fury: "How noble can a man be who hooks up with a bitch like Gu Feifei?"
Pei Shaoze clicked his tongue: "Secretary Su really does have a strong sense of justice!"
"No, I absolutely can't let her go out with that scumbag. Shiqing is too naive—she'll get hurt!"
Su Banxia stood up anxiously, ready to go persuade Fang Shiqing, but just as her hand touched the doorknob, Pei Shaoze grabbed her.
"What are you doing?"
Su Banxia glared at him, annoyed.
"Quite the temper!"
Pei Shaoze wasn't bothered, still smiling: "Do you think if you go now, Fang Shiqing will listen to you?"
That simple question instantly silenced Su Banxia.
Pei Shaoze let go of her and slowly sat down on the sofa nearby: "You just laid out the stakes for her, and then she immediately agreed to his date. What does that tell you? It means she doubts what you said."
"So what if she doubts me?"
Su Banxia didn't care about that. She was her best friend—how could she bear to see her get hurt!
"Your good intentions might just fall on deaf ears."
Pei Shaoze let out a mocking laugh.
"I..."
Su Banxia stammered, unable to get a word out.
Pei Shaoze was right. Given Fang Shiqing's attitude toward her, she would just turn a deaf ear.
Blinded by love, losing all judgment—Su Banxia had been through that herself.
Fang Shiqing had a similar personality to hers; they were both the type who wouldn't give up until they hit a wall.
But as her best friend, she truly couldn't stand by and watch her get battered and bruised!