"You know all of this?"
"Women's minds are always the same, aren't they? Things that could be resolved in a few words somehow become so complicated in your hands."
Su Banxia turned her face away, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "You don't understand."
Seeing her like this, Pei Shaoze said calmly, "Tidy up and come out to eat with me. I don't want my client to see you in such a mess."
"Really going to eat?"
Su Banxia was a bit surprised. She thought Pei Shaoze had only said that to help her out of the situation.
"I'm not that bored."
Perhaps seeing through her thoughts, Pei Shaoze shot her a sidelong glance with mild irritation.
Seeing this, Su Banxia quickly gathered the things on her desk and hurriedly followed him out of the company.
Fang Shiqing stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, taking in the entire scene, the sense of loss in her heart growing stronger.
"Shiqing, so you're here."
Zhang Shanshan spotted her from a distance and walked over with a light laugh.
"Shanshan?"
Hearing the voice, Fang Shiqing turned to look at her, a faint smile on her face.
Zhang Shanshan glanced in the direction she had been looking and then said with a faint smile, "Is Secretary Su back?"
"Yeah, she's back."
Fang Shiqing let out a deep sigh, speaking with a meaningful tone.
"Secretary Su is so lucky. Not only is she beautiful, but President Pei treats her really well too."
Zhang Shanshan watched the direction they had disappeared with some envy.
"Don't judge things by appearances. Maybe her life isn't as happy as we think."
Fang Shiqing's words carried a hidden meaning. When it came to Su Banxia, she had the most say. Over the years, she knew exactly what kind of life Su Banxia had been living.
Zhang Shanshan smiled faintly. "Really? I haven't heard much about Secretary Su's past."
"Shanshan, you..."
Fang Shiqing looked at her, hesitating.
"If you have something to say, just say it. There's no need to beat around the bush between us."
Zhang Shanshan said considerately.
Fang Shiqing shook her head and let out a faint laugh. "It's nothing. Have you had lunch yet?"
She still couldn't bring herself to think of Zhang Shanshan in that way, so she deliberately changed the subject.
"I just finished my work and was about to ask you to join me."
Zhang Shanshan wore a standard smile on her face, but a hint of malice flickered in her eyes.
The two linked arms and walked out of the company together, looking like inseparable best friends to anyone watching.
In the black business car not far away—
Su Banxia watched the entire scene unfold. Her fingers unconsciously curled toward her palms, her expression shifting unpredictably.
"If you're really worried about your friend being deceived, why don't we set up a counter-espionage plan?"
Pei Shaoze glanced at her and suggested calmly.
"That silly girl Fang Shiqing never learns until she's been burned!"
First it was Lin Haoran, and now it's Zhang Shanshan again!
"The company will have a new planning report next month. I'll hand it over to Yan Xin for full handling. As Yan Xin's assistant, Zhang Shanshan will definitely do her best to help. Whether you can expose her true face then depends on your own skill."
Pei Shaoze started the car and said flatly.
Listening to his words, Su Banxia silently began to scheme. She couldn't just watch Fang Shiqing get deceived. That girl was too naive, and she was afraid she'd get hurt.
Returning to the company on her first day, despite some bumps, it was generally satisfactory.
The tasks Pei Shaoze assigned her seemed numerous, but in reality, they were simple to handle. Most documents only needed a signature and a stamp to be done.
For this rare thoughtfulness, Su Banxia was both surprised and grateful.
"It's about time. Go pick up the kids from school."
Pei Shaoze looked down at his watch and said calmly.
"Then I'll hang around near the school with the kids for a while and come back later."
Hearing his words, Su Banxia was overjoyed. She quickly closed the file in front of her, grabbed her handbag, and left without looking back.
Pei Shaoze watched the tightly shut door, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Mommy!"
Su Guoguo spotted Su Banxia and eagerly rushed over. "Why are you picking me and my brother up today?"
"Mommy's better now and has gone back to work. I just got off work and came to pick you up to go home."
Su Banxia bent down and scooped Guoguo into her arms.
Su Hao, acting like a little adult, followed behind Su Banxia. "Are we still going back to that uncle's place today?"
"Mommy hasn't found a good place to stay yet, so we'll make do for now."
"Mommy, do you like that uncle?"
Su Guoguo looked up and asked in a babyish voice.
Su Banxia was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "What do little kids know about liking or not liking?"
"That uncle likes Mommy, so my brother and I want to know if Mommy likes that uncle too?"
Su Guoguo asked very seriously.
"Do you want Mommy to like him or not?"
Su Banxia said half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Su Guoguo tilted her head and thought carefully, then said, "That uncle is handsome and rich. If he's good to Guoguo and my brother, then of course Guoguo would want that."
"So unambitious. A little treat and you're bought off?"
Su Hao couldn't help but tease from the side.
"Having a big house to live in and good food to eat, Guoguo naturally likes it."
"If Mommy and that uncle have another baby, they won't like us as much."
Su Hao poured cold water on Su Guoguo's fantasies, shattering all her beautiful illusions.
Instantly, Su Guoguo tightly hugged Su Banxia's neck and shook her head desperately. "Mommy, I don't want you to marry that uncle. I don't want to become a child without a mom."
Listening to her children's conversation, Su Banxia was both amused and heartbroken.
Because of her selfishness, she had already caused these two children to grow up without a father's love. How could she allow them to lose the only mother's love they had left?
"How could Mommy ever abandon you? No matter where Mommy goes, you two will always be the treasures of my heart."
Su Banxia lovingly placed Guoguo in the back seat and then got into the car.
So absorbed were the three in their conversation that they didn't notice a car closely following them.
Su Sinian gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring intently ahead, displeasure clear in her eyes.
She had long suspected something was off about these two children. Seeing it today confirmed it. If this child really was Pei Shaoze's, she would never let Su Banxia off easily!
Su Banxia took the children to play at a nearby playground for a while, then drove skillfully into the villa. Seeing this familiar place, Su Sinian's face twisted with anger.