After her shower, Su Banxia tiptoed back to her room. Fortunately, Pei Shaoze was busy with official business in his study and didn't have much time to mind her affairs.
Just as she was about to sleep, the door was pushed open.
"Mom."
Su Hao stood calmly by her bed.
"Why aren't you asleep yet, Haohao?"
Su Banxia immediately sat up straight.
Su Hao glanced at her. "Uncle Pei just got a call from the company. He'll be busy for a while."
"Did you come to tell me that?"
"No."
Su Hao shook his head. "I just wanted to ask Mom, is Uncle Pei our dad?"
Hearing this, Su Banxia was startled, her expression shifting noticeably. "Who told you that?"
"I used to think Uncle Lin was our dad, but Guoguo and I could both tell Mom doesn't have those feelings for Uncle Lin. It's different with you and Uncle Pei."
Su Hao's face remained as cold as ever.
In his eyes, he seemed to have already accepted that Pei Shaoze was their father.
"Haohao, you're still young. You're overthinking this. How could Uncle Pei be connected to Mom like that? I'm close to him only because he's Mom's boss and gave us a place to stay."
Su Banxia explained hastily.
Su Hao's eyes dimmed. To him, this explanation didn't hold up. After all, back in France, Lin Tongze had treated them just as well as Pei Shaoze, yet they never saw any spark between the two.
"Alright, what do you, a little kid, know about feelings? I've told you before, those soap operas aren't suitable for children your age."
Su Banxia felt a twinge of guilt as she looked at Su Hao.
"I understand."
Su Hao lowered his head, a hint of depth flickering in his eyes.
"It's late. Go to sleep, Haohao. Want Mom to tell you a bedtime story?"
Su Banxia offered with a faint smile.
Su Hao shook his head and turned to leave, then paused. He looked back and said calmly, "Mom wasn't happy when she came back today."
With that, he quickly left the room before Su Banxia could respond.
Hearing Su Hao's words, Su Banxia froze. Was her mood really that obvious?
Even a child could see it!
Tossing and turning that night, Su Banxia barely managed to fall asleep.
Back at work on Monday, Su Banxia remained trapped in her narrow thoughts. To avoid raising suspicion, she deliberately kept her distance from Pei Shaoze at all times.
"What do you want to eat for lunch today?"
Pei Shaoze asked reflexively as he finished handling the documents in his hands.
Over this period, they had formed an unspoken routine: eating together, working together, and picking up the kids together.
But now, Su Banxia hesitated. "President Pei, I still have several projects to follow up on. I'm afraid you'll have to eat alone today."
"The projects aren't that important. I don't want people thinking Dingsheng mistreats its employees."
Pei Shaoze left no room for refusal.
"It's the Wu family's project, very urgent. President Pei, please go ahead. If you don't mind, just pack me a meal."
With that, Su Banxia grabbed her files and hurried out the door.
Pei Shaoze watched her retreating figure, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
To avoid Pei Shaoze, Su Banxia even used the excuse of negotiating a contract to turn him down after work that evening.
He noticed her deliberate distance and felt deeply unsettled. Stepping forward, he placed his hands on the desk, his gaze sharp.
"President Pei, what is it?"
"Have you been ignoring everything I've said? Or am I just someone dispensable to you?"
Faced with his anger, Su Banxia instinctively stepped back, then forced a light smile. "President Pei, you're joking. You're my big benefactor—how could you be dispensable?"
"Call me Shaoze!"
Pei Shaoze's tone was icy.
"Shao... Shaoze..."
"After all these days of watching you work hard, I haven't seen you sign a single contract. Su Banxia, are you deliberately trying to draw a line between us?"
Su Banxia smiled. "How could that be, Presi... Shaoze? I'm just trying to improve my professional skills. It's just that I'm not capable enough."
"If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Since you're so eager to work, fine—you'll organize all the company's data for this month. If it's not done properly, don't expect a single cent of your salary this month!"
Pei Shaoze's fingers clenched into fists, his eyes practically blazing.
Su Banxia bit her lip, maintaining a gentle smile. "Since it's the boss's order, I'll get it done."
"Take care of yourself!"
Pei Shaoze shot her a cold glare before turning and walking away.
The entire company's data—even if a whole department worked on it, it wouldn't be finished in less than half a month.
But to keep her distance from Pei Shaoze, she had no choice.
Leaving the office, Pei Shaoze's expression was grim, obvious to anyone that he was in a bad mood.
Fang Shiqing felt a pang of worry. She wanted to check on Su Banxia but didn't know how to start.
At lunchtime, Fang Shiqing planned to invite Su Banxia to eat together, hoping to bridge their friendship.
But Zhang Shanshan wasn't about to let that happen. She had worked hard to drive a wedge between them and wasn't about to let it all fall apart.
"Shiqing."
Zhang Shanshan greeted her with a smile.
"Shanshan?"
Fang Shiqing turned her head indifferently.
Zhang Shanshan stepped forward, naturally taking her hand in a familiar gesture. "Aren't you going to eat at noon? I'm starving."
"Shanshan, I want to go see Banxia."
Fang Shiqing pulled her hand away awkwardly, feeling that letting their relationship stay cold wasn't right.
"Isn't Secretary Su with President Pei?"
Zhang Shanshan asked knowingly.
Fang Shiqing shook her head. "I just saw President Pei's face wasn't good. I'm worried Banxia might be upset. I won't join you for lunch today, sorry, Shanshan."
Fang Shiqing knew Su Banxia and Zhang Shanshan didn't get along. If she accompanied Su Banxia, she'd inevitably neglect Zhang Shanshan.
Though it put her in a tough spot, given the situation, she felt she had to focus on Su Banxia.
"That's fine."
Zhang Shanshan knew when to back off. She smiled magnanimously. "Go ahead. If Secretary Su is really having a falling-out with President Pei, having no one by her side would only make her sadder."
"Sorry, Shanshan."
Fang Shiqing felt guilty, Zhang Shanshan's thoughtfulness only deepening her regret.