"Not bad at all!" Su Sinian's face turned pale. If not for Zhang Shanshan's words, she wouldn't have been a hundred percent certain. "Pleasure working with you." Seeing her expression, Zhang Shanshan knew she had succeeded. She picked up the coffee in front of her and gave a faint smile. Su Sinian's eyes darkened. She stood up, tossed out a "Keep in touch," and left.
Back at the company, Zhang Shanshan felt a weight lift off her chest. She hadn't expected Su Banxia to have made so many enemies on her own. This way, without lifting a finger, there were plenty of people ready to take her down!
In the office, Su Banxia was distracted, feeling like something was off. Pei Shaoze noticed and furrowed his brow slightly. Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled her away. "What are you doing!" Su Banxia felt uneasy and tried to shake off his hand, but he only gripped tighter. "Don't move!" Pei Shaoze's voice was icy cold. Hearing this, Su Banxia immediately quieted down, not daring to breathe too loudly. Under the gaze of everyone in the company, she was reluctantly dragged along by him. It wasn't until she got into the car that her racing heart finally calmed. "Is walking with me really that hard for you?" Pei Shaoze turned his head, staring at her coldly, his tone indifferent. "No, it's not..." Su Banxia shook her head. "Then why were you struggling just now?" Pei Shaoze was annoyed. Holding hands was the most normal thing between couples, wasn't it? Su Banxia blushed, lowering her eyes without a word. Staying with this living demon meant she had to have some resilience, or she wouldn't know how to get through the days. "Su Banxia!" Pei Shaoze gritted his teeth, clearly displeased. "President Pei, I still have a lot of documents on my desk that haven't been processed. The month is almost over, and if I don't finish, I'll be a laughingstock in the company." "Who would laugh at you? Besides, as my secretary, why do you have so many random documents?" Pei Shaoze said coldly. He had clearly forgotten how he had assigned those files to her. Hearing this, Su Banxia shook her head in frustration and then said softly, "At the beginning of the month, you asked me to finish inputting data from all departments by the end of this month. I only have the marketing and sales departments left; the rest are done." Her voice was gentle, with no hint of complaint. "I'll handle those files. Don't worry about that for now. Just come with me somewhere." Pei Shaoze started the engine, and the car sped off. Su Banxia had no idea what he was up to. Sitting in the car, she felt a bit uneasy.
Before long, they stopped in front of a small eatery. This was an ancient town, the only place in Yanshi that still preserved traces of old times. "Why did you bring me here?" Su Banxia was surprised. Had he gone through all this trouble just to take her to try the food here? "It's been a while since I've been here. I wanted someone to relax with and grab a bite." Pei Shaoze got out of the car, glanced at her casually, and quickly walked into the restaurant. Su Banxia froze for a few seconds before quickly getting out and following him.
It was lunchtime, and the small eatery was packed. Seeing tables full of people enjoying their meals, Su Banxia's stomach growled. Hearing the sound, Pei Shaoze turned back to look at her. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. "Your mouth says no, but your body's honest enough." Pei Shaoze's words had a double meaning, making Su Banxia even redder. She turned away and said calmly, "Are you planning to have lunch here today, President Pei?" "Is there a problem with that?" "Of course not. I'm just a bit surprised." Su Banxia smiled faintly. She really couldn't figure out what Pei Shaoze was up to. A man of his background, born into privilege, could have any delicacy he wanted. Why would he go out of his way to bring her to this ancient town for street food? It was so unlike his usual style—no wonder she was taken aback. "There's nothing to be surprised about. The food here is good. I like coming here." Pei Shaoze went upstairs and picked an elegant private room. They sat down. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Su Banxia looked out at the beautiful scenery, especially the flowers and plants in the nearby park.
Not long after they sat down, the food was served. It was clear Pei Shaoze had booked ahead and timed it perfectly. "These are the signature dishes here, my favorites. You should taste them carefully so you can make them for me at home later." Pei Shaoze said casually, as if it were no big deal. Su Banxia was speechless. This guy was deliberately giving her things to do. With the Pei family's influence, even hiring a top chef wouldn't be a problem. Her cooking skills were mediocre at best, barely passable. She didn't know if Pei Shaoze was setting her up to fail or just teasing her. Lowering her head without a word, Su Banxia ate from her bowl, her appetite unexpectedly growing. She had to admit, Pei Shaoze had good taste. The dishes here were excellent in both presentation and flavor. "Don't underestimate this place. The owner is a retired chef. All the snacks here are made from his own recipes. They're delicious and famous far and wide." Pei Shaoze commented, his handsome face showing satisfaction. He was picky, and only this place could satisfy all his cravings. "No wonder," Su Banxia murmured softly, her eyes downcast. "But the dishes you're eating now aren't something just anyone can get. They're reserved for special guests. I paid a pretty penny to treat you to this today." Pei Shaoze said it lightly, but Su Banxia couldn't help glancing at him a few times. She didn't know if he was telling the truth, but based on the taste alone, she was willing to believe him.
They finished their meal in silence and then strolled around the ancient town for a while. The scenery was beautiful. When Su Banxia had studied here in college, her favorite thing was to visit the ancient town with friends. She remembered that this was where she and Ren Yuan had confessed their feelings for each other. Returning to this place years later, everything had changed. The man standing beside her was no longer Ren Yuan. At the thought of Ren Yuan, Su Banxia's eyes dimmed again. "What, even after I brought you out to relax, you still can't muster a bit of happiness?" Pei Shaoze frowned, clearly annoyed. He rarely tried to cheer anyone up. Was he really failing so badly? "Thank you for today. I feel much better." Su Banxia turned around and expressed her gratitude.