"If they fight, will Mom stay?"
Su Guoguo couldn't understand Su Hao's words.
"I don't know how to explain it to you, but do you want to stay, or do you want them to fight?"
Su Hao pressed on.
Su Guoguo tilted her head and thought seriously for a long moment before speaking in her childish voice, "I don't want Mom and Uncle to fight, but I want to stay even more."
Living here, Mom had a lot of time to spend with her and her brother, and there were plenty of fun toys.
Most importantly, Mom was clearly much happier staying here.
"So this time, no matter how they fight, we won't take sides. Maybe then we can stay."
Su Hao said earnestly.
Though Su Guoguo didn't fully grasp the meaning, she still nodded, going along with Su Hao's words.
A cold glint flashed in Pei Shaoze's eyes, and the servant immediately understood his intent, quickly carrying Su Banxia's luggage back into the room to put it away.
"What are you doing?"
Su Banxia frowned slightly, displeased with his high-handedness.
"This is my place. If I don't kick you out, don't even think about leaving!"
Pei Shaoze said coldly.
Su Banxia felt a surge of irritation: "Where I want to go is my freedom. As my boss, Mr. Pei, do you even have the right to interfere in my personal life?"
"I won't repeat what I've said. You'd better behave yourself."
Pei Shaoze shot her a glance, clearly unwilling to say more.
"Pei Shaoze!"
Su Banxia shouted at his retreating back, "I don't want to cause irreparable harm to the children because of my own selfish desire for comfort. They're still young and can't handle gossip. I beg you, have mercy and spare the kids!"
"I'll handle the rumors. No one dares to hurt my children."
Pei Shaoze paused for a moment, then quickened his pace and left.
Su Banxia's legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, her heart feeling like it was in her throat.
Because of this incident, Pei Shaoze and Su Banxia fell back into their usual cold war. What infuriated Pei Shaoze was that every time something happened, this woman's first thought wasn't to turn to him for help, but to silently bear it alone!
As for Su Banxia, her anger was focused on figuring out how to escape this situation.
The atmosphere in the office felt oddly tense. Fortunately, there was a mountain of paperwork to keep her busy, so Su Banxia didn't find it too unbearable to face his cold expression.
When Yan Xin came in to deliver documents, he clearly sensed the strange vibe in the office. He shot a puzzled look at Su Banxia but didn't ask any questions, quickly retreating.
Back in his own office, he happened to run into Zhang Shanshan, who was handing him a report. He couldn't help but ask, "Has anything major happened in the company lately?"
Zhang Shanshan was momentarily taken aback but quickly caught Yan Xin's implication. She smiled lightly and said, "The chairman came to see Mr. Pei yesterday. I'm not sure if that counts as something big."
"Old Mr. Pei?"
Yan Xin was startled: "When did that happen?"
"Probably around two or three in the afternoon."
Zhang Shanshan answered truthfully.
Yan Xin immediately understood. At that time yesterday, Pei Shaoze wasn't even in the company. Old Mr. Pei must have timed it deliberately to come and pick on Su Banxia.
No wonder the atmosphere between those two was so strange today.
"Is something wrong?"
Zhang Shanshan noticed his expression and asked, though she already knew.
"It's nothing. By the way, are you busy with your current workload?"
Yan Xin looked up and gave her a slight smile.
Zhang Shanshan had always been defenseless against Yan Xin, especially his smile.
Her face flushed red, and she shook her head lightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Not too busy."
Yan Xin didn't pay much attention to her reaction, assuming she was just nervous about him assigning more tasks.
"Don't worry. I just wanted to ask if you'd accompany me on a business trip. The Lin Group project is nearing completion and needs a few days of on-site inspection."
Yan Xin said gently.
"That's absolutely no problem!"
Zhang Shanshan nodded emphatically.
Time alone with Yan Xin? She'd be thrilled, not refuse!
"But the conditions there are pretty tough. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Yan Xin looked at her slender frame, remembering she'd recently suffered a serious injury, and couldn't help showing some concern.
"It's fine. The place I lived in as a child was even tougher than that. Nothing to worry about."
Zhang Shanshan smiled calmly.
Seeing her like that, Yan Xin chuckled: "In that case, go home this afternoon and pack. We'll set off tonight."
"Okay."
Zhang Shanshan beamed sweetly, immediately turned back to her desk to finish her tasks, then hurried home to pack.
She prepared a lot of supplies, most of them for taking care of Yan Xin.
Thinking about their time together, a blush crept onto Zhang Shanshan's face. Finally, this day had come!
Su Banxia was in a bad mood. After lunch, she took a walk near the company to digest her food. She planned to pop into a store to buy some daily necessities, but before she'd gone far, she ran straight into Lin Tongze.
"Banxia?"
Lin Tongze looked at her, somewhat dazed, and called out softly.
Hearing her name, Su Banxia looked up and saw him, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth: "Tongze, what are you doing here?"
"Here."
Lin Tongze waved the documents in his hand: "I have a partnership with the Li family. I came to sign the contract and happened to pass by. I was debating whether to come see you, but here you are, showing up on your own."
"So it's quite a coincidence, isn't it?"
Su Banxia smiled gently.
"I called you several times just now, but you didn't respond. Are you in a bad mood?"
Lin Tongze studied her carefully, asking with concern.
"Huh?"
Su Banxia was taken aback, then shook her head: "No, just some work troubles. I was thinking about a project proposal."
She came up with the lamest excuse possible, keeping her eyes downcast, not daring to meet Lin Tongze's gaze.
"You have something on your mind."
Lin Tongze saw right through her and sighed: "If something's bothering you, remember to tell me. I'll always be by your side."
"Tongze, I'm not as good as you think I am. I..."
Su Banxia hesitated, unsure how to continue.
Lin Tongze looked at her and smiled gently: "Is it another fight with Pei Shaoze?"
"No."
Su Banxia shook her head.
This time, while it involved Pei Shaoze, it wasn't entirely because of him.
"I told you before, if you want to go back to France, I'll take you anytime, as long as you're willing."
Lin Tongze said seriously.