"Whatever your reasons, I beg you—for the Su family, for Nian Nian's future—leave."
Su Jin's tone was almost pleading.
Looking at him, Su Banxia took a sharp breath. She picked up the envelope on the table, weighed it in her hand, and sneered coldly, "Don't worry, I won't take a single cent of this money. As for whether I leave or not, that depends on my schedule."
"Banxia..."
"I have other things to do, so I won't keep you company. Keep the money. Didn't you say the Su family is in trouble? I'm not the type to take advantage of someone in a crisis."
With that, Su Banxia grabbed her handbag from the side and stood up to leave.
All her strength crumbled the moment she stepped out of the restaurant.
So this was how the family she had fought so hard to protect treated her.
Su Banxia felt as if she had fallen into an abyss, stumbling unsteadily toward the company.
"Miss Su!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Su Banxia furrowed her brows slightly and turned to look. It was Lin Haoran.
She had never had a good impression of this man, and her brows knit tighter.
"Master Lin got out of prison pretty fast. The Lin family must have nearly gone bankrupt for you, right?"
Su Banxia let out a mocking laugh.
"You!"
Lin Haoran's face turned ashen, but he had no way to retaliate. After being released on bail, his entire future was ruined. The Lin family had little influence to begin with, and with Pei Shaoze's deliberate suppression, he faced obstacles at every turn. His anger grew with each passing day.
If it weren't for this woman, he wouldn't have ended up like this!
They had destroyed everything for him, and he could never swallow this humiliation!
"I thought going through this would make you grow up a bit, but you're still as disgusting as ever."
Seeing the fury in his eyes, Su Banxia didn't hold back her sarcasm. Without caring about his reaction, she turned and walked away.
She was already in a bad mood and had no time to waste on someone like him.
Back in her office, Su Banxia slumped over her desk, too drained to organize the files. Even when faced with Pei Shaoze's harassment, she completed her tasks mechanically.
Her behavior caught Pei Shaoze's attention, and it only irritated him further.
"Su Banxia!"
Pei Shaoze frowned. "Is being with me really that hard for you?"
Hearing the suppressed anger in his voice, she furrowed her brows slightly. "President Pei, you misunderstand. I just..."
"What are you?"
Pei Shaoze said coldly.
Sensing his rage, Su Banxia lowered her head and stayed silent, a hollow feeling in her heart.
"Did you finish the documents I assigned you?"
Pei Shaoze's gaze sharpened.
"No."
Su Banxia looked listless, and the question only added to her distress.
"It seems Secretary Su doesn't think this job matters anymore."
"No."
Su Banxia snapped to attention, quickly sitting up straight and reaching for the files beside her.
Seeing her attitude, Pei Shaoze's anger flared even more. He stepped forward and pressed his hand down on the files in front of her. "It looks like Secretary Su's mind is wandering elsewhere these days!"
Feeling his fury, Su Banxia just kept her eyes downcast, silent and indifferent.
Pei Shaoze was furious but had no way to deal with her. He loosened his tie in frustration, his face dark with displeasure.
Su Banxia didn't know what to say. She stayed quiet, her head bowed, feeling uneasy.
"Take care of yourself!"
Pei Shaoze coldly threw out those words before storming off with a grim expression.
Even after leaving, his face remained dark. Thinking about Su Banxia's mood, he grew restless and irritable.
Was this woman so stubborn? When faced with a problem, the first person she thought of was never him!
Pei Shaoze's face was dark and menacing. Considering recent events, he understood why Su Banxia was acting this way.
Without overthinking, he immediately went to find Yan Xin to assign the next tasks.
Yan Xin was processing documents when the office door was suddenly shoved open, startling him. Looking up at Pei Shaoze, who entered with a gloomy face, he said calmly, "What's got you in such a mood in broad daylight?"
"How's the Su family matter going?"
Pei Shaoze's face showed displeasure, ignoring the teasing in Yan Xin's tone.
Yan Xin paused briefly, then glanced at him. "I've investigated halfway. Is there a problem?"
"Prepare to close the net early. I want to acquire the Su family."
Pei Shaoze said coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"What?"
Yan Xin was stunned, struggling to keep up with his train of thought.
The Su family was just a small family business. Even if acquired, it wouldn't bring much profit to their company.
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
Pei Shaoze shot him a sidelong glance, his tone clearly annoyed.
Yan Xin quickly shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I'm just curious why you'd suddenly want to acquire them. They won't generate much profit for the company."
Pei Shaoze snorted coldly. "Just do as I say. You don't need to know the reason."
With that, Pei Shaoze returned to his office with a stern face.
"What's gotten into him?"
Yan Xin stood there, sighing helplessly, but didn't dwell on it. He quickly began carrying out the orders.
Pei Shaoze walked back into the office with a cold expression. Seeing Su Banxia buried in files, he couldn't help but frown.
Su Banxia clearly didn't notice his mood. She was still diligently preparing the materials he needed for the afternoon shareholders' meeting.
The sudden ring of the phone broke the silence in the spacious office.
Pei Shaoze glanced at the caller ID—it was from the Pei family estate. Instantly, his brows furrowed.
"Dad."
He answered the call, his tone noticeably distant.
"There's something at home we need to discuss with you."
Old Master Pei's voice carried clear displeasure.
Pei Shaoze replied coldly, "I have a shareholders' meeting this afternoon. Let's talk about it another time."
"Come home now."
Old Master Pei didn't give him a chance to argue, dropping the order before hanging up.
Listening to the mechanical beeping from the receiver, Pei Shaoze's brows furrowed for no apparent reason.
"You and Yan Xin handle the shareholders' meeting. I have something to take care of."
Pei Shaoze looked at Su Banxia, who was buried in paperwork, and gave the order coldly.
Su Banxia looked up and glanced in his direction. She could clearly sense the dissatisfaction in his expression.
Without further explanation, Pei Shaoze strode out of the company.