Listening to Fang Shiqing's lecture, a faint, beautiful smile curled at the corner of Su Banxia's lips. "Alright, I'll listen to you from now on."
"What's the use of just saying it? You have to truly take it to heart!"
Fang Shiqing spoke earnestly to the person across from her.
She knew her too well; she could never bring herself to be ruthless with the Su family!
If she kept up this attitude, she would be the one suffering in the end!
After lunch, they each returned to their own offices. Su Banxia walked alone down the hallway, her eyes lowered, feeling unsettled. Lost in thought, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Hiss."
Su Banxia gasped sharply.
"Secretary Su?"
Zhang Shanshan, holding a lunchbox in her hand, looked at the woman standing before her and greeted her calmly.
Hearing that familiar voice, Su Banxia's brow furrowed slightly, then a trace of indifference crossed her face. "Assistant Zhang, what brings you here?"
"The new project President Yan is in charge of has run into issues. He's been swamped lately, so I'm here to bring him his meal."
Zhang Shanshan explained with a faint smile.
Su Banxia's brow furrowed again. She glanced down at the lunchbox in her hand and said flatly, "Assistant Zhang is truly thoughtful."
"These are all things an assistant should do. I imagine Secretary Su does the same for President Pei, doesn't she?"
Zhang Shanshan smiled.
"Perhaps."
Su Banxia nodded politely at her, then sidestepped past her. With this woman, she never had more than a few words to spare!
Zhang Shanshan watched Su Banxia leave, a shadow of malice flickering in her eyes. Her grip on the lunchbox tightened unconsciously.
Yan Xin was so absorbed in his work in the office that he didn't even notice Zhang Shanshan's arrival.
"President Yan."
Zhang Shanshan stood obediently before him, a bright smile on her face.
Hearing her voice, Yan Xin paused briefly in his work, then looked up and smiled calmly. "It's you. Didn't you take a break at noon?"
Zhang Shanshan, hearing the gentleness in his tone, felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She cleared her throat, mustered her courage, and placed the lunchbox on his desk. "I prepared this for you."
"Hmm?"
Yan Xin was a bit taken aback and couldn't help but glance at her more closely.
"I know you've been busy with work lately and haven't had time to eat, so I specially made this for you."
Zhang Shanshan said shyly, her face reddening.
Yan Xin smiled. "You're thoughtful. Just leave it there for now. I'll eat it once I finish approving this document."
Seeing his reaction, Zhang Shanshan wanted to say more but ultimately swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.
"Then you go ahead and work. I'll head out now."
Zhang Shanshan nodded calmly at him.
Yan Xin didn't dwell on her words. He got so caught up in his work that it was already afternoon before he knew it. Seeing that the reports were nearly done, he finally let out a slow breath.
Glancing up at the lunchbox on his desk, Yan Xin felt a warmth in his heart. Having such a thoughtful and considerate assistant by his side was truly a blessing.
Just as Yan Xin was about to eat, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and Fang Shiqing walked in with a faint smile.
"I could smell the aroma from outside the office. So President Yan is sneaking a bite to eat in here."
Hearing this, Yan Xin paused mid-motion, then smiled openly. "Work's been too busy. I'm only now getting a chance to eat."
"Judging by the lunchbox packaging, it must be from some girl, right?"
Fang Shiqing clicked her tongue knowingly, as if she'd figured something out. "That makes sense. With President Yan's good looks and gentle nature, which woman in the company wouldn't like you?"
"Manager Fang is joking. It's just my assistant being thoughtful and making me a meal."
Yan Xin said with a light laugh.
Fang Shiqing was a bit stunned. "Shanshan? Oh, it's her. No wonder the soup tastes somewhat familiar."
"What do you mean?"
Yan Xin looked up at her, puzzled.
"Nothing. Shanshan's cooking is pretty good. You should try more of it."
Fang Shiqing's expression turned a little awkward.
Seeing how devoted Zhang Shanshan was to Yan Xin, it wasn't hard to guess she had feelings for him—a feeling that reminded Fang Shiqing of how she once felt about Lin Haoran.
"By the way, what did you come to see me about?"
Yan Xin looked at her, curious about her purpose, and asked with a smile.
"Oh, right."
Reminded, Fang Shiqing remembered the real matter at hand. She smiled calmly. "HR has hired three new people this round. Their foundations are pretty solid, so I wanted to ask how President Yan plans to arrange them."
Yan Xin understood. "I'll assign their work this afternoon. Just send their resumes to my email."
Fang Shiqing nodded, exchanged a few brief words with him, and then walked out of the office.
Zhang Shanshan happened to be coming by to deliver documents, and the two nearly collided at the door.
Seeing the smile on Fang Shiqing's face, Zhang Shanshan's eyes dimmed slightly.
"Shiqing?"
Zhang Shanshan looked at her calmly.
Fang Shiqing turned around and smiled at her. "If you really like him, don't hide your feelings. You need to learn to seize the opportunity yourself."
Hearing this, Zhang Shanshan froze mid-step. "You've misunderstood. My feelings for President Yan are purely professional. Don't forget, the company generally doesn't allow office romances."
"Shanshan..."
Fang Shiqing looked at her, puzzled.
"Just one meal proves my intentions? Then I'll cook for you every day from now on."
Zhang Shanshan said with a gentle smile.
Fang Shiqing laughed awkwardly. "I misunderstood."
Seeing the apology on Fang Shiqing's face, Zhang Shanshan shook her head calmly. "Actually, if it were me, I'd probably misunderstand too."
"Well..."
"I still need to deliver these reports to President Yan, so I won't keep you."
Zhang Shanshan cut her off flatly, then pushed open the door and walked into the office.
Fang Shiqing stood there, taking a sharp breath, completely unsure what she had said wrong to upset her.
Zhang Shanshan felt restless for the rest of the afternoon. Having her long-hidden feelings suddenly exposed left her unsettled.
After much thought, Zhang Shanshan decided to reach out to someone. What she couldn't achieve, perhaps he could!
The evening in Yan City was breezy and pleasant.
Zhang Shanshan sat in a corner of Shengdao Coffee, quietly waiting for someone to arrive. One hand propping up her chin, the other gently stirring the coffee in her cup.
Before long, Lin Haoran's figure appeared before her.
"You called me?"
Lin Haoran sat down directly across from her, his smile inscrutable.
"President Lin."
Zhang Shanshan stopped her movements and smiled at the newcomer.