"President Pei?"
Su Banxia had no idea what she had said to upset him this time, and a flicker of unease crept into her heart.
"Are you so distrustful of me that you spent an entire afternoon investigating whether I've acquired the Su family?"
Pei Shaoze let out a cold laugh. "Su Secretary, you really have so much faith in me!"
Realizing that Pei Shaoze had misunderstood her, Su Banxia's heart sank. She quickly explained, "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to check on the Su family..."
"The Su family is doing just fine now. They have a partnership with the Pei family. Rest assured, they won't collapse!"
Pei Shaoze's face was icy cold, and the chill radiating from him made Su Banxia instinctively take a few steps back.
"I-I'm sorry."
Su Banxia lowered her gaze, her eyes flickering with emotion.
Pei Shaoze shot her a sidelong glance and sat down at his desk, simmering with anger.
This woman never understood what set him off. In her heart, the Su family mattered, Fang Shiqing mattered—only he didn't!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Pei Shaoze plowed through all the documents in front of him, reviewed them, and then piled them all in front of Su Banxia.
"Don't go home until you've finished compiling these!"
Seeing the fury on his face, Su Banxia could only let out a resigned sigh. It looked like she was in for another stretch of hardship.
The documents were a chaotic mess, spanning different categories, making the compilation a massive undertaking.
This was clearly a month's worth of work. How much of a fit had Pei Shaoze thrown to finish reading all of it in a single day?
Even as she admired his work efficiency, Su Banxia silently lamented her own fate.
Just as she was racking her brains over the task, Fang Shiqing's timely arrival felt like a ray of hope.
"Shiqing, quick, this is your HR department's project. Help me compile it."
Su Banxia grinned and handed over a file.
Fang Shiqing froze for a moment, then her face fell. "I really picked the worst time to show up."
"After this, I'll treat you to a big meal."
Su Banxia raised an eyebrow.
"How did you end up looking like a wronged little wife again? Weren't you two all lovey-dovey yesterday?"
Fang Shiqing took the file and sat down calmly, helping her sort through the mess.
At the mention of that topic, Su Banxia couldn't help but pull a long face. Honestly, she still had no clue how she'd offended that living tyrant.
Seeing this, Fang Shiqing understood immediately. Whatever was going on between those two probably couldn't be sorted out in a short time.
With Fang Shiqing's help, Su Banxia found the work much less taxing. Soon, most of the documents were cleared away.
After packing up, the two of them got up to leave together. Just as they stepped out of the company, Su Banxia spotted Zhang Shanshan walking toward the building, carrying a lunchbox.
"Shanshan?"
Fang Shiqing was taken aback.
Zhang Shanshan, seeing the two of them, didn't act shy. Instead, she greeted them warmly. "Just getting off work?"
"Banxia had something to do, so I stayed with her for a bit."
Fang Shiqing answered honestly, then glanced at the lunchbox in her hand. "Working late today?"
"President Yan has a lot of projects lately, so as his assistant, I've got more on my plate too."
Zhang Shanshan said matter-of-factly.
Fang Shiqing nodded knowingly. Most of the company's tasks were delegated to Yan Xin, so his assistant naturally had a heavier workload.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they parted ways. Fang Shiqing noticed the shift in her friend's mood and cleared her throat gently. "Are you upset?"
"Not really."
Su Banxia shook her head, her eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion.
Fang Shiqing felt a sudden tension. "What, there's nothing strange about greeting a regular colleague, right?"
"No, Shiqing, don't you think Zhang Shanshan seems off?"
Su Banxia turned to look at her.
"Huh?"
Fang Shiqing blinked, momentarily confused.
Su Banxia frowned slightly. Just now, watching Zhang Shanshan, she seemed more flustered than usual. And when she was holding that lunchbox, she looked nervous, as if afraid someone might notice something.
"I feel like she's trying to hide something."
Su Banxia said frankly.
Hearing this, Fang Shiqing chuckled. "Have you been watching too many cop dramas lately? Always trying to crack a case?"
"I'm serious with you, you..."
"Alright."
Fang Shiqing linked her arm through Su Banxia's and raised an eyebrow. "No matter the reason, it can't stop you from treating me to dinner. I helped you out a lot today."
At that, Su Banxia shook her head helplessly. No matter what, she wouldn't skip that meal.
Hand in hand, they walked into a newly opened restaurant nearby. Since it wasn't peak hours, there weren't many people around.
"I heard from colleagues that this place has good reviews and reasonable prices."
Fang Shiqing chatted as she ordered.
Su Banxia instinctively glanced around, taking in the surroundings. The place was beautifully decorated, with a fresh and cozy vibe that felt inviting.
Unlike other restaurants' opulence, everything here used warm tones, making it very pleasing.
"What do you think?"
Fang Shiqing asked with a smile.
"I love the decor. Understated, not flashy."
Su Banxia gave a faint smile.
Fang Shiqing rested her chin on her hand, casually looking around, then smiled lightly. "Would you say this is better than that candlelit dinner Pei Shaoze took you to last time?"
"Huh?"
Su Banxia's face instantly flushed. "Why bring that up out of nowhere?"
"Banxia, be honest with me. Have you really never thought about a future with Pei Shaoze?"
Fang Shiqing asked seriously.
Su Banxia avoided her intense gaze. This wasn't the first time she'd been asked, but she never wanted to answer.
"Aren't you afraid that one day, when Guo Guo and Hao Hao find out, they'll hate you for being selfish?"
Fang Shiqing knew Su Banxia's worries.
But from where things stood now, Pei Shaoze doted on Su Banxia enough. He just didn't know how to express it.
If he found out those two children were his, he'd definitely hold on even tighter.
Su Banxia sighed inwardly. "There are things you don't understand."
"Because of the Su family?"
"Shiqing."
"Banxia, when will you get it!"
Fang Shiqing was frustrated by her stubbornness. "The Su family only uses you. Your debts are paid off. You should choose your own happiness, even if it's for the kids."
As their godmother, she naturally wanted the two children to grow up in a complete family.
"The Pei family will never accept me, nor will they accept these two children."
Su Banxia said flatly.