"Give it to me, hmm?"
Though it was phrased as a question, there was already a hint of forcefulness in it.
Su Banxia's body was stirred with heat, and for a moment, she couldn't utter a single word.
"Shaoze..."
A voice came from outside the bathroom, calling several times.
It was Yan Xin's voice.
Su Banxia jolted awake, snapping back to reality.
Almost instinctively, she pushed Pei Shaoze off her, scrambling down from the sink in panic and fear.
Without even glancing at Pei Shaoze, she grabbed her clothes from the floor, threw them on haphazardly, and bolted out of the bathroom.
Pei Shaoze was momentarily dazed.
The craving in his body slowly subsided, and he regained some clarity.
Outside the office.
Yan Xin had called out for a while but hadn't seen Pei Shaoze.
Instead, he was startled to see Su Banxia rushing out of the bathroom, looking disheveled. Before he could ask what was wrong, she had already lowered her head and dashed out of the office.
Yan Xin: "..."
What was going on?
He turned his gaze to the bathroom. As an adult, Yan Xin understood almost instantly.
For a moment, he was surprised. He knew Pei Shaoze had taken an interest in Su Banxia, but given his personality, he wasn't the type to force someone.
After a long pause, Pei Shaoze emerged from the bathroom, now fully dressed in a black suit and white shirt, his hair meticulously neat.
Yan Xin crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, eyeing Pei Shaoze with a meaningful look.
Pei Shaoze barely glanced at him, then said flatly, "Something on your mind?"
Yan Xin ignored the question, scanning him from head to toe, and said with a smirk, "Tsk, tsk, a wolf in sheep's clothing!"
"Bang!"
Several documents on the desk were swept to the floor. Pei Shaoze looked up, his dark eyes filled with menace.
"If there's nothing, get lost!"
Yan Xin raised an eyebrow, unfazed, and said, "Looks like you didn't succeed just now."
At that, Pei Shaoze's face darkened even more.
The atmosphere between them grew tense. Yan Xin didn't speak, and Pei Shaoze didn't say more.
Both were clearly unsettled.
Yan Xin had feelings for Su Banxia; he admitted his selfishness, but he also knew that the entanglement between Pei Shaoze and Su Banxia ran deep.
Because of that, his selfishness felt like wishful thinking. Those two children might...
As for Pei Shaoze, having something almost within reach snatched away—no one would be happy about that.
After a long silence, Yan Xin finally spoke, breaking the quiet.
"You've fallen for her."
It was a statement, not a question.
Pei Shaoze paused in flipping through the documents, frowned slightly, and looked up at him. "It's a physical instinct, nothing to do with falling for her."
"Heh..."
Yan Xin let out a cold laugh, looking at him. "If that's the case, don't overstep. Shaoze, we've been brothers and friends since we were kids, so I'll be straightforward. I'm planning to pursue Su Banxia."
"Slap!"
A loud crash.
Pei Shaoze shot up from his chair, his voice icy. "Anyone but Su Banxia. No."
"Why?"
Yan Xin frowned, barely holding back his anger.
Pei Shaoze's expression darkened as he said coldly, "That woman came to Dingsheng with ulterior motives. Do you want to court disaster?"
"How well do you know her to be so sure she has ulterior motives?"
Yan Xin had always believed Su Banxia had no ill intentions in joining Dingsheng.
But Pei Shaoze wouldn't believe it. His suspicions never wavered because of others' words—otherwise, he wouldn't be Pei Shaoze.
Pei Shaoze remained silent for a long time. Yan Xin narrowed his dark eyes, watching him, and said, "Shaoze, you've fallen for Su Banxia."
"Is there something else?"
Pei Shaoze's tone was already impatient.
Yan Xin let out another cold laugh, said no more, shrugged, and placed the documents he'd brought on the desk. "Pei Shaoze, I'm determined to win Su Banxia."
"Bang!"
The desk slammed with a thunderous sound. Pei Shaoze growled, "Get lost!"
Knowing he was furious, Yan Xin didn't push further, just smiled and left.
...
Su Banxia ran all the way from the office and straight out of the company.
It was the rainy season in June, so as soon as she stepped out, the sky opened up with a steady drizzle.
Without a second thought, she dashed into the rain.
Running too fast, she collided with someone coming toward her and fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The person who bumped into her kept apologizing.
Su Banxia hit the ground, scraping her knee. She looked up at the person and froze for a moment.
Zhang Shanshan saw her, paused briefly, and asked, "Secretary Su, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Su Banxia shook her head and got up.
Both of them were soaked in the rain. Zhang Shanshan hesitated, then said, "Secretary Su, your clothes are drenched. My place is nearby. Why don't you come change? Otherwise, you'll get sick."
"Thanks, but no need."
Su Banxia thanked her and turned to leave.
But her knee hurt, making her limp slightly.
Zhang Shanshan blocked her path, looking at her. "Secretary Su, I want to apologize for what I said in the restroom today."
Su Banxia frowned. "Apologize?"
Zhang Shanshan nodded. "I shouldn't have badmouthed you behind your back."
"Heh..."
Su Banxia let out a laugh, looking at her. "If you're apologizing just for badmouthing me, I don't think it's necessary."
Seeing Zhang Shanshan staring at her, Su Banxia smiled faintly. "You're apologizing because you're afraid I'll report you to President Yan or President Pei, and you'll lose your job. So, you're apologizing to keep your position."
She paused, then gave a helpless smile. "Assistant Zhang, you still don't get one thing: you don't live with integrity. You badmouthed me to fit in with others, and now you're apologizing to save your job. It seems you've never had your own principles. So, I don't accept your apology, and you don't need to give one."
Zhang Shanshan's face turned pale with embarrassment, and she was visibly uncomfortable. After a long pause, she said, "Does Secretary Su have her own principles?"
Su Banxia smiled lightly and nodded. "Of course I do."
"What are they?"
"Assistant Zhang, do you think our relationship is close enough for me to share my beliefs with you?"
That shut Zhang Shanshan up completely.
Seeing she had nothing to say, Su Banxia turned and walked away.
The rain grew heavier. Su Banxia hailed a taxi and went straight back to her apartment.
Zhang Shanshan stood in the rain, watching the taxi disappear into the distance. After a long while, she muttered to herself, "I do have a belief. He is my belief."
With that, she slowly turned her gaze toward the Dingsheng building, her eyes growing colder.
Su Banxia shouldn't stay at Dingsheng...