Ye Lan was thrown out of the Ding Sheng building, her face full of anger and resentment.
To make matters worse, many people there already disliked her. It wasn’t surprising—back when she came to Ding Sheng, flaunting her connection with Pei Shaoze, she had bullied the employees plenty. At a time like this, it would be harder for them not to laugh at her misfortune.
Knowing Pei Shaoze wouldn’t see her now, Ye Lan stood fuming at the entrance, stomping her foot at the two security guards. “You two, just wait!” she spat viciously.
With that, she turned to leave.
“Miss Ye, wait a moment!”
A voice came from behind. Ye Lan turned around and saw Zhang Shanshan.
Thinking that Zhang Shanshan must have witnessed what just happened, she felt deeply uncomfortable. Looking at her, she said, “What? Here to laugh at me too?”
“Of course not!”
Zhang Shanshan shook her head, walking toward her. “I have something to discuss with you!”
“What is it?”
Ye Lan was a very proud woman, so she looked down on someone like Zhang Shanshan. But considering that Zhang Shanshan seemed eager to curry favor with her, and since she had no one else at Ding Sheng, she figured she might as well keep her around like an obedient dog.
Zhang Shanshan approached her, pulling her arm. “Let’s find a place to talk!”
Ye Lan pulled her hand away and nodded. The gesture was somewhat dismissive, and Zhang Shanshan, no fool, could tell. But she had excellent patience, especially with arrogant, condescending women like this—they were easy to manipulate.
In the coffee shop, the two women sat across from each other.
Ye Lan looked at her and spoke impatiently. “Go ahead, what do you want to talk about?”
Zhang Shanshan kept her posture low, offering a faint smile. “Miss Ye, I heard your Ye family’s company has been having quite a few problems lately, is that right?”
Ye Lan hated hearing that. She stared at her. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing!”
Zhang Shanshan smiled again. “But yesterday, I saw a proposal in President Yan’s office. It seemed to be about some cooperation projects between Ding Sheng and the Ye family. From President Yan’s attitude, it looks like he’s planning to cancel them.”
Ye Lan’s heart skipped a beat at this. Her dark eyes fixed on Zhang Shanshan with unusual seriousness.
Seeing this, Zhang Shanshan stopped talking and just smiled. “See, I’m rambling again. Miss Ye probably doesn’t want to hear this.”
Ye Lan knew she was being deliberate and felt a bit annoyed, but her pride wouldn’t let her beg anyone. If Zhang Shanshan wouldn’t say more, she wouldn’t ask.
She took a sip of coffee and looked at Zhang Shanshan. “If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving. Taking time out for coffee—not everyone is worthy of wasting my time.”
Zhang Shanshan couldn’t ignore the insult, but she just smiled. “I’m really sorry for taking up your time. But I think if spending a little time could save you a lot of trouble, Miss Ye, wouldn’t that make you feel a bit better?”
“What are you trying to say?”
It was clear Ye Lan didn’t enjoy talking to her.
“Of course!”
Zhang Shanshan nodded. “If you don’t like someone, there are many ways to handle it. Either make them leave, or… still make them leave, but the method might be harsher.”
“What do you mean?”
The coffee shop wasn’t crowded, so Ye Lan’s question came out abruptly.
“Exactly what I said.”
Zhang Shanshan smiled. “Actually, Miss Ye, you can use many ways to make Su Banxia leave Ding Sheng, and it won’t be hard at all.”
Ye Lan looked at her. “What do I need to do?”
“Do you trust me, Miss Ye?”
Instinctively, Ye Lan really disliked Zhang Shanshan. She was somewhat irritating, with an unappealing demeanor. But an enemy of an enemy is a friend. If it could make Su Banxia leave Ding Sheng, she might be willing to cooperate.
So, she looked at Zhang Shanshan and nodded.
Seeing her nod, Zhang Shanshan smiled. In this world, nothing and no one was truly unbreakable. She remembered their last conversation—Ye Lan had only given her scorn.
She didn’t speak immediately but instead looked at Ye Lan. “Miss Ye, are we allies now?”
“Ha…”
Ye Lan laughed coldly. “Do you think you’re qualified?”
A person with nothing dared to talk to her like this? Ridiculous.
Seeing Zhang Shanshan push her luck, Ye Lan stood up, deciding to end the conversation. She looked at her. “Assistant Zhang, I may be a rich heiress, but you’re not quite there yet if you think you can use me as a pawn. I may be arrogant and rude, but that doesn’t mean I’m brainless. So, next time you want a scapegoat, remember to ask yourself if you’re worthy.”
Zhang Shanshan hadn’t expected her to suddenly turn hostile. She froze, sitting there, her brows tightly furrowed.
Ye Lan left, and Zhang Shanshan stayed for a long time, the hatred inside her barely contained. She had been looked down on.
This little drama between the two women had an audience—Gu Feifei.
She hadn’t paid much attention to their table at first, but seeing Ye Lan, she recognized her. The Ye family had some standing in Yanshi, so it was hard not to know them. Curious about their conversation, she had eavesdropped, though it was hardly ethical.
Seeing Ye Lan leave, Gu Feifei sat down across from Zhang Shanshan with a faint smile. “Can we talk?”
Zhang Shanshan didn’t know Gu Feifei and looked at her with confusion.
“You are?”
Gu Feifei smiled. “Let me introduce myself. I’m the current girlfriend of Su Banxia’s ex-boyfriend. Gu Feifei.”
The current girlfriend of Su Banxia’s ex-boyfriend?
Zhang Shanshan paused, then smiled at Gu Feifei. “Hello, Miss Gu.”
…
After Ye Lan’s scene during the day, Su Banxia and Pei Shaoze had barely spoken all afternoon—aside from work.
Working late into the night, Su Banxia’s phone had rung countless times. It was Guo Guo and Su Hao. She had answered several times. The two kids were urging her to come home.
It was already past quitting time, and Su Banxia had wanted to leave countless times. But Pei Shaoze kept calling her back.
This man was infuriating to the extreme, always using the flimsiest excuses to make her stay and work overtime with him.
For the umpteenth time, Guo Guo and Su Hao called.
Su Banxia looked at Pei Shaoze. “President Pei, it’s getting late. I…”
Before she could finish, Pei Shaoze glanced at the clock on the wall, raised an eyebrow, and looked at her. “It’s getting late, Secretary Su. Are you hungry?”
Su Banxia frowned slightly and shook her head. “Not really, but I need to go home.”
Pei Shaoze didn’t respond, just lowered his head to look at the documents. Su Banxia thought his silence meant he was letting her leave, but then he suddenly spoke. “Go out and buy some food. I’ve been busy all this time, and I’m hungry.”
With that, he tossed the car keys aside and added, “Take the car. There’s a nice new restaurant in Beiyuan that Yan Xin mentioned. Go pick something up.”
Su Banxia was speechless. He wanted her to get food at this hour?
It was ten o’clock. Beiyuan was at least an hour’s drive round trip, and it was raining outside.
“President Pei, can I just buy something nearby? By the time I get there, the place might already be closed.”
Going all that way, she’d probably end up with nothing.
Pei Shaoze looked up at her. “Have you been to that restaurant?”
The question was odd. Su Banxia shook her head. “No.”
“Mm.”
Pei Shaoze nodded. “Since you haven’t been, how do you know it’s closed?”
Su Banxia started to speak, but he cut her off.
“Don’t worry. It’s open 24 hours. It won’t be closed. Go ahead.”
Su Banxia was almost certain that at least half the reason Pei Shaoze was sending her was deliberate. But even knowing that, she had no choice. He was her boss, her livelihood. So she had to go.