Now that Zhao Panpan had stopped being the family’s easy target, trouble showed up right on schedule—this time at work.
On her second day of training, Lina called her over to a computer. “Do you know how to make a PPT?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Zhao Panpan noticed Lemon quietly waving at her, signaling her to say no. She shook her head. “I don’t.”
Lina clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed. “Then go do client data entry.”
Zhao Panpan nodded and moved to another computer, starting to input all the information from clients who had come in for consultations.
Lina then called Lijuan over and had her revise a PPT according to her requirements. Lijuan looked like she’d lost the will to live.
It took her four hours before Lina was finally satisfied. Lijuan sighed, “Sis, you should really learn how to do this yourself. You need it every month for meetings—you can’t just keep making me do it.”
Lina didn’t even listen. “Alright, just save it to a USB for me.”
After lunch, Zhao Panpan and Lemon rested in one of the guest rooms. Lemon let out a long sigh. “The store manager just loves ordering people around. Things that are clearly her responsibility, she pushes onto others. When I first started, she said she’d teach me PPT, but really, I was just doing her presentations for manager meetings. After that, I started taking days off around this time every month, so she had to make Lijuan do it instead. If you had said you knew how today, that job would’ve been yours from now on.”
Zhao Panpan understood exactly what she meant.
Like earlier—everyone was busy with clients, but Lina still insisted on calling someone over just to pour water for her customers, without caring what they were in the middle of.
Her performance numbers were always the lowest, so she leaned on her authority as manager to make herself feel important.
Ever since Zhao Panpan started working—freelancing included—she hadn’t really dealt with a boss like this. Sure, the makeup industry had its own hierarchy, but she’d been lucky to meet someone like Zhang Yanyan, a genuinely kind mentor. She’d never had to navigate this kind of workplace dynamic before.
The only reason she caught Lemon’s hint today was because of all those years dealing with Zhao Yongwei.
“But don’t stress too much,” Lemon added. “Aside from this, Lina’s actually not that bad.”
That afternoon, Zhao Panpan got to see just how “not that bad” she really was.
It was Sunday, so a lot of expectant mothers came in to inquire about the maternity center. Lina, Lijuan, and Lemon were all busy. Even Wu Xiaoyu from HR and He Yixin, the nursery supervisor, were helping with clients.
When new customers walked in and no one greeted them, Zhao Panpan naturally stepped forward and invited them to sit.
She carried herself with a gentle warmth. After chatting for a bit, she smoothly began explaining the center’s postpartum care services.
“Your baby can stay in the nursery and rest, so you can get a full night’s sleep. When you’re well-rested, your body recovers better. We also offer weekly classes for moms—flower arranging, yoga, things like that. It helps you relax and makes the whole experience less monotonous.”
When the expectant mother learned that Zhao Panpan was also pregnant, she immediately felt a connection. The two chatted comfortably, even holding hands as they toured the place together.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lina noticed Zhao Panpan handling a client on her own and immediately grew anxious. The client she was dealing with kept asking endless questions and made it clear they were just browsing, not planning to book today. Lina quickly lost patience.
Still, to keep up appearances, she continued explaining—but faster and faster.
When the couple asked to see the facilities, Lina refused, saying it was too crowded. “There are a lot of visitors on Sundays—it’s noisy and not ideal for a proper tour. Why don’t we schedule it for tomorrow?”
The couple exchanged a glance. They could tell she wasn’t really paying attention. After adding her on WeChat, they left.
Lina rushed upstairs, hoping to take over Zhao Panpan’s client. But by the time she went up using the left elevator, Zhao Panpan had already finished the tour and come down using the right one.
Out of breath from rushing around, Lina searched upstairs but found no one, then hurried back down.
At the front desk, Zhao Panpan was pulling a contract from the drawer when Lina stormed over. “What are you doing?”
Zhao Panpan lifted the contract slightly and nodded toward the couple in the consultation area. “They want to book the premium VIP package. I’m preparing the contract.”
Lina froze for a moment. She hadn’t expected Zhao Panpan to close a deal so easily—it almost felt unreal.
After a brief pause, she reached out and took the contract. “You’ve never handled a deal before. You don’t know how to sign this. I’ll do it.”
Zhao Panpan didn’t argue. She simply smiled, nodded, and followed Lina back to the table.
Lina was all professionalism now, and the clients signed quickly.
But when it came to the section for the service representative, Lina calmly wrote her own name.
For a moment, Zhao Panpan’s expression darkened, though her smile never faded. After seeing the clients off, she spoke calmly.
“Lina, everyone was busy earlier. I handled that client from start to finish on my own. Even if you hadn’t stepped in to sign the contract, I could’ve closed the deal myself.”
The directness caught Lina off guard. A little embarrassed, she snapped, “What are you implying?”
Zhao Panpan smiled lightly. “I’m new to this field, so there’s still a lot I don’t understand. I’ll need your guidance going forward. Think of this as me paying a bit of ‘tuition’—I’m willing.”
Lina’s expression softened slightly. “At least you’re sensible.”
Zhao Panpan kept smiling. “But next time, if you’re focused on managing the whole team, it might be better to support from the side. Otherwise, a client I worked hard to secure ends up under your name—and becomes your performance.”
She spoke plainly now, no longer hiding behind polite silence. She wasn’t worried about Lina targeting her later—Lina hadn’t exactly been kind to her from the start anyway.
And if she didn’t draw the line the first time she faced workplace bullying, there would only be more of it.
“I’ve already proven what I can do with this deal,” Zhao Panpan continued, her tone steady. “If you want to build strong performance and become a top manager across the chain, you’ll need to trust your team and use people well. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep a stable team.”
Lina’s expression shifted several times. “Are you teaching me how to do my job?”
Zhao Panpan met her gaze, calm and composed. “I’m protecting what I’ve earned.”
After a brief pause, she added casually, “My divorce case just ended. My ex-husband’s family tried to take what was mine—I sued them until they went bankrupt. I don’t mean anything by it. Just thought that, as new colleagues, it’s good to understand each other better. It makes working together easier.”
Lina clearly took it as a warning and was about to lose her temper when Lijuan and Lemon came downstairs after seeing off clients.
When they turned back, they looked at the two of them curiously. “Lina, Panpan, what are you doing here?”
Lina’s face stiffened, but Zhao Panpan spoke first, easy and smooth. “Lina helped me close a deal and was giving me some tips on handling clients. Right, Lina?”
The corner of Lina’s eye twitched slightly. “…Yeah. Panpan did great—she handled a client on her own today. When you get the chance, show her how to use the booking system and apply for client gifts. She learns fast.”