The Next Afternoon.
The office was a frantic hive of activity. The constant ring of telephones and the rhythmic clacking of keyboards filled the air, as everyone went about their business as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Mistakes are inevitable in the workplace, and it is common practice for professionals to rectify them and move on. By the day after the incident concluded, every member of Groups Seven, Eight, and Nine had refocused their energy on new tasks, as though the previous events had never transpired.
Even Mai Suisui worked as usual, maintaining an air of total normalcy.
“Oh? Manager, you’re back?”
“Good afternoon, Manager Cheng.”
“Good afternoon, everyone. I am truly sorry; you all worked so hard yesterday.”
“Oh, it was nothing.”
“That’s right, Manager. Didn’t you have to leave on a business trip? We all understand. We don’t blame you for ‘abandoning’ us.”
Just then, a significant commotion caught Mai Suisui’s attention.
After greeting the others, Cheng Si spotted Mai Suisui, who happened to be working in Group Eight’s area. He hurried over to her, his face a mask of deep guilt. “Assistant Mai, I heard about everything that happened yesterday. This had nothing to do with you, yet you worked so tirelessly… I am so grateful to you.”
Mai Suisui felt slightly uncomfortable being addressed with such formal respect. “It’s fine. It was just part of the job.”
“I must trouble you to take me to see CEO Yu,” Cheng Si added.
Mai Suisui tidied her documents and offered a faint smile. “Alright.”
The two of them entered the elevator one after the other and arrived at Yu Nian’s office.
“I’m sorry, CEO Yu. You really worked hard yesterday.”
Yu Nian, who was operating her computer, turned her head to look.
Cheng Si’s current appearance was actually not very good. Likely because he had rushed back immediately after finishing his work, he was still wearing the same suit Yu Nian had seen him in before he left the previous day. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, suggesting he hadn’t slept all night and had been focused entirely on his work.
“Mm… you’ve worked hard too.”
With no particular reaction, Yu Nian gave Cheng Si a slight nod of acknowledgment and turned back to focus on the document on her screen, clearly having no intention of saying anything more.
Cheng Si let out a sigh of relief. He bowed once more toward Yu Nian and turned to leave.
However, at an angle Yu Nian could not see, the relaxation on Cheng Si’s face transformed into a subtle, calculating thoughtfulness the moment he turned around. As he closed the door behind him, the corners of his eyes lingered, scrutinizing Yu Nian’s calm profile.
Could it be that she really didn’t notice?
After that, only Yu Nian and Mai Suisui were left in the office.
Yu Nian’s mood was quite complex.
To be honest, she had already seen the result of Mai Suisui’s hair appointment the previous night, but seeing her today still gave her a jolt of surprise.
It wasn’t a shock of horror.
It was a shock of beauty.
Now that the thick, eyebrow-skimming bangs were gone and her messy hair had been styled into soft curls, Mai Suisui—dressed in her administrative suit and high heels—looked like a piece of dusty jade that had been unsealed to reveal its brilliance. With her flowing, elegant hair, her exquisite face, and those amber eyes that had always left a deep impression, she caused Yu Nian to daze for a moment.
“You look quite good.”
This very direct praise made Mai Suisui secretly happy.
She didn’t know why, but lately, she desperately wanted the approval of two people.
One was Yu Nian.
The other was Ms. Twenty-Three.
Speaking of which, Ms. Twenty-Three hasn’t replied to my message yet!
Although Mai Suisui guessed the other woman probably had an urgent matter to handle, a surge of anxiety rushed over her nonetheless.
Yu Nian noticed Mai Suisui’s distracted state. Her gaze involuntarily fell upon the phone, and she nodded as if suddenly realizing something.
Yu Nian coughed twice. “If there’s nothing else, you may go out first.”
“Alright, CEO Yu. Call me if you need anything.”
Mai Suisui’s desk was right outside Yu Nian’s office, adjacent to Jin Enna’s. She had originally thought she would have company on the vast, empty top floor, but as she gradually settled into her role as Yu Nian’s assistant, Jin Enna’s workload began to shift toward the Secretariat on the ninth floor.
Just as Mai Suisui sat down and began to rub her feet—which were still not used to high heels—she heard a “buzz.”
It was Ms. Twenty-Three!
Twenty-Three: Sorry, I had an urgent matter to handle last night and forgot my phone. I didn’t have time to tell you.
Mai Suisui breathed a sigh of relief.
Max: You gave me a scare. I thought you were angry because I wouldn’t send you a photo.
Buzz.
Inside the office, Yu Nian looked at the message and curled her lip disdainfully. How could she possibly be angry over such a thing? She got to see the real person every day!
Twenty-Three: How could I be angry over something like that? That was just a joke.
Max: Hehe, so is your urgent business finished?
Twenty-Three: Yes, it’s all done.
Twenty-Three: By the way, I almost forgot to ask—how is your new look? Did your boss praise you?
Buzz.
Mai Suisui pursed her lips. Recalling Yu Nian’s reaction when she saw her, she replied sheepishly:
Max: …She did. Twice.
Jin Enna, who had just arrived at the top floor, intended to greet Mai Suisui, but was surprised to see the girl with her eyes curved into crescents and a bright smile.
Is she… chatting with someone?
“Tsk tsk, young girls these days…”
Jin Enna shook her head silently. Not wanting to disturb Mai Suisui, she knocked and entered Yu Nian’s office.
Twenty-Three: Then it seems our Miss Max must be very beautiful. Otherwise, how could that “icy” boss of yours praise you twice in a row!
Yu Nian held a grudge—a very long one!
She still remembered exactly how Mai Suisui had spoken ill of her behind her back.
Buzz.
Max: Not at all. Ms. Twenty-Three, please don’t exaggerate… you’re making me blush!
Twenty-Three: Then do you still want to hear it?
Max: ……I do!
Yu Nian was about to continue typing when she heard a knock. Before she could tuck away the smile on her face, she saw Jin Enna looking at her with total bewilderment.
Eh?
That was the same expression she had just seen on someone else’s face, wasn’t it?
By the time Jin Enna blinked, Yu Nian had already reverted to her cold, indifferent expression.
Jin Enna breathed a sigh of relief.
That’s more like it!
This was the Yu Nian she knew… For a moment, she thought she had hallucinated due to exhaustion.
“What is it?”
“What? Cheng Si?”
In the third-floor lounge of ZS Trading, Mai Suisui took a small sip of her afternoon tea and looked at Shen Qingqing in shock.
“I’m telling you, it’s true!” Shen Qingqing insisted. “The Finance Department went to see Xu Ya this morning. Many people saw it. The rumor is all over the company now.”
“But how is it I haven’t heard anything about this? Besides, when Manager Cheng went to CEO Yu’s office this afternoon, CEO Yu didn’t seem to have any reaction at all.”
“Who knows?” Shen Qingqing shrugged. “Maybe CEO Yu is waiting for Cheng Si to confess of his own accord?”
Mai Suisui frowned and murmured to herself, “Looking at Cheng Si this afternoon, he didn’t seem to have any intention of confessing.”
After finishing her tea, Mai Suisui returned to the top floor, only to find Jin Enna and Xu Ya standing respectfully by the door, not daring to move an inch.
“Sister Na, Manager Xu.”
Mai Suisui greeted the two of them.
Xu Ya nodded in acknowledgment.
Jin Enna shook her head. “Wait a moment before going in.”
“Oh… yes. I understand.”
Mai Suisui (misidentified as Shen Qingqing in original text) nodded gently and stood with Jin Enna, waiting for the office door to open again.
“No matter what punishment you give, I will accept it.”
After a long period of mutual silence, Cheng Si, who had been standing before Yu Nian with his hands at his sides, finally broke the quiet.
His expression was somewhat defeated, yet carried a hint of the relief that comes with letting everything go.
“Do you think this matter can be settled by me just scolding you a bit or docking a few months’ salary?”
“That is why I said! Whatever punishment you give, I will accept it!”
Cheng Si looked up, his brow furrowed. The slight trace of irritation in his tone proved that his heart was not as carefree as his words suggested.
Yu Nian leaned against the edge of her desk and said coldly, “What if I want to fire you?”
In that instant, Cheng Si was visibly stunned.
Then, as if moved to angry laughter, he said, “Fine! Since CEO Yu wants to fire me, I’ll leave!”
“You don’t believe I will fire you?”
“I simply believe that you, CEO Yu, are a fair and just person.”
To be even more arrogant after making a mistake.
Yu Nian said calmly, “Whoever told you that, go find them.”
Finally, Yu Nian captured a flash of astonishment on Cheng Si’s face, along with a trace of panic he couldn’t quite hide.
In Cheng Si’s original estimation, no matter how angry Yu Nian became, she wouldn’t go as far as to kick him out of Sales Group Five.
This wasn’t just about whether his personal abilities were excellent; more importantly, he believed that Yu Nian needed him.
Currently, everyone in ZS Trading knew that Yu Nian had just taken office and was in desperate need of capable staff.
Therefore, given that no other outstanding talents could be found in Groups Seven, Eight, and Nine, Cheng Si felt he had leverage.
But now, Cheng Si began to doubt that judgment.
Because in that moment, he could sense that Yu Nian was serious.
“…According to company regulations, the mistake I made shouldn’t be enough to justify termination, right?”
“Didn’t you say you would accept any punishment?” Yu Nian said with a relentless air, her face perfectly calm.
Cheng Si clenched his teeth and took a silent, deep breath. He said nothing more, took a step back, lowered his head, and said, “It is my fault. I admit it. I hope you can give me another chance, CEO Yu.”
“So, this is what you really mean? ‘I did wrong, but I hope you will forgive me this once,’ right?”
If Mai Suisui were standing there, she would surely sigh at how “iceberg beauties” are invariably gifted with a sharp tongue.
It was as if Yu Nian had seen right through the inherent pride in Cheng Si’s bones. She intentionally used her words to mock and corner him, forcing him into a state where he was furious yet speechless.
For a proud person, this was no different than being nailed to a stake and publicly humiliated.
Cheng Si’s reaction perfectly illustrated this.
His clenched hands were nearly trembling, yet he remained silent with his head bowed, suppressing his inner rage.
He was showing Yu Nian his stance.
Though he didn’t say it outright, his lack of rebuttal was a sign of submission. He was hoping Yu Nian would let him off the hook.
He hadn’t given up yet; he felt Yu Nian was merely intimidating him with a few harsh words. He believed that as long as he was willing to submit, no one would normally refuse a capable assistant.
“You guessed correctly. I won’t fire you.”
Cheng Si instinctively looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and surprise. He hadn’t expected Yu Nian to admit that so easily.
“However, I’m not keeping you because I can’t fire you, but because the mistake you made hasn’t truly reached that level yet. As for the punishment—the words I just said to you are your punishment. You must be very angry, right? Good. Remember this feeling well. Don’t make the same mistake again.”
Cheng Si’s face flushed red and then turned pale at Yu Nian’s words. He suddenly felt that this moment was even more humiliating than her previous scolding.
There is nothing more embarrassing than having one’s secret thoughts exposed so plainly.
“Furthermore, once this matter is settled, I will transfer you to another group within the Sales Department or to another department in the company. Prepare yourself.”
“What?!”
Cheng Si was shocked and quickly asked, “Why? Didn’t you say those words just now were the punishment?”
He believed Yu Nian was just being “kind” with her words. Being transferred to another group might just be a demotion in disguise, and being moved to another department altogether would be even worse.
He had fought for so many years in the Sales Department; was he now expected to start over from scratch?
“The punishment is the punishment. The job transfer is my personnel arrangement as your superior. I don’t know about others, but I think Groups Seven, Eight, and Nine no longer need you.”
Cheng Si stood dazed, his hands clenching tightly again until his knuckles turned white.
“Can you tell me the reason?”
Yu Nian looked at him strangely. “You didn’t really think I was some kind of ‘nice’ boss, did you?”
Cheng Si looked stunned.
“When it comes to mistakes that shouldn’t be made, I only ever give one chance. Didn’t I already give you a chance with the charity project Manager Zhao left behind?”
“That was…”
“Enough.”
Yu Nian interrupted Cheng Si, who was trying excitedly to explain. She said flatly, “No one here is a fool. If you insist on treating others like fools, it only proves that you are the fool.”
Cheng Si stood frozen on the spot. Then, he lowered his head, his fists clenched tight.
“I know you are not convinced by me. You’ve been observing my moves with a cynical attitude while working. I know it, but I don’t care, because you are no threat to me. However, since you’ve made two such major blunders, why should I keep a disobedient employee?”
Having said this, Yu Nian ignored Cheng Si and returned to her work.
What had happened today was actually quite simple.
It involved the wool import case Cheng Si was handling—a project he had started before Yu Nian even joined the company.
Whether out of a desire for quick success or a genuine oversight, with the contract only half-completed, the supplier Cheng Si had contacted suddenly became unable to provide the wool according to the specified conditions.
Yu Nian remembered Cheng Si mentioning some issues with the source, but he had claimed he could handle it, so she hadn’t paid it much mind.
Who would have thought the situation would deteriorate so rapidly? Eventually, even Cheng Si’s attempts to fix the damage were too little, too late. The Finance Department found Xu Ya, and the lid he had tried so hard to keep on the situation was blown wide open.
While Yu Nian sighed, she also had to admit she bore some responsibility. Out of caution, she hadn’t over-managed the projects the Sales Department was running prior to her arrival.
In hindsight, that was a major oversight on her part.
After Cheng Si left in a dejected state, Yu Nian wanted to vent her feelings to “Miss Max.” However, Jin Enna knocked and entered the office looking extremely anxious.
“CEO Yu, people from the Head Office have arrived at our company.”
Yu Nian’s brow furrowed. “Why was there no prior notice?”
Jin Enna shook her head. “They said it was a last-minute decision… or it might be a surprise inspection.”
“Who is it?”
“The Vice President from the Head Office—Li Fuqu.”