Ruan Li let Manager Chen out of the car.
At the same time, she stopped the recording.
Admittedly, Ruan Li had spent a long time preparing the proposal for the Fu Group, and the bonus was substantial enough.
But even if the contract could be signed today, it would still take time for the finance department to process the payment.
It would be at least a month before she could get the money.
Too slow.
She needed quick cash.
With this recording, however, things were different.
She had to thank An Shengnan for her identity as an internet celebrity.
Once the recording from inside the car was posted online, it would spell disaster for An Shengnan.
Moreover, her background couldn’t withstand scrutiny.
To protect his childhood sweetheart, Jiang Siyan would undoubtedly offer a substantial sum as hush money.
Ruan Li lowered her gaze, thinking of the fleeting Bullet Comments she had just seen.
Marry the Fu Family Crown Prince?
These Bullet Comments really were… something else.
Just then, the sound of an ambulance siren echoed on the road.
A little girl, about eight or nine years old, stepped out of the ambulance.
“Wuwu, please, uncles and aunties, make way.”
“My mom fainted and needs to get to the hospital quickly…”
The girl wore a faded shirt, her shoes caked with mud, pleading with drivers to make way for her mother, who urgently needed to be taken to the hospital.
Everyone wanted to help, but the completely blocked intersection left no room to maneuver.
Ruan Li felt a momentary daze.
It was as if she was seeing her past self.
When her foster mother first fainted at home, she had also gone door-to-door, begging the villagers for help.
A life was at stake.
Ruan Li released the drone out the window.
While controlling the drone, she used the loudspeaker to address the cars one by one.
Soon, the road cleared.
The ambulance sounded its siren in thanks to Ruan Li.
The little girl also kept bowing in her direction, expressing her gratitude.
Ruan Li thought the matter had ended there.
But someone had casually filmed the incident and posted it online, where it became a trending topic.
Since Ruan Li had not shown her face throughout the process, a discussion titled #Looking for the Good Samaritan# gained traction.
Some online users also provided clues.
[Isn’t this car the same one that appeared in our Nanbao’s livestream?]
[Sisters, you’ve cracked it! Nanbao is a blogger, and her videos often feature aerial shots. It must have been her using the drone to clear the way for the ambulance!]
[Wow! Nanbao is beautiful and kind-hearted. I love her even more!]
[Following her right away!]
[Does anyone know which drone model this is? I want to get the same one!]
[It’s the new one from the Fu Group. It hasn’t been released yet!]
[@Fu Group, pay our Nanbao!]
When Ruan Li learned about this, she had just stepped into the office.
A large group of people stood before An Shengnan.
Among them were Jiang Siyan and Mrs. Jiang.
“Madam, Young Master Jiang,” Manager Chen grinned. “Today, it was all thanks to An Shengnan. She acted decisively, unafraid of taking responsibility, and resolutely used the drone to create a green passage for the ambulance.”
Ruan Li paused in her steps.
Manager Chen saw her and showed a hint of guilt.
But soon, he added, “Lily was there too, but she was worried about causing trouble and kept trying to stop Miss An.”
Mrs. Jiang frowned, her well-maintained face showing deep disappointment.
Looking at Ruan Li, she said, “After all, she grew up in the countryside. She can’t handle responsibility.”
[Is this right?]
[Little Sister Treasure, deny it quickly!]
But An Shengnan did not deny it.
[Although I like a villainess female lead, isn’t it too much for a privileged wife to claim credit for the hard work of others?]
[The Bullet Comments are full of hypocrites! If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. Who’s forcing you?]
[Exactly! We want a villainess female lead! The white-on-the-outside, black-on-the-inside Little Sister Treasure is too captivating!]
【This is a sweet romance novel! If the Female Supporting Character dares to steal credit, she’ll face humiliation! Don’t worry!】
【Great!】
Ruan Li stared at the flood of Bullet Comments and felt her vision darken.
Even if they do something wrong, they’re still loved.
Is this what it means to be the protagonist?
Is that right?
No, it’s not.
She clenched her fists and spoke up under countless gazes, “It wasn’t An Shengnan who saved the person, it was me.”
“Enough!”
Jiang Siyan cut her off.
His eyes were filled with displeasure as he looked at Ruan Li:
“Not only do you refuse to reflect on your actions, but you even dare to steal someone else’s credit. Luckily, Manager Chen told us first, or you would have gotten away with it.”
“Your monthly bonus and performance pay are all deducted, and you’ll be publicly criticized company-wide.”
Ruan Li naturally refused to accept this outcome. “You can check the dashcam footage.”
But when the cloud video was retrieved, they found the morning footage had been deleted.
Ruan Li froze.
Manager Chen sneered coldly, “Did you delete it on purpose?”
The whispers in the office reached Ruan Li’s ears.
“How shameless!”
“Who knew she was this kind of person before?”
Jiang Siyan glanced at his watch and said sternly, “The Crown Prince of the Fu Group is about to arrive. Don’t let outsiders see this joke. Manager Chen, make sure your subordinate writes a five-thousand-word self-criticism and reads it aloud at tomorrow’s meeting as a warning to others.”
Manager Chen: “Yes!”
Everyone headed to the meeting room.
Ruan Li felt as if her legs were filled with lead, and her vision darkened again.
Just as she was about to fall, a hand steadied her waist.
Through the thin fabric, the palm felt unusually warm.
She turned abruptly and saw Shi Yu standing behind her, though she hadn’t noticed when he arrived.
Unlike the last time she saw him, he was wearing a lead-gray suit with a dark patterned tie at the collar and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his tall nose bridge.
Ruan Li remembered—Shi Yu was interning at the Fu Group.
“What a coincidence,” she said, pretending nothing had happened and forcing a polite smile. “I didn’t expect you to be involved in this project too.”
“You’re just letting them slander you like this?” Shi Yu spoke up.
His words shattered Ruan Li’s facade.
As an adult, shouldn’t he pretend he heard nothing?
Yet, he was the only one who believed her.
Ruan Li’s suppressed emotions surged at his seemingly “caring” words. She could barely hold back her tears and hurriedly left the office.
The hallway was quiet.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Ruan Li asked, “Aren’t you going to the meeting?”
“It doesn’t matter if I go or not,” he said, hands in his pockets. “But I was afraid you’d wallow in misery alone.”
Ruan Li: “…”
This guy could poison himself just by opening his mouth.
She sighed:
“Have you seen those short dramas about the Dragon King? You know, where the protagonist gets bullied, then a group of people shows up, punishes the villains, and says right in front of them: ‘The three-year period is over. Welcome back, Dragon King.'”
“It feels great, right? But short dramas are just short dramas.”
“In reality, there’s no Dragon King or War God.”
“Why not?” Shi Yu said. “You could join the Fu Group and become the client representative.”
Ruan Li’s eyes widened.
Thanks, that felt satisfying.
But it sounded like the dying fantasy of an overworked employee poisoned by cheap takeout.
“This project will not be given to the Jiang Group,” Shi Yu stated. “Cloudview is a key R&D project for the Fu Group over the next five years, and there are internal disputes within the company. The Jiang Group lacks the capability to promote Cloudview effectively. As for you, using Cloudview to clear the way for an ambulance makes you a benefactor to the Fu Group. Staying with the Jiang Group would only complicate matters for the Fu Group.”
“How do you know so much?” Ruan Li asked, puzzled.
“Could it be—”
She lowered her voice, “Are you Mrs. Fu’s kept boy?”
Shi Yu: “…”
Instead of getting angry, he laughed, reaching out to wrap an arm around Ruan Li’s waist. “Can’t you think better of me?”
Ruan Li’s internal alarms blared. “I have a fiancé, really. He works at the Jiang Group.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“But he does!”
Shi Yu smiled ambiguously. “I don’t mind that you have a boyfriend, but your boyfriend minds that you have a side piece? Can’t you tell who loves you more?”
Ruan Li: “…”
Confirmed—he’s playing mind games.
But why does that line sound so familiar?
At that moment, not far away—
Assistant Wang, who had just uncovered Ruan Li’s identity and rushed to report it immediately, abruptly halted in his tracks upon witnessing this scene.
The sky is falling!
The young master is knowingly being the other man!
What kind of situation is this?
When others are the other man, it’s self-degradation; when he’s the other man, it’s a legendary romance?