Hearing Jiang Rou’s words, Shen Wanli asked in disbelief, “Qian Han made you do an afternoon’s worth of work for her?”
Looking as if she had just realized she said the wrong thing, Jiang Rou smiled slightly, her tone cautious. “It is nothing much really. Sister Qian Han just said she had manuscripts to hand in to you tonight, and since it was my first day at your company and I was not yet familiar with the operations, I thought that since you were in a rush for her manuscripts, I would just help out when she asked.”
Shen Wanli frowned deeply upon hearing Jiang Rou’s words. Having struggled in the business world for a long time, she had seen plenty of such tricks. She could not help but sigh that Jiang Rou was truly too naive and kind-hearted, getting bullied on her very first day of work.
With a displeased tone, Shen Wanli said, “If she asks you to do anything else in the future, just refuse. I did not bring you here to be her errand girl.”
Hearing Shen Wanli, Jiang Rou nodded obediently. “I understand, Sister. Do not be angry.”
Listening to Jiang Rou’s cautious tone, Shen Wanli chuckled helplessly. “Why would I be angry? I am just a bit frustrated that our Xiaorou got bullied on her very first day of work.”
Jiang Rou looked at Shen Wanli with eyes full of confusion, as if she could not understand at all how she had just been bullied.
This prompted Shen Wanli to affectionately reach out and stroke Jiang Rou’s head.
Who would have known that the next day, as soon as Jiang Rou sat down at her desk, Qian Han handed her another stack of documents and directly ordered, “Just like yesterday, photocopy these and send them straight to the product department.”
Instead of complying, Jiang Rou shook her head, her eyes filled with apology. “I am sorry, Sister Qian Han, but I cannot help you today.”
Not expecting Jiang Rou to refuse her, Qian Han’s expression instantly soured. “What do you mean?”
Li Luo, standing nearby, could no longer watch quietly. “Qian Han, did you not hear Jiang Rou say she cannot help you? Do your own work. Why are you always bothering others?”
“I have other matters to do.” Qian Han hadn’t finished speaking before Li Luo cut her off.
“You used President Shen as an excuse yesterday. I saw you go looking for President Shen yesterday, so you certainly do not need to hand in manuscripts to President Shen today.”
Li Luo’s tone was full of sarcasm, and the way she looked at Qian Han was full of disdain, treating her like someone trying to get something for nothing.
“Your meaning is that you do not want to go?”
Realizing she could not win an argument against Li Luo, Qian Han shifted her focus directly to Jiang Rou.
“I really cannot go. President Shen just told me last night not to help others and to do my own work well.”
Jiang Rou said with an innocent expression.
Jiang Rou’s words reminded Qian Han of the embarrassment she suffered in Shen Wanli’s office yesterday. Anger surged within her, causing her to speak without thinking. “Do not think you can use a feather as an arrow just because you have that kind of relationship with President Shen. Relying on your looks to please others like this, you will soon be cast aside. You would be better off finishing your own work instead.”
Hearing Qian Han’s malicious words, Jiang Rou looked at her in absolute disbelief. “Sister Qian Han, what do you mean by that? You cannot slander the relationship between President Shen and me just because I refused to help you.”
Seeing Jiang Rou looking so delicate and fragile, with tears welling up in her eyes and looking pitiful enough to break anyone’s heart, Qian Han cursed under her breath at the vixen. Qian Han’s tone was full of contempt. “You have already been kept by President Shen, so why are you afraid to admit what you have done?”
Qian Han had always prided herself on being a modern, independent woman, so she naturally looked down on someone like Jiang Rou who climbed the ladder using her looks. Furthermore, seeing Jiang Rou’s vixen-like appearance, she assumed Jiang Rou only knew how to seduce people to get ahead.
“Stop talking nonsense! I did not do that!”
Jiang Rou’s voice was filled with grievance, and tears fell in pattering drops, making her look truly heartbreaking to witness.
The nearby colleagues, seeing Jiang Rou bullied to this extent by Qian Han, also grew hostile toward Qian Han and demanded that she apologize.
However, convinced that she had hit the nail on the head regarding the relationship between Jiang Rou and Shen Wanli, Qian Han stubbornly kept an expression that said she had done nothing wrong.
The entire design department broke out into a noisy argument. Just at that moment, Zhang Fang had gone to find Shen Wanli to discuss product designs, only to realize she had forgotten some of her blueprints, prompting her to say she would go back to retrieve them.
Suddenly remembering the previous day’s events and wanting to check on how Jiang Rou was settling into her work, Shen Wanli told Zhang Fang she would tag along.
The commotion in the design department caused Zhang Fang to frown as she walked over. Just as she was about to speak, Shen Wanli stopped her, so she simply followed Shen Wanli inside.
The noisy design department fell silent instantly upon hearing someone shout, “President Shen is here!”
Everyone scattered and scurried back to their desks, immediately exposing the two central figures standing in the middle.
Seeing Jiang Rou sitting in her chair with tears still streaming down her face, Shen Wanli panicked and rushed over. “What is going on here?”
Seeing Shen Wanli, Jiang Rou threw herself into her arms like an injured young animal seeking its mother, refusing to lift her head no matter what Shen Wanli said.
Witnessing Jiang Rou’s action, everyone gasped, but upon seeing that Shen Wanli did not push Jiang Rou away in the slightest, how could anyone fail to understand what was going on?
Stepping forward, one colleague volunteered to recount what had just happened. After listening, the temperature around Shen Wanli dropped sharply, and her gaze turned chillingly cold.
“Who told you that Xiaorou and I have that kind of relationship?”
Shen Wanli coldly interrogated Qian Han.
Qian Han was startled by Shen Wanli’s gaze, and the surrounding colleagues were equally frightened. Shen Wanli was usually gentle and amiable; this was the first time anyone had ever seen her angry, and it was terrifying.
“I heard rumors.” Qian Han panicked, her voice beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
Shen Wanli sneered. “I do not know who recruited you, but you fail to do your work properly, push tasks onto your colleagues, and spread malicious gossip around the company. I cannot keep someone like you here. You are fired.”
Jiang Rou lifted her head from Shen Wanli’s embrace, her voice still laced with a slight sob as she whispered, “Actually, I am fine.”
Shen Wanli said nothing in response, and simply pulled Jiang Rou into her arms as she led her toward her office. “I am sorry, Xiaorou. I only wanted to help you adjust to the working environment and did not expect this to happen. You do not have to go back to the design department; you can draw in my office instead.”
“Actually, I…” Jiang Rou started to say something, but was interrupted by Shen Wanli’s resolute gaze, leaving her with no choice but to sit down.
After giving it some thought, Shen Wanli stepped out of the office to continue handling the matter and instructed her secretary to prepare some desserts for Jiang Rou.
As soon as Shen Wanli finished speaking, Qian Han was immediately ordered to pack her bags and leave.
Looking at Jiang Rou sitting on the sofa, her tears gone as she happily ate her dessert, Shen Wanli smiled helplessly.
This girl, whom she had pampered since childhood, was simply too naive and always let herself get bullied.
Shen Wanli intended to let her calm down and adjust her mood in the office for a few days, completely unaware that out of her line of sight, the corners of Jiang Rou’s mouth curved upward in a triumphant smile.