"This is Shen Fei'an's phone." Wen Su's voice turned several degrees colder.
"He took care of me all night, and now he's exhausted and asleep." There was a hint of self-reproach and guilt in Lu Qingyun's words.
"You're sick?"
"I drank too much last night and had a moment of despair." Lu Qingyun paused again before finishing: "I slit my wrist. Fortunately, Fei An arrived in time and took me to the hospital."
Listening to her explanation, Wen Su could find no fault in it.
A woman who lost her husband, fragile and seeking death; her brother-in-law, tending to his late brother's widow, not returning home late into the night.
"Is that so?" Wen Su's tone grew flat. "Then get some rest."
Lu Qingyun hummed in acknowledgment and hung up.
That dull click pried open the uneasy door to Wen Su's heart.
Lu Qingyun had borrowed her husband and hadn't even offered a single word of apology.
Her matter-of-fact tone just now almost made Wen Su believe that she was the one who was the intruder.
Grief and outrage were replaced in that moment by sober clarity.
She stared out the window, knowing full well that she couldn't afford to fall apart now.
Her daughter was still young, her world pure and beautiful—Wen Su would not allow anyone to destroy it.
Perhaps it was time she tore open that veil herself and saw what had truly transpired between Shen Fei'an and Lu Qingyun.
At nine in the morning, Wen Su arrived at the company for a meeting.
In the conference room, Shen Fei'an sat in the main seat, his handsome face etched with fatigue.
He wore a charcoal-grey custom suit with fine pinstripes, no tie—casual yet radiating authority.
Since Old Master Shen's passing, his influence within the group had grown steadily. Now that Shen Feiyi had also met with misfortune, the company's power rested entirely on his shoulders, carrying the calm and control of one in command.
The meeting's agenda was to review resource allocation and budgets for several ongoing projects.
The first few projects progressed smoothly.
When the "Targeted Drugs and Innovative Formulations" R&D center presented a new tumor suppressor project, the atmosphere shifted subtly.
Lu Qingyun, the project's lead, was absent.
A researcher stood to present in her place, explaining that the latest sets of experimental data from Phase Three, codenamed Star Chart, had shown minor fluctuations, and stability still required further verification. The researcher noted with due rigor that they would conduct additional checks.
Several senior executives nodded in agreement.
This project was one of the company's key strategic bets for the next three years, drawing considerable external expectations.
Shen Fei'an stared at the large screen, lost in thought, his deep eyes betraying nothing—so much so that he seemed to lose his usual decisiveness.
"I oppose the decision to approve additional budget and initiate clinical preparation for this project at its current stage."
Wen Su, who had been sitting quietly in the middle of the long table, suddenly spoke up.
In an instant, all eyes turned to her.
Wen Su had always been professional and low-key at the company, rarely voicing direct opposition so explicitly in senior meetings.
Especially against a project led by her sister-in-law Lu Qingyun, one that was clearly favored.
Shen Fei'an's wandering gaze snapped back into focus as he slowly turned toward Wen Su.
Here, he was the absolute authority, and his look at Wen Su carried both scrutiny and challenge.
"Your reasoning."
Meeting his gaze, Wen Su picked up the documents beside her. "I have three points."
"First, the data issue is not a simple batch variation. Anomalies occurred as early as six months ago. Combined with the discrepancies across these three experimental groups, we've now crossed the statistical warning threshold."
As she spoke, several senior executives nearby fell into thought.
"Second, resource strain. The clinical phase of the Poria cocos polysaccharide derivative project under my department has just concluded. The data shows significant efficacy in immune regulation with a strong safety profile. We need concentrated resources for data mining."
"Third." Wen Su fixed her eyes on Shen Fei'an. "Project lead Lu Qingyun has been absent on multiple occasions, which violates the principle of prudence in R&D management. We should consider having her return to her post to clarify the data issues before proceeding with evaluation."
The conference room fell silent.
Everyone knew that Lu Qingyun was a top-tier talent cultivated by the Shen family. In past meetings, Wen Su had only ever supplemented her projects' shortcomings—never once had she called out her failures.
Shen Fei'an's expression remained unchanged.
"Dr. Wen's analysis is very professional." He spoke, his voice steady but several degrees colder. "We'll establish a temporary technical review committee. You'll join the cross-audit group. Within two weeks, I want to see detailed data and a risk assessment."
After the meeting ended, Wen Su remained in her seat.
Shen Fei'an had already left. Wen Su stared at the data on the screen.
Just now, he hadn't mentioned Lu Qingyun, nor had he offered a single word of reproach. Instead, he used absolute authority to pin the project in place.
Wen Su rose and walked toward the door. In that moment, she knew that once she stepped through it, a line would be drawn between her and Shen Fei'an.
"Wen Su, come to my office."
In the corridor, the man stood tall and imposing, as if he had been waiting for her specifically.
Wen Su followed him into the president's office.
The door closed. Shen Fei'an stepped forward, looking down at her. "You know how important that project is to Qingyun. Why did you oppose it?"
Wen Su turned around, her back to him, gazing at the steel-and-glass forest outside the window. "I'm speaking purely from the company's interests. There's no bias in my words."
"Has Sister-in-law treated you poorly? You want to veto her project at her most difficult moment?" A note of displeasure crept into Shen Fei'an's voice.
Wen Su lifted her head, meeting his disapproving gaze without an immediate answer.
She knew that at this moment, any hasty self-justification would only make her seem to have ulterior motives.
"President Shen!" She smiled faintly, addressing him formally. "You said the company comes first. I'm merely raising a reasonable concern—are you going to use personal ties to block me?"
Shen Fei'an studied her upturned face—gentle, yet carrying a hint of sharpness.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly disliking this kind of argument.
"Wen Su, you and I both know how important this project is to the company's future strategy. Besides, my eldest brother was deeply invested in it before he passed." Shen Fei'an invoked his brother Shen Feiyi's name, his tone growing heavier. "Qingyun… Dr. Lu poured her heart and soul into the research and development. The time and effort she's invested—everyone has seen it."
Wen Su averted her gaze from the man's handsome face. "Precisely because it's so important, we should adopt a cautious approach when the data shows errors."
"You also agreed to establish the review committee. Time and effort cannot replace scientific validation—you're well aware of that too, President Shen."
"And to take a step back—if a project with hidden risks continues to advance and ultimately fails, the damage to her reputation and to the company would only be greater."
Wen Su's businesslike tone drew Shen Fei'an's prolonged gaze.
The woman who had shared his bed for years—in this moment, she felt strangely unfamiliar.
In his memory, she was gentle and strong, grounded and understanding.
Now, she was rigorously logical, soft on the surface but steely within—a side he had never seen before.
"Last night, Grandmother said she wanted to have Qingyun resign from her position at the company and send her abroad to live. I didn't get the chance to mention it to you." Shen Fei'an's voice was low.
Wen Su's eyes stiffened slightly.
Shen Fei'an looked at her with heavy, dark eyes. "At this moment, what Qingyun needs most is understanding and support from us as family. You two have always been close—you've helped each other on past projects. Do you really want to deal her a heavy blow at her most vulnerable moment?"
Wen Su's heart sank, but her face remained calm as still water.
"President Shen, we can't lower our scientific standards for the project just because of a change in the lead's circumstances. Of course, I'm only offering my professional opinion as a member of the R&D department. The final decision rests with you."
Shen Fei'an looked at her in silence for a few seconds, then suddenly turned and sat down in the wide leather chair.
He leaned back, hands crossed in front of him, in a posture of complete control.
"Wen Su."
His tone held no interrogation, yet it was unfathomable.
"We're a family. Some matters are better resolved behind closed doors than brought out into the open. My eldest brother just passed—how many eyes are watching the Shen family? Watching Hengsheng? I don't want outsiders laughing at the Shens over some minor disagreement."
Wen Su nodded agreeably. "I understand. Harmony in the family brings prosperity, and company stability matters most. That's precisely why eliminating hidden risks on the scientific and operational fronts is the most responsible thing we can do for the family and the company."
Shen Fei'an furrowed his brow, gazing at her with deep, unreadable eyes for a long moment. He waved his hand, his tone returning to indifference. "Since you insist on professional considerations, then do your duty on the review committee properly. You may go."
"Yes, President Shen!" Wen Su picked up the documents from the coffee table and walked steadily toward the door.
As her hand closed around the doorknob, Shen Fei'an's complicated voice came from behind her: "If you were in Qingyun's position today, I believe she would do everything in her power to protect you."