“Come in.” Who else could it be but the Lin family’s little sprite?
Lin Sheng walked over to Ye Tong’s desk with her hands behind her back, grinning. “I heard you on the phone just now, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Ye Tong asked with a light laugh, “So leisurely today? Shouldn’t you be working?”
“My aunt wouldn’t let me get away with that. I’m just heading downstairs and thought I’d stop by to see you.” Lin Sheng made an exaggerated “wow” sound, then suddenly brought her hands out from behind her back to reveal a vibrant sprig of plum blossoms. “I just snapped this off, it’s for you.”
Ye Tong played along, accepting the sprig with delight. “Thank you.”
“As long as you’re happy. I think plum blossoms suit you gentle on the outside, but strong on the inside.” Lin Sheng’s words were as sugary as a piece of candy. “Isn’t it pretty?”
“It is.”
Ye Tong’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she reached out to pinch Lin Sheng’s cheek. “I see. No wonder the big boss often tells me you’re a flirt everywhere you go; your skills in charming people are quite high-level.”
Lin Sheng, whose shamelessness had reached a state of mastery, said triumphantly, “Well, other than my face, this is the only skill I have to be proud of. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to charm your big boss.”
“Yes, you certainly have quite the talent.”
Lin Sheng pointed toward the office next door. Looking at the gentle woman before her, she said in a tone of exasperated disappointment, “Unlike my ancestor, who is as devoid of passion as an old dead tree she’ll never bloom a single flower.”
Ye Tong pursed her lips in a soft smile. “Aren’t you afraid of getting hit for saying that about your aunt behind her back?”
“My aunt would never hit me.”
That was true enough. Ye Tong looked at the plum blossoms in her hand, feeling a bit confused as she shook the sprig. “By the way, these flowers…”
She looked at the pink, tender blossoms in full bloom and suddenly felt something was off. Just as she was about to ask where Lin Sheng got them, Lin Sheng seemed to anticipate the question and slipped away before Ye Tong could speak, leaving behind a quick, “I’m off to work!”
Ye Tong couldn’t stop her even if she tried. She helplessly laughed, took the sprig, and placed it in a vase on the side. Suddenly, she remembered the plum tree planted on the balcony of the office next door… She stared at the flowers for a while. Had this little brat stolen her aunt’s blossoms to offer them as a gift?
Plum blossoms bloom in winter, and the pink petals even just a few were fragrant. The entire office was soon filled with a faint scent. But knowing they belonged to Lin Su, Ye Tong felt conflicted about whether or not to toss them. Deciding they were quite pleasing to the eye, she couldn’t bring herself to throw them away.
Before lunch, Ye Tong considered that Lin Su was the one who planned the fashion show and was a joint host, so she ought to inform her about picking models at 1:00 PM.
Lin Su had rich business experience and might offer important insights. As long as it concerned work, Ye Tong was open and straightforward, so she resolutely knocked on the door of the CEO’s office.
“Come in.”
Lin Su closed her pen cap after signing some documents and looked up, meeting Ye Tong’s neutral tone.
“General Manager Lin.”
Lin Su nodded and stood up to walk toward the lounge. “Come sit.”
Ye Tong followed Lin Su, her eyes drifting toward the balcony not far away. In the middle of the spacious balcony sat a bonsai plum tree. The blossoms were delicate and beautiful, but the branches were sparse, and one on the left had clearly been snapped off…
Ye Tong pretended not to notice and sat down calmly on the sofa opposite Lin Su.
Lin Su poured a cup of tea for Ye Tong. “Is there something you need, Director Ye?”
“Of course there is.” Ye Tong smiled first, then got straight to the point. “I’m going to the Ji Group at 1:00 PM to select models for the show. Do you have any suggestions, General Manager Lin?”
“The Ji Group.” Lin Su repeated the name lightly, an answer that felt like a deflection. She looked at Ye Tong. “I have no objections. You arrange it.”
It was within her expectations. Ye Tong lowered her eyes to avoid eye contact and took a sip of tea. Before she could say anything, Lin Su added, “I’ll go with you this afternoon.”
“General Manager Lin is coming too?”
Ye Tong’s face remained expressionless. Lin Su countered, “Can’t I go?”
Ye Tong shook her head. “It’s just unexpected, considering how busy you are every day.”
“That depends on who it is.” Lin Su sat bolt upright, her gaze lingering on Ye Tong’s face. She maintained her calm tone. “I said before, nothing is more important than you.”
Ye Tong’s hand paused, but she calmly set down her teacup. Lin Su’s voice continued: “Besides, this is my work, too. The fashion show is the finale of the LT year-end banquet; we can’t afford a single mistake. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
The explanation was perfect you couldn’t find a single flaw in it. Ye Tong suppressed the flutter in her heart, stood up, and said, “Then it’s settled. We’ll go to the Ji Group together at 1:00 PM.”
Lin Su: “Good.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
After Ye Tong left, Lin Su remained seated, her expression no longer calm but rather dazed. She seemed lost in thought, not even hearing Xiao Ziyu knock. By the time she snapped out of it, Xiao Ziyu was already sitting in the chair Ye Tong had just vacated.
Xiao Ziyu rarely saw Lin Su looking so lost in thought. She sighed. “Director Ye has been here for over half a month. When will you two break out of this icy state of affairs?”
The emperor isn’t anxious, but the eunuch is dying of worry. Watching them torture each other physically and mentally it wasn’t tiring for them, but Xiao Ziyu felt exhausted just looking at it. Sometimes, the overbearing CEO was quite pathetic desiring what she couldn’t have and unable to gain Ye Tong’s forgiveness. Just as Xiao Ziyu was sighing, she heard Lin Su mutter four words: “Take the initiative.”
“What initiative?” Xiao Ziyu glared at her. “If you don’t win her back, you’re going to end up alone for the rest of your life!”
“The little ancestor said so.” Lin Su smiled lightly. “She gave me the idea.”
“Then take the initiative! Always sitting around waiting to die how is that going to work?” Xiao Ziyu whispered. “If you had half the charm of the little ancestor, you wouldn’t have been avoiding this for so long.”
The word “avoiding” seemed to sting Lin Su’s heart. She frowned, wanting to retort, but found no words.
Xiao Ziyu softened her tone. “Boss, the truth is, I think Ye Tong has forgiven the reasons behind your actions, but you did deceive her, and she no longer trusts you.”
Xiao Ziyu urged earnestly: “To build mutual trust, I think you need to change your temper first. Someone with your personality, who keeps everything inside and says nothing—who knows what you’re thinking?”
Even with Ye Tong right under her nose, seeing her every day if her attitude didn’t change and she couldn’t feel any genuine sincerity, Ye Tong was right not to look back. Who knew if she would be hurt again if things repeated themselves?
Having finally stood back up, no one wanted to fall and be left sprawling on the ground again.
Lin Su didn’t argue. Instead, she recalled the times they had argued, and Ye Tong’s accusations. Actually, they rarely argued. Lin Su understood Ye Tong’s heart, and Ye Tong understood her. Mutual understanding and respect had led them through happy, blissful days. She missed that life—having someone waiting for her at home after work.
“Boss,” Xiao Ziyu asked, “Like right now, what are you thinking?”
What was she thinking? Lin Su said, “I just don’t want to push her too hard.”
Scars needed time to heal. Pushing too hard would only lead to the opposite result. Just as Xiao Ziyu said, she needed to rebuild trust, change her temper, and enter her heart again as a brand-new self.
Lin Su said softly, “I’ve been absent from her life for too long. Let her adapt to and accept my presence first; it’s a process.”
Xiao Ziyu understood her intentions. Having known her for over a decade, how could she not? She went straight to the point: “Have you explained the misunderstanding from back then to her?”
Lin Su pursed her lips. Xiao Ziyu rolled her eyes. “Boss, I knew you couldn’t say it. If I hadn’t secretly told her behind your back, she wouldn’t even see you now.”
“Then I suppose I have to thank you.”
“No need for thanks.” Xiao Ziyu shrank her neck, avoiding Lin Su’s eyes, and stroked her chin. “But Boss, me explaining and you explaining are two different concepts.”
Lin Su mused, “I will find an opportunity to explain it clearly to her.”
The overbearing CEO had finally seen the light? Xiao Ziyu eyed her and let out a breath. “Boss, maybe she really is waiting for an explanation from you.”
Hearing it from someone else wasn’t the same. Once she knew the truth, she might even harbor some resentment for having been kept in the dark and deceived.
Lin Su turned her head, her face returning to its calm demeanor. Her gaze landed on the plum bonsai, scanning down to the gap where the branch had been snapped. A subtle smile emerged in her eyes.
“By the way, how are you going to solve the big trouble that is Chen Shuru? If you want to win Ye Tong back, you have to pluck every single piece of rotten peach blossom around you!”
Lin Su sat back in her office chair, a cold smile on her lips. “Since she loves to meddle so much, give her more things to do.”
“Leave it to me.” Xiao Ziyu, an expert in manipulation, said happily, “The project department has signed several big orders. Let’s keep her busy for half a year; she won’t be able to get in your way.”
Lin Su hummed. “Secretary Xiao, prepare to go to the Ji Group at 1:00 PM.”
“The schedule is so sudden?”
Lin Su: “To pick models.”
“Are you going with Director Ye?” Xiao Ziyu didn’t even need to think to know.
Lin Su: “Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange it immediately.” Xiao Ziyu stood up and walked to the balcony. She looked down and immediately let out a startled cry. “Boss, why has your favorite plum blossom branch been snapped off!”
She had painstakingly nurtured it, and it had finally bloomed this winter. Xiao Ziyu was heartbroken. “Who did this!”
“Who else could it be.”
Other than the little ancestor running around in the CEO’s office, no one dared to enter at will. Xiao Ziyu was so angry she rolled up her shirt sleeves. “That little brat doing bad things the moment she’s back! I’m going to beat her!”
Lin Su curled her lips into a smile and calmly signed documents with her fountain pen. In reality, when her little niece had stolen the plum branch, she had noticed but didn’t stop her, and she had also seen her niece enter the director’s office.
By 12:00 PM, Secretary Xiao had arranged the itinerary. They traveled in the same car, and Ye Tong, not needing to drive, took the elevator down to the lobby of the building, grabbed a book, sat down, and waited for Lin Su, who was still on the 30th floor.
“Isn’t that Director Ye?”
“Who are you waiting for, sitting there?”
“Waiting for Lin Su?”
The tone was sour and biting. Ye Tong didn’t want to engage, so she continued reading without raising her head. She was an naturally destined enemies with Lin Su, and this woman Chen Shuru was like a haunting spirit as well. She just wanted to read a book in peace, and here was someone coming to irritate her.
Being ignored was something no one could tolerate, especially not the self-important Chen Shuru. But she endured it, walked over, and sat down next to Ye Tong. “Director Ye, I’m talking to you.”
Ye Tong: “Please go ahead.”
“Are you waiting for Lin Su?”
“Mm.” Ye Tong still didn’t raise her head, giving a perfunctory, distracted reply.
Ye Tong thought Chen Shuru would continue with the sarcasm and moved aside to create some distance. But Chen Shuru didn’t mock her. She turned her head, studied Ye Tong carefully, and said calmly, “You’ve changed a lot.”
Ye Tong: “You, too.”
“I know everything about your past, including the fact that you were together behind everyone’s backs.” Chen Shuru narrowed her eyes. “I really don’t know why Lin Su would reject me and choose you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ye Tong chose not to admit it, her face expressionless though a wave of agitation rose in her heart.
Chen Shuru crossed her legs, leaned back against the sofa, and looked at Ye Tong. “I’m genuinely curious: you were so weak back then, how were you worthy of Lin Su? What exactly did Lin Su like about you?”
“I am truly sorry, but I really don’t understand what you are talking about.” Ye Tong closed the book, stood up to put it back on the shelf, and tidied up the books that had been placed haphazardly.
“Do you really not understand, or are you just pretending?”
Ye Tong laughed. “If Manager Chen thinks I understand, then I understand. If not, then I don’t.”
“Did you come back just for Lin Su?”
Ye Tong didn’t want to explain any further and said simply, “It’s just for work.”
“If you knew the truth from back then, would you still think so?”
“Work is work.” Ye Tong took out her phone, checked the time, looked toward the elevator, and walked around Chen Shuru. “I have work to do, so I can’t chat anymore.”
Chen Shuru stood up to block Ye Tong’s path. “Do you really not want to know?”
She didn’t want to know, yet she was being forced to listen. Ye Tong nodded. “Alright then, speak.”
Chen Shuru didn’t get a chance to utter a single word before she was interrupted. Xiao Ziyu saw them from a distance and hurried over, running as she shouted: “Director Ye, hurry, we have to go.”
“I am sorry, I have things to do.” Ye Tong turned and walked toward the exit.
Xiao Ziyu ran over, grabbed Ye Tong, and left as if Chen Shuru behind them were a flood or a beast. She whispered: “She didn’t bully you, did she?”
Ye Tong: “No.”
Xiao Ziyu exhaled. “That’s good. Keep your distance from her in the future and don’t pay her any mind.”
Ye Tong nodded. She had never wanted to pay her any mind; it was Chen Shuru who kept insisting on sticking to her. Xiao Ziyu’s eyes darted around, and before she could say anything, a roguish voice drifted over: “Ye, Aunt Xiao, where are you going? Take me with you!”
“Take you, my foot!” Xiao Ziyu dragged Ye Tong out the door as if facing a great enemy.
Lin Su saw them running in such a disheveled way and opened the back car door. “What’s wrong?”
“Hurry, hurry! Don’t let the little ancestor follow us, it’ll be absolute chaos.” Xiao Ziyu said as she dove into the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go, let’s go.” Ye Tong pushed Lin Su into the car. Ji Huaiqiu was a firebrand, and the Lin family’s little ancestor was a firebrand. If those two firebrands met, it would be endless, useless trouble.