A ripple of emotion stirred behind Gao Cheng’s elegant black-rimmed glasses. He wiped the water from his hands with a handkerchief. “Go back to work. I’ll go see President Shen now.”
Xiao Lin from the Film and Television Department pleaded, “Manager Gao, please plead for me. I’ve been so busy with work lately, which is why I’ve been speaking and acting rashly. I’ve been rude to Xinghui, but I won’t ever do it again.”
Gao Cheng offered a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll explain for you.”
Xiao Lin’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly settled as he went back to work.
Gao Cheng pulled a polished pocket watch from his suit’s outer pocket; it ticked steadily.
His thin, colorless lips sneered. “I thought Shen Qiu would be on vacation before coming over.”
Shen Qiu was here today to demand an explanation.
Inside the President’s Office, Meng Xinghui had brought in a money tree from somewhere, claiming it had a good omen. The main stem was topped with a lush canopy of leaves.
Shen Qiu expressed his incomprehension but silently accepted it. The scissors showed no mercy; after a few snips, the money tree was stripped bare.
Meng Xinghui returned after putting away the mop, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at the money tree’s condition. “Shen Qiu,” he breathed, his voice laced with indignation, “Why are you sabotaging our fortune? Don’t you want to be the richest man in the world?” He had bought the money tree on his way home from work after hearing it brought wealth, planning to keep it at the company as a housewarming gift for Shen Qiu.
And yet, on its very first day, its new owner had already pruned it into this state.
Shen Qiu, however, was quite pleased with his handiwork. “It looks fine. I’m okay with not being the richest man.”
Meng Xinghui snatched the shears away, his soft voice now tinged with anger as he whispered, “Don’t say such things. The God of Wealth will hear you, and it won’t be good.” He hugged the money tree and turned to leave, muttering under his breath, “Don’t listen to people talking nonsense.”
Shen Qiu abruptly abandoned his mischievous streak.
Secretary Lin had sent him a message: he was already back in Kyoto.
He replied to her, 【Go back to Qingxiang first.】
As for Yang Wenlun’s messages, he ignored them. Their content was all pretty much the same: “Is Lin Yi back?”
Just as Yang Wenlun had said, Shen Qiu was both the bridge and the obstacle between the two of them, the same person who always took sides against him.
Knock, knock—
The sound of knocking came from outside the door, starting softly before growing heavier.
Meng Xinghui turned his head, his almond-shaped eyes betraying his unease as his smile faded. The person knocking was likely Manager Gao. Manager Gao had always been kind to him, asking how he was settling in whenever they met and telling him to reach out if he had any trouble.
Shen Qiu was here to discuss business with him; it was best if he wasn’t present.
“Go to the lounge first,” Shen Qiu said. He was referring to the lounge inside the President’s Office, not the general company lounge.
After Meng Xinghui closed the lounge door, Shen Qiu calmly returned to the swivel chair behind his desk.
“Come in, Gao Cheng,” he said coolly.
Gao Cheng walked in with an air of complete ease and took a seat in front of Shen Qiu as if he were an old friend. “Long time no see, junior.”
Shen Qiu looked up, his gaze sharp and cold as he stared at his former senior from university. Time had spared no one, not even him or Gao Cheng.
Back then, Gao Cheng had been the president of the Student Council at Kyoto University’s Academy of Fine Arts, two years Shen Qiu’s senior. He was a campus celebrity—elegant, kind, and never one to lose his temper. His artistic talent was immense, earning him top honors in both national and international competitions. After graduation, he had eventually found his way to Qingxiang.
Shen Qiu, on the other hand, had always been a loner at school. The two had met through the Art Club, where Gao Cheng often gave him guidance on his paintings.
Their bond gradually deepened, and they became close friends. However, after his father suffered a stroke and was hospitalized, Shen Qiu had to join the family group early. His time at school became scarce, and he only showed up for exams before returning to work.
Later, during his graduate studies, he and Gao Cheng kept in touch less and less. If it weren’t for this demotion, he wouldn’t have even known Gao Cheng had joined Qingxiang.
“In the company, I hope Manager Gao will address me as President Shen,” Shen Qiu said bluntly, deliberately creating distance between them.
Gao Cheng sat down opposite Shen Qiu and offered a faint, melancholic smile. “My apologies. It’s just that I haven’t seen President Shen in a long time, and my habit of addressing you informally hasn’t changed. Xiao Lin is an exceptionally capable employee, but the pressure from two S+ projects recently has left him in a foul mood. I apologize on his and Xinghui’s behalf. You told me before to take good care of Xinghui; I’ve failed to do so.”
On the other side of the door, Meng Xinghui leaned against it, his ear pressed to the wood. Shen Qiu… he actually arranged for someone to take care of him? On his first day of work, Shen Qiu hadn’t said a word, hadn’t even asked how he was doing. And when he returned, he only said those few cold words.
“Alright, I’ll eat—”
“Morning.”
“Good evening.”
Meng Xinghui’s lips curled up, deepening his dimples as a smile spread across his fair face.
But seriously, if you can’t say anything nice, can you just not say anything at all? I’m the one being talked about here, and it’s heartbreaking.
“I think it’s not just him,” Shen Qiu said, his voice cold and sharp. “Manager Gao, do you really think a single apology from you alone will settle this? Last night, when I came into the office, Meng Xinghui was the only one working overtime. Where was everyone else? ‘Busy with work’ is just an excuse. The real reason is that they look down on him. They think he doesn’t belong at Qingxiang—that someone without a degree, who only got in through the back door, is someone they can just order around.”
Shen Qiu’s words pierced Meng Xinghui one by one. His lack of a degree was one of his two deepest scars. Maybe I really shouldn’t be here. Maybe I never deserved it in the first place.
“But I hope you all understand,” Shen Qiu continued, “Meng Xinghui is my personal secretary. His role is to provide me with emotional support, not to be an errand boy for everyone to boss around.”
Meng Xinghui seethed in silence. Shen Qiu, if you can’t say anything nice, just don’t say anything at all. Can’t you just praise me instead? Or better yet, don’t let him know. Meng Xinghui, you’re just a little useless waste. He sat cross-legged on the floor, pondering what on earth Shen Qiu saw in him. He’s wasting his money hiring a useless person like me. What a terrible deal.
He felt the loss on Shen Qiu’s behalf—
System 003 was speechless. The Protagonist Shou’s emotion bar instantly plummeted to 20%, plunging into sadness. How strange. This hurts more than seeing the Scum Gong cheat.
Intelligent people don’t need to say things explicitly. Gao Cheng understood the hidden meaning in Shen Qiu’s words.
Shen Qiu was warning him. Meng Xinghui was the one he had brought in, and no one was allowed to bully him. What was Gao Cheng supposed to say to Shen Qiu? At the very least, he should have shown some respect to his senior of four years.
The President’s position he was about to secure was gone, snatched away by Shen Qiu. It was a bitter pill to swallow. His carefully planned career path had been brutally obstructed. For Gao Cheng, an art major who craved perfection, this was a permanent stain on his record. That was why he had chosen to turn a blind eye when the company staff bullied Meng Xinghui.
Gao Cheng forced a laugh. “President Shen is as merciless as ever. I’ll make them apologize to Xinghui.”
Shen Qiu nodded. “Then we’ll meet in the conference room in five minutes. All staff are required to attend.”
What followed was a scene of excruciating awkwardness.
The open-plan office was deserted, while the conference room and its hallway teemed with people. Some remained calm, not the least bit worried that President Shen would implicate them, while others had fear in their eyes, their fingers clenched tight.
They lined up one by one.
Gao Cheng watched the rare spectacle in the opposite conference room through the transparent glass. After all, for the President to cause such a stir on his first day at the company—Gao Cheng found it surprisingly typical of Shen Qiu.
His secretary murmured by his side, “Isn’t President Shen afraid of alienating the staff? Even if the employees have little power, they’re bound to sabotage him behind his back. He won’t get anything good out of this.”
Gao Cheng chuckled softly. “Shen Qiu isn’t counting on them. Just you wait.”
Shen Qiu had never changed. When he chose to return to the Group, everyone assumed he had conceded defeat to the imperious Chairman Shen and put aside his past grievances.
Overnight, his grandfather’s estate had been transferred to another family. The shareholders had coldly stood by, refusing to see him. His mother had died young after witnessing his grandfather’s infidelity. Yet, before her death had even been mourned for a hundred days, Shen Qiu had to appear at the wedding of Chairman Shen and his mistress, watching them exchange vows before the priest to never forsake one another.
Shen Qiu told him, “Hearing those words that day… it felt so incredibly ironic.”
“Everything we once loved, all of it, couldn’t stand against profit and beauty. Love is truly so cheap!”
The sound of a wine bottle clinking, the deepening twilight of light and shadow, waves churning.
Shen Qiu, I’m counting on you to drive Chairman Shen absolutely mad!
In the main seat of the conference room sat a helpless, timid figure. Meng Xinghui’s eyes were filled with panic and unease, his legs twitching as if sprung, desperate to flee. Yet, the words Shen Qiu had seared into his mind forced him to endure the agony of staying seated.
“Didn’t you say you trusted me? Is it really so unbearable for you, just because I’m making you accept a public apology?” Shen Qiu gripped Meng Xinghui’s shoulder.
Meng Xinghui’s eyes wavered, and he murmured, “But I’m just not good enough. I don’t even have a degree. They’re all top students, while I just pulled strings to get in. I can’t even fill out a simple form. They weren’t wrong.”
“And you even admitted it yourself, right in front of Manager Gao—that I’m incompetent. That’s the truth.”
“They don’t need to apologize.” Meng Xinghui lowered his head, staring at his toes. His gaze drifted to Shen Qiu’s high-end leather shoes, then to the creases on his own. A deep-seated inferiority washed over him. The gap between them was vast; a mud-caked dog shouldn’t even dream of touching the clouds in the sky.
Shen Qiu choked on his words, the sentence turning into a helpless smile. Meng Xinghui was angry about what he’d said in the office. He shifted his tone. “Meng Xinghui, you represent me now. If anyone bullies you, it’s like insulting me. Do you want Shen Ziqi to get his way and make me lose my authority in the company?”
Meng Xinghui snapped his head up. “No! Shen Qiu, you’re the most powerful.”
Shen Qiu smiled and reached out to pat his head in comfort. “Meng Xinghui, they’re just jealous of you. Look at the Wang family’s dog next door—it’s so arrogant because its owner is powerful, acting like the boss of the whole villa district. Don’t be afraid. You have me behind you. I am your backer.”
“You don’t need to feel inferior, Meng Xinghui. I believe in you. One day, you’ll become as powerful as I am.”
“You’re lying.” Meng Xinghui quickly averted his gaze. He said the words, but somehow his heart began to sway, bubbling with emotion.
He kept his face stiff, suppressing his outward feelings. He couldn’t show any weakness. He thought about how Secretary Lin faced Dr. Yang. Right, be cold. He had to embody the professionalism of a workplace veteran.
Xiao Lin apologized first. “I’m sorry, Xinghui. I won’t do it again next time.”
Meng Xinghui forced himself to stay calm. “Hmm, I’ll forgive you this once. Don’t let it happen again.”
By the end, his dimples had frozen stiff. Meng Xinghui felt numb, his emotions gone.
The delivery driver saw no one at the front desk and followed the sound of voices to the conference room door. He was both surprised and amused. “Milk tea and coffee! Come and get your orders!”
Behind the delivery driver was a cart piled high with milk tea and coffee.
Someone asked, “Who ordered all this?”
The delivery driver wondered if he had come to the wrong company. He checked the order information on his phone. Without hesitation, he said firmly, “Nope, this is Qingxiang Company, for Shen Qiu. Don’t just stand there! I’ve got another cart downstairs with desserts. They’ll melt if you don’t hurry!”
Gao Cheng appeared. “What are you waiting for? Go get them! President Shen is treating!”
As soon as he spoke, some people excitedly ran downstairs, while others grabbed the milk tea. The scene was chaotic.
The delivery driver struggled through the crowd, shouting, “Hey, hey! Be careful with the milk tea!”