The moment their eyes met.

Wen Ruan turned around, her face blossoming with a bright and warm smile: “Hello, Zhang Yan, I look much more delicate and beautiful in person than in photos.”

She had heard Zhang Yan’s story from Tang Song’s mouth and genuinely felt sorry for this young girl.

Delicate and gentle, with clear and lovely features, her almond-shaped eyes were exceptionally pure.

Her first impression was far better than those “monsters” like Jin Meixiao, Liu Qingning, and Su Yu.

Moreover, her status had now changed.

Previously, when facing those women, she was always on the weaker side, needing help and support.

Su Yu had gifted her a mansion and helped her clean up the printing factory mess;

Jin Meixiao had assisted her best friend with cross-border business and gave her a top-tier black card...

Now the wheel of fortune had turned;

it was her turn to be the “big sister.”

Thinking about it made her a little excited.

Looking at Zhang Yan again, she found her increasingly endearing.

This pitiful little look clearly said she was easy to bully... no, easy to get along with.

“Director Wen, hello.” Zhang Yan nervously pressed her lips together, blushing slightly.

Then, imitating others, she tremblingly stretched out her hand.

This was a board director of Xingyun International Group, a celebrity only seen in magazines, and the future leader of her company.

If it weren’t for these past few days that had made her grow quickly, she would definitely be so nervous that she wouldn’t speak clearly now.

Looking at her slender, fair palm, Wen Ruan blinked, then suddenly opened her arms and gave Zhang Yan a solid, soft, and intimate hug with her ample chest.

“Very pleased to meet you.”

Caught off guard by this “big” sister’s sudden attack,

Zhang Yan’s eyes instantly widened, cheeks flushing red, stammering and unsure what to say.

Wen Ruan chuckled lightly and released her. “Don’t be so nervous. Also, about how to address me, I’ve always wanted to correct it—call me Sister Wen or just sister. No need for formalities.”

Zhang Yan lowered her head and said awkwardly, “Okay, thank you... Sister Wen.”

“That’s better.” Wen Ruan happily held her hand. “How is your aunt doing? I heard from Tang Song that the full examination results came out today.”

“Mm.” Mentioning her mother, Zhang Yan’s expression grew solemn. “The doctor said the condition is better than expected, meeting treatment standards, and preparations can start soon.”

“That’s good;

that’s better than anything. Don’t overthink it or put too much pressure on yourself. Medical science is very advanced now...”

“I know, thank you, Sister Wen.” Zhang Yan looked at her with some emotion.

The two chatted like this, from work to life, from Yangcheng’s culture to Yancheng’s snowy scenery.

Wen Ruan always brought up topics just right, guiding the introverted Zhang Yan to gradually open up.

She didn’t pry into Tang Song’s private matters, nor did she condescendingly offer “life advice,” just shared joys and sorrows like a caring older sister.

Gradually, Zhou Hui’s tense body completely relaxed.

She found that chatting with Director Wen was a very comfortable and pleasant experience.

Wen Ruan’s innate affinity and strong empathy made people instinctively want to get close to her and trust her.

After chatting for a while,

Wen Ruan signaled to her assistant Wang Dandan beside her.

Wang Dandan immediately opened a shopping bag and handed over a delicately packaged gift box.

“First meeting, and I don’t know what you like,” Wen Ruan said as she placed the gift box into Zhang Yan’s hand. “A pen—not a particularly expensive thing, but I think it suits a talented woman like you. Hope you’ll like it.”

The gift box was from Montblanc;

the Meisterstück series fountain pen shimmered warmly under the light.

The pen was slender and elegant, with a delicate nib—very beautiful.

“Ah!” Zhang Yan blushed and quickly declined, “Th-this is too expensive, I can’t accept it...”

She never thought of herself as a talented woman—at most, she had some basics due to her Chinese language and literature major, could write drafts, and recite poems.

“Take it!” Wen Ruan decisively pressed her hand down. “This is my gift to you for our first meeting. If you don’t accept it, it means you look down on me.”

Zhang Yan held the slightly heavy gift box, looked into Wen Ruan’s unyielding eyes, and finally blushed, quietly saying, “...Thank you, Sister Wen.”

“Let’s go, take me to see your aunt.” Wen Ruan affectionately put her arm around Zhang Yan’s shoulder.

They entered the ward.

Wen Ruan immediately placed the fresh flowers and imported fruit basket she had brought onto the bedside table, her face wearing a sincere smile. “Hello, Aunt, I am Zhang Yan’s future colleague, Wen Ruan.”

“Hello, hello.” Zhou Hui looked at this powerful yet kind leader nervously, not knowing where to put her hands.

“Rest assured and focus on your recovery. I will arrange all of Zhang Yan’s work matters;

you don’t have to worry about her.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hui could no longer hold back, repeatedly thanking her, tears welling and streaming down her reddened eyes.

After some warm exchanges, Wen Ruan glanced at the time and stood up to say goodbye.

Zhang Yan followed closely, escorting her all the way to the elevator at the Special Care Ward entrance.

“By the way, Zhang Yan, when do you plan to start your job?” Wen Ruan turned to the side, softly saying, “My suggestion is to sign the contract first;

your social insurance can’t be interrupted. Don’t worry, I won’t assign you many tasks until your situation stabilizes. You can focus on accompanying your aunt.”

This was her future capable aide, the important talent Tang Song personally entrusted, so naturally, she wanted to bring her in quickly.

“I might... need some time.”

Zhang Yan bit her lip, feeling troubled;

after all, Bai Rui was still blocking her resignation process, so she couldn’t leave anytime soon.

Wen Ruan immediately noticed her awkwardness and directly asked, “What’s wrong? Encountered trouble?”

“It’s just... a small issue with work handover. I-I’ll solve it as soon as possible.” Zhang Yan hesitated, not wanting to trouble Wen Ruan with those messy matters.

Having worked in the workplace for years, Wen Ruan had seen countless tricky situations.

Looking at Zhang Yan’s state, she could guess about seventy or eighty percent of the problem.

Her eyes flickered slightly, calmly saying, “Alright, if anything comes up, remember to tell me at any time. Don’t bear it all alone.” This content belongs to novel-fire.net

Then she slightly turned and pointed to Wang Dandan, who had been quietly standing by. “By the way, this is my assistant, Wang Dandan.”

“Hello, Ms. Zhang Yan.” Wang Dandan smiled and nodded.

“Hello, Assistant Wang.” Zhang Yan quickly responded.

“Well then, we’ll be going first. Bye, take care.”

“Bye.”

The elevator doors slowly closed.

After exiting the hospital, they got into a pre-waiting black Alphard.

As the door shut, Wen Ruan’s smile quietly faded.

She leaned back in the comfortable airline-style seat, posture relaxed but eyes unusually clear.

“Dan Dan, tomorrow at 10 a.m., go to Shucheng Technology with Mr. Wang Chongxian, general manager of the Yangcheng branch. Say I sent you to represent the group to visit our long-term partner and communicate about upcoming cooperation.”

She paused, her fingertips tapping lightly on her knee. “Also, Zhang Yan’s position is tentatively set as Senior Content Cooperation Manager of the Content Ecology Cooperation Department, P6 level, mainly responsible for partner content evaluation.

Oh, and arrange for Mr. Wang and his future new colleague Zhang Yan to meet in advance.”

“Understood, Director Wen!” Wang Dandan immediately nodded, recording the information in her memo.

The black Alphard silently started and merged into the evening traffic.

Wen Ruan looked out at the swiftly flashing neon street scenes, finally allowing a sly and proud smile to curve her lips.

She had to admit, she finally experienced the exhilarating feeling that Director Jin and Su Yu once had—the thrill of planning and controlling everything with ease.

Hmm, indeed... a bit addictive.

*(2V≤)o**

......

November 8, 2023, Wednesday, Start of Winter.

6:50 a.m.

Sunlight broke through the clouds and slipped through the curtains’ gap, casting a narrow and warm beam in the room.

Accompanied by the alarm, Zhang Yan slowly opened her blurry eyes.

Following routine, she went to the bathroom and washed up.

Only when the cold water brushed her cheek did she fully wake.

Back in the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up her phone and opened the pinned chat window.

Her finger hovered over the screen for a long time, carefully typing a line: “Is today’s flight? When will you leave?”

“Buzz buzz buzz—”

[Tang Song: “Yes, the flight is at 10 a.m. this morning.”]

Seeing the message, Zhang Yan’s mood inevitably sank like a stone dropped into a deep well.

She replied with a caring sentence, then crouched down, burying her face in Juzi’s warm fur, gently rubbing its head, her gaze dim.

Although she had mentally prepared, the reality of his departure was still hard to bear.

Perhaps it was the fear that when he returned to Yancheng, to his own world,

their faint connection might become fragile.

At that moment,

“Knock knock knock—” The door suddenly knocked.

Zhang Yan was stunned—who would come knocking at this hour?

She hurried to the door and peeked through the peephole.

Her almond eyes instantly widened;

her heart skipped a beat.

With a click, she fumbled to unlock and forcefully opened the old security door.

“T-Tang Song, what are you doing...”

Outside, Tang Song, dressed in a casual suit, quietly stood there, smiling at her.

“Today is the Start of Winter.” He held up a bag, his voice gentle as jade. “Let’s have some delicious dumplings together.”

In the bag, frozen dumplings were neatly stacked.

Zhang Yan’s mind buzzed, and all her worries and sadness instantly vanished, replaced by overwhelming surprise and emotion.

“Oh, o-oh...” she stammered, stepping aside to let him in.

“Good morning, Juzi.” Tang Song waved to the curious orange cat.

Zhang Yan took the bag from him;

their fingers brushed, and her face blushed slightly. “I-I’ll go cook the dumplings.”

After saying that, she hurried into the kitchen.

Soon, Tang Song followed in, leaning casually near the door, smiling as he watched her silently.

Being watched so attentively made Zhang Yan’s cheeks burn, her heart racing out of control.

Even her usually skilled actions of boiling water and switching the stove became slow and clumsy.

After boiling the water, she suddenly realized she was still wearing loose, old pajamas and her hair was messy from just waking up.

She whispered embarrassedly, “I-I’ll go change.”

Then, almost running past Tang Song, she slammed the bedroom door shut.

After a while, she came out again.

She wore a rose-red sweatshirt she had just bought online over the weekend—her first time wearing it.

The soft color complemented her naturally fair skin, making her look like a fresh, sweet peach.

Her hair was neatly combed.

“You look really pretty. This sweatshirt suits you.” Tang Song sincerely complimented.

Zhang Yan blushed immediately, lowering her head as she approached the stove.

Soon, two steaming plates of dumplings were placed on the table.

Zhang Yan carefully prepared a dipping sauce of chili and vinegar.

They sat across from each other and began to eat.

Tang Song asked about Zhou Hui’s health with concern while reminding Zhang Yan to rest and not overwork herself.

The meal was slow and quiet but filled with warm, subtle affection.

After finishing the dumplings, they drank a bowl of noodle soup.

Tang Song glanced at his wristwatch and softly said, “I have to head to the airport now.”

The plain sentence instantly broke the warm atmosphere in the room.

“I’ll see you off.” Zhang Yan almost immediately stood, her voice urgent even to herself.

Tang Song picked up Juzi and rubbed the fluffy head firmly. “I’m leaving, Juzi. Bye-bye.”

They walked out of the building.

The early morning air was crisp and slightly cool;

their shadows stretched long in the sunlight.

Tang Song stopped and turned around. “This is where I leave you. Go back, pack up, and it’s time for you to head to the company.”

Zhang Yan stood still, unmoving.

She looked up, staring at him steadily.

Those usually habitually evasive almond eyes were now stubbornly locked on his figure.

Her lips moved for a long time before she finally spoke, “...Take care, and... keep warm. The lowest temperature in Yancheng now is just three degrees.”

Tang Song looked at her.

She stood in the morning light.

The breeze gently ruffled her smooth short hair, revealing a smooth forehead and clear almond eyes.

Her face showed reluctance to part, caring worry, and an undeniable affection.

Tang Song’s heart was struck;

he opened his arms.

Zhang Yan blushed, hesitated, then stepped forward, summoning courage to hug him gently.

Just as she was about to pull away, Tang Song suddenly lowered his head slowly.

“Ah...” Zhang Yan gasped softly, squeezing her eyes shut.

Then, the soft, warm sensation returned.

Tang Song gently kissed her lips, sucking.

Gradually, his movements grew more forceful.

Zhang Yan’s hands pressed on his chest, her body trembling continuously.

After a long moment, their lips parted.

Zhang Yan still seemed immersed, her gaze hazy, cheeks burning intensely.

Their eyes met in the air.

Tang Song rubbed her head. “I really have to leave now. I’ll come see you and your aunt after a while.”

“Mm... goodbye...” Zhang Yan gave a faint response from her throat.

“Goodbye.” Tang Song couldn’t help but kiss her burning cheek again and then turned away.

Under Zhang Yan’s watchful eyes, he left, glancing back repeatedly.

He walked out of the community gate and got into a waiting Rolls-Royce Cullinan by the roadside.

The door shut solidly with a “bang,” as if completely separating two utterly different worlds.

Lin Muxue softly asked, “President Tang, shall we depart now?”

Her eyes were full of curiosity but tactfully refrained from asking more.

“Mm, let’s go, back to Yancheng!” Tang Song exhaled lightly and leaned back in the soft seat.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Phantom slowly started moving.

Yangcheng’s streets flew backward outside the window.

Those old, lively alleys gradually gave way to the towering modern CBD, then to open fields and greenery alongside the airport highway.

Tang Song’s hand had naturally found its way to Muxue’s thigh, wrapped in top-grade black stockings, with an astonishing texture.

He gently and rhythmically massaged it.

Muxue’s cheeks blushed faintly;

her legs lightly rubbed together, occasionally squeezing Tang Song’s hand and making a sticky nasal sound.

Her gaze toward Tang Song was like she wanted to set him on fire.

Last night, Tang Song still stayed with Wen Ruan;

she had no chance to eat “Tang Song meat.”

On the plane later, who knows—she might have to have a taste to relieve craving.

Soon, the grand Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport slowly came into view.

After two weeks, Tang Song finally started his return journey.

......

Just past 9 a.m., Shucheng Technology.

Lulu returned from the pantry and saw Zhang Yan staring blankly at the computer screen, unable to resist coming closer.

Lowering her voice, she grit her teeth and said, “The more I think about it, the angrier I get! That fat bastard Bai Rui is shameless! I didn’t sleep all night last night. Look at these dark circles—I’m almost wearing them down to my chin!”

She had already received the formal offer from Xingyun International and was set to start next Monday.

But according to Zhang Yan, unless they voluntarily gave up three months’ performance bonuses and unreimbursed travel expenses, they would be blocked.

Lulu knew clearly that when push came to shove, she would definitely choose Xingyun International.

A big company job with a highly promising department was a dream opportunity worth even paying thousands out of pocket to get in.

But the inner frustration and anger were impossible to suppress.

Her salary was already low, and all those performance bonuses came from working overtime desperately, but now...

Listening to Lulu’s low complaints, Zhang Yan’s gaze also grew troubled.

Although she was prepared to fight hard, a deep unease remained.

Just then, a message popped up in the DingTalk workgroup.

[Content Director Bai Rong: “@everyone, meeting in the conference room.”]

Zhang Yan’s face tightened instantly;

she breathed lightly and stood up.

The entire content department, including her and Lulu, was only eight people total.

The atmosphere in the conference room was somewhat oppressive;

many secretly glanced at Zhang Yan.

After all, yesterday afternoon’s incident with Bai Rui shouting so loudly had already spread around the company.

No one expected Zhang Yan, such a quiet person, to be so tough.

“Ah—” The conference room door was pushed open;

the chubby figure of Bai Rui entered.

His expression was serious;

his gloomy gaze first swept over Zhang Yan, then he sat at the front.

The air in the room instantly thickened further.

Zhang Yan sat in a corner, uneasy.

In such a setting, the center of attention, facing her direct supervisor, she still felt deeply ingrained fear.

“All right, let’s start.” Bai Rui cleared his throat and placed his laptop on the table.

Everyone immediately straightened, eyes fixed forward.

Bai Rui said, “First, a new rule: from today on, everyone must submit a daily work report to me before leaving. It must list all completed tasks, progress, and time spent in detail! Ensure full workload!”

At these words, a suppressed, slight gasp echoed in the room.

Daily work reports were the typical torture for employees—tedious and meaningless.

At most, they made the big boss think the director was managing well.

Bai Rui paused and then changed tone: “Second, about the Whale Fall Sea project—last week’s marketing conversion rate was very poor! Not even 60% of our KPI! The client is already very dissatisfied!”

He projected a data report on the screen with several figures marked in red.

“Copywriting! Our copywriting is a huge problem! It’s neither soft copy nor grass-planting—it’s completely unattractive! Users don’t buy it at all! Zhang Yan, report to us. As the lead writer on this project, explain to everyone why the data looks so bad? What exactly did you do?”

All eyes focused again on Zhang Yan, full of sympathy and helplessness.

Everyone knew that marketing a book, copywriting was only the most basic part. The main factors affecting the final result were the early advertising channels, mid-term promotion, and later reputation management.

Bai Rui’s words were clearly throwing all the blame onto Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan’s face suddenly paled;

she took a deep breath and slowly stood.

After a moment of silence, she said, “Director Bai, this project had problems from the start with positioning, and the marketing budget was cut in half midway...”

Before she finished,

Bai Rong slammed the table with a heavy “bang” and glared at her oppressively. “I told you to report, not to shift blame!”

Seeing Zhang Yan like that brought him a moment of satisfaction.

At that moment,

The conference room door suddenly opened.

HR Chen Min peeked in, her face full of anxious excitement, urgently saying, “Bai Rong, come out here!”

Bai Rui was interrupted, displeasure flashing across his face, but he still followed her out.

“What’s going on?”

Chen Min lowered her voice and quickly said, “Stop the meeting! Quickly send your people back to their desks! General Manager Wang from Xingyun International is coming to inspect our company—very important! Get everyone energized and working seriously! This concerns our company’s projects for next year!”

Bai Rui twitched and asked in shock, “General Manager Wang?! Which Wang?”

“Who else? Wang Chongxian, general manager of the Yangcheng branch!”

Shucheng Technology, as a secondary agent in Xingyun International Group’s vast marketing ecosystem, completely depended on them.

All their core media resources and cooperation opportunities with top KOLs came from Xingyun International.

Moreover, many projects they took were leftover “dirty and exhausting work” outsourced by Xingyun.

And Wang Chongxian was their biggest “client boss.”

In all these years, only a few business managers occasionally came for inspections.

Unexpectedly, Wang Chongxian would personally come today!

Bai Rui’s face instantly turned bright red. “Got it! I understand!”

He turned and ran back to the conference room, loudly saying, “That’s it for today’s meeting! Everyone, pay attention! An extremely important partner is coming soon. Everyone, immediately get energized and show our best spirit!”

Everyone exchanged looks and realized the seriousness, quickly standing and heading out.

Zhang Yan stood still, lips pressed tight, breathing slightly rapid.

The humiliation of being publicly shamed still lingered in her heart.

Lulu grabbed her hand, sharing the anger and quietly cursed, “Don’t take it to heart. That fat bastard is just a bully who fears the strong and picks on the weak. Look at him now, like a lapdog. Once I get into Xingyun International, someday I’ll make him kneel and beg us.”

Thinking of that triumphant scene, Lulu grew more excited, eyes sparkling with hope and anticipation.

She already saw the day when she and Zhang Yan sat in a spacious, bright office,

and the fat bastard kowtowed outside, waiting to submit cooperation proposals.

Of course, from today’s perspective, this fantasy still seemed distant and elusive.

“Buzz buzz buzz—” Her phone vibrated.

[Tang Song: “I’m on the plane, getting ready to depart.”]

Zhang Yan bit her lip and quickly replied, “Okay, have a safe trip.”

After sending the message, her mood immediately lifted.

Listening to Lulu’s exaggerated venting, a faint smile gradually appeared on her face.

Back at the office area,

The entire company seemed wound up and switched to battle mode.

Employees hurriedly packed or sat upright typing on keyboards.

Even the seldom-seen big boss Li Yufei hurried back from outside.

“Damn! Zhang Yan, look, look!” Lulu suddenly tapped Zhang Yan’s arm excitedly. “It’s Xingyun International!”

She brought her phone screen close to Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan looked and was stunned.

The company’s WeChat group was already buzzing.

[Marketing Zhao Yuan: “Our director said that leaders from Xingyun International are coming to re-examine our agency qualifications and discuss deeper cooperation. If it goes well, our company can survive!”]

[Finance Li Mingmei: “Just got news that Wang Chongxian, general manager of Xingyun’s Yangcheng branch, is personally leading the team! Oh my god, that’s awesome!”]

News quickly spread, and the small office area was filled with restrained chatter.

The company was struggling, rumors of layoffs were rampant, and morale was low.

If they could really latch onto the giant Xingyun International, gaining more projects and budgets, it would be great news for everyone.

Lulu’s throat moved excitedly. “That’s our new company’s general manager. I probably saw him from afar during the interview but wasn’t sure which one.”

Zhang Yan nodded, her heart also tightening nervously.

Approaching 10 a.m.,

Several figures emerged from the office direction.

Company owner Li Yufei, with the marketing director, marketing supervisor, and content director Bai Rui, rushed outside, faces full of enthusiasm.

Colleagues immediately suppressed all small distractions and focused fully.

The space instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, only the sound of keyboards clicking remained.

After three or four minutes, somewhat chaotic footsteps came from the reception.

Everyone’s eyes involuntarily drifted over.

Then, three unfamiliar figures appeared at the office entrance, flanked by Li Yufei and others.

Two men and one woman, all in formal attire, serious expressions, exuding strong presence.

Lulu excitedly tapped Zhang Yan’s foot under the table, frantically signaling with her eyes—the man leading the group was the one she saw in the interview!

And Zhang Yan’s expression instantly stiffened when she recognized the poised young woman—Wen Ruan’s assistant, Wang Dandan?!

The chaotic footsteps echoed in the small office area.

Li Yufei bent forward. “General Manager Wang, Assistant Wang, this is our company’s Content Creation Center, with the most professional copywriting team, creating popular marketing cases for many well-known book brands...”

At that moment,

Wang Dandan’s footsteps suddenly stopped in the crowd.

Her gaze landed on Zhang Yan, and a polite, warm smile appeared on her face. “Ms. Zhang Yan, what a coincidence to see you again.”

With her action, others also stopped.

The surrounding keyboard typing ceased simultaneously.

A series of shocked, puzzled, and incredulous gazes all fixed on Zhang Yan.

Bai Rui’s smile instantly froze, pupils dilated in an instant.

When Wang Chongxian introduced her at the door, he emphasized that Wang Dandan was assistant to a director at Xingyun International Group headquarters, a very prestigious position.

Yet she actively greeted Zhang Yan so warmly.

What was going on?!

Zhang Yan almost reflexively stood. “A-Assistant Wang, hello.”

Li Yufei nodded slightly, then asked in surprise, “Is she... our employee? You know her?”

Wang Dandan just nodded lightly to Li Yufei in response.

Then she turned to Wang Chongxian, introducing in a tone for an important person, “General Manager Wang, this is Ms. Zhang Yan, specially assigned by Director Wen. She will officially join our company as Senior Content Cooperation Manager of the Content Ecology Cooperation Department.”

Upon hearing Wang Dandan’s introduction, Wang Chongxian’s sharp eyes lit up instantly.

A bright smile appeared on his face. “Hello, Manager Zhang, nice to meet you! Our cooperation with Shucheng Technology requires someone who understands content creation and is familiar with suppliers to oversee. This is perfect! Director Wen has solved a big problem for us!”

Boom—

Zhang Yan instantly transformed into the “client boss.”

The entire office area seemed paused.

Bai Rui’s expression froze and cracked, then completely collapsed.

A cold, bone-piercing chill surged up his tailbone, spreading instantly through his limbs and body.

His legs began uncontrollably trembling slightly, and his back was drenched in cold sweat within seconds.