CHAPTER 208: 191: DOES MY BROTHER REALLY HATE ME?

From Yushui Bay to the company, the two of them were inseparable. Their tightly clasped hands did not separate for even half a second.

It wasn’t until they approached the entrance of the lobby that Ruan Yuan finally had the urge to let go, but the man’s grip was so firm that she simply couldn’t break free.

"Boss, are we really going in like this?" She shook their joined hands slightly, looking up at the man with a hint of teasing in her tone.

"Mm, you don’t want to?" Shi Yin looked at her with apparent confusion. Isn’t this exactly what most women dream of?

Why was she hesitating now, when the moment had actually arrived?

"Not at all, I just wanted to confirm it." Ruan Yuan couldn’t be happier. She tossed him a flirtatious glance and affectionately hooked her arm around his.

Shi Yin chuckled lightly, "Then let’s go."

As the two walked into Shi Yin’s private office together, within less than five minutes, every company group chat—from the largest to the smallest—had exploded.

Some were envious; naturally, some were contemptuous.

Especially among those employees secretly infatuated with Shi Yin, their dislike for Ruan Yuan had reached its peak.

But despite the bitterness, they had no choice but to bottle up their feelings. After all, no one dared to offend the prospective Boss Lady and risk losing their hard-won jobs.

"Boss, there’s a Miss Shi outside looking for you." Ruan Yuan walked over to Shi Yin, handing him the folder in her hands.

The two of them maintained an entirely businesslike demeanor, though the way they looked at each other had undeniably changed from the past.

Shi Yin’s lips moved slightly, about to say he wouldn’t meet her, when a sharp, composed figure slowly appeared in his line of sight.

He frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Shi Yaoyu pulled out the chair across from him and placed her bag casually onto the desk.

She glanced indifferently at the woman beside him, her red lips parting, "No wonder you left me waiting outside for so long—looks like you’ve replaced your secretary."

Seeing her at this moment noticeably soured Shi Yin’s mood, and even his tone was colder than usual, "What do you want? Speak plainly."

Shi Yaoyu chuckled softly, paying no mind to his attitude.

She looked at Ruan Yuan, her gaze tinged with disdain, her bearing lofty and condescending, "Can’t even serve a cup of coffee? Why are you just standing there?"

Ruan Yuan: "?!"

Even Shi Yin wouldn’t dare talk to her like this, okay?

Ruan Yuan shot her a fake smile, sizing her up from head to toe before pulling out the chair beside her and sitting down, arms crossed over her chest, "If you want coffee, can’t you fetch it yourself?"

That sentence successfully rendered Shi Yaoyu unable to respond.

She glanced at the man whose lips carried a faint curve, choking down her irritation but maintaining a smiling facade, "Shi Yin, your secretary’s training seems to be on point."

Keeping someone like this by his side, it seemed he wasn’t afraid of inviting trouble.

"Let’s cut to the chase. I’m very busy." Shi Yin, with a mountain of unfinished work awaiting him, flipped through the folder in hand, uninterested in playing verbal games with her.

His blunt words made the air momentarily freeze.

Shi Yaoyu took a deep breath to steady herself, choosing to ignore the woman beside her, her tone returning to normal, "I’ve heard that Shi Wei has already made a move against the Meng Family."

"And then?"

"About what I mentioned to you before—are you still not considering it?"

"Is there a connection between the two things?" Shi Yin continued signing documents without so much as a pause.

"Not for now." Shi Yaoyu shifted her gaze to the small potted plant on the desk, "But the hatred Shi Wei harbors for you is no less than that for Meng Han."

She let out a faint laugh, her eyes clouded in shadows, "Aren’t you afraid that next time it’ll be you?"

Whatever it was she said, it struck a nerve with Shi Yin. The hand gripping his pen tightened noticeably.

When his eyes met hers again, they held an eerie calm, "Miss Shi, stop wasting your efforts. Even if I were to face bankruptcy, I would never collaborate with you."

The deliberate use of "Miss Shi" was a clear statement: their relationship had shifted to opposition, and he could no longer humor her with superficial politeness.

His attitude surprisingly caught Shi Yaoyu off guard, rendering her well-prepared words useless.

Suppressing the dissatisfaction churning in her chest, she stood up leisurely, her voice tinged with mockery, "I hope you hold out for a long while. I wouldn’t want to hear news too soon of your company being acquired by Xingye Group."

The sound of her high heels gradually faded into the distance. Ruan Yuan stayed quietly for a few seconds before moving to Shi Yin’s side, nestling herself into his warm embrace.

"Shi Yin, are you alright?" She looked up, her eyes filled with concern as they locked onto his.

The previous dialogue was filled with overwhelming information. Despite the many questions swirling in her mind, she didn’t know where to begin.