Volume 1, Chapter 34: Song Qinian, I Like You

Song Qinian wrote a note and handed it to Miao Zi'ai, "Xiao Ai, I heard that Yang Hongbin's daughter was hospitalized. How... how is she now?"

"Don't worry," Miao replied. "Yang Hongbin resigned after 'admitting his faults.' President Shen, considering his over a decade of service at Dingsheng Group, decided that even if he lacked merit, he had at least put in the effort, so he gave his wife a large sum of money. His daughter is fine now."

Song Qinian nodded, her mood complex.

"As for Xie Xueyi, she bullied everyone, relying on her relationship with Yang Hongbin. Now that their affair is common knowledge throughout the company, she has no face left to stay."

Song Qinian nodded, yet she felt no sense of satisfaction from the revenge.

Just then, Lin Lanxing stormed up to Song Qinian and glared at Miao Zi'ai. Not wanting to provoke Lin, Miao shot Song a look that said "take care" and quickly returned to her desk.

"Song Qinian, you really are clever. Killing two birds with one stone, getting both Yang Hongbin and Xie Xueyi to leave Dingsheng Group."

Song Qinian did not want to engage with her and did not even glance her way. Her indifference only infuriated Lin Lanxing further. Recalling something, Lin leaned into Song’s ear and sneered, "Do you think you’ve won? Brother Chi Yan knew all along that Xie Xueyi was bullying you, yet he never helped. Do you know why?"

Song Qinian looked at her coldly.

"Your entire family caused my sister so much suffering. Do you really think he would let you have an easy life?"

Lin Lanxing walked away triumphantly. Song Qinian gripped her pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white; it took a long time before she could slowly loosen her hold. Seeing Song regain her composure, Lin Lanxing’s expression turned sour. She had hoped Song would lose her temper and confront Shen Chiyan. Since Shen already despised her, seeing her act unreasonably would only deepen his disgust, perhaps leading him to fire her or even divorce her. She hadn't expected this damned woman to be so patient. As for Yang and Xie, they hadn't managed to get rid of a single Song Qinian; they were truly useless. Still, she had escaped today, but she would never let her escape again.

Watching Shen Yushu approach Song Qinian, a wicked smile curled on Lin’s lips.

Shen Yushu placed a cup of coffee in front of Song. As she looked up, he offered a gentle smile. "Are you alright?"

Song Qinian nodded and used her thumb to gesture her thanks. Before long, Miao Zi'ai ran over. "Niannian, Yushu, it’s lunchtime. Let's go eat together."

When the three arrived at the cafeteria, it was not very crowded. Dingsheng Group’s cafeteria offered both Chinese and Western cuisine, staffed by certified five-star chefs.

Song Qinian had no appetite, and her spirits were low.

"Oh... Shen... it’s President Shen..."

Seeing Miao Zi'ai gazing at the entrance like a star-struck fan, Song turned to see Shen Chiyan and Lin Lanxing. She jerked her head back, her heart skipping a beat. Why would Shen Chiyan come to the cafeteria?

As soon as he entered, the bustling cafeteria fell dead silent. Employees stopped eating, waiting for the President’s directive; the scene felt like an emperor visiting his subjects.

Lin Lanxing, noticing Song Qinian, smiled at Shen Chiyan. "President Shen, let's sit over there."

Shen Chiyan also saw Song Qinian. When he noticed a man sitting across from her, his brows furrowed tightly. They walked over, and others immediately cleared a space. The restaurant manager and the head chef rushed over respectfully.

"President Shen, what would you like to eat today?"

Shen Chiyan glanced at the dishes in front of Song Qinian—mapo tofu, shredded potatoes, and cucumber salad. They were all vegetarian! He whispered a few words to the manager, and shortly after, the manager had servers deliver new dishes to every table—abalone, seafood, and various clay-pot soups.

Miao Zi'ai’s eyes sparkled at the feast. "Wow, I wish President Shen would come to the cafeteria every day! Then we’d have such delicious food all the time."

Shen Yushu chuckled and placed a piece of beef tenderloin in Miao’s bowl. "Didn't you say you were hungry? Eat up."

"Yes, yes, eating... while admiring my idol’s peerless beauty—life is complete!" Miao beamed with happiness, but Song Qinian felt immense pressure. Shen Chiyan was sitting not far across from her; one look up and she would meet his gaze. And there was Lin Lanxing, sticking to him like a shadow. Shen was clearly very fond of her, taking her everywhere. Of course, she was the sister of his "white moonlight."

"Niannian, you haven't eaten much today. Have some shrimp." Hearing Shen Yushu’s voice, Song looked down to see he had already peeled a shrimp and placed it in her bowl.

Song waved her hands, anxiously trying to gesture that he didn't need to peel shrimp for her...

"Yushu, I want peeled shrimp too! You can't just peel for Niannian and not for me. You can't be so biased!"

Miao Zi'ai’s voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear. Feeling a frigid gaze sweep over her, Song stiffened, feeling as though she were sitting on pins and needles.

"Wow... look outside, someone is confessing!"

Someone shouted, and everyone’s attention was drawn to the window. The scorching gaze vanished, and Song Qinian breathed a slight sigh of relief. But the next second...

"Hey, there’s writing up there."

"Song... Song something Nian..."

"SONG! QIN! NIAN! I! LIKE! YOU! BE! MY! GIRLFRIEND!"

Hearing her name, the breath Song had just released caught in her throat. To make matters worse, Miao Zi'ai grabbed her arm, vibrating with excitement. "Niannian, hurry, someone is confessing to you!"

Two drones flew around the Dingsheng Group building, trailing banners, while others hung colorful balloons. It was a massive spectacle. Song Qinian felt miserable. She instinctively glanced at Shen Chiyan; he was staring at her coldly. If looks could kill, she would have been shredded to pieces.

*It’s not me! It must be someone with the same name!*

Miao Zi'ai didn't understand sign language, but Song used it hoping Shen Chiyan would see and avoid a misunderstanding. Her phone on the table buzzed. She picked it up to see a WeChat message from Shen Keqin.

"Sister-in-law, how was my trick?"

Song sent a "?" back.

"Someone confessed to you. Is my brother jealous? Let me tell you, if my brother is jealous, it means he still has feelings for you. You have to seize the opportunity!"