Chapter Forty-Two: An Opportunity for Sabotage

Inside the vast ocean office, the atmosphere had grown peculiarly tense due to the unexpected arrival of Nuan Mianmian. The usual lively bustle was nowhere to be seen today.

Shen Ting, unable to focus on her work, sat at her desk in silent frustration. She could never have imagined that the relationship between Nuan Mianmian and President Jian would become so harmonious! Judging by the current situation, it would be increasingly difficult for her to ever replace Nuan Mianmian.

A cloud of worry hung over Shen Ting’s brow. She needed to think of a way to deal with Nuan Mianmian, at least to ensure she wouldn’t block her path. With that thought, Shen Ting quickly pulled out her phone and composed a message. As soon as she saw it had been sent successfully, a smug smile appeared on her lips.

Meanwhile, Nuan Mianmian sat idly in her spacious private office, distractedly scrolling through her social feed. Documents and files stacked high on her desk, forming a small mountain, yet she had no intention of reading them. She wasn’t here to work in earnest; why bother pretending?

“Your days are so comfortable, while I’ve been pitifully cast out, now deep inside enemy territory—this is just too hard!” Nuan Mianmian stared at photos her friends from Starfish Bay had posted: last night’s open-air barbecue at Moonlight Villa. The sight made her so angry her face turned green.

She tossed her phone aside in frustration. Her mood was thoroughly ruined.

“How can I attract Jiang Ce’s attention again?” she wondered. Even if she left, she needed to maintain her presence; after all, she still held a place in Jiang Ce’s heart! Even if the USB incident made him angry, surely he couldn’t forget her overnight?

No, she had to give Jiang Ce a bit of excitement.

Nuan Mianmian picked up her phone and snapped pictures of the luxurious sofa and the coffee at hand, quickly editing a post with the caption, “White tea, simple joys, nothing else.” Surely this hint was clear enough?

She leaned back contentedly in her chair, waiting for someone to notice her post, ripe with temptation. Unfortunately, before any notifications arrived, someone knocked on her office door.

She hurriedly pulled her legs off the desk and sat up straight before responding, “Come in!”

The next moment, Jian Yanzhi pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Nuan Mianmian buried in her files, he shook his head and smiled.

“Enough pretending, get up,” he said.

Nuan Mianmian looked confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Your acting is terrible.”

With that, Jian Yanzhi glanced at her. “Come with me to meet someone.”

“Who?”

Impatience flickered in Jian Yanzhi’s eyes. “Hurry up.” He strode out without offering any explanation, leaving Nuan Mianmian to reluctantly grab her purse and follow.

They left the office one after another. As soon as they entered the elevator, the office erupted in chatter. Of course, neither Nuan Mianmian nor Jian Yanzhi heard any of it. She followed him downstairs to the underground parking lot.

Jian Yanzhi said little, merely handed her a file folder before getting into the driver’s seat. Nuan Mianmian took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to beat him up, and got into the car, still unwilling.

As the vehicle started, Nuan Mianmian lazily asked, “Where are we going?”

“To discuss cooperation.”

Jian Yanzhi was succinct, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

“Typical!” Nuan Mianmian muttered under her breath, then began to inspect the folder in her hands. She untied the string and glanced inside, spotting a line of text.

“Regarding the planning scheme for the cooperative development of Jiangcheng New District…” Nuan Mianmian read aloud, frowning. As she reached the end, realization dawned. She suddenly looked up and asked Jian Yanzhi,

“You’ve acquired the land in the new district?”

When had that happened? Jian Yanzhi’s speed was astounding. Nuan Mianmian stared at him in shock.

“Yes.” Pride shone in Jian Yanzhi’s eyes. “That land was a must-have for me. The company has been preparing for a long time, so the negotiations were swift and successful.”

Nuan Mianmian bit her lip, suddenly deflated, staring blankly at the file in her hands.

If she remembered correctly, Jiang Ce had always wanted to secure that land, and the developer had initially been more inclined to work with Morning Star. But because the USB drive leaked information to the developer, Jian Yanzhi’s Vast Ocean Group had seized the opportunity.

Now that Vast Ocean had already submitted a planning proposal, did that mean Jiang Ce had lost his chance?

“What’s the matter, so happy you’re stunned?” Jian Yanzhi glanced at her, noticing her pale lips. He continued, “Though the company made many preparations, you’re the greatest contributor. That’s why I wanted you with me for today’s meeting.”

As if she cared! Nuan Mianmian cursed silently. Yet, at the same time, she felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps she could use this opportunity to sabotage the cooperation, giving Jiang Ce another chance.

Scheming, her fingers tightened around the file folder.

“Jian Yanzhi, have you already signed the contract with them?” she asked.

Jian Yanzhi replied, “We’ve reached an agreement. We’ll be co-developing the new district, so no formal contract has been signed yet. But they’re very interested in our proposal—if it’s approved today, we can sign immediately.”

So there was still a chance.

Nuan Mianmian breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes brightening with a smile. Jian Yanzhi caught her infectious grin and smiled as well.

The meeting was arranged in an upscale Western restaurant, its elegant and quiet environment perfect for conversation. Upon arrival, Nuan Mianmian followed Jian Yanzhi inside and learned that the developer’s representatives were delayed in traffic, so they would have to wait.

“Sir, would you like to order something to drink first?” a waiter approached.

Jian Yanzhi looked up. “Two Blue Mountain coffees, thank you.”

Nuan Mianmian raised an eyebrow. “Why order two? Are you drinking both?”

Jian Yanzhi paused. “Aren’t you having one?”

“Of course!” she replied—though she didn’t like Blue Mountain coffee.

Nuan Mianmian shot him a glance, then smiled sweetly at the waiter. “Could I please have a cappuccino instead? Thank you.”

She had a sweet, girlish beauty, but today’s outfit gave her a commanding, elegant air, so her smile carried a hint of allure. The waiter was momentarily stunned by her charm, hurriedly averting his gaze before replying, “Certainly, please wait a moment.”

As the waiter left, Nuan Mianmian noticed Jian Yanzhi’s expression had turned somewhat stiff, but she couldn’t be bothered to ask why.

Meanwhile, Jian Yanzhi clenched his fist, inexplicably irritated.