Chapter Sixty-Eight: Negotiation for Peace

The atmosphere in the office was heavy today—Ruan Mianmian sensed it the moment she walked in. She couldn’t tell if the morning meeting had ended or hadn’t even started, but everyone was at their desks, silent, with grim expressions on their faces.

“What’s going on?” she whispered to Guo Xianchun, who sat closest to the entrance.

Guo Xianchun looked troubled and replied slowly, “I’m not sure what happened. All I know is that Director Jian was in a terrible mood this morning. He came in and lost his temper right away, didn’t even hold the morning meeting.”

So it was Jian Yanzhi causing trouble again? Just thinking of him irritated Ruan Mianmian, though it seemed she wasn’t the only one who’d been scolded by him this morning.

“It’s fine, get back to work. Is Director Jian in his office?” Ruan Mianmian asked again.

“Yes, he’s inside talking with Manager Shen. They’ve been in there for quite a while now,” Guo Xianchun answered.

Manager Shen? Ruan Mianmian arched an eyebrow. “Shen Ting is back?”

Guo Xianchun nodded. “You didn’t know?”

She truly hadn’t, but she was curious—had Shen Ting returned to resign, perhaps?

With a head full of questions, Ruan Mianmian went to her own office.

At that moment, Wu Ketian was sitting quietly on the sofa, absorbed in a magazine she’d taken from the rack.

“You’re here,” Ruan Mianmian greeted her with a smile.

Wu Ketian quickly stood up and nodded, “Hello, Director.”

“Sit, no need to be so formal,” Ruan Mianmian said, settling onto the sofa herself. She gave a brief introduction.

“My assistant doesn’t have too many daily tasks—just helping with errands and handling some work matters.”

Wu Ketian nodded. “Manager Zhou from HR already gave me a rundown. I’ll do my best!”

“As for your workspace, I’ve had it prepared for you. It’s the first desk on the right when you step out. That’s where you’ll be working from now on.”

Ruan Mianmian led Wu Ketian to her desk—a quiet spot next to the pantry and snack cabinet, making everything conveniently within reach. Most importantly, there weren’t too many people nearby, so she’d have some freedom. Ruan Mianmian had put considerable thought into choosing that spot.

Wu Ketian was excited and kept nodding. “Thank you, Director.”

“All right, take some time to get familiar with your desk and the office. There’s nothing urgent for now.”

“Got it.”

With these instructions given, Ruan Mianmian returned to her office.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. Without looking up, Ruan Mianmian responded, “Come in.”

“Director Ruan.”

At the sound of that voice, Ruan Mianmian paused in her work and looked up in surprise—it really was Shen Ting.

“Is there something you need?” Ruan Mianmian’s tone was languid. Ever since discovering Shen Ting’s true identity, she no longer felt the need for pretense. She certainly didn’t need to be polite with Shen Ting. In fact, she assumed Shen Ting felt the same. After all, Shen Ting was not one to avoid confrontation—especially after the last time, when Ruan Mianmian had actually hit her. As far as Ruan Mianmian was concerned, all pretenses between them had been dropped.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ting’s expression was calm, even with a hint of a smile.

She said, “Director Ruan, I’ve come today to make peace with you.”

“Make peace?” Ruan Mianmian hadn’t expected those words—it sounded almost like a joke. She could hardly believe it.

But Shen Ting was straightforward. “You know who I am now, so you should understand my intentions. I can’t leave Hanhai at the moment.”

Ruan Mianmian neither agreed nor disagreed. She knew Shen Ting worked for Jiang Ce, but Jiang Ce had said he wasn’t aware of Shen Ting’s business at Hanhai’s branch, so Ruan Mianmian hadn’t given it much thought. Besides, Shen Ting’s attitude made it clear she didn’t think Ruan Mianmian would do anything drastic. At the very least, she didn’t think she’d be forced to leave.

Ruan Mianmian leaned back in her chair, smiling. “Whether you leave Hanhai or not—what does that have to do with me?”

“What do you mean by that?” Shen Ting’s annoyance was evident. “I’ve made myself clear. Why are you putting on this act? We both work for the boss—shouldn’t we support each other?”

Ruan Mianmian snorted softly at the phrase “work for the boss,” then gave a cold smile.

“Shen Ting, didn’t you know about my relationship with Jiang Ce before?”

Shen Ting froze, lips pressed together.

“You did,” Ruan Mianmian asserted, standing up. “So all those things you did before were deliberate. Why should I go easy on you now?”

“You—!” Shen Ting was furious, but she didn’t dare raise her voice. She forced herself to stay calm and said quietly, “It was all a misunderstanding before. I promise it won’t happen again. I need to stay at Hanhai—please give me a chance.”

Hearing the pleading in Shen Ting’s tone, Ruan Mianmian finally realized she was genuinely asking for a favor. Truth be told, Ruan Mianmian saw no need to quarrel with her, but she couldn’t simply let go of everything Shen Ting had done.

“Shen Ting, what you do is your business. Likewise, you have no say in mine,” Ruan Mianmian said coldly. “You know I’ll never get along with you, so you’d better stay out of my way. If you cross me again, I won’t care who you are.”

Though angry, Shen Ting realized Ruan Mianmian’s words were, in a way, a tacit agreement. For the sake of her own plans, Shen Ting could endure this.

“All right. I promise not to bother you anymore—just let me stay at Hanhai,” Shen Ting said.

“You don’t need to say any more. I’m idle, but not so idle as to watch your every move. Mind your own business.”

Ruan Mianmian returned to her desk and ignored her. Shen Ting nodded and quietly left.

Once alone, Ruan Mianmian let out a frustrated sigh. She understood Shen Ting’s motives—it was simple. Shen Ting wanted to stay close to Jiang Ce. But Jiang Ce wouldn’t agree to let Shen Ting return to Haixing Bay, so she resorted to staying by his side in this way. Tireless, determined, and full of schemes.

At noon, Ruan Mianmian was about to head out for lunch when she saw Jian Yanzhi leave his office as well. She intended to ask him what had happened that morning. However, Jian Yanzhi didn’t spare her a glance, walking straight past as if she were invisible.

The remaining employees in the office witnessed the scene. Xiang Jie gave Shen Ting a triumphant look, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“See? Director Jian is already ignoring her.”