Chapter Ninety-Six: Simply Unable to Stand By

“All right, let’s go eat first. Work belongs in working hours. This is break time, so let’s go together.”

“Okay, thank you, Director.”

The young girl smiled shyly, her eyes curving prettily; she looked utterly adorable.

“Director, you can just call me Xiang Nuan.”

“Xiang Nuan? Facing the sun and growing toward the light, warm and lovely—that’s a beautiful name, and it suits you very well.”

Ruan Mianmian did not stint on praise, and walked out of the office with Xiang Nuan just behind her.

Rumor had it that the employee cafeteria had introduced new dishes today, so Ruan Mianmian took Xiang Nuan there to eat.

“One serving of Sichuan-style grilled fish, two bowls of rice, to Private Room Three.”

For employees at manager level and above in the Vast Sea Group, there were private rooms available in the employee cafeteria.

The private rooms had their own air-conditioning, and the setting was no worse than any restaurant outside.

This time Xiang Nuan rode on Ruan Mianmian’s coattails and, for the first time, sat down to eat in a private room.

“Thank you so much, Director!”

Xiang Nuan’s eyes sparkled with a smile. “This is my first time eating in a private room. The air-conditioning feels amazing!”

Usually, when eating out, one only had the central air to rely on, and sometimes when a dish was especially hot and spicy, the cool air could barely be felt at all.

Today they were having grilled fish, fragrant and fiery, and with this private air-conditioning, it could not have been more comfortable.

Ruan Mianmian smiled along with her and asked, “How long have you been with the company?”

“After this month, it’ll be almost three months.”

“So you’ve been here for three months and still haven’t officially taken over any work? You’ve been stuck doing odd jobs at the front desk in the design department all this time?”

Ruan Mianmian looked surprised.

Xiang Nuan pressed her lips together and said, “Actually, I’ve just been unlucky. The people before me were usually replaced by newcomers after about a month, but after I came, no new hires arrived, so...”

Hearing this, a faint anger stirred in Ruan Mianmian’s heart.

When would these unwritten rules in companies ever be rooted out?

Why should newly hired employees be the ones to do all the menial work?

The vulgar habit of picking on the youngest person in the office had practically become part of office culture.

Seeing Ruan Mianmian’s face grow cool and dark, Xiang Nuan hurriedly covered her mouth and explained, “Director, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not complaining to you. I really don’t mind it. I’m truly fine!”

Vast Sea was not the kind of workplace just anyone could stroll into. So many interns begged and pleaded and still might not get in.

That was why many people, even when bullied, would not say much. After all, no one wanted to lose a well-paid job at a leading group with a decent environment.

“All right, all right, I understand. Don’t worry.”

Ruan Mianmian was not inexperienced herself. She knew that if these words got out, everyone might misunderstand and think Xiang Nuan was tattling.

That would only make things harder for Xiang Nuan in the future.

In the end, management still needed tightening and the rules still needed to be standardized. Things like revising documents and printing ought to be handled by the people responsible for them; why dump them onto the newcomers?

Ruan Mianmian made a note of it and decided she would mention it to Jian Yanzhi later.

“All right, let’s eat first.”

After lunch, Ruan Mianmian sent Xiang Nuan back first, and then went up to the thirty-second floor herself.

Jian Yanzhi had not returned yet, so Ruan Mianmian went straight into his office and waited for him there.

While she was idly passing the time, a photograph on Jian Yanzhi’s desk caught her eye.

The photo had faded slightly yellow with age, and it was clear from the worn look that it had been kept for many years. Set beside the exquisitely made frame, it seemed a little out of place.

In the photo were a little boy and a little girl, both only about five or six years old.

The boy was dressed with surprising neatness for someone so young, in a white shirt and black trousers. Coupled with the handsome features already beginning to sharpen in his face, he looked cool and proud.

The little girl wore her hair in a ponytail, with a few messy wisps falling across her forehead. Her smile was bright and radiant, the very picture of a future beauty.

She was looking at the little boy beside her with a face full of smiles, while the boy, clearly reluctant, stared coldly off to the side of the camera.

It was Ruan Mianmian and Jian Yanzhi when they were children.

Ruan Mianmian had no idea that such a photo of the two of them even existed. Perhaps it was because, at that time, her whole heart and eyes had been fixed on the little boy beside her.

“How cute, isn’t it?”

A voice sounded abruptly beside her, and Ruan Mianmian’s hand loosened. The frame slipped instantly from her grasp.

Jian Yanzhi reacted quickly, stepping forward to catch it and carefully placing it back where it belonged.

Watching his gentle movements, as though he were handling some priceless work of art, Ruan Mianmian could not help finding it a little funny.

“I really don’t know what’s wrong with you!”

She muttered the words in disgust, then moved away from the desk.

Jian Yanzhi’s gaze softened as it fell on the smiling little girl in the photograph, and he murmured, “Yes. What is wrong with me? I never noticed before that you were this adorable.”

“...”

Ruan Mianmian rubbed the bridge of her nose awkwardly, then changed the subject.

“I came to talk to you about something.”

Jian Yanzhi looked away and focused on her face. “What is it? Have you only been in the design department for half a day and already hit your limit?”

“Of course not!”

Ruan Mianmian shot him a sidelong glance. “I think the people in the design department all have a bit of a problem. Every last one of them is too arrogant, too full of themselves.”

“So? What are you trying to say?”

“What I mean is, we should stick to the principle that everyone does their own work. Don’t let the youngest person in the office shoulder all the odd jobs. After all, they’re here to work, not to do errands for everyone else!”

If work was truly overwhelming, then asking others for help was one thing.

But if the only purpose was to make life difficult for the newcomers and create convenience for oneself, then such behavior, which harmed others to benefit oneself, ought to be done as little as possible.

After hearing Ruan Mianmian’s words, Jian Yanzhi frowned as well. “What happened?”

Ruan Mianmian folded her arms and looked at him askance. “Nothing much. I’m just complaining on behalf of the girl at the design department’s front desk, that’s all. I want to see whether you, as CEO, can really instill the company’s so-called culture of compassion into your soul!”

Jian Yanzhi leaned lazily back in his chair, the corner of his lips lifting. “Don’t flatter me with lofty praise. What, one of the employees is unhappy and came to complain to you?”

“Not exactly. I simply couldn’t stand it.”

“You do have a righteous streak.”

A glint flashed through Jian Yanzhi’s dark eyes, carrying a hint of amusement.

Ruan Mianmian said impatiently, “What are you implying? Just sneering at me without lifting a finger yourself?”

Jian Yanzhi looked at her steadily, his expression deep and unreadable.

He asked, “Do you have a way to change this atmosphere? Without any help from me?”

What?

Was he trying to set her up?

Ruan Mianmian was instantly wary. “Put away all those crooked little ideas in your head. I’m not your experimental field. Why push me out there?”

Jian Yanzhi said, “At the very least, you’re the company’s director. Shouldn’t you be willing to put in some effort for the company?”

“Ha.”

Ruan Mianmian let out two cold laughs. Looking at Jian Yanzhi, she said word by word, “Are you sure you want me to handle this?”

“Mm-hm.”

Clearly, Jian Yanzhi was very pleased with the idea.

Ruan Mianmian slapped the desk and raised a brow. “Then don’t you dare regret it!”

“I’ll wait and see.”

“Tch!”

Ruan Mianmian shot him a glare, then spun around sharply and left in a huff.