Chapter 43

After Wei Xiaolu and Shen Siyan finished their Japanese meal, they paid at the front desk. Then Wei Xiaolu turned back and gave Shen Siyan a smug little grin.

“CEO Shen,” she said ingratiatingly as Shen Siyan came over, “are we heading straight back?”

Shen Siyan slipped on her trench coat. “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere’s fine.” Wei Xiaolu rubbed her stomach. “I feel like I didn’t eat that much, so why am I still this full?”

Shen Siyan let out a soft laugh. “Then let’s take a walk around Renmin Square.”

“Yay.” Wei Xiaolu’s plan had worked out; she was so pleased with herself that she kept sneaking little delighted smiles.

The square was lively at night, with all kinds of activity. After seeing a square-dancing group, then a night-running group, then a brisk-walking group, Wei Xiaolu found herself swaying along too, wanting to move with them.

“Your shoelace came undone.” Shen Siyan lowered her gaze, and Wei Xiaolu followed it down.

Wei Xiaolu’s shoelaces came loose all the time. Madam Tang had come up with the most reasonable explanation: she was too active. Even when she sat still, her legs never stopped fidgeting, swinging back and forth; sooner or later, one careless step would kick a lace loose.

Wei Xiaolu had always believed that, but she never learned her lesson and kept untying them over and over.

On instinct, she handed her shoulder bag to Shen Siyan. It was awkward to crouch down and tie her shoes while wearing it; the bag always slipped off, and she didn’t want the pure white canvas to get dirty.

But when she stood back up and held out a hand for the bag again, Shen Siyan ignored her, lifting an eyebrow with what looked like a very good mood.

Wei Xiaolu didn’t dare rush over and snatch her own bag back, so she could only remind her, “CEO Shen, my bag.”

Instead, Shen Siyan tucked it behind her back, indulgent. “Go on and have fun. I’ll hold it for you.”

My boss is carrying my bag?

Wei Xiaolu suddenly shivered.

Oh my heavens, I’ve really made something of myself.

“No, no, no,” Wei Xiaolu hurriedly placated her superior. “CEO Shen, that’s way too embarrassing. Coming out to walk with you is already such a huge favor to me; how could I let you go to any more trouble…”

“What’s embarrassing about it, little sister?” Shen Siyan said suddenly. “You’ve been bouncing around this whole time. You’re pretty uninhibited.”

Wei Xiaolu fell silent.

Maybe because she’d been getting closer to Shen Siyan lately, she really did sometimes stop paying enough attention to respecting her elders.

But the fact that she had been skipping around with Shen Siyan while strolling tonight definitely wasn’t disrespect. Hidden inside it was also something she’d thought about enough to feel ashamed of if she dwelled on it too long: a desire to perform.

She wanted Shen Siyan to see the bright, lively, energetic side of her.

“Mm... I’m happy!” Under the streetlight, Wei Xiaolu lifted her head and steeled herself. “When I’m happy, I just start hopping around.”

“Then keep hopping,” Shen Siyan said, looking at her with a faint smile. “I’ll hold the bag. That way if you want to bounce around a little, you don’t have to keep worrying about it.”

The canvas bag slid off Shen Siyan’s shoulder and hung casually from the crook of her arm.

Wei Xiaolu stared dazedly at Shen Siyan in front of her. This person, who usually seemed to have the entire situation under control, now had a little girlie bag hanging from her arm; somehow, it looked unexpectedly harmonious.

Should I just let Shen Siyan carry it for me?

The moment that thought crossed her mind, her heart actually started to warm.

It did feel a little too awkward to let her boss carry her bag, but Wei Xiaolu also really didn’t want to keep slinging it over her shoulder. It was inconvenient. Back in middle school, even her schoolbag had been carried by Wei Jialuo for her, and after she got to university she’d needed quite a while to get used to handling things on her own. More than once, she had packed her bag neatly only to leave it behind in the dormitory and forget to take it.

She turned around and, when walking became a bit of a hassle, she kept feeling like her lightness was something Shen Siyan was shouldering for her.

So she walked backward, facing Shen Siyan, and asked, “CEO Shen, how should I thank you for carrying my bag?”

“Then—” Shen Siyan deliberately paused there.

“Hm?” Wei Xiaolu stopped and widened her eyes curiously.

So Shen Siyan stepped forward and stood in front of her, looking down as she told her, “From now on, every night after dinner, come out and walk with me.”

Wei Xiaolu turned and ran.

After a couple of steps, she forced down the grin baring her teeth, then turned back and shouted, “Okay, CEO Shen! I’ll repay your kindness after every meal!”

She saw the hem of Shen Siyan’s trench coat sway in the wind, and although Shen Siyan didn’t say anything, her raised right hand also swayed along with it in an “OK” gesture.

Wei Xiaolu skipped a couple more steps. This time she wasn’t doing it to show off her positive energy; she was genuinely happy.

The benefits of living downtown showed up again: after walking for an hour and getting tired, all they had to do was turn around and head straight back to the apartment.

It wasn’t until they got inside that Shen Siyan returned the bag to her. Wei Xiaolu had no idea how to thank her, but she also felt that letting Shen Siyan carry her bag made her look like some kind of spoiled, sycophantic office underling, which was a bit awkward. After she got back to the room and sat down, she reached up and pinched the deer antlers on her keychain, hoping it could tell her the answer.

—What exactly do I think Shen Siyan is to me?

The little deer on the keychain tilted its head, as if it didn’t really understand either.

—Then what should I think of her as?

The thing still had its head tilted, looking stupidly blank, with an empty little brain.

Wei Xiaolu looked at it and got annoyed. She yanked it off and replaced it with a slightly sharper-looking deer-head charm.

That looked more in line with her own image.

Wei Xiaolu clapped her hands, having already forgotten the question she’d been interrogating the keychain about, and lay down to play on her phone.

She had changed it quietly, but the next morning Shen Siyan still noticed. While driving, she glanced over and smiled. “What about the one that looked like you?”

“This is the one!” Wei Xiaolu pointed at the bag. “It’s the one that looks most like me.”

Shen Siyan seemed to be holding back laughter; only a low breath came out, sounding a little like one.

“All right, little sister.” That was what she said in the end.

Although their relationship was quietly growing closer in these unnoticed moments, the gears of work never stopped turning.

After arriving at the company and finishing the task force’s daily work, Wei Xiaolu returned to Shen Siyan’s office to help her boss out.

She caught an opening while Shen Siyan had a free moment and reported what she’d noticed. “CEO Shen, today when we were discussing things in the conference room, I saw Sister Chen looking over at you several times. Does she want to talk to you?”

Shen Siyan nodded. “She knows what I want, but she probably still hasn’t made up her mind.”

“Then should I say a couple of things to her when the task force meets tomorrow?” Wei Xiaolu asked.

Suddenly, Shen Siyan lifted her eyes with interest. “How would you help?”

Wei Xiaolu rolled her eyes in thought. “I feel like Sister Chen isn’t just having trouble deciding; she also cares about face and can’t bring herself to come find you.”

Shen Siyan considered it. “Right. She has a strong sense of pride, and she’s fairly upright. It’s hard for her to talk about these things.”

“Then how about this, CEO Shen,” Wei Xiaolu said, “I can say that you already have some preliminary ideas for the new special task force, and Sister Chen has a lot of experience in this area, so you wanted to bring her in to talk it over?”

“That works too.” Shen Siyan nodded. “Get her to come over first; I’ll guide the conversation in person.”

“Got it, CEO Shen.” Wei Xiaolu agreed.

So the next day, after the task force’s affairs had been handled, Wei Xiaolu spoke to Chen Yuran in the break room.

Chen Yuran was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “Does CEO Shen want to talk to me about the special task force’s operating process?”

“I’m not totally sure,” Wei Xiaolu said vaguely. “Why don’t you go talk to her in person?”

The silence stretched on again.

Wei Xiaolu could see the whole process of Chen Yuran’s aura collapsing, as if going to see Shen Siyan privately had made her seem suddenly weathered and powerless.

“Maybe, Sister,” Wei Xiaolu said, afraid of hurting her confidence, “I can go with you.”

Chen Yuran’s expression recovered a little. “Okay.”

At first Wei Xiaolu still didn’t quite understand the change. It wasn’t until just before entering Shen Siyan’s office, when Chen Yuran reminded her, “Xiaolu, you have to come with me,” that she finally realized what was going on.

Chen Yuran knew what Shen Siyan wanted to talk about.

But she didn’t dare, or didn’t have the face, to admit that she had once sold out the department.

So she was hoping for a third person to be present, to avoid being alone with Shen Siyan.

But on the other hand, Wei Xiaolu also felt that wasn’t entirely it.

Actually, when Chen Yuran said, “You have to come with me,” it seemed like she was also hoping Wei Xiaolu would refuse; that she would leave her with no other choice but to face Shen Siyan.

When two opposing forces act on a person at once, they’ll wear that person down.

Wei Xiaolu saw that mix of devotion and resistance toward the job very clearly in Chen Yuran.

The office door was knocked on, and Wei Xiaolu and Chen Yuran walked in together.

As the surface request required, Chen Yuran began discussing the special task force’s work with Shen Siyan, while Wei Xiaolu sat at her workstation organizing the relevant reports.

She was actually a little torn over whether she should leave.

With her here, it was naturally inconvenient for Shen Siyan to discuss those confidential matters with Chen Yuran. But if she left, that would go against the promise she had just made with Chen Yuran.

“You understand these areas so well,” Shen Siyan suddenly shifted the topic. “I want to have you take on the work of the special task force. What do you think?”

“I...” Chen Yuran gave no answer.

“You reached this position because of your own ability,” Shen Siyan said after a pause. “But the higher your position, the greater your responsibility to the whole department.”

Chen Yuran still didn’t say anything.

“So I hope you can tell me everything you know.”

Wei Xiaolu jumped in fright.

That was what Shen Siyan called guiding her? This was obviously straight-up coercion!

Chen Yuran’s body visibly stiffened too. Her hand hanging by her thigh tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white.

The air froze; the office fell silent.

Wei Xiaolu keenly sensed the turn in the negotiation and immediately stood up. “CEO Shen, Sister Chen, you two talk. I just remembered there’s still some material in the conference room that I haven’t sorted out yet; I’m going to—”

“Xiaolu, stay,” Shen Siyan said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Sort it later.”

After everything she’d experienced in the workplace during this period, Wei Xiaolu only blanked out for a moment before understanding Shen Siyan’s intent.

CEO Shen wanted Chen Yuran to hand over her “proof of loyalty.” Keeping Wei Xiaolu here was also an invisible form of pressure, widening the circle of people who knew the secret and forcing Chen Yuran, out of fear, to tell everything.

That was the correct interpretation, but Wei Xiaolu was very good at reading it differently. As she sat back down, she was also thinking: If you want me to stay, does that mean Shen Siyan sees me as one of her absolute trusted people? Someone even core secrets can be shared with?

She felt both the joy of being trusted and a trace of tension at being let into a secret.

Across from her, Shen Siyan didn’t urge Chen Yuran again. She simply waited patiently.

Wei Xiaolu realized Shen Siyan was truly very good at waiting. She herself could remain composed while waiting, but she could also use long, fruitless silence to make the other side submit.

At last, Chen Yuran took a deep breath. As if she had used up all her strength, her eyes reddening, she said, trembling, “CEO Shen... I... I’m afraid I can’t bear this responsibility.”

“Why?” Shen Siyan’s tone was calm, her expression unruffled.

“You know this. I’ve been ashamed of...” Chen Yuran lowered her voice further, thick with shame.

At that point, Shen Siyan would no longer wait. She affirmed her directly: “You haven’t, and I don’t know either, but you can choose to tell me.”

Silence spread between the two of them.

After a moment, tears spilled from Chen Yuran’s eyes. “Chen Dongqi is my distant cousin. I was only able to get into such a good company because of his connections.”

Wei Xiaolu caught Shen Siyan’s glance and immediately got up with a pack of tissues, going over to help Sister Chen wipe her tears.

After two seconds of steadying herself, Chen Yuran went on.

“That technology services company was registered in my daughter’s name because Chen Dongqi forced me to handle it,” Chen Yuran choked out. “I never got a single cent of benefit from it. He took all the advantages, and all the risks were hung on me.”

“...Sometimes he’d come to me looking for information, and I’d tell him things I thought were unimportant. I also occasionally did things according to his instructions as cover,” Chen Yuran said, crying as she lifted her head. “But I never told him anything confidential about the department. Not once.”

“We believe you,” Shen Siyan said.

Chen Yuran froze. She completely let down her guard then, and all the grievances she’d endured over the years, powerless to resist, came pouring out one by one.

Her voice wasn’t loud as she explained these things, but it was coherent and orderly, clearly showing how long these frustrations had weighed on her heart. Wei Xiaolu listened to two sentences, remembered the need to leave a record, took out her phone and wanted to record it, but Shen Siyan shook her head at her, so she put it away and listened carefully instead.

After hearing her out, Shen Siyan made no comment at all, only said, “You can shake him off and do things properly, openly.”

“I want to,” Chen Yuran sighed. “But after all, there is some family connection. I’m afraid it’ll drag my relatives into it...”

“If there’s anything to be afraid of, leave it to me. As long as I can guarantee your safety, I won’t let you break with him openly before it’s time,” Shen Siyan said. “You only need to tell me whether, starting now, you can trust me completely.”

Chen Yuran almost immediately nodded. Tears fell from her eyes as she took the tissues Wei Xiaolu handed her and wiped them away. Her gaze gradually sharpened by a few degrees. “I know some details about Chen Dongqi’s dealings with Zhaolan, and some of the other eyes and ears he has planted in the department...”

Next she began listing the collusion hidden in the shadows one by one. Wei Xiaolu still hadn’t gotten to know everyone in the department, and only heard the names of two or three she recognized.

But when Mao Qize’s name came out of her mouth, Wei Xiaolu still couldn’t help being shocked.

Even the department’s vice president was one of Chen Dongqi’s people; no wonder the corruption inside was so severe.

“The information you provided is very valuable,” Shen Siyan said, her gaze growing deeper. “Since you were helpless in the past, let’s let the past pass. The position of special task force lead is still yours.”

She looked at Chen Yuran. “I hope you’ll think it over.”

Chen Yuran rubbed at the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. “Thank you, thank you, CEO Shen. I’ll think about it some more...”

“All right.” Shen Siyan’s tone softened. “Go back and rest for a while. Get yourself together; I’ll wait for your answer.”

Chen Yuran stood up, bowed deeply to Shen Siyan, then looked toward Wei Xiaolu before leaving the office on unsteady feet.

The moment the door shut, Wei Xiaolu immediately perked up, itching to express her admiration for Shen Siyan. “CEO Shen, what you just did was really too cool...”

“Xiaolu,” Shen Siyan cut her off, urgency thick in her voice. “Go out right now. Catch up with Chen Yuran and keep her company for a bit. Comfort her. Her emotions just swung too hard; if she’s left alone, she’ll start going in circles.”

Wei Xiaolu’s chest jolted.

Only now did she finally understand why Shen Siyan had wanted her to stay.

Not as a witness, not as someone applying pressure, but as a “therapeutic expert” who understood the whole picture well enough to offer precise comfort afterward.

“I understand!” Wei Xiaolu strode straight toward the door without hesitation. “I’m going now!”