The lady smiled warmly, but inwardly, she didn’t buy it. She pulled Jian Shuning aside and said, “Miss Jian, please come fill out a personnel form first. You look so young, you must have just entered the workforce, right? Do you have any work experience? If not, it’s okay. This job is very simple, just some typing and copying documents. I believe you’ll pick it up quickly… Or should I ask a senior colleague to teach you?”

“No need!” Zheng Yuanshi, standing nearby, couldn’t bear to watch anymore and added, “She’s just a freeloader, don’t give her any special treatment.”

“Oh, Executive Director, you’re still here?” The lady feigned surprise. “I just ran into your secretary, and she said you have a full schedule today.”

Despite his full schedule, he still had time to waste here, which showed how much he cared about Miss Jian. As the person the big boss cared about, how could the HR manager not give her special treatment?

The lady raised her eyebrows, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. Zheng Yuanshi’s expression changed, and he could only glare at the innocent-looking Jian Shuning before leaving awkwardly.

The lady smiled and turned her attention back to Jian Shuning, her gossip radar fully activated. “Miss Jian, are you good friends with our Executive Director? How long have you known each other?”

Jian Shuning felt a bit overwhelmed. “Um, we’re just neighbors. My mom and his mom know each other, so she asked him to take care of me…”

“Oh, so you’re just neighbors?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then your mom and the Executive Director’s mom must be very close. I’ve never seen him take special care of someone like this…”

“He didn’t really take special care of me!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, yes.”

Jian Shuning laughed awkwardly and finished filling out the personnel form. The HR manager then briefed her on some company rules that employees should follow and handed her over to a senior colleague named Lucy.

Jian Shuning thought the lady would say something to Lucy, but she only handled it professionally, as if Jian Shuning were a temporary assistant hired through normal channels. Only then did Jian Shuning feel relieved.

Although this HR manager loved to gossip in private, she clearly knew how to separate work from personal matters. No wonder Zheng Yuanshi trusted her.

Her brother had not misjudged this person.

Jian Shuning felt at ease but soon found it amusing. Her brother didn’t need her to worry about him. He had built a successful business from scratch, turning a small online shop into a well-known fashion brand in Taiwan. He must be very smart and capable, so how could he appoint an unsuitable person as a manager?

The only unsuitable person in this company was probably her, who had gotten in through the back door.

Jian Shuning thought to herself with self-deprecation.

To not make things difficult for her brother, she was determined to work twice as hard and not be a burden. Even as a small assistant, she wanted to prove her worth.

So, she diligently followed Lucy to learn her job. As the HR manager had said, her work was not difficult. She just needed to run errands for her office colleagues, such as copying documents, serving tea, ordering lunch, and distributing mail.

Although the work was not difficult, it was tedious. Some people only drank tea, others only drank coffee; some wanted sugar in their coffee, others wanted milk; some had specific requirements for the format of copied documents, some only received mail during their lunch break, and some would dump their own tasks on her. At these times, she had to learn to politely but firmly say no, and not be foolish enough to take on everything, or people would think she was weak and easy to bully.

Moreover, doing things that were not her responsibility would bring no reward, and if something went wrong, she would have to take responsibility.

Lucy taught her very carefully, and Jian Shuning took notes diligently. But teaching was one thing, and actually doing the work was another. So, two hours later, Lucy left her to handle things on her own.

A busy day officially began—

“Miss Jian, please copy and bind these meeting materials into ten sets!”

“Shuning, I can’t leave right now, could you pour me a cup of coffee, please?”

“Do you know how to type? Please organize this data into a table for me.”

“Has today’s mail been delivered yet? I’m waiting for a sample package.”

“Who’s ordering lunch today? I want chicken leg rice!”

Miss Jian, Miss Jian, Miss Jian, Shuning, Shuning, Shuning…

By the end of the day, she didn’t know how many times she had been called or how many trips she had made. Her head was spinning, her legs were sore, and her hands were shaking… She was about to collapse. How could this be more tiring than working at a tea shop?

Jian Shuning couldn’t believe it and felt like crying.

It wasn’t until near the end of the workday that she finally had a moment to rest. She hid in the small reception room to catch her breath.

She remembered that yesterday, she had sat here anxiously, worried that her brother wouldn’t let her stay. Today, she had become a temporary employee of this company, busy as a spinning top.

Life was truly unpredictable.

Jian Shuning sighed to herself, slumped in a chair, and rubbed her stiff calves. Just as she felt thirsty, a cold can of Coke was handed to her.

She looked up in surprise and saw a beautiful and elegant face.

“You are… Sister Du?”

It was indeed Du Qingshuo. She was wearing a shirt with khaki pants and a colorful beaded necklace, looking both stylish and feminine.

Not only was she beautiful, but she also had great taste. Jian Shuning admired the beauty in front of her.

Du Qingshuo seemed to notice her admiring gaze and smiled. “You look very tired. Have a drink to cool down.”

“Mm, thank you!” Jian Shuning didn’t pretend to be polite and took the Coke, drinking a big gulp. The cold, bubbly liquid was incredibly refreshing. “It’s so good!”

She praised it and gulped down half the can in one go.

Du Qingshuo appreciated her straightforwardness.

After quenching her thirst, Jian Shuning noticed Du Qingshuo smiling at her and felt a bit embarrassed.

She always struggled to maintain a ladylike demeanor around food. She needed to change this bad habit.

While silently criticizing herself, she smiled and asked, “Sister Du, what brings you here?” She paused. “Are you here to meet my brother for a date?”

Du Qingshuo was taken aback by the question.

Jian Shuning also zoned out for a moment, remembering the beautiful woman she had unexpectedly encountered in Zheng Yuanshi’s office the day before. Her eyebrows furrowed.

Sister Du was so kind and beautiful, and she was so friendly. Why did her brother still have to date two women at the same time?

Did all men have this flaw of being unfaithful? Even her outstanding brother was like this…

She pondered, looking at Du Qingshuo with a mix of confusion, sympathy, and a hint of indignation.