The Jingmao campus, with Jin Yaotiao and Shen Qiming entering the building like an unstoppable force, spread an intense aura that made it feel unapproachable.

This was mainly emanating from Jin Yaotiao.

Jin Yaotiao couldn’t even remember how she used to behave when she came to Jingmao in the past, but she could roughly guess.

Back then, she was so consumed by love that she had no sense of self, terrified of doing something wrong.

Even when she came to Jingmao to meet someone, she never demanded special treatment.

If the front desk asked her to wait, she waited, even if it felt like she was being neglected.

She wouldn’t dare show any displeasure, all to avoid giving others a bad impression.

Looking back, it really was problematic.

So much capital, and she didn’t even know how to leverage it, spending every day obsessing over a relationship, constantly anxious over a man’s attention, waiting for respect to be handed to her instead of demanding it.

It was no wonder she was treated like a soft target.

She was the legitimate heir of Mingde, and even the senior executives at her company had to greet her politely.

She didn’t rely on anyone for a living—why should she care about other companies’ attitudes?

When many employees at Jingmao saw this scene from afar, they were astonished.

“Wow, who is that? Even President Shen is walking beside her.”

“I bumped into them at the campus entrance. She’s here to see President Shen. She’s so beautiful. Could she be his girlfriend?”

“Impossible. Didn’t you see how she treated President Shen? No smile at all… Honestly, this is the first time I’ve seen a woman give President Shen that kind of attitude.”

“I know! I was just outside, and this beautiful lady wasn’t even expected, so they stopped her at the entrance. One phone call, and President Shen came down to personally greet her, even apologizing!”

“Wow, this feels like a dramatic romance novel. Which rich lady is she?”

“Are you kidding? At Jingmao’s level, President Shen wouldn’t care about anyone’s status like that. Plus, have you seen any rich lady treating him like this? When I saw them walking side by side, it was like seeing two CEOs.”

“Wow, you’re right. I thought she looked like an alpha woman, like an S-class type.”

---

Shen Qiming didn’t need anyone’s help; he quietly pressed the elevator button for Jin Yaotiao.

The assistants trailing behind them looked at this scene with glimmering eyes.

Employees at the Shenzhen campus and some new assistants who had just joined recently didn’t know Jin Yaotiao’s background, but those who had followed from Linjiang were more informed.

Though the boss lived very low-key, as assistants, they knew more than regular employees.

Everyone had heard the rumors about President Shen having a fiancée, and though they hadn’t had many chances to interact with Jin Yaotiao, over the years, from the bits and pieces of information, they had formed an impression—

For example, in their relationship, Shen Qiming was the one who held the dominant role.

But they all thought it was normal.

A man of President Shen’s status was bound to be pursued and admired. Moreover, based on his usual demeanor, he didn’t seem the type to invest much energy in relationships.

After working with Shen Qiming for so long, they had seen countless people who admired him, both openly and covertly.

In this regard, Shen Qiming was like an impenetrable island.

However, many recent events had made them start to question their previous impressions.

First, Shen Qiming had been dumped.

Although few employees in Shenzhen knew, everyone at the Linjiang Jingmao headquarters was aware.

Some lucky employees who were present that day, though they didn’t know who Jin Yaotiao was, vividly recalled what had happened.

It was said that at the café, the young lady who dumped Shen Qiming was cold and firm, as unfeeling as snowflakes falling in late winter.

On the other hand, President Shen, after the breakup, traveled abroad and even instructed them to call the TV and radio investment department.

Now, when she came to Jingmao, he personally came down to meet her.

Though he said little and showed no special expression, his attitude was clear enough.

This person was no insignificant character.

The assistants obediently followed behind.

Some began nervously recalling if they had ever slighted her.

After all, employees often mirrored their boss’s attitude toward others, and working with such a powerful leader inevitably led the assistants to develop some arrogance.

They wouldn’t go out of their way to show excessive attention to the admirers of President Shen.

After reflecting, they felt both happy and worried.

The happiness was that this person had been low-key in the past and hadn’t interacted much with them, so there was no real risk of having offended her.

The worry was that they had never proactively tried to please her.

Where did their sharp eyes from the business world go?

In the office, Shen Qiming closed the door and looked at Jin Yaotiao, who remained expressionless.

He didn’t try to justify himself nor mention investigating the assistant and punishing them according to company policy.

Instead, he simply said, “I’ll have someone notify the campus later. Next time you come to see me, you can go directly upstairs.”

Jin Yaotiao thought about the silent waiting she endured in the past, and scoffed, “No need. President Shen is so busy. I won’t bother you casually.”

Shen Qiming frowned and looked at her. “Yaotiao.”

Jin Yaotiao calmed herself, took out her phone, opened her email, and pulled up the document to show him. “President Shen, does this look familiar?”

Shen Qiming lowered his gaze to see the signature, and his eyelashes fluttered, though his expression didn’t change. “What’s this?”

Jin Yaotiao smiled. “President Shen, do you really think no one knows the relationship between this institution and Jingmao?”

Shen Qiming asked, “Who told you?”

“No need to ask about that,” Jin Yaotiao replied. “Just tell me, do you recognize this contract?”

Shen Qiming fell silent for a few seconds. “Jingmao has a professional department that handles investment matters.”

Jin Yaotiao raised an eyebrow. “Then why didn’t they go through Jingmao’s accounts? Why use this mysterious institution to approach Mingde?”

Shen Qiming lowered his gaze at her. “Maybe it’s more convenient.”

“I don’t think so,” Jin Yaotiao smiled. “This institution is your personal private account, not linked to the company’s accounts. Some money obviously can’t go through company accounts.”

Shen Qiming didn’t speak.

Jin Yaotiao’s face grew cold. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shen Qiming looked at her for a moment but didn’t try to justify himself. He simply said, “There was no need.”

He wasn’t good at lying.

Jin Yaotiao had known about this matter from the beginning, just as she knew how straightforward Shen Qiming was.

She had rarely seen him care about other people’s thoughts.

With his direct and confident approach, if the purpose of this money was to help her or Mingde, it would have been easiest and most effective to cooperate under Jingmao’s name.

If he was secretly helping her, he wouldn’t have done it this way.

He wouldn’t have been so discreet and silent afterward.

That would have been inefficient.

But quietly giving a breakup fee, now that was elegant.

Neither side had to personally intervene.

Jin Yaotiao of Mingde put her phone away, no longer wanting to continue the discussion.

She left a final remark: “President Shen, I’ll say it again, you don’t owe me anything. I said, from now on, in business, we’re just friends. Please don’t send me this kind of money again.”

Shen Qiming was stunned for a moment, his gaze following her. “Breakup fee?”

Jin Yaotiao reached for the door.

Shen Qiming raised his hand to stop her, but she tugged at the door and couldn’t open it.

Frowning, she looked up.

Shen Qiming leaned on the door, looking down at her, his pupils as deep as the sea. “This isn’t a breakup fee. I thought Mingde needed this investment.”

Jin Yaotiao couldn’t open the door, so she let go. “Since it’s an investment, why didn’t you give it directly to me?”

Shen Qiming didn’t respond.

“Let go, I want to leave,” Jin Yaotiao said.

He did as she asked, and as soon as she pulled open the door, Shen Qiming reached to stop her but then lowered his arm.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw Ning Meng standing outside, tears in her eyes.

Jin Yaotiao raised an eyebrow.

Ning Meng, knowing Shen Qiming’s style, figured she couldn’t escape responsibility for her mistake today.

Rather than being reprimanded later, she decided to address it herself to earn some brownie points with President Shen.

She looked at Jin Yaotiao and whispered, “Miss Jin.”

Jin Yaotiao saw her crying but didn’t understand what she was after. Growing impatient, she said, “If you have something to say, hurry up.”

Ning Meng bit her lip, suppressing the dissatisfaction in her heart. “Yes, I’m sorry, Miss Jin, I came to apologize. When you visited before, I was the one who answered the security call. At that time, I thought Mr. Shen was busy, so I didn’t immediately inform him of your arrival.”

Jin Yaotiao was momentarily stunned, her gaze shifting to Shen Qiming, who had not yet addressed the issue.

Shen Qiming furrowed his brows and looked at Ning Meng. “Is this how you work?”

Ning Meng lowered her head and said, “It was my mistake. I’m sorry, Mr. Shen, Miss Jin. I will write a self-reflection later and accept the department’s criticism and punishment.”

In reality, there was no need for her to apologize to Jin Yaotiao.

Jingmao’s rules were strict, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t avoid punishment.

Mr. Shen was not the kind of leader who acted on impulse; he handled business matters fairly, and he would neither let her off lightly for apologizing nor intentionally embarrass her out of frustration.

She just wanted to redeem herself a bit in Mr. Shen’s eyes, and if she could get Jin Yaotiao’s forgiveness in front of him, it would be a good thing.

Jin Yaotiao looked at Ning Meng, who had always been so businesslike with her.

This was the first time she had shown such fear in front of her.

She suddenly found it amusing.

Whether it was after attending events with Shen Qiming and texting an “apology,” or calling him during work hours and purposely making her presence known, no matter how much subtle provocation there was, Jin Yaotiao always held it in.

Looking back now, she found those repressed feelings utterly laughable.

She didn’t want to play along with those pretentious scenes anymore.

Not waiting for a response from Ning Meng, she gave her a small smile and said, “Miss Ning, you don’t need to apologize to me. I’m not unreasonable. I just want to tell you that if you like Mr. Shen, you can pursue him openly. I’m not your rival, so there’s no need for those ugly little tricks behind my back.”

Ning Meng could never have imagined hearing such words from Jin Yaotiao.

She couldn’t believe that Jin Yaotiao would so directly tear down the façade.

Wasn’t Jin Yaotiao the one who was more unwilling to let Mr. Shen know her feelings?

Ning Meng stood there, her mind blank for a moment. When she came to, Jin Yaotiao had already approached her and was smiling as she adjusted a lock of her hair.

Jin Yaotiao, exuding confidence, seemed as though she were standing on a high platform, radiating brilliance. “Miss Ning, good luck. I believe you can do it.”

With that, she walked away without a second glance.

Ning Meng shuddered.

She looked at Shen Qiming, who had heard Jin Yaotiao’s words.

Sure enough, he was frowning as he looked at her. “You like me?”

She had waited so long for this moment.

Looking into Shen Qiming’s eyes, Ning Meng suddenly felt a surge of hope but didn’t explain herself.

However, Shen Qiming’s gaze lingered on her for less than a second before turning back toward Jin Yaotiao.

His eyes were deep, leaving her to wonder what he was thinking.

Suddenly, he released his grip on the door and took a step forward.

When he passed her, he didn’t even pause.

Ning Meng stood there, stunned.

She looked back, and Shen Qiming was already walking toward Jin Yaotiao.

She recalled how Jin Yaotiao had encouraged her to pursue Shen Qiming.

The smile she gave her was not one of arrogance, and Ning Meng suddenly felt that all her careful, painstaking efforts—those small tricks she had played—seemed insignificant in the eyes of the other woman, as trivial as a speck of dust.

---

Jin Yaotiao realized that her arm was being pulled, and instinctively turned around.

It was, of course, Shen Qiming.

She recalled how he hadn’t explained why she was stopped outside the park and couldn’t help but feel both angry and amused. “Mr. Shen, do you think it’s so noble of you to take the blame for your assistant’s mistakes, not retorting when I scold you?”

“I’m not taking the blame for her,” Shen Qiming replied. He hadn’t even known which assistant had answered the phone.

His messy hair fell loosely over his forehead, and he looked at Jin Yaotiao with a deep voice. “Yaotiao, if you’re unhappy, it’s my fault.”

Jin Yaotiao frowned, not understanding the logic behind his words.

Shen Qiming stared at her and said, “You’re my fiancée.”

Jin Yaotiao’s face darkened. “Mr. Shen, I’m not. We’ve already broken up. I’m not taking your alimony, and that doesn’t mean we’re still connected.”

Shen Qiming pressed his lips together. The fragrance of cedarwood lingered around him. “That’s not alimony.”

He paused and then continued, “I didn’t step in with this investment because I was afraid you wouldn’t want to accept it.”

Jin Yaotiao raised an eyebrow.

Afraid?

Had this word ever appeared in Shen Qiming’s dictionary?

She tried to pull her arm from his grip. “Let go.”

As expected, Shen Qiming let go.

Jin Yaotiao looked up at him. His eyelashes cast shadows under the light, making his deep eyes even more inscrutable.

She stared for a moment before furrowing her brow, suddenly feeling that this familiar person in front of her seemed a little strange.

---

Jin Yaotiao said nothing more and turned her head to take out her phone to call Luna. “Where are you?”

Luna, surprisingly, didn’t chatter but answered in a very composed manner. “President Jin, I’m in the Jingmao break room. Are you done with your business?”

Jin Yaotiao’s confusion deepened at Shen Qiming’s behavior. “What’s wrong with you?”

Had Luna taken the wrong medicine?

Luna coughed and then said, “President Jin, have you finished your business? I’ll come out to meet you now. Please wait.”

A moment later, Luna’s voice came from not far away.

Jin Yaotiao looked over and saw her friend walking confidently, surrounded by a group of Jingmao assistants.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that Jiang Sen was among them.

When Jiang Sen saw Shen Qiming and Jin Yaotiao, he widened his eyes but didn’t immediately come up to tease them.

It was unclear what he was holding back.

Meanwhile, Luna shook hands seriously with the Jingmao assistants who had come with her, saying, “Nice to meet you.”

Jin Yaotiao: “…”

The Jingmao assistants were obviously intimidated by her.

Even Jiang Sen cleared his throat and seriously extended his hand, saying, “Nice to meet you as well.”

The group was so formal it was almost like they were attending a large conference.

Jin Yaotiao looked at her with a complex expression.

Where had she learned this?

Luna winked at her, as if she had accomplished some great task.

After approaching, she squeezed Jin Yaotiao’s hand excitedly, only to do so discreetly when no one was looking.

Shen Qiming: “…”

Jin Yaotiao didn’t want to think about Shen Qiming’s cryptic behavior anymore.

She simply said, “Mr. Shen, thank you for your kindness, but Mingde has already secured the investment. We don’t need your sponsorship. I came here to clarify things. Let’s talk business and stop with these secretive money deals.”

Shen Qiming stared at her, and after a long while, he said, “Alright.”

---

As Jin Yaotiao and Luna entered the elevator, she intended to leave quietly.

But to her surprise, a group of Jingmao assistants from the top floor rushed toward her, eager to escort her.

Jin Yaotiao refused everyone’s offer.

She insisted on leaving on her own.

After the elevator door closed, Luna’s stiff posture relaxed, and she sighed, “Oh my god, finally, no one’s here. Yaotiao, I didn’t embarrass you, did I?”

Jin Yaotiao laughed softly. “No.”

When they got downstairs, another wave of attention came from the Jingmao staff, who seemed unusually enthusiastic.

Without her saying a word, the front desk had already called the driver, and they escorted her to the entrance.

In the car, Uncle Huang, the driver, was also puzzled. “Yaotiao, the Jingmao people are too hospitable. They kept trying to get me to eat and sent so many fruits.”

There was still some fruit left in the car, a large pile on the passenger seat, fresh and fragrant.

Jin Yaotiao listened to him and looked out the window, not wanting to engage.

Even after marrying Shen Qiming, she had never received such grand treatment from Jingmao.

The prince leaned back in the soft seat, inhaling the lingering scent of fruit, his hands folded and his head leaning back.

Slowly, he closed his eyes.

Indeed, love and emotions were just burdens that slowed one down.

---

Outside the elevator, Shen Qiming turned to leave.

Jiang Sen and the assistants were still discussing the assistant from Mingde and their serious and professional attitude, which had impressed them all.

Even Jiang Sen, who usually liked to joke around, didn’t dare smile.

It turned out that Mingde, although not well-known, had strict rules in the company.

Shen Qiming ignored their gossip and walked straight to his office.

When he passed the assistant area, he remembered something and turned to look at Ning Meng, who stood up upon seeing him.

Ning Meng looked pale. “Mr. Shen.”

Shen Qiming calmly said, “Go to HR and prepare your resignation paperwork. The compensation will be according to the layoff standards.”

Even though she knew Shen Qiming wasn’t interested in her, Ning Meng never expected to be treated like this.

She stood there, her mind ringing as if it had plunged into deep water. “…Mr. Shen, I made a mistake and offended an important client, but this shouldn’t be grounds for dismissal, right?”

Jingmao’s rules were strict.

She didn’t believe Shen Qiming would make arbitrary decisions based on emotions.

Shen Qiming replied simply, “Mm.”

Could it be because he knew her feelings?

Ning Meng slowly shook her head, finding it hard to accept. “Mr. Shen, I have the best performance in the assistant department. If it’s because of my feelings for you, I can assure you it won’t affect my work.”

She knew that Shen Qiming was not the type to make decisions based on personal feelings, even if someone liked him.

Shen Qiming had never been concerned about this.

After all, many people had liked him throughout his life, and it was unrealistic to avoid them all.

But now… he recalled what his mother had said on New Year’s Eve while eating frozen dumplings, a question he had never considered before.

He didn’t answer Ning Meng’s question.

Turning his eyes, he continued toward his office.

Ning Meng stood at her desk, her fingers trembling.

She couldn’t accept it. “Mr. Shen! I’m not the only one who likes you! In this company, so many people do. Why am I the one being fired?”

This time, Shen Qiming actually stopped.

He turned and didn’t explain, instead asking—

“Who else likes me?”

The entire assistant office was shocked and stared at Ning Meng angrily—

Don’t cause trouble for us!