"An Ruo, I promised you before that I'd definitely spend your birthday with you, but I broke my promise last time. You're not mad at me, are you?" Shen Ximan asked softly while holding the cake.
An Ruo was extremely happy about this surprise. However, the only regret in her heart was that Brother Bo Jingyu wasn't part of it. She wiped away her constantly welling - up tears and shook her head with a big smile.
"Of course not! Sister, you're the best sister in the world to me!"
Being able to celebrate her younger sister's birthday in person was what Shen Ximan had been longing for the most. In the past, she didn't have the ability or the determination to give An Ruo a good life. She had let Yang Wan and Shen Shiyu bully and torture them at will. Fortunately, she had persevered. Fortunately, she could now give An Ruo a happy and care - free family. This was the most touching and gratifying thing for Shen Ximan. It even made her happier than becoming the president of Ahairui.
After taking care of this matter close to her heart, she arranged for her work.
"I'm leaving An Ruo in your care. Make sure to guard the surroundings well and expand the security perimeter. I need to ensure her safety from now on."
"Don't worry, Sister Ximan," Xue Xiaoqi vowed. "A Kun and I will report the progress to you every half an hour."
Shen Ximan nodded in satisfaction, put on her sunglasses, and got into the car, driving away.
"General Manager Xue, don't you think General Manager Shen's personality has changed?" Yan Kun stared at the car disappearing into the distance and murmured.
"Has it?" Xue Xiaoqi rubbed her chin. "I think it's okay."
"No, no, no. It's very different." He remembered the first time he met Shen Ximan. Besides being a bit afraid to look at her scarred face, he also looked down on her a bit. She used to be indecisive and do things in a slow and inefficient way. She didn't seem like a leader who could lead them to the top at all. But now, she was simply a legend.
"You'll understand once you've experienced a heart - wrenching relationship," Xue Xiaoqi said with a calm smile that also carried a bit of bitterness. Perhaps even she herself couldn't fully understand this feeling. After all, feelings could only hold a person back from achieving success.
Yan Kun scratched the back of his head. "I'm still young. I'm not in a hurry to date."
She playfully teased him with a smile and walked into the park with him.
"I saw you making eyes at the third young miss's homeroom teacher just now. How about... I be your matchmaker and set you two up?"
"General Manager Xue! Don't tease me!"
At the Shen family villa.
Standing in front of the gate of this villa that she once hated deeply, Shen Ximan felt a whirlwind of emotions. She even had the urge to burn it down.
"General Manager Wen, here's your contract." The real - estate developer bowed ninety degrees respectfully and presented the document with both hands.
She flipped through it indifferently and nodded.
"Will you also be in charge of the after - sales service?"
"Yes, General Manager Wen. If you're not satisfied with anything, just..."
Shen Ximan interrupted him. "Tear it all down."
The real - estate developer suddenly froze. He felt as if he had just heard something earth - shattering. "Sorry, General Manager Wen. I didn't catch that. Do you mean... you want to tear down this entire villa?"
She glanced at him impatiently. "Am I talking to someone else? Or do you not understand Chinese and need a translator?"
"No, no, no! I understand! I understand!" He was so scared that cold sweat broke out on his back. Just that one look from her was enough to give him nightmares at night.
"Do you have a specific deadline in mind?" He took out a small notebook and waited for her answer.
"No rush. Just finish it within a month." Shen Ximan signed a check and handed it to him. "You know what I mean?"
The real - estate developer's eyes lit up as he took it with both hands. "Don't worry! I'll handle it perfectly. The land will be as good as new!"
Then, he took out the key from his waist and handed it over. "You can come and go as you please during this period. If you need my help, just give me a call and I'll be here in a flash!"
She replied with a perfunctory "um", took the key, and walked in on her high heels.
The real - estate developer watched her proud back and finally let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, I thought I said something wrong and offended her."
He looked around the villa with a bit of pity.
"It takes almost half a year to build a villa, but only a month to tear one down. Oh well! Rich people just like to mess around. It's such a strange habit."
With that, he left in a hurry.
Shen Ximan touched the dusty decorations and the tea table. The memories were still fresh in her mind. This was the place where she had been severely punished with several slaps by Butler Liang for breaking a cup. Over there was where Shen Shiyu had stepped on the back of her hand hard with the heel of her high heels because she had been a bit slow. Endurance had been her most powerful yet unassuming attitude back then.
Hanging in the center of the living room was a photo of Shen Yuliang, his beloved wife, and daughter. A perfect and harmonious family of three. Shen Ximan's existence was no different from that of the servants. At most, she just carried the family name.
As she looked, two streaks of tears involuntarily streamed down her face. Her voice trembled, and her emotions fluctuated.
"Mother, can you see? I'm capable of bringing you home now."
When chatting with Village Head Zhong in Huazhi Village, Shen Ximan had already planned to bring back her mother's ashes. But at that time, the situation wasn't stable enough, so she had to put it on hold for a while. Now that she had completely destroyed the Shen family's foundation, no one could control her anymore.
Buzz, buzz. Her phone vibrated a few times. Shen Ximan sniffed, controlled her emotions, and picked up the phone. It was a message from Bo Jingyu. As always, his way of doing things was simple and straightforward.
"I've sent the manuscript to your email."
She squinted her eyes slightly, and the already cold temperature around her dropped a bit more. He was really protecting his fiancée. He even got involved in something as simple as sending an email. It seemed that Li Xiaoru was really a woman who had won his heart. Shen Ximan quickly deleted the message and strode out of the door.
Bo Jingyu had just returned from Juanyi. Before he could even sit down on his chair, he received an email rejecting the design, stating that "the colors aren't rich enough. Redesign it."
He read it twice in disbelief. This design draft was personally supervised by him while Li Xiaoru was working on it. His purpose was to solve the problem once and for all. But he never expected it to be rejected? He? The president of the prestigious Bo Group, was rejected?
Bo Jingyu covered his mouth and laughed instead of getting angry. The veins on his forehead bulged.
"Second Master, the purchaser said today that there's an issue with the materials..." Ruo Chi knocked on the door for a long time but got no response. He finally dared to come in and report. But when he saw Bo Jingyu on the verge of an outburst, he swallowed the second half of his sentence and pretended to be mute.
"I... I just remembered that I still have something to do."
Just as he was about to sneak away, Bo Jingyu called him back.
"Contact all the clothing manufacturers that participated in the fashion shows in the first half of the year. Tell Li Xiaoru to work overtime and revise the design draft!"
Ruo Chi's face turned deathly pale with fright. "Y - yes, Second Master!"
Bo Jingyu gritted his teeth. "Trying to outlast me? Good!"
This Shen Ximan, who knew nothing, dared to challenge his professional ability? He'd show her!