Ye Yuning found her office.
She had thought the office Xiao Linye arranged for her would be extremely messy and terrible, requiring her to clean it herself. After all, she hadn’t achieved much at Xiao Corporation, and Xiao Linye was only the manager of the Business Department. It had already been difficult for him to secure this job for her from Mr. Xiao; she couldn’t expect anything extra.
Who would have thought that upon entering the office, she would be astonished by the floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides? The office was spotlessly clean, and the decor was surprisingly Italian-style—simple and grand. The clean, efficient design wasn’t cluttered at all!
"Yuning, is that right?" The HR manager stood behind her and called out.
Ye Yuning nodded. "Yes, that’s me."
"We had a partner before, also named Ye Yuning. It’s quite a coincidence that you two share the same name."
Ye Yuning was speechless. It’s not a coincidence; that’s me, she thought. If this were any other situation, I’d consider changing my name. However, in front of Xiao Linye, who knew her well, every step she took now was like walking on a knife’s edge. It was truly like dancing on the very edge of the flames.
"Right? I also thought it was quite a coincidence. I heard about it at the reception desk earlier."
"Yes, she was one of our company’s more outstanding partners. However, there’s been some misunderstanding recently. The project you’re taking over is her previous Nanjia Peak project."
Ye Yuning remained silent.
The HR manager said with a kind expression, "If you can sort out this mess, you’ll have a limitless future at Xiao Corporation. Work hard." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽
Because she was personally recommended by someone from the upper echelons, everyone had been pleasant to her since she joined the company. Even though she was bundled up tightly, looking like a witch, no one made any remarks.
However, the HR manager’s comment about a "mess" displeased Ye Yuning somewhat. Taking over my own work is one thing, but why is what I left behind now considered a mess? Although I’m dissatisfied, I can’t let it show on my face!
She nodded. "Don’t worry, Manager. I will do my best!"
This was something people who joined her studio in the past often said to her. She never imagined it would one day come from her own mouth. What on earth is this situation? she wondered.
The HR manager gave a few more instructions and then left.
Soon after, Manager Zheng from the Business Department arrived. Seeing Ye Yuning so thoroughly covered, he was also startled. "Miss Ye, are you all right?"
Both named Ye Yuning... Manager Zheng also found the coincidence incredibly uncanny. He had originally wanted to see just how far the coincidences between the two women went, but this one was wrapped up tighter than the Mona Lisa; he couldn’t see a thing. Their heights, though, seemed quite similar—both were petite and slender.
Ye Yuning replied, "I’m fine."
Seeing Manager Zheng sizing her up, Ye Yuning felt extremely anxious. Although she had only started interacting with this Manager Zheng after Mr. Xiao took office, they had frequent handovers, so she was somewhat worried. However, she soon realized her worries were unfounded. Manager Zheng gave her a few more glances, as if looking at a strange creature, but didn’t seem suspicious.
He handed the Nanjia Peak designs to her. "These were done by the previous designer. Take a look. For the remaining parts, you should follow her previous work and integrate them well."
Unlike the HR manager, Manager Zheng didn’t engage in lengthy discussions about topics outside of work, as some women might. He also didn’t call her previous work a "mess," which made Ye Yuning feel slightly more at ease.
After handing over the work, Manager Zheng left.
Only Ye Yuning remained in the office. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had just picked up her water cup for a sip when her phone DINGED—a WeChat message notification.
Ye Yuning glanced at it. The message was from Xiao Linye: "Getting used to it?"
"Yes, it’s fine. The office is very well-prepared, thank you."
Xiao Linye replied, "Work hard. Let’s have lunch together."
Ye Yuning was taken aback. Lunch together too? Here she was, not even daring to be seen coming or going with him. But this guy acted as if nothing was wrong, completely unconcerned that her association with Manlang might affect him.
Ye Yuning grew increasingly curious about Xiao Linye’s actual standing within Xiao Corporation. When Mr. Xiao returned, the entire Xiao Corporation was overhauled, yet he alone had kept his position. That was truly remarkable!
"I’ll wait for you at Manyue Restaurant."
While she was lost in thought, another message from Xiao Linye arrived. Seeing it wasn’t about traveling together, Ye Yuning breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that since coming to Xiao Corporation, she was constantly on tenterhooks.
"If you finish work first, you go ahead."
"Alright!" Her reply was simple and straightforward.
After these instructions, Xiao Linye sent no more messages.
Before Ye Yuning put down her phone, she habitually scrolled through the day’s trending topics. And today’s top story was a bit... unexpected!
A headline, "Mr. Xiao and Simon Heir Seen Entering and Exiting Together," prominently caught her eye.
With the intention of reading some gossip, Ye Yuning clicked on it directly.
A front-facing photo of Gui Xingli and a man emerging from a hotel met her eyes. Ye Yuning recognized Gui Xingli instantly.
And the man with her was...