Chapter Twenty-Two: Fixated

Shen Tingxiao’s cool, clear eyes immediately filled with mockery, and he regarded Shen Ruizhang with even less respect.
“He’s got some skills, but if there’s one thing the Shen family doesn’t lack, it’s talent.”
With that, Shen Tingxiao suddenly spoke. “Let’s go to Shen Corporation.”
Ge Xingjing glanced at the mini BMW ahead, then at Shen Tingxiao. “Aren’t we going to arrange a chance encounter with Miss Jiang?”
Shen Tingxiao smiled enigmatically. “There’ll be plenty of opportunities for that in the future. Right now, let’s go to Shen Corporation and see for ourselves how Shen Ruizhang has been managing things.”
Faced with that chilling smile, Ge Xingjing didn’t argue and immediately turned the car around.

Late at night.

Zhou Qingfei waited in vain for Shen Ruizhang at Shen Corporation and could only leave.
She hadn’t been outside long before she noticed a black Volkswagen trailing behind her.
Usually, she wouldn’t have cared, but after running into Zhao Mingjie that morning, Zhou Qingfei felt increasingly uneasy.
“Take me to the nearest hotel,” she ordered the driver up front.
Her assistant, puzzled by her sudden agitation, asked, “Aren’t we waiting for President Shen to come over?”
A sharp slap cut her off.
“When I tell you to go to a hotel now, do you not understand?”
The assistant bit her lip, lowered her head, and quietly instructed the driver to change course.

After arriving, Zhou Qingfei made her assistant swap clothes with her.
Not long after entering the hotel, the assistant rushed upstairs and handed her some secretly taken photos.
Seeing that the driver of the Volkswagen was indeed Zhao Mingjie, Zhou Qingfei’s anxiety deepened.
“Hire a private investigator to keep a close watch on this man,” Zhou Qingfei commanded.
The assistant glanced at the reasonably handsome man in the photo, about to ask a question, but stopped short when she saw the venomous look Zhou Qingfei shot her.
She quickly lowered her head. “Yes, I’ll take care of it right away.”
Zhou Qingfei grabbed a bottle of wine from the minibar and took several gulps before quickly dialing Shen Ruizhang’s number.
“Ah Rui, I think I’ve run into an obsessed fan. Can you come over? I’m really scared.”

In the president’s office.

Shen Ruizhang gripped his phone tightly, glancing up at Shen Tingxiao, who was fiddling with his phone across from him. After a moment’s silence, he finally spoke. “Give me a moment.”
“Can you come now? I’m really scared.”

As she spoke, Zhou Qingfei suddenly broke down in tears.
“Uncle, you go ahead if you have things to handle. I’ll be fine here alone.” Shen Tingxiao fixed his dark eyes on him, a faint smile at his lips, showing no sign of annoyance at the phone call.
But Shen Ruizhang was no ordinary man.
He refused without hesitation. “It’s Qingfei—she seems to have an obsessed fan. I’ll have my staff take care of it.”
He immediately reassured Zhou Qingfei, “Don’t worry, Zhouzhou will be there soon.”
After hanging up, Shen Ruizhang offered Shen Tingxiao a smile. “Let’s continue.”
Shen Tingxiao raised his brows slightly. “Miss Zhou running into an obsessed fan is hardly a minor matter. Uncle, you really should check on her.”
“No, it’s fine.” Shen Ruizhang hesitated briefly. “There are staff following up with Qingfei. She’ll be alright.”
Shen Tingxiao lowered his gaze and returned to reading the documents.
Seeing how seriously he was reviewing the mountain of files, Shen Ruizhang simply turned off his phone to avoid further interruptions.
Shen Tingxiao glanced at him indifferently. “You really are thorough, Uncle. No wonder Shen Corporation is thriving under your leadership. I’ll be sure to tell Grandpa when I return. You must attend the family banquet this year.”
“I will,” Shen Ruizhang replied.
His prompt agreement made a calculating glint appear in Shen Tingxiao’s fathomless eyes.
Then Shen Tingxiao spoke again. “Was that Miss Zhou on the phone earlier?”
Shen Ruizhang’s pupils flickered, but he smiled. “She’s our newly signed artist, comes with her own popularity, so we have to be careful.”
Shen Tingxiao immediately sounded regretful. “What a pity. I think you and Miss Zhou make a good match. Grandpa was just saying that if you could bring a girlfriend home, he’d finally be at ease.”
Shen Ruizhang’s lips pressed into a thin line, a trace of displeasure in his gaze.
So they wanted him married—likely to prevent Shen Corporation from slipping entirely beyond the family’s control.
He merely smiled and said nothing.

A silent contest played out between the two, while Zhou Qingfei, upon discovering Shen Ruizhang’s phone was switched off, conceived an even bolder plan.

Late at night.

Jiang Yunzhu sent the completed proposal to Sang Bai, her final bit of work before going abroad.
She hoped it would make up for the harm she’d caused.

Buzz, buzz—

She was about to wash up when her phone rang.
It was a call from Sang Bai. After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Yunzhu answered.
On the other end, Sang Bai’s trembling voice came through. “Zhouzhou, why are you giving me this?”

Sensing her fear, Jiang Yunzhu’s tone remained calm. “You were suppressed because of me before. This is my compensation.”
“I don’t want it!”
Sang Bai suddenly became agitated.
After yelling, she burst into tears.
Jiang Yunzhu didn’t hang up but sat on the sofa, waiting for her to cry it out.
No one knew how long Sang Bai wept before finally speaking, voice full of grievance: “I’ve really made it now. So many people want to work with me. Zhouzhou, will you come back and be my manager again? This time, no one can separate us.”
Without thinking, Jiang Yunzhu refused. “No, you’re amazing, and you’ll only get better. There’s no need—”
“It’s absolutely necessary!” Sang Bai interrupted. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. If you don’t want to stay at Shen Corporation, just wait two more years. When my contract’s up, we’ll go somewhere else together.”
Jiang Yunzhu unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone.
She hadn’t expected Sang Bai to go this far.
“Zhouzhou,” Sang Bai pleaded, “don’t abandon me.”
“Did you look at the plan I made for you?” Jiang Yunzhu abruptly changed the subject.
Silence fell on Sang Bai’s end.
Realizing her friend was angry, Jiang Yunzhu sighed softly. “Sang Bai, you’ve already been held back for years because of me. Now that you’ve got the wind at your back, you should seize the chance and rise.”
Sang Bai suddenly let out a wry laugh.
After a pause, she said, “Good horses are common, but true mentors are rare. If you won’t be my manager, I’d rather go back to the way things were.”
Jiang Yunzhu, surprised by Sang Bai’s rare stubbornness, felt a strange ache in her heart.
After a long silence, Jiang Yunzhu spoke again. “I’m going home. I may never return.”
“Then I’ll go with you!” Sang Bai declared.
Sang Bai, going to Country M with her?
Jiang Yunzhu pressed her lips together, falling into deep thought.
She’d considered taking Sang Bai before; after all, she could help her friend develop better prospects there. But now that Sang Bai had suggested it herself, Jiang Yunzhu found herself hesitating.
After another pause, Sang Bai said earnestly, “I’ll be good. And besides you, I don’t want any other manager. Zhouzhou, please take me with you?”
“Even if you have to start as an extra? It’ll be harder there than it is here,” Jiang Yunzhu reminded her.