“Why do all good-looking men have to give me such a hard time!” On my way back to the dormitory after work, I couldn’t help but cry out to Jiang Rui on the phone.

Jiang Rui, while typing on his computer, responded half-heartedly, “Oh come on, isn’t that great? I’d be thrilled if beautiful women gave me a hard time.”

“…Jiang Rui!”

“Did you ask him how he knew?”

“Of course I did. Did you think he’d answer me?”

“Well, you don’t need to be so dramatic about it. He was transferred from Sheng Yuan headquarters, so it’s not strange that he knows you’re here. But his attitude… Sis, he’s a surgeon who came in as a department manager at Sheng Yuan right away. Haven’t you considered what that means?”

“I have.”

Of course, I had thought about it, but I felt it didn’t concern me, so I just pushed it aside.

Jiang Rui continued, “I heard there’s been intense internal fighting at Sheng Yuan these past few years. The old man is looking to name his successor, and he has multiple sons. Your boss must be aligned with someone important, but he’s been marginalized now. Uncle has good relations with that eldest son at Sheng Yuan, right? So I figure you’re just caught in the crossfire.”

I frowned, instinctively disagreeing, “I don’t think so. He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Lin Yusen had an air of nobility about him, naturally giving people the impression of moral integrity. It was hard to imagine him taking out his frustrations on me over power struggles.

“He’s the type…” I tried to describe him to Jiang Rui, “He used to be a doctor, you know? The kind that looks like he’d never accept red envelopes.”

Jiang Rui was shocked, “Sis, are you serious? He treats you that way, and you still think he’s a good person? Oh my, sounds like love is in the air.”

“That’s different… Jiang Rui, Shanghai, and Suzhou aren’t far apart, it’s just a few minutes by high-speed rail…”

“Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you. You’re right though, these people usually play dirty. If they wanted to make things difficult for you, they wouldn’t be so obvious about it. They’re not that stupid.”

“…” Why did I feel like I’d just been insulted?

“Then I think it’s the other possibility – he just doesn’t like you. Did you do something to make a bad impression?”

I was about to righteously say no, but then I remembered getting caught downloading files… And our first meeting was under that desk…

I was suddenly speechless.

Jiang Rui knew me best and burst out laughing on the other end of the phone. After getting the full story, he teased me mercilessly before sighing, “Sister dear, you need to grow up.”

“…Well, I’m at the dorm now, bye-bye.”

After hanging up abruptly, I thought it over and concluded that Lin Yusen’s attitude toward me must be due to prejudice and a bad first impression…

Prejudices are the hardest things to change, so I might as well just let it be…

Besides, other than making me work overtime and run errands, there wasn’t much he could do to me.

The following week was exceptionally busy because we had to coordinate with the Finance and Production departments for a factory-wide inventory count. Inventory counting was exhausting work, so it was usually scheduled during less busy periods, with staff from each department taking turns…

Given the “special attention” Vice President Lin showed me, I figured I couldn’t escape this task anyway, so I volunteered to participate in the inventory count on the first day.

At the factory management center, I was happy to see that Ou Qiqi from Finance was assigned to help with the inventory. After chatting with Qiqi for a while, Little Su from Production apologetically told us, “Qiqi, Xiguang, I’m sorry, but our printer broke down this morning. It just got fixed, and we haven’t printed the inventory lists yet. Would you mind waiting a bit?”

“No problem, take your time.”

I was actually delighted to have a legitimate reason to slack off. After setting up the printing job, Little Su had nothing else to do, so she brought us two cups of water and sat down to chat. Soon her computer made a “beep” sound, and she turned to look at it, immediately getting excited, “Wow, Qiqi, you’re missing out! Dandan says your department got a super handsome guy today.”

Qiqi leaned in with interest, “Who is it? Where’s he from?”

“I’m asking Dandan now.”

Dandan was also from Finance and shared a dorm with Little Su. They were all quite close, so Little Su had no reservations about chatting on Web QQ in front of us. After typing away for a while, she said, “Dandan says he’s from Bank A.”

My hand holding the paper cup trembled slightly.

“Do you know his surname?”

Qiqi said, “We probably won’t know that. Dandan works in taxation, and foreign banks usually deal with the capital management team…”

Little Su said, “She knows! She’s gossiping with me right now. Says even his name is handsome, with a rare surname – Zhuang. It is rare… Hey, Xiguang, what’s wrong?”

“I… I just remembered something I need to do at the office. I’ll be right back.”

“Huh, is it urgent?” Little Su called out, “The inventory lists are almost done, we’re about to start counting!”

But I had already left her voice far behind.

It had been so long since I’d thought about that person. I thought time could heal everything…

I thought…

Perhaps not enough time had passed.

However, as I leaned against the gate between the factory area and the office area, breathing heavily, I suddenly felt incredibly grateful for this inventory count.

If it weren’t for the inventory, I would’ve been in the office just now, and given the short distance, before my reason could control my impulses, I would’ve already run to the Finance department.

I would’ve seen him…

And let him see me in this pathetic state, unable to let go of old feelings…

Unlike now, when I could still turn back. Stand in a place where I knew about him but couldn’t see him.

Wasn’t this some kind of progress?

It had to be.

I had decided to go back to the factory for the inventory count, but looking at the office building in the distance, at every window of the Finance department, I couldn’t move my feet.

Until I heard the factory gate opening, and a group of people walking in, talking amongst themselves.

Then I felt several gazes fall on me.

Among them, one impossible to ignore…

I wearily met his gaze.

Lin Yusen.

He stood there looking at me, holding a safety helmet, with several Production department supervisors behind him. Right, there was construction expanding the factory area recently, so it wasn’t strange for him to be here.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke, “If I remember correctly, you should be doing inventory count in the factory right now.”

I responded slowly, “I’m heading back right now.”

Lin Yusen said nothing. He looked at me with that penetrating gaze again, then said, “You’ll be responsible for inventory count all week.”

“Why?” I was surprised. Weren’t we supposed to take turns?

“Dereliction of duty.” He coldly threw out these four words and turned to leave with his group. After a few steps, he stopped and turned back, “Of course, Miss Nie, if you’re unwilling, no one can force you.”

I clenched my fists, “I’m more than willing.”

And so, under the sympathetic looks of Ying Jie and Yu Hua, and the schadenfreude of certain others in the office, I began my week-long inventory count.

The inventory count was even more exhausting than our seniors had described. The factory had several warehouses, each huge and tall, and many areas required using lift platforms. These crude platforms had no barriers on the sides and often stopped at heights of nearly ten meters. I had to lean out to check material labels and count quantities.

After three consecutive days, my legs were so weak when I stepped off the lift that I stumbled and fell hard, scraping my hands and knees bloody. On the last day, just before finishing, a falling part from the shelves hit my head.

I had never experienced such hardship in my life.

Ying Jie had offered to take over for two days, but I firmly refused. It was just one week, what’s the big deal?

When I finally finished the inventory count that weekend and walked out of the factory area with the thick inventory lists, I deeply felt that my youth was gone, and I was a wilted flower.

“Mom, I’m not coming home this weekend… Yeah, going out with colleagues.”

On Friday after work, I lay on Ying Jie’s new dorm bed, barely recognizable as a human, talking to my mom on the phone.

After dealing with my mom and hanging up, Ying Jie, who was cooking porridge, came over, “Xiguang, why don’t you come out with us tomorrow?”

“No way,” I said without thinking. Tomorrow I planned to lie in bed all day; I couldn’t even muster the energy to go home, let alone go out.

“But you just told your mom you were going out with us.”

“That was just an excuse. What was I supposed to say – that my boss has tortured me to the point where I can’t move? Oh right, when you guys come back from downtown tomorrow, can you bring me something for dinner?”

“We’re not going downtown. Were you even listening when we were talking earlier?” Ying Jie gave me a light smack.

Of course, I hadn’t been listening, I was so tired I could barely hear.

“Where are you going then?”

“Shanghai! We might be back pretty late, so you’ll need to find your dinner.”

“Shanghai?” I paused, sitting up.

“Yeah, you know I studied in the North, right? Now that I’m working in the South and we’re so close, of course, I want to check out Shanghai. It’s so convenient to get there from here, we can just catch a ride right outside the company…”

“I’m coming too.”

“…Yu Hua says she wants to burn incense at Jing’an Temple. Who knew she was so devout? However it hasn’t stopped her from eating meat… Wait.” Ying Jie stopped her rambling, “Xiguang, what did you say?”

“Nothing.” I lay back down, trying to sound casual, “I’m coming too.”