Most people thought Xia Xiaolan went to Qiong Island to seek help. Why hadn’t she approached Zhu Suizhou yet? They assumed the young manager couldn’t swallow her pride.

Old Huang, this self-proclaimed “loyal minister,” believed he had figured out Manager Xia’s intentions and secretly spread rumors in Yaxiya about the return of their former leader, General Manager Zhu.

Even Sheng Xuan thought it was time for her husband Zhu Suizhou to step in. After all this time, if Sheng Xuan couldn’t see her niece Song Minglan’s stance clearly, she would be a fool.

Song Minglan working at Yaxiya wasn’t aligned with Zhu Suizhou’s interests at all. This girl had somehow secretly shifted her loyalty to Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan must have bewitched Song Minglan.

After realizing this, Sheng Xuan complained to her cousin, Second Madam Song. Second Madam Song refused to believe it at first – how could her daughter be so foolish as to willingly work for Xia Xiaolan?

However, after several phone calls with her daughter, Second Madam Song had to accept that she was indeed bewitched. Her previous gratitude toward Xia Xiaolan for signing during Sheng Xuan’s hospital emergency quickly dissipated. Second Madam Song was furious – Minglan had studied abroad, and while the Song family didn’t allow pursuing an official career, she could still work at a good organization. If Minglan truly had career ambitions, she could join a large enterprise and stand out among her peers in a few years!

That was exactly Huo Chenzhou’s path. If her grandson Huo Chenzhou could achieve such success, why couldn’t Minglan, the old master’s granddaughter?

Second Madam Song never expected her daughter to abandon such a promising path and instead work under Xia Xiaolan.

How could Minglan willingly submit to working for Xia Xiaolan?

Second Madam Song couldn’t contain her shame and anger. She wanted to summon Song Minglan back to Beijing, but when her husband Song Zhicheng learned of this, he scolded her:

“You woman truly have long hair but short wisdom. Minglan’s work in Shangdu is fine – why call her back? Is working only legitimate in Beijing? No other work counts?”

Second Madam Song was bewildered.

Yaxiya was privately owned – it could go bankrupt any day, or policies might change to prohibit private department stores. How could such work be considered real work?

Minglan could intern at Yaxiya but shouldn’t dedicate her passion there!

However, Song Zhicheng firmly supported Song Minglan’s staying at Yaxiya, angering Second Madam Song for not speaking to him for days.

Though the couple could quarrel at home, Second Madam Song had to support her husband’s decisions publicly. She could only dismiss Sheng Xuan’s complaints gracefully, responding: “Let Minglan explore. Young people learn from their stumbles.”

Sheng Xuan felt her cousin wasn’t as close to her as before. Even her niece Minglan had grown distant.

It wasn’t like this before.

When did things change?

It seemed to start when Tang Hong’en married Liu Fen… Sheng Xuan couldn’t help but suspect that losing her marriage value by not marrying Tang Hong’en had changed her cousin’s family’s attitude toward her!

This realization angered Sheng Xuan and made her increasingly eager for her husband Zhu Suizhou’s success to prove her choice was right.

Not marrying Tang Hong’en wasn’t her loss – it was his!

With the Song family not interfering in Song Minglan’s work for Xia Xiaolan at Yaxiya, Sheng Xuan could only suppress her discomfort. But she never stopped monitoring Yaxiya, watching coldly as several state-owned stores united against it.

Xia Xiaolan’s path had been too smooth. It was time for her to stumble!

Now hearing that Xia Xiaolan had gone to Qiong Island, Sheng Xuan couldn’t resist calling Song Minglan:

“Minglan, it seems Xia Xiaolan can’t handle it anymore and needs your uncle’s help. Don’t worry though – even if your uncle returns to Yaxiya, we’re family. Others might lose their jobs, but how could your uncle not value you?”

Though Sheng Xuan’s attitude was decent, her tone had changed from before, carrying a hint of lecturing.

Song Minglan was also nervous, but not about losing her job:

“Did Manager Xia go to Qiong Island to see Uncle Zhu?”

Impossible – Song Minglan couldn’t accept that Xia Xiaolan would give up without a fight. Recently, she exercised her authority as a ‘special assistant’ to warn and deal with two employees caught spreading such rumors in Yaxiya.

She never believed Xia Xiaolan would do this.

Xia Xiaolan must be planning something big!

Though Xia Xiaolan was in Qiong Island, she hadn’t met Zhu Suizhou – Sheng Xuan knew this better than anyone.

Probably couldn’t swallow her pride?

Sheng Xuan responded vaguely: “Then what do you think she’s doing there? With Yaxiya under such pressure, how could she have time for a vacation? If she hasn’t approached your uncle yet, she just needs the right opportunity. You’ve worked at Yaxiya for a while – why not be that bridge…”

“So she hasn’t met Uncle Zhu yet! Aunt, I’m busy with work here, let’s talk another time-“

Song Minglan quickly hung up, cutting off Sheng Xuan’s persuasion.

When she tried calling back, the line was busy.

That stubborn girl Minglan must have unplugged the phone!

Even at this point, she’s still being obstinate.

Xia Xiaolan’s spell on Minglan must be strong – was Minglan still hoping Xia Xiaolan could make a comeback?

The frustrated Sheng Xuan, unable to reach Song Minglan, called her cousin instead.

Hearing about Yaxiya’s crisis, Second Madam Song was also worried about her daughter’s career prospects. Just as she was about to assure Sheng Xuan she would persuade her daughter, she changed her mind:

“You see how I can’t control her? Let her stumble – she’ll learn from the pain. Ah Yuan, don’t interfere. You care about her, but she thinks you’re trying to harm her.”

Second Madam Song suddenly understood.

Why should she worry about Yaxiya’s collapse?

Wouldn’t it be better if it failed? Then Minglan wouldn’t stay working there for Xia Xiaolan – if it collapsed, Second Madam Song felt like praying for Yaxiya’s quick downfall!

Sheng Xuan silently fumed.

Her cousin had indeed grown distant – she couldn’t understand her cousin’s thinking anymore.

Song Minglan didn’t know her mother was praying for Yaxiya’s collapse – she didn’t want Yaxiya to fail.

After unplugging the phone, Song Minglan muttered:

“Please don’t prove my aunt right by giving up so easily.”

That would make her position and persistence extremely awkward!

Song Minglan didn’t believe Xia Xiaolan went to Qiong Island to invite Zhu Suizhou back to take charge.

That wasn’t like Xia Xiaolan at all.

Yaxiya wasn’t even in dire straits!

She just didn’t know what Xia Xiaolan was thinking, stubbornly refusing to join the price war.

As Song Minglan sat lost in thought in her office, she heard someone in the hallway call out “Manager Xia,” and she quickly ran out:

“Manager Xia is back?”