Chapter 33 Part 1

Shi Sui sneezed and rubbed her nose. The office door opened, and Jiang Nuan walked in while answering a phone call. Shi Sui heard her say, “Okay, okay, I’ll get back to you.”

After hanging up, Jiang Nuan said, “That was Ai Wen. She’s called eight hundred times this morning.”

Shi Sui replied lightly, “Mm.”

Jiang Nuan looked at her desk, where besides files and coffee, there was actually a bag of snacks. She thought she’d seen wrong and rubbed her eyes to look again. Sure enough, it was snacks. Pointing at the packaging, Jiang Nuan asked, “You’re eating this?”

She had never seen Shi Sui eat snacks before.

Though a bit exaggerated, she really hadn’t seen Shi Sui eat snacks much. Back when they were abroad, they mostly ate bread and sandwiches. They rarely wandered the snack aisle at the supermarket. After returning to the country, they were past the age for snacks. Once, Jiang Nuan wanted to relive her youthful days and bought a big bag of chips and chicken feet. Shi Sui picked through them and only chose a bag of spicy strips.

Watching Shi Sui eat those spicy strips back then had shocked her no less than seeing her with snacks now.

Puffed snacks, no less.

Shi Sui handed the bag to Jiang Nuan. “Try some.”

Jiang Nuan was puzzled. “Why?”

Curious, she added, “Planning to enter the snack food industry?”

Her family had been in food before, just not this kind of food.

Shi Sui jiggled the bag.

Jiang Nuan pulled out a piece and crunched into it.

Shi Sui asked, “Tasty?”

Jiang Nuan nodded. “Pretty good.”

Shi Sui shoved the whole bag into her hands.

Jiang Nuan looked puzzled. “You’re not eating it?”

Shi Sui said, “It’s awful.”

Jiang Nuan was baffled. “If it’s awful, why’d you buy it?”

Shi Sui looked at her helplessly, and Jiang Nuan made a zipping motion over her mouth. Shi Sui laughed.

Jiang Ruoning used to do that gesture too.

Every time after saying something terrifying.

She loved that move.

But—Jiang Nuan wasn’t as cute as Jiang Ruoning.

Shi Sui lowered her eyes.

Jiang Nuan chewed her snack and, after finishing, looked at Shi Sui. “Has Du Youran reached out?”

Shi Sui didn’t look up. “She has.”

Jiang Nuan leaned on her desk. “What’d you say back?”

Shi Sui said, “Nothing.”

Jiang Nuan: …

She slowly gave a thumbs-up.

Shi Sui kept staring at her computer screen.

Jiang Nuan said, “They’ve probably figured it out by now anyway.”

After all, in their circle, no one was stupid. Running into Lin Wei yesterday had been too coincidental, and at dinner, Shi Sui hadn’t mentioned the collaboration at all. Anyone could guess what that meant. Ai Wen’s call just now had sounded normal, but her attitude was a bit colder than yesterday.

Shi Sui nodded. “Not surprised.”

It would be idiotic if they hadn’t guessed.

Obviously.

Ai Wen wasn’t the sharpest, but she wasn’t that dumb.

Last night at the hotel, she’d sensed something off when they bumped into Lin Wei, but seeing how eager Du Youran was to push the collaboration with Shi Sui, she’d swallowed her unease. Later at dinner, whenever Shi Sui or Jiang Nuan brought up the collaboration, they dodged it. Du Youran was young and missed it, but Ai Wen had seen through it—Shi Sui was just stringing them along.

When she tried contacting Lin Wei that night, she’d been blocked. Ai Wen had no choice but to call her assistant, who said Lin Wei was busy lately and they’d connect when she had time.

In other words, a polite rejection.

Ai Wen couldn’t figure out why Shi Sui was doing this.

Sure, she’d wanted to collaborate with Shi Sui before and had tried inviting her several times, but Shi Sui had turned them down back then. Was it because they’d partnered with Lin Wei and pissed her off?

That didn’t make sense.

Even if she blocked their collab with Lin Wei, other models would work with her.

They had no grudge.

Why screw them over like this?

With that in mind, Ai Wen hadn’t confronted Jiang Nuan right away but tried beating around the bush instead. But that slippery eel was as unyielding as ever—infuriating!

Ai Wen tossed her phone aside and turned to Du Youran. “Reached Shi Sui yet?”

She’d messaged Shi Sui with zero replies, so she’d been hounding Jiang Nuan all morning.

Du Youran was getting antsy, frowning. Last night at the party had been fun; they’d chatted happily. Why no reply to her messages today? Impatiently, she said, “No.”

That tone was about business.

And personal frustration.

Du Youran was mad that Shi Sui hadn’t replied to her messages.

Not business.

Personal.

Ai Wen saw through it and barely held back an eye-roll.

This Du Youran—her spoiled lady temper was one thing. Last night, Ai Wen had seen her hitting it off with Shi Sui and hadn’t stopped her blunt remarks, thinking maybe Shi Sui would take a liking to her.

Too bad.

Shi Sui wasn’t blind.

But this pampered miss thought everyone would fawn over her.

What was Shi Sui?

The woman who’d built the less brand from nothing. Of course she wouldn’t fall for a spoiled brat.

In that moment, Ai Wen suddenly missed Jiang Ruoning.

When she’d managed Jiang Ruoning, everyone fawned over her; she was the center of attention wherever she went. When had she ever dealt with this kind of humiliation!

Too bad Jiang Ruoning wasn’t obedient.

That damn temper!

Ai Wen’s face darkened.

Her phone buzzed—her assistant calling. Though in a foul mood, Ai Wen took a deep breath and answered patiently. Two short sentences from the other end made her leap up.

“What?” Ai Wen couldn’t believe it. “You’re sure?”

Then she gritted her teeth. “Got it.”

Du Youran saw her ugly expression and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Ai Wen said, “Check less’s official announcement.”

Du Youran pulled out her phone and searched for less. The official post, sent two minutes ago, announced the upcoming model lineup. One name jumped out, familiar enough to make Du Youran’s eyes redden.

Jiang Ruoning.

Her face changed too.

Ai Wen said, “Confirmed: Jiang Ruoning’s got the lead spot for less’s winter show’s first slot.”

The first slot was Shi Sui’s.

The second was Lin Wei’s.

Ai Wen’s eyes blazed red. “Using us as bait?”

The puzzle now made sense. Why Shi Sui targeted them everywhere, why block their Lin Wei collab—with such despicable tactics. And they’d thought she was a good person.

Du Youran hesitated. “Maybe there’s a misunderstanding?”

Ai Wen wanted to poke her forehead but held back, seething instead. “Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? She strung us along without a word, and now the collab with Jiang Ruoning’s out. How’s that a misunderstanding?”

Her face and voice cold, she said, “She started it—don’t blame us for finishing it!”

Du Youran bit her lip.

She still had rose-tinted glasses for Shi Sui and didn’t echo Ai Wen. Instead, she messaged Shi Sui to ask.

Shi Sui sat at her desk.

Her phone kept buzzing.

It was Xu Qingqing calling.

On the sixth call, Shi Sui picked up. The other end exploded: “What are you doing? Who’d you invite as a model? Who gave you the right?!”

Shi Sui listened quietly, expressionless.

She was like a marionette, twitching with each word, but her emotions stayed flat. When Xu Qingqing finished and heard no response, she barked, “Shi Sui?”

Shi Sui snapped back. “Hm?”

Xu Qingqing demanded, “What are you doing?”

Shi Sui said, “Considering what Director Xu said.”

Xu Qingqing snapped, “Cancel the collaboration with Jiang Ruoning right now, or else…”

“Or else what?” Shi Sui’s voice was unhurried, surprisingly calm, cool as water. “Or else Director Xu will go to Jiang Ruoning?”

Xu Qingqing growled, “You!”

Shi Sui continued, “Fine, go to her. Tell her the person she dated six years ago was me. Tell her you broke us up. Tell her I came back to Shangjing for her, that I picked her for the shoot because she’s my ex.”

A chill ran through Xu Qingqing. In Shi Sui’s calm tone, she heard madness.

Shi Sui went on, “Tell me—will that jog her memory?”

Xu Qingqing ground her teeth.

Shi Sui said, “If so, perfect. You know why I never contacted her all these years? Because she forgot me. Mom, do me a favor—push her till she remembers. Maybe then…”

The call cut off with a click!

Shi Sui looked down at the hung-up screen and tugged her lips.

So impatient.

Then Jiang Nuan called.

Shi Sui heard her say, “Your mom’s demanding we drop the Jiang Ruoning collab.”

“Ignore her,” Shi Sui said. “The committee won’t approve it.”

Xu Qingqing wouldn’t dare show up near Jiang Ruoning easily. Stifling less’s East District expansion was her doing too, but it was hurting shareholder profits, so the committee wouldn’t side with her.

Xu Qingqing felt things slipping out of control bit by bit.

Not since Shi Sui went to Shangjing.

Since she returned to the country.

Back then, she’d dragged Shi Sui abroad, taken her passport, given her no money, dumped her at school.

She’d wanted Shi Sui to realize her mistake, that without her, she couldn’t survive. But Shi Sui worked odd jobs. In a foreign place, she studied while fumbling through language barriers, getting yelled at bloody for mistakes. Her assistant reported it all.

At first, Xu Qingqing felt sorry.

Then angrier.

They sulked until Shi Sui landed in the hospital.

Malnutrition.

Shi Sui, pampered by her for twenty years, never shortchanged—now hospitalized for malnutrition.

Absurd and ridiculous.

But Shi Sui still wouldn’t yield.

Stubborn as an ox.

After graduation, Xu Qingqing thought she’d stay abroad—she hadn’t even come home for New Year. But one day, Shi Sui called: “Mom, I want to come back.”

And she did.

Xu Qingqing thought she’d come around and was thrilled. But back home, Shi Sui opposed her at every turn.

Overtly and covertly.

Launching less.

Forming the committee.

She got the resentment from back then, clashing everywhere—until Shi Sui volunteered for the Shangjing post.

Things escaped her grasp.

She realized Shi Sui’s moves weren’t resentment.

Smoke screens. Playing on her assumption of venting grudges to justify the defiance.

Not quite.

Step by step, with less, she was paving the way for that woman.