Chapter 79: Superior-Subordinate Relationship

Sweet candies were always addictively tempting, especially to Lu Zhixia, who loved sweets more than life itself.

Every time, Shen Wanqing struggled to pull away. If she didn’t resort to forceful measures, Little Dog would probably chase her for blocks.

Shen Wanqing’s go-to move was always yanking her hair—a trick that never failed. Lu Zhixia would yelp in pain, snap out of her lovesick haze, and shoot her an accusing glare.

“Why do you act like you want to eat me alive every single time?” Shen Wanqing tugged her ear.

Lu Zhixia recalled an ad she’d seen: a leopard frantically chasing a beautiful woman. “Why are you chasing me?” the woman asks. The leopard replies, “I need some cough syrup.”

Lu Zhixia grinned. “See? Even leopards crave something sweet. And me? As a big ol’ dog, I can’t resist.”

These days, she adored it when Shen Wanqing called her Little Dog—or any dog-related pet name, for that matter. It felt like pure indulgence, proof of how close they’d grown.

Today, Lu Zhixia had shot to fame. For years, Yang Ge had ruled Haijing Senhua from top to bottom. Plenty of people paid him lip service out of respect, but most of it stemmed from fear.

At just twenty years old, she’d dared to call out a man in his forties right in front of the entire company.

It meant trouble was brewing between them—inevitable conflict.

Lu Zhixia was fierce and straightforward to a fault, while Yang Ge was arrogant and overbearing. Their clash would end with one of them leaving the company.

Everyone was placing private bets on who it would be.

Most veterans backed Yang Ge. They knew bits of his backstory—the real skills that got him there, sure, but also the tight-knit circle that let him strut around for so long.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Right now, the tree was just swaying a bit, so the monkeys sensed danger and rallied to protect it.

The ones rooting for Lu Zhixia were newer hires, young and full of fire. They could see her drive, her staying power.

Youth packs a punch, as they say—and internal dogfights weren’t so different from street brawls.

Lu Zhixia’s stamina came partly from her own hot-blooded nature, partly from Shen Wanqing’s backing.

A new president meant fresh winds of change, and Lu Zhixia had the guts to lead the charge as the tip of the spear.

Together, they were a force—like the Heaven-Reliant Sword and Dragon-Slaying Saber drawn in tandem from some ancient wuxia tale.

The looming infighting left everyone uneasy. It promised a storm of blood and backstabbing that wouldn’t blow over until the global assessments in October. But anticipation simmered too. The young and restless couldn’t rock the boat from the bottom ranks, so they’d watch the fireworks from afar.

At lunch, Shen Wanqing dined with Lu Zhixia and Yan Menghui.

Lu Zhixia stayed quiet, focused on her plate. Shen Wanqing wasn’t much of a talker at the best of times. Yan Menghui started to speak a few times, only to glance at Lu Zhixia and clamp her mouth shut.

After the meal, Lu Zhixia stood first. “I’ll head back early,” she said.

Yan Menghui let out a discreet breath of relief once she was out of earshot.

Then she dove into the morning meeting drama, her words laced with criticism.

At twenty, Lu Zhixia was already making enemies in the industry. Could she stick around long-term? If not, good luck finding anyone else willing to hire such a hotheaded troublemaker.

“Even if she stays, putting herself out there like that so boldly—what do you think people will make of it?” Yan Menghui wasn’t optimistic. She’d end up isolated, no doubt. “She loves the spotlight, but the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. Just wait—when the wall starts crumbling, everyone piles on. Those singing her praises now? They’ll be the first to kick her while she’s down.”

Shen Wanqing had set her chopsticks aside early. Once Yan Menghui paused for breath, she cut in. “Eat first. Your stomach’s acting up—don’t get yourself worked up. We can talk and take a stroll after.”

The rare show of concern drew a faint smile from Yan Menghui. “Late-night client dinner last night. Stomach’s been queasy all day.”

“I could tell. Hangover cleared up yet?” Shen Wanqing urged her to drink less. Yan Menghui sighed. “I don’t want to, but once the glasses start clinking, it’s all downhill—drowning my sorrows. You used to knock ’em back like water yourself. Now I get why.”

After lunch, the two headed down to the shaded green area beneath the office building.

Yan Menghui’s core message was simple: Shen Wanqing needed to keep Lu Zhixia in check.

As her special assistant, Lu Zhixia was an extension of her. Every word and action shaped how others saw Shen Wanqing.

She meant it for Shen Wanqing’s own good—of course, and for Lu Zhixia’s too. The girl chased quick thrills without thinking ahead.

“Yang Ge came up through sales; he’s got connections everywhere in that world. If he bounces, he’ll land on his feet at another firm.” No need to boot out a company veteran like him, Yan Menghui argued. “A fitting punishment to make the point—that’s enough.”

She reminded Shen Wanqing that she’d only recently returned to Haijing City. Her network was still green; making too many enemies would hamstring her business expansion.

She chattered on at length, but seeing that Shen Wanqing wasn’t responding, she sighed and said, “Am I being too nosy?”

“No,” Shen Wanqing replied with a faint smile. “You’re the vice president. Of course you can share your thoughts.”

Yan Menghui shot her a coquettish glare and muttered, “If I were speaking as vice president, I wouldn’t have put it that way. I’m reminding you as a friend.”

Shen Wanqing nodded appreciatively. “I’ll give what you said careful thought. As for Lu Zhixia, she has her own work style. Personally, I don’t think we should restrict an employee’s growth as long as she’s operating within the law and company policy.”

“Growth?” Yan Menghui smacked her lips in disapproval. “She’s already so brazen and arrogant. If you keep indulging her, she’ll become everyone’s public enemy. What happens when it escalates to the top brass? How will she survive in the company? She hasn’t even passed her internship period yet.”

Shen Wanqing’s tone remained mild. “Then it’ll depend on her own abilities.”

There was a hint of disdain in Yan Menghui’s voice as she laughed. “What abilities does she even have? She’s just spoiled and overconfident, relying on your protection. Can you shield her forever?”

Shen Wanqing let out a soft huff of laughter. “Why couldn’t I?”

This time, it was Yan Menghui who froze. She shot back, “Are you seriously planning to do that?”

“I’m still saying the same thing—she hasn’t broken any laws or company rules, so she can stick to her own style,” Shen Wanqing said lazily. “If someone deliberately targets her and tries to make a move, they’ll have to get past me first.”

As she spoke, Shen Wanqing turned her head to look at Yan Menghui, her gaze clear and utterly serious. “She’s one of mine. I’ll protect her completely.”

“Then what about me? I’m one of yours too,” Yan Menghui retorted, clearly unhappy. “Why don’t you protect me?”

“You’re the vice president. If you can’t even protect yourself, maybe the position isn’t right for you,” Shen Wanqing said without a trace of humor, her expression calm as she met Yan Menghui’s eyes. “She’s twenty. How old are you? She went straight to the Translation Bureau right after turning eighteen and came back after two years. You’ve been working for over a decade, haven’t you?”

Yan Menghui shifted uncomfortably under her words, pulling a aggrieved face. “Fine, fine. What’s the point of us knowing each other for so long? It can’t compare to someone you’ve just met.”

Shen Wanqing didn’t argue with her. The two strolled and chatted through the afternoon, but it might have been better if they hadn’t talked at all.

Yan Menghui, at least, was thoroughly displeased. As work hours approached, she spotted Lu Zhixia running back in a T-shirt and shorts. With a sigh, she remarked, “And she’s supposed to be a special assistant? She looks like a kid, running around in those big shorts. Doesn’t she get cold?”

It was early autumn in Haijing City, cool in the mornings and evenings, and even chillier under today’s overcast sky.

Shen Wanqing followed her gaze and saw Lu Zhixia clutching a shopping bag, hurrying along in triple time to avoid being late before vanishing through the entrance.

“No one dictates how a special assistant must dress. As long as her attire meets standards during work hours, it’s fine,” Shen Wanqing said evenly. “She’s young and full of vigor.” She was perhaps the most qualified to say so—every night when she lay in Lu Zhixia’s arms, the girl was like a furnace, radiating warmth from the inside out.

The two headed back inside. Yan Menghui kept sighing that Shen Wanqing had truly changed. Upon returning to the twenty-second floor, she couldn’t resist asking, “You don’t actually like her, do you?”

“It’s work hours. No chit-chat,” Shen Wanqing replied primly. “Come in. Tell me about that client dinner the other night.”

Yan Menghui had recounted the story several times before, and her version was always more or less the same.

Shen Wanqing reminded her to think it over again carefully—no omissions.

“You’re doubting me,” Yan Menghui said, sounding hurt. “I wasn’t even in the room at the time. When I discovered the fight, I rushed to break it up, but before we could, Lu Zhixia took another hit from Gu Yanming. I heard he let it slide for your sake, so you should make sure Lu Zhixia knows not to get cocky. It’s not her own merit she’s coasting on—it’s your reputation and goodwill she’s burning through.”

Shen Wanqing was well aware of Yan Menghui’s views on Lu Zhixia.

Now that she’d given her a chance to reconsider, Yan Menghui showed no sign of backing down.

“Alright then, you can go,” Shen Wanqing said. She added a reminder: “I like to keep work and personal matters separate. I hope you do too. Whatever I owe you, I’ll repay—but not by handling things or people on your behalf.”

Yan Menghui bristled, her tone sharpening. “President Shen, you don’t have to hurt me like this. The only reason you can hurt me is because I care about you.”

“Then you should also realize that the only reason you’re standing here talking to me like this is because of our old friendship,” Shen Wanqing replied coolly, her work face stern and uncompromising.

Yan Menghui’s frustration boiled over. Before returning to her office, she planted both hands on the desk and leaned in, staring at her with a challenging glare. “President Shen, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Shen Wanqing leaned back in her chair and met her gaze, her eyes gradually icing over as she enunciated each word: “What I’m saying is, I know you returned to Haijing City long before we first met. You got into a dispute with Lu Zhixia and had people beat her up. Do I need to go on?”

Yan Menghui’s lips twitched, the sharpness fading from her eyes as she gave a helpless, bitter smile. “You’ve never once considered things from my perspective. I could accept you only thinking about yourself, but what I can’t stomach is you keeping her in your heart while tossing aside years of affection between us like that—turning me into the villain in your eyes. Do you really have no idea why I’m acting this way?”

The two women stood frozen in tense silence when Lu Zhixia knocked on the door. No one called for her to enter, but she gently pushed it open anyway.

“President Shen, I have some work to report,” Lu Zhixia said from the doorway. Yan Menghui shot her a glare before turning and storming off to the adjacent room.

Lu Zhixia clutched her notebook and set it down on Shen Wanqing’s desk. Her gaze lingered on the closed door.

“Stop staring,” Shen Wanqing said coolly. “What work?”

“Ah…” Lu Zhixia scratched her head and confessed honestly. “I overheard you arguing and wanted to check on you, so I made up an excuse to come in.”

Shen Wanqing’s expression darkened, her gaze turning frosty and piercing. Lu Zhixia shifted uncomfortably and stammered, “I was worried you’d come out on the losing end.”

“What’s our relationship now?” Shen Wanqing’s unflinching stare cut straight to the heart, like it could see right through her. Lu Zhixia had only meant well, but a sour pang twisted in her chest. Petulantly, she replied, “President Shen, we’re boss and employee. I won’t barge in like this again. I’ll head out now.”