Chapter 30: The Sudden Gentleness Seemed All the More Unreal. Part 2

But reality proved that people just stepping into society had pure thoughts and behaviors.

On her first day at the company, the female intern had been sent running errands between departments. Because of her extremely introverted nature, she couldn’t bring herself to ask for directions, and she wasn’t familiar with the department locations at all. She bumped around like a headless fly.

By chance, a relatively important document had ended up in her hands. It was supposed to go to logistics, but after half a day with no sign of it, the logistics people got anxious and called to ask.

Maybe the logistics side was frustrated, their tone not great.

After hanging up, the group leader got a bit fired up too. Spotting her return just in time, he immediately blocked her at the door and demanded: “I told you to deliver something—where the hell have you been running off to all this time?”

The group leader was anxious and raised his voice a bit.

Thinking she was being scolded, the female intern was immediately thrown into panic, blinking her eyes without saying a word.

“Say something!” Logistics was pressing hard, and seeing her frozen, the group leader grew even more urgent.

The female intern finally stammered an explanation: “I don’t know the way…”

“You don’t know…” The group leader was speechless for a moment. “If you don’t know the way, ask!”

Their argument was right next to Fang Nianchen’s workstation—she could see it with a turn of her head.

She wasn’t trying to play hero or save a beauty. She just happened to get up to refill her coffee and happened to see the female intern with her head bowed.

So helpless, so lowly.

“Group Leader Zhao.” For some reason, Fang Nianchen called out the group leader’s name. “Need any help?”

“Ah!” Group Leader Zhao sighed in frustration, turning to Fang Nianchen. “Logistics is hounding us for the procurement materials list, non-stop. I told her to deliver it, but she vanished. If you’re not busy, could you run the errand for me?”

Fang Nianchen wasn’t in his group and they’d never interacted before—he only knew of her by name.

But he’d heard good things about her from others, so handing the task to her put his mind at ease.

Fang Nianchen nodded. “No problem.”

“You’ve helped me out big time, thanks.” Group Leader Zhao grinned gratefully, then turned back to the female intern, still fuming. “You go with her, learn the way, so next time you don’t pull the ‘can’t find it’ excuse again!”

“Aren’t you a top school grad? How come you can’t even ask for directions? Really worrying me to death. Resume looks great, but life skills are so lacking! Can’t even handle this little thing!”

The female intern was already scared, and after this yell, she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

She didn’t dare cry out loud, just sniffled softly.

“Group Leader Zhao.” Fang Nianchen suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. “She’s new, it’s normal not to know the way. I can take her around to get familiar.”

She wanted to be a good person but didn’t want to make the other side look too bad. In the end, she took on the big trouble herself.

“That’d be great, thanks so much.” Group Leader Zhao hadn’t expected such kindness and readily agreed.

“Um… come with me.” Turning around, Fang Nianchen saw the girl sniffling and didn’t know how to comfort her for a moment.

But it was fine—she walked ahead, and the girl followed behind.

Only after leaving HR did Fang Nianchen realize what a foolish thing she’d done.

The girl seemed trapped in some intense emotion, wiping tears the whole way. Fang Nianchen fiddled with her work badge, no idea how to comfort people and no desire to.

A sudden wave of irritation made her pause.

She turned, extremely reluctantly pulling tissue from her pocket and handing it over. “Don’t cry.”

Even though Fang Nianchen really didn’t understand why she was crying nonstop over something so small, her tone remained restrained.

The girl looked up slightly, her eyes brimming with tears. She sniffled, pressing the tissue to the corner of her eye. The tissue was soft, carrying a floral scent.

After handing it over, Fang Nianchen ignored her.

Once the document was delivered and they left logistics, the girl’s emotions had finally stabilized a bit. Though her eyes were still red, she mustered courage: “Thank you…”

Her voice was so soft it was barely audible.

“No problem.” Fang Nianchen brushed it off too.

She generally disliked this timid, whispery demeanor—like she was afraid of her. Fang Nianchen didn’t think she was scary at all.

They reached the elevator in silence. Only then did Fang Nianchen ask: “Want to start from the first floor? I can show you around all the departments.”

No helping it—the words were out, not following through would make it her fault.

Fang Nianchen’s voice was soft, her tone pleasant—like a summer evening breeze, soothing body and mind. The girl was slightly dazed but quickly nodded. “Okay.”

So Fang Nianchen spent over half an hour taking her on a full tour of the building, stopping at every department, even the janitor’s area.

Recalling it now, it was just such a simple matter.

Her act of helping wasn’t sincere; she just found the crying beside her annoying.

A moment of compassion at most—she’d always disliked seeing people sunk to the depths of humility.

It was just that the person helped had misunderstood, thinking she was such a good person that she even bought expensive breakfast to thank her.

She felt undeserving.

Seeing Fang Nianchen silent, the girl thought she’d offended her and tentatively spoke up: “Was it that you didn’t like the food I bought? What do you like? I’ll buy that next time.”

This time it was more fluent, her voice easier to hear.

Fang Nianchen quickly declined: “No need, no need. It was delicious, I liked it a lot.”

Actually, she hadn’t eaten it at all.

Afraid of more unnecessary questions, she changed the subject: “Right, I don’t know your name yet.”

The question wasn’t sincere—she didn’t care what she was called; it was just to divert attention.

At that moment, Fang Nianchen felt like a bad person.

“I’m Shen Yi,” the girl introduced herself. “Shen with the water radical, Yi from rely.”

“Oh.” Her explanation was thorough; the characters immediately came to mind for Fang Nianchen. “I’m Fang Nianchen.”

“Mm.” Shen Yi nodded. “I’ve heard others mention you. Nice name.”

Never praised like this before, Fang Nianchen grew polite: “Nah, pretty ordinary.”

“It feels like the sun.” Shen Yi’s head lowered again, her voice shrinking too. “So warm…”

From the second “so,” Fang Nianchen couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she didn’t mind. She nodded with a helpless smile. “Alright.”

Whatever others wanted to think was their business; she couldn’t control it.

The two walked back to the department in silence when Shen Yi suddenly invited: “Lunch break later—want to eat together?”

“Uh… not sure if I’ll have time.” Fang Nianchen reflexively refused.

“Oh.” Shen Yi’s response sounded glum.

Fang Nianchen figured her “oh” meant she understood and gave up—after all, such obvious polite refusal was rarely misunderstood.

Today, Qiao Yan had been dragged off by Tao Zhixing for French food, so she didn’t go to the cafeteria. Fang Nianchen bought her meal and sat down somewhere casual.

To avoid Yu Wan, she hadn’t been to the cafeteria in a long time.

Just as she sat, another tray appeared beside her.

She turned—it was Shen Yi, the one who’d said “oh” but apparently hadn’t noticed her excuse at all, proactively seeking her out.

Fang Nianchen unconsciously frowned.

If possible, she’d like to eat lunch quietly. If not, she hoped the person next to her would be Yu Wan.

Anyone but Shen Yi, whom she’d only met three times.

“Can I sit here?” Shen Yi asked politely.

Fang Nianchen’s mouth twitched. “Sure.”

They still had to be colleagues for another week, and she didn’t want to see that heartbroken look on her face from being rejected again—it was just too unbearable. She could only wrong herself a little.

Shen Yi sat down, no longer as cautious as before. Instead, she actively started a conversation. “The sweet and sour spare ribs here are really good.”

“I don’t think I’ve tried them.”

“Then do you want to taste some?” Shen Yi suddenly got excited and pushed the small plate full of sweet and sour spare ribs toward her. “I haven’t touched it yet.”

“Ah…” Fang Nianchen hesitated as she picked up a piece and put it on her own plate. “Alright, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Only then did Shen Yi contentedly pull the plate back. She looked up and suddenly panicked. “D-Director Yu…”

Hearing the address, Fang Nianchen also looked up.

Fresh from HR, Yu Wan had taken off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair. She propped her hands on the table and sat down. Her slender fingers hooked the tab on her drink, and she gave the two of them a slight nod.

The moment their eyes met, just like the thousand times before, Fang Nianchen lifted the corners of her mouth.

But Yu Wan didn’t wait for her smile to fully bloom before her gaze shifted elsewhere.

“Hiss—” The opened soda can leaked gas outward, and the joy in Fang Nianchen’s heart seemed to leak out from the corners of her mouth as well.

Why was she ignoring her…

And so, Fang Nianchen dejectedly lowered her head, not touching the sweet and sour spare ribs Shen Yi had given her. She silently shoveled rice into her mouth.

So why was she ignoring her?

Fang Nianchen silently asked herself again in her heart, her hand holding the chopsticks pausing.

Was it because of Shen Yi?

Because there was a stranger there, Yu Wan didn’t want to act like they were close.

But even as colleagues, she could at least give a casual smile, right?

She didn’t know what Yu Wan was thinking, but…

Fine, she hated Shen Yi.

The atmosphere turned strangely quiet, accompanied by someone’s dejection as their soul seemed to float out.

Shen Yi sensed it and grew excessively nervous, her breathing even turning heavy.

Soon, Fang Nianchen’s phone rang. Lost in thought, she jumped in fright. She reached for her phone and flipped it, nearly knocking over her plate.

The loud commotion startled Yu Wan, who froze for a moment.

Fang Nianchen hurriedly steadied her plate and checked her phone. It was the landlady grandma calling.

She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t paid this month’s rent yet.

The landlady grandma was a kind person. Calling now, she probably thought something had happened to delay the rent. The old lady was suspicious and always required a ton of explanations.

It was break time, and there was no need to inform Yu Wan. Fang Nianchen just said apologetically to Shen Yi, “I need to take a call.”

Then she got up and walked away, but left her things behind.

After Fang Nianchen left, only Shen Yi and Yu Wan were left sitting face-to-face.

Not daring to face Director Yu alone, Shen Yi simply tilted her head to watch Fang Nianchen, wondering when she’d come back.

Fang Nianchen was gone for a long time—no sign of her even after ten minutes. Shen Yi stared fixedly at the plate in front of her, not daring to move a muscle, her hand gripping the chopsticks trembling uncontrollably.

“Shen Yi.”

Hearing someone call her name, and recognizing it as Director Yu’s voice, Shen Yi straightened up with a jolt but still didn’t look up. She nervously picked at the edge of her plate.

Yu Wan sighed softly. “I don’t eat people.”