He Already Knew

Wen Shuang looked calm, even somewhat melancholy, but no one knew that his temperament was the complete opposite. Rules and boundaries were laid out clearly in his mind; what to do next and where to begin—like an abacus clicking away at high speed, the outline of a plan had already begun to take shape.

If he could not avoid it, then he could only face it. Wen Shuang had never believed that running away solved anything. Besides, judging by how often the original owner had stepped on landmines, if he did not do something soon, he was afraid he would be utterly destroyed.

At that thought, Wen Shuang let out a soft breath. What he feared most was having no clue where to start. No matter how troublesome a problem was, there was still hope as long as there was a way forward.

Xuan Zhe clearly saw the light in the young man's eyes grow brighter little by little.

"Why did you come out instead of staying inside? What if Mr. Dilanda comes down later?"

Wen Shuang gave a start, but he did not get up. He remained seated on the steps and merely looked up at Xuan Zhe. "Mr. Qin Mosheng came with his wife."

Xuan Zhe seemed confused. "And?"

"She's pregnant. I'm probably the last person she wants to see." Wen Shuang spoke softly, perfectly embodying the words "considerate of others." His tone was so sincere that Xuan Zhe could not even bring himself to mock him instinctively. Wen Shuang continued, "Mr. Dilanda said earlier that he was tired, so he probably won't come down. If he does, I'll leave then."

He laid bare every vile thing this body had done before Xuan Zhe, with no intention of concealing any of it. Their gazes met, and something stirred in Xuan Zhe's heart.

He actually knew.

He knew Xuan Zhe had deliberately brought him to an occasion like this. Everything that had happened earlier had been confirmation and testing, yet Wen Shuang did not hide or cover anything up. Xuan Zhe could not understand where this "upright honesty" of his came from.

Xuan Zhe had torn off the hypocritical masks of countless people in his life, and he enjoyed it. It was one of his few pleasures. Yet today, he seemed to have stumbled over Wen Shuang. Seeing no furious humiliation from him, Xuan Zhe suddenly found it dull. But right afterward, an even stronger interest arose within him. He was truly curious how someone guilty of every evil could hide himself so perfectly beneath an innocent facade.

It was genuinely interesting.

Xuan Zhe glanced at Wen Shuang before turning to leave. Wen Shuang did not follow him. He had not said those things merely to sound nice. If anything happened to that pregnant woman, Qin Mosheng would probably skin him alive.

Dilanda indeed did not come down again. Wen Shuang received his message, then relayed it to Cao Nanyu. Cao Nanyu sent back an "OK," and only called nearly an hour later. "It's over. Come out."

Cao Nanyu's tone was much colder than before. Wen Shuang pretended not to notice the change in it. That was the normal reaction.

Because in everyone else's eyes, Wen Shuang was a complete and utter "abuser."

Cao Nanyu had thought Wen Shuang would be kicked out of Power One after returning this time. Who would have thought that Xuan Zhe would not say a word, as though all the negative rumors about Wen Shuang at the banquet had been nothing but an illusion?

Since Xuan Zhe did not speak, Wen Shuang tacitly chose to play dumb.

Dilanda wanted to rest properly at the hotel for the next few days and had no use for Wen Shuang for the time being, so Wen Shuang was assigned to the publicity department. Put bluntly, it was packaging and marketing: identifying target audiences, then presenting the company's artists' value to the patrons who needed them. As a newcomer, Wen Shuang could not access anything too profound. On top of the established group's inevitable exclusion of outsiders, he could only begin with serving tea and pouring water. Wen Shuang understood the routine well, so he had no complaints.

Everyone was waiting to see this young man, who had lucked into his position because of one useful skill, become frustrated and depressed. Yet all morning, he did whatever he was told, then finished with a smiling "Thank you," as though he were sincerely learning. Combined with his gentle and pleasing looks, even the female devil from the design department had fallen for him. The women in the publicity department immediately found it impossible to keep targeting him. Occasionally, while getting water, they would secretly exchange a few words, all with rosy faces as they found the new Wen Shuang more pleasing the longer they looked at him.

Before noon, the rhythmic click-clack of high heels struck the floor, drawing closer step by step. Once everyone was familiar with one another, recognizing someone by their footsteps was no difficult matter. Several people exchanged looks. Why was the female devil here?

The female devil was named Fang Su. Her résumé was so impressive that she had begun at Power One directly in middle management. Facts proved that beautiful, capable women truly existed. Fang Su could pin the men who had joined at the same time to the ground and beat them senseless, climbing all the way upward on the wind. Even Xuan Zhe regarded her differently.

"Little Wen Shuang?" Fang Su only nodded to the publicity department director before ignoring everyone else and heading straight to Wen Shuang's desk. She held a bottle of yogurt and lightly placed it on his desk. Her new coffee-brown manicure made her skin look white as jade. "Have you eaten? Come with me."

The design department did hold a higher position than the publicity department at Power One, and Fang Su was one of its pillars. Plenty of people could not catch her eye. No one had expected her to treat Wen Shuang so well, personally coming over to ask him to lunch. Wen Shuang stood with a blush, not daring to look at his colleagues around him. After weighing it briefly, he nodded. "Okay, Sister Fang."

"Hehehe..." That single "Sister Fang" delighted Fang Su beyond measure. She loved seeing Wen Shuang look shy the most.

Everyone: "..." Holy shit, the female devil smiled! Beautiful, yes, but utterly terrifying!

The two arrived at the cafeteria. As one of the top major companies, Power One never shortchanged its employees on meals. There was everything one could want. Wen Shuang might look slender, but he actually had quite an appetite. Fang Su, who had to maintain her figure, took half a steamed bun and two small dishes of vegetables. One plate was not enough for Wen Shuang, so he took an extra bowl as well. Watching him eat with relish, Fang Su smiled. "Are you adjusting well to the company? I originally planned to get you transferred to our design department, but Assistant Cao said no. You're so cute, why go to the publicity department?"

Wen Shuang truly did not understand what being cute had to do with which department he joined, but he could tell that Fang Su held no ill will toward him. Perhaps she simply liked him at first sight. Wen Shuang swallowed his food and said softly, "I'm here to learn, anyway. It's the same wherever I go. If I get the chance later, I'll come to Sister Fang's department."

"Good~" Fang Su had deep brown wavy hair falling over her shoulders, and the intellectual beauty she radiated was especially captivating. She could have debuted as an entertainer without any issue. A complicated emotion flashed through her eyes as she stared seriously at Wen Shuang. "If you run into any trouble, tell Sister Fang. Power One may be good, but there are plenty of monsters lurking here."

"Mm." Wen Shuang nodded, then suddenly paused, his expression turning slightly serious.

Fang Su noticed immediately. "What is it?"

"Sister Fang." After thinking it over, Wen Shuang asked honestly, "Do you know New Orchid Liquor?"

One of the decisions Wen Shuang had made at the banquet that night was to help Yu Feng recover some of his losses.

Beyond hatred for the original owner, Yu Feng felt an even deeper disappointment and heartache. After all, he had once truly treated Wen Shuang like a younger brother. That feeling had been clean and pure; it should not have been smeared with filth and twisted beyond recognition. Yu Feng needed money now—badly. His seriously ill mother was still in the hospital. Wen Shuang did not ask to clear his own name entirely. He only wanted to help a little, so that the world would give him a break and stop making him stumble into one pit after another.

"New Orchid Liquor?" Fang Su frowned for a moment before giving an enlightened "Oh." "That winery? I heard it's about to go under."

"Sister Fang, you have a wide network. Do you know anyone involved in winemaking or sales channels? I'd like to meet them." Wen Shuang was earnest.

Fang Su sat up slightly straighter. "A friend of mine has dealt in that kind of business. I heard everyone who could pull out of New Orchid already did. The owner still owes debts, too."

Wen Shuang only gave a faint smile.

Fang Su knew at once that he did not wish to explain further. After a few seconds, she said, "All right. I'll ask around when I get back."

Wen Shuang quickly put a piece of braised pork into Fang Su's bowl. "Thank you, Sister Fang!"

"Oh my~" Fang Su said coyly, "I don't eat that." Despite her words, she still put it in her mouth.

"President Xuan..." Cao Nanyu, standing not far away, stared in shock. He stumbled and nearly fell into Xuan Zhe.

Xuan Zhe's expression remained indifferent. He suddenly realized that Wen Shuang was not some little thing skilled at disguising itself as a quail, but a cockroach—tenaciously alive.

Wen Shuang had not held much hope, since Fang Su was quite busy. Yet the next morning, Fang Su gave him someone's contact information, saying she had already spoken to them and telling him to get in touch around four that afternoon. Wen Shuang was overjoyed and immediately ordered a huge bouquet of lilies online to be delivered to the design department.

It was said that the female devil's terrifying laughter that afternoon made the Power One building tremble several times.