Shi Nian caught her reflection in the rear-view mirror. She stared at the woman in the glass, her expression a mix of determination and despair.
"Shi Nian," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "Don't reach for anything you might lose again."
But even as she spoke, she couldn't convince herself. The thought of seeing Yehan again burned brighter than her fears.
Shi Nian shook her head, her lips curling into a bitter smile. I'm just checking, she told herself. I have no other intentions.
The words rang weak, even to her. She let out a shaky breath, turned the key in the ignition, and drove off into the afternoon.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, but her heart remained tethered to the man she could not forget.
——
Back to Shi Wang—
As soon as he returned to his office, with his assistant following closely behind, the anger he had been suppressing throughout the meeting finally exploded.
He swept everything off his desk in one furious motion, sending items crashing to the floor.
Good. Good. Shi BeiCheng, you're gone, and now even your daughter dares to challenge me? She'll have to see if she can get past this agreement and succeed.
Even after all the huffing and puffing, Shi Wang couldn't vent the fury building in his chest. Just then, the assistant behind him spoke.
"Chairman Wang…"
The voice pulled Shi Wang out of his thoughts. Realizing he wasn't alone, he quickly composed himself and wore a feigned smile.
Shi Wang's assistant was also his secretary—Secretary Shang, full name Shang Wei—one of the former talents under Shi Beicheng, whom Shi Wang had managed to bring to his side after Beicheng's passing.
Shi Wang had tried to poach most of Shi Beicheng's trusted staff, but almost all refused.
He knew they looked down on him. In the end, only Shang Wei agreed to switch sides.
While not the most outstanding of the group, Shang Wei was a top university graduate and highly sought after by companies even before he joined the Shi Consortium.
"Secretary Shang, as you heard in the meeting, prepare the necessary documents my niece will need to take over the company. During the handover process, make sure to guide her and offer her some help if needed."
Although Shi Wang's tone was as if he cared for his niece, Shang Wei knew all too well what kind of person he truly was.
Internally, he snorted and couldn't help but regret accepting Shi Wang's offer in the first place.
He gave a curt nod, indicating he understood, then collected the documents and left the office.
As soon as he reached his own office and sat down to begin forwarding the necessary files to HR, a voice laced with impatience pierced the air.
"Shang Wei is such a traitor. I still can't believe this—I need to confront him!"
Even without turning, Shang Wei instantly recognized the voice. It belonged to one of Chairman Shi Beicheng's former secretaries.
Feigning ignorance, Shang Wei pretended not to hear and continued working. But the owner of the voice was relentless. Seeing Shang Wei's silence and nonchalance only provoked him further.
He marched over and fiercely slammed Shang Wei's laptop shut.
That was the last straw. Shang Wei finally spoke, his tone icy:
"Since you went through all this effort to get my attention, I hope you have something important to say."
The man standing over him was Wang Ming, the last secretary hired personally by the late Shi Beicheng.
Though he slightly hot-headed, Wang Ming was highly professional and had once been suspected of being the first likely to jump ship after Shi Beicheng's death.
Instead, it had been Shang Wei—and the shock was considerable.
Wang Ming had been closest to Shang Wei, even guiding him through his initial internship. His reaction now wasn't just professional—it was personal.
Hearing Shang Wei speak, Wang Ming felt as though he had been doused with cold water.
All of a sudden, continuing the discussion—or saying anything more to Shang Wei—felt pointless.
He snorted and walked away with his head held high, but his posture betrayed his disappointment and sadness.
As he exited the office, the workers outside the secretaries' area couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Secretary Wang is just too cold."
As soon as someone spoke, they all seemed to realize they were overstepping and quickly returned to their workstations.
Watching Wang Ming leave, Shang Wei let out a quiet sigh of relief. Somehow, he didn't know how to face his former colleagues anymore.
Meanwhile, Shi Nian had returned home. She didn't allow herself any rest and immediately went into the study.
Sitting behind her laptop, she began reviewing the documents sent to her email about the company she would be taking over.
At a glance, she could see how deeply mired in trouble the company was—but fortunately, she was the one in charge now.
There's so much to do, she thought, contemplating whether to fix things quickly or take her time.
She found herself leaning toward the latter. After all, she had decided to take things one step at a time and not overexert herself.
She scanned the documents again, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. Without a pause, she began drafting notes and project phases.
The weight of the mess didn't bother her—it wasn't the first time she'd rebuilt something from ruins.
Typing away, she reviewed the current state of the skincare and beauty industry in this world.
It surprised her slightly—there had been some progress—but compared to the world she came from and her own expertise, it didn't measure up.
That gap gave her the perfect opportunity to impress the shareholders and establish her footing in the business world.
Even though she had the skill to handle everything from research to production on her own, she knew she needed a trustworthy team.
As she read through the documents, she noticed a few familiar names—individuals who, according to her memories, had worked with the original Shi Nian's mother for decades.
Her mother had once been a researcher in the R&D department. A descendant of a long line of medical doctors, her maternal family had perfected skincare and aromatherapy remedies for generations.
Though Shi Nian's grandmother's generation had ceased practice, her mother had pursued research in medicinal skincare creams and aromatherapy, keeping the family's healing legacy alive in the lab.