… is maturing

The next day, Han Shuyu drove her sedan to the company.

Ming Shuzhen sat in the passenger seat, happily munching on breakfast Han Shuyu bought.

“This is the life—no freezing wind, free breakfast,” Ming Shuzhen said, beaming.

Han Shuyu glanced at her, smiling softly to herself.

“Alright, get out here. I’ll park in the garage.”

“Mm!” Ming Shuzhen nodded, quickly finishing her steamed bun. “Thanks, Han Shuyu~”

“Ugh,” Han Shuyu fake-shuddered. “Don’t use that cutesy tone.”

“Cutesy?” Ming Shuzhen blinked, sending out a playful spark.

As she got out, she spotted Ming Shuyan emerging from the garage.

“Hey, Boss!” Ming Shuzhen waved.

Ming Shuyan paused, eyeing her, then the car heading to the garage, noting the driver.

“Your colleague drove you?”

“Yeah, Han Shuyu took me home yesterday since my scooter’s here. She picked me up today,” Ming Shuzhen spilled cheerfully.

“You two close?” Ming Shuyan frowned slightly, her expression not quite troubled but curious.

“Just getting there.”

“Oh,” Ming Shuyan said, pausing before walking on.

“Wait, Boss, your scarf.” Ming Shuzhen pulled the silk scarf from her bag. “It’s probably expensive. I can’t accept it without earning it. Take it back.” She smiled cautiously.

Ming Shuyan stopped, fixing her with a look.

“What? Something on my face?” Ming Shuzhen asked, unnerved by the stare.

“Nothing,” Ming Shuyan sighed, catching her own lapse. “Who says you didn’t earn it? You helped the company by exposing a bad employee yesterday.”

“It’s just a promotional gift. If you don’t want it,” she faltered, “throw it out.”

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen considered. If it was a reward for confronting Wu Zhengyu, she could accept it.

Seeing her lost in thought, Ming Shuyan assumed she might actually toss it. “You’re doing that inspection tomorrow, right?” she asked, tone stiff.

“Yup,” Ming Shuzhen recalled Ming Shuyan’s offer to pick her up.

“Good. I’ll meet you at the same intersection.”

“Boss, it’s 5 a.m. Mr. Li’s only free from 5 to 7,” Ming Shuzhen reminded her.

“I know,” Ming Shuyan said, still irked, glancing at her.

“You owe me coffee and dinner, remember?”

“I know!” Ming Shuzhen stood tall, eyes firm. “Whenever you’re free, just say the word.”

“Tonight, after work. You treat,” Ming Shuyan said.

“Huh?” Ming Shuzhen hesitated. “Maybe tomorrow night?”

“Why, eating with Han Shuyu?” Ming Shuyan dropped the pretense, her fox-like eyes narrowing.

“How’d you know?” Ming Shuzhen marveled, missing Ming Shuyan’s mood. “You’re psychic!”

“I’m coming too,” Ming Shuyan said, feeling off-kilter.

“Uh, Boss, that’s… not great,” Ming Shuzhen said, noting her odd vibe.

“What’s not great?”

“We’re not *that* close…” Ming Shuzhen blinked, honest. “I don’t know your name, age, or what you like to eat or drink. Just because you’re my boss, should I cling to you? Seems off.”

“You’re not close with Han Shuyu either,” Ming Shuyan said, feeling unbalanced.

“We’re getting there,” Ming Shuzhen replied, baffled by the boss’s weirdness.

“So are we!” Ming Shuyan argued.

Ming Shuzhen blinked, confused by Ming Shuyan’s hurt look. Then it clicked.

“Boss seems lonely, probably a workaholic with no friends to chat or eat with. Rejecting her must’ve stung,” she thought.

“Alright, let’s all eat tonight,” Ming Shuzhen decided, her mom’s recent allowance covering a nice meal for both.

“You pitying me?” Ming Shuyan read her expression, frowning, annoyed.

“No way, Boss,” Ming Shuzhen met her gaze. “You’re way richer than me. I’m pitying my wallet.”

She recalled Meilin and Qian Duoduo saying the boss’s family was loaded, and she was just running the company for fun.

“I’m not eating,” Ming Shuyan said, eyes dropping.

“Okay…” Ming Shuzhen felt guilty. The boss clearly wanted to join, but she’d already made plans with Han Shuyu.

A friend-first person, she really wanted Han Shuyu’s friendship.

“Next time, I’ll treat you.”

“No need,” Ming Shuyan said, expecting some pushback but feeling shut down, irritation flaring.

Han Shuyu, done parking, walked up. “Boss? What’re we talking about?”

“Boss wants to join us for dinner,” Ming Shuzhen said, seeking her opinion.

“Cool, let’s go,” Han Shuyu said, surprised. She saw the boss as distant from staff.

Though not a people person, she couldn’t refuse.

Ming Shuyan, seeing their ease, felt like a third wheel and marched into the company lobby without a word.

“What’s with her?” Han Shuyu asked, puzzled by the boss’s quick exit.

“Probably mad I didn’t invite her,” Ming Shuzhen said glumly.

“What? That’s why? The boss isn’t into bureaucratic nonsense,” Han Shuyu said, confused.

“No, I mean,” Ming Shuzhen clarified, “she’s got no friends, wanted to eat with us, but I turned her down, so she’s upset.”

“Oh,” Han Shuyu nodded, getting it. “You close with her?”

“Getting there,” Ming Shuzhen sighed.

“Getting there? Close or not?”

“Ugh, I don’t know! Let’s go in,” Ming Shuzhen groaned, exasperated.

Han Shuyu chuckled, finding her adorable. “Thought you two were cousins or something, with such similar names.”

“What names?” Ming Shuzhen asked.

“Your name, Ming Shuzhen. Hers, Ming Shuyan. Sounds like sisters,” Han Shuyu said.

“Ming Shuyan? Same ‘Ming’ and ‘Shu’ as me?”

“Yup,” Han Shuyu’s eyes crinkled, charmed again.

“Huh, that’s neat,” Ming Shuzhen said, unbothered.

She’d always just called her “Boss,” unaware of her real name.

At their desks, the office buzzed with Wu Zhengyu’s resignation.

Only Xu Dazhi and Ming Shuzhen from Team Two attended the expo, and Xu wasn’t chatty, so no one knew “Full Pockets” was the key figure.

Qian Duoduo returned from downstairs, grinning. “Fresh gossip! Who wants it?”

“Me, me!” Colleagues leaned in, eager for juicy details.

Qian Duoduo, loving the attention, cleared her throat. “Won’t disappoint.”

She spun a colorful tale of Wu Zhengyu dirtying Full Pockets’ clothes and insulting her.

Everyone got it. Meilin’s clash with Wu only cost him a fine and a write-up, but when he targeted Full Pockets—the boss’s “sister”—he was out the door.

They nodded silently, mentally noting it.

Ming Shuzhen, oblivious to their assumptions, listened to Qian Duoduo and others, piecing together Team One’s power games.

Team One was stacked—any member could lead major projects, outbidding Team Two easily.

But their vibe was toxic. Everyone was a star, bowing to no one. And Wu’s exploitation didn’t help.

Wu had solid experience from government projects, but he was petty, terrified of being outdone.

Like a grade-obsessed student, he resented anyone surpassing him.

Dark, greedy, selfish.

He sowed discord, fostering cliques and infighting. Despite talent, no one rose under him.

Take Green Sister and Xiao Fang—both outshone Wu, so he sabotaged them, limiting their project resources.

To secure work, they faked rivalry, reassuring Wu they were too busy feuding to threaten him.

Ming Shuyan had planned to deal with him after the New Year—firing for “disrupting workplace culture” wouldn’t hold up legally.

But Ming Shuzhen’s clash, followed by employee complaints about unpaid overtime and exploitation, gave Ming Shuyan grounds to fire him, and she notified HR.

“See, Meilin? Evil gets what’s coming,” Qian Duoduo said, thrilled. She knew Meilin’s history with Wu.

Meilin just smiled, then noticed the scarf tied to Ming Shuzhen’s file rack. “Nice scarf. Why’s it there?”

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen glanced at the soft purple scarf decorating the rack. “Boss gave it to me, but I don’t have clothes to match, so it looks good here.”

Meilin nodded, saying nothing.

Qian Duoduo nudged Pocket Rich across the desks, mouthing, “See? Wu upset Full Pockets, so Boss sent a fancy scarf to cheer her up. Big brand, for sure.”