Chapter Seven: Deliberate Obstacles

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Shang Qi had long suspected it: Luo Yichen was coming after her. After calming her subordinates, she had no choice but to go coordinate with him personally. When she arrived at the CEO’s office, just as she was about to knock, she overheard the secretary say, “President Shang, President Luo isn’t here.”

“When will he be back?”

“That’s hard to say! But he left word that if you’re looking for him, you should wait for him in the office.”

Shang Qi still had a pile of work on hand and didn’t want to waste time there. She said, “I’ll come back later. When he’s back, have him call me.”

The secretary stopped her, “President Luo might be in a hurry to leave when he returns. It’s best if you wait in the office.”

Anger flashed in Shang Qi’s eyes — was this just a deliberate trap to make her wait? The secretary dared not offend her and whispered, “This is President Luo’s instruction.”

With no other choice, Shang Qi sat down inside his office to wait. Two hours later, Luo Yichen returned. These past few days, he had been waiting for her to come apologize. Instead, she acted as if nothing had happened, leaving him frustrated and helpless. Desperate, he had forced her to come this way.

As Luo Yichen entered, Shang Qi stood up respectfully, “President Luo, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Her attitude only fueled his anger. He asked coldly, “What is it?”

“It’s about the budget for the commemorative banquet…”

Luo Yichen cut her off, “Not that for now. The company planned at the start of the year to strengthen legal training for all levels of management. You’ll be responsible for this. Come to my office tomorrow, and we’ll discuss the details.”

Shang Qi’s frustration showed. She deliberately replied, “Tomorrow is a day off. I have other matters and probably can’t come to the company.”

Luo Yichen deliberately pressed, “This is urgent. We need to finalize the plan soon. You’d better come in and work overtime tomorrow.”

“Sorry! I have important matters tomorrow as well. I really can’t come.” Shang Qi’s tone was sharp.

Luo Yichen’s displeasure was evident, “I thought you were dedicated! How can you just abandon work?”

Holding real power, Luo Yichen was not someone Shang Qi dared to confront head-on, but she also refused to submit so easily. She thought, since I have to work overtime tonight anyway, I might as well push it to the limit! So she said, “How about we discuss the plan later tonight?”

“I have a social engagement tonight, probably finishing around nine. Can you wait until then?”

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“No problem. President Luo, about the budget…”

“We’ll talk about that tonight.”

Shang Qi bit her lip and glared at him, then had no choice but to leave. Once she was gone, Luo Yichen put down the documents and pondered silently: Even with Gui Zhen, I never went to such lengths. Why can’t Shang Qi appreciate this? I divorced for her sake, but she says I’m just chasing novelty. Ugh! Women’s hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea. I just can’t figure it out!

Shang Qi left Luo Yichen’s office, her face full of anger. Passing by the administrative department, she called over the supervisor, saying, “Draft an employee legal training plan immediately and get it to me before the end of the day.”

The admin supervisor hesitated, “President Shang, the time is so tight, I’m afraid it won’t be ready in time.”

“If I don’t see the training plan before the end of the day, I want to see your resignation letter!” Shang Qi tossed out this ultimatum and walked away. Her mood was terrible; she was ready to lash out at anyone.

The supervisor dared not argue further but muttered inwardly: Who does this little girl think she is, yelling at me? I’ve worked at Luo’s company for nearly ten years, and I’ve only managed to become a supervisor. Meanwhile, she rose swiftly to vice president. What skills does she really have? Probably just knows how to flatter men in bed.

Back in her office, Shang Qi brewed herself a cup of coffee to calm down. As she settled, a sharp ache tugged at her heart. Luo Yichen’s cold shoulder and deliberate troubles were hard to accept. It had been three years; she wasn’t without feelings for him but dared not fully give him her heart.

Her phone buzzed with a WeChat message from Xi Jingpeng: Are you free tonight?

Annoyed and not wanting to complicate things with another man, Shang Qi replied directly: Busy, working late. Xi Jingpeng sent no further messages, and the phone returned to silence. Shang Qi put down her cup and sat before her computer, diving into work to distract herself from troubling thoughts.

At nine-thirty, Shang Qi still sat in the office surrounded by piles of documents. The training plan sent by the admin supervisor before the end of the day was unacceptable. Knowing the time was too short, Shang Qi said nothing. To avoid giving Luo Yichen any excuse to criticize her, she had to revise it herself. Only after this long effort did the plan take shape.

“Ring~~”

Shang Qi answered the phone, “Hello!”

It was Luo Yichen on the line, his voice slightly slurred, “You’re still at the office?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

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Before long, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in!”

Luo Yichen entered, reeking of alcohol but steady and clear-headed, though somewhat weary. Shang Qi asked, “You’ve been drinking, can we still discuss business?”

“This little bit won’t get me drunk.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Luo Yichen felt some chest tightness and loosened his tie. Shang Qi noticed his bad mood. His eyes lacked vitality and held a trace of sorrow. She brewed a strong cup of tea and handed it to him, “Drink some hot tea; it’ll help.”

Luo Yichen took the cup, the aroma rising. He sipped, immediately frowning deeply and asked, “Did you put in the tea leaves but forget the water?”

Shang Qi paused, then realized with a smile, “It’s strong so it can sober you up. Drink more.”

The tea was bitter and hard to swallow. Luo Yichen drank only one sip before setting it aside. The bitterness did sober him considerably, and he appeared much more alert. He said nothing about that day’s incident, only discussing the training plan with Shang Qi.

When talking about organizing the training, Luo Yichen said, “Luo’s branches are all over the country. You should contact a training institution, preferably a chain, to save costs. The post-training assessment is even more important; you must personally oversee it. I often visit the branches for inspections; you’ll come with me.”

Shang Qi thought: Luo Yichen obviously wants me to shadow him everywhere. It’s just a training assessment; is it necessary to make such a fuss? She replied, “HR work is very tight recently. I don’t have time to travel frequently.”

“The assessment is more important. You can delegate to the admin supervisor.”

Hearing this, Shang Qi realized Luo Yichen’s intention was to sideline her. She felt he was deliberately trying to strip her of power. Closing the file in her hands, she said, “Let’s talk aside from our positions.”

Luo Yichen didn’t look at her, eyes fixed on the plan, “This is the office. I only discuss business with you here. I’ve made my work arrangements clear. If you can’t handle it, that’s your problem.”

Shang Qi gritted her teeth, “Understood.”