"Yue!"

Shen Yue looked up from her computer to the excited Tao Jie who suddenly barged into her office. She frowned but smiled. Why was Tao Jie so excited?

"Is there a good news, Tao Jie?"

"Come to our FP&A meeting room! I'll get everyone there!" Tao Jie enthusiastically said and immediately left. Shen Yue blinked at Tao Jie's lightning speed before she shook her head and chuckled.

When Shen Yue arrived at the meeting room, she saw everyone had already arrived, and Tao Jie was standing at the head of the table with a big smile. Shen Yue took her usual seat—the first seat to the right of Tao Jie's—before she smiled at her boss.

"Now that everyone's here, I have a good and a bad news," Tao Jie announced. Shen Yue quirked her eyebrow. How come Tao Jie was so happy when there was a bad news?

"What is it, Tao Jie?" Shen Yue asked.

"Which one do you want to hear first?" Tao Jie asked everyone.

"Bad news of course!" the team unanimously replied, and Shen Yue nodded her head.

"Alright. The bad news is that for a whole month from now all of you will have to pump up and work overtime again," Tao Jie smiled at the groan of everyone including Yue.

"What about the good news?" someone asked.

"The good news is," Tao Jie straightened her posture and crossed her arms with a proud smile, "We have received a proposal from a big corporate, and we have to work with their team to pitch a convincing financial plan to push through the cooperation."

Tao Jie nodded to herself and smiled proudly, but she then paused when she realized how everyone was so silent. Many of them tilted their heads as if they didn't understand the hype she tried to convey.

Seeing how the room fell silent, Shen Yue decided to ask Tao Jie for everyone, "Why is it a good news that you're so excited about, Tao Jie? Isn't it just the usual?"

Hearing Yue's question, Tao Jie nodded her head and went 'ah'. She forgot to explain the important part.

Tao Jie cleared and added, "If this plan is pushed through, we'll meet 50% of this year target with it alone!"

One. Two. Three. It took three seconds of complete silence before the whole room erupted into a loud cheer. Shen Yue jumped up to give Tao Jie a tight hug to which she reciprocated.

"Really, Tao Jie?" Shen Yue excitedly asked.

Tao Jie nodded with a happy grin, "Why would I lie to you?"

"That's great!!" Shen Yue exclaimed, and everyone else echoed their agreement.

Tao Jie then raised her hand up, "But!" Everyone now focused on her.

"Let's keep the celebration for later. Now we gotta start working and secure this deal first!" Tao Jie happily shouted.

"Yes!" everyone shouted back.

"And Yue,"

Shen Yue turned to look at Tao Jie, "Yes?"

"You'll be the leader of this project," Tao Jie warmly informed her.

Shen Yue's eyes widened at the news, "But Jie, I'm afraid I can't do it well."

"You are better than what you see yourself, dear. Believe in yourself," Tao Jie warmly smiled.

"Yes, Yue! Accept it!"

"Yes, Yue! We believe in you!"

Everyone else in the team started to give her the words of encouragement. Shen Yue scanned around the room to various pairs of eyes. When Shen Yue saw that they really meant it, she smiled with her heart full and nodded. The room was engulfed in another round of cheers.

Shen Yue gratefully smiled at everyone. At that moment, she realized that she had been surrounded by toxic people for too long that these genuine people felt surreal for her.

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"Are you nervous, Yue?" Tao Jie asked while she and Shen Yue were walking from the parking lot to the Café on the ground floor of a high-class hotel, where they would meet the corporate partner for a brief project overview.

Shen Yue smiled. Truth be told, because that was such a big project, she was feeling a little nervous, but her excitement to work on this project surpassed her nervousness. "A little, but don't worry, Tao Jie."

Tao Jie took Shen Yue's hand and gently squeezed it, "Are you sure you can handle it alone today?"

Shen Yue gave her an assuring smile, "Don't worry, Tao Jie. This is Shen Yue you're talking about." Shen Yue playfully winked at her, which made Tao Jie chuckled, "Look like I'm worried for nothing."

Tao Jie then sighed, "I've met them before. They are nice, so there's nothing I should worry about. But I feel bad that I'll have to leave early for another meeting." Shen Yue understandingly smiled and squeezed her hand back, "It's not your fault, Tao Jie. Leave it here to me."

Tao Jie proudly nodded at Shen Yue. She had always adored this young lady like her own little sister.

When Shen Yue and Tao Jie arrived at the Café, a server came to show them to the table. It appeared that their partner had arrived even earlier than them. From afar, a man was sitting on the said table with his back facing them.

Shen Yue assuredly smiled at Tao Jie before she confidently walked with her toward that direction. However, when they got closer to the table, Shen Yue's eyes fell on the back of the man, and her pace began to slow down. Suddenly, she completely stopped on her track, which made Tao Jie puzzled.

Tao Jie frowned and worriedly looked at Shen Yue. She saw that the young lady had suddenly become so tensed.

"Yue?" Tao Jie called out to Yue, but she was still spacing out.

"Yue?" Tao Jie repeated again, but this time she gently shook Yue's arm.

"Yes, Tao Jie?" Shen Yue finally snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay? " Tao Jie was concerned at Shen Yue's sudden tension.

Shen Yue blinked a few times before she assured her with a smile, "I'm okay, Jie. Let's go."

Tao Jie was still skeptical, but she decided to drop it and nodded.

When Shen Yue and Tao Jie finally reached the table, the man stood up, and Shen Yue finally came face to face with him. Her face became expressionless when she locked eyes with him. A familiar pair of eyes. However, their eye contact was soon broken when Tao Jie spoke up.

"Hello. It's our pleasure to cooperate with you and your team," Tao Jie offered her hand.

"It's also our pleasure," the man politely smiled and shook her hand, "And we've already met before at the contract negotiation, Tao Jie. I've already told you. You don't have to be too polite."

Tao Jie smiled and nodded at the said man before she turned to Shen Yue.

"Oh right. I'd like you to meet my right hand, Shen Yue. She'll be leading this project on our behalf. And Shen Yue, meet Dylan Wang. He's the responsible person for this cooperation between the Wang Group and Shanghai Bank."

Dylan stared intensely at the woman who had never left his mind in the past months. After Guan came that day, Dylan had been debating whether or not he should make his move. As always, his yearning heart won because a big part of him was afraid that if he didn't grab his chance, she would really slip away for real. And so he used all his power to make this project happen. He knew about her ability, and he was sure that she would be the one selected to work on it. And he was right. Heaven knew how proud he was of her.

Truth be told, Dylan had felt Shen Yue's presence since she walked into the Café. How could he not recognize her presence when she was the one who he held dear in his heart and mind? However, he tried hard to hold himself together and prevented himself from running to her and engulf her in his arms. A part of him was dying to see her face-to-face again, yet another part of him was afraid. He was scared how she would react when she saw him.

Now that he was in front of her, Dylan felt relieved, relieved that she's well and relieved that he could finally see her in flesh, not just in photos.

However, his heart also strongly ached, as he stared into her beautiful round eyes. The eyes that used to look at him with love and adoration were now staring at him with nothing but coldness.

Tao Jie noticed the silence and the tension in the air, as she looked at the two young people who were staring at each other. She frowned. What did she miss here? After what seemed like an eternity, Tao Jie couldn't stand the silence anymore, so she cleared to get their attention.

Shen Yue was the first one to get back to her sense. She put on her smile and extended her hand to Dylan, "Hello, Mr. Wang. I look forward to cooperating with you."

Dylan quietly observed her. She smiled, but that was the business smile he had known too well. And her tone, it might sound sweet to other's ears, but to Dylan, it fell flat as a disguise to her coldness.

"Dylan?" Tao Jie called out, which brought Dylan's attention back.

Dylan cleared his throat and took Shen Yue's hand, "Hello, Ms. Shen. It's my pleasure to cooperate with a talent like you."

The moment their hands touched, Dylan could feel a light static running through his hand, and he smirked. He knew she could feel it too.

Shen Yue pulled her hand away and looked at Tao Jie, avoiding his eyes. Dylan smiled to himself. He then invited them to sit down and started the meeting.

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"This estimated inflation rate for the modeling from both parties are different. This inconsistency can be a big issue. I would suggest that we come up with a middle point that is acceptable for both," Shen Yue pointed at a part in the document and attentively explained the initial issues of the project that needed to be resolved. Tao Jie had already left for her other duty, so Shen Yue was now sitting across Dylan in the Café to discuss on their work.

Dylan glanced at the part she pointed before he looked up from the paper to quietly observe Shen Yue—who was still looking at the paper and explaining. He always knew she's good, but this time he was truly amazed by her work attitude and skills. The thought made him smiled proudly.

Shen Yue paused when she finally felt his eyes on her. She glanced up at him, and surely he was staring at her. And that smile, she still hated the fact that that smile still had some effects on her heart.

She cleared to regain her composure and make him look away, but he didn't.

"I would really appreciate it if you cooperate with me here, Mr. Wang," Shen Yue finally said while she looked straight at Dylan. 'Damn it,' Shen Yue thought when she saw Dylan shamelessly smiled wider at her.

"I am," Dylan smirked.

Shen Yue resisted the urge to roll her eyes and wipe that smug smile off his face, but she decided to just ignore him and got back to scanning the document in front of her.

"Yue"

Shen Yue tensed up when she heard Dylan softly called out her name. When was the last time she heard that? She then recalled their past memories and that day when he ran after her taxi. Her heart began to ache, but she tried not to show it. There was no way she would give him that satisfaction of knowing that she was still affected.

"Pardon me, Mr. Wang. I believe that we are not in the position to address each other by given name," Shen Yue coldly said.

Witnessing her cold words and cold eyes, Dylan felt like he had just been slapped right in the face and stabbed in the heart.

"But Yue-" Dylan wanted to protest, but Shen Yue raised her hand up to stop him.

"Please, Mr. Wang. I'm trying to fulfill my role and be professional here. I hope you can do the same and refrain from bringing up anything unrelated to work," Shen Yue coldly added.

Dylan could only stare at her. She still didn't forgive him, and he deserved that. But he still couldn't help himself from getting hurt after seeing her cold demeanor toward him.

"In this situation, I believe that we won't get anything done today, so let's take a break," Shen Yue coldly said and gathered materials back into her briefcase, "The next time we meet, I hope that we can be professional and focus solely on work."

Dylan wanted to make her stay, but he knew that he'd only add fuel to the fire that way, so he just sighed and watched her stood up to leave, "Do you need a ride? I can drive you back."

Shen Yue paused when she heard his offer. She bitterly smiled. What was he trying to do, acting as if he was kind-hearted?

Shen Yue then took out her car key and wiggled it in front of Dylan with a smile, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I drive. Goodbye, Mr. Wang." Just like that, she turned around and left, leaving Dylan sitting there watching her walk away.

Dylan closed eyes, leaned back onto the chair, and let out a deep sigh. He already expected this to happen, but that didn't mean that it'd hurt less. It's like his heart was broken all over again, watching her being so close to him yet felt so far. However, another part of him knew that she was hurt, too, and he was the reason behind that. 

He then smiled when he thought about how far she had come and how strong she had become. If he was righteous enough, he should do what she wanted—give up and get out of her life for good.

Dylan then opened his eyes again with a look of determination.

But he's not Wang Hedi if he gave up this easily.    

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