In the days that followed, everything seemed calm on the surface, yet beneath it all, undercurrents surged.
Just as Su Qingyu expected, Gu Chen's retaliation came swiftly—but not openly. He didn't show up in front of them, nor did he target Lin Weiwei directly. Instead, all his firepower was aimed squarely at Su Qingyu's company.
A few collaboration projects that had previously been negotiated smoothly were suddenly suspended or cancelled for various vague reasons. Then the bank began reviewing a crucial loan with unusual strictness and delay. Even several key technical talents in the company received extremely generous poaching offers from research institutes under the Gu Group.
Business suppression. Resource blockade. Cutting off support at the root.
Gu Chen used nothing but open schemes—seasoned, ruthless, and precise—striking at the very lifeline of Su Qingyu's company.
As Su Qingyu's assistant, Lin Weiwei felt that pressure clearly. The atmosphere in the company had visibly grown tenser. Su Qingyu spent more and more time in her office, and the cold gleam between her brows during meetings became more pronounced. Yet she never once showed panic or discouragement in front of Lin Weiwei. Every decision she made remained sharp and decisive, every countermeasure unnervingly calm.
She was like a seasoned captain, steering steadily through stormy seas.
There wasn't much Lin Weiwei could do to help. All she could manage was to handle her tasks as flawlessly as possible and reduce Su Qingyu's burden. She learned to make different kinds of coffee and tea, offering the perfectly warmed drink whenever Su Qingyu had worked for hours without pause. She even began studying business knowledge more seriously, trying to understand the complicated reports and contracts—even though she still understood only half of it most of the time.
That afternoon, when Lin Weiwei entered Su Qingyu's office with coffee as usual, she found her standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, back to the door. Against the vast pane of glass, her figure looked a touch fragile. The golden light of the setting sun rimmed her silhouette, yet it couldn't dispel the heaviness surrounding her.
Setting the coffee down, Lin Weiwei asked softly, "Is it really bad?"
Su Qingyu didn't turn around. Her voice carried a faint trace of exhaustion, but it was mostly hard and cold. "As expected. Gu Chen's tactics are nothing new."
"Is there any way to handle it?"
"Broken partnerships can be replaced with new ones. Bank loans—there are always other channels. And as for people being poached…"
Su Qingyu finally turned, her expression unreadable, though her gaze was razor-sharp. "It's a good chance to cleanse a few who lack loyalty. The core technology is in my hands. The fundamentals won't be shaken."
She spoke lightly, but Lin Weiwei knew the price behind those words was far from simple.
"That's a relief," Lin Weiwei said, though she didn't feel relieved at all. She knew this was only the beginning. Gu Chen would never give up so easily.
Just then, Su Qingyu's phone rang on the desk. She glanced at the caller ID, her brows tightening ever so slightly, before she answered and put the call on speaker.
"Su Qingyu."
Gu Chen's deep voice came from the other end. No emotion, but carrying a subtle pressure. "Seems I underestimated you."
Su Qingyu replied evenly, "President Gu, what do you want?"
"We need to talk," Gu Chen said directly. "Alone. About… you, and me, and some misunderstandings between us."
He emphasized "alone" and "misunderstandings"—his meaning unmistakable. He wanted to remove Lin Weiwei from the equation and drag Su Qingyu back into the path he designed.
Lin Weiwei's heart tightened as she looked anxiously at Su Qingyu.
But Su Qingyu didn't flinch. She even lifted the coffee Lin Weiwei had just brought, taking a slow sip before speaking into the phone.
"President Gu, I don't think there are any misunderstandings between us. And as for talking alone…"
She paused, her gaze shifting to the nervous Lin Weiwei, her lips curling into a very faint, mocking smile.
"No need. Weiwei knows everything about me. There's nothing she can't hear."
The other end fell silent. The pressure in that silence felt as though it could spill out through the speaker.
A few seconds later, Gu Chen's voice returned, colder now, with a hint of suppressed anger.
"Su Qingyu, do you even know what you're doing? All this… for someone insignificant? Is it worth it?"
"Whether it's worth it or not, I decide."
Su Qingyu's tone sharpened instantly.
"Gu Chen, save your theatrics. I'm not a puppet in your script, and Lin Weiwei is not some tool you get to use to push your plot forward. The path we take is ours."
She finished speaking and hung up without giving him a chance to respond.
The office fell silent.
Lin Weiwei stared at Su Qingyu, her heart still pounding. What Su Qingyu had said was nothing short of another declaration of war.
Putting her phone down, Su Qingyu walked up to Lin Weiwei. Seeing her pale face, she suddenly reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
The cool touch of her fingertips on warm skin made Lin Weiwei jolt.
"Scared?" Su Qingyu asked, her gaze deep.
Lin Weiwei hesitated, then nodded honestly. "A little."
Mostly, she was afraid of becoming the weakness that would eventually drag Su Qingyu down.
Su Qingyu seemed to see right through her thoughts. She withdrew her hand and spoke with a quiet yet absolute certainty, "Don't be afraid. The more he acts like this, the more it proves we're on the right path."
She returned to her desk, picked up a document, and handed it to Lin Weiwei. "Take this to the project department. And get ready—we're meeting someone tonight."
"Who?"
"Someone who might become our new partner." A glint flashed through Su Qingyu's eyes. "Gu Chen thinks he can block all my exits. He forgets that in business, enemies and allies are never fixed."
Taking the document, Lin Weiwei watched Su Qingyu's figure as she returned to work, her posture radiating a calm, unshakable strength that gradually eased Lin Weiwei's own panic.
Yes. Su Qingyu had never been a fragile flower needing protection. She was a cedar that could stand proud against the wind.
And she, Lin Weiwei, couldn't remain a mere "variable" forever.
She tightened her grip on the document and walked out of the office—her steps firmer than when she had walked in.