The moment Chen Le Xin stepped into the conference room, she knew something was wrong.
The air was colder than usual.
Not the temperature—the pressure.
Her gaze flicked instinctively to the head of the table.
Empty.
She exhaled quietly, almost relieved.
Then the door opened.
Liu Kai Ying walked in like she owned the floor beneath her feet.
The room straightened instantly.
Tailored black suit. White shirt unbuttoned just enough to be improper without crossing the line. Glasses catching the fluorescent light. Blue eyes sharp, calm, unreadable.
Too handsome for someone so cruel.
Chen Le Xin's fingers tightened around her tablet.
Kai Ying.
The name burned.
Kai Ying's gaze swept across the room—and stopped.
Just for a heartbeat.
Brown eyes met blue.
The pause was brief, but heavy. Like a blade hovering before it dropped.
Kai Ying broke eye contact first, pulling out her chair. "Start."
No greeting.
No acknowledgment.
Le Xin's lips pressed together.
Still arrogant. Still cold.
The presentation began.
Le Xin spoke clearly, confidently. She knew every number, every contingency. She had worked until three in the morning for this—again. Her voice didn't shake, even when Kai Ying leaned back slightly, crossing her arms, watching her like prey.
"Phase two relies heavily on external coordination," Kai Ying said suddenly. "What happens when they delay?"
Le Xin didn't miss a beat. "We've secured contractual penalties and—"
"That won't matter if the timeline collapses."
The interruption sliced cleanly through the room.
Silence.
Le Xin lifted her head slowly. Her smile was polite, controlled—and razor sharp.
"Senior Manager Liu," she said evenly, "if you have a better solution, I'd be happy to hear it."
Several people held their breath.
Kai Ying leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. The distance between them felt… smaller.
"Confidence is good," Kai Ying said softly. "Overconfidence is dangerous."
Le Xin felt heat crawl up her spine.
"And indecision," she replied, voice calm, "kills innovation."
A murmur rippled through the room.
Kai Ying's eyes darkened.
Interesting.
"Revise the proposal," Kai Ying said. "Shorten the buffer. I want results, not comfort."
Le Xin's jaw clenched. "By when?"
"Tomorrow morning."
That did it.
Le Xin let out a quiet laugh—too quiet, too sharp. "You enjoy pushing people, don't you?"
The room froze.
Xiao Lan stiffened beside Kai Ying.
Kai Ying stood.
She was tall. Taller than Le Xin remembered. When she walked closer, heels clicking softly against the floor, the pressure became physical.
"Step outside," Kai Ying said.
It wasn't a request.
The hallway was empty.
Glass walls. City skyline. Nowhere to hide.
Kai Ying stopped too close—deliberately so. Le Xin could smell her perfume. Clean. Expensive. Unfairly intoxicating.
"You crossed a line in there," Kai Ying said.
Le Xin looked up at her, chin lifted stubbornly. "You drew it."
Kai Ying's eyes flicked to Le Xin's lips. Just once. Just enough.
Then she straightened, mask snapping back into place.
"You want to challenge me?" Kai Ying asked quietly. "Earn it."
Le Xin's chest rose and fell. Anger. Old hurt. Something else—something dangerous.
"I already have," she said. "Despite you."
The words landed.
For the first time, Kai Ying didn't respond immediately.
Something flashed across her expression—regret? Guilt?
Gone in a second.
"You'll deliver the revision," Kai Ying said. "Or I'll replace you."
Le Xin's smile returned, sharp and defiant. "Try."
She turned and walked away, heart pounding.
She didn't see Kai Ying's hand clench.
That night, neon lights washed over Wong Tian Rong's bar.
Le Xin slammed her drink down harder than necessary.
"She did it again," Le Xin muttered. "Like I'm still that useless rookie."
Tian Rong leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand. "And you still let her get under your skin."
Le Xin scoffed—but her ears were red. "She looks at me like she knows everything."
Tian Rong smirked. "Maybe she does."
Le Xin shot her a look. "Don't."
But when she leaned against Tian Rong's shoulder, exhausted and quiet, she looked nothing like the composed project manager everyone feared.
Across the city, Liu Kai Ying loosened her tie in her office.
Xiao Lan stood silently nearby.
"She challenged you today," Xiao Lan said carefully.
Kai Ying stared out at the city lights reflected in her glasses.
"Yes."
"…Will you really replace her?"
Kai Ying's lips pressed into a thin line.
"No."
She exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
Chen Le Xin had looked at her the same way she did years ago—hurt wrapped in pride.
And it still affected her.
Dangerously so.
"Schedule daily check-ins," Kai Ying said. "I want her close."
Xiao Lan hesitated. "…Understood."
Alone again, Kai Ying allowed herself one unguarded thought.
Chen Le Xin wasn't weak.
She never had been.
And that was exactly why Kai Ying couldn't stop watching her.
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