Yu Sheng held her phone, momentarily unable to react.
She looked up at Su Qingyu, who stood with her arms crossed, a knowing smile on her lips, silently mouthing: "Agree."
"…Alright, I understand. Tomorrow at seven, Yayin. Thank you." Yu Sheng suppressed her surprise, keeping her tone calm before hanging up.
The office fell silent for a moment.
"She actually…" Yu Sheng murmured, still finding it unbelievable.
Shen Yunmian—the woman who never yielded an inch in business negotiations, whose rationality always prevailed—had actually compromised.
"See, President Yu? I told you she couldn't hold out," Su Qingyu chuckled. "In front of you, President Shen's bottom line is far more flexible than you imagined."
Yu Sheng shook her head, her feelings complicated. "Prepare the materials for Academician Li's project. Come with me tomorrow."
"Understood, President Yu."
Su Qingyu was someone who seized every opportunity. Clearly, she wasn't just thinking about temporarily using Shen Yunmian's influence to get things done—she intended to establish a direct connection with the academician. Of course, everyone knew it wouldn't be that simple.
All she could do was prepare thoroughly and leave the rest to fate.
The dinner the next evening went exceptionally smoothly.
Out of regard for Shen Yunmian, Academician Li was very cordial and didn't make things difficult. She showed great interest in Yu Group's project concepts and technical details, even offering several constructive suggestions. With Shen Yunmian occasionally assisting at the right moments, the atmosphere remained harmonious.
Especially Su Qingyu—her preparation clearly impressed the academician and earned praise.
Even Shen Yunmian had to look at Su Qingyu in a new light, even feeling a bit regretful that she hadn't recruited her earlier during their university days.
Of course, at this moment, President Shen—clearly blinded by love—was even more impressed by her wife's eye for talent. The filter thickened once again; for the first time, from the perspective of a business partner, she developed genuine recognition of her wife.
At the end of the dinner, Academician Li shook Yu Sheng's hand with a smile. "President Yu is young and promising, with very forward-thinking ideas. I'm quite interested in this project. Next week, have this person in charge come directly to my office to discuss it in detail."
"That's wonderful. Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity," Yu Sheng said sincerely.
After seeing Academician Li off, Yu Sheng and Su Qingyu stood at the entrance of the elegantly styled private restaurant, the evening breeze carrying a slight chill.
For once, Yu Sheng didn't continue to ignore Shen Yunmian. She went over to thank her. Shen Yunmian wanted to use the opportunity to speak with Yu Sheng alone, but Su Qingyu, ever the workaholic, gave her no chance, dragging Yu Sheng away to work overtime discussing details.
Knowing the importance of the matter, Shen Yunmian could only reluctantly say goodbye and leave.
Yu Sheng and Su Qingyu got into the car, chatting idly along the way.
"The problem's finally solved," Su Qingyu let out a breath of relief, her tone light. "That Academician Li truly lives up to her reputation—sharp-eyed, but fortunately the result is good. Now all we need to do is seize this opportunity and earn her recognition."
A subtle sense of loss lingered in Yu Sheng's heart as she gazed out the car window, clearly not as happy as she had expected to be. In the end, she had still relied on Shen Yunmian's connections to open that crucial door.
"Yes… it's resolved." Her voice was soft. "I just didn't expect that in the end, I'd still have to rely on her."
Su Qingyu, ever perceptive, immediately caught the hint of disappointment in Yu Sheng's mood.
She turned her head to look at her, her tone relaxed, even teasing a little. "President Yu, that way of thinking isn't quite right. Look at it from another angle—being able to make someone like President Shen, who is so rational she's almost cold, willingly act for your sake even when she knows it harms her own interests… that in itself is your ability."
Yu Sheng gave a bitter smile. "You don't have to comfort me."
"I'm not comforting you, I'm telling the truth." Su Qingyu's expression turned serious. "President Yu, do you know? You have a fatal attraction to President Shen. Maybe she didn't realize it before, but now that she's about to lose you, she's panicking. I'd say she absolutely won't escape the palm of your hand."
Yu Sheng turned to look at her in surprise.
The streetlights cast a soft glow over Su Qingyu's profile, making her usually calm eyes seem especially deep.
"Qingyu," Yu Sheng couldn't help asking, "you… seem especially good at reading people. It's really surprising."
She had always thought Su Qingyu was only outstanding in business.
"Maybe it's because I minored in psychology in college. I never actually worked in that field, but I've always been interested in analyzing people's motives." She half-joked, "Want me to recommend a few books to you?"
Yu Sheng didn't take it too seriously and chuckled. "Is it really that magical?"
"Theory combined with practice." Su Qingyu blinked. "Maybe you'll just pick it up naturally."
The two of them got into the car, the atmosphere much lighter.
They went straight back to the company's conference room and held a meeting with several key executives for over two hours before finalizing many details and settling on the final plan.
By then, it was already midnight.
However, when Yu Sheng pushed open the door to her office, the smile on her face instantly froze.
Shen Yunmian was sitting on the sofa in the reception area, leaning back slightly, looking like she had been waiting for a long time.
Hearing the door, she immediately looked up.
Su Qingyu reacted quickly and spoke first, "President Shen, you're still waiting for President Yu? Thank you so much for tonight. Things with Academician Li have been tentatively settled—it's all thanks to your help."
Shen Yunmian stood up, but her gaze remained fixed on Yu Sheng. "As long as I could help."
"Then President Yu, President Shen, you two talk. I'll go organize tonight's meeting minutes." Su Qingyu tactfully withdrew and gently closed the door.
Only the two of them remained in the office, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle and quiet.
"…Did everything go smoothly?" Shen Yunmian was the first to break the silence, her tone tentative.
"Mm, very smoothly. Thank you." Yu Sheng walked behind her desk and sat down, her tone calm and polite.
"That's good." Shen Yunmian seemed to relax a little, but Yu Sheng's indifference left her unsure how to continue.
She stood there, a bit at a loss.
Yu Sheng picked up a document, clearly indicating she was about to work. "Does President Shen have anything else?"
That was a clear dismissal.
Embarrassment flashed across Shen Yunmian's face, followed by concern. "It's so late, are you still going to keep working?"
Yu Sheng was momentarily caught off guard.
In truth, she had been planning to leave and rest, but with Shen Yunmian here, she instinctively wanted to send her away first.
Unfortunately, Shen Yunmian clearly didn't want to give her that chance. "Sheng Sheng, work never ends. It's really late today—let me take you back to rest."
Shen Yunmian rarely used such an intimate nickname, and it made Yu Sheng slightly uncomfortable.
"I know. You should go back and rest too."
After hitting a mild but clear wall, a trace of struggle crossed Shen Yunmian's face.
As if unwilling to give up, she seemed to muster great courage, even carrying a hint of barely concealed pleading. "Yu Sheng, I… I still have something to say…"
Yu Sheng lifted her eyes from the document and looked at her quietly, waiting.
Shen Yunmian grew nervous under her gaze, hesitating before speaking. "Recently, the rumors about our marriage… have been increasing. This afternoon, reporters even called the president's office to verify…" She paused, glancing at Yu Sheng's expression. Seeing no reaction, she continued, "If this goes on, it won't be good for the reputations of both Yu Corporation and Shen Corporation. And we can't keep living separately like this…"
"So?" Yu Sheng's voice was unreadable.
Shen Yunmian's heart leapt to her throat, her voice nearly inaudible. "Could you… consider moving back to Jiuxi Bay?"
So, after just helping once, she couldn't wait to ask for something in return—truly unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss.
Yu Sheng sneered inwardly, though her face remained calm.
She didn't refuse immediately, only lowered her eyes and said lightly, "I'll think about it."
Not a direct rejection.
Shen Yunmian's heart, which had sunk to the bottom, was instantly lifted a little, hope surging up. "Okay, take your time. I'm not in a hurry! Then I… I'll go."
"Mm." Yu Sheng responded and lowered her head again to read, no longer looking at her.
Shen Yunmian stood there, opened her mouth as if to say something more, but in the end only softly said, "Rest early too," before leaving with a heavy heart. The door closed so softly it was almost inaudible.
The office fell silent again.
But Yu Sheng couldn't focus anymore. She tossed the pen aside, leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her temples.
At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door. Su Qingyu came in with two cups of coffee, placing one in front of Yu Sheng.
"President Shen left?" she asked casually.
"Mm." Yu Sheng took a sip. "She made a condition—she wants me to move back to Jiuxi Bay."
Su Qingyu wasn't surprised. Sitting across from her, she said, "Oh? What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it." Yu Sheng looked at her assistant, who was so adept at reading people, and sighed. "You know I don't want to agree."
Su Qingyu nodded knowingly. "President Yu, are you thinking that if something comes too easily, it won't be cherished? Letting President Shen stay cold for a few days, making her anxious and wondering if she hasn't done enough… that's quite a move."
"Stop flattering me." Yu Sheng said helplessly. "I didn't think that far. I just don't want to live with her."
"Either way, you clearly have a talent for psychological tactics."
"Go do your work!" Yu Sheng waved her off with a smile and picked up the document again.
Meanwhile, Shen Yunmian, driving away from Yu Corporation, felt restless.
Yu Sheng hadn't rejected her outright, which gave her a glimmer of hope, but that "I'll think about it" was filled with uncertainty, leaving her uneasy.
The next few days were pure torment for Shen Yunmian.
She didn't dare to disturb Yu Sheng too often, afraid of annoying her.
She checked her phone countless times a day, hoping for a reply—even just a simple "okay."
But the phone remained eerily silent.
She began replaying that night over and over: Was her tone too urgent? Was her attitude good enough? Were her reasons sufficient? Would Yu Sheng think she was too calculating?
She even regretted bringing it up. What if Yu Sheng thought she was too utilitarian and even that slight improvement between them disappeared?
This kind of uncertain waiting was more torturous than outright rejection.
Until the afternoon of the third day, while Shen Yunmian was in a meeting, her phone screen suddenly lit up with a new message.
Sender: Yu Sheng.
Her heart skipped violently.
She immediately signaled for the report to pause and hurriedly opened the message.
It was short—just one line:
[I agree to move back. We'll discuss the exact timing later.]
No greeting, no emoji, the tone as flat as arranging an ordinary task.
But to Shen Yunmian, it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Overwhelming joy and disbelief flooded her instantly!
She shot up from her chair, startling everyone in the meeting room.
"President Shen?"
"It's nothing. The meeting… continue."
Her voice trembled with barely suppressed excitement as she struggled to keep the smile off her face. Her unusual behavior left the executives exchanging confused glances, not daring to ask.
But for the rest of the meeting, everyone noticeably felt how unusually easygoing President Shen was, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
After the meeting, Shen Yunmian returned to her office and read that short message over and over again.
It was real—Yu Sheng had agreed! She was really coming back!
She paced around the office excitedly, her mind racing: the Jiuxi Bay house needed a thorough cleaning, Yu Sheng's favorite incense had to be prepared, should her usual bedding be replaced with new ones? Aunt Li should start preparing her favorite dishes…
She couldn't wait to reply, typing and deleting, deleting and typing, until finally she sent one sentence:
[Alright! I'll wait for you. Everything at home will be prepared.]
After sending the message, she tightly gripped her phone, the corners of her lips uncontrollably lifting.
She had to perform even better.
Yu Sheng would definitely forgive her. They would surely be able to return to how things were before.
—
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