"Are you at the company now?" asked Ruan Danchen softly. She had walked to the opposite side of the staircase and spoke, facing the wall.

"I'm at the office, but it isn't too busy." Qi Chenglin remembered that Ruan Danchen was at Qilin and could instantly guess her motive for being here. So he asked, "Where are you now?"

"As a requirement of my job application, I sat for a written examination. It was just nearby," Ruan Danchen said softly. Keeping it a secret from him made her feel quite uneasy. It was as if she was committing something criminal.

"Then why not look for me," Qi Chenglin said tenderly.

"I'm not bothering you?" Ruan Danchen asked, smiling happily.

"You called to ask me where I am, so you must miss me. Do you want to come up?" Qi Chenglin said, cocking a brow. He then said, half-smiling, "I'm not busy now. You're not going to be bothering me."

"Okay." Ruan Danchen hung up and took the elevator straight to Qi Chenglin's office.

At his office, she ran into Jiang Yuan.

"Special Assistant Jiang."

Jiang Yuan did not seem at all surprised to see her there. "Miss. Ruan, looking for the general manager?"

Ruan Danchen blushed, "Mmhmm." Jiang Yuan then opened the door for her.

She saw Qi Chenglin look up in silence; his gaze was warm.

Ruan Danchen, drawn in by his eyes, drifted to him without realizing it.

She circled his desk and sat beside him.

Ruan Danchen looked at him shyly and lowered her gaze, resting it upon his hand that lay atop the arm of his executive chair. His suit jacket hung on the clothes rack, leaving him in only his dress shirt. The shirt, molded to his frame, revealed the muscles that lay beneath.

She gulped, as her mind was consumed with the sole desire of running her hands across him. She remembered how sturdy and firm those muscles of his hands were.

Qi Chenglin had lifted his hand and reached over to hold hers. He pulled her onto his lap.

Ruan Danchen's hands instinctively went around his shoulders. She thought it would have been outrageous for her to seat herself on his lap whilst he was in the office, as she had viewed this space to be the domain of all things serious and professional.

Qi Chenglin, however, did not seem to care one bit. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, and his fingers curved just enough that his fingertips found purchase on her slim waist.

"How was the exam today?" Qi Chenglin smiled and asked.

Ruan Danchen felt a tinge of guilt, as she was still keeping the company she was applying to a secret from him. "It's okay. I can definitely pass this round."

Qi Chenglin smiled and grasped her fingers gently. "You're not telling me which company?"

"Wait till I get through. Then I'll tell you." Ruan Danchen was firm in her resolve. She could not possibly keep it a secret forever, not when she would be in the same company as him, if she landed the job. Then she would be seeing him every day.

But, she was unaccustomed to hiding things from him.

The last thing she wanted was for him to give her preferential treatment; thereby, making her status known to everyone in the company. If she really made it through and started working there, telling him would be no big deal.

Qi Chenglin did not press further. Ruan Danchen then told him about Director Zhao's call.

"Why did he change his tone so suddenly? Director Zhao was nice to me when you sent Jiang Yuan to Chengshi the last time, but he's even nicer now," Ruan Danchen said curiously.

"Grandma called me in the afternoon. She went there with Mom." Qi Chenglin smiled.

Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she nearly jumped out of his lap. "Did they really go there because of me? That can't be. It isn't nice to make them show up for such a small matter."

"It's not entirely because of that. Remember when you brought Youxuan to the playground and met Yang Yunshu? Youxuan told Grandma about it. The boy is smart: He recorded Yang Yunshu's words." Qi Chenglin's expression darkened when he mentioned Yang Yunshu. "Whether it is you or Youxuan, Grandma won't just sit around doing nothing."

Qi Chenglin had been fuming after hearing Yang Yunshu say all those vile things about his own son. He did not act on it immediately. Instead, he held a grudge; Yang Yunshu won't be forgiven so easily.

"It's all my fault. I should've just taken Youxuan away. I shouldn't have argued with her," Ruan Danchen said softly. She had not only dealt with the situation incorrectly, but it was because she was Qi Youxuan's mother, that Yang Yunshu had something to say.

"It's nothing. It doesn't make sense for you to have left anyway, after all she did say plenty of vile things. But you should've just used my name at the time; don't always keep a low-profile. Next time, if something can be solved easily by using my name, use it. It's much easier that way, and it also stops people from wronging you. You saw the instant results after Grandma showed up, right?" Qi Chenglin gently remarked.

"Okay, I know now," Ruan Danchen nodded and said.

Qi Chenglin did not dwell on it, and the topic was abandoned. His lips curled into a gentle smile, and he looked at her warmly, "I'm really glad that you thought of visiting me when you were nearby."

"I was worried I'd bother you at work." Ruan Danchen was glad she came too.

"Of course not. If you're in the area next time, always remember to drop by," Qi Chenglin said, giving her a peck on the lips.

Ruan Danchen was so excited, and she hoped that she managed to land the job. When the time comes, she would tell him the good news.

She did not stay there and wait for him to finish work. Despite his assertion that he was not busy, Jiang Yuan came in twice and had a mountain of matters that required his attention. Hence, Ruan Danchen left early, accompanied by Xiao Yang, who had been instructed by Qi Chenglin.

…

…

Friday was the day that Huanghua joined the auction. Xu Haode went to the auction venue filled with confidence. He was fortunate to have reacted quickly in the "Ruan Danchen Incident," and lodged a complaint against her, before she could undermine him with her own complaint. Although, even if she had been the first one to lodge the complaint, there was a huge chance that the company would not have believed her version of the events.

Xu Haode sat with his colleagues at the specially reserved seats for Huanghua. Not long after they were seated, they heard shuffling and whispers coming from behind them. Xu Haode turned around and was shocked to see Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan.

Xu Haode even heard the bewildered murmurs from the people seated around him.

"Why did General Manager Qi personally come to this auction?"

"That's not right. Qilin has never participated in auctions for small lots of land. Didn't they just acquire a piece of land in the northern part of the city? Now that's what you call a big piece of land. That's probably the largest land allotted for commercial development in City B at the moment, and Qi Chenglin didn't even show up that time. It was Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushu who went. Today's auction is for smaller land allotments, so why is he here?!"

Everyone was beginning to wonder what could possibly compel Qi Chenglin to attend such an auction.

In the midst of all the murmurings, Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan had entered the building and were steadily making their way towards him.

Then, he saw Qi Chenglin standing in front of him. He stood up immediately and greeted the unexpected visitors, "General Manager Qi, why are you here? Is Qilin interested in this piece of land?"

Qi Chenglin's cold gaze landed on Xu Haode before he retorted, "Just having a look."

He sat down.

'It's as if he is window shopping. Doesn't he have more important matters to attend to?! Is he coming to these auctions simply to have a look?!'

Jiang Yuan glanced briefly at Xu Haode and sat down.

It was only then that Xu Haode dared sit down. He had never expected Qi Chenglin to sit beside him. 'Shouldn't a man like him be sitting in front of me?'

He soon spotted Qi Chenglin's slender fingers taking his cell phone out and placing it onto the table.

Xu Haode at once motioned to his colleagues, and they all respectively left to make some calls.

After a few minutes, Xu Haode received a call from the colleagues that had just left.

Xu Haode picked it up. "I've just made a call to confirm. Qilin is not interested in the auction. We have no idea why Qi Chenglin is here," reported the caller.

Xu Haode hung up and sneaked a glance at Qi Chenglin. He was still sitting upright and had not said a single word. He still wore the austere expression that gave away nothing.

Huanghua was a modestly sized company, and, unlike Qilin, they had no power to bid for the extremely expensive large plots of land in City B. Getting a small plot of land would be good enough so long as the location was ideal. Though, an ideally located plot would attract a higher price point.

Not long after the call, the bidders were informed that the results would be announced soon. Since Qilin was not participating, Xu Haode began to feel less worried about Qi Chenglin's purpose there.

Hence, it came as a shock when Qilin was announced as the winning bidder!

'Qilin was the successful bidder!'

Xu Haode's mind went blank. Huanghua had given the seller countless benefits just ensure that the land would eventually become theirs. Their sure-fire plan had been foiled by Qilin.

Still in shock, he turned to look at Qi Chenglin to see the man unlock his screen as if to look at the time. Even more shocking was the picture on the screen: Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, and a little boy.

They seemed really close to each other in the photo as if they were a family of three.

All of a sudden, Xu Haode felt a chill run through his body. His lips trembled and his knees felt weak.

Never in his life did he expect Ruan Danchen to be in a relationship with Qi Chenglin. He trembled, as he continued to stare at the screen, unable to look away.

Qi Chenglin seemed oblivious to Xu Haode's anxiety and glanced coldly at him. Qi Chenglin's looked rather proud when he said, "This is my girlfriend."

Xu Haode shivered, scared out of his wits.

Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin added, "I plan to marry her."

Xu Haode no longer harbored any hopeful wishes that Qi Chenglin knew not what he did. He then realized Qi Chenglin's true purpose for coming to the auction.

"Ruan Danchen told me the other day that a client believed in the rumors spread by one of her colleagues. According to the rumors, Ruan Danchen sleeps around to acquire her projects. She was furious, and I was curious. Being as powerful as I am, why would my girlfriend need to concern herself with the acquisition of projects?" Qi Chenglin wore a somber expression; his lip twitched upward in a mocking sneer. "Don't you agree?"

"Qi—General Manager Qi, I didn't know Ruan Danchen was your girlfriend. I…I'm a terrible person for not knowing. General Manager Qi, please don't be offended by a nobody like me."

Xu Haode had no intention of feigning ignorance. Qi Chenglin had come for him, and the only thing he had left was hope that Qi Chenglin would forgive him.

The regret punctured deep into his core; he had never expected to have shot himself in the foot. How unlucky he was to have angered Qi Chenglin's girlfriend! No knew that his girlfriend was Ruan Danchen! There was no news about it at all, and he thought that she was a nobody because Chengshi's employees had been brave enough to spread such rumors!

Ruan Danchen had become his downfall!

Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and took out a packet of cigarettes. He fished one out and clipped it between his fingers, then lit it up with the lighter in single fluid motion. The venue was a no-smoking zone and there was even a large sign hanging on the wall, yet no one dared to say anything to Qi Chenglin.

His well-defined fingers held the cigarette, and he narrowed his eyes, dragging in a puff. He exhaled a billowy cloud of smoke that eclipsed Xu Haode, who had dared not avoid it.

"I went to Shengyue and asked about it. The servers said that Ruan Danchen came out from the room crying; a side of her face swollen." His other hand, perched atop the table, began to drum. With his eyes still narrowed, his expression grew colder. "I didn't even manage to comfort her in time. I was shocked to hear that someone had struck her, when even I dare not raise my voice against her. Tell me, how should I get even?"

"Qi… General Manager Qi, Young Master Lin, I was blind. I was blind to her status. I…let me apologize to you, to Miss. Ruan. I won't ever dare do it again." Xu Haode did not even care that he was in a public space with his colleagues seated beside him. If Qi Chenglin wanted to get down to the bottom of it, Xu Haode would be fortunate if it was just his current job on the line—it was his greatest fear that it might impact his ability to procure a job in the future.

Nothing else was on his mind except persuading Qi Chenglin to be easy on him. He did not even bother about how embarrassing and disgraceful he looked.

Xu Haode slapped himself. "General Manager Qi, I was wrong. You don't need to hit me, I'll hit myself."

His colleagues were stunned to see that.

They knew that Xu Haode filed a complaint to Chengshi against Ruan Danchen, but they did not expect that Xu Haode had been falsely accusing her. Based on how malicious those actions were, Xu Haode was surely done for.

Xu Haode slapped himself a second time. The sound of skin against skin was crisp, indicating that the slap had been rather forceful and tight; his cheek was a bright red.

"Director Qi, please don't take offense." Xu Haode was on the verge of tears. "I'll kneel down before Miss. Ruan and beg for forgiveness."

Qi Chenglin twitched his lip and ignored him. He turned to Jiang Yuan and said, "Call Huanghua's Director Huang."

Jiang Yuan took out his cell phone, searched for Director Huang's number, then made the call.

"Director Huang. Yes, hello. Our general manager has something to say to you, do you have a moment?" Jiang Yuan asked plainly.

Director Huang, who did not dare to say no, quickly stated that he wasn't busy. Jiang Yuan then passed the phone over to Qi Chenglin.

"Director Huang. It's me, Qi Chenglin." His voice was calm and composed. "I'm not sure if your company has informed you yet, but I have purchased the land.

"I know you've already done all that was necessary to ensure that they would sell the land to you, and that you've already prepared for its development. Not to worry, I can still sell it to you." Qi Chenglin then quoted a price.

"Director Qi, isn't this price a bit too high?" Director Huang said, shocked.

Director Huang was relieved that Qi Chenglin was prepared to sell him the land, for a significant amount of money would have been burned if the land were to slip through their fingers. It would have been a devastating blow.

However, buying the land for that large a sum had surpassed their original budget.

The price Qi Chenglin named teetered on the fine edge between what Huanghua was willing to spend and what they could not afford to spend. In that way, it proved to be the perfect bait.

Qi Chenglin's lips curled as he looked at Xu Haode while saying, "Director Huang, is there someone named Xu Haode in your company?"

"Yes, General Manager Qi. And you're mentioning him because…?" asked Director Huang puzzled.

"Oh, it's a small matter. Some time ago, he made a complaint to Chengshi about one of their female employees. He said that she offered sexual favors in exchange for projects, but the morally upright Mr. Xu declined it forcefully," Qi Chenglin said calmly. "But I'm sure there was some kind of mistake. The person he complained about was my girlfriend. I don't think my girlfriends needs to beg Xu Haode and exchange favors just to get projects, right? She can just say the word and I'll give her all the projects she wants. Don't you agree?"

Director Huang immediately understood and said, "General Manager Qi, please don't fret. Xu Haode will no longer be an employee of Huanghua."

"Director Huang, I'm not trying to insinuate anything, but didn't Huanghua conduct a proper investigation when Xu Haode complained? Your company doesn't consider a person's moral standing, does it? After all, it was a serious accusation. Does Xu Haode have free rein to do and say as he pleases? Even if Ruan Danchen was not my girlfriend, such remarks will do nothing except ruin a person's future. Xu Haode's complaint not only slandered my girlfriend, he slandered me too," said Qi Chenglin.

Xu Haode paled, and he knew that Qi Chenglin was not about to forgive him.

"I understand. I'll make an announcement to state his reasons for dismissal, and I don't think any company would want to employ him in the future. It was my oversight that we didn't conduct an investigation on this matter and allowed Xu Haode to make those accusations. General Manager Qi, we'll buy the land from you at your price," Director Huang said. He did not want to offend Qi Chenglin over that matter.

As high as Qi Chenglin's price was, it was not wholly unacceptable for the company.

As for Xu Haode, Director Huang was livid; not only did Xu Haode cause them to sustain such a huge loss, he even went so far as to offend the Qi family. Director Huang would not have forgiven him so easily even if Qi Chenglin did not act on it.

After hanging up, Director Zhao was so vexed that his chest hurt. Gnashing his teeth, he hissed, "Go to hell, Xu Haode!"

…

…

Qi Chenglin handed the phone back to Jiang Yuan and gave Xu Haode an icy stare. He stood up and said gravely, "Jiang Yuan, make an announcement stating that Qilin will not deal with any company that employs Xu Haode. It's not just Qilin Properties, but the entire Qilin Corporation."

After saying that, he led Jiang Yuan away.

Xu Haode was left, a lifeless husk of a man, paralyzed on his seat. He did not know what to think and who to hold a grudge against—should he hate Yang Yunshu, who told him the rumor; or Ruan Danchen; or Qi Chenglin?

Everyone else looked at Xu Haode with disdain; no one pitied him. Even his colleagues did not say a single word to him and left for the company without him. They were not going to mix around with him in the future anyway, and no one knew whether he was able to survive once he left the company.

…

…

The next Monday, Ruan Danchen decided to go to Chengshi and accept Yang Yunshu's apology, as well as deal with the procedures for resignation. She no longer wished to continue at Chengshi even if her application to Qilin was unsuccessful.

She left for the company, arriving at ten-thirty.

When she entered the design department, all her colleagues were inside, working. There was originally some chatter amongst them, but, upon Ruan Danchen's entrance, the room fell silent.

Ruan Danchen swept her eyes across all of them and saw that Yang Yunshu was sitting at her desk.

Yang Yunshu had initially wanted the day off, but Director Zhao had not given his approval and she had not been brave enough to just stay home. She still hoped that there might be a chance for her to continue at Chengshi. So, she was not willing to do anything that might incur the wrath of Director Zhao.