The two turned to look and saw Jiang Huanyu walking in with a stylishly dressed young woman in his arms. Upon seeing Shen Mingzhi and Jiang Shaozhen, Jiang Huanyu visibly paused for a moment, then revealed a playful smile.

"What a coincidence, Comrade Shen." He walked over, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them. "It seems my worries last time were unnecessary. Ren'an Pharmacy is running just as well without you."

Shen Mingzhi frowned. "Is there something you need, Mr. Jiang?"

Jiang Huanyu shrugged. "Just came for a meal, didn't expect to run into an acquaintance." He glanced at the ring box on the table, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Is this a proposal?"

Jiang Shaozhen's face darkened. "Mr. Jiang, we are discussing private matters."

Jiang Huanyu tactfully raised his hands, "Alright, I won't disturb you two." He turned to leave, then turned back to Shen Mingzhi and said, "By the way, our department store recently introduced French cosmetics, and they're much more effective than yours. Comrade Shen, you can come and take a look when you have time and learn from them."

After saying that, he left with his female companion.

Shen Mingzhi's face turned ugly. Jiang Huanyu's words, though harsh, were not without reason. Foreign cosmetics were indeed much more advanced than domestic ones, and Baoli's products still had a long way to go.

"Ignore him." Jiang Shao Chen grasped her hand. "Zhi Zhi, what you just said..."

Shen Mingzhi withdrew her hand and pushed the ring box back to him. "Jiang Shao Chen, I can't give you an answer right now. There are too many things to do at the factory; I need time to think."

The light in Jiang Shao Chen's eyes dimmed, but he still nodded. "I understand. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you."

On the way home, the two remained silent. Shen Mingzhi stared at the neon lights rushing past the car window, her mind in turmoil.

She had to admit that she still had feelings for Jiang Shaozhen. But the hurt from the past was like a thorn, always stuck in her heart, preventing her from completely letting down her guard.

The next morning, as soon as Shen Mingzhi arrived at her office, Director Sun rushed over in a hurry.

"Xiao Shen, something terrible has happened! Jiang Huanyu's department store has imported French cosmetics and is having a promotion, our sales are plummeting!"

Shen Mingzhi took the sales report and glanced at it, her brows furrowing. Yesterday's good mood vanished, replaced by a deep sense of crisis.

"Call the technical staff for a meeting," she said in a low voice. "It's time to develop a new product."

The technical department meeting lasted all morning. Shen Mingzhi proposed developing a foundation with concealing properties that would be more refined and longer-lasting than existing products.

"This requires new emulsifiers and stabilizers," Technician Li said, frowning. "We probably can't buy them domestically."

"Then we'll find a way to import them," Shen Mingzhi said decisively. "Director Sun, how much money do we have in the account right now?"

Factory Director Sun wiped his sweat. "After deducting operating costs and maturing loans, we can only use no more than 50,000 yuan."

Shen Mingzhi pondered for a moment, then said, "That's enough. Technician Li, contact Professor Zhang and ask if there are any import channels in Haicheng."

After the meeting, Shen Mingzhi remained alone in the conference room, staring intently at the product samples. Jiang Huanyu's provocation made her realize that Baoli could not stand still; it had to constantly innovate to survive.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door. She looked up and saw Jiang Shaozhen standing in the doorway.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

Jiang Shaozhen walked in and placed a document on the table. "I heard you're looking for imported raw materials? Here's the contact information for the military region's chemical plant; they just received a shipment of French goods."

Shen Mingzhi opened the document, her eyes lighting up. "How did you know we needed this?"

"Just a guess," Jiang Shaozhen chuckled. "Jiang Huanyu is importing French cosmetics; you'll definitely have to catch up."

Shen Mingzhi looked at him gratefully, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jiang Shaozhen hesitated for a moment. "Zhizhi, about last night..."

Shen Mingzhi interrupted him, "Jiang Shao Chen, my mind is completely focused on work right now, I can't think about anything else. Give me some time, okay?"

Jiang Shaozhen nodded. "Okay, I won't bother you anymore." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Oh, by the way, my mom asked me to tell you that Niannian has had a slight fever these past few days, but it's not serious, and she's already seen a doctor."

Shen Mingzhi's heart clenched. "Why didn't you say so sooner? I'd go back and check on things tonight."

A hint of a smile flashed in Jiang Shaozhen's eyes. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

After he left, Shen Mingzhi immediately contacted the military region's chemical plant. Upon learning that she was from Baoli Chemicals, they were very welcoming and agreed to provide some imported raw materials at cost price.

In the afternoon, Shen Mingzhi went to the chemical plant to pick up the goods. On the way back, she kept thinking about the formula for the new product until the bus passed Ren'an Pharmacy, when she suddenly realized that she hadn't paid attention to the pharmacy's operations for a long time.

There was a long queue outside the pharmacy; business seemed good. Shen Mingzhi hesitated for a moment, then got out of the car.

Ang Lee was busy at the counter when he saw her come in. He greeted her with delight, "Zhizhi! What brings you here?"

"Just passing by and popping in to see you guys," Shen Mingzhi said with a smile. "Business is good."

Ang Lee pulled her to the back room. "Thanks to your previous strategy, we're now focusing on affordable medicines, selling more at a lower profit margin, and we're actually making more money than before."

Shen Mingzhi nodded with relief. At least Ren'an didn't collapse after she left.

"By the way, how are things going between you and Jiang Shaochen?" Li An suddenly asked.

Shen Mingzhi's smile froze for a moment. "It's just like that."

Ang Lee sensed that she didn't want to talk much, so he tactfully changed the subject. After chatting for a while, Shen Mingzhi took her leave.

In the evening, she returned to the Jiang family home. As soon as she entered, she heard Niannian crying. Shen Mingzhi rushed into the house with a pained expression and saw Jiang Qing holding the child and comforting her.

"Mom, let me take the child." She naturally took the child and gently coaxed him.

Jiang Qing was stunned for a moment, then her eyes reddened slightly. This was the first time Shen Mingzhi had called her "Mom" since she left.

"The fever has subsided, but she's still a bit irritable." Jiang Qing's voice softened considerably.

Shen Mingzhi nodded, holding Niannian as she paced around the room, humming a song softly. The little one quickly calmed down and fell asleep in her arms.

When Jiang Shaozhen returned home from work and saw this scene, his eyes filled with tenderness. He quietly walked to Shen Mingzhi's side and whispered, "You've worked hard."

Shen Mingzhi shook her head, "It's not hard work." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your help today."

Jiang Shaozhen smiled. "It's nothing."

After dinner, Shen Mingzhi put the child to sleep and took a walk alone in the yard. The autumn night was slightly cool, the moonlight was like water, and her thoughts gradually calmed down.

Jiang Shao Chen walked over and handed her a cup of hot tea. "Are you tired?"

Shen Mingzhi accepted the teacup and thanked him softly. The two stood side by side in silence for a moment, then Shen Mingzhi suddenly spoke: "Jiang Shaozhen, can you tell me why you did what you did back then?"