Chapter 28 The Plan...
The frequency of Shen Mi's meetings with Dan Heng these past few days has far exceeded the combined total of the previous two meetings. Today, as usual, Shen Mi met with Dan Heng, and the two talked quietly in a corner, exchanging the information they had.
Faced with the information Shen Mi provided, Dan Heng wondered why Shen Mi was so certain that Chloe and the others' plan was true.
After listening, Dan Heng frowned slightly, his tone calm but thoughtful: "How did you determine that their plan has been exposed?"
Shen Mi blinked, looking completely unashamed: "Just last night I overheard Kulen talking to someone, mentioning 'keeping an eye on Chloe's movements.' From the conversation, it sounded like he was wary of him."
Shen Mi casually made up a story, saying that she had overheard Kulun's conversation with someone else. After all, she couldn't possibly tell Dan Heng that she had a system inside her body, and that the system was the one that told her all this.
Dan Heng clearly still had some doubts, but he couldn't think of anything suspicious at the moment, and wanted to ask more questions.
“But…” Dan Heng’s gaze fell on her, seemingly unconvinced, as if weighing the weight of her words. Shen Mi noticed that he still wanted to ask more questions, so she immediately smiled and waved her hand: “Don’t ask for details, it’s just something I overheard.”
She changed the subject mysteriously, not giving him much room to investigate.
Shen Mi knew very well in her heart that Dan Heng did not truly believe her, but rather chose not to expose her for the time being.
Shen Mi had no choice but to increase his efforts, staring intently into Dan Heng's eyes as he spoke, his tone unusually serious: "It's all true! Manager Mei, you have to believe me."
She paused, her gaze so resolute it seemed to pierce through one's heart:
"I would never hurt you, never."
After saying that, she paused for a moment, her tone so sincere that even she herself would have believed it. She wasn't one to make promises easily, nor was she one to readily reveal her stance, but at that moment, she knew clearly that every word she spoke was true.
“You can doubt my motives, doubt the way I do things, even doubt me as a person,” Shen Mi paused, then said solemnly, “but on this matter, I will not lie.”
She wasn't asking for trust; she was stating the facts.
Danheng looked at her, not speaking immediately. His gaze was calm, as if he were analyzing and judging, or perhaps hesitating.
Shen Mi didn't urge him, but just waited quietly. He didn't speak, so she didn't speak either. Only the faint sound of the wind and the low hum of machinery operating in the distance filled the air.
After a long while, Danheng finally said softly, "Okay, I believe you."
Only then did Shen Mi breathe a sigh of relief, but she immediately put on a relaxed look and smiled, "Thank you for believing in me, Manager Mei."
Her tone was light, as if nothing had happened, but inside, something was churning with mixed feelings. She wasn't unaware that Danheng would believe her, but she hadn't expected him to do it so quickly.
“However,” Dan Heng suddenly spoke, his gaze still calm, “trusting you doesn’t mean I won’t be wary of you.”
Shen Mi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“Of course.” She blinked, her voice tinged with genuine teasing. “If you could so easily and unconditionally trust someone, I’d have to wonder if you’re being too naive.”
Speaking of naivety, Shen Mi recalled what Dan Heng had warned her about before. She was different now than she was back then.
Shen Mi looked at Dan Heng and thought to himself: You can do that if you want.
The two of them were like walking on a rope so thin it couldn't be thinner. They both knew the other hadn't told them everything, but they also understood that in this situation, being able to share even a part of the truth with each other was already a luxury.
After a moment, Dan Heng finally spoke: "You're right, trust isn't something you can just give easily. But since we're in a cooperative relationship, I think we can take it slow."
Take your time—
Upon hearing those three words, Shen Mi suddenly felt a strange sense of relief, as if her back was no longer empty, but supported by something. This feeling wasn't because she had completely gained his trust, but rather—even if only for a brief moment—he had already begun to relinquish a part of his trust.
It's not cold data in a game, nor is it emotion unilaterally determined across a screen; it's a genuine feeling, more like the warmth of the earth after a light rain, carrying a calming power that quietly permeates her heart. Just like moonlight shining on a lake, though inconspicuous, it gently and profoundly conveys warmth through every ripple.
When will the progress bar unlock?! Shen Mi couldn't wait to know just how much she meant to Dan Heng.
She sat quietly, her heart filled with subtle turmoil. Although she maintained a calm and composed demeanor on the surface, her anticipation and excitement surged like an invisible tide within her.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
After confirming the general steps of the plan with Danheng, Shen Mi didn't linger. She needed to prepare some small props to ensure the plan could proceed smoothly.
The next day, while Sang Li was in the restroom, Shen Mi stealthily approached the sink. The office was crowded and monitored by security cameras. The only safe place was the restroom.
Shen Mi's gaze swept over the stack of work documents Sang Li had placed on the washbasin. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she skillfully slipped the prepared props inside—strips of paper cut to the perfect size, so thin they almost melted into the pile of papers, but impossible to miss with a careful examination.
She wasn't gambling with luck; she was conducting a planned "guidance."
In order to ensure that Sang Li could see the note accurately, Shen Mi stuffed one into the paper almost every few pages, like planting seeds, waiting for them to sprout at some unexpected moment.
Shen Mi closed the folder, carefully wiping away the traces she had left behind, as if nothing had happened. Before turning to leave, she glanced at the bright sunlight outside the window, nodded in satisfaction, and whispered to herself:
The weather is clear, the temperature is pleasant, and the catalyst has been properly placed.
Everything seemed to be going according to her plan; Sang Li even brought that folder with her when she ate.
As Shen Mi carried the tray, he knew his chance had come.
The restaurant was bustling with people, it was lunchtime, and long tables were set up in rows, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks mixed with the voices of people. Chen Mi carried his tray and slowly walked through the crowd, but his pace was deliberately slow.
Shen Mi carried the tray and slowly walked towards Sang Li, her steps unhurried, but her eyes secretly glanced at the folder containing the "seeds"—sure enough, it was still in her arms, held tightly.
Sang Li carried the plate elegantly, striving to be a beautiful sight even while eating.
It's a pity that such beautiful scenery can only end here.
She silently counted to three in her mind, when suddenly it felt like her foot slipped, and her body lurched forward, causing her to collide head-on with Sang Li while holding the plate in her hand.
"oops!"
A gasp, accompanied by the shattering sound of porcelain, rang out at the entrance of the corridor.
The plate landed askew, food scattered everywhere, eggs rolled far away, and soup dripped down the floor. Not only the plate, but also the ever-present folder lay on the floor.
"Can't you watch the road?" Sang Li frowned subconsciously and spoke in an unpleasant tone.
The folder fell to the ground, like a mechanism that had been pried open, and a piece of paper popped out with a snap.
Then one, two, three—
A piece of paper, pure white, fluttered out like a torn feather, spilling from the folder and drifting lightly onto the floor, under the chair legs, and even onto the unnoticed side of someone's shoe.
Sang Li's expression suddenly froze, as if her spine had been removed on the spot. Her eyes were fixed on the sheets of paper, and the color drained from her face at a visible speed.
“…What is this?” she murmured, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the noisy restaurant.
She instinctively crouched down to pick up the papers, but her hands were clumsy and her fingertips trembled. With each page she turned, her expression grew paler, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying. Her face was as pale as paper, and cold sweat had appeared on her forehead without her noticing.
Shen Mi pretended to be flustered and squatted down, "Let me help you—"
“No need!” Sang Li practically shouted.
She instinctively clutched the papers, her entire demeanor becoming defensive and tense, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She frantically flipped through the papers one by one, constantly checking and tidying them up, but there were too many papers, too widely scattered, as if they were deliberately trying to uncover everything she was hiding.
Shen Mi looked down at the words on the paper, which seemed to hook into Sang Li's nerves like sharp claws.
Shen Mi could even see the other person's pupils contracting violently, and their lips trembling so much they couldn't close them.
“What’s going on… How could this be… Impossible…” Sang Li murmured to herself, her voice broken and intermittent.
She ignored the soup stains that had stained the hem of her skirt and the strange looks from her colleagues. Hunched over, she panted as she frantically stuffed the papers into the folder.
An earring quietly rolled to the corner.
Shen Mi, like a clueless newbie, squatted down opposite her, blinking his eyes: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't notice—is this, is this important? I'll help you pick it up."
"Get out of my way!" Sang Li shoved her away abruptly, her eyes filled with terrified madness, her whole face etched with the panic of "I can't let anyone else see me."
She hurriedly stood up, clutching the pile of papers, and staggered out of the restaurant. Her face was so pale it was almost transparent, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, as if she had just come out of an ice cellar. Her eyes kept scanning her surroundings, as if someone would jump out from a corner and drag her away at any moment.
In such a rush, she didn't even have time to clean the food off her clothes. Chen Mi squatted down, silently folded up the dishes that had fallen on the ground, swept the floor with a mop, and went to get another meal.
Not far away, Sang Li seemed to have finally escaped the crowd. She bent down and hid in a corner, took out her communicator, and typed at a frantic speed.
“Chloe, something’s happened.” Her hands were visibly trembling as she typed. “Same place, ten minutes, we have to meet.”
After saying that, she immediately turned off the communicator, hugged the folder tightly, as if afraid that there was still a pair of eyes in the world who would see her secret.
Meanwhile, Chen Mi was sitting in the cafeteria, happily enjoying a hot meal.
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Author's Note: The night outside this window is dazzling with lights—don't forget, you're only truly awake when you close your eyes!
The answer, the ending—how will you guess?
I'm late!!! [doge][doge][doge][kiss][kiss][kiss][kiss]
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