The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a thin band of light on the carpet.
Yu Jiuyuan sat in front of the dressing table, looking at the faint dark circles under her eyes in the mirror. She hadn't slept well last night after all.
She opened the jewelry box, picked out a pearl necklace, and put it on.
The smooth pearl against her collarbone brought a cool touch, which also cleared her mind a bit.
The most effective way to deal with someone like Rong Shenghan, who is good at slowly boiling a frog, is to draw clear boundaries so that he has no room to get close.
When I went downstairs, the restaurant was already filled with the aroma of coffee and toast.
Rong Shenghan sat at the dining table with a newspaper in front of him, but his fingertips lingered on the front-page headline, clearly not paying attention. Hearing footsteps, his shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly.
Yu Jiuyuan walked straight past him and sat down in the main seat, without making eye contact at all, as if he were just a decoration in the restaurant.
The butler stepped forward at the opportune moment and placed a freshly heated milk in front of her: "Miss, today's breakfast includes your favorite crab roe soup dumplings."
"Hmm." Yu Jiuyuan picked up her chopsticks, took a small steamed bun, gently bit open a small hole, and blew on it.
Across from him, Rong Shenghan put down his newspaper, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
The scalding liquid slid down his throat, but couldn't suppress the spreading bitterness. He had grown accustomed to her indifference, yet he still felt a dull ache in his heart whenever he was completely ignored.
"What are the student council's plans for today?" Yu Jiuyuan suddenly asked, but she was referring to the butler standing to the side.
"At 10 a.m., Secretary Lin will come to submit the supplementary report. At 3 p.m., Young Master Xie will deliver the final data for intelligent medical care." The butler reported skillfully, his eyes cautiously scanning between the two men.
"Understood." Yu Jiuyuan nodded, then picked up another small steamed bun. "Update the schedule in my study. Make sure it's free after 4 PM. I'm going to Yuan Xu's lab."
"yes."
Her voice was calm and natural, clear and logical, as if she were presiding over a meeting that had nothing to do with her.
Rong Shenghan's fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup, his knuckles turning white. She had even arranged the time to go to Yuan Xu's place, yet she was reluctant to give him a single unnecessary word.
“The Yuanxu strain requires a specific constant temperature environment. I have someone prepare a constant temperature incubator, perhaps…” He couldn’t help but speak, his voice slightly hoarse with a hint of hesitation.
Yu Jiuyuan seemed not to hear, and simply told the butler, "Have the driver prepare the car in advance. The laboratory is in the suburbs, and the road conditions are not good."
"OK."
Rong Shenghan's words were left hanging in mid-air, like a pebble thrown into an icy lake, failing to even create a ripple.
Looking at Yu Jiuyuan's profile as she focused on eating, he suddenly felt like a clown, all his attempts to be friendly turning out to be wishful thinking.
Breakfast ended in dead silence.
Yu Jiuyuan put down her chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe her lips, and as she stood up, she instructed the housekeeper, "Pack up this steamed bun and bring it to Lin Yanran."
"yes."
She turned and walked towards the study, her steps not faltering as she passed Rong Shenghan.
He clenched his hands on his knees so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh. She even remembered to bring breakfast for Lin Yanran, but she wouldn't even spare him a glance.
In the study, Yu Jiuyuan had just turned on her computer when she saw an email from Xie Zhecheng.
The attached file is the final test report for the intelligent medical system, with data accurate to four decimal places. It also includes the note: "[My mother said she'd like to invite you to dinner next week.]"
Yu Jiuyuan's fingertip paused on the screen for a moment before replying: [Okay, you set the time.]
As the notification popped up indicating successful delivery, she heard a soft knock on the study door.
"Enter."
Rong Shenghan walked in, holding a document in his hand: "These are the financial statements of several subsidiaries under the Su family. I had them compiled, and they might be useful to you."
Yu Jiuyuan's gaze remained fixed on the computer screen, without looking up: "Put it on the table."
He placed the document on the corner of the desk as instructed, but did not leave immediately; he simply stood there watching her.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on her. Her long eyelashes, hanging down like two small fans, concealed all the emotions in her eyes.
“Jiuyuan,” his voice was low, with an almost humble plea, “can we… have a proper talk?”
Yu Jiuyuan finally raised her head, her eyes calm and unwavering, as if she were looking at a stranger: "Vice President Rong, do you have official business?"
It's "Vice President Rong" again.
This nickname was like a needle, precisely piercing Rong Shenghan's most sensitive spot.
He opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and in the end, all he could manage was a bitter laugh: "No."
"Then I need to get back to work." Yu Jiuyuan lowered her head and looked back at the computer screen. "If the vice president has nothing else to do, please go back. Don't waste my time."
The order to leave was delivered bluntly and decisively.
Looking at her resolute profile, Rong Shenghan finally realized that he had already lost all initiative in this cold war.
He silently turned around and gently closed the study door.
The moment the door closed, a crack finally appeared in the calm on Yu Jiuyuan's face.
She stared at the thick document on the corner of the table, her fingertips trembling slightly.
How could she not want to know the Su family's background? How could she not want to find out what grudges he had against the Su family?
But once she accepted the document, it meant that she had compromised with his concealment, and that she had tacitly approved of this unequal way of getting along.
She is Yu Jiuyuan, not a parasitic flower that needs to depend on a man.
What she wanted was absolute equality and honesty, not this kind of "protection" shrouded in secrecy.
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