Volume 1, Chapter 24: Sister Ruan Ruan, would you like to see what my boss really looks like?

"What is she talking about?" Lin Jie was bewildered.

Tang Ruan shook her head. "I don't know."

By evening, Tang Ruan and Lin Jie finally understood the meaning behind Zhou Qing's words.

She had posted a new video. At the beginning, she was weeping bitterly, admitting her wrongdoing and begging everyone for a second chance, promising to turn over a new leaf and start life anew.

Then, she pivoted to expose Lu Xiaorou, claiming that while Lu appeared to be a pure and innocent "little white flower," she was actually hypocritical and money-hungry. She went so far as to call her a serial homewrecker, stating that Lu had knowingly pursued Huo Yanchuan despite knowing he had a fiancée, using every trick in the book to manufacture "chance encounters" and successfully hook him.

She alleged that there was more than one man like Huo Yanchuan—men who had fiancées or girlfriends but were still ensnared by Lu Xiaorou.

The content of the video was so sensational and gossipy that, coupled with anonymous funding to boost its reach, its popularity skyrocketed. Most people began mocking Lu Xiaorou as a "master of romance" with formidable tactics.

That was until someone came forward with a personal testimony.

[I’m not afraid of the shame. Back in the day, I had my partner stolen by that 'Lotus Lu.' To have my partner stolen by such a formidable character, I don't feel aggrieved.]

The username was "Milk Isn't Sweet," and the profile picture was a cartoon.

Clicking into the user's homepage, the IP address showed the country of Y.

Her homepage didn't have many videos, but they weren't the types of activities accessible to ordinary people: watching the sunrise from a cruise ship, viewing icebergs in Antarctica, and attending high-society cocktail parties in haute couture gowns.

Before long, "Milk Isn't Sweet" was identified as Cheng Tian, the daughter of the Cheng family, who was currently studying abroad in the country of Y.

Years ago, Cheng Tian had been engaged to Zhao Mingkai, the third young master of the Zhao family, but for reasons unknown, the two families suddenly called off the engagement. As for the cause, both the Cheng and Zhao families remained tight-lipped.

Cheng Tian had left to study in the country of Y, while Zhao Mingkai was sent by the Zhao family to a branch office in another city, effectively living in exile. At the time, insiders had revealed that the engagement was broken because a third party had intervened.

As for who the third party was, the outside world speculated wildly, yet not a single bit of information had leaked out.

Who would have thought that the person who came between Cheng Tian and Zhao Mingkai was Lu Xiaorou!

Cheng Tian wasn't wrong; Lu Xiaorou was indeed a formidable character.

***

In Tang Ruan’s office:

Lin Jie propped her chin on her hand, clicking her tongue in amazement. "I never expected Lu Xiaorou to be the one who stole Cheng Tian’s partner back then."

The Cheng and Zhao families had long maintained close business ties, and as the daughter and son of their respective families, they had grown up together—childhood sweethearts. Their engagement hadn't been an arranged marriage but a decision made after consulting both of them. Even Lin Jie and Tang Ruan had assumed they would eventually tie the knot.

And yet...

Lin Jie wiped her face. "Men are all the same."

Tang Ruan glanced at her but didn't argue.

Lin Jie, feeling intrigued, shared the good news that Lu Xiaorou was currently locked up with Cheng Tian. Assuming there was a time difference, she expected it to take a while for Cheng Tian to reply, but the message came back almost immediately.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: !!!]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Hahahaha, I’m going to Helen Castle tomorrow to fulfill my vows! It was worth the effort of trekking there every week to wish for 'Lotus Lu' to crash and burn.]

Now, not only had she crashed and burned, but she had also won a lifetime supply of prison food. It was truly satisfying!

Cheng Tian’s agitation over the past few days dissipated significantly.

Lin Jie keenly latched onto the keyword "Helen Castle."

[Lin Jie: Is Helen Castle really that miraculous?]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Of course! You have to know, I go to Helen Castle to pray before every semester’s final exams. For the past few years, I’ve passed every subject! Never failed once!]

!

Lin Jie became instantly interested.

"Ruanruan, I remember the place you went to in the country of Y to make a wish was called Helen Castle, right?"

Tang Ruan murmured an acknowledgment. "Why are you asking about this suddenly?"

Lin Jie: "Cheng Tian says she goes to Helen Castle every week to pray for Lu Xiaorou's downfall."
"And look, Lu Xiaorou successfully fell. Helen Castle is just too divine!"

Lin Jie was full of longing.

Tang Ruan nodded. "Indeed."

On the other side, Cheng Tian sent another message.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: Sister Jie, you know about Helen Castle?]
[Lin Jie: Ruanruan went to the country of Y for a business trip a while ago and also went to Helen Castle to make a wish.]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Aaaaaah, I missed her! If I had known Sister Ruanruan was coming, I would have asked her to hang out. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her.]

Ever since Cheng Tian left for the country of Y two years ago, she hadn't returned to China. When Tang Ruan was in high school, the Cheng family and the Tang family had partnered on a project. At that time, Cheng Tian was only in middle school—a tiny little thing who loved to follow behind Tang Ruan and Lin Jie, calling them "sister" at every turn.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: By the way, what business trip did Sister Ruanruan go to the country of Y for? I’m interning at a pretty good company right now, maybe I can help out.]
[Lin Jie: TG. You should know it.]

TG was very famous in the country of Y; Cheng Tian should have heard of it.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: !!!]
[Lin Jie: ? What’s wrong?]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: My Sister Ruanruan is truly amazing!]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Wait, I just thought of something...]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Sister Ruanruan came to the country of Y for a business trip a while ago, and our boss unexpectedly received a foreign guest from China. Could it be that Sister Ruanruan was the guest our boss met with?]

This matter had long since spread throughout TG.

The boss? Unexpectedly meeting a foreign guest?

Something flashed through Lin Jie's mind.

[Lin Jie: Who is your boss?]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Gu Yu. TG’s Mr. Gu.]

Lin Jie couldn't help but stomp her foot.

What a coincidence! Such a massive coincidence!

Her sudden movement caught Tang Ruan's attention, and Tang Ruan blinked in confusion.

"Ruanruan, do you know who Cheng Tian’s boss is?"

Tang Ruan shook her head blankly. Why would she know who Cheng Tian’s boss was?

"It’s Mr. Gu from TG! She’s interning at TG right now!"

Tang Ruan was slightly surprised but quickly accepted it. Before going abroad, Cheng Tian’s grades were quite good. Although she didn't get into Nanda University during the college entrance exam, she was admitted to the finance department of A University next door. The A University finance department, while not as prestigious as Nanda’s, still held significant weight in the industry.

The phone on the desk vibrated twice.

Tang Ruan picked it up and saw a message from Cheng Tian.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: Sister Ruanruan, did you meet our boss?]
[Tang Ruan: Yes.]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: Is our boss super handsome?!]

Tang Ruan thought for a moment and answered honestly.

[Tang Ruan: I'm not sure.]
[Milk Isn't Sweet: ??? What’s going on? Didn't you meet our boss?]
[Tang Ruan: He wore a mask. I didn't see his face clearly.]

This time, Cheng Tian didn't reply immediately.

Just as Tang Ruan thought Cheng Tian was busy and prepared to put her phone down to focus on her own work, a message came through.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: Then, Sister Ruanruan, do you want to see my boss’s true face?]

Tang Ruan hesitated for a moment. After a long while, she replied with a "Yes" as if possessed.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: Don't worry, Sister, leave it to me!]

***

Country of Y, TG Company.

Cheng Tian looked left and right. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she got up, clutched her phone, and left her workstation.

Thanks to the relationship she had built with Secretary Chen over this time, she had unearthed a rarely known, absolutely true piece of information about her boss: the boss went to the top-floor pantry every Wednesday at 3:00 PM and stayed for half an hour. Rain or shine, it happened every week.

Originally, she had planned to dig for more useful information to ensure everything went perfectly before taking action, but Sister Ruanruan rarely needed her for anything. Now that she could finally be of use, she just wanted to complete the task as soon as possible.

Starting at 2:00 PM every Wednesday, the elevator to the top floor would lock, and only the president's private elevator had access. Cheng Tian took the elevator to the floor below and then climbed the stairs to the top.

She pushed open the fire door gently and scanned the area. The top floor was empty and quiet. A figure was vaguely visible in the pantry not far away.

That silhouette...