Volume 1, Chapter 25: What a pity, it’s not a full-face view...

Just then, a breeze swept by, lifting the sheer curtains around the tea room and revealing the profile of the person inside.

What a pity, it wasn't a full-face shot...

Cheng Tian didn't have time to dwell on it; she quickly snapped away. Although it was only a profile, it was better than nothing. She could always send the best one to Sister Ruan Ruan later.

Cheng Tian prayed silently: A full-face shot, please, a full-face shot...

The next moment, the back of her collar tightened. Someone had seized her by the scruff of her neck! She turned her head stiffly to meet Secretary Chen’s cold gaze.

Oh no!

"Hi, Secretary Chen," Cheng Tian said, biting the bullet.

Before she was grabbed, she had accidentally hit the power button, and her phone screen had gone dark. She had been annoyed at her own clumsiness a moment ago, but now she felt a wave of relief. Thank heavens. Surely Secretary Chen hadn't seen anything.

Secretary Chen eyed her suspiciously for a moment before asking, "What are you doing here?"

Cheng Tian’s heart finally settled. It seemed Secretary Chen hadn't caught her spying on the boss; otherwise, he wouldn't be asking—he would have taken action immediately.

Cheng Tian smiled and explained, "I was a bit tired, so I came up to get some fresh air." She then gestured toward him, "Are you here to relax too, Secretary Chen? Let’s go together."

Before she could take a step, Secretary Chen grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "The top floor is off-limits today. Let’s go somewhere else to relax."

As if! With the boss in the tea room, there was no way he would let Cheng Tian inside.

The two descended one flight of stairs. On this floor, there was a small outdoor terrace facing south—not large, but perfect for catching a breeze. Secretary Chen grabbed two bottles of fruit juice, opened them, and handed one to Cheng Tian.

"Thanks," she said, taking it.

Cheng Tian took a sip and asked, feigning ignorance, "Secretary Chen, why is the top floor off-limits today?"

Secretary Chen shook his head.

"Can't say?" Realizing her question might have been inappropriate, she quickly added, "Or do you not know?"

"I can't say," Secretary Chen replied.

"Alright then." Cheng Tian knew when to stop pushing. She secretly calculated that if she ever had the chance to get Secretary Chen drunk, she would definitely extract some useful information!

After enjoying the view for a while, Cheng Tian stood up to leave. "I'm relaxed enough now. I'll head back first."

"Alright."

Watching her figure disappear, Secretary Chen immediately followed and stepped into the private executive elevator, which went straight to the top floor.

"Mr. Gu."

"How did it go?" The man’s voice was faint, tinged with a languid air.

"She only managed to get a profile shot of you."

Seeing no reaction from the man inside, Secretary Chen asked considerately, "Should I take care of it?"

Gu Yu toyed with his wine glass. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "Is she from the Cheng family in Nancheng?"

"Yes, she is the second daughter of the Cheng family."

The Cheng family’s second daughter, Cheng Tian. An image of a bob-cut, chubby-faced girl flashed through Gu Yu’s mind.

"No need."

Back at her desk, Cheng Tian sent the photos to Tang Ruan as soon as she arrived.

[Milk Isn't Sweet: Wuwuwu, Sister Ruan Ruan, I’m useless. I didn't get a full-face shot, only a profile.]

[Milk Isn't Sweet: But don't worry, I will work twice as hard to get a picture of the boss's face as soon as possible!]

After finishing her meeting, Tang Ruan saw the WeChat message. She smiled and sent an emoji back.

[Tang Ruan: *Head patting JPG*]

She then opened the photos Cheng Tian had sent. It was indeed a profile, just as Cheng Tian had said. Aside from a smooth jawline, nothing else was visible. Tang Ruan zoomed in and scrutinized the image repeatedly, but finding no useful information, she lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment in them.

That night, she had a dream. In the dream, mist swirled, thick and pervasive. A gust of wind blew, scattering the fog, and she could see the scene in the distance. It was a small structure with only a roof and no walls, surrounded by white gauze. As the wind blew, the gauze danced in the air. Behind it sat a person.

The scene... was very similar to the photo Cheng Tian had sent earlier that day. She wanted to get closer, but couldn't move an inch. She gritted her teeth, opened her eyes wide, and prayed for the wind to blow harder, hoping it would clear away all the gauze so she could see the person's face. Deep down, she felt that the identity of the person inside was very important to her.

She was desperate to get closer, to see clearly. Perhaps her prayer was heard; a powerful gale swept through, lifting the white gauze around the structure. This time, it wasn't a hazy silhouette. The person’s figure was clearer, but on their face—they were wearing a familiar mask.

Seeming to sense Tang Ruan’s gaze, the person slowly turned their head. A pair of black eyes looked at her with a mocking expression, as if laughing at her overreaching ambition.

Tang Ruan woke up with a start. She touched her forehead; it was damp. Her body was covered in a cold, sticky sweat.

Outside the window, the sky was just beginning to brighten. Tang Ruan glanced at the wall clock. It was five o'clock. She decided not to go back to sleep, got up, grabbed a clean pair of pajamas, and headed to the bathroom.

She hadn't gone to Bihu Bay last night but had returned to the Tang family villa instead. Dinner was in two hours, so if she showered and got ready now, the timing would be just right.

At the breakfast table, Jiang Wanyu asked with concern, "Ruan Ruan, you look a bit pale. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Tang Ruan’s complexion did indeed look poor.

"I'm fine, Mom," Tang Ruan shook her head, smiling to reassure her. "I just set my alarm wrong and woke up an hour early."

Jiang Wanyu looked at her a few more times, saw nothing amiss, and sighed in relief. "No wonder I heard water running upstairs after five." She had thought she was just hearing things because she hadn't fully woken up.

After breakfast, both Tang Ruan and Tang Zhenguo headed to the company. Tang Ruan had wanted to drive herself for more freedom, but Jiang Wanyu was worried and insisted she ride with her father. Tang Ruan reluctantly agreed.

However, once in the car, they discovered that Tang Zhenguo’s vehicle wouldn't start. The driver tried several times to no avail, breaking into a cold sweat. It had been fine that morning; he hadn't expected it to fail at a critical moment.

"Dad, let Uncle Li drive my car," Tang Ruan suggested. The destination was the Tang Corporation anyway, so it didn't matter whose car they took.

The group switched to Tang Ruan's car. This time, Uncle Li started the engine immediately. He was very familiar with the route from the villa to the company. Just as he was about to turn into the underground parking garage, a figure suddenly dashed out.

Uncle Li was startled and slammed on the brakes. As the car screeched to a halt, he quickly checked the rearview mirror at Tang Zhenguo and Tang Ruan in the back seat. Although they were wearing seatbelts, the sudden stop had caused them to hit their heads against the front seats.

Tang Zhenguo, in particular, had a face so cold it could freeze the air. With twenty years of experience driving for the Tang family, Uncle Li knew that Tang Zhenguo was furious.

"Mr. Tang, I, I..."

Tang Zhenguo raised a hand to cut off his explanation. "It’s not your fault."

The culprit was the person outside who had suddenly jumped in front of the car. They didn't care about their own life, and they wanted to take them down with them! Thinking of this, Tang Zhenguo’s expression grew even colder.