Double evil in the business district

"Su Yao, you're back." Shen Ting's voice was low, like a stone falling into Xiao Yue's calm heart, stirring up ripples. She tightly grasped the cup in her hand, and the warm milk seemed unable to warm her now cold fingertips.

Su Yao, this name was not the first time she had heard it. In Shen Ting's phone, in an encrypted album, she had seen this woman's bright smile and their intimate photos.

At that time, she only thought the girl in the photo was beautiful, with a kind of innocent vitality, like a blooming sunflower. Now, the owner of this name has actually appeared in her life, like a thorn, piercing her heart.

Xiao Yue tried hard to remain calm and said "hmm" softly, as if it had nothing to do with her, but her slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed her inner feelings.

She recalled every detail of her acquaintance with Shen Ting: his overbearing gentleness, his meticulous consideration, his affectionate confession... These memories were now overshadowed, making her feel uneasy and frightened.

"What...what did she come back for?" Xiao Yue's voice was so soft that it was almost drowned out by the silence in the room.

Shen Ting hugged her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head, feeling her slight trembling. "Just reminiscing about the past, don't think too much." His tone was gentle and firm, but it couldn't hide a subtle trace of fatigue.

At the same time, Su Yao, who had dressed up carefully, appeared at the foot of the Shen Group building. She was wearing an elegant white dress that set off her beautiful figure, and her delicate makeup made her look even more radiant and charming. She walked to the front desk and said sweetly, "Hello, I'm looking for Shen Ting."

When Su Yao appeared at the door of Shen Ting's office, he was obviously stunned. Time seemed to have left no trace on her face. She was still as bright and beautiful as he remembered.

"Long time no see, Ting." Su Yao smiled sweetly, with a hint of unpredictable emotion in her eyes.

Shen Ting stood up and motioned her to sit down, his tone polite and distant: "Long time no see."

Su Yao's eyes swept across the office and finally landed on a photo on the corner of Shen Ting's desk. In the photo, Shen Ting and Xiao Yue were hugging each other tightly, smiling brightly and happily. Su Yao's eyes dimmed slightly, and then she smiled again. "Let's have dinner together tonight and reminisce about the past."

Shen Ting hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. "Okay."

……

Inside Xiao's company, Xiao Yue sat upright, listening to Manager Sun's report. "Mr. Xiao, the negotiation preparations for the new project are basically complete, but..." Manager Sun paused, his tone becoming grave. "Our competitor seems quite powerful. We must be fully prepared."

Xiao Yue nodded absentmindedly, her mind drifting to Shen Ting and Su Yao's dinner. Where would they eat? What would they talk about? What impact would Su Yao's appearance have on their relationship?

"Mr. Xiao?" Manager Sun's voice sounded again, with a hint of doubt.

Xiao Yue came back to her senses and forced a smile. "Continue." She tried to focus on her work, but she found that the image of Shen Ting and Su Yao together kept appearing in her mind. Her phone suddenly vibrated, and a text message popped up. It was from Shen Ting: "I have an appointment tonight, I'll be back later."

Socializing...? Xiao Yue's finger lingered on the screen, but she didn't reply.

Inside Xiao's company, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city's traffic flowed like a stream of luminous rivers. Inside the conference room, however, the atmosphere was so solemn it seemed frozen. Manager Sun pointed at the information on the projector, dissecting the competitor's strengths and weaknesses in detail.

"Mr. Xiao, our competitor this time is Tiancheng Group. They have been deeply involved in this field for many years, and their strength should not be underestimated. Their chief negotiator, in particular, is said to be very powerful..."

Xiao Yue tried to concentrate, listening to Manager Sun's report, nodding from time to time and asking some questions. But her hand holding the pen tightened unconsciously, and her knuckles turned white. Shen Ting and Su Yao's dinner was like a huge rock, weighing her down. What were they doing now? What would Su Yao say to Shen Ting?

"Mr. Xiao, what do you think?" Manager Sun's voice interrupted Xiao Yue's thoughts.

She suddenly came to her senses and cleared her throat to disguise it. "Well, I've taken note of everything you said. Tiancheng Group is indeed difficult to deal with. We must be fully prepared..."

At the same time, in a high-end western restaurant, Su Yao was looking at Shen Ting pitifully, her eyes slightly red. "Ting, I have been thinking about you every day these years. Do you know that when I was abroad, I couldn't sleep well every night and always dreamed of you..."

Shen Ting listened politely, occasionally responding, but his tone remained distant. Su Yao's words were like tiny needles pricking his eardrums. Xiao Yue's figure involuntarily emerged in his mind, her clear eyes, her stubborn smile, and the faint fragrance on her body...

"Ting, you...you still remember us before..." Su Yao's voice was choked with sobs, and she was hesitant to speak.

"Let the past be the past." Shen Ting interrupted her, his tone firm and cold.

Su Yao's tears finally burst out, and the crystal tears slid down, sparkling under the light. She picked up the napkin and gently wiped the corners of her eyes, hiding her inner loss and unwillingness.

In the restaurant, the melodious sound of a violin flowed slowly, but it couldn't soothe the subtle awkwardness and tension between the two. Shen Ting's gaze fell on the window. The busy streets and flashing neon lights couldn't dispel the irritation in his heart. He took out his phone and took a look. There was no message from Xiao Yue.

At Xiao Enterprise, Xiao Yue and Manager Sun continued their discussion. On the projection screen, dense data and charts, like a tangled mess, entangled Xiao Yue's thoughts.

"Mr. Xiao, we must formulate a response strategy as soon as possible..." Manager Sun's voice was filled with anxiety.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "You're right, we can't lose our composure..." She picked up her phone, hesitated for a moment, and finally sent a message to Shen Ting: "Are you still busy?"

The message was sent successfully, but it fell on deaf ears, with no response. Xiao Yue's heart sank bit by bit... At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and the secretary's voice rang out: "Mr. Xiao, the representative of Tiancheng Group wants to see you."

Xiao Yue put down her phone, took a deep breath, and refocused her attention on the information in front of her. Tiancheng Group, a long-standing rival, this tough battle must be fought and won. She rubbed her brow and said to Manager Sun, "Let's focus on the negotiation strategy first, and discuss other matters later."

Manager Sun nodded and flipped open another document. "Mr. Xiao, this is an analysis of the negotiation cases of Tiancheng Group's chief negotiator over the years. I've summarized some of his habits and characteristics..."

The two of them plunged back into their intense work. The data and charts on the projection screen seemed to come alive, swirling and dancing in Xiao Yue's mind. She keenly captured every detail, calmly analyzed every possibility, and strived to formulate the most perfect negotiation plan.

Despite trying to focus on her work, Shen Ting's shadow still appeared in her mind from time to time. Su Yao, that elegant and beautiful woman, was like a rose with thorns, making her feel uneasy.

She picked up her phone again and typed a message: "Is the meeting over?" After a moment's hesitation, she pressed send. A notification flashed across the screen, indicating the message had been successfully sent, but there was still no reply.

Meanwhile, in the upscale Western restaurant, melodious piano music flowed, but it couldn't mask the subtle atmosphere in the air. Su Yao seemed to accidentally glance at the flashing message on Shen Ting's phone screen. The sender was Xiao Yue. A subtle shadow flashed in the depths of her eyes, but the corners of her mouth still wore an elegant smile.

"Ting, look at you, you even brought your work to the dining table," Su Yao said softly, with a hint of rebuke, reaching out and gently covering Shen Ting's hand on the table, "No matter how busy you are at work, you should also pay attention to rest."

Shen Ting pulled his hand away imperceptibly, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and still hadn't replied to Xiao Yue's message. He put the phone back in his pocket and replied calmly, "Yeah."

Su Yao observed Shen Ting's expression and saw that he didn't seem to care about Xiao Yue's news. She felt a little relieved, but at the same time, she also felt a sense of dissatisfaction. She casually mentioned, "I heard that Xiao's company is trying to win a new project recently. The competitor is Tiancheng Group. It's not easy to deal with."

Shen Ting frowned slightly: "Business competition is normal."

Su Yao sighed softly, with a hint of regret in her tone: "Yes, but I heard that although Miss Xiao is young and promising, she still lacks experience, especially in such large-scale business negotiations..." She paused, observing Shen Ting's expression, and continued, "Also, I heard that she is also impulsive and easily emotional..."

Shen Ting's brows furrowed even more. Su Yao's words made him feel uncomfortable. He had seen Xiao Yue's impulsiveness and shortcomings, but it was this authenticity and frankness that attracted him. Su Yao's comments made him feel like she was deliberately belittling Xiao Yue, which made him feel a little unhappy.

"Su Yao," Shen Ting said in a slightly cold tone, "I know Xiao Yue's abilities better than you."

Su Yao's expression changed slightly, and then she regained her elegant smile, hiding her inner resentment. "I'm just worried about you, Ting. The business world is like a battlefield. If you're not careful, you'll lose everything..."

Shen Ting didn't say anything else. He just picked up the water cup, took a sip of water, looked out the window, but his thoughts drifted to Xiao Yue who was working hard.

As night fell inside Xiao's company, the office lights illuminated the empty corridors. Xiao Yue and Manager Sun finally finished their work and stretched out tiredly.

"Mr. Xiao, let's go back and rest first and continue tomorrow." Manager Sun said with concern.

Xiao Yue nodded, picked up her bag, and walked to the French window, gazing at the flashing neon lights. The city's traffic continued to flow, just like her chaotic thoughts. How far along was Shen Ting and Su Yao's dinner? What would Su Yao say to him? The pressure of the new project also made her feel exhausted.

"Mr. Xiao..." Manager Sun's voice sounded behind him, with a hint of hesitation.

Xiao Yue turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Xiao...are you worried about Mr. Shen and...Miss Su?" Manager Sun asked cautiously. He knew the relationship between Xiao Yue and Shen Ting, and he also knew that Su Yao's appearance had brought trouble to Xiao Yue.

Xiao Yue sighed softly, not denying it. "I'm just... a little tired." She rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the fatigue and anxiety in her mind.

Manager Sun was silent for a moment and said, "Mr. Xiao, don't worry, I believe in Mr. Shen."

Xiao Yue forced a smile. She didn't want to trust Shen Ting, either. But Su Yao's appearance made her already insecure heart even more shaky. She remembered the look in Shen Ting's eyes when he looked at Su Yao. Although it was brief, it was filled with a tenderness she had never seen before. That tenderness made her feel unfamiliar and frightened.

"Let's go." Xiao Yue picked up her briefcase and turned to walk towards the elevator. She needed a good rest, as she had more important tasks waiting for her tomorrow.

Back at the apartment, the empty room seemed especially desolate. Xiao Yue turned on the lights, and the warm yellow light filled the room, but it couldn't dispel the chill in her heart. She walked to the window, opened the curtains, and looked out at the brilliantly lit city nightscape. Thousands of lights were on, but not a single one was lit for her.

She took out her cell phone and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing Shen Ting's number. The phone rang a few times before it was connected.

"Hello?" Shen Ting's voice was a little tired.

"It's me." Xiao Yue said softly.

"Yeah, I know." There was no emotion in Shen Ting's tone.

"Where are you?" Xiao Yue asked.

"Just got home." Shen Ting replied.

Xiao Yue was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. She wanted to ask him how his dinner with Su Yao was, but she was afraid of hearing an answer she didn't want to hear.

"Go to bed early." Shen Ting broke the silence.

"You too." Xiao Yue said, then hung up. She held the phone, feeling empty inside. Shen Ting's tone made her feel as if there was a thin film between them, making it impossible for her to see or touch.

The next day, Xiao Yue came to the company early to continue preparing for the negotiation. She forced herself to focus all her attention on work and not think about Shen Ting and Su Yao.

Manager Sun walked into the office with a document in his hand. "Mr. Xiao, I found some information about Tiancheng Group's chief negotiator."

Xiao Yue took the document and looked through it carefully. "This person... doesn't seem to have a good reputation."

Manager Sun nodded and said in a low voice: "I heard that he often uses some improper means..." He paused, looked at Xiao Yue, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.