Floating life reflects two lotuses

The morning sun bathed the entire city. Chu Wanlian, dressed in a smart business suit, stood in front of the company building. She had not only changed internally, but her work ability had also greatly improved, bringing positive public opinion to the company. A small promotion was nothing to her.

She took a deep breath. Suddenly, Xiao Jinlian's voice rang in her mind: "My Princess, are you trying to conquer the entire room? It's just a planning meeting; there's no need to put on this air of a royal general!"

Chu Wanlian rolled her eyes: "How can you not take it seriously? Look at your colleagues, what are they all saying about you behind your back? Now that I, the princess, am helping you save face, you don't even thank me, and you're even mocking me."

Xiao Jinlian retorted, "Come on, you're enjoying it too! But speaking of which, you were researching until midnight yesterday, did you really figure anything out?"

Chu Wanlian was silent for a moment, then frowned slightly. "Not for now. However, I always feel that something... is not right in this company." She took a step forward, pushed open the door, and silently made up her mind that she must demonstrate her abilities at the meeting today.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense as the project team discussed the feasibility of a new project. Chu Wanlian sat on the side, looking down at the documents in her hands, her brows slightly furrowed.

“I don’t think this direction is feasible.” A colleague suddenly broke the silence, his tone revealing dissatisfaction. “The budget is already tight, and adding these features is too risky.”

Another person countered, "But this is market demand. If we don't do it, our competitors might beat us to it!"

A heated debate erupted in the conference room, with everyone holding their own opinions. Chu Wanlian listened quietly, her eyes darting quickly between the documents and the screen, gradually clarifying her thoughts. She looked up and cleared her throat: "Excuse me, I have a different perspective."

Everyone turned to look at her, and the air instantly fell silent. Chu Wanlian remained calm, smiled slightly, and placed the documents on the table: "Everyone's concerns are valid, but we've overlooked one point—although the budget is limited, if resources are allocated reasonably, the risks can be minimized." She pointed to a data point on the screen and continued, "This functional module is crucial, but we can implement it using a lower-cost technology. I can provide the details later."

Her analysis was clear and logical. The meeting room was quiet for a moment, then someone nodded in approval: "That's a good line of thinking!"

“Yes, we can definitely give it a try. We’ll make a detailed presentation later to see how it’s feasible,” another person chimed in.

Li Chenyao, standing to the side, crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on Chu Wanlian. He didn't interrupt, but simply observed her behavior quietly.

After the meeting, Chu Wanlian packed up her documents and prepared to leave the conference room, but then she heard a deep voice behind her: "Jinlian, can we talk for a bit?"

She turned around and met Li Chenyao's deep eyes. His expression was as calm as ever, but there seemed to be a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"Of course," Chu Wanlian nodded slightly, responding politely.

The two walked to a rest area at the end of the corridor. Li Chenyao leaned against the wall, looking steadily at her: "You did very well today. I heard you didn't have this kind of courage before."

Chu Wanlian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Director, you flatter me. I've just been resting well during this time, and my mental state has improved a lot."

"Really?" Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, his tone tinged with amusement. "That's interesting. But I feel like you've changed your lifestyle since you came back from your vacation. You're not hiding any little secrets, are you?"

Chu Wanlian's heart tightened, but she remained calm on the surface, still maintaining a composed smile: "Everyone has a few little secrets, doesn't he?"

Li Chenyao stared at her meaningfully for a while, then smiled slightly: "That's true. I hope your secret won't affect your work. Keep up the good work."

Watching him leave, Chu Wanlian's smile gradually faded, a complex emotion welling up inside her: "What...did this man see through?"

In the afternoon, Chu Wanlian went to the archives to look up information, trying to gain a deeper understanding of some of the company's past projects. However, while flipping through an old file, she unexpectedly discovered something unusual.

This was a project report from a few years ago, involving a collaboration between the company and a supplier. One name on the list of participants in the report instantly stunned her—"Xiao Tiancheng".

"Xiao Tiancheng?" she murmured the name, when suddenly Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind: "Wait, isn't that my father's name?"

Chu Wanlian's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly flipped through the rest of the report. However, the report contained very little about Xiao Tiancheng, only mentioning that his role in the project was that of an advisor, and that the project was ultimately terminated due to funding issues.

"Why is his name on it?" Chu Wanlian murmured to herself, her heart filled with doubt.

"I don't know either... This company has absolutely no connection with my father!" Xiao Jinlian's voice was tinged with anxiety. "Princess, you must find out the truth!"

Chu Wanlian secretly took a picture of the document and secretly resolved to get to the bottom of this matter.

Back in her office, Chu Wanlian was focused on organizing documents when a colleague handed her a cup of coffee: "Xiao Jinlian, you were really impressive in today's meeting. I never knew you were so talented."

Chu Wanlian paused for a moment, then took the coffee and smiled, "Thank you for the compliment. Actually, I just took a break for a while and had some new insights."

"Looks like vacation is a really good thing," the other person joked. "It'll be my turn to take one soon."

Chu Wanlian smiled slightly, but couldn't help but sigh in her heart: "Modern life is indeed both complicated and interesting."

After get off work, Chu Wanlian returned to her residence and lay on her bed, reviewing the document she had photographed. Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind: "Lianlian, this is a really big problem. Why is my father involved in such a project?"

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out.” Chu Wanlian’s gaze turned slightly cold. “Perhaps the answer lies in those forgotten old things in your home.”

"Old things?" Xiao Jinlian was taken aback. "You mean... there might still be clues hidden in my house?"

“That’s right.” Chu Wanlian sat up, a confident smile playing on her lips. “It seems we need to get moving as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Chenyao was sitting in his office, flipping through a document. It was the same file Chu Wanlian had reviewed that afternoon. His gaze lingered on the name "Xiao Tiancheng" for a long time, his brow furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.

“Interesting…” he murmured, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “It seems she has more secrets than I thought.”