Floating life reflects two lotuses

The office building was as rhythmic as ever in the early morning. The elevator bells, the greetings between colleagues, and the aroma of coffee on desks mingled together, creating a well-organized yet busy atmosphere. Chu Wanlian arrived at her workstation half an hour early, turned on her computer, and reviewed the latest project data. The progress bar on the screen was slowly updating. However, her gaze lingered on a set of conspicuous data fluctuations, and her brow furrowed slightly.

"This parameter is wrong," she muttered to herself, flipping through a report from a few days ago. After quickly checking several key data points, her doubts deepened.

“Jacob,” Chu Wanlian turned and called to a passing team member, “this data is inconsistent with the previous records. Look here—is there a problem with the upload from the technical department?”

Jacob leaned closer to take a look and frowned as well: "It's probably because the data uploaded was inaccurate. The problem is, they have their own presentation today, so they probably won't have time to fix it."

“We can’t wait until after the review meeting to discuss this,” Chu Wanlian said, getting up to pick up a folder. “Could you help me sort out the other issues? I’ll go to the technical department to confirm them.”

She left decisively, leaving Jacob with a look of admiration. "Sister Lian has become a completely different person lately, with such courage..."

Inside the technical department office, several engineers were engrossed in debugging programs on their screens, the sound of keyboards clicking filling the air. Chu Wanlian gently knocked on the door and politely said, "Excuse me, I have some data that needs to be verified."

One of the engineers looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "What's wrong?"

Chu Wanlian spread out the comparison charts and pointed to one set of data: "This parameter does not match the previous records. I suspect there was a problem during the upload process. If this discrepancy is not corrected in time, it will affect the review results this afternoon."

The engineer frowned, took the document, and examined it for a while before his expression turned serious: "Indeed, this parameter shouldn't be like this. Thank goodness you reminded me, otherwise it would have been troublesome."

"Please adjust and upload the latest version as soon as possible." Chu Wanlian's tone was calm and unhurried, yet it conveyed a convincing sense of certainty.

The engineer nodded in agreement, and watching her leave, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "When did you become so professional?"

Inside the meeting room, all project leaders were present, and the PowerPoint presentations on the screen showcased the progress of each stage. Chu Wanlian's presentation was scheduled for the third stage. Holding her prepared remarks, she walked steadily onto the stage.

"Colleagues, I've redesigned an optimization plan for resource allocation." Chu Wanlian pointed a laser pointer at the screen and explained her analytical model clearly. "We need to concentrate key resources on high-priority channels, while avoiding resource waste through real-time monitoring."

Her words were concise and powerful, and the data models on the slides were clear at a glance, prompting frequent nods from the attendees.

A senior manager posed the question: "This plan requires collaboration from multiple departments, and information lag may occur during its implementation. How do you plan to resolve this?"

Chu Wanlian answered without hesitation: "Establish a shared platform to ensure real-time transparency of information at each stage. In addition, I suggest setting up dedicated liaisons between departments to be specifically responsible for cross-departmental coordination in order to improve efficiency."

The senior manager nodded in approval: "This method is very practical and definitely worth trying."

Li Chenyao remained seated at the head of the table, his expression calm, but he slightly turned his head as she spoke, his gaze following her intently. As soon as she finished her presentation, he tapped the table, his deep voice echoing in the conference room: "Very good, especially your keen judgment of the problem and your feasibility analysis of the solution. Keep it up."

His comments silenced the entire conference room for two seconds, followed by a burst of enthusiastic applause.

Chu Wanlian calmly returned to her seat, her expression utterly expressionless, yet she felt an indescribable sense of pride within. This sense of professional accomplishment was something she had never experienced before.

After the meeting, Chu Wanlian lowered her head to organize the documents, vaguely hearing her colleagues' discussion.

"This is the first time I've heard Director Li give such a high evaluation of Xiao Jinlian."

"Yes, she used to be timid and cowardly, but now she's a completely different person."

She pretended not to hear and continued organizing the documents in her hands. A short while later, a familiar, deep voice came: "Are you free?"

Looking up, she saw Li Chenyao standing beside her desk, his expression calm, but with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

“Of course, Director Li, please go ahead.” She quickly stood up, her tone polite and appropriate.

Li Chenyao stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "Your performance at the meeting today was outstanding, especially your sensitivity to data. When did you start cultivating this ability?"

Chu Wanlian was slightly taken aback, then smiled and replied, "Perhaps it's because I've started working seriously recently. There were some things I didn't do well before, and now I want to make up for them."

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep: "I hope you remember that improving your abilities requires long-term persistence." After saying that, he nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Watching his departing figure, Chu Wanlian felt a vague unease. His probing seemed to go beyond mere concern for work.

Late at night, Chu Wanlian flipped through the meeting minutes, Li Chenyao's comments constantly echoing in her mind. His gaze, his tone, even the nonchalant attitude he displayed when he turned away, all made her unable to help but speculate about his true thoughts.

"How much did he actually see through?" Chu Wanlian murmured to herself, a strange and complex emotion welling up inside her.

She closed her notebook, leaned back in her chair, and gazed at the night sky outside the window. Moonlight streamed through the glass, bathing the entire room in a soft glow. But within her, like the night wind, turbulent thoughts stirred.

Li Chenyao's probing seemed to have set the stage for an uncertain relationship, and Chu Wanlian also vaguely realized that she did not have complete control in this relationship.

Xiao Jinlian's voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in my mind: "You, you're not thinking about Director Li, are you?"

Chu Wanlian was startled and almost reflexively replied, "Of course not!"

"Oh?" Xiao Jinlian drawled, her tone full of mockery. "I could clearly feel your heart racing just now. Don't tell me you were practicing qigong."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Chu Wanlian sat up, angrily hugging her pillow. "I just think... he went a little overboard with his praise today. Who praises someone so directly in public?"

"That's all because you performed well," Xiao Jinlian continued teasingly. "However, it seems that Director Li has a different interest in you. Be careful, modern men aren't like those refined young gentlemen of ancient times. He might already be pursuing you."

"Pursuing me?" Chu Wanlian was taken aback, then laughed out loud. "You're overthinking it. He's just my boss; we only have a working relationship."

"Really?" Xiao Jinlian's tone was full of doubt. "I have a feeling that you're a little tempted too?"

"How could that be!" Chu Wanlian immediately retorted, raising her voice a few decibels, but then realized that her reaction was a bit too extreme, and quickly lowered her tone, "My heart knows very well that Brother Liheng is my only home. All of this in the modern world... is just fleeting smoke."

"Aren't you even a little bit tempted?" Xiao Jinlian deliberately pressed, her voice playful. "Director Li is indeed quite handsome, gentle and considerate. Most importantly, he's always been helping you. Maybe he's your destined soulmate!"

"Shut up!" Chu Wanlian angrily picked up a cushion and threw it at the head of the bed, gritting her teeth as she said, "My destiny was set long ago! Don't compare this kind of modern man to Brother Liheng."

"Alright, alright." Xiao Jinlian suppressed a laugh, paused, and then changed the subject, her tone becoming more serious: "However, are you sure you can always be this steadfast? Modern lifestyles and views on relationships are completely different from your previous world. Perhaps you should be more careful."

Chu Wanlian was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Don't worry, I won't forget my identity and responsibilities. Everything in the modern world is temporary."

"That's good." Xiao Jinlian's tone became more relaxed, but she still couldn't help adding, "What would Director Li's reaction be if he knew your true identity?"

"He'll never know." Chu Wanlian's tone was firm, but a complex emotion welled up inside her.

Outside the window, the city lights still flickered, reflecting the faint stirrings and unwavering beliefs in their hearts.