After numerous on-site inspections and meetings, the members of Huan Yuan Company finally chose one of Yuan Xin's proposed plans—the most practical, the most flawless—and began executing it.
Everyone in the company was suddenly busier than ever.
The branch office would be led by none other than the capable Lin Siya—a decision everyone agreed on unanimously. Her performance over the past year had earned everyone's respect and admiration.
"At the moment, we're definitely short on people," Lin Siya said during the meeting. "Before recruiting new staff, I suggest we conduct internal training to improve everyone's individual skills."
The room went quiet for a second. Then Li Xiaoyu spoke first.
"I agree," she said firmly.
As the company expanded, she knew it was crucial to strengthen the confidence of old employees. If new recruits came in and immediately outperformed them, the veterans might lose motivation—or worse, grow resentful.
Improving everyone's skill level would prevent that and benefit the company as a whole.
Li Xiaoyu felt this deeply. When Lin Siya had first joined, she had been the one guiding her. But by the second month, the roles had completely reversed.
Li's academic background wasn't strong. It was Lin Siya who had recommended useful management books and case studies, who encouraged her to pursue further education. "A diploma isn't everything," she had said, "but having one is better than not. Keep learning—knowledge always pays off."
So Li had enrolled in night classes. A year later, she truly felt transformed—her way of thinking sharper, broader—and she was deeply grateful to Lin Siya for it.
"I agree as well," said Chen Yi, the head of maintenance. He'd noticed several promising technicians under him. With a bit more training, they could become the backbone of the company.
Hiring outside talent was expensive; nurturing their own was far wiser.
At first, Chen Yi hadn't cared much when Li Xiaoyu went back to school. But after a few months, seeing how much sharper she'd become—how her management had improved—he felt the itch too.
He enrolled, stopped gaming after work, took classes twice a week, and even studied English on weekends. Months later, he could barely recognize the confident, professional man in the mirror.
"President Yuan, what do you think?" Lin Siya asked, glancing toward Yuan Xin. Her fingers fidgeted with the pen unconsciously.
Yuan Xin lifted her gaze. "Go ahead."
Lin Siya smiled faintly. She'd known Yuan Xin would agree.
A woman who could draft such perfect strategic plans would never neglect the growth of her team—especially when many of those "employees" were her longtime friends.
"For the training," Lin Siya continued, "it's voluntary. Those interested can register with Xia. Once we have the list, I'll hire professional trainers. The program will run for six months—one hour after work each day."
No one had expected Yuan Xin to take employee development so seriously.
Some were thrilled. Others hesitated—an extra hour each day wasn't easy for everyone.
"President Yuan, can I join too?" asked Yu Ying from Customer Service, her voice small, eyes bright.
Yuan Xin smiled. "Of course."
"Then I'll sign up!" Yu Ying beamed. What an opportunity. She'd always admired Lin Siya—so young, educated abroad, beautiful and brilliant. Yu Ying didn't dream that big, but she didn't want to stay a regular support rep forever. One day, she'd be a manager too.
Her colleague Zhang Ping, on the other hand, shook her head. She had a child to pick up after work, a home to tend, meals to cook—there was simply no time.
In the end, out of the dozen or so employees, ten signed up—all of Yuan Xin's earliest people among them. None hesitated.
And so the company moved forward, everyone balancing work and study.
No one was busier than Lin Siya. She practically lived between two offices, working herself thin. A month later, she'd lost several pounds. People told her to slow down, to take care of herself. She'd just smile and say she wanted the branch office open as soon as possible.
Because the sooner it opened, the sooner she could open another.
And another.
She wanted to see Yuan Xin's dream—their dream—of being the best in the country come true.
Even if Yuan Xin herself didn't seem to care much about titles, Lin Siya cared. Because Yuan Xin had said once, "We'll make it number one."
Late one night, she was still at the office.
Only the night-shift staff remained, tucked away in the customer service room. Her own office was silent—too silent. Normally she hated silence; it made her mind wander, brought loneliness creeping in.
But not here.
Not at Huan Yuan.
Here, even the quiet felt full of purpose.
She was deep in her work when a soft knock broke the silence. Without looking up, she said, "Come in."
Footsteps—light ones. Not urgent enough to pull her attention away. But after half a minute with no response, she frowned and looked up.
Yuan Xin was sitting across from her, calm and radiant as ever.
Startled, Lin Siya almost dropped her mouse. Her heart leapt wildly, pounding in her ears.
"Xin, what are you doing here?" she managed.
"You haven't eaten, have you?"
Only then did her stomach remind her it was empty. She glanced at the clock and groaned. "I forgot."
"I brought soup." Yuan Xin stood, lifted a thermal lunchbox, and set it on her desk. "Eat first. Work can wait. The company matters, but your health matters more. Next time you miss dinner, call me—I'll bring it over."
Lin Siya stared at the white, slender hand resting on the container. Those fingers… she wanted to touch them.
Yuan Xin opened the box and laid out the meal: soup, rice, a few dishes—all warm, fragrant, lovingly prepared. She handed over chopsticks and a spoon. "Eat."
Her voice was soft, almost musical, wrapping around Lin Siya's heart like invisible silk threads. For a second, Lin Siya nearly threw herself into her arms.
Instead, she lowered her head and began to eat quietly, blinking away the heat rising behind her eyes. She couldn't cry—not now. Yuan Xin would think she was tearing up from hunger. How embarrassing would that be?
The food was delicious, of course. Yuan Xin's cooking always was.
Still, Lin Siya forced herself to eat slowly, properly. She had to look elegant in front of her.
When she finished, she tidied up the dishes herself. Yuan Xin asked gently, "Not done yet?"
"Almost. Give me two hours and I'll be finished."
She truly admired Yuan Xin. The woman handled more work than anyone yet always finished on time. Lin Siya had secretly reviewed some of her reports before—perfect, every single one.
Her speed, her precision—unreal.
Once, unhappy with a flawed design, Yuan Xin had redrawn the entire layout herself in under thirty minutes—seamlessly. Not a single mistake. Then she built the data tables like a machine, calculation after calculation without even pausing to think.
How can someone be this ridiculously good? Lin Siya thought.
"Xin, you should go home," she said, standing and stretching. "I'll work a bit longer."
Yuan Xin packed the empty lunchbox away and sat down again, pulling out her phone. "I'll wait. It's too late for you to go home alone."
Lin Siya's lips curved. "Okay."
Of course she wouldn't waste a chance to stay with her.
Minutes passed, quiet except for the soft tapping of keys and the faint clicks of Yuan Xin's game. Every twenty minutes, Lin Siya's eyes would wander toward her—watching the glow of the phone screen reflect in those sharp, beautiful eyes—before smiling to herself and returning to her work.
By the time she finished, it was past one in the morning.
"Xin, I'm done. Let's go," she said, yawning, grabbing her bag.
The building was dark as they stepped out. Lin Siya clapped her hands, expecting the motion sensor lights to come on—but nothing happened.
"Broken?" she muttered.
"Maybe." Yuan Xin switched on her phone flashlight. The narrow beam illuminated the stairwell as they began descending slowly.
Their footsteps echoed—Lin Siya's heels clicking sharply against the old concrete. On the third floor, she tried clapping again. Still nothing.
"Guess the wiring's fried," Yuan Xin said casually.
"Ugh. I can't wait for the new office to finish. I'm tired of climbing stairs every day."
Halfway down, fatigue caught up to her. At the last step of the third floor, she missed her footing and lurched forward—but before she could fall, Yuan Xin's hand shot out and caught her.
Heart pounding, Lin Siya clutched her chest, pale and trembling.
"You're fine," Yuan Xin said softly. "Don't work so late next time. There's no rush."
She took Lin Siya's hand. "Come on. I'll hold you—no more falling."
For a second, Lin Siya's mind went blank. The warmth of that grip spread up her arm, straight to her chest.
She followed quietly, step by step. Her heart still raced—only now it was from something else entirely.
She smiled to herself, sneaking glances at Yuan Xin's profile in the dim light, then down at their joined hands. Her lips curved wider, her eyes shimmering like crescent moons.
The stairs were long, their pace slow—
and if time could have stopped right there, she would've been happy.
⸻
Half a year later, the company moved into a new, spacious office building—bright, modern, fully equipped with elevators.
Everyone who had gone through the training looked sharper, more confident, passing their certification exams with ease.
Yu Ying, once a shy customer service rep, now stood proudly as the head of the department at the new branch. It felt like a dream.
Others who trained were promoted as well, assigned to positions that suited their strengths. Even those who hadn't joined received raises—though they couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
A year later, Huan Yuan opened yet another branch—and entered a new industry entirely: pharmaceuticals.
When Lin Siya first heard, she was stunned.
Medicine? They were a security company! Everyone thought Yuan Xin had lost her mind.
But when she unveiled her research plan—and later, when the first new drug launched successfully six months later, bringing in staggering profits—every skeptic fell silent.
"This is… amazing," someone whispered. "It's actually genius."
From that day, Lin Siya's gaze toward Yuan Xin became even more complicated.
The Gu family—her old enemies—dealt in pharmaceuticals too.
Xin… are you just expanding the business? Or is there another reason?
Every time Yuan Xin looked away, Lin Siya found herself unable to stop staring.
This woman was too dazzling. Too magnetic. Impossible to look away from.
That night, they were attending a major business banquet. Lin Siya arrived early, heart pounding.
Tonight was special. Yuan Xin was coming—with a new image.
Just thinking about it made her grip her wineglass too tightly.
She'd been waiting for this moment for over three years.
Finally, her wish was coming true.
And she couldn't stop smiling.