The office restroom echoed with the low hum of the ventilation and the gentle dripping of a faucet someone hadn't turned off properly.
Bai Zhiqi stood before the mirror, washing her hands slowly, deliberately. Her face, reflected in the glass, was calm — almost too calm. But behind her eyes, fire brewed.
The door burst open behind her.
"Got a second?" Zhao Min's voice was anything but polite.
Zhiqi didn't turn around. "If you're here to apologize, speak fast. I have work to do."
Zhao Min's heels clicked across the tiled floor until she stood beside her. "Apologize?" she scoffed. "For what? Posting a picture? People post what they see."
Zhiqi met her gaze through the mirror. "You saw me getting into a car and decided that meant something worth spreading rumors about."
Zhao Min shrugged, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault if people put two and two together. High-end car. New intern. Mysterious background. People are curious."
Zhiqi turned off the faucet, dried her hands calmly, and faced her. "Curious… or jealous?"
That struck a nerve. Zhao Min's lips thinned.
"You think just because you got lucky with some connections, you can waltz in and get noticed?" Zhao Min hissed. "People like you don't last long in companies like this."
Zhiqi leaned back against the sink, arms crossed. "People like me?"
Zhao Min smirked. "The quiet ones. The ones who don't belong. I've been here three years. I worked my way up. And suddenly some no-name intern with a blank resume gets special treatment?"
"Special treatment?" Zhiqi repeated, tilting her head. "You mean a car picking me up after hours? That's your standard for favoritism?"
Zhao Min stepped closer. "Don't play dumb. People are talking. You're not here just to work, are you?"
Zhiqi's smile was slow and cold. "You're right."
Zhao Min blinked. "What?"
"I'm not here just to work," she said softly. "I'm here to observe. To remember faces. To take note of people who like to run their mouths without knowing who they're dealing with."
For the first time, Zhao Min faltered.
"You think you know me. You don't," Zhiqi continued. "But here's a tip — next time you try to ruin someone, make sure they're not stronger than you."
"You're threatening me?" Zhao Min spat.
"No," Zhiqi replied, brushing past her. "I'm warning you. Because next time, you won't even see it coming."
As she reached the door, Zhao Min grabbed her arm.
"You're hiding something. Just wait. People like you always slip eventually."
Zhiqi slowly turned her head, eyes like sharpened steel.
"Then you'd better hope I never fall," she said flatly. "Because when I do… I'm taking people like you down with me."
Zhao Min froze.
Zhiqi pulled her arm free and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Inside, Zhao Min stood alone, her heart racing — unsure when the cold sweat had started forming on her back.
She had expected a scared intern.
What she got… was something else entirely.