Two weeks had passed since Bai Zhi—known only by that name—started her quiet work at Lingfeng Media. Despite the whispers behind her back and the tension that lingered whenever she passed by certain departments, she did her job with quiet efficiency, never responding to the undercurrent of gossip or the cold stares some employees threw her way.
That morning, the office was buzzing with its usual hum until Han Su, Ji Yanluo's cold-faced assistant, stepped into the building. Dressed in black with his signature clipboard, he was the kind of man whose presence made people sit straighter and lower their voices.
He didn't waste time.
"Is Bai Zhi here?" His voice was calm but left no room for resistance.
Heads turned.
Bai Zhi rose slowly from her seat, keeping her face unreadable. "Yes."
"You're needed in the President's office."
The room went still.
Bai Zhi didn't respond, just picked up her ID card and followed Han Su out of the office without a word. The click of her heels faded down the corridor.
Then, the room exploded.
"Did you see that?" someone whispered loudly. "That's Ji Yanluo's personal assistant. Why would he come get her?"
"Is she his mistress or something?" another muttered.
"I told you something was off about her. She just showed up out of nowhere and got a position without going through HR properly. Now this?"
"Exactly. First it was the luxury car picking her up, now this? And she has the audacity to keep to herself like she's better than us."
"Maybe she's got something over the President... or someone high up."
As the murmurs turned nastier, Qiao Wei's chair scraped loudly against the floor. She stood up, arms crossed, her expression sharp.
"Say one more word and I'll make sure you regret it," she said, voice cool.
The gossipers paused, startled.
"What?" one of them scoffed. "Are you seriously defending her? We barely know her."
"And yet you know enough to spread lies about her?" Qiao Wei shot back. "Since when is it a crime to get picked up by a car or be called by an assistant?"
"She's shady! No background, no friends, nothing. Just showed up."
"She does her job," Lin Ke'er added quietly, stepping in beside Qiao Wei. Her usual soft demeanor was gone, her eyes clear with conviction. "She comes early, leaves late. She doesn't bother anyone, and yet you all act like she's committed a crime."
Qiao Wei nodded. "If anything, she works harder than half of you combined. Maybe that's what really bothers you."
A woman in the back scoffed. "So what? You're best friends with her now?"
"I don't have to be," Lin Ke'er said. "But I've seen enough to know when someone's being unfairly targeted."
The air thickened with silence.
The manager, overhearing the commotion, peeked out of her glass office, but one look at Qiao Wei's and Lin Ke'er's expressions and she retreated. Everyone knew Qiao Wei came from one of the smaller influential media families—they might not be powerful enough to control Lingfeng Media, but stepping on her toes was still a risk.
"Mind your business and do your work," Qiao Wei snapped. "Stop acting like high schoolers."
The gossipers exchanged glances, then reluctantly turned back to their screens. The air buzzed less now—but tension still lingered.
Lin Ke'er returned to her seat, her hands slightly trembling as she picked up her tablet again.
"Thanks," she said under her breath to Qiao Wei.
Qiao Wei smiled faintly. "She hasn't said much since joining, but... there's something about her. Not weakness. Strength."
Lin Ke'er nodded. "I feel that too."
Just as they returned to their work, a notification popped on the office group chat.
*"President Ji's assistant came to personally fetch Bai Zhi again?"*
*"What is her background really??"*
*"Mistress alert?"*
Qiao Wei rolled her eyes and started typing.
*"Whoever keeps posting these rumors, HR will be alerted. We're in a professional setting, not a tabloid show."*
She hit send.
A moment later, the admin removed the message thread entirely.
Meanwhile, in the President's office upstairs, Bai Zhi stood silently, facing the man behind the desk, her face as calm as ever—unaware that while the world below whispered and judged, there were already people beginning to shield her.