The doors to the President's office closed behind her with a soft click.
Bai Zhiqi stood in silence, gaze steady as she faced the man seated behind the desk. Ji Yanluo didn't look up immediately. Dressed in a crisp black suit, his long fingers flipped through a few documents before he finally placed the pen down and lifted his eyes.
Cold. Sharp. Calculating.
But to Bai Zhiqi, it didn't matter. She'd seen eyes more cruel in prison.
"Two weeks," he said finally. "You've kept your head low."
Bai Zhiqi tilted her head slightly. "Is that a problem?"
A corner of his lips twitched—an expression unreadable between amusement and danger. "No. But it's made people curious."
She didn't reply. Ji Yanluo's stare was heavy, like he was dissecting her for answers she hadn't said.
"I saw the post," he added. "The photo of you entering the car."
Still, she said nothing.
"You're not going to defend yourself?" he asked.
"I didn't commit a crime."
"No, you already paid for one you didn't commit." His words were like knives. She flinched—barely—but he caught it.
Ji Yanluo stood and walked around the desk, stopping just before her. "Lingfeng Media is mine, Bai Zhiqi. Every inch of it. If I say you belong here, no one will question it."
"But they already are," she said calmly.
He stared at her. "Then make them regret it."
Her gaze sharpened. "You want me to be your pawn?"
"No," he said. "I want you to show them you don't need anyone's approval. I didn't take you in out of pity. You're here for a reason. I don't coddle weak people."
Bai Zhiqi's lips curled slightly. "Good. I don't need coddling."
"Then prove it."
He stepped back, picking up a file from the table and offering it to her. "You're going to be assistant producer for the new drama. The investors need someone sharp. You'll report directly to Lu Chen."
She opened the file. Big names. Bigger risks. But it was opportunity.
And he knew it.
"You're testing me," she said flatly.
Ji Yanluo smirked. "No, Bai Zhiqi. I'm giving you the stage."
She closed the folder. "I'll take it."
His eyes glinted. "Of course you will."
As Han Su opened the door again, Bai Zhiqi gave one final glance at the man behind the empire. She wasn't sure if she hated him—or admired how he never looked away, never flinched.
Power like that... she'd take it one day.
When she stepped out into the hallway, the murmurs started immediately. Whispers flew like wildfire, and though no one dared speak to her directly, their stares burned into her skin.
Back downstairs, Qiao Wei noticed her return first. "She's back."
Lin Ke'er looked up. "That fast?"
Bai Zhiqi walked in with her usual cool expression, ignoring the stares. She headed to her desk and opened her laptop like nothing happened.
But she noticed the energy shift. Tension was thicker. Voices hushed quicker. And a few eyes refused to meet hers.
Zhao Min wasn't at her desk.
"How did it go?" Qiao Wei leaned over and whispered.
"He gave me a promotion," Bai Zhiqi said simply.
Ke'er blinked. "Wait—what?"
Bai Zhiqi turned her laptop to show them the project file marked "Top Priority."
Their jaws dropped.
"I knew it," Qiao Wei muttered. "They can talk all they want—Ji Yanluo wouldn't waste time with someone unworthy."
The others began whispering again.
"She got promoted?"
"After two weeks?"
"She must have something on him..."
This time, Bai Zhiqi didn't care.
Let them whisper.
Let them doubt.
Because now, she wasn't just some criminal trying to blend in. She was the woman climbing back to the top.
One step at a time.