Shen Yichen stared at the person in front of him.
She sat upright, composed, with a touch of elegance and pride—despite wearing a janitor's uniform, she still had the nerve to talk about negotiating terms, as if she were still that woman who once stood under the spotlight, fearless in the face of a thousand eyes.
"Who do you think you are?" he finally spoke. His voice was as cold as frost, though his eyes flickered with an unreadable complexity.
Su Rui had already anticipated his reaction. She remained calm, her response steady and measured.
"I'm willing to represent your company as a brand ambassador for five years—free of charge—after I return to my own body."
Clear, composed, and without the slightest hint of submission.
She knew Shen Yichen was not someone easily swayed by emotions. But he understood business—and he understood market value.
Yet upon hearing this, he scoffed, his voice laced with disdain.
"That's it?"
"Su Rui, you're the one asking me for help right now. You don't even know if your soul can return, and you're already negotiating?"
He slowly rose to his feet, his tone turning colder.
"And even if the swap works… it doesn't guarantee you'll wake up, does it?"
That line cut straight to the part of her she most didn't want to face.
Su Rui froze.
She had thought about it—
That even if she managed to return to her original body, she might still be lying unconscious in a hospital bed.
Trapped, unable to move, unable to speak.
Just another silent, lifeless figure plugged into machines.
But she couldn't let Shen Yichen see her hesitate.
She drew in a slow breath, lifted her chin, and replied with a deliberately breezy defiance.
"I will wake up. I'm Su Rui, after all—there's nothing I can't do."
It sounded bold, even cocky. But the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes wasn't entirely hidden.
Shen Yichen's gaze sharpened, scanning her face for every subtle twitch, every crack in her composure, as if trying to verify something.
After a long pause, he turned his back to her. His voice came low and flat.
"Since you're that confident… I suppose I can consider helping you."
He paused again, and when he spoke next, the words carried a deliberate weight.
"But—there will be one condition."
Su Rui's brow furrowed slightly. Her fingertips, resting on the chair's edge, instinctively tightened.
What condition?
How much more could she handle?
She didn't know.
But one thing she knew for certain—
This negotiation… was just beginning.