The development project for the East City plot took a turn for the better thanks to a seemingly insignificant piece of information provided by Lin Weiwei. Su Qingyu managed to secure VIP box seats for that highly sought-after Kunqu opera performance through her connections, and used this opportunity to establish contact with the difficult-to-deal-with General Manager Zhang. Although the subsequent negotiations remained challenging, at least the deadlock had been broken.
This incident earned Lin Weiwei a bit of recognition within the company. Among the glances that had previously been either dismissive or curious, a hint of approval gradually began to emerge. She was no longer merely a "decorative figure" or "former arch-rival" clinging to Su Qingyu; instead, she was starting to demonstrate her own worth.
True to her word, Su Qingyu had the experienced Vice President Chen bring Lin Weiwei on board to work on specific projects. Lin Weiwei was a quick learner; she wasn't inherently unintelligent, but the original host had left her with such a poor foundation, compounded by her initial apathetic attitude after the body swap. Now, with clear goals and motivation, plus guidance from Su Qingyu and Vice President Chen, she grew rapidly, soaking up knowledge like a sponge.
She began to understand complex financial statements, offer constructive suggestions during project meetings, and even draft simple cooperation agreements on her own. The busy yet fulfilling work made her almost forget that she was in a book world fraught with danger.
However, Gu Chen clearly hadn't forgotten them.
That day, Lin Weiwei attended a medium-sized industry networking event on behalf of Su Qingyu. Su Qingyu typically didn't attend such events in person; it was standard practice to send an assistant or department manager. After her recent training, Lin Weiwei was now able to handle such situations with relative ease.
Halfway through the event, during the open networking session, Lin Weiwei was engaged in a lively conversation with a potential partner when a familiar yet unsettling voice rang out behind her.
"Miss Lin, what a coincidence."
Lin Weiwei froze, turned around, and saw Gu Chen. He still carried that same air of aloof arrogance, holding a glass of champagne in his hand, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth—one that appeared gentle but was, in truth, icy. He was alone, clearly having come specifically to find her.
"Mr. Gu." Lin Weiwei suppressed the disgust and tension welling up inside her, maintaining a polite facade as she nodded, intending to wrap up her conversation with her current business partner and leave.
"Why the rush, Miss Lin?" Gu Chen took a step forward, subtly blocking her path, his gaze sweeping over her face like a spotlight. "It's been quite some time. You've changed so much, Miss Lin, I almost didn't recognize you."
His words carried a hidden meaning, and several people nearby who had noticed the commotion pricked up their ears.
Lin Weiwei knew he was doing this on purpose—either to embarrass her or to try to find a weakness in her. She took a deep breath, recalling Su Qingyu's calm demeanor and advice, and put on a professional smile: "People are always growing, Mr. Gu. Especially after encountering some… unexpected opportunities."
She deliberately left the meaning of "opportunities" vague—it could refer to work, or it could be a subtle allusion to Su Qingyu.
A shadow flashed across Gu Chen's eyes, and the smile on his face faded slightly. "Opportunities? It seems Su Qingyu has indeed given Miss Lin quite a bit of… 'guidance.'" He deliberately emphasized the word "guidance," lacing it with an ambiguous implication.
Lin Weiwei felt a surge of anger, but her expression remained impassive: "Ms. Su is an excellent boss and mentor; I've benefited greatly from her."
"Boss? Mentor?" Gu Chen chuckled softly, his voice dropping to a whisper laced with sarcasm and a threat audible only to the two of them. "Lin Weiwei, don't forget who you are. Do you really think that by relying on Su Qingyu, you can escape the shadow of your past? That you can change your predestined fate?"
His words were like venomous snakes, attempting to burrow into Lin Weiwei's heart, awakening her fear of the "plot" and her tragic ending.
Had she just arrived in this world, Lin Weiwei might truly have been intimidated by him. But now, as she looked into Gu Chen's eyes—eyes that presumed to control everything—a surge of intense aversion and courage welled up within her.
She met Gu Chen's gaze without flinching, her voice clear and calm: "Mr. Gu, my past is none of your concern. As for my future, I will decide it myself—not some… inexplicable script."
She almost blurted out the word "book," but stopped herself just in time. Still, the word "script" was enough to make Gu Chen's expression shift slightly.
He had clearly understood Lin Weiwei's implication.
"As for the ending?" Lin Weiwei even took a small step forward, mimicking Su Qingyu's cold, mocking tone as she whispered, "Mr. Gu, you'd better worry first about whether your own script can still play out smoothly."
Having said that, she ignored the sudden darkening of Gu Chen's expression and gave a polite smile to her slightly awkward business partner standing nearby: "Mr. Wang, I think we could go into more detail about what we were just discussing. Shall we head over there to talk it through?"
She calmly walked past Gu Chen, who had frozen in place, and led Mr. Wang toward the lounge area, as if what had just happened were nothing more than a trivial interlude.
It wasn't until they had walked a dozen or so meters away that Lin Weiwei felt a cold sweat break out on her back, and her fingers, clutching the folder, began to tremble slightly. But at the same time, an unprecedented sense of exhilaration surged through her.
She had done it. She hadn't shown any weakness in front of Gu Chen, hadn't let him lead her by the nose, and had even… fought back.
She was no longer that "vulnerable weak spot" who could only hide behind Su Qingyu and needed to be protected.
After the meeting, Lin Weiwei returned to the office and went straight to Su Qingyu's office to tell her about her encounter with Gu Chen.
Su Qingyu listened without showing any surprise, asking simply, "What did he say? How did you respond?"
Lin Weiwei recounted everything in detail, including her final, defiant retort.
Su Qingyu listened, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. It wasn't that cold, mocking laugh, but a soft chuckle tinged with genuine pleasure and approval.
"Very good," she said, looking at Lin Weiwei with bright eyes. "It seems my little assistant is starting to spread her wings."
The title "little assistant" made Lin Weiwei's cheeks flush slightly, but the admiration in Su Qingyu's eyes made her heart feel as sweet as honey.
"He's getting desperate." Su Qingyu stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the bustling traffic below. "That's why he's lowered himself to come find you in person, trying to belittle you with his words and shake your resolve. "This proves that our very existence has become a genuine threat to him and his so-called 'script.'"
She turned around, the sunlight behind her casting a dazzling halo. Her gaze was resolute and powerful:
"Lin Weiwei, remember how you feel today. When we become so strong that our enemies are forced to take us seriously—even to the point of fear—then true freedom will be within our grasp."
Lin Weiwei nodded vigorously, her heart filled with unprecedented confidence and strength.
She looked at Su Qingyu standing against the light and, for the first time, felt with such clarity that they were not merely allies, but each other's most steadfast support in this battle to defy fate and rewrite destiny.
And her heart, it seemed, was also quietly shifting in a certain direction, day by day, through their side-by-side battles and the subtle influence of their time together.