Chapter 34: Starting Work at the Company

Su Nuo didn't dare to keep listening to where she might be sleeping later. In any case, it wouldn't be worse than the storage room she was in now. Trembling, she followed Duan Yubai into his private study. On the second floor of the Duan residence, one side housed Duan Yubai's bedroom and study, while the other held his father's. To avoid disturbance, both studies were located at the far ends of the hallway and were soundproofed, making it extremely difficult for anyone outside to hear what was happening within.

As soon as they entered the study, Duan Yubai shut the door. Su Nuo instantly ducked into a corner, pressing herself tightly against the wall. Her demeanor caused Duan Yubai to frown. "Su Nuo, you..." He wanted to demand how much longer she intended to keep up this act, but he held back. Thinking of how she had collapsed in pain earlier that day left him feeling incredibly restless. She had succeeded. She had successfully captured his attention; throughout the press conference, he had been preoccupied with her condition. He had even called Chi Ling before he had finished at the venue. At the thought that she might have died from suffocation, Duan Yubai irritably loosened his tie.

"Tell me, what happened today? I remember the tulips Mo Xiaoxue had were still in bud; they shouldn't have had any pollen, right? Did you not prepare what you were supposed to say today, so you faked an allergic reaction?"

Su Nuo dared not lie. She whispered, "I am truly allergic to pollen." She wasn't lying; she had gone to the hospital because of a pollen allergy. It was just that there were certain things she didn't want to answer directly, nor did she want to give Duan Yubai any leverage to catch her in a lie. Sensing her evasiveness, Duan Yubai stopped asking. What did it matter anyway? The situation had been resolved. In truth, all the public needed to see was that Su Nuo was still alive and that the Duan family was taking good care of her. She only needed to make an appearance; the Duan family would handle the rest.

"What did the doctor say?"
"To stay away from allergens," Su Nuo replied woodenly.
Her answer made Duan Yubai chuckle. "The last time you nearly died, the doctor said the same thing. Did you forget? You saw the tulips on her and still leaned in; I think you did it on purpose!"

Su Nuo lowered her eyes, not daring to speak. She had, in fact, remembered. That time, Duan Yubai had flown into a rage and nearly thrown out all her flowers. In the end, she had spent a great deal of money and painstakingly identified the specific substance in tulip pollen that triggered her allergy. Other flowers lacked this substance, so she was not allergic to them at all.

"Forget it. I don't know how long you plan to keep up this act." Duan Yubai pressed his brow; Su Nuo truly infuriated him. Yet, remembering how helpless she looked in front of the cameras... he licked his lips. "Why didn't you fight back?"
"What?" Su Nuo looked up at him, puzzled. Fight back against what? Against whom? Against him, Duan Yubai?
"If you didn't want to go to the press conference, you should have just said so, instead of causing such a scene..." His voice trailed off abruptly as he noticed something strange on the inside of her arm—a patch of bruising. He reached out to pull back her sleeve to take a look, but Su Nuo panicked. She pushed him away with force, instinctively wanting to lash out with her foot. She stopped herself just in time, and upon catching the look of disbelief on Duan Yubai’s face, she hurriedly crouched on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to." Even after all this time, her defensive instincts remained. But she was terrified—truly terrified. Especially when she sensed Duan Yubai's anger, her entire body trembled.
"What is wrong with you? Su Nuo, stand up." Duan Yubai kept his brow furrowed. The mark on her arm looked like a pinch. But in this house, who would dare lay a hand on her? He stepped forward to pull her up, but Su Nuo retreated repeatedly until she was kneeling on the floor.

"No, don't. I'm fine, I'm really fine." She could not let Duan Yubai see the injuries on her body. He already loathed her and found her disgusting. If he saw these, would he find her even more repulsive? She shook her head incessantly, curling her body into a small ball.

Duan Yubai finally realized something was wrong. "Su Nuo, what are you—" Before he could finish, a knock sounded at the door, and Mo Xiaoxue poked her head in cautiously.
"Auntie asked me to bring you some chicken soup. Aren't you working overtime later?" Mo Xiaoxue walked in with a smile, acting as if she hadn't noticed Su Nuo at all. Su Nuo shivered on the floor, not daring to look at Mo Xiaoxue.

"Miss Su, what are you doing? Why don't you get up?" Mo Xiaoxue stepped forward, but before she could touch her, Su Nuo scrambled to her feet. Mo Xiaoxue paused, then shook her head helplessly. "Miss Su, why go to such lengths? This fragile persona isn't trendy anymore. Why don't you read a few more romance novels and try coming back to beg for sympathy later?" She shrugged at Duan Yubai. "Miss Su is truly diligent for your sake. I have plenty of 'bossy CEO falls in love with me' novels in my room; it seems Miss Su has been poisoned by them, hasn't she?" She covered her mouth and giggled.

The worry in Duan Yubai's eyes vanished, replaced by coldness. "What are you still doing here? You're embarrassing yourself!" His tone was harsh and laced with resentment. So, she had been reading novels and faking this behavior! But to Su Nuo, his words sounded like music to her ears. As long as she could leave Duan Yubai and not live under the same roof as him, she felt it was a blessing. Watching her scramble away, Duan Yubai felt the air itself become stifling.

He coughed. "Su Nuo, since you're so fond of acting, you'll go to the office tomorrow. Let's see how you keep up the act when everyone is watching! Rest assured, I'll have people monitor you 24 hours a day. Su Nuo, you’d better keep this up forever!"

Su Nuo froze in place, her clothes still disheveled. She looked up, and Duan Yubai saw her wretched appearance. He narrowed his eyes. "Since you're so good at playing the victim, you'd better be able to endure it at the office, too. You're coming with us tomorrow."
"Mr. Duan!" Mo Xiaoxue interjected.
But once Duan Yubai had spoken, no one could stop him. He continued, "Wake up early tomorrow and make breakfast first."
"I... I don't want to. I don't want to go." Su Nuo gathered all her remaining courage to say those words.
Duan Yubai let out a cold laugh. "You eat the Duan family's food and use the Duan family's belongings; you do exactly what I tell you to do. I’ve said it before: the Duan family does not keep idlers. If you don't go, get out immediately!"

He finished speaking and sat back down at his desk, preparing for a video conference. Mo Xiaoxue turned to look at Su Nuo, who was still standing there. "Miss Su, aren't you leaving? Mr. Duan is about to start his meeting. Remember to come early tomorrow morning. If the bird's nest porridge isn't soaked properly, it can't be eaten. Make sure you pay attention."