Chapter 65: Combat Results

Duan Yubai pushed open the office door to find Su Nuo sitting blankly on the floor, surrounded by scattered documents.

Hearing the noise, Su Nuo sprang to her feet in an instant, but her footing gave way, and she stumbled directly toward Duan Yubai.

In the past, Duan Yubai would have simply stepped aside to avoid her.

Yet this time, almost instinctively, he reached out and pulled Su Nuo into his arms.

A familiar floral scent drifted over, leaving him momentarily dazed.

The next second, he was shoved away violently by Su Nuo.

Without a moment's hesitation, Su Nuo bolted toward the door, her hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

She felt sick.

The very moment she touched Duan Yubai, a shudder ran through her entire body, and her stomach churned violently.

Rushing into the restroom, she retched relentlessly, as if trying to vomit her stomach out entirely.

Afterward, she washed her hands over and over again.

Her left hand had just been grabbed by Duan Yubai, and she had to scrub it clean.

Lately, every time she came into contact with Duan Yubai, an irrepressible fear gripped her, instantly followed by nausea.

She could not pinpoint when this reaction had started, but it had steadily grown worse.

Ever since she realized he had no intention of saving her, her body had begun to instinctively reject Duan Yubai.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat in the office?"

Duan Yubai’s voice echoed beside her, and a bottle of water appeared in front of her eyes.

Su Nuo took the water and quickly took a step back.

"Thank you, Director Duan."

"Director Duan? Heh. Su Nuo, you play the part well. Decided to be a good employee now?"

Duan Yubai let out a cold laugh. She was actually calling him Director Duan?

In the past, he had told her countless times to address him as Director Duan at the company.

Yet how had Su Nuo responded back then?

"No way! Everyone else calls you that, so I refuse."

"Doesn't 'Brother Yubai' sound much nicer? That's what all the green-tea girls call guys, and isn't that exactly what you men fall for?"

"Brother Yubai? Brother? Bro? From now on, I won't even call you brother."

He could not remember everything else she used to say, but whenever she visited the company, she would address him in that sweet, cloying voice.

So now it wasn't Brother Yubai anymore, but Director Duan?

Su Nuo had no idea what he was angry about this time; she simply gripped the bottle in her hand tightly.

Suddenly, Duan Yubai reached out, letting out an impatient, light sigh.

"Gonna say you can't open it again? Let me just..."

"No need, I can do it."

Without a second thought, Su Nuo exerted some force and twisted the cap right off.

"I... I can do it."

She looked at Duan Yubai with a trace of fear, still holding the already-unscrewed cap in her hand.

Of course she could.

Not only could she open mineral water bottles, but she could also easily snap the necks of large rats.

No matter how those small animals struggled in her hands, in the end, their necks would always be broken by her.

Duan Yubai’s expression faltered for a second before he let out a cold snort.

"So you were just faking it all along. Not pretending anymore, planning to act like some tough girl now?"

Su Nuo pretended not to hear the mockery in his tone, keeping silent.

She hadn't been faking it before. The former Miss Su loved getting manicures, so naturally, she couldn't open bottles.

But things were different now.

She was no longer a wealthy young lady, nor did she have the money for manicures.

Crucially, in order to survive, she had done far too many things like this over the past few months.

Open a bottle cap? Twisting off a skull was no problem at all.

Duan Yubai clicked his tongue, then turned and walked back toward the office area.

"Alright, go rinse your mouth and get right back here. I have some documents I need, find them for me."

"Go check your battle results first. Don't tell me you haven't managed to sort them out even after a whole day."

"Yes."

Su Nuo quickly rinsed her mouth, and only after making sure her mouth felt clean did she dare to turn around.

With her head lowered, she cautiously followed behind Duan Yubai.

Inside, Su Nuo felt a spark of anger.

Even an entire office team would take seven days to sort through all that, yet he expected her to finish it in a single day. By what right?

Just because he was the heir to the Duan family?

Yet, living under someone else's roof, Su Nuo didn't dare utter a single word of defiance.

Seeing her cautious demeanor, an inexplicable fire ignited in Duan Yubai’s chest.

When the two returned to the office and saw the documents scattered on the floor, Duan Yubai let out a sigh and strode past them.

He turned on the computer, his slender fingers clacking rapidly across the keyboard.

Su Nuo stole a glance at the time; it was already ten o'clock at night.

Why had he returned to the office alone?

Not daring to ask too many questions, she dropped back down to her knees to resume sorting the papers.

Thud!

A cushion was tossed beside her feet. Although Duan Yubai hadn't thrown it with much force, it still messed up several documents she had just organized.

Annoyed, Su Nuo kept her head down.

"Like sitting on the floor, do you? Then stay there and sit on the cushion!"

Duan Yubai said irritably, "Don't come crying to me if you get menstrual cramps later."

Su Nuo whispered a soft thank you, a bitter taste lingering in her heart.

She had pricked all ten of her fingers embroidering this very cushion.

The year before last, cross-stitch had suddenly become trendy, so she had followed the trend and bought a cushion kit.

While others finished theirs in a few days, it had taken her four months to complete.

As soon as it was finished, she had brought it straight to the office.

At the time, Duan Yubai had looked at it with utter disdain, remarking that the roses on it looked like they were about to wither.

Yet, no matter what, he had kept it in the office all this time.

Back then, Su Nuo had felt a tiny flutter of joy, but now it tasted purely bitter.

It was just a cushion that could be casually tossed onto the floor; Duan Yubai probably only kept it because he found it convenient.

After all, the other cushions in his office must have cost a pretty penny.

Only her sincerity was the cheapest thing of all.

Yet that cheap sincerity had now become her salvation.

Duan Yubai glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and, seeing her hugging the cushion in a daze, the corners of his lips curved upward.

Looks like she hadn't forgotten about this cushion.

She must be moved to tears by now, right?

Seeing that she was settled, Duan Yubai gave a light cough.

"In five minutes, bring me the quarterly reports for Marketing Departments One through Four."

"Got it!"

In an instant, Su Nuo located the reports for those departments and handed them over promptly.

Duan Yubai looked slightly surprised. "So fast? You didn't miss any files, did you?"

"No, I checked them all."

She had checked them three times.

The little note Lee Jingze had given her listed this as item number one.

Duan Yubai raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, you're not completely useless. Alright, go sort out the R&D department's summary. Just this quarter's."

Hearing this, Su Nuo let out a sigh of relief.

This was item number two on the note, and she had it ready as well.

This time, however, she didn't rush; she waited a full five minutes before bringing the report over.

Duan Yubai looked over the report carefully, then noticed that a paperclip had been bent into the shape of a heart, prompting a faint, amused smile.

The little girl really knew how to put on a convincing act.

Just as he was about to speak, a rumbling sound echoed through the room.

It was Su Nuo's stomach growling.

Lifting his gaze, he saw Su Nuo clutching her stomach tightly.

Remembering that she had thrown up earlier, Duan Yubai felt a flare of annoyance.

"This is what happens when you don't eat properly. When you end up with a stomach ulcer later, you'll be the one crying."