Chapter 39: No Wonder She...

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All along the way, Su Nuo kept her eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

The long-lost feeling of freedom washed over her, yet it still felt somewhat unreal.

She had traveled this road countless times before.

There had been a time when she drove back and forth several times a day just to deliver meals she had cooked herself to Duan Yubai.

Even when she did not bring him food, she would still go and see him.

It was as if she could not feel at ease unless she saw him; otherwise, she would spend the entire day in a state of restless anxiety.

And this was also the road she had taken to escape home.

She could no longer remember how she had made her way back. She only remembered that she had to run in the direction of home.

What had truly sustained her was her longing for home.

After not seeing her for so long, how worried must her parents have been?

Perhaps they had been searching for her all over the world.

Duan Yubai might have been worried too. After all, she was still his sister in name.

Even if it were merely a cat or a dog one had raised, there would be affection after so many years.

But reality had delivered him a resounding slap in the face.

She was worth less than a dog, so why would anyone care about her?

Behind her, Mo Xiaoxue continued chatting and laughing with Duan Yubai.

“Shanghe Real Estate is actually quite sincere. If we give them another one percent concession, the deal should probably go through.”

“You were amazing last time. So many people failed to close it, but the moment you stepped in, it was settled.”

“There’s too much going on at the company now, so you need to take care of yourself too. Why don’t we have Thai food across the street for lunch? I heard the chefs came all the way from Thailand.”

Mo Xiaoxue’s voice was as soft as flowing water, filled with unmistakable affection.

Perhaps a man would not notice it, but as someone who had once been in love, Su Nuo could naturally hear it.

Duan Yubai did not say much, yet he responded to every sentence.

He had never treated her that way.

Whenever he was with her, he was always impatient, and would never have listened to her speak so much.

As expected, a person’s attitude was entirely different when they were with someone they truly cared about.

She had once resented Mo Xiaoxue. Only now did she understand that those who were unloved could struggle all they wanted, and it would still be futile.

She drew a deep breath and looked at the specks of dirt on her white suit.

Although Chi Ling had helped clean it earlier, the stains remained painfully conspicuous.

Once a garment was soiled, no matter how thoroughly it was washed, everyone would only stare at the blemishes.

Just like they did with her now.

Except that she was covered in stains from head to toe, and had become the greatest stain on the Duan family.

If he had a choice, Duan Yubai probably did not want her to remain at home any longer either, did he?

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Lost in thought, she did not notice that the car had already arrived at the entrance of Duan Corporation.

Duan Yubai got out first and, with impeccable courtesy, opened the door for Mo Xiaoxue.

Several employees hurrying to work turned to look.

“Is Secretary Mo living with the president? Why do they arrive together every day?”

“I heard they’re living together. The Duan family has always liked her anyway.”

“Are wedding bells about to ring? I’m so jealous.”

The murmurs abruptly fell silent, only to erupt into even louder discussion a moment later.

“Su Nuo? Is that the eldest daughter? It’s her, isn’t it?”

“How did she lose so much weight? Does she even weigh eighty pounds now?”

“She looks much prettier after losing weight. That outfit is quite businesslike. Could she be here to work?”

“How could that be? Isn’t President Duan the one who hates her clinging to him most?”

Everyone turned to look at Su Nuo in her white suit.

After losing so much weight, the baby fat had vanished from her face, and the childishness had faded away as well.

She looked much more mature overall. Yet her eyes darted about timidly, as though she were frightened.

Some people stared at her in disbelief.

“Could it be true? Was she really mistreated?”

“We haven’t seen her for several months. Could she have been sent to some kind of reform school?”

“Wasn’t it said that she had gone missing? Could something have happened to her? Something like...”

As everyone speculated, Duan Yubai suddenly turned toward the crowd. Frightened, they hastily avoided his gaze.

He strode straight into the company, with Mo Xiaoxue hurrying after him.

After walking a few steps, he realized that Su Nuo had not followed and turned back.

“Do I need to ask you twice?”

The moment Duan Yubai spoke, everyone looked at Su Nuo.

She almost jogged to catch up. “I’m sorry.”

She glanced cautiously at Duan Yubai. When she saw that his expression appeared unchanged, she finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

As they entered the company, Mo Xiaoxue asked softly, “President Duan, what position will the eldest daughter have?”

It was the peak period for employees arriving and clocking in, and everyone turned to look.

She had done it deliberately. Since Su Nuo was coming to the company, she wanted everyone to see clearly what Duan Yubai’s attitude toward her was.

Duan Yubai slowed to a stop. He truly had not decided yet.

Yesterday, he had simply been annoyed by the sight of Su Nuo.

Had the servants bullied her so badly that she no longer even knew how to resist?

He had instinctively thought of bringing her to the company.

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Perhaps high-intensity work would help her gradually recover.

Duan Yubai had never believed in gentle encouragement or nurturing education. From childhood, he had been raised through pressure and comparison, and believed that was the only way to forge strong people.

Even if Su Nuo could not become strong, she should at least maintain the bearing of the eldest daughter of the family.

She could be obedient, but she could not be spineless.

Whenever he thought of the helpless way she had behaved, he felt restless and irritated.

Seeing that Duan Yubai remained silent, Mo Xiaoxue suggested, “Why not have her start from the bottom?”

“The eldest daughter has never worked before. I’m afraid something might go wrong if she is given anything too important right away.”

“The Marketing Department is the best place to temper someone. Why not send her there?”

“You decide.”

After saying that, Duan Yubai stepped directly into the elevator.

Mo Xiaoxue followed with a smile.

But just as Su Nuo was about to enter, Mo Xiaoxue stretched out a hand.

“Eldest daughter—no, from now on, I’ll just call you Su Nuo.”

“If you’re going to be an employee, you can’t use the president’s private elevator. Go wait in line over there.”

She pointed toward the several employee elevators crowded with people.

Su Nuo shrank back. She was somewhat afraid of being around so many people, and even more fearful of their eyes upon her.

“Being late on your first day as an employee wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”

Chi Ling stepped forward and blocked the elevator door. “President Duan, the meeting is about to begin.”

Duan Yubai glanced at his watch and said impatiently, “What are you standing there for? Don’t let it happen again.”

Su Nuo immediately lowered her head and stepped inside, then curled herself into a corner, doing her best to minimize her presence.

Mo Xiaoxue cast a sidelong glance at Chi Ling.

What was wrong with him? He had always treated everyone equally and never meddled in other people’s affairs.

But was he being a little too kind to Su Nuo now?

Then a thought struck her, and her pupils abruptly widened.

She and Chi Ling had been colleagues for many years. She had personally witnessed the way he made things difficult for Su Nuo.

Whenever Su Nuo tried to enter the president’s office, Chi Ling had been utterly impartial, never even bothering to show her a pleasant expression.

Someone with Chi Ling’s personality could not change so easily.

Could Duan Yubai have ordered him to look after Su Nuo?

Mo Xiaoxue clenched her fists and stared intently at the numbers above the elevator.

From time to time, her gaze fell upon Su Nuo, huddled in the corner.

If that was truly the case, then she could hardly be blamed for taking action.