"Mr. Fu." Xu Qinghuan hesitated for only a moment. "I have a boyfriend," she said. Things that seemed too good to be true had never happened to her, and she wasn't about to start believing in them now. Whether he was testing her or genuinely needed a wife for some reason, she had no intention of getting involved. A simple lie—that she had a boyfriend—would solve everything. At her words, Fu Yanshi's lips thinned into a line, his gaze darkening. "Really?" "Why would I lie to you, Mr. Fu?" Before he could respond, Xu Qinghuan dipped her head slightly. "I won't take up any more of your time. The contract, please." "Mm." Fu Yanshi gave a curt nod, making no move to detain her. He told her the contract was with his secretary and shut the door to the suite. Clutching the contract, Xu Qinghuan hurried away, desperately wishing she had imagined the entire conversation. Fu Yanshi wanted to marry *her*? The idea was absurd. ... With the contract in hand, Xu Qinghuan bypassed Anna and went straight to Manager Chen's office. She had been on this project for too long to be pulled off now—it was completely unjust. Still, she knew she had to handle this delicately. Manager Chen was her superior, and his ego had to be stroked. For the sake of her job, she would have to apologize, regardless of who was actually in the wrong. The moment Manager Chen saw Xu Qinghuan, his expression soured. "What do you want?" "Mr. Chen, I'm so sorry about yesterday," Xu Qinghuan said, stepping forward with a placating smile. "I know I upset you, and after thinking it over, I realize it was my fault. However, I've been handling the Huaye project from the start. I'm worried that if it's handed over to Anna so suddenly, some details might get missed and jeopardize the whole deal. I hope you can… reconsider, and give me another chance." She adopted a posture of utmost humility, her tone carefully sincere, yet subtly reminding him not to let his personal feelings jeopardize the company's success. The executives were already displeased about the Hanyang affair. If the Huaye project failed too, it wouldn't just be her job on the line—his would be as well. After a moment's consideration, Manager Chen finally looked up, giving her a dismissive glance. "So what you're saying is, this project is impossible without you?" "I wouldn't dare suggest that! I'm only thinking about the success of the project. If you look at the contract, you'll see I negotiated the best possible terms after countless meetings. I'm sure you understand how much work that took." Manager Chen took the contract and glanced over it, conceding internally that the terms she'd secured were indeed better than they had anticipated. He cleared his throat, his brow still knitted in a frown. "Fine. One last chance. You saw for yourself yesterday how demanding Mr. Fu is. If anything else goes wrong with the Huaye project, you're fired. Clear?" When he finally relented, Xu Qinghuan let out a quiet breath of relief. "I'll give it my all. Thank you, Mr. Chen." Around the corner, a tall figure pulled back his gaze, his handsome features hardening as he stubbed out his cigarette. Zhou Size, who had been leaning against the wall enjoying the show, let out a smirk, a roguish swagger in his posture. "Tsk, she's a real looker, isn't she? No wonder a saint like you has finally decided to sin. Don't worry, leave her to me. You think it's hard to get a girl like that? Just say the word, and I'll have her in your bed tonight, ready and waiting." Fu Yanshi's brow was furrowed, but he said nothing, his form half-swallowed by the shadows. Taking his silence as encouragement, Zhou Size pressed on. "A little office drone like her? I wouldn't even have to get rough. Just have a couple of guys scare her a little, and she'll come running." "You touch her, and you can forget about ever coming back."