Jiang Yuxi had barely slept the night before and the hours had blurred together as she worked tirelessly, fueled by nothing but sheer determination and the refusal to fail. Her fingers ached from typing, her eyes burned from staring at the screen for too long, but she refused to give in to exhaustion. She had one chance to prove herself, one chance to silence those who were waiting for her downfall.
Now, standing in the middle of the conference room, all eyes on her, she felt every second of that sleepless night pressing down on her.
The room was filled with senior executives, department heads, and even a few higher-ups from Gu Corporation's headquarters. The air was thick with tension, anticipation, and the unspoken expectation that she would fail.
At the far end of the table sat Gu Zeyan, his presence alone casting an intimidating shadow over the meeting. He hadn't spoken a word, nor had he given any indication of his thoughts, but she could feel his gaze on her, piercing and unreadable as always.
Taking a deep breath, Yuxi steadied herself and began her presentation.
The PR crisis was no small matter—one of Gu Corporation's biggest clients was on the verge of pulling out due to a scandal. The company's reputation was at stake, and everyone in the room knew it.
This was a situation that would normally be handled by senior employees with years of experience, not a newcomer like her. But Liu Wen had thrown her into the fire, expecting her to burn.
She refused to let that happen.
Yuxi stood tall, her voice clear and steady as she walked the executives through her proposed solution.
She anticipated every potential question and countered them with logic, proving that her approach was not only viable but perhaps the best course of action.
When Liu Wen attempted to poke holes in her plan, she calmly addressed each concern, leaving no room for doubt.
Her hands gripped the edge of the conference table, hiding the tremor in her fingers. She wasn't just presenting a strategy—she was fighting for her place here.
For the first time since she joined the company, the room was silent.
Liu Wen's lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes flickered toward Zhao Liying, who remained composed but noticeably less smug than usual. They had expected her to crumble, to make a fool of herself in front of everyone.
But she hadn't.
Instead, she had left them with nothing to attack—at least, not without looking petty in front of the higher-ups.
A beat of silence stretched before Lin Mochen, the senior manager who had recognized her potential earlier, finally spoke up.
"Well done," he said simply, nodding in approval.
His words, though brief, carried weight. He was someone whose opinions mattered within the company, and his acknowledgment of Yuxi's efforts did not go unnoticed.
A few murmurs rippled through the room. Some of the executives exchanged looks, perhaps reconsidering their earlier assumptions about her.
But not everyone was pleased.
Liu Wen remained rigid, his pride wounded. "Your plan is sound," he admitted begrudgingly, "but execution will determine whether it truly works. We will proceed with caution."
It wasn't praise, but it wasn't outright dismissal either.
Zhao Liying leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "For a beginner, you've done better than expected," she remarked with a thin smile. "But let's see if you can handle the pressure when things get real."
It was a warning disguised as a compliment.
Yuxi met her gaze without flinching. "Pressure is nothing new to me," she said evenly.
Zhao Liying's smirk didn't fade, but her eyes darkened ever so slightly.
Gu Zeyan remained silent. His expression betrayed nothing, but his eyes lingered on Yuxi longer than usual. There was something unreadable in his gaze—was it interest? Annoyance? Something else entirely?
She couldn't afford to think about it. Not now.
As the meeting concluded, Yuxi gathered her documents, ignoring the whispers and side glances from her colleagues. She had won this round, but she knew better than to assume this was the end.
Just as she turned to leave, a soft chuckle reached her ears.
"You should have stayed in your place."
Yuxi froze.
Meng Yiran stood by the doorway, arms folded, a sickly sweet smile on her lips. "You don't know what you've done, do you?"
Yuxi arched a brow. "If you're about to warn me, don't waste your breath. I already know people like you don't like seeing me succeed."
Meng Yiran's expression remained amused. "Succeed?" she echoed mockingly. "You think this was a victory? Sweetheart, you've just made enemies you can't handle."
Yuxi clenched her jaw but refused to let the words shake her. "If that's the case, I look forward to the challenge."
She brushed past Meng Yiran without another glance, though her heart pounded in her chest.
She had fought hard for this small step forward. But as she left the conference room, she couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut—
This was only the beginning of an even bigger battle.
Unbeknownst to Yuxi, a pair of cold eyes had been watching the exchange.
Gu Zeyan had remained in his seat even after most of the executives had left. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, his gaze still fixed on the door where Yuxi had just disappeared.
She was tenacious. More so than he had expected.
She was also reckless.
He didn't like when things strayed out of his control.
And Jiang Yuxi was proving to be more unpredictable than he had anticipated.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Interesting.
Yuxi made her way back to her desk, exhaustion finally creeping in. She wanted nothing more than to collapse, but she knew better than to let her guard down.
Xiao Rui hurried over, her face filled with concern. "Are you okay?" she whispered. "I heard Meng Yiran cornered you after the meeting."
"I'm fine," Yuxi reassured her, though a part of her wasn't entirely sure.
Xiao Rui hesitated. "You did amazing in there. But Yuxi, you need to be careful. Meng Yiran, Zhao Liying... even Liu Wen—they're not going to let this slide. You embarrassed them today."
Yuxi sighed, rubbing her temples. "I know."
She knew all too well.
But she had come too far to back down now.
Her battle at Gu Corporation had only just begun.