Marking My Arch-Rival [Rebirth] - Chapter 18

Monday morning’s executive meeting began just as Shu Ni slipped into the conference room at the last possible moment.

She had only just returned from Country D, looking noticeably more worn and exhausted than before. Raising her eyes toward Ji Shihuan at the head of the table, she forced out a faint smile and said in a hoarse voice that naturally invited sympathy,

“Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days. I almost missed the meeting.”

“It’s fine.” Ji Shihuan gestured to an empty seat. “Have a seat.”

The meeting was destined to be anything but peaceful.

The moment Ji Shihuan proposed reinstating Shu Ni as Director of Finance, Dong Zheng was the first to object.

“I disagree.”

With a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile, he said, “She caused such a huge mess this time. Not firing her is already generous enough, and now you want her back as Finance Director? President Ji, why don’t you ask everyone else what they think? Does anyone here actually agree?”

When Shu Ni had gone overseas, someone else had temporarily assumed her position.

Ji Shihuan had seemingly chosen the most senior deputy director at random.

As it happened…

He was one of Dong Zheng’s people.

Dong Zheng’s opposition was exactly what Ji Shihuan had expected.

But she didn’t care.

She insisted on backing Shu Ni.

Eventually, Dong Zheng lost his temper and redirected his attack toward Ji Shihuan.

“President Ji, let me be blunt.”

“The Country D project is already on the verge of becoming a major loss, yet you’re still showing favoritism and insisting on protecting her.”

“How exactly are you planning to lead this company?”

“If you keep doing whatever you want like this…”

“…are you planning to leave the rest of us with an impossible mess to clean up when your performance agreement ends in a year?”

Before Ji Shihuan could respond, Shu Ni took a step back first.

She suggested that, having just returned to the country, she was mentally and physically exhausted and would take two weeks of annual leave first. Her position could be discussed afterward.

---

After the meeting ended, Ji Shihuan remained alone in the conference room.

“You don’t have to compromise like this.”

Looking at Shu Ni, she spoke calmly.

“I’m the President of Huanji now.”

“I don’t need their approval for anything I decide.”

Shu Ni answered as though she were only thinking of Ji Shihuan.

“Some of what Dong Zheng said wasn’t wrong.”

“You’re still carrying that performance agreement. Every step has to be taken carefully.”

Ji Shihuan frowned.

Seeing that expression, the last traces of Shu Ni’s frustration finally disappeared.

She knew very well—

As long as Ji Shihuan stood behind her unconditionally…

People like Dong Zheng weren’t worth worrying about.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“I have my own ways of dealing with the Finance Department.”

Ji Shihuan raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Shu Ni smiled.

“I’ve worked there for years.”

“Do you think I’d survive without a few tricks up my sleeve?”

“Besides me…”

“…no one can truly control the entire Finance Department.”

“Just wait and see.”

“I’ll be back in less than half a month.”

Ji Shihuan stood up.

Had Shu Ni looked more closely, she would have noticed there wasn’t the slightest trace of happiness on Ji Shihuan’s face.

But she trusted Ji Shihuan far too much.

She had never once doubted her.

The two women walked out of the conference room one after another.

With her back facing Shu Ni, Ji Shihuan softly said,

“…Then I’ll wait for you to come back.”

---

Returning to her office, Ji Shihuan made a phone call.

The contact information she’d gotten through Gu Xiyue finally came in handy.

After promising a generous commission, the other party worked with remarkable enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry, President Ji.”

“The matter you asked me to investigate is already showing progress.”

“I’ll have an answer for you in a couple of days.”

“Good.”

Ji Shihuan thanked him and even promised to treat him to dinner after everything was settled.

Then she hung up without hesitation.

Five minutes later, Nie Zheng entered with a stack of documents.

The failure of the Country D project had cast a shadow over the entire company.

Yet Nie Zheng noticed that his young president seemed to be in unusually good spirits.

She was actually smiling when he walked in.

Because of that, after discussing work, he finally gathered the courage to take a small gift box from his pocket.

“Chen Nan from the office is going back to his hometown to get married.”

“He asked me to bring you some wedding candy.”

Ji Shihuan’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

She instructed Nie Zheng,

“Prepare a wedding gift envelope for him.”

“Use my personal account.”

“Of course.”

Nie Zheng smiled.

“Everyone wants to share a little of his good luck.”

Hearing that, Ji Shihuan opened the festive red-and-gold gift box.

Inside were beautifully packaged candies.

She immediately took out her phone and snapped a picture.

“Wedding candy is this pretty nowadays?”

Nie Zheng nodded.

“Chen Nan said these are only mid-range.”

“The really expensive ones are sold individually.”

“One piece can cost several hundred yuan.”

Ji Shihuan clicked her tongue.

“That expensive?”

Nie Zheng laughed.

“Everyone was joking that we’d probably only get to eat candy that luxurious when President Ji gets married.”

“And why is that a joke?”

Ji Shihuan grinned without embarrassment.

“When that day comes…”

“I’ll buy candies that cost a thousand yuan each and let everyone try them.”

Nie Zheng blinked.

“So President Ji already has someone in mind?”

Ji Shihuan had been about to shake her head.

Instead…

An elegant Eastern beauty suddenly appeared in her mind.

The sweet fragrance of the wedding candy drifted into her nose.

For a moment, she almost mistook it for the scent of freesia.

She coughed lightly.

“…It’s still too early.”

Thoughtfully, Nie Zheng asked no further questions.

As he was about to leave, Ji Shihuan stopped him.

“Oh, right.”

“I need you to do something.”

Nie Zheng bent slightly.

“Go ahead.”

Ji Shihuan opened the employee roster for the Finance Department.

“Since Shu Ni is taking annual leave…”

“…the Finance Department is going to become very lively over the next two weeks.”

“I want to know…”

“…who remains firmly loyal to the former director…”

“…and who now supports the acting deputy director.”

Nie Zheng accepted the assignment and left.

Once the door closed…

Silence returned to the office.

---

Looking at the festive gift box, Ji Shihuan felt as though a feather were teasing the tip of her heart.

She couldn’t concentrate on work.

After struggling for several minutes, she finally admitted defeat, picked up her phone, and sent the photo she’d just taken to Jiang Boyan.

[WeddingCandy.jpg]

[President Jiang, are you free tonight? I’ll treat you to some wedding candy.]

Her mood immediately brightened.

She was just about to put her phone away when—

A reply arrived almost instantly.

[Yours?]

Ji Shihuan typed:

[No.]

Thinking Jiang Boyan was free to chat, she pushed her paperwork aside and waited attentively for another reply.

This time…

Nothing.

Ji Shihuan frowned.

[Where’d you go?]

[Can you make time to see me tonight or not?]

[If you don’t answer, I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll be waiting downstairs at Hongxin at six.]

Jiang Boyan’s response came slowly.

Just two words.

Not even punctuation.

[No time]

Ji Shihuan narrowed her eyes.

Scrolling back through the conversation, she suddenly caught onto something she’d overlooked.

[Would it really take my wedding candy to get President Jiang to come out?]

The constant vibrations had already begun irritating Jiang Boyan.

She was about to flip her phone face-down—

Until the words “my wedding candy” caught her eye.

Before her mind had fully processed it, her fingers had already opened the chat.

Three more messages from Ji Shihuan popped up one after another.

[I didn’t think we’d progressed that far yet.]

[Fine. I’ll buy an entire truckload and hand it out downstairs at Hongxin at six.]

[Just remember to come down and accept everyone’s congratulations with me.]

Jiang Boyan’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

Out of anger.

She thought about it seriously.

Knowing Ji Shihuan’s personality…

She was absolutely capable of doing something like that.

Her racing heartbeat nearly stopped altogether.

[Address.]

Seeing the new message, Ji Shihuan smiled.

[What address? Right downstairs outside your office building.]

Jiang Boyan replied:

[Send me the time and location. I’ll come to you. You don’t need to come here.]

“Tsundere.”

Ji Shihuan secretly grumbled to herself.

For one brief moment, she almost sent exactly that message.

Then she worried she’d tease Jiang Boyan too much and scare the little claws she’d only just begun extending back into hiding.

Instead, she merely muttered,

“…You’re so hard to please.”

Yet the moment she pictured Jiang Boyan’s classically beautiful face—

The one that perfectly matched her tastes—

Not a trace of annoyance remained.

Instead…

She found herself oddly enjoying it.

That pleasant mood reached its peak later that evening, when she saw Jiang Boyan sitting across from her with an unmistakably sour expression.

Ji Shihuan discovered yet another side of her own terrible personality.

Pretending not to notice Jiang Boyan’s displeasure, she enthusiastically poured her drinks and served food.

Even the waitress, whose job she’d practically stolen, couldn’t help sighing sincerely,

“Miss, you’re so good to your girlfriend.”

Jiang Boyan’s expression darkened even further.

Ji Shihuan, on the other hand, smiled so brightly she looked like a blooming flower.

Adding fuel to the fire, she replied,

“…This is only the beginning.”

After the waitress left, Jiang Boyan went straight to the point.

“What do you want?”

Ji Shihuan placed a slice of freshly cooked beef into her bowl.

“Try this.”

“It’s this restaurant’s signature.”

“It’s incredibly fresh.”

“So tender.”

Jiang Boyan didn’t even touch her chopsticks.

“I didn’t come here to eat.”

Ji Shihuan raised an eyebrow and casually improvised.

“…You shouldn’t eat wedding candy on an empty stomach.”

“…”

“Eat first.”

“It won’t delay anything.”

She looked Jiang Boyan up and down.

“You’re so thin.”

“You should eat more.”

Jiang Boyan immediately remembered Ji Shihuan’s earlier teasing—

“You’re so skinny it’d hurt to hold you.”

She refused to concede.

“Miss Ji isn’t much better.”

“And yet you still have the nerve to say that about me.”

“Me?”

Ji Shihuan touched her own face.

“I’m skinny?”

“When I was still in school, I used to go to the gym regularly.”

“It’s just that work’s been so busy lately.”

“I don’t even know where I threw my membership card.”

Leaning closer, she caught Jiang Boyan’s hand before she could react and placed it against her own stomach.

“Go ahead.”

“Help me check.”

“Do I still have my abs?”

Even through the fabric…

Jiang Boyan jerked her hand back as though she’d been burned.

Then she glared furiously at Ji Shihuan.

Ji Shihuan merely shrugged.

“What?”

She smiled directly into Jiang Boyan’s eyes.

“President Jiang never lets herself lose out in business.”

“I thought you’d want to touch me back.”

That single sentence carried far too much meaning.

Anyone else overhearing it would probably need several seconds to sort through all the implications.

Jiang Boyan bit her lip.

Hidden beneath her hair, the tips of her ears slowly turned red.

Once again…

She felt the urge to leave.

But she quickly realized something.

Whenever she was alone with Ji Shihuan…

She always wanted to run away.

She had plenty of ways to deal with shameless people like this.

Yet when faced with Ji Shihuan…

Her first instinct was always to retreat.

The rhythm of every moment they spent together remained completely in Ji Shihuan’s hands.

Jiang Boyan could only follow wherever she was led.

Just like now.

Ji Shihuan had already leaned back into her own seat.

The distance between them was perfectly appropriate.

She wasn’t invading Jiang Boyan’s personal space in the slightest.

Yet Jiang Boyan still felt as though she remained sheltered beneath a roof called Ji Shihuan.

Quietly reminding herself to stay composed, she tried returning to normal.

Picking up her chopsticks—

She discovered her bowl had already disappeared.

“This one’s cold.”

Ji Shihuan took Jiang Boyan’s bowl away.

“Eat from this one.”

She placed her own untouched bowl in front of Jiang Boyan.

The cooled beef had already been dipped in sauce.

It couldn’t be reheated.

Ji Shihuan didn’t mind in the least.

She simply ate it herself.

Jiang Boyan stared blankly at her.

After a long moment…

She finally picked up a slice of beef.

It really was…

Delicious.