Chapter 10

“Minister?”

Wu Na stood at the office door, watching Zhang Yan, who was lost in thought with a gentle expression on his face. Her heart felt sore. From the day she joined the company, she had been deeply attracted to this tall, slender man with a calm demeanor. Over the years, she had seen him reject countless advances from colleagues. Even though she knew the company prohibited romantic relationships between coworkers and that he had no intention of dating, she never gave up. She remained by his side, hoping that one day he would see her true feelings.

But countless times, she saw him staring into space, a gentle smile on his face. It was a smile she had never received from him. That smile held longing and obsession that she couldn’t understand. Every time she saw him like that, her heart ached as if pierced by needles. Yet, she refused to give up.

Zhang Yan suddenly snapped out of his daze. Seeing Wu Na standing at the door with a gloomy expression, his tone immediately reverted to its usual coldness, tinged with reproach: “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”

Wu Na quickly gathered her thoughts, lowered her head, and said softly, “I knocked, but maybe you didn’t hear me. Next time, I’ll wait for your permission before entering.”

“Hmm, what is it?” Zhang Yan leaned back in the sofa, resting his crossed arms on the table. His expression was serious, as if the gentle-looking person from earlier was merely Wu Na’s imagination.

Wu Na took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and looked up at Zhang Yan with hopeful eyes. “Minister, are you going on a business trip next week? Could you take me with you? I can help you with various tasks and won’t be a burden to you.”

She knew that this request was likely to be rejected, but she still wanted to give it a try. Even if the chances were only one in ten thousand, she didn’t want to miss it.

Zhang Yan looked at her, his gaze completely steady. His tone was calm, yet filled with unwavering determination: “I thought, after working with me for so long, you’d know my rules.”

In one sentence, all of Wu Na’s hopes were shattered. Her eyes turned red instantly. Fighting back her tears, she nodded and said, “I understand. I’ll go now.” With that, she turned around and walked away quickly, afraid that Zhang Yan might see her cry.

Looking at the closed door, Zhang Yan sighed silently. He was well aware of Wu Na’s feelings. After working together for so many years, her affection, though well-hidden, couldn’t escape his notice. But his heart had already belonged to that little girl with pigtails and a bright smile, years ago. There was no space in his heart for anyone else.

Before long, Zhang Yan regained his composure and stepped out of the office. He clapped his hands to get the attention of all the employees in the translation department. “Everyone, put down your current work for a moment. I have some news to announce.”

Everyone immediately put down their work and looked up at him. Zhang Yan continued, “Next week, I’ll be going on a business trip with the sales department for about a month. During my absence, someone else will take over my duties and lead the team. I hope everyone will cooperate fully and not cause any trouble for the person acting as my replacement.”

“Yes! We will definitely work hard!” Everyone replied in unison.

“Hmm, everyone, please go on with your work.” Zhang Yan nodded and turned to head back to the office, but was called back by a voice.

“Minister Zhang!” Wu Na stood up, her voice slightly trembling, but still firm. “Do I need to bring anyone with me on this mission? I can go. I’m capable of handling all the supporting tasks!”

She wouldn’t give up. Even though she had been rejected privately, she wanted to try one more time in front of everyone. She thought that Zhang Yan might at least give her some face and not reject her in public.

But Zhang Yan merely glanced at her, his tone remaining indifferent: “No accompaniment this time. If you need one next time, I’ll recommend you to my superiors.” With that, he stopped looking at her and walked straight into his office, closing the door behind him.

Wu Na froze in place. The color drained from her face instantly, and tears burst forth uncontrollably. Biting her lip, she tried to hold back her cries. Then, she turned around and rushed out of the office, running all the way to the lounge.

The rest of the people in the office more or less knew about Wu Na’s feelings for Zhang Yan, as well as her embarrassment and frustration just now. Everyone agreed not to say anything, simply lowering their heads and continuing with their work. No one wanted to bring up this sensitive topic.

Evan Thorn watched as Wu Na rushed out, with Rovi Reeves behind her. His heart ached for her. He sat at his desk for a moment, then got up and headed toward the lounge.

In the lounge, Wu Na was lying on the table, her shoulders shaking as she cried bitterly. Evan Thorn approached gently, put his arms around her shoulders from behind, and comforted her softly, “Nana, it’s okay. Everything will be fine eventually.”

Wu Na raised her head, her face covered in tears. She said through sobs, “I knew full well that he would reject me. He already rejected me once just now. I simply can’t accept it. I thought that, in front of everyone, he would at least give me some face…”

She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. Yet, her eyes remained determined. “I’ve been with him for so many years. I’ve watched him rise from a junior position to a manager. I’ve seen him reject one person after another. I always thought that if I kept persevering, one day he would notice me, that he would be moved by me. Evan, I don’t want to give up. I can keep going.”

Seeing Wu Na’s face covered in tears yet still determined, Evan Thorn felt a pang of sympathy for her. He truly hoped that this stubborn girl would get what she wanted. He gently patted Wu Na’s back and encouraged her with a smile, “Keep going, Na Na. I believe in you. You can do it. One day, he’ll see your sincerity.”

The two hugged each other tightly. In the lounge, there were no unnecessary words, only silent comfort and companionship.

The day before Zhang Yan left on a business trip, she suddenly gave Evan Thorne a letter of recommendation, saying she would help her go through the formalities to become a full-time employee. Evan Thorne was completely stunned. She never expected that she could become a full-time employee so quickly. Becoming a full-time employee meant that her monthly salary would increase significantly, and she would also receive various benefits. This brought her one step closer to her dream of buying a house.

She rushed to the HR department with the recommendation letter in hand. Everything went smoothly. When she stepped out of the HR department, Evan Thorn’s face beamed with unmistakable joy.

On his first full-day day at work, which was also the first day he was acting as his supervisor’s replacement, Evan Thorn looked out the window at the bright sunshine and thought to himself, “What a wonderful day! I must work even harder from now on!”

But as soon as she entered the office, she noticed that something was off. Liu Meili, who usually spent her time before work picking at her pimples and chatting about gossip, was sitting quietly at her desk, typing away earnestly. Wu Na, who was usually lively and playful, also appeared serious, focused on her work.

Evan Thorn put down his bag and sneaked over to Wu Na. He crouched down and asked in a soft voice, “Na Na, what’s wrong with everyone today? Why are they so well-behaved? They’re not like this usually.”

Wu Na quickly bent down and whispered in her ear, “Shh! Speak more quietly! I heard from the cleaning lady just now that there’s someone in the manager’s office. Probably someone who’s acting as the manager temporarily. Until we know more about this person, we should stay quiet. After all, a new boss might take aggressive actions at first. No one wants to get caught in the middle of that!”

Evan Thorn suddenly realized what he meant and nodded. “Oh, right. I almost forgot about that. When a new official takes office, one really needs to be careful.”

“Haha, good that you know. Hurry back to your desk before someone catches you.” Wu Na gave her a gentle push, smiling.

Evan Thorn rubbed his nose and sneaked back to his desk. As soon as he sat down, the door to the manager’s office suddenly opened, and Ravie Reeves stepped out, her tall and graceful figure standing out clearly.

“Clap, clap, clap!” The person clapped their hands loudly. “Hello everyone. I’m your temporary supervisor, Sela Wash.”

Evan Thorn turned his back on her, feeling completely unperturbed. After all, there would be plenty of opportunities to meet again later. Why rush? But the next moment, when she heard the name “Sela Wash,” her body froze instantly. A sense of foreboding overcame her.

“Hello, Minister Lin!” In the office, people greeted each other one after another.

Sela Wash smiled casually and said, “Everyone, please don’t be formal. Act as you would when Minister Zhang is around.”

Casual? Evan Thorn thought to himself: I’m afraid before we can even get started being casual, your temper will burn us all to ashes! She slowly turned her head. When she saw that familiar, infuriating face, her mind went blank. All she could think of was shouting for help.