The headquarters of National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance.

Fang Xuan returned to the company with a heavy heart. After leaving the home goods city, she and her brother went to the hospital. Her mother’s condition had worsened significantly, and the doctor informed her that another dialysis was necessary. However, after multiple dialysis sessions, Fang Xuan’s savings were nearly depleted. She was truly out of money. She had borrowed from all the relatives she could, and now she owed hundreds of thousands in debt. This immense pressure made her feel suffocated.

She trudged back to the CEO’s office, forcing herself to muster the energy to start working.

“Fang Xuan, starting this month, your monthly salary will increase by 100,000 on top of your previous salary,” Zhen Li, who was working, glanced up at Fang Xuan as she returned and suddenly spoke.

“President Zhen, why is that?” Fang Xuan was surprised. Although she was in dire need of money, she had never mentioned it to her colleagues or boss. She had principles and would never borrow money from colleagues or her boss unless absolutely necessary. Zhen Li couldn’t possibly know about this.

“This was Haoran’s idea,” Zhen Li replied. She could somewhat guess why Wang Haoran wanted to increase Fang Xuan’s salary, but she didn’t ask further. She only knew that since her son had a thought, as a mother, she should fulfill her son’s wishes. Besides, Fang Xuan was indeed quite attractive, had a good personality, and didn’t have a boyfriend. Her social circle was simple. She could barely match her son.

After Zhen Li finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued reading the documents.

Fang Xuan’s feelings were complicated at the moment, filled with joy, conflict, resistance, and indignation. She finally understood that Wang Haoran wasn’t joking when he spoke to her before. Fang Xuan really wanted to refuse, but she was afraid of the consequences of refusal. The salary for the CEO’s secretary position was quite substantial. If she refused Zhen Li’s proposal, it would inevitably reach Wang Haoran’s ears. What if Wang Haoran got angry and had Zhen Li fire her? Then she would lose her source of income. It wouldn’t be easy to find a good job in a short time. What would happen to her mother, who had kidney failure? What about her father, who was injured at work and could only sit in a wheelchair for life?

Even though Fang Xuan was unwilling, she didn’t dare to voice her refusal.

Just then, Fang Xuan’s phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

“Are you satisfied?” Upon answering, Wang Haoran’s voice came from the other end.

“Why?” Fang Xuan’s heart was a mix of emotions.

“You know why, so why ask?”

“What do I need to do?”

“It’s inconvenient to talk over the phone. I’ll be waiting for you at the Grand Hotel at ten tonight. I’ll send you the room number later, and we can discuss it face-to-face.”

Beep beep.

Before Fang Xuan could respond, Wang Haoran hung up the call. However, Fang Xuan knew she didn’t have the courage to refuse. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and focus on work.

Unknowingly, night had fallen. Time passed quietly, and it was already half-past nine. Fang Xuan, having taken half a day off, still had some work unfinished. But there was no time left. She had just received a message from Wang Haoran.

“President Zhen, may I leave early?” Fang Xuan asked Zhen Li, who was also in the office.

“Of course, go ahead,” Zhen Li nodded in agreement.

…

The situation at home worried not only Fang Xuan but also Fang Heng. However, Fang Heng felt much less pressure because he knew he could quickly make a lot of money.

Guhe Street.

This was a famous antique market in Qingling City. Although called an antique market, most of the items were actually scams designed to exploit people’s ignorance. Genuine antiques were rare, with most being counterfeits. Even though it was half-past nine at night, Guhe Street was still bustling. There were tourists and treasure hunters alike. Treasure hunting meant finding genuinely valuable items among the antiques. Most people ended up losing money, with only a few making a profit. Some relied on luck, while others had genuine skills. However, even those with real skills couldn’t always succeed.

At this moment, Fang Xuan arrived at Guhe Street with high hopes. With his Golden Finger, his accuracy in appraising treasures was 100%. As long as there were hidden gems, he could accurately identify them with a touch.

…

After evening classes, Wang Haoran didn’t go home but instead went to the Grand Hotel and booked a presidential suite. After sending the room number to Fang Xuan, he went to take a shower. When he came out, he received a message from the private detective.

“Fang Heng went to Guhe Street.”

Wang Haoran had never been there, but he knew what kind of place it was. Fang Heng was definitely there to make money. There was a high chance he would succeed, possibly making a lot of money. At that point, Fang Xuan’s mother’s medical expenses would be covered. This also meant that Fang Xuan’s “weakness” would be eliminated. Then, obtaining villain points from Fang Xuan would become extremely difficult. Once Fang Heng had money, he would undoubtedly share it with his sister, Fang Xuan. At that time, Fang Xuan wouldn’t care much about the secretary job. Since Wang Haoran didn’t have much interaction with Fang Xuan, if she left National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance, their connection might be severed.

That wouldn’t do.

Xiao Yifeng was a troublesome character, and there would definitely be significant conflicts with him in the future. Wang Haoran needed to strengthen himself, so he had to “shear the wool” from Fang Heng.

After receiving the message, there was a waiting period. Wang Haoran felt a bit bored. Fortunately, at that moment, Xu Muyan, who could use her phone at home, proactively sent a message, asking Wang Haoran about trivial matters. Things like: What are you doing? Are you home yet? And so on.

Wang Haoran answered every question, chatting with Xu Muyan. Of course, he couldn’t possibly tell the truth. Although they were discussing trivial matters, Xu Muyan seemed to enjoy it, continuously sending messages. Her enthusiasm was almost on par with half of Wen Jing.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

“The door’s open, come in.”

After Wang Haoran spoke, the person at the door paused for a few seconds before entering the room. He turned his head and saw a beautiful woman in professional attire. It was none other than Fang Xuan. However, Fang Xuan’s brows were furrowed, and her expression was slightly pale. After entering the room, even though there was some distance between them, Wang Haoran could clearly feel her entire body was tense.