Hard-earned Money

"Su Jian, I know it's you. Say something." Su Yinian's message appeared amidst her tears. She bit her lip and chose not to reply. In a panic, she quickly logged out of her account. She felt so overwhelmed and so heartbroken...

Su Jian stayed up all the way until daybreak. After she watched Yao Qin finish her breakfast, she set off for work.

Su Jian worked at Brilliant Design Company. It wasn't a large company, but their boss had been in the industry for many years, and Brilliant Design had gained some recognition. Over the past two years, they had secured several contracts for villa decorations with various styles, earning the approval of many developers. Su Jian had played a significant role in this success.

Su Jian was an art student with a natural talent for painting. Her dream was to become an artist. Due to circumstances, she had to change her career path and study interior design. She specialized in home decoration.

Someone had once asked Su Jian, "The commission for home improvement isn't as lucrative as that for clothing design. With your talent, why didn't you consider studying clothing design?"

Su Jian's response was, "I'm only interested in home furnishings."

At Brilliant Design Company, Su Jian was one of the top four designers. She only had been in the industry for two years. Her rise had been swift. Her boss highly valued her and rewarded her with a good salary. Of course, she had worked hard to earn it.

One particular day, Su Jian visited a construction site and started working on a design project. Her days were busy but fulfilling. It left her little time to dwell on Su Yinian. She worked hard and produced good results.

One Thursday morning, Su Jian accompanied her boss to attend the creative bidding for a model villa. It was a busy day, but their efforts were fruitful. Their company secured the contract for decorating the model villa.

After winning the major project, the boss suggested having a dinner party to celebrate. It would also serve as a business meeting, with representatives from the villa developer present. As the main designer, Su Jian couldn't turn down this invitation.

"Su Jian, you mustn't take it easy. Winning this deal doesn't necessarily mean you'll have an easy life in the future. I have some free advice for you: Yan really loves to getting himself in debt. He even seduced a few designers into bed, so... It's not that I can't compete with you, but I simply chose not to deal with someone like him and let you have the win. From now on, you're on your own..." a losing colleague whispered sarcastically into Su Jian's ear.

Su Jian lowered her gaze and chose not to respond. However, she knew all too well that this project wouldn't be a walk in the park.

The manager, Yan, approached Su Jian to offer a toast during that dinner. He even pulled her aside to a corner and said with a smile, "Our company has another project involving ten high-end modern houses. We're about to start the bidding process. Miss Su, if you're interested, why don't we discuss it after dinner?" As he spoke, he placed his hand on Su Jian's waist.

Su Jian frowned and subtly stepped back. She smiled and replied, "Of course, it's great to have more business opportunities. However, I'm only responsible for the design aspect. All the business matters are personally handled by our boss. This way, it better reflects the sincerity of Brilliant Design Company. Why don't I invite Mr. Qiao over so that you can discuss the details with him?"

Su Jian did not wait for Manager Yan's response. She turned around and approached President Qiao. "Mr. Qiao, Mr. Yan mentioned that he has a project and would like to discuss it with you..."

All eyes were on them as President Qiao walked over.

The smile on Manager Yan's face gradually disappeared. "Miss Su, you are so earnest. I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration in the future."

His words were clearly a threat.

Su Jian remained composed. "Mr. Yan, Brilliant Design will continue to uphold such earnestness. It's been an honor to discuss business with you. However, my husband has been suffering from depression lately, and I must be home before ten o'clock. Otherwise, he'll cause trouble the next day. If he only causes trouble for me, that would be fine. But he gets very accusatory over the smallest misunderstandings..."

Su Jian believed that Manager Yan cared about his reputation. He would prefer to handle such matters discreetly.

Sure enough, the next moment, Manager Yan's expression changed. He glared at Su Jian and walked toward President Qiao.

Once the crisis had been averted, Su Jian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Su Jian, did Mr. Yan touch you just now?" It was Yang Huihui, Su Jian's childhood best friend and colleague. She had been overseeing a work project in another city and had just returned that afternoon.