The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

"Okay, goodbye." Shen Yao waved and turned to walk into the night.

As soon as she was out of sight of the restaurant, she took out her phone, turned off silent mode, and the screen immediately lit up, showing several unread messages and two friend requests.

She first clicked on the friend request below; the verification message was very formal.

"Hello Ms. Shen Yao, I am Wang Tao, the executive planner of Mr. Qin Fang's program team. I would like to discuss program matters with you in detail. If it is convenient, please accept my request. Thank you."

Shen Yao's eyes flickered slightly; Qin Fang's movements were truly swift.

She immediately clicked "agree," and almost simultaneously, the other party sent a message, politely inviting her to discuss the details the following afternoon.

Shen Yao quickly and politely replied with a confirmation message.

After dealing with Qin Fang, her gaze finally fell on the friend request at the top.

The profile picture is a pure black background with no patterns or logos, the nickname is just a simple ".", and all information such as the region is blank.

Shen Yao already had a guess in her mind.

She clicked "agree".

Almost the second after I agreed to the request, a message popped up in the chat box.

【? 】

It's straightforward, direct, and carries a questioning tone, as if waiting for your explanation.

Shen Yao stared at the question mark, her finger hovering over the screen for a few seconds before ultimately choosing to ignore it without replying with a single word.

She put away her phone and hailed a taxi.

After a long while, he left the school and gave the address of Zhou Jingyan's company.

Inside the car, she took out her phone, and the screen lit up again. Two new messages popped up in the chat window with the black profile picture, each a concise and accusatory question:

【？？】

【? ? ? 】

Each additional question mark seems to represent a decrease in the other party's patience and an increase in their hostility.

Shen Yao stared blankly at the three glaring question marks, still offering no reply.

Let him wait, let him guess. Let his anger burn even brighter.

The first step in taming a wild beast is to starve it, so that it clearly knows who controls the feeding schedule.

The car eventually stopped near the skyscraper where Zhou Jingyan's company was located.

Shen Yao carried the thermos and walked unimpeded into the office building where Zhou Jingyan's company was located.

The receptionist had clearly seen her many times before; upon seeing her, he immediately gave her a professional smile and respectfully pointed her in the right direction.

As she walked through the spacious and bright office area, she could feel curious or inquisitive gazes coming from all directions.

Shen Yao always wore a slightly shy yet graceful smile, her demeanor composed, as if she had long been accustomed to such attention.

She arrived at Zhou Jingyan's office and gently tapped her fingertips on the door.

"Please come in." Zhou Jingyan's steady voice came from inside.

When Shen Yao pushed open the door, Zhou Jingyan was sitting behind his large desk reviewing documents.

He showed no surprise when he saw her; they had been meeting frequently lately, and it was no longer unusual for her to appear in his office.

He put down his pen, a natural smile playing on his lips, his voice filled with surprise: "Yaoyao? What brings you here? Come in quickly."

Shen Yao didn't go forward immediately, but stopped by the door, her hands nervously folded in front of her, her head slightly lowered, revealing her restraint:

"Jingyan, did I disturb your work?"

"How could that be?" He got up and walked around the desk toward her.

His gaze fell on the thermos in her hand, which was clearly a household item, and a hint of confusion flashed in Zhou Jingyan's eyes.

Shen Yao then took two steps forward and handed over the thermos, her voice soft as if afraid of disturbing something: "I specially made some soup for you. You work so hard, drink some soup to nourish your body."

Zhou Jingyan was visibly taken aback, and when he took the thermos, his palm felt a heavy warmth. This container, full of life, was completely out of place in his cold and hard office environment, yet it warmed his heart.

Just as he was about to speak, his fingertips brushed against her hand, which was icy cold.

This effect was achieved only after Shen Yao rinsed the area with cold water for a long time and held ice cubes in her hands.

"Why are your hands so cold?" Zhou Jingyan's tone unconsciously carried a hint of concern and reproach. "Didn't I tell you to wear more clothes? Why did you go out like this?"

These days, subtly guided by her, he naturally placed the thermos on the coffee table and then reached out to cup her cold fingertips.

This action seemed so natural between the two who had known each other for a long time. One was so open and honest that she didn't notice anything amiss, while the other meticulously planned it every few days.

Shen Yao knew exactly how to evoke his protective instincts; she only needed to stand there to look like she needed to be cared for.

At that moment, she flinched at his reproachful concern, and unease appeared on her face.

In fact, Shen Yao knew in her heart that she shouldn't provoke Zhou Jingyan too much. The current relationship between her and Zhou Jingyan, which was somewhere between brother and sister and friend, was the best.

But she couldn't help herself and wanted to test the boundaries of his heart.

So she didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she leaned forward slightly against his palm and gently pressed her cool cheek against the back of his warm hand.

This sudden intimate contact made Zhou Jingyan freeze.

The delicate, slightly cool touch of the girl's cheek, and the faint, sweet fragrance emanating from her body, surged through his arm like an electric current, reaching straight to his heart.

He could clearly sense her subtle trembling and her cautious attempts to please him.

Looking into her misty eyes and feeling the coolness on her cheeks, Zhou Jingyan felt a surge of annoyance.

It was clearly his repeated indulgence that led her to develop such dependence, leaving her in a dilemma now.

But when he asked her to push him away with a cold face, looking at her like this, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Brother Jingyan," she looked up, her voice tinged with grievance, "don't be mean to me. I know I was wrong. I'll definitely wear more clothes next time."

This soft, pleading utterly shattered his already crumbling defenses.

Zhou Jingyan sighed helplessly in his heart, gently stroking the top of her head with his other hand, his voice extremely slow:

"I'm not being mean to you, I'm just worried you'll catch a cold."

His gaze shifted to the thermos on the coffee table, and he changed the subject at the right moment, a gentle smile returning to his lips: "Thank you, Yao Yao, for making soup especially for me."

As he spoke, he subtly withdrew his hand, as if the touch had been unintentional.

Seeing his expression soften, Shen Yao immediately smiled, a smile as sweet as honey: "It's no trouble at all, I'm glad you like it, Brother Jingyan."

She obediently sat down on the sofa, watching Zhou Jingyan open the thermos and ladle out the fragrant soup.

Zhou Jingyan had just finished eating and originally only intended to have a few bites, but the soup was indeed delicious. In addition, it was a special gift from Shen Yao, so he unconsciously drank more than half a bowl.

During this time, noticing Shen Yao's still somewhat thin figure, he couldn't help but pick up the small bowl again, ladle some water for her, and personally bring it to her lips, his tone gentle:

"You should drink more too. You're too thin and need to get more nutrition."

Shen Yao obediently drank a few sips from his hand, her face showing satisfaction and shyness at being cared for.

The atmosphere in the office was warm and peaceful, as if that little "crossing the line" had never happened.