Chapter Twenty: Intent

"Mr. Zhang, I didn't expect this to happen so suddenly..." Li Ran tried to explain, but halfway through her sentence, she faltered, unsure how to continue. They had agreed from the start that pregnancy was out of the question, yet now she was undeniably expecting—a fact she could not refute.

She lifted her gaze and caught sight of An Qi's smug expression. She had wanted to ask when she walked in why An Qi hadn’t left during their conversation; now it was clear—she was waiting to witness her embarrassment.

"There's no need for you to say anything. From today onward, you need not come to work. We'll make arrangements later. You may leave," Zhang Dechuan declared, now unwilling to speak further, effectively dismissing her.

Li Ran knew that returning to the company in the future would be difficult, perhaps impossible. Perhaps it was just as well; she would finally have time to deal with her personal affairs.

Back at her desk, everything was already packed. There was nothing left to take.

"Ran, sister," An Qi approached with a smile, "Mr. Zhang asked me to handle your work handover. Client information, orders, and the like—you mustn’t take them with you."

She spoke lightly, but to Li Ran, her tone was full of triumph.

"An Qi, don’t think I don’t know you’re behind all this. What good will it do you to push me out? Do you think the sales manager position is so easy to fill?"

When Li Ran first joined the company, she was just an ordinary saleswoman. It was only after much hardship that she became manager; the job was anything but easy.

"No matter how hard it is, I'm willing," An Qi replied, holding out her hand for the files. "Come on, hand them over."

Li Ran opened her computer and was immediately confronted by a photo of herself and Zhang Fanfan on the desktop—it stung. Their marriage was nearly over; what was the point of keeping the photo? Resolute, she restored the factory settings, shut down and restarted the computer, and when it booted up again, all files had been wiped.

"Oh dear, I’m sorry. I accidentally pressed the wrong button—everything’s gone," Li Ran feigned regret.

An Qi leaned in to check, furious. "You! Li Ran, you did that on purpose!"

"I told you, it was an accident." Seeing her so angry, Li Ran felt a surge of satisfaction. She gathered her things and headed downstairs to leave.

Standing at the entrance of the building, she looked up—it was the place she had worked for three years, and now she was leaving in such a manner.

She composed herself, considering what to do next. She was the only one in her family with a substantial income; Zhang Fanfan also worked, but his meager salary barely covered their expenses. Now, with a child on the way, there would be many more demands on their finances.

She needed to find a job quickly, Li Ran thought to herself.

Meanwhile, at Huiteng Group.

Ding Lei knocked and entered, leaning close to Ye Huai and speaking softly, "Boss, Li Ran has been dismissed from her company."

"Hmm."

Ding Lei regarded him curiously. After several encounters with Li Ran, he could tell the boss had some interest in her. Why was he so calm upon hearing she was unemployed? Shouldn’t he immediately arrange a job for her?

"The sales manager at our company resigned a few days ago. The position is still vacant..." Ding Lei offered.

"Does the HR department only collect salaries without doing their job? Can’t they handle it?" Ye Huai replied coldly.

His meaning was clear: Ding Lei should mind his own business. Ding Lei shut his mouth.

Just then, the office door opened. The receptionist entered and said, "Mr. Ye, a Ms. Li Ran is here to apply for the sales manager position. Shall I..."

Oh? Delivered right to his door?

Ye Huai narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Bring her in. I'll interview her myself."