By the end of the week, Shen Yuqi learned where she belonged in the rhythm of the office.
Not at the center.
Not on the edges.
Somewhere in between—where things were expected to run smoothly and quietly.
She arrived early again, though not as early as the first day. Five minutes before time felt acceptable. Anything earlier made her look overeager, anything later careless. She was still calibrating herself to the unspoken rules of the place.
Her desk was clean. Her inbox was manageable. Her notes were neatly arranged, though she rarely needed to look at them now.
She had begun to understand the patterns.
Li Wei preferred concise reports.
He disliked unnecessary meetings.
He did not tolerate inefficiency—but he also didn't hover.
In a strange way, that made him easier to work for.
The morning passed uneventfully. Emails were sent. Calendars were adjusted. A meeting was rescheduled without protest. Shen Yuqi handled it all with the careful confidence of someone who knew she was still being observed, even if she couldn't feel the eyes.
Around mid-morning, Wang Zihan stopped by her desk.
"There's a small internal briefing this afternoon," she said. "Department heads only. You won't need to attend."
Shen Yuqi nodded. "Understood."
"You'll just prepare the summary afterward."
"Yes."
Wang Zihan hesitated, then added, "You're adapting quickly."
Shen Yuqi smiled politely. "I'm trying."
That was all. Wang Zihan moved on, heels clicking softly down the corridor.
Shen Yuqi returned to her screen, unaware that this simple exchange had already set something in motion.
The briefing ran longer than expected. Voices carried faintly through the glass walls of the conference room—nothing distinct, just the low hum of authority and discussion. Shen Yuqi focused on her tasks, but her attention drifted occasionally, not toward the meeting itself, but toward the fact that she was now close enough to hear it at all.
It made her aware of the distance she had crossed in such a short time.
At some point, her phone buzzed with a message from her mother reminding her to bring home soy milk. She smiled faintly and muted the notification.
Work first.
When the meeting finally ended, the office shifted. Chairs moved. Doors opened. The atmosphere loosened slightly, like a held breath being released.
Li Wei exited the conference room with the others. He looked exactly the same as always—expression composed, posture relaxed, presence understated but unmistakable. He spoke briefly to one of the department heads, nodded once, and turned away.
As he walked past Shen Yuqi's desk, he paused.
It was so sudden that she almost missed it.
"Prepare the summary," he said, voice even. "Send it to me before six."
"Yes."
He didn't say her name.
He didn't need to.
She watched him walk away, then sat back down, fingers already moving.
She worked steadily, pulling information from notes, internal records, and meeting outlines. It was meticulous work, but she liked that. There was something calming about order—about arranging thoughts that weren't her own into something clear.
When she finished, she reread the summary twice. Then a third time.
Only after she was satisfied did she send it.
She leaned back slightly, exhaling.
That was when it happened.
Her screen lit up with a new message.
CEO Li: Come in.
Her heart gave a small, unnecessary jump.
She stood, adjusted her sleeves, and walked to his office. The door was open again. He was standing by the window this time, looking out over the city.
"You asked for me," she said.
"Yes."
He turned, picked up a document from his desk, and handed it to her.
"This section," he said, tapping the page, "was unclear."
She glanced down. "I can revise it."
"Do it now."
"Yes."
She stepped closer to the desk, scanning the paragraph. It took her a moment to see the issue—an ambiguity in phrasing that could be interpreted two ways. She reached for a pen, corrected it neatly, and handed it back.
He read it once.
Then nodded.
"Better."
That was all.
She waited, unsure if she should leave.
"You can go," he said.
She turned toward the door, then paused. "Sir?"
"Yes?"
"If there's anything I should improve, please let me know."
He studied her for a brief moment—not deeply, not intently. Just enough.
"You're doing fine," he said. "Don't overcorrect."
She nodded. "Understood."
She left.
Back at her desk, she sat still for a few seconds longer than necessary.
You're doing fine.
It wasn't praise. It wasn't encouragement.
It was an assessment.
And somehow, that meant more.
The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. No further messages. No unexpected tasks. By the time six approached, Shen Yuqi shut down her computer and gathered her things.
As she stood, she noticed Li Wei's office light was still on.
She hesitated.
Then, reminding herself that she was not responsible for his schedule, she headed toward the elevators.
They arrived at the same time.
They stood side by side, separated by a polite distance. The elevator descended smoothly, the silence comfortable rather than awkward.
At the lobby, he stepped out first.
"Good evening," he said.
"Good evening."
He walked away without looking back.
Outside, the air was cool. Shen Yuqi pulled her coat tighter and headed toward the bus stop.
Only when she was seated, watching the city blur past the window, did she realize something.
Today, she had been noticed.
Not as a woman.
Not as someone special.
But as someone competent.
And for now, that was more than enough.