ISSUES

"I'm hiring Wang Xiu in Bao Metal Industries," Jiang Ru announced at the dining table while having breakfast with his mother and twin sister Hwei Ru.

The lawyer almost spilled the coffee in her hand hearing her twin brother's news, "Why???"

"Long Construction fired her." The CEO answered before sipping his black brewed coffee beside his plate.

"Isn't she the niece of Long Liu Wei from Ming Qiu? Why would they kick her out of the company?" Jiang Ru's mother asked gently drinking her favorite jasmine tea from a porcelain cup.

"She refused to marry Mr. Yang Sheng Zheng." Jiang Ru pointed at his twin sister, "Hwei Ru's boss." Before taking a piece of his french toast from his plate.

"I'm thankful that Wang Xiu refused to marry Mr. Yang, then she wouldn't be my boss but working at our company is a big NO!" The lawyer pouted her lips like a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum.

The CEO's eyes enlarged when the lawyer included herself as part of Bao Metals Industries and repeated the words, "OUR COMPANY???"

"OUR COMPANY!!!" Hwei Ru countered, "Just because I'm not working with you doesn't mean I'm not part of Bao Metals. I own half of yours and I have a say about the people you hire at OUR company."

"I'm the CEO. I can hire anyone I want at our company." Jiang Ru retorted with his eyes gleaming furiously at his twin sister.

"And I'm part of the shareholder, I can fire anyone I don't want in our company." The lawyer threatened her twin brother with his decision.

Mrs. Bao sighed watching her twin children fight like kids in front of their food, "Can the two of you not argue in front of our breakfast???" The matriarch calmly reprimanded the twins in their early banter.

"I'm helping Wang Xiu, whether you like it or not." Jiang Ru declared with a tough tone to express his seriousness.

"Didn't you hate her before???" Hwei Ru scoffed, "You called her snake, always stealing opportunities for you, even got you kicked out of the dean's list, remember???" 

Jiang Ru stared at her sister and recalled all his lies. All of the lost opportunities weren't because of Wang Xiu, it was solely because of himself. He wasn't doing well at college and always late because he was having a double life and his grades suffered from it.

In one part, he was a good boyfriend to Honey and in the other, he was a good boyfriend to Lou Shou Shan, his schoolmate in college. And Wang Xiu was quiet about it. The only girl who knows what he's hiding since high school.

The only reason he hated Wang Xiu and called her a snake was because of Shou Shan.

After he apologized to Shou Shan that he didn't want anyone to know about their relationship and started courting Hiu Ying or Honey to cover it up, the boy sought to hire Wang Xiu to become his girlfriend but declined it. 

For the girl, it was enough that Jiang Ru used her to be his beard. Wang Xiu didn't want to be anyone's paid girlfriend, she wanted a relationship on her terms.

Shou Shan and Wang Xiu became close friends after the woman demonstrated her strong will. But he grew jealous of their friendship. Wang Xiu is a fun, caring, and charming girl. And like what his ex-boyfriend said, "It wasn't hard falling in love with her."

It broke his heart into a million pieces. He called Zhang Wang Xiu a "snake". Though the women didn't accept Shou Shan's genuine feelings, he still hated the woman.

And he started blaming everything on Wang Xiu to hide his indiscretion.

When Wang Xiu revealed his true preference to his then-girlfriend Honey, it was all his mistake but everyone thinks it was because of Wang Xiu being a "poisonous snake".

He never cleared Wang Xiu's name. Afraid that it will also mean disclosing everything to his family. And he's not ready yet.

He's not prepared.

"I don't want Wang Xiu at our company," The lawyer said, continuing her scrutiny, "That "snake" tried to steal Li Jun from me, I don't want her stealing my brother too."

Jiang Ru shrugged his head hearing his sister harshly comment on the woman he used as a scapegoat for everything. He now has a chance to pay his debt to Wang Xiu but from his sister's tone, she seriously does not want the former LCDC executive to step into their company.

π - π - π

"Speaking of "snake"," Hwei Ru mumbled when she passed by her boss's office and saw Zhang Wang Xiu sitting on the client's chair facing the table.

She can't hear the conversation between the two but like her brother said that morning, Wang Xiu declined the engagement that Mr. Yang announced at her future father-in-law's birthday celebration.

'Is Wang Xiu going to let an opportunity to be CEO pass her by???' Hwei Ru curiously asked herself.

When the other lawyers walked past her, she strutted back to her office to begin her work. After she left Mr. Yang at the court during Wang Xiu's case, the hostility between her colleagues was high but also brief. Everyone knew she's a Bao, a wealthy lawyer, bringing rich clients to the firm, unlike other practicing counselors she's an asset to any company and Mr. Yang Sheng Zheng chose to be smarter by keeping Hwei Ru employed at his firm.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wang Xiu stood up from the chair and stretched her arm to offer Mr. Yang a handshake.

"Are you certain about your decision???" Sheng Zheng arched his edges to taunt the woman who refused the engagement, "You were all smiles about it at the party of your uncle."

"You want my grandfather to have a heart attack in the middle of the party???" Wang Xiu replied, raising her brows at the arrogant lawyer sitting across the table, "I'm a flirt, not a murderer, Mr. Yang."

"You also went into my hotel room and slept on my bed naked," The lawyer smiled mischievously.

"The concierge gave me the wrong key card when I asked for CEO Yang." The woman crossed her arm across her chest, "Do you have any more questions???"

"My mother proposed a deal for you to marry me, promising to give you the position of CEO to one of the biggest media companies in the country, and you are still declining it???" Sheng Zheng scoffed, creasing his forehead.

He's still doubtful that the woman doesn't want to be a CEO. Isn't that what Wang Xiu dreamed of and the reason why she wanted to be close to his mother?

"Tell me why are you so angry with your mother???" Wang Xiu diverted the man's attention. She leaned over the table setting both of her palms down, "Is it because of my closeness with her or there's more?"

The lawyer bulged his eyes, noticing the "distraction" Wang Xiu made with her exposed cleavage. He cleared his throat and stood up from his chair before his pants reacted to the woman's enticing body.

"My mother disrespected my father on his grave by having a relationship with someone after his death." The lawyers answered with an unforgiving tone, "She didn't even wait for a year to pass to mourn for my father."

"Your father's sudden passing was devastating to your mother." Wang Xiu explained with a calming tone, "She was in pain and suffering your father's loss. Rather than hate her, you should understand her."

"You don't know how it feels to finally find out why your mother never loved you. That your father was just a cover-up to her indiscretion." Sheng Zheng furiously conveyed his true feelings.

Wang Xiu disappointingly gazed at the lawyer, "And you wanted the same thing to happen to us???"

Sheng Zheng put her finger to Wang Xiu's chin to lift the woman's face, "I will make sure you will love me."

"What if I don't???" Wang Xiu answered and stepped back.

She turned to face the door without saying goodbye to the lawyer. Tangled between the issues of CEO Fei Hong and Sheng Zheng, Wang Xiu planned to make the two Yang resolve their bitterness to end.