Ghost of Past

Jia Wen always made an effort to acknowledge the greetings from his employees every morning. Even though it was short, he thought it was important not to come off as stuck-up or distant. Unfortunately, this morning was different. He ignored all the hellos, walking straight past everyone without slowing down.

When he reached the 26th floor—where his office was located—the greetings continued, but Jia Wen ignored them all. He entered his office, immediately took a seat, and put on his reading glasses.

Moments later, Yuan Qi, his personal secretary, entered the room with several files in hand. "Good morning, Boss," Yuan Qi greeted cheerfully.

"Cut to the chase," Jia Wen said, sounding annoyed.

"This is the collaboration proposal with He Group. Please review it." Yuan Qi placed a green folder on Jia Wen's desk.

Jia Wen sighed as he opened the folder. He skimmed through the text and figures on the first page, but his mind refused to focus. Frustrated, he slammed the folder down and shot Yuan Qi a glare as Yuan Qi waited calmly for him to respond.

"Why's that guy here?" Jia Wen asked straight up, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

Yuan Qi blinked in confusion, clearly unsure of what Jia Wen meant. "What do you mean, Boss?"

"I'm asking why the man I hate most in this world is walking freely through my company's building!" Jia Wen's voice was laced with bitterness.

"You ran into Shen Han?" Yuan Qi's disbelief was evident as he leaned forward, pulling a chair closer to Jia Wen. "Are you saying Shen Han is here?"

"Who else would it be? Is there any other man who left me standing at the altar?" Jia Wen's tone was cold, his words filled with the bitterness of old wounds. Although three years had passed, he could never forget what Shen Han had done to him.

Meeting Shen Han again after all this time—and at his company, no less—was something Jia Wen hadn't anticipated. While the initial shock lingered, it was quickly overshadowed by anger and confusion.

"No wonder you've looked ready to kill someone all morning. You saw him," Yuan Qi observed, shaking his head knowingly.

Jia Wen hated how good Yuan Qi was at reading him. Seeing Shen Han earlier had not only made his heart drop to his stomach but also darkened his mood in an instant.

"How does he look now? Is he still as cute as before? Or maybe even more so?" Yuan Qi's teasing question ignited a fresh wave of irritation in Jia Wen.

Grabbing the stack of files on his desk, Jia Wen promptly smacked Yuan Qi's head with them. Yuan Qi yelped in pain and scooted back in his chair, putting more distance between himself and Jia Wen.

"Possessive much? I was just asking!" Yuan Qi protested, rubbing his head.

Jia Wen was about to do the same thing again, but Yuan Qi quickly moved toward the door, gripping the handle as though preparing to flee. Only when Jia Wen set the files back down did Yuan Qi cautiously step closer.

"I heard there's an interview scheduled with several candidates today. Maybe he's one of them," Yuan Qi remarked, his words adding weight to Jia Wen's already chaotic thoughts.

Jia Wen immediately picked up the phone and called the HR department, demanding they bring him the candidates' information. He couldn't rely on guesses—he needed to confirm the truth himself.

Ten minutes later, a knock on the door interrupted his restless scrolling on his phone. Yuan Qi opened the door, took the documents, and handed them to Jia Wen. It didn't take long for Jia Wen to find what he was looking for.

"You were right. He applied for a job here," Jia Wen muttered, staring at Shen Han's photo in the folder.

"And?" Yuan Qi prompted.

"And what? I'll have him removed from the list," Jia Wen stated firmly.

Yuan Qi crossed his arms, making it obvious he wasn't impressed. "Wow, you sound incredibly unprofessional right now."

"I don't care, Yuan Qi. What I care about is not having to see him again. Why did you let him roam around here in the first place?" Jia Wen's tone grew sharper.

"Listen, I'm your secretary, not your security guard. You should take this up with the security team, not me."

Jia Wen squinted, irritated by Yuan Qi's attitude. "You know I could fire you at any moment, right?"

The threat worked like magic. Yuan Qi immediately stepped behind Jia Wen and began massaging his shoulders. "Boss, don't joke like that. You wouldn't be so cruel, would you?"

Jia Wen rolled his eyes and shrugged off Yuan Qi's hands. Yuan Qi smirked and hopped onto the edge of the desk, facing Jia Wen directly.

"Listen, if you reject her application over something personal, you'll look unprofessional. I'm not saying I don't understand your feelings, but think this through carefully."

Yuan Qi patted Jia Wen's shoulder a few times before standing and walking out of the office. Alone, Jia Wen's thoughts spiraled further. It had been three years since the incident, and he had worked hard to move forward. After joining his father's company, he had built his own empire, focusing on his work and leaving the past behind.

He had avoided any news about Shen Han, severing ties with anything related to him or his family. His sudden comeback had completely messed up Jia Wen's well-planned life.

Jia Wen's heart clenched as he recalled Shen Han's face from earlier. He had been visibly shocked to see him, and though he felt the same, he had masked his emotions far better than Shen Han had. He looked the same, as if time had stopped for him.

Shaking his head forcefully, Jia Wen tried to dispel the thoughts. Why was he wasting energy thinking about a man who had brought nothing but disaster to him and his family?

The rest of his day passed in a haze. Jia Wen found it nearly impossible to concentrate, his mind trapped in memories and questions about Shen Han. He could only hope that his presence wouldn't disrupt his life any further.