He Shu had just mentioned that his master was not around. Huo Yao wondered what he meant. She paused for a couple of seconds before she stood up and nodded. “Of course.”
He Shu instantly felt relieved.
He did not know Huo Yao very well. When he saw Deputy Chairman Qin’s contract, he was worried that Deputy Chairman Qin might have succeeded in buying her over.
He Shu pointed at the door without even looking at Deputy Chairman Qin and gestured for Huo Yao to follow him. “After you.”
A serious look emerged on Deputy Chairman Qin’s face. “He Shu, how dare you!”
He Shu had just taken Huo Yao from right under his nose. He clearly disrespected the deputy chairman.
He Shu acted as though he was oblivious of Deputy Chairman Qin’s fury and words. Instead, he looked at Huo Yao and gestured for her to come with him.
Huo Yao stuck her hands into her coat pocket. When she got to the door, she halted and turned. She looked at Deputy Chairman Qin mildly. “Even if you offer me the position of chairman, I’m not interested.”
The moment she finished her sentence, she veered her eyes and stepped out of the office.
He Shu was stunned, but he quickly snapped out of it and followed behind Huo Yao.
Deputy Chairman Qin watched expressionlessly as they disappeared from the door. He closed his eyes for a second before he picked up the teacup on the table and hurled it onto the ground forcefully.
The teacup could be heard smashing into smithereens. He was clearly in a foul mood.
He had never seen anyone as stubborn as her.
When Pei Rong came over to see Deputy Chairman Qin with something for him, he happened to run into Huo Yao and He Shu. He looked at Huo Yao with complicated emotions running through his heart.
He had witnessed Huo Yao’s performance at the apothecaries’ exam. He did not expect her to be such a master at refining pills.
When she examined Fang Chen at the Pei residence, he had simply assumed that she was a young woman with some medical knowledge. Back in the day, she was proud, so he had a very bad impression of her.
His little brother had called to inform him that Huo Yao was a brilliant apothecary, but he did not take it to heart. He felt it was impossible for someone as young as her to accomplish this.
She had now proven she was a brilliant apothecary and was very close to the chairman. Pei Rong could not help feeling angry about misjudging her.
If he had known sooner, he would have befriended her. Perhaps in a couple of years, he would have successfully gotten connected to Chairman Wang using her.
Unfortunately, it was all too late.
Pei Rong sighed inside. Fortunately, Chairman Wang was going to lose his job soon. If he continued keeping ties with him, there was no saying if Deputy Chairman Qin might kick him out of the association as well.
Pei Rong composed himself and his regret gradually dissipated as he pondered. He did not stop to greet Huo Yao. He simply nodded perfunctorily to He Shu before he entered Deputy Chairman Qin’s office.
He Shu and Pei Rong did not know each other well, so he did not particularly like or dislike the man. When he saw Pei Rong enter Deputy Chairman Qin’s office, he pursed his lips.
From the looks of it, he was now one of Deputy Chairman Qin’s men. He was another one of those guys without any principles.
*
When Pei Rong entered the office, he saw the broken teacup on the ground and was caught by surprise. He glanced cautiously at Deputy Chairman Qin.
Since he had just run into He Shu and Huo Yao at the door, their meeting must have ended badly.
Pei Rong felt it was probably the wrong time to come over, but it was rude to leave now. He asked cautiously. “Deputy Chairman Qin, are you okay?”
