Chen Jiaming glanced at her expression and understood, so that’s how it is. Just as he suspected, later that day, as he thought about it alone, he felt that Sister Yao’s words were full of holes.

His mother, Mrs. Chen, was extremely discreet in keeping someone’s secret, never allowing anyone to get close, including him as her son. Under such circumstances, claiming that Mrs. Chen went outside to recruit for a flower arrangement class and let someone like Sister Yao come into contact with this was utterly absurd. Completely unimaginable.

Yet, despite such simple and transparent lies, that day, his mind, perhaps astray, chose to easily believe Sister Yao’s falsehood. Possibly, subconsciously, he felt that Sister Yao lied to him out of goodwill, without any malice, so he unwittingly fell for it. No matter what, Sister Yao managed to make up such a convincing lie, given her level. After all, he and Sister Yao were strangers, and Sister Yao knew even less about Mrs. Chen, how could she know that his mother indeed loved flower arranging at home before her death?

Thinking back and forth, only one reason remained. Chen Jiaming looked into Sister Yao’s eyes and asked: "Who told you about my mother?"

Sister Yao knew there was no hiding, so she revealed everything: "Director Chen, please don’t, don’t be angry. Honestly, everyone is just concerned for you, with no other intentions."

"Was it her?" Chen Jiaming recalled that day, while he was on the phone with Li Changzhi, Gu Nuan seemed indifferent, but actually, she must have been quite anxious inside. Either way, he is now the second-in-command of the company, and if they were to fall due to Li Changzhi, Gu Nuan would be equally troubled. Finding someone to replace him in a short time is impossible.

Everything was for the paramount interests of the company, something he previously revered. However, privately, perhaps he preferred it as Sister Yao said, she acted solely out of concern, prompting Sister Yao to use this tactic.

Knowing he had noticed everything, Sister Yao could only nod: "It wasn’t Gu Chairwoman’s idea, it was my idea."

"Your idea?"

"Yes, because I felt that regardless of work, it’s not good for Director Chen to frequently call or meet with a woman like Li Changzhi, so I texted Gu Chairwoman, hoping she could persuade you, Director Chen. Because given my role and circumstances, persuading you would be unlikely."

Sister Yao’s words indeed surprised and astonished Chen Jiaming: "Are you saying you first worried about my meetings with Li Changzhi?"

Detecting the hidden meaning in his words, Sister Yao laughed, feeling somewhat amused, and said: "Director Chen, as I mentioned, everyone truly cares for you, not just out of fear that company secrets might leak or to prevent you from being exploited by that woman to harm the company. Director Chen, after all, you are a member of our team, leading us, working longer hours than everyone else, everyone sees this, so how can we not be worried for you?"

The company Chen Jiaming advocated was pragmatic and efficient, but it differed from Sister Yao’s assertion; he never imagined his employees as a big family, truly close-knit. After all, he led the company’s HR department and was well-aware of the various behind-the-scenes changes; most employees aren’t genuinely loyal to a company, but are ready to leave for personal gain.

Gu Nuan’s belief in this family-like company truly made him grateful for someone placing her in Fang Yongxing’s group, allowing her to deeply understand what true company culture meant upon joining.