The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Happy days are always short-lived.

After taking her brother on a month-long trip, Xu Xi reluctantly returned to work at the company.

With the Double Eleven shopping festival approaching, she, as the person in charge of the group, had to be present to oversee the overall situation.

By the end of mid-October, a tense atmosphere had already permeated the company.

"Mr. Xu, this document needs your signature."

"Okay, put it here."

"Mr. Xu, this is the offline marketing plan for Double Eleven drafted by Director Li of the Media Marketing Department. Please take a look."

"Send it back to him to redo it. Last year's plan is no longer feasible this year. Reduce the traffic allocation to some airports and train stations, and increase the budget for young people's traffic on campuses and commercial streets. We need to adapt to the changing times."

"Mr. Xu, Mr. Sun from Erhai Group has been waiting for you in the conference room for two hours."

"Okay, I understand. Prepare a report on Erhai Electric's market share for the first half of the year, focusing on the data for the two months of the 618 shopping festival. I'll meet him at 2:30."

......

At the Sinian Group, on the top floor of the building, the door to the president's office is never closed. Secretaries and assistants rush in and out, carrying one document after another.

Xu Xi sat at her desk, tugging at her silver hair, overwhelmed with work.

In the past, when she read urban romance novels and watched mindless short dramas, she would always envy the domineering CEOs with immense power in them.

It's not because they're rich or powerful, but because they always have several all-powerful assistants who can handle everything from plucking the sun, moon, and stars from the sky to postpartum care for sows with just one phone call. The CEO himself only needs to eat, drink, and have fun every day, and occasionally show off his coolness.

But once she actually sat in that position, she realized it was all a lie.

The way she works is like an ancient emperor reviewing memorials.

Under heaven, all land belongs to the emperor; consequently, there are countless matters of the world awaiting the emperor's judgment.

The memorials on her desk were piled up like a small mountain, and she wouldn't be able to finish reviewing them even by tomorrow morning.

These decisions, after being screened by layers of chief ministers and reviewed by Prime Minister Wen Yao, only fall into her hands when no decision can be made.

The price of not attending court for a month is facing a backlog of memorials from the civil and military officials, with no one to turn to for help.

At this moment, Xu Xi only wanted to leave the court as quickly as possible and go to the harem to spend the night with her Empress Xu Nian.

A woman with dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair walked into the office, yawning.

She went straight to the sofa, plopped down on it, and sprawled out on her back.

"Your Majesty, you have finally remembered your people and the nation, and are willing to return to court to attend to state affairs."

"Does Your Majesty know that during your tour of Jiangnan, this old minister has been acting as regent, and is nearing his passing in this Xuanzheng Hall?"

"I feel that I am about to pass away."

Xu Xi gave a wry smile and scratched her hair in frustration.

"These corrupt officials are taking my salary for nothing. They need to ask me for permission to do such a simple thing."

"Do you think everyone's as smart as you?"

Wen Yao rolled her eyes.

"This isn't ancient times. People with brains don't need to rebel to become emperors. If someone is truly capable, they would have started their own business long ago. Who would want to work for another boss and earn a pittance?"

"Why..."

Xu Xi sighed helplessly.

"Could you go and meet with Mr. Sun from Erhai for me later?"

"I'm not going."

Wen Yao refused very decisively.

"Mr. Sun is notoriously shrewd, you know that. I'm no match for him."

"Besides, they flew all the way from Jiaodong to Yuncheng specifically to see you."

"Then help me approve a few memorials."

"This old minister dares not overstep his bounds."

Wen Yao teased.

Xu Xi smiled helplessly.

She also knew that during her absence, Wen Yao had taken on almost all the company's affairs, big and small, and had been working overtime for several days in a row, leaving her exhausted.

At their level of wealth, money is no longer enough to tempt them.

Freedom is the only thing that matters.

Every day when I open my eyes, there are countless tasks waiting to be dealt with.

Millions of people in the entire group depend on them for food, yet these women, despite their high positions, don't live as carefree a life as an ordinary person.

Did you take your medicine today?

Wen Yao raised an eyebrow and reminded her.

"have eaten."

Xu Xi shook her medicine bag; it was completely empty.

Every morning, Xu Nian would prepare the medication that Leng Huaqiu needed to take that day, according to her doctor's orders.

Even though she currently feels fine, she cannot let her guard down and stop taking her medication without consulting a doctor.

She never wanted to experience that hellish pain again.

"That's fine then."

Wen Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

She picked up the panda plush toy next to her: "I'm going to take a nap. Let's work hard. If we suffer more today, we'll be driving a Land Rover tomorrow."

Xu Xi smiled wryly and continued to immerse herself in her busy work.

.......

In the evening, while employees of other companies were leaving get off work and going home, the lights of the Sinian Building were still on full display, and the entire business unit of the shopping mall was on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy.

At 8 PM, the first day of pre-sales for the Double Eleven shopping festival officially began.

As the main economic pillar of the Sinian Group, the e-commerce sector faces enormous revenue pressure.

Employees are working incredibly hard for their generous bonuses, and leaders are striving for promotions.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that people began to emerge from the building, either driving away or waiting for ride-hailing services on the roadside.

Their faces were etched with an unconcealable weariness.

At that moment, in the parking lot, a man was yawning in a black SUV.

He craned his neck and looked towards the building's main entrance, his gaze wandering among the people walking out, as if searching for a certain figure.

Goodbye, Mr. Xu!

Goodbye, Mr. Xu!

"See you tomorrow."

A petite figure wearing a brown trench coat and small leather shoes came into his view.

Xu Xi smiled and said goodbye to her subordinates one by one, then walked quickly toward the black SUV.

After leaving the crowd, the fake smile on her face vanished, replaced by an undeniable weariness.

"How's it going? Busy today, huh?"

After Xu Xi got into the car, the man handed her a cup of warm tea.

"I'm incredibly busy!"

Xu Xi picked up the teacup and drank the tea in one gulp.

She put the lid back on, set the teacup down, leaned against the man's chest, and rubbed the non-existent little pearls from the corners of her eyes with a pitiful expression.

"Work is like a game of whack-a-mole; problems keep coming one after another, and you can't keep up with them all."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Xu Nian gently stroked her silver hair, saying with heartache.

At four o'clock in the morning, Xu Xi was woken up by the urgent ringing of the phone. She didn't even have time to eat breakfast before she went to the company.

I didn't leave the company until 2 a.m.

They truly "get up earlier than the rooster and go to bed later than the dog."

She yawned, her eyes bloodshot.

Even the tuft of hair on its head had lost its vitality and hung limply.