It had to be reported, even if there was no good way to explain it! Xiao Linye was in his office. When Lai Shuo walked in with an ashen face, he knew the trip to Manlang hadn’t gone well again. He furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?" "The cooperation fell through!" Lai Shuo admitted readily. Xiao Linye was silent. His breath turned sharply cold. Lai Shuo said, "It must be some new trouble between Xiao Shuo and Boss Ye." On his way back, he had been pondering this the whole time. They had clearly received a call saying negotiations could proceed. Why did such a change occur today? This was truly...! After much thought, the only reason he could come up with was Xiao Shuo. Lai Shuo genuinely couldn’t think of any other cause. Working with women is just troublesome. If there’s any personal grudge, they hold onto it more stubbornly than anyone. For such great design talent to fall into the hands of a woman like Ye Yuning, it’s truly a waste. Lai Shuo was deeply dissatisfied with Ye Yuning’s inability to separate personal grudges from business. Xiao Linye closed his eyes briefly. "Tell Xiao Shuo to come up," he said, his voice icy. "Understood." Lai Shuo nodded, turned, and went out to call Xiao Shuo on the internal line. Meanwhile, Xiao Linye sent a text message to Ye Yuning: "Is your boss in a bad mood today?" On Ye Yuning’s end, Chen Wei had just taken the contract to deliver it personally to the Xiao Corporation. She planned to deliver it directly to the CEO’s office to avoid any complications en route. Seeing the message from Xiao Linye, Ye Yuning’s breath hitched in her throat. She quickly replied, "The boss wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital. Are you asking about the contract? She signed it, and it’s already on its way to the Xiao Corporation." Xiao Linye saw this response. His previously tense expression gradually relaxed. So, she really wasn’t feeling well. That Lai Shuo... he really jumped the gun, rushing back without getting the facts straight. Xiao Linye texted back, "Good. Lunch together?" "You come pick me up." Seeing her casual response, the corners of Xiao Linye’s mouth lifted with a hint of warmth. The way she made demands was quite cute! He replied with a single word: "Okay." Lai Shuo brought Xiao Shuo in. Xiao Shuo was completely tense. He was truly scared! Lai Shuo had just given him a rundown of the situation! He was truly wronged this time! Heaven and earth as his witness, he really hadn’t caused Ye Yuning any trouble! Seeing Xiao Linye’s calm demeanor, Xiao Shuo glanced at Lai Shuo subconsciously. Lai Shuo was also stunned. When he had left the office earlier, Xiao Linye was clearly angry about Boss Ye’s supposed capriciousness. And now, he’s not angry? That can’t be right! The Nanjia Peak project is such a big deal; if something happened, shouldn’t he be tearing Xiao Shuo to shreds? Xiao Shuo reacted instantly, fawning, "Seventh Uncle, I swear I didn’t provoke Ye Yuning! If Ye Tong provoked her, that has nothing to do with me. I really broke up with Ye Tong!" The moment he opened his mouth, Xiao Shuo distanced himself completely. He had to distance himself. He had been tormented to the point of questioning his own existence. Xiao Shuo felt that this period was the hardest time he had ever gone through in his life. Xiao Linye shot a disdainful look at Xiao Shuo’s fawning demeanor. "Go back to your work." Wasn’t I supposed to be punished? When Lai Shuo came to get him just now, he was practically grinding his teeth. He never thought he’d end up in such a miserable state, having to read the expression of a mere assistant. He didn’t want to go to work anymore, but he didn’t dare say it here. Lai Shuo looked at Xiao Linye, puzzled, not understanding why he wasn’t angry at all at a time . Could it be that he no longer cared about Nanjia Peak? That couldn’t be right. The Xiao Corporation had invested so much in Nanjia Peak; how could they not care? Xiao Linye said sharply, "Go!" Xiao Shuo glanced nervously at Lai Shuo, completely clueless about what he was missing. He quickly turned and fled! Once Xiao Shuo had left, Lai Shuo looked at Xiao Linye, still bewildered. "Sir, what...?" "How did your talks with Manlang fall apart?" "We didn’t even get to see Boss Ye. And before, the phone call clearly stated that we could negotiate." Speaking of this, Lai Shuo’s tone still held a hint of dissatisfaction. Xiao Linye’s icy gaze fixed on him. "You didn’t see her, and you didn’t ask why?" "The other party said Boss Ye wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital. Who would believe such an excuse?" "She really was unwell!" Lai Shuo was speechless. What? He believed it? No way... Sir, when did you start believing someone you’ve never even met, and a woman at that? Xiao Linye flicked the ash from his cigarette. Then he said, "Boss Ye has already signed the contract. It’s on its way to the Xiao Corporation right now. Is this the mischief you claimed Xiao Shuo was up to?" "Signed... she signed it?" Lai Shuo was astounded. Wait, so she really did go to the hospital? Back then, he thought Ye Yuning was just being willful again, refusing to discuss the cooperation. At the time, neither he nor Xiao Ge believed her. He never expected it to be true. Xiao Linye said, "With your cooperation partners, you need to have a bit more trust. Don’t just wildly speculate about their intentions. I remember you weren’t before. Why were you so prejudiced this time?" The further he spoke, the heavier Xiao Linye’s tone became. Lai Shuo felt wronged! He lowered his head and mumbled, "I’m not the only one who’s prejudiced against Manlang, am I?" Sir is also prejudiced against Manlang, isn’t he? Who was it that said before that women tend to let personal feelings interfere with business?