So what if they were from the same hometown?
Su Rui told herself it probably meant nothing.
People from X City were everywhere. You could bump into three of them just shopping for vegetables. So what if Lin Yueying had lived in the same little town? That didn't have to mean anything.
And yet… there was something she couldn't shake.
An odd weight pressing on her chest, like a truth waiting quietly in the shadows—just out of reach.
She didn't know what it was.
But she wanted to find out.
She decided to request leave.
She would travel to Lin Yueying's hometown. Visit the old pastry master who made the osmanthus cakes. Walk through the streets, peek into corners. Maybe she'd spot a name, a face, a house. Maybe, somewhere among faded registry files and dust-covered signs, she'd find a trace of something—or someone.
There was just one problem.
She had no idea which street Lin Yueying had lived on. No house number, no address.
But she couldn't afford to wait.
The next morning, Su Rui marched straight to the HR office with her leave form. She wore her best "I'm very sick but still loyal" face and even threw in a few dramatic coughs.
"I'm really not feeling well," she said solemnly. "Doctor says I should return to my hometown for some rest and recovery."
The HR manager flipped through her file, face tightening with every turn of the page.
"I'm really sorry, Lin-jie, but… your leave can't be approved."
"…Can't be approved?" Su Rui blinked.
"It's not from us," the manager said quickly, eyes darting like he was looking for an escape hatch. "We received… instructions from higher up. You're on a special list. No unauthorized leave allowed."
"…What?" Su Rui's voice shot up.
The HR manager visibly hesitated, fidgeted, then lowered his voice and leaned in.
"It came from… the president. He made it very clear—if you take leave without formal approval, it will be considered voluntary resignation. Immediate dismissal."
Su Rui's hands curled into fists.
Shen Yichen, you absolute control freak.
She took a deep breath, forcing her face into a smile as fake as it was exhausting.
"And what if I really do have something urgent to handle?"
The HR manager pushed his glasses nervously. "Then… you'll need to speak with the president directly."
Su Rui nearly exploded.
She was just a janitor now. A low-level employee!
And yet to take a simple week off, she needed his personal permission?
Was this normal? Was this sane?!
The words nearly burst from her mouth.
But she swallowed them.
She couldn't break character. Not yet.
Not while she still needed to stay in this role.
Su Rui looked down at the leave form in her hands. The corners had been crushed by her grip.
Her lips curved into a cold, humorless smile.
Shen Yichen, you twisted, possessive lunatic. You won't even let me go back to my hometown in peace.
What the hell do you want from me?