Chapter 600 - 599: Too Outstanding

Su Li standing out should have been a good thing, but someone just couldn’t stand to see her shine.

This was normal enough, just human nature. If it had been an ordinary colleague, they might have pulled a few stunts or made some snide remarks at most. These minor squabbles would eventually blow over without any major consequences.

But unfortunately, this wasn’t an ordinary colleague. It was Su Li’s superior.

Yes, a superior—and not just any superior.

This superior was no ordinary person. It was Li Anna, who had just returned from advanced studies abroad.

Li Anna was twenty-six years old, tall and slender with bright eyes and pearly teeth. She had a dignified, elegant air about her and a trustworthy face that made her seem beautiful, approachable, and sophisticated.

Her name had a Western flair, and so did her style. With her chic, modern black bob, impeccably tailored outfits the likes of which no one had ever seen, and stylish heels, she could capture everyone’s attention the moment she walked into a room.

When Su Li first saw her senior, she was quite impressed. Li Anna’s look was what would later be called elegant, professional chic.

Beautiful yet professional.

According to office gossip, her parents, who had spent time abroad in their youth, had chosen the name Anna for her, believing it to be the most unique, stylish, and beautiful name they could give.

Upon hearing this, Su Li, who knew perfectly well that "Anna" was a very common name, just gave an awkward smile and mumbled a noncommittal reply.

It was a beautiful name, to be sure, but it was hardly one-of-a-kind.

Li Anna returned right after Su Li had finished her summer vacation and was beginning her senior year, ready to put her all into her final semester.

By convention, senior year was split into two parts: the first semester was for classes, while the second was dedicated to practical internships. After that, all that was left was to pass the graduation thesis and its defense, submit proof of internship, and, barring any issues, receive a diploma.

Time flew by, and just like that, Su Li was on the verge of graduating from university.

Su Li cherished her final days of university. After the new school year began, she saw Tang Mo off to his third year of junior high, then reported back to campus herself, determined to make the most of her final semester and internship.

Her ideals were lofty, but reality was harsh.

Su Li was full of drive and ambition, but within two weeks of Li Anna’s return, she had already suffered a setback.

The entire time Su Li had been interning at Imperial City TV Station coincided perfectly with Li Anna’s time studying abroad, so they had never crossed paths before.

When she first heard Li Anna was returning, Su Li had been quite optimistic.

Everyone said that Li Anna, also an alumna of Huaguo Communication University, was their senior. She had always been an excellent performer and was rumored to have been the star student of her time. Her performance at the TV station had also been outstanding, and everyone had high hopes for her.

That was why she had ultimately been given the opportunity to pursue advanced studies abroad.

Initially, Su Li looked forward to meeting Li Anna, but it took less than two days for her to sense a certain coolness from her senior.

It wasn’t obvious, just a subtle feeling Su Li had as the one on the receiving end. Seeing that no one else seemed to notice, she began to think she was just imagining things.

Mostly because she hoped it wasn’t actually the case.

Li Anna had returned from her studies abroad, having learned a new language, and was brimming with confidence, ready to make great strides in her career.

She was promoted to supervisor—putting her in charge of Su Li and the other interns—and was also made a news anchor. Faced with such a superior, Su Li just hoped they could maintain a professional and amicable relationship.

That was Su Li’s hope, but unfortunately, reality was harsh.

Over the following week, her suspicions were confirmed: Li Anna definitely had a problem with her. By then, even the more perceptive of their colleagues had started to notice.

Although Su Li was still officially an intern, she was already doing the work of a full-fledged reporter and even receiving a stipend. She was far from being an ordinary intern.

But under Li Anna, she was reassigned back to menial intern tasks.

And this wasn’t a one-time thing; it was constant.

This was a classic case of a superior subtly making things difficult for a subordinate. Even though Su Li was frustrated, there was nothing she could say. It was impossible for her to go to the editor-in-chief over something like this.

After all, her official title was still "intern," so Li Anna was completely justified in her actions.

"Su Li, did you get on someone’s bad side?"

A cameraman who had worked with Su Li several times and knew her well asked her in private.

Su Li shook her head. "I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it constantly for the past two days, but I’ve racked my brains and still can’t figure it out."

"Then what’s going on? Li Anna is usually so good with people. Why would she suddenly..."

The cameraman shook his head, unable to understand the reason either.

He looked at Su Li, hesitating, as if he wanted to say more. He wanted to ask what she planned to do, but he held his tongue.

Su Li wasn’t exceptionally skilled at networking, but she got along with everyone. Because she was dependable, capable, and sincere, people generally had a good impression of her. The cameraman, for one, really hoped Su Li would get a permanent position at the station.

But this Li Anna...

The cameraman didn’t say it out loud, but Su Li could guess what he meant from his expression.

She just smiled and didn’t pursue the topic.

Of course, Su Li had her own thoughts on the matter, but she wasn’t going to make any rash decisions just because of one person.

She was no longer a hot-headed, impulsive youth. She considered things from all angles and wasn’t about to choose her workplace—or give up on her plans—because of one individual.

Her focus was on how to solve the problem.

And to solve the problem, she first needed to understand why Li Anna was treating her this way.

Logically, it made no sense. They had never interacted, never had any conflict.

Su Li spent two days trying to figure it out but came up with nothing.

Su Li was overthinking it, completely unaware that Li Anna’s dislike for her wasn’t because of some major offense or past grievance.

It was purely a matter of personal dislike, a simple clash of personalities.

And when it came down to it, the reason for this dislike was simple: Su Li was too good, too dazzling.

Li Anna was beautiful and had been the epitome of excellence since she was young, always number one wherever she went. Returning from her studies abroad, basking in glory, she should have been the one to naturally capture everyone’s attention, to be the most outstanding person there.

But when she returned, things didn’t go quite as expected. She was in the limelight, true, but she kept hearing people mention another name.

Su Li, her junior from the same university.

During her time away, this junior named Su Li had made quite a name for herself. Though still just an intern, her performance had been exceptional in every way. Even the editor-in-chief had mentioned her by name.

Though no one said it outright, the implication was that Su Li was performing even better than Li Anna had in her time.

This left a bad taste in Li Anna’s mouth.

That discomfort festered, especially when she heard colleagues praise her to her face, only to say behind her back that, given time, Su Li would become even more outstanding than she was.

Most people would feel resentful hearing something like that, and Li Anna was no exception.

Feeling resentful, she was naturally cool and distant toward Su Li. And later, with Su Li working under her, it became difficult for her to even consider giving her any significant responsibility.

Everything that followed was a matter of course.