Chapter 601 - 600: Lifting a Rock to Smash Her Own Foot (Part 1)

Su Li never would have guessed this was the reason for everything.

She’d been searching for a reason for days without success. Li Anna’s attitude toward her hadn’t changed—she was as friendly as ever, and Su Li couldn’t find anything to fault her for. Yet, she was no longer being given any work to do.

The TV station had been preparing to launch a revamped morning news program. The goal was to highlight the urban lifestyle of the Imperial City, breaking beyond regional confines to bring together international, national, and local news. The show aimed to broadcast major stories as quickly as possible so that Beijing people and viewers across the nation could learn about the latest current events first thing in the morning.

It was an excellent plan, and the news department had been busy working on it. Su Li had originally wanted to contribute her all and shine, but then...

After waiting for two days, Su Li learned that Li Anna was slated to be the new morning news program’s female host.

Li Anna was suddenly the center of attention, her star rising above everyone else’s. Congratulations poured in for the bilingual host—it was her greatest strength.

Under these circumstances, Su Li naturally lost the prominence she once had.

Just then, matters concerning Pinjun and her school required her attention, so Su Li took the opportunity to revert to her role as a regular intern and shifted her focus away from the station.

A busy month flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was November.

Winter arrived.

Meanwhile, the station’s preparations for the morning news had reached a fever pitch as they tried everything possible to ensure a successful launch.

For international stories and other hot topics, they brought in experts to provide commentary. In addition to domestic specialists, they even invited experts from abroad.

Everyone took the matter very seriously, and Li Anna, as the liaison for the foreign experts, garnered even more attention. Besides preparing for her main hosting duties, she also had to get ready to conduct the interviews.

Some of these interviews were pre-recorded to be aired during the official broadcast.

Li Anna was incredibly busy, but she was loving every minute of it. She complained about her hectic schedule, but anyone could see how much she was enjoying herself.

Lately, Li Anna had finally reclaimed the feeling of being the center of attention. She no longer had to hear people sing Su Li’s praises or see that pleasant, audience-friendly face of hers all the time.

Li Anna was bilingual, but others were too. The reason she was so popular and sought-after—to the point that other channels wanted to poach her—was that in addition to being talented, she had been blessed with a beautiful face.

A host makes a living off their talent, but they also rely on their looks. It isn’t about being extraordinarily handsome or beautiful, but about having a face that is trustworthy and pleasant to watch.

Li Anna had that, and Su Li was not lacking either. In fact, one could say Su Li was even prettier, with a warmer and more approachable air. If it weren’t for Su Li’s humble origins and lack of resources, Li Anna wouldn’t have been able to quash her momentum so easily.

Li Anna thought Su Li was rather perceptive. She had quietly faded into the background, dutifully doing what an intern should, and no longer came to the station every day as if she were a full-time employee.

Seeing Su Li act so perceptively made Li Anna happy, but it also bred a sliver of contempt for her.

So, when she saw Su Li at the station again after several days, Li Anna felt even more justified in ordering her around.

These weren’t normal work-related requests. She had Su Li fetching her tea and buying things, treating her like a personal assistant.

The colleagues nearby watched, feeling a bit uncomfortable for Su Li, but with Li Anna’s career at its zenith, they could only pretend not to notice.

Back at the station again, Su Li calmly endured Li Anna’s frequent demands. Her bright, dark eyes remained placid as she silently complied, never throwing a fit and completing every task perfectly.

Su Li’s performance, in turn, only made Li Anna seem all the more domineering.

Li Anna belatedly noticed the odd looks her colleagues were giving her. Once she realized why, she began to resent Su Li for it.

She looked into Su Li’s placid eyes, took the third cup of tea she had poured, and forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Su Li. I didn’t even realize it was you. I feel awful making you do all these things for me. Look at me, I’m so busy my head’s all muddled."

If Su Li had dared to show any displeasure, Li Anna would have been annoyed. Yet, with Su Li working so quietly, Li Anna saw it as a deliberate provocation all the same.

When you’ve decided you don’t like someone, everything they do will annoy you. That was exactly how Li Anna felt about Su Li.

"It’s no problem." Su Li looked up into Li Anna’s eyes and slowly shook her head. "You’re busy, after all."

Li Anna glanced at the surrounding colleagues, who had pricked up their ears to listen in. She looked back at the what-she-assumed-was-a-fake smile on Su Li’s face and twitched her lips.

"Thanks for being so understanding." She checked the time, and a glint appeared in her eyes as she suddenly stood up. "Then, Su Li, could you help me with one more thing?"

"Please, go on," Su Li nodded.

"It’s like this: The experts we went to great lengths to invite are about to arrive, including the ones from overseas. I need you to come with me to greet them."

As she walked, Li Anna pointed to a young woman running toward them. "See? Here she comes to hurry us along."

Sure enough, the young woman ran right over when she saw Li Anna. "Sister Anna, the experts are here."

"We’re on our way." Li Anna smiled, then turned back to Su Li. "Do you speak English, junior?"

Su Li gave a slight nod. "A little. I joined a club for it at school."

A flash of contempt crossed Li Anna’s eyes. ’She knew what those school clubs amounted to. They were just for fun. Learning a foreign language was hardly that simple. Su Li probably just knew a few common phrases at best.’

With that in mind, Li Anna said aloud, "That’s good. In a moment, you can help me receive them. The interview is about to start, and I still have to prepare."

Just as before, Su Li simply nodded, raising no objections.

Li Anna sent the young woman off to attend to other matters and quickly led Su Li to the reception room.

Four experts had arrived: two middle-aged men from Huaguo, and two foreigners.

At the time, foreign languages were not yet widely spoken. Apart from a small minority, most people couldn’t speak another language, and the two Huaguo experts were no exception. The language barrier created a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Li Anna’s arrival quickly eased the awkwardness. She was an adept socializer who left neither side feeling neglected, and she spoke the foreign language with impressive fluency.

Everyone who witnessed this looked at Li Anna with admiration and respect.

She might be flashy, but it was only natural for someone with real talent to be so.

"Su Li, the two experts would like some coffee. Go make two cups for them. You know what coffee is, right?" Li Anna said to Su Li, who was standing at her side, after a few moments of conversation.

"I do," Su Li nodded, lowering her gaze as she exited the room.

She had heard everything. The experts hadn’t said they wanted coffee; Li Anna had proposed it herself.

There was already tea on the table—high-quality tea, at that. Su Li could even smell its delicate fragrance, so she didn’t understand why Li Anna was so insistent on getting coffee.

What Su Li didn’t realize was that Li Anna simply wanted an excuse to order her around.

As she gave the order, Li Anna didn’t notice the two Huaguo experts slightly furrowing their brows.

As she spoke, the two men had been drinking their tea and were very satisfied with its quality. They were just about to ask Li Anna to translate an invitation for the foreign experts to try some authentic Huaguo tea when they heard her demanding coffee instead.

The two men exchanged a look and swallowed their words. They didn’t speak up again after that.

Li Anna didn’t notice them. She was focused on chatting with the foreign experts, showing off her fluent command of their language.