Chapter 356 Venting

The milk tea quickly spread along the edges of the document, the light brown liquid seeping onto the white paper like unsightly stains, instantly soaking through several pages of the contract printed in black ink.

Yang Zhenzhen stood frozen in place, her fingers still in the stiff position she had been in when she got up, her eyes fixed on the soiled documents, her face turning deathly pale, even her lips losing all color.

Yang Shanshan rushed forward and shoved her aside, frantically reaching out to salvage the documents, but she withdrew her hand when her fingertips touched the cold, damp paper. The ink had begun to bleed, making the once clear numbers blurry and in some places even sticking together.

Yang Shanshan raised her head, her eyes filled with anger and disdain. "Do you know what these are? This is the contract that President Xie just signed with Hongyunda Company yesterday, and now you've ruined it all. Can you afford to pay for it?"

She shoved Yang Zhenzhen hard, her voice almost piercing the office ceiling, "Yang Zhenzhen, you know you're stupid, why don't you just stay home quietly? Why do you have to come to the company and cause trouble? I think you just want to cause trouble for President Xie!"

Yang Zhenzhen stumbled as Yang Shanshan pushed her, her back hitting the cold wall. She instinctively covered her lower abdomen, but felt more helpless and panicked.

She wanted to explain, to apologize, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she could only let out soft sobs. Tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring her vision.

"I'm not stupid, Yuanyang said so, I'm not dumb..."

Yang Zhenzhen's voice trembled, barely audible, but it couldn't drown out Yang Shanshan's accusations.

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Xie Yuanyang walked in.

He had just finished a meeting and was still holding a folder in his hand when he saw the scene in the room, and he paused in his tracks.

His gaze first fell on the scattered documents and spilled milk tea, then shifted to Yang Zhenzhen, whose eyes were red and who was trembling all over.

Xie Yuanyang's pupils dilated suddenly, and he strode forward. "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"

Upon hearing the voice, Yang Shanshan turned around immediately before Yang Zhenzhen could speak, and said urgently, "President Xie, you're finally back! Miss Yang was sitting in your office chair and accidentally spilled her milk tea on the contract you signed with Hongyunda."

Xie Yuanyang's eyes flashed with a cold light as he looked at her. "Did I ask you?"

Yang Shanshan was so frightened that she didn't dare to say anything.

Then, Xie Yuanyang gently touched Yang Zhenzhen's shoulder with a tender gesture, a stark contrast to the oppressive aura he had displayed earlier.

"Were you scared?" he asked in a low voice, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Yang Zhenzhen looked up at him, her tears flowing even more freely. She choked out, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I just wanted to stand up, and I accidentally..."

"It's alright." Xie Yuanyang interrupted her apology, turning his gaze to the smudged documents. "There are still copies of the contract. At worst, I'll just go find someone to sign a new one."

Xie Yuanyang wiped away her tears, then asked, "Zhenzhen, did Secretary Yang bully you?"

Yang Zhenzhen looked at Yang Shanshan, whose nails were so nervous they were almost digging into her palms, afraid that Yang Zhenzhen would say something inappropriate.

Fortunately, Yang Zhenzhen shook her head, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Yang Zhenzhen suddenly said to her, "I'm not stupid or dumb. Yuanyang said that you're just jealous of me, that's why you say those things. If you say those things to me again, I'll throw stones at you."

Suddenly, Xie Yuanyang's eyes turned cold.

He looked at Yang Shanshan, his tone calm yet icy, "Did you humiliate my wife?"

Yang Shanshan froze, her smugness vanishing instantly, replaced by embarrassment and panic.

She didn't expect Xie Yuanyang to react this way, and she certainly didn't expect him to defend his silly wife. "I... I was just joking with my wife."

Xie Yuanyang ignored Yang Shanshan, picked up the strawberry cake on the table, handed it to her, and said in a gentle tone, "The cake isn't spoiled, it's still edible. You were scared just now, have something sweet to calm your nerves."

Yang Zhenzhen took the cake, feeling both warm and bittersweet, and her tears slowly stopped.

Xie Yuanyang picked up a tissue and gently wiped the corner of Yang Zhenzhen's clothes that had been splashed with milk tea. His movements were meticulous and patient.

After he helped her clean up, he looked up at Yang Shanshan, his tone calm but decisive, "Go to the HR department to resign tomorrow."

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. "President Xie, I've been with the company for three years. Even if I haven't made any great contributions, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. You can't fire me for such a small thing."

"A trivial matter?" Xie Yuanyang raised an eyebrow, his tone turning colder. "She's my wife. You're telling her what to do? That's a trivial matter?"

After a pause, Xie Yuanyang continued, "Do you think that with your work ability, you've been able to stay at Nanzheng Group for so many years because you're outstanding enough? If I hadn't seen your resume, your surname is Yang, and your given name is a reduplicated character, somewhat similar to my wife's, do you think I would have hired you?"

Yang Shanshan's face turned pale, and she could no longer utter a word of explanation.

So, she was hired simply because her name is similar to Yang Zhenzhen's?

In the end, she could only bite her lip and reluctantly say "yes," then turn around and leave the office in a disheveled state.

After the office door closed, Xie Yuanyang turned around and gently patted Yang Zhenzhen's head. "Don't worry about it. This kind of person isn't worth letting it affect your mood."

She took a fork and ate the cake in small bites. The sweetness of the strawberries and the aroma of the cream melted in her mouth, and the grievances and panic she had felt earlier gradually dissipated.

She looked up at Xie Yuanyang and asked softly, "Yuanyang, have I caused you trouble again?"

Xie Yuanyang smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Silly girl, how could it be trouble? She made a mistake and should bear the consequences. It has nothing to do with you."

Yang Zhenzhen smiled, "Yuanyang, you're so kind."

Her grievances came quickly and went quickly.

Around noon, Xie Nanzhi returned to the company after finishing up on the project. She was exhausted after a long morning. After exchanging a few words with Xie Yuanyang, she went home to pack her luggage, preparing to fly to Beijing that evening.

After getting out of the car, Xie Nanzhi walked into the Nanzheng Group building in her high heels, but she was stopped before she even reached her office.

"Mr. Nan, I have something I want to talk to you about."

Xie Nanzhi knew her; she was Xie Yuanyang's secretary, Yang Shanshan.

She looked her up and down, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Secretary Yang, is there something you need?"

Yang Shanshan's eyes reddened, and tears welled up instantly. "President Nan, I have worked at Nanzheng Group for many years. I have worked hard, even if I have not made any great contributions, but President Xie said he would fire me."

Xie Nanzhi knew Xie Yuanyang's character; he was a man of great loyalty and affection. If Yang Shanshan hadn't crossed his line, he wouldn't have fired her so easily.

Xie Nanzhi sneered, "Tell me, why did President Xie fire you?"