Chapter 82 Empty "I'm sorry."

As Tang Yi rubbed her head and got out of bed, a sliver of morning light shone through the gap in the curtains. She looked at the pillow and blanket beside her; they were neatly arranged, without a single wrinkle.

Her phone was neatly placed on the bedside table to charge. She reached over, touched it, and turned it on to check; the battery was already fully charged.

Tang Yi pushed open the door and went out. It was quiet outside, without the familiar sounds of kitchen utensils clattering or the range hood blowing.

After washing up, she walked to the dining room, where a takeout breakfast was prominently displayed on the table. Just as she was about to reach for it, Zhang Minglang called.

Tang Yi held the phone to her ear, about to ask where he was, when she heard a calm voice on the other end, sounding completely different from his unrestrained manner last night: "Tang Yi, are you up? I had to go to the company first, so I can't go to work with you. Remember to eat the breakfast on the table."

Tang Yi responded with an "okay," and was about to ask something else when she faintly heard Assistant Zhou calling her name. Zhang Minglang said apologetically, "Tang Yi, I'm a little busy here."

"You're busy," Tang Yi said.

The call was disconnected, and silence fell over her ears, but the phone lingered, never being put down from her ear.

Tang Yi quietly pulled out a chair, sat down, and untied the plastic bag; the rustling sound was the only noise in the large house.

She took a spoonful of porridge and put it in her mouth, then smiled for some reason.

It was rare that Zhang Minglang would stop pestering her to go out with him for one morning. She no longer had to be on edge in the car, worried that they would be discovered, and that he would only give up after she insisted on kissing him.

The routine she followed every morning suddenly disappeared, leaving Tang Yi feeling empty, but she quickly laughed at herself for being sentimental.

So what? It's just that we didn't go to work together.

After finishing her bland porridge, Tang Yi got ready and went out.

She was still wearing high heels, walking into the company to clock in as usual. Many colleagues were crowded outside the elevator, some she knew and some she didn't. Tang Yi ignored them, simply walking over to them and stopping, looking up at the slowly ticking elevator floor numbers.

The previously chattering and noisy crowd fell silent instantly. Several people behind Tang Yi exchanged glances, and eventually all their eyes were fixed on her back.

Tang Yi had anticipated this outcome, so she was completely accepting of these necessary procedures without any emotional turmoil.

The elevator doors opened, and Tang Yi didn't rush to go in, wanting them to go first. However, she paused for a second or two and noticed that no one went in.

Tang Yi glanced at the crowd, then lowered her head and walked in. Only then did they dare to follow. The empty elevator instantly became crowded, but the people around her seemed to have agreed beforehand, all keeping their distance from her, even though there was plenty of room for her.

Tang Yi, standing in the crowd, couldn't help but laugh at the thought that she had become a monster.

When she arrived at the 16th floor, she was about to raise her hand to walk out when the people in front of her seemed to have eyes and consciously made way for her.

Tang Yi paused for a moment, then continued walking out. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Tang Yi turned her head, nodded towards the elevator, and smiled as she thanked them.

The door closed slowly, and hushed conversations began.

"My goodness, he's also spent time with the CEO's wife."

"Who said she had a bad temper? She's actually quite kind. She even turned back to thank me after we walked out."

"Shh! If you want to stay here, then stop talking!"

Tang Yi, of course, had no chance to hear these discussions. She walked straight into the work area without looking to either side. Several colleagues who were about to leave jumped aside when they suddenly saw her: "Good morning, Secretary Tang."

Tang Yi nodded and smiled: "Good morning."

She could feel countless gazes coming from all directions, like countless thin ropes wrapped around her, pulling her forward with every step she took.

As soon as Tang Yigang pulled out a chair and sat down, Fang Zhen and Tang Jiaxin came up to her side one after the other.

Tang Jiaxin frowned: "Secretary Tang, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Tang Yi was busy tidying up the messy documents on the table, classifying them one by one and clipping them with binder clips.

Fang Zhen stepped forward, took the A4 paper from her hand, and said, "Let me do it, Tang Mi."

Under the watchful eyes of two people, Tang Yi reluctantly stopped what she was doing and turned to look at them: "I'm really fine. You can all go about your business. Why are you all crowding around me? Are you even going to work?"

The two exchanged a glance, then had no choice but to temporarily set aside their worries and return to their respective workstations.

After seeing the two off, Tang Yi took a deep breath, turned on her computer, and for the first time seriously searched for the rumored "scandalous news".

She forced herself to read it carefully, word by word, from beginning to end. She had already figured it out yesterday; this was an essential step she had to take.

To find the key to debunking rumors, you must understand the logical flaws in what they say.

Reason told her this, but emotionally, she couldn't separate her own feelings from these absurd words.

The CEO's intimate rendezvous with his beautiful chief secretary at night, sparking rumors of a possible paternity; a deep dive into the rise of the chief secretary at Junmao Group; five years to reach the position—was it through ability or cunning...?

Various, various, a combination of words that expresses the willingness to use any means necessary to grab attention.

All of this was done to mislead uninformed netizens into thinking they had stumbled upon some "juicy gossip," causing them to blindly take sides and direct all their anger at her.

Tang Yi tried her best to suppress her emotions. Rumors about her had never disappeared, but this time her only concern was the public's misunderstanding of Xixi's identity.

Xixi is truly innocent in this whole affair, yet she's been given the derogatory title of "illegitimate child" by media outlets eager to create sensationalism. Tang Yi absolutely doesn't want her to be implicated like this.

Therefore, whenever she had a spare moment during the day, she would immediately begin organizing everything related to the Orange County project.

From personal donations to charity galas to the establishment of projects, every single event proves that Xixi's relationship with Zhang Minglang can at most be described as one of sponsor and recipient of sponsorship.

Time flies. Throughout the day, Tang Yi barely saw Zhang Minglang again, except for accompanying him to the meeting.

Last night's madness may have been their last celebration together. Back in the ever-changing workplace, they both know they are at the center of public opinion. Now is a sensitive time, and no matter how much they want to say, they should not say it easily in the company.

Their relationship seemed to have regressed overnight to the way it was before they started dating, when they first met. They meticulously handed over their work, and Tang Yi refilled his coffee, for which he nodded his thanks.

This is Tang Yi's most normal work situation in all these years. She should feel a sense of comfort and familiarity without any boundaries, but the reality is clearly not like that.

From morning until now, Tang Yi has been trying her best to suppress the faint, indescribable feeling of loss in her heart, and trying to fill this void with more urgent work.

This state lasted for several days, and no amount of work could help.

Tang Yi felt doubt and confusion for the first time.

Nothing had changed; Zhang Minglang was still her boyfriend. As the morning sunlight crept onto the corner of their blankets, they still nestled together, slowly opening their eyes and waking up.

Besides, Zhang Minglang no longer rides in the same car or goes out with her. He had seriously discussed with her that they couldn't afford to give anyone any leverage or clues so easily anymore; this was clearly a consensus they had reached.

However, Tang Yi still felt empty inside. Everything was proceeding in accordance with the "three rules" she and he had agreed upon.

At the company, their interactions were no different from those of their colleagues; after get off work, they still ate together, habitually being intimate, and after saying goodnight to each other before going to bed, she gently rested her head on his chest and fell into a deep sleep.

Tang Yi spent three days finally organizing all the materials, then, holding them in her arms, knocked on the door and entered the president's office.

Zhang Minglang was looking at the computer intently when he turned to ask her what was wrong.

Tang Yi pushed the documents in her arms forward: "Here, I've compiled the entire process of my personal donation to Orange County, as well as the timeline of Junmao's charity projects. I hope to use the company's official Weibo account to release this. I don't expect any other effects, I just hope to at least clarify Xixi's identity."

Zhang Minglang took the document, read it carefully, and handed it back to her, his eyes shining with a familiar light: "You've worked hard. These can be given directly to the legal and public relations teams, and they can forward them for processing."

Tang Yi took it and nodded. A strange silence fell between them. She blinked, then finally asked, "Any progress on your end?"

Zhang Minglang gestured for her to sit down and turned the computer screen towards her: "Last time, I remember you mentioned Zhao Li and Zhao Linrui. These past few days, Assistant Zhou and I have been busy investigating their relationship, and we actually found something."

Tang Yi leaned forward, her fragrant hair lightly brushing against the back of Zhang Minglang's hand as he held the mouse.

He twitched his fingers slightly, concealing the barely suppressed emotions in his eyes, and subtly moved his hand to the side.

Tang Yi didn't notice these small details. She stared at the computer screen, skimming through the text, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. After quickly finishing the last few lines, she turned to him, looking at him with disbelief.

Zhang Minglang's wandering thoughts suddenly returned to their place. He turned his gaze to the computer, then back to her, cleared his throat, and said, "You were right back then, they do have a very good personal relationship. This might also explain why Zhao Li keeps bothering us, and why he kept subtly hinting at something when he was having dinner with that guy surnamed Li at the manor that day."

A sudden thought flashed through Tang Yi's mind. She looked up and said in a slightly hurried tone, "The night I ate cake with Xixi, I accidentally caught a glimpse of a figure not far away. After seeing me look up, it immediately disappeared. Do you think that secretly taken photo could be related to Zhao Li?"

Zhang Minglang instantly suppressed his wandering thoughts, his brows furrowing suddenly and his expression turning serious: "Why didn't you mention it that night?"

Tang Yi said regretfully, "I didn't think that much about it at the time, I just thought I might have misread it."

Zhang Minglang realized his tone was too harsh, so he quickly relaxed his brow and softened his voice: "You don't need to worry about these things. I'll find someone to check the mall's surveillance footage and see if we can find this person."

Tang Yi was worried, but could only nod.

She took the documents out and handed them to the public relations team. Half an hour later, she finally refreshed the Junmao website and displayed all her hard work from the past few days, clearly outlining the timeline from beginning to end.

This matter was already at the center of controversy, and the public was eagerly awaiting the next development. Therefore, the official Weibo post quickly garnered immense attention.

She skimmed through the comments; dissenting voices still existed, but fortunately, many people also engaged in rational discussion.

If these facts are true, this person seems quite nice. He's been doing charity work all this time on his own, and even started a project to attract company investment. At least those children in rural areas have benefited, right? I'll wait and see.

What's the point of posting this? It completely changes the subject, and it still doesn't clarify whether that woman got ahead based on her looks.

[These timelines don't seem fabricated. I've looked at several photos, and that little girl is in them all. This should mean she wasn't born out of wedlock, right?]

[Oh my god, how can those marketing accounts spread such nonsense? Putting aside whether they really have an improper relationship, this little girl is a completely innocent rural child. How can she be rumored to be an illegitimate child? This is too much!]

Comments of all kinds emerged, a mix of good and bad, with many neutral opinions as well. Tang Yi read them quietly for a while, then suddenly noticed a comment that had been pushed to the top.

[Xiaoxiao v: The rumor-monger is taking the blame for someone else! Anyone who knows her knows she would never do such a thing. Two people who genuinely care for each other are being maliciously photographed and speculated about like this—their intentions are sinister!]

This comment was reposted by a number of media outlets under Xu's Media Group, all of which expressed their opposition to the spread of rumors and advocated for the joint maintenance of cybersecurity and fairness.

The comments section, guided in a positive direction, is clearly moving in a favorable direction. Tang Yi looked at the computer screen, forcing a tired but grateful smile.

Xu Xiaoxiao always acted this way, knowing that Tang Yi, with her personality, would definitely not want to involve her. Therefore, just like when she exposed Zhao Linrui last time, she acted first and informed Tang Yi later, having her father's company help guide public opinion.

She always did her best to help her behind the scenes, then ran up to her with a grin and boasted, "How about that? I promised you, I had to protect you!"

Tang Yi picked up her phone, opened the chat window, and had just typed "Thank you, Xiaoxiao" when a message popped up on the other end, as if they had agreed beforehand.

[You're welcome! CEO Xu Xiaoxiao will always support Xiaoyiyi!]

The buzzing in their ears grew louder, and their colleagues in the secretariat had obviously seen the official Weibo post as well.

Tang Jiaxin seemed to have made up her mind. She stood up from the crowd with a "whoosh" and said to Tang Yi, "Secretary Tang, I don't care what others say, I only believe what I see. We all know what kind of person you are."

The office was silent for a moment, then a few scattered but clear echoes rang out.

"Exactly, why take baseless rumors seriously?"

"Jiaxin is right, let's wait for the official announcement."

Many of Tang Jiaxin's colleagues did not stand up openly with her, but instead raised their heads and looked at Tang Yi with knowing goodwill.

The sporadic but sincere support is truly invaluable.

Tang Yi had never seen anything like this before. Just as she was about to say something, the door to the president's office was pushed open from the inside.

Zhang Minglang stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, taking in everything. He then discreetly glanced at Tang Yi under the guise of his scan before solemnly addressing everyone:

"The company will handle my matter with Tang Mi," he paused, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Thank you all for not being swayed by rumors and for having your own judgment. The innocent will clear themselves, but public opinion can be devastating. Let's not let noise affect our work efficiency."

He turned his head, took a serious look at Tang Yi, and then brushed past her, walking steadily out of the secretariat.

-

The atmosphere in the conference room was so tense that it was almost impossible for things to move freely; it was like frozen ice.

Zhang Minglang placed his hands together on the table, his expression serious, with wisps of steam rising from the coffee cup in front of him.

The core of this meeting was to discuss Tang Yi and his affairs.

One of the shareholders spoke first, straightening up abruptly, his voice deep and resonant: "Since this news came out, the company's stock price has been plummeting. Chairman Zhang, the stock price is related to our assets and wealth. If we don't give some explanation to the outside world, it really won't do!"

"Yes, sigh! Public opinion is no small matter. Even if a batch is deleted today, more will keep popping up tomorrow. In my opinion, the best solution is to dismiss the employees involved!"

"Old Li is right. Even if we don't fire him for now, suspension is necessary. At least we need to give an explanation!"

The shareholders, unusually united, spoke at length, naturally directing their criticism directly at Tang Yi.

Chairman Zhang sat across the square table, his hands supporting his forehead, burying his face to obscure his expression.

After listening quietly to the shareholders' suggestions, Zhang Minglang finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant: "If you want to hire my secretary, at the very least, you'll need my approval, right?"

The shareholders were silent for only a moment before someone spoke up first: "Young Mr. Zhang, we old guys aren't trying to make things difficult for you. We can't possibly suspend your employment, can we? That's impossible!"

After remaining silent for a long time, Chairman Zhang raised his head and said in a deep, heavy voice, "Nonsense."

The scene finally quieted down completely, but no one knew what Chairman Zhang meant, not even Zhang Minglang.

After a long silence, as if he had been thinking for a long time, Chairman Zhang spoke, turning to look at Zhang Minglang: "Tell me, how do you plan to handle this?"

Zhang Minglang looked up and laid out his plan: "The best way to deal with public opinion that appears out of nowhere is to let the facts speak for themselves. The charity project launch ceremony in a few days will be handled by Secretary Tang. If she continues to take the lead and completes it successfully, at least the outside world can see her professional capabilities firsthand."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "This will buy us some time to find the mastermind behind the manipulation of public opinion."

No amount of opposition from shareholders could overcome Chairman Zhang's final decision.

At the meeting, Zhang Minglang made a solemn pledge: if public opinion still cannot be reversed after the charity project launch ceremony, he will no longer interfere with any resolutions made by the shareholders' meeting regarding Tang Yi.

He took on the challenge for her and firmly believed that with Tang Yi's actual abilities, she would be able to change public opinion and dispel the rumors that she had "risen to power through her looks".

After the meeting, Zhang Minglang found Tang Yi and told her everything that had happened at the meeting.

Upon hearing the word "suspension," Tang Yi felt a sense of calm. She had anticipated this situation, and perhaps only by fighting with her back against the wall could she lay a solid foundation for her professional position.

Zhang Minglang was initially worried that Tang Yi would be unhappy because he had taken on the task for her without her consent and set up the bet, but Tang Yi herself did not have such thoughts at all.

She was very confident and full of fighting spirit. After listening to his words, she only responded with "I understand" and then turned around and went out to carefully plan the specific details of the launch ceremony.

As Zhang Minglang watched her resolute figure resolutely leave, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

Without him constantly nagging her for security, Tang Yi's work efficiency and emotional stress would probably be much better.

Because of that secretly taken photo, they have maintained this state of not interfering with each other at the company for many days.

If they weren't still living under the same roof, Zhang Minglang would feel that his relationship with her was almost the same as before they started dating.

Assistant Zhou knocked on the door and came in, saying that they had found another batch of IP evidence related to marketing accounts. Zhang Minglang could only shake his head, putting those disheartening speculations out of his mind.

As long as we don't break up.

He must hold back.

I resisted the urge to steal glances at her during meetings, and I refrained from sending her a message like "Stay away from the computer, or your nearsightedness will worsen" when I saw her frowning and leaning close to the computer screen.

I absolutely cannot bother her anymore; I absolutely cannot let my desire to pester her run wild.

Thinking of this, Zhang Minglang reached out and took the documents handed to him by Assistant Zhou, and forced himself to focus on reading them carefully.

Tang Yi was busy again. Her daily life was filled with trivial matters, and because she was sensitive to the subtle changes in her relationship with Zhang Minglang, Tang Yi was coming home later and later from work.

The company will not cease normal operations because of this news, and charitable projects are not the core focus of the company's business.

Both of them could only use their limited time outside of work to organize relevant materials and evidence and plan the intricate details of the ceremony.

Their daily routines are like zippers on clothes that just don't match, silently going astray.

Returning home late once again, Tang Yi opened the door under the moonlight. The moment she turned the key, the expected main light in the living room was not on; only a small table lamp on the coffee table next to the sofa was left on. She looked up and saw that the guest room door was tightly closed, with a sliver of light coming out from the crack in the door.

The cold key that Tang Yi was still clutching in her hand remained in the lock. She stood outside the door, looking at the desolate house in front of her, and her shoulders, which had been tense all day, suddenly relaxed.

The chain bag slid down from my right shoulder to the crook of my arm, making a series of sounds as it brushed against the metal of the doorknob, echoing in the empty stairwell.

When did she and Zhang Minglang inexplicably end up like this?

These past few days, when she got home, he was usually already coming out of the bathroom. When he saw her, he would smile and casually say, "You're back." When he got home, she was usually still working hard at her computer at the office.

She oversimplified things, thinking that two living, breathing people who love each other could easily stand hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder against those invisible rumors and gossip.

However, she forgot that so many cruel accusations were like a spider web hanging over their heads. Sticky threads clung to their bodies and faces, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't shake them off.

Even now, after he's already home and heard her open the door, he's not even willing to take the time to say "You're back."

She remained standing silently at the door, a feeling of powerlessness rising from the depths of her heart, spreading to her head, to her hands and feet, forcing her to grip the doorknob tightly just to keep herself from sliding down.

Tang Yi bent down to fumble for her key in the lock when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of men's slippers come to a steady stop in front of her.

She recognized it; it was something she had personally picked out for Zhang Minglang at the supermarket.

She knew he had high arches, and many slippers on the market would be too tight.

"You're back?"

Hearing the familiar words, Tang Yi was momentarily stunned. She slowly raised her head and finally met the gaze of the man in front of her.

A few strands of Zhang Minglang's hair fell across his forehead. He held an earphone in his hand, his expression a mixture of weariness and apology. He explained softly, "I was in a video conference in my room just now and didn't hear you open the door. I'm sorry."

Tang Yi felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She looked into his eyes for a long time, then finally shook her head and said it was okay.