Chapter 3 Chapter 3 There is actually someone in this world who remains calm and composed...
Saturday's friends' gathering took place in the small garden and on the rooftop terrace. The attendees were all longtime friends of Mom's, from all walks of life, all very talented people. Most were classmates, but there were also some coworkers I got along well with. Because of Mom, everyone got together, sharing everything from food to drinks.
My mother is always welcoming. She'll make new friends just by chatting with strangers at a new place. These friends often share my personality, always laughing and smiling. When they see pretty little Wenyu, they'll pinch her cheeks and tease her. Even now that Wenyu is an adult, these uncles and aunties still treat her like a child, handing her freshly made candied haws and coaxing her, "Xiaoyu, these are so sweet. Have some."
Wen Yu held the phone and smiled: "Thank you, Auntie, I don't want to eat."
"Ouch, before, Xiaoyu couldn't reach the candy on top of the cabinet, so she banged her head against it! Bang! There was a big bump on her head! The candy didn't fall off, but her saliva started to flow out first!"
The group of uncles and aunts laughed even more cheerfully, and Wen Yu joined in the laughter calmly. They still remembered the jokes her mother used to tell them. This was a regular part of the routine when she was around, and she was used to it.
"If you don't want to eat candied haws, then go to the rooftop for barbecue! Uncle Li's barbecue, you love it the most."
"That's right! You skipped dinner the day before to eat Uncle Li's barbecue. Mom spanked you several times before you ate two bites. The next day you were starving. You were a little kid, but you ate more than an adult, and your belly was bigger than Uncle Li's!"
They burst into laughter again.
Wen Yu stood up from the camping chair, his expression normal: "Bye! I won't talk to you anymore."
The laughter behind him gradually died down. Wen Yu climbed the stairs while chatting on WeChat: Xiaoye, some adults really have no sense of propriety!
Qianjin: Don't change the subject! Now is precious time to criticize you for actually leaving me alone for team building!
Wen Xiaoyu: Hehe.
Wen Xiaoyu: Is anyone talking about my leave?
Qianjin: You are not that important!
Qianjin: Except for me, no one even noticed that you were missing!
Qianjin: Oh no, there is another person looking for you. [laughing]
Qianjin: How about you guess who it is? [sly smile][sly smile][sly smile]
Wen Yu turned off her phone, intending to leave Ye Yinuo alone for a while, otherwise this woman would ride on her head and shit. Wen Yu didn't go to the terrace, but went to the study on the second floor. Next to the study was the bathroom. After a while, two aunts came to use the bathroom while chatting.
"Yun, I'll be leaving soon. My husband, Zhang, is home from a business trip and there's no one to cook."
Mom is here too.
"Oh, you take such good care of Lao Zhang. You have food and drinks here, but you have to leave and go back to cook for your man!" said another aunt sourly.
"Mr. Zhang has a stomach problem, he can't go hungry." The second half of the sentence was addressed to Wen Yu's mother, "Yun, I've already asked for leave from you, please approve it."
Mom replied: "Okay, okay, approved."
The sour aunt said, "They are both loving couples! One is you, and the other is Yu Xianyun."
"Then we don't have the loving relationship of Yu Xianyun and his wife, right, Yun? It's a pity that Lao Wen isn't here today."
"Old Wen is busy." Mom's voice was partially blocked by the bathroom door, and the three women went in together. Wen Yu couldn't help but listen. Mom's voice came muffled: "Next time, next time. Next time I'll have Old Wen apologize to you in person and play chess with your old Zhang."
"Lao Wen really listens to you! There's no need to apologize. Tell him not to just think about his wife and forget about us old friends."
The laughter lingered in the bathroom, and through the glass door, it seemed shrouded in a hazy layer of falsehood.
…
"Mom, talk to your good friend. You'll feel better if you talk about it."
"What's wrong with you? Why are you spreading this kind of thing everywhere? Next time when you're at someone's house for dinner, just tell them jokes about your mom!"
…
Wen Yu suddenly lost all mood, stuffed his phone into his pocket, and turned away from this unreal prosperity.
She wandered around her home, passing middle-aged women walking their dogs, young men on bicycles, and a nanny carrying a basket of vegetables, unsure where to go to cook. Wen Yu wandered aimlessly, leaving the villa complex and stepping onto a cool, shady path covered in blue snowflakes.
This was the outer wall of the villa complex. Vast swathes of blue snowflakes cascaded down from the wall, filling the eyes like a waterfall. On the other side of the path were other villas, separated by Portland stone walls. Unlike the overwhelming blue snowflakes, they exuded a sense of understated luxury and aloof order.
The afternoon breeze was warm, ruffling the loose strands of hair around Wen Yu's ears. She'd been walking, sweating slightly, which made her face look rosy and healthy. The thin layer of sweat shone in the sunlight, like a mermaid washed ashore by the waves, their enchanting scales drawing the attention of passersby.
The WeChat phone rang - Ye Yinuo talked to himself for a long time, but all his calls fell on deaf ears. In anger, he called Wen Yu.
A car drove out of the Portland stone wall and approached her. She answered the phone while dodging to the side. As Ye Yinuo yelled in frustration, the car brushed past Wen Yu's arm, and the window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
As the car stopped, Ye Yinuo's voice abruptly stopped, deliberately creating some suspense. As Pan Xianchen's eyes revealed the knowledge that he had something on someone, Ye Yinuo shouted, "Now, let me reveal the secret! That's right, the other person looking for you is Pan Gou! Pan Gou!"
Wen Yu: “…”
Thank you, Ye Yinuo, you could have spoken louder.
Wen Yu was sweating profusely, but her expression remained calm. She hung up Ye Yinuo's WeChat call, pretending nothing had happened. Then she observed Pan Xianchen's expression. He was calmer than her, his expression betraying only the slight upward curve of his eyebrows.
"What a coincidence."
Wen Yu raised his hand to greet.
Pan Xianchen rested his arm on the edge of the car window, half of his body slightly leaning out, looking her up and down, and then laughed.
"Fever? Dizziness? Need to rest?"
Pan Xianchen's gaze deliberately lingered on Wen Yu's rosy face and plump, moist lips. He thought in surprise: There is such a calm female liar in the world.
Wen Yu pretended to be embarrassed and looked away, not meeting Pan Xianchen's eyes. "You're right. It's just a minor cold. Take some medicine and it will heal quickly. After waking up in the morning, I felt much better in the afternoon."
Pan Xianchen thought it was really funny that they were still cheating right in front of him.
Wen Yu changed the subject: "Why didn't you go, leader?"
Pan Xianchen half-retreat, letting the cool air from the car wash over his face, dispelling some of the summer heat. His slender fingers tapped along the window sill, like piano playing, like waves rippling between them.
He had gone to the company's team-building event but had left midway. Now he was here to deliver the tea set to Yan Zhiwen's home. But these were his personal matters; he didn't need to share them with his subordinates. Looking at the beads of sweat glistening on Wen Yu's forehead, Pan Xianchen said, "Because I'm the leader."
“…”
Wen Yu smiled and nodded. Her WeChat phone rang again. She glanced at Ye Yinuo and hung up. A moment later, it rang again, and she hung up. Ding dong ding dong—Ye Yinuo angrily texted three times: "Why are you calling me?!"
Quack. Quack. Hang up.
She was so anxious that she got it right only the third time.
Wen Yu also wanted to leave this troubled place as soon as possible. She put on a smile and bowed slightly to Pan Xianchen. "Then I won't bother you anymore, Mr. Pan."
Ye Yinuo made the call persistently.
Pan Xianchen glanced at her cell phone. She held it to her chest and seemed to be planning to talk a lot as soon as he left.
Wen Yu urged him: "Goodbye, Mr. Pan."
Pan Xianchen smiled and stared at her anxious expression, showing no intention of leaving. "Boss Pan? Isn't that Pan Gou?"
Wen Yu: “…”
He heard it! And he asked!
Wen Yu replied stubbornly, "You heard wrong, Mr. Pan."
"What did the book say?"
"...I'm not talking about you. I was talking to a friend on the phone. It has nothing to do with you..."
It had nothing to do with him. Pan Xianchen looked at Wen Yu's face, who refused to admit it, and laughed in anger.
"Where are the minutes?"
When people are angry, they lose their rationality. Pan Xianchen admitted that he was malicious and vindictive and wanted to get her.
Wen Yu didn't react for a moment, so Pan Xianchen grumbled, "Copy it three times."
“…Oh, that.”
"I was waiting for you that day," Pan Xianchen said deliberately. He had been observing Wen Yu's expression, wondering why she hadn't handed him the meeting minutes. Did she not dare? He was very busy that day, with colleagues rushing to and fro in his office, so she probably wouldn't have found the right time to hand in the minutes. He didn't finish his work until it was completely dark. He had no time to bother with copying the minutes, and had even forgotten about it.
"I forgot to hand it in, Mr. Pan. I'm sorry."
Expected answer.
Pan Xianchen glanced at Wen Yu's face scrutinizingly, then nodded and prepared to leave. As he closed the window, he said, "Come to my office next Monday. Bring the meeting minutes."
After the crowd disappeared, Wen Yu turned to a colleague for help: "Brother Wang, can you take a photo of your meeting minutes for me?"
Wen Yu returned home, but Wen Yu hadn't finished work yet. Twenty minutes earlier, Wen Yu had sent her a WeChat message, saying he had to work overtime and would be back late, so she shouldn't wait. Wen Yu made herself a simple meal and ate it with her tablet.
It rained suddenly that night, and amidst the thunder and lightning, the traffic on the road had been stuck in a slow-moving traffic jam for a long time. The window glass was soaked clean, and the gray mist brought by the days of sun was completely washed away by the thunderstorm.
After washing the dishes, Wen Yu put on a movie and glanced at the wind and rain outside the window. The dim light and comfortable temperature and humidity in the house gave her a strong sense of freedom.
Actually, it’s just like this, and it’s good too.
Her mother called her, asking about her meals and reminding her to close the doors and windows. Then she asked about Wen Yu.
"He's working overtime."
"Hasn't he come back yet? Has he eaten yet?"
Wen Yu didn't know that she didn't even reply to Wen Yu's message about working overtime.
Her mother sighed and taught her, "Call Wen Yu right now and check on him. Ask him if he's had dinner and when he'll be home."
Wen Yu was reluctant to do this, but she agreed to her mother's request. She walked barefoot to the window, her expressionless face reflected on the glass in the pale lightning. Her mother grumbled anxiously on the phone, finally noticing Wen Yu's silence. She paused and called her name.
"...Yeah." Wen Yu responded weakly.
The mother could tell that her daughter was not interested, and the feeling of boredom spread silently in the quiet air like damp rain.
"Mom called you, and you have this attitude? What's wrong with what I said just now? What's wrong with asking you to care about Wen Yu? I asked you to call because I was checking up on him. Otherwise, how would you know if he was really working overtime or doing something else? Would Mom hurt you? It's all for your happiness!"
As the words came out, her tone grew increasingly aggressive, like a firecracker that spontaneously combusted and exploded with a bang. Yu Xianyun hung up the phone, letting the final scolding and kidnapping linger in Wen Yu's ears for a long time, trapping her like shackles.
She stood still, only sniffing. The rare sense of ease she had just felt vanished completely. She wanted to cry, but her nose felt sore for a moment, and all the moisture slowly receded, leaving only a desolate feeling.
Monday was rainy again, the thunderstorm turning into a steady drizzle. The air was damp and stuffy, like an invisible wall of water surrounding us, pressing down on Wen Yu, making it hard to breathe.
As soon as she entered the office, Peng Yan called her over.
"How did you offend Mr. Pan? He wants to transfer you to another department."
"……ah?"
Peng Yan frowned and said, "Boss Pan called me on Saturday to ask about you. He felt that you hadn't moved since you were admitted, so he wanted to transfer you to a different rotation. He said he wanted to train you and give you some experience."
“…”
Peng Yan scoffed, "What do you mean by 'cultivation'? I can't understand. He doesn't like you and wants to drive you away."
“…”
"What about you? What do you think?" Peng Yan turned the chair, and the wheels squeaked on the ground, very neatly, just like her style.
Wen Yu said sincerely, "I don't want to leave, Sister Yan."
Peng Yan nodded; that was her point. Wen Yu, a top graduate from a top university, was smart, capable, and beautiful. Someone had come to her to report that Wen Yu left work on time every day, never spending a single minute more at her desk. Peng Yan retorted, "Are you trying to say you need to stay an extra half hour to finish your work? You're not as good as Wen Yu."
Now that she knew Wen Yu's wishes, she felt that what she said to Pan Xianchen on the phone was correct.
"Mr. Pan, Wenyu has been under me for several years and has never made a mistake. She even completed some tasks better than the old employees. You want to transfer her, but I don't agree. If you are willing, please give her a chance. I plan to bring her to the investment promotion meeting next week."
Peng Yan looked at the girl he had brought up and said directly, "I'm curious, what exactly does Mr. Pan think is wrong with you?"
Wen Yu evaded the main point and picked a trivial reason: "Maybe it's because I didn't go to the team building last time."
Peng Yan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Wen Yu didn't know how much the experienced Peng Yan believed, but the drawings of pigs during meetings, the feigning illness during team building, and the backstabbing were all secrets she couldn't reveal. Peng Yan waved her hand and told her to report to Pan Xianchen's office immediately.
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