Chapter 17
Qinglan City is nestled between mountains and rivers, and is rich in mountain and river delicacies, thus giving rise to a prosperous food industry.
For example, this restaurant.
The signature dish is the river fish platter, which is made of fresh shrimp and crabs steamed and then topped with a special sauce. It has a unique flavor and excellent taste, which is exactly what Shen Fengni likes.
However, Shen Fengni had no appetite at this moment. She raised the chopsticks in her hand and dropped them back into the empty plate with a slight crisp sound.
"Tell me what you know."
Jiang Zhuoyan, who was sitting next to him, spoke and looked at Zhou Xiaoli at the other end of the table.
The private rooms in this high-end restaurant are well soundproofed and are more suitable for discussing private matters than in an office building where there are many people and noisy conversations.
Zhou Xiaoli lowered her head, her hair disheveled by her ears, and her face was haggard. A cardboard box filled with miscellaneous items lay at her feet, revealing the dishevel of someone who had been kicked out.
She stared at the small table in front of her in silence for a long time, and finally spoke, "Xinyan's accident this time was because of Luo Ye."
The unexpected name made Shen Fengni's nerves suddenly tense. She looked up in astonishment, "Luo Ye?"
"Yes." Zhou Xiaoli sighed and smiled bitterly, "You probably don't know, but Luo Ye pursued Xinyan for a while."
Everyone in the world has obsessions. If you cannot get the love you want, many different thoughts will arise.
Some people are willing to offer their blessings as long as the other person is doing well, such as Jiang Zhuoyan; some people turn love into hate and destroy it if they can't get it, such as Luo Ye.
A forced melon is not sweet, but it feels good to twist it off and step on it in the dust.
When Sheng Xinyan first joined the company, she was a little immature, but she was already stunningly beautiful. Even in the circle of internet celebrities where beauties are everywhere, she is not inferior to anyone else.
Luo Ye fell in love with her at first sight, but due to their relationship as colleagues, he chose to pursue her secretly. He believed that he had superior conditions in all aspects, and it would be easy for him to win over a young girl who had just started her career.
In his opinion, there are only a few things that women like. As long as he acts well enough and gives enough, Sheng Xinyan will be his sooner or later.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
When she first learned that Luo Ye was interested in her, Sheng Xinyan clearly rejected him. She had lived a life of luxury since she was a child, and was not easily moved by material things. Instead, she sought spiritual compatibility.
Besides, Luo Ye is not her type at all. Compared with successful middle-aged businessmen, she prefers sunny and cheerful young boys. Her two previous boyfriends were both younger than her.
But Sheng Xinyan didn't dare to say anything too harsh. Luo Ye's family was quite powerful in Qinglan City and had a vested interest in her family's company. There would be no benefit in having a falling out.
Luo Ye initially found Sheng Xinyan's rejection quite challenging, but as time went on, he gradually lost his patience. In the end, he almost pestered Sheng Xinyan, using both soft and hard tactics to force her to accept his pursuit.
One day, Sheng Xinyan finally couldn't stand it anymore and said bluntly that it was impossible for them to do so. If it weren't for the face of the two families, they would have turned against each other long ago. She asked Luo Ye to never bother her again.
Luo Ye had always been pampered, so he had never been subjected to such humiliation before. His face immediately darkened. From then on, he began to suppress Sheng Xinyan.
He was Sheng Xinyan's boss, and he used his position to assign her many tasks that were not suitable for her. Furthermore, no matter how well Sheng Xinyan performed, he would always mock and criticize her.
Later, he started to be picky about Sheng Xinyan's appearance, clothes, speech... not missing a single detail.
Sheng Xinyan's mental stress was increasing day by day. Sometimes when the pressure was too great, she would eat some high-calorie sweets to vent, which led to weight gain.
After learning about this, Luo Ye seized the opportunity to mock her figure every day, saying that she was much fatter than when she first joined the company, and that she would be eliminated if she didn't exercise self-discipline.
Sheng Xinyan didn't take it seriously at first, but Luo Ye's verbal attacks became more and more excessive, and over time, it left a deep psychological shadow on her.
She began to suffer from insomnia and became emotionally sensitive, sometimes getting angry over the smallest things. Especially when facing Luo Ye, even in formal occasions with other people, she would almost lose control because of a word from him.
Shen Fengni frowned upon hearing this and asked Zhou Xiaoli, "Did Xinyan tell you all this?"
"Well, I noticed that the atmosphere between Xinyan and Luo Ye was strange, and after I kept asking her, she told me."
Zhou Xiaoli clenched the chopsticks in her hand, as if this could give her courage, "Xinyan must have been unable to bear it for a long time, so she told me the truth."
"So, Miss Sheng's sudden outburst today was due to the outburst of long-accumulated emotions?"
Jiang Zhuoyan was thoughtful, her eyes dimming slightly. "Luo Ye must have deliberately tampered with the live broadcast room and caused this accident."
"Yes, it was all planned by Luo Ye." Zhou Xiaoli was surprised by Jiang Zhuoyan's sensitivity, and her eyes were filled with admiration when she looked at her. "Xinyan worked overtime until very late yesterday, and got up early this morning to put on makeup for the live broadcast. She was already very tired. The live broadcast today was very popular, with many strangers joining in. The public screen was the most chaotic at that time. Luo Ye mixed in with a few provocative comments, and he even used a username similar to his own, so Xinyan reacted so strongly."
Shen Fengni gritted her teeth as she listened, the anger and sadness in her heart almost overflowing from her chest.
I didn't expect that Sheng Xinyan, who seemed heartless on weekdays, had actually endured so much pain and torture in private. Even so, she was still willing to lend a hand to me.
Such a kind and beautiful girl should not have ended up like this.
Today's barrage was just the fuse. Sheng Xinyan was like a balloon that was constantly being inflated. It was only a matter of time before it exploded.
No one knew the inside story. Everyone thought Sheng Xinyan was a lunatic who couldn't wash himself clean even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Looking back at Sheng Xinyan's recent words and deeds, there are actually clues to be found.
Sheng Xinyan, who already has an outstanding appearance, is almost obsessed with wanting to lose weight, and even mentioned in words that she wants to have plastic surgery. This should be due to Luo Ye's suppression of her.
If only she had discovered it earlier, if only she had been more sensitive to the fact that something was wrong with her friend, if she could do it all over again, she would definitely...
“Pah.”
With a dull sound, something was placed in front of his eyes.
Shen Fengni came back to her senses and refocused her vision.
It is a plate filled with shrimps, each one has been carefully shelled and deveined, and even the shell of the shrimp tail has been thoughtfully retained, so you won't get your fingers dirty when you touch it.
"Relax, we'll figure it out together."
Jiang Zhuoyan looked over calmly, still wearing plastic gloves. Her tone and demeanor were perfectly natural, as if she were simply doing something perfectly normal.
Mr. Jiang... peeled shrimp for her?
Shen Fengni's mind went blank, and all the muscles in her body seemed to be frozen, not knowing how to react.
Seeing that she didn't move, Jiang Zhuoyan pointed at the plate and said, "Eat something first."
Shen Fengni subconsciously picked up a shrimp and put it into her mouth. The fresh and sweet taste swept over her, instantly activating her dormant taste buds and calming her troubled mood.
She whispered, "Thank you, I'm fine."
When listening to Zhou Xiaoli's story just now, Jiang Zhuoyan seemed to have been peeling shrimps, but Shen Fengni never expected that they were actually prepared for herself.
But it is also possible that Jiang Zhuoyan saw that she was in a bad mood and did this to comfort her.
Shen Fengni didn't have time to think too much about this. She asked Zhou Xiaoli, "Has Xinyan ever thought about asking for help from others?"
"I've thought about it, but I have no evidence, and no one would believe me if I told them. Luo Ye is very careful, and only said those words when the two of them were alone, leaving no trace. He is Xinyan's boss, so it would be very easy for him to find an opportunity to talk to her alone."
Zhou Xiaoli had a blank expression, but her words were very fluent, and it was obvious that she had sorted them out in her mind thousands of times.
"Xinyan also thought about secretly recording to preserve evidence, but Luo Ye's office is equipped with a state-of-the-art anti-surveillance system. If you bring a cell phone or recording device into the office, there will be an alert, and there is no way to catch him."
Modern technology is a double-edged sword. While it brings immense convenience to daily life, it can also become a weapon in the hands of capital. It's not easy for ordinary people to resist.
Jiang Zhuoyan said, "So there won't be any effective public relations tactics, right?"
Zhou Xiaoli nodded, "Yes, even if there is PR, it's just for show."
The golden time for public relations is short. If public opinion is not reversed in time, the public's impression of Sheng Xinyan will stop here, and it will be difficult to have positive comments whenever he is mentioned in the future.
Shen Fengni glanced at the cardboard box filled with miscellaneous items and asked, "Is this also the reason you resigned?"
"It was Luo Ye who asked me to resign." Zhou Xiaoli bit her lip, her eyes full of confusion. "I'm worried about Xinyan, but since Luo Ye asked me to, I don't dare..."
"I understand." Shen Fengni comforted her, "You've done very well. No one will blame you."
Zhou Xiaoli was just a recent college graduate with no background and little power. She knew the inside story and was lucky to escape unscathed, so she didn't dare confront Luo Ye.
So many things happened that Shen Fengni felt her brain was not enough.
He was still in a daze until Jiang Zhuoyan sent him home.
"Go back and have a good rest." The car stopped at the gate of the community. Jiang Zhuoyan looked at her, "I will find a way to deal with Miss Sheng's matter."
Her tone was calm, yet it carried a reassuring warmth that eased his restless thoughts considerably.
Jiang Zhuoyan was willing to help so much that any words of gratitude seemed inadequate, but Chen Fengni couldn't think of any other words and could only thank him repeatedly in frustration.
"You're welcome." Jiang Zhuoyan noticed her awkwardness and let out a faint smile. "Miss Sheng is an important partner of ours. It's only natural for her to lend a hand."
When a partner encountered difficulties, he did not think of distancing himself from the relationship at the first moment, but instead took the initiative to lend a helping hand.
Chen Fengni was distracted for a moment, and somehow she thought of the stray cat adopted by Jiang Zhuoyan.
Jiang Zhuoyan, who seems cold and lonely, is actually an extremely gentle person at heart.
She was filled with emotion for a moment, "Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Jiang."
“Miss Shen, the same goes for you.”
It started snowing again.
The wind was cold and the air was still. Snowflakes rustled outside the car window, dancing freely under the light of the street lamps. The branches of the cedar trees beside the road were quickly covered with a thin layer of snow, standing tall in the wind like silent guardians.
Chen Fengni looked up and met those beautiful dark blue eyes.
She was stunned for a moment, her heartbeat speeding up in an instant, "What's the same?"
"I mean." Jiang Zhuoyan looked at her deeply, "If you have any difficulties, you can come to me."
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