Ask her
"Wow! Zuo Xiao is here!"
Zuo Xiao walked into the company gate on crutches. Hearing the receptionist's exaggerated exclamation, he smiled and said, "Good morning, Lulu."
On the way to her workstation, she was constantly greeted by people. She was unfamiliar with most of them and couldn't even remember their names.
Zhuang Jinghao came over cheerfully, escorted her to her workstation, and whispered in her ear, "Our department's new director has been taken away by HR. I'll introduce you to him later!"
After she left, Li Shuang came over and said with a smile: "Welcome back, beautiful lady, everyone has missed you so much!"
Zuo Xiao smiled slightly.
She is not here to reminisce about the past today, but to have a quarrel.
Ten minutes later, she walked into the conference room on crutches.
Last week, she was informed that the design project for the company's new brand identity had been transferred to Gu Yanbin. She argued with Mao Jiadong, saying that Gu Yanbin didn't have the skills to design a brand visual system and wasn't up to the task. Mao Jiadong, however, told her to rest easy, adding that he trusted Gu Yanbin's ability to do the job and was handing the project over to him.
"Director Mao, I don't mind someone taking over my job midway," Zuo Xiao said. "But from the perspective of being responsible to the company, I think we should find someone who is competent to take over."
The boss sitting opposite looked a little embarrassed and said gently, "I understand your concerns. I have also discussed this with Yanbin, and he is confident that he can do a good job. Let me tell you my considerations."
He said sincerely, "Firstly, you've already come up with the VI design ideas, and the plan has been approved. It shouldn't be a problem for him to follow your ideas. Secondly, everyone needs opportunities to exercise and room to grow. We can't always let one person do what he's familiar with. Do you understand?"
Zuo Xiao's expression was serious. "Even when training people, priorities are important. The sales department originally wanted to find a professional brand design company to do the VI design. The reason was that the brand department didn't have the ability to do VI design. The sales department thought we only needed to assist in screening suppliers. It was me who suggested you take on this task. I said I was capable and that our department should take it on to prove its ability and value. Do you remember?"
Mao Jiadong nodded. Zuo Xiao continued, "If this job is done well, it will be a great opportunity for both the department and you, Director Mao, to shine. On the other hand, if it fails, it will be difficult for the brand department to regain the trust of the business department. This is why I strongly oppose handing this project to Gu Yanbin. I'm sure he'll mess it up."
She spoke with such conviction that Mao Jiadong's brow furrowed even further. He pondered for a long time before saying, "I absolutely believe you can do a better job. But I had another consideration when handing the project over to Yanbin: your foot was injured and you needed to rest. The project was on a tight schedule, and I was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Zuo Xiao smiled slightly and said, "If I can't take care of it, I will naturally tell you. Don't worry, there is still enough time."
Seeing that Mao Jiadong was still a little hesitant, she continued, "Let me be frank with you. I don't think highly of Gu Yanbin's professional level, but I have no interest in suppressing or ostracizing him. The reason I'm so persistent on this project is, first, because I've already started it, and I don't want it to end badly; second, I hope the brand department will have more say. You have to know that aesthetics is very subjective. Normally, when we design a poster, anyone can come up and make comments, challenging professionals with amateur skills. It's very annoying! I hope that in the future we can be more assertive and tough. But being assertive and tough requires you to have the ability and make achievements that others can see. Only then will others shut up."
Mao Jiadong smiled and said, "Okay, you convinced me."
Shortly after leaving the meeting room, Zuo Xiao saw Gu Yanbin go in. When he came out, his face was extremely bad and he glanced at her.
Half an hour later, the department held a weekly meeting. Mao Jiadong said that Zuo Xiao would continue to carry out the new brand VI design project. Gu Yanbin had a sullen face and said nothing.
After the meeting, Zhan Jiaxin reminded Director Mao on WeChat, "Last week, it was Gu Yanbin who took the initiative to ask Director Mao to take your job, and he even said this was just a small matter. He must be mad now! You should be more restrained recently and don't provoke him..."
Zuo Xiao smiled and replied, "I'm only here today. I'll continue to work from home starting tomorrow. I won't be able to hear him even if he chatters."
Near noon, Zuo Xiao and Zhan Jiaxin arrived at Zhuang Jinghao's workstation. She lowered her voice and said, "See? Our new director, the one in the blue dress at 11 o'clock?"
Zuo Xiao turned around and saw a woman in a dazzling royal blue dress and dark brown hair that reached her collarbone.
Noticing her gaze, the other person looked up and smiled at her. Zuo Xiao also smiled back.
The three girls arrived at a newly opened Chaoshan restaurant. The average price was over 200 yuan per person, and even at mealtime, it wasn't crowded. They chose a relatively quiet spot and sat down.
"How about the new director of our department?" Zhuang Jinghao laughed.
Zuo Xiao nodded and said succinctly, "She has the air of a cool, intellectual, and queen." Zhan Jiaxin added, "She looks incredibly confident and capable."
Zuo Xiao changed the subject: "How is Jiaxin doing recently?"
Zhan Jiaxin was caught off guard by being named. After a moment's pause, she said, "I just keep a low profile. When you weren't around, those two loaded things took off with their tails up high."
"Don't be afraid of them." Zuo Xiao said disdainfully, "The more cowardly you are, the more they will think you are easy to bully."
Zhan Jiaxin said "hmm", and Zuo Xiao got to the point: "How are you and Xu Jin doing?"
Zhan Jiaxin hesitated, Zuo Xiao asked questions, and Zhuang Jinghao encouraged her, and soon they figured out the problem.
It turns out that Zhan Jiaxin had never been willing to make a clean break with that Neptune. They maintained an ambiguous relationship, and one night, after a couple of drinks at a bar, he kissed and groped her. She thought they had confirmed their relationship and was overjoyed. Unexpectedly, the next day, Xu Jin apologized for his drunken behavior and asked for her forgiveness.
"I told him he was raising fish, and you're still hoping for the best," Zuo Xiao said angrily. "They're clearly taking advantage of you, what are you waiting for?"
Zhan Jiaxin was speechless, and Zhuang Jinghao anxiously advised: "Jiaxin, quickly block him and never talk to him again!"
Seeing Zhan Jiaxin's head bowed and about to cry, Zuo Xiaoxin knew clearly and said, "She can't bear to leave. She won't wake up until someone sleeps with her and kicks her out."
Zhuang Jinghao was startled and winked at her. Zhan Jiaxin felt embarrassed and annoyed, and after a while, she stammered, "He's not that kind of person."
Zhuang Jinghao was even more surprised: "Jiaxin, don't be confused, this person is really unreliable! You are confused because you are involved, but we can see it clearly!"
"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Zhan Jiaxin forced a smile. Zuo Xiao winked at Zhuang Jinghao, and they both fell silent, not touching on the topic again.
After dinner, Zhuang Jinghao took Zuo Xiao to the cafe to buy drinks and asked Zhan Jiaxin to go upstairs first.
"She won't turn back until she hits a wall. No one can persuade her," Zuo Xiao said. "Sometimes people are just like that. No matter how others warn her, it's useless. She just has to fall flat on her face."
Zhuang Jinghao frowned: "Then we are just going to watch Jiaxin suffer?"
"It's not necessarily a bad thing." Zuo Xiao said, "Some losses need to be experienced to learn lessons. Although you will lose something, pain can also make people grow. You have the opportunity to remind her to take protective measures. Also: don't spend money on men."
Zhuang Jinghao was amused by her and was about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of Luffy coming over.
"What are you talking about? You look so happy." Luffy sat down next to Zuo Xiao and raised his hand towards her waist, but she slapped it away. Zhuang Jinghao witnessed the whole process and felt sweet in her heart, smiling secretly.
"We're talking about the new PR director." Zuo Xiao raised an eyebrow. "She's quite good-looking."
"Yeah, yeah!" Zhuang Jinghao praised heartlessly, "Brother Luffy, you have a really good eye for picking people!"
"You mean Ge Xin?" Luffy said with a smile, "It was your brother who picked him."
"Ah? Aren't you the one who's here to meet the PR director?"
"I wasn't in Beijing at the time. The headhunters sent me a few candidates, and your brother interviewed them." Luffy turned to look at Zuo Xiao and gave him a mischievous smile. "I also chatted with him later, and he was pretty good."
After get off work, Zuo Xiao walked towards the door with a crutch, and Luffy followed him.
Now he was not shy at all. He went into the company with her in the morning and left together after work, not minding the glances of others.
Zuo Xiao didn't mind too much. Her relationship with Luffy was well known, and she had a good idea of what people said about her behind her back. While being teased was unpleasant, being Luffy's girlfriend brought her greater benefits.
The most refreshing thing, if nothing else, was that no one dared to criticize her designs anymore! No more random people would come and complain, "The color isn't eye-catching enough," "The text needs to be bigger," "The tone doesn't seem right." This was the most refreshing and enjoyable experience she had ever had in her career.
She walked slowly with her crutches, so Luffy slowed down his pace and followed closely. Several colleagues passed by and quickened their pace, pretending not to see her.
During this time, he ran into Zhuang Yu'an and CFO Feng Tiancheng. The latter looked at Zuo Xiao and joked to Luffy: "Don't leave, go back to the meeting."
As Luffy drove, Zuo Xiao joked, "Mr. Lu leaves on time every day. Aren't you afraid your partners will have objections?"
Luffy said proudly, "Even if they have any objections, it's because they're jealous of me. You don't know, Lao Feng used to be a romantic. Ten years ago, he pursued a girl who was said to be very beautiful and went to teach in the Northwest for a year. In the end, the girl became someone else's wife."
"And then?"
"Now he has a wife and children and a warm home, and he occasionally reminisces about the past."
"Not so good." Zuo Xiao sneered, "Is this the White Moonlight Complex you men have?"
"He's just talking nonsense." Luffy laughed, "Special statement: I don't have a white moonlight."
"So you succeeded with every girl you pursued, huh?"
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Someone seems to be particularly aggressive today." Then he grabbed her hand, and couldn't suppress the joy on his face.
That night, Luffy passionately proved to her that he didn't have a lover in his heart. Not only did he work hard physically, he also talked more than usual, spouting many sticky words of loyalty and heartfelt confessions. Zuo Xiao ignored him, after all, how could you trust a man's words in bed?
In the middle of the night, she was awakened by thunder and found that Luffy was not in the house.
My heart sank.
Twice in the past week, she had spotted Luffy leaving his room in the middle of the night and returning reeking of alcohol. She assumed he was drowning his sorrows in alcohol because a loved one had passed away, and she feigned ignorance.
Zuo Xiao called out to him. A moment later, he walked in, indeed smelling of alcohol.
He sat on the edge of the bed and raised his hand to touch the back of her neck, "Did the thunder wake you up?"
"Yeah. You were drinking? Why didn't you call me?"
Luffy chuckled, "You can't drink yet, baby."
"Then I'll have something else to drink. Take me to the living room." She stretched out her hand and was picked up by him.
Luffy put her on the sofa and brought her a can of ginger ale. He then returned to the bar and drank the remaining cognac at the bottom of his glass. He then poured another half glass and sat on the sofa, holding the glass.
In the huge living room, there was only a floor lamp on at the bar, and Luffy's profile as he tilted his head back to drink looked ambiguous.
Zuo Xiao asked: "Can't sleep?"
"Yeah." Luffy put down his cup and leaned forward. The warm, alcohol-scented air brushed against the crook of her neck, stirring a tingling sensation like a swarm of ants moving across her neck. He leaned over her, his arms clasping hers, as if seeking comfort in her embrace but afraid of hurting her.
Zuo Xiao raised his hand and stroked the back of his head, saying softly, "Are you thinking about your grandfather?"
"Yeah." Luffy said vaguely in her neck, "I still can't accept it now. Grandpa and grandma are gone..."
At that moment, Zuo Xiao felt that he was fragile, like a glass on the edge of a table. She asked carefully, "So, how do you feel?"
Luffy paused and said hesitantly: "I feel it's unreal. I feel like I've been abandoned by the world and no one cares about me..."
He suddenly held her closer and asked, "Do you love me?"
At this moment, a cluster of lightning fell from the sky, as if a pair of huge hands were about to tear the sky apart.
After the thunder passed, Zuo Xiao asked, "How do you define love? What is love?"
"Don't worry about how I define it, just use your definition." He asked again, "Do you love me?"
Zuo Xiao thought for a moment and replied, "I love you. I hope you're well, I care about your feelings, and I'm worried about whether you're facing any difficulties."
"Hmm. Then are you afraid of losing me?" he pressed. "Are you worried that I'll like someone else? Are you afraid that we'll be apart one day?"
Zuo Xiao frowned: "What you said doesn't seem to be love, but fear, dependence, and the by-product of love."
"So you can accept losing me." Luffy's tone revealed loss, like a child complaining that his parents didn't buy him the toy he wanted most.
Zuo Xiao thought for a moment and said, "I can accept losing anyone. Some might think this is heartless, but I think the truth is that you can move on without anyone and live well. This includes parents, lovers, and friends. They are all partners in your life, but they have their own plans and won't always be with you. Just because a partner leaves, does that mean you won't continue on this journey? You haven't reached your destination yet."
Luffy was silent for a moment, then said, "But what's the point of continuing this journey if there's no one around to talk to?"
"Isn't there also the scenery along the way? And the feelings and thoughts you have along the way? Many things don't depend on whether there's someone traveling with you. What's more, as long as you keep moving forward, you'll meet new people along the way. It all depends on whether you're willing to open your heart and accept new companions into your life."
Luffy didn't say anything, and Zuo Xiao added: "Just like Zhou Zhihui and I were once so in love, I was indeed depressed for a while after breaking up. But as time went on, I found that I could live well without him. Why should I trap myself in the previous journey? If I kept thinking about the person who had left, you wouldn't be lying on me now, right?"
At this point, she realized that she was having difficulty breathing because of the pressure, so she patted his back gently: "You're pressing me so hard, move to the side a little."
"Sorry..." Luffy stood up and picked her up. Then he lay down, letting her lie on his back.
He held her in his arms, one hand covering her lower abdomen, and the other hand gently kneading it: "I understand what you mean, but I still have some doubts..." His tone was much more relaxed, almost laughing as he said, "It seems that if I replaced Zhou Zhihui, the next person can also replace me."
Zuo Xiao noticed his pretense of being relaxed and wanted to reason with him, but the hand made his breathing disordered. He said, "Put your hand down first, otherwise you won't be able to hear what you want to hear."
Luffy chuckled in her ear, reluctantly let go of her hand, groped for her hand, and stroked it carefully.
"I want to hear sweet words, but I want to hear the truth even more."
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