Thank him
Zuo Xiao looked intently and saw that Luffy's eyes were subtle, as if he was not asking, but questioning.
She replied, "I'm in a bad mood and want to be alone. Besides, our relationship is indeed sensitive, so we should stay out of the spotlight during this critical period."
"No need." Luffy said firmly, "Trust me, you didn't take any kickbacks in this matter, and the services provided by your senior brother's company are real and visible. If handled properly, you don't even need to resign."
Zuo Xiao shook his head. "I'm worried that if this incident gets publicized, our relationship will be used as a hot topic. A friend of mine had a similar incident at his company. The relationship between the founder and his secretary was hyped and attacked by a competitor, sparking a serious public outcry."
Seeing Luffy's serious expression, she explained: "I just don't want to live with you, not break up."
That was the deal. The next morning, Luffy took her home. He had a lot of messes to deal with, so he left in a hurry.
After a while, Zhuang Jinghao called. At noon, she came to the door carrying a lot of bags.
Zuo Xiao watched her pull out a bunch of food from the bag. Besides snacks and fruit, there were also spicy crayfish, braised beef, hot and sour chicken feet, mung bean soup, quinoa salad... and wontons neatly stacked in a plastic container, enough for several meals.
She put the fruit and wontons into the refrigerator, arranged the food one by one, and took out two pairs of chopsticks.
"My brother made this, come and eat it!"
"Your brother did this?" Zuo Xiao was surprised. "He must have been crazy busy these past few days. How could he still have the mood to do this?"
"My brother said that eating is more important than anything else. Especially at times like this, we need to eat and drink well." Zhuang Jinghao picked up a crayfish and put it in Zuo Xiao's bowl. "He made it early in the morning. It's definitely not as delicious as it is right out of the pot. You have to make do with it."
Zuo Xiao felt warm in his heart and couldn't help but smile.
She peeled a shrimp and placed the chewy meat into Zhuang Jinghao's bowl. Seeing the flattered look on his face, she smiled and said, "Thanks for coming to feed me."
After dinner, the two sat on the sofa, and Zhuang Jinghao cut watermelon and pineapple and brought them over.
"My brother told you not to worry too much and not to have too much of a psychological burden," she relayed as carefully as if reciting a text. "The root of the problem lies in serious flaws in the company's internal control system. After the Compliance Department was established, they didn't provide adequate training to all departments, which is why this incident happened. Even if it weren't for your and Director Mao's negligence, similar problems would have happened to others sooner or later. We should be thankful that the problem was exposed early enough and can still be remedied. In addition, this incident allowed the company to fix the internal control loopholes in time before going public, avoiding even greater problems."
With just a few words, he turned a criminal into a hero. Zuo Xiao was grateful for his consideration, but he couldn't accept his blatant favoritism with peace of mind.
She thought for a moment and said, "Then please tell your brother: I must shoulder the responsibility that belongs to me. Even if the company doesn't fire me, I will resign. I just hope you can be more lenient with Director Mao. He chose my senior's company because of my strong recommendation and has no intention of favoritism. He didn't go through the regular bidding process because he wanted to move the project forward as quickly as possible for the company's benefit."
Zhuang Jinghao tilted her head slightly after hearing this, bewildered, "Why are you acting so strange? I already told my brother this morning, and it's not like he doesn't have your contact information. Why didn't he tell you himself instead of asking me to pass it on?"
Zuo Xiao was slightly startled and said, "After all, he is the boss of the company, and I am the employee involved. Some things are not convenient to say."
"That's right." Zhuang Jinghao readily accepted her suggestion, "Then let me be your messenger!"
"By the way..." She looked expectant, "Can I stay at your house tonight?"
Zuo Xiao looked at the little angel in front of him and couldn't say no. "Sure, but does your brother have any objection?"
"No, he said I should accompany you!" Zhuang Jing said with a smile, "I originally wanted to go to Luffy's house to accompany you, but it felt a bit difficult to ask... I didn't expect you to come back, hehe, it's great!"
"You're really good." Zuo Xiao teased, "Let me hear how you plan to tell Luffy this."
The other person blushed: "You haven't thought this through..." Zuo Xiao laughed at her: "You're just not thick-skinned enough."
Zhuang Jing was enjoying her watermelon when she suddenly said, "Oh, if only Eric wasn't on a business trip, the three of us could play Landlord!" Her eyes rolled around, "I wonder if Chen Liqing is free?"
"Pfft..." Zuo Xiao laughed out loud. "So the real purpose isn't Dou Dizhu, but Chen Liqing." He picked up his phone and said, "Let me ask."
Two hours later, Chen Liqing came in.
He also bought some fruit, and the refrigerator at home was suddenly full. Zhuang Jinghao washed some more fruit and ate it while playing cards. Zuo Xiao noticed that the two of them had become much closer. Chen Liqing no longer had a stern face towards her, but also started to bicker and joke with her.
"What are your plans for the National Day holiday?" Zuo Xiao asked as he played cards. "I'm planning to go back to Nanjing. Do you want to come with me?"
Zhuang Jinghao's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly said yes. Chen Liqing also agreed. So, the trip to Nanjing was set.
As it was getting late, Zuo Xiao treated them to dinner near the community.
Not long after I got home, Luffy came.
Zuo Xiao felt a little embarrassed. After all, she had just said last night that she "wanted to be alone", and then she was found to be with Zhuang Jinghao. She was afraid that Luffy would think too much.
Luffy sat down next to her silently, and turned his gaze to Zhuang Jinghao. Seeing that she had no intention of avoiding him, he gently reminded her, "Xiao Jinghao, will your brother come to pick you up later?"
Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment, and after a while he said awkwardly, "I'm staying here tonight..."
Luffy was stunned and turned to look at Zuo Xiao.
"Yes, I have already promised her." Zuo Xiao looked nonchalant, but felt very embarrassed in his heart.
Luffy sat there for a short while before leaving. After the door closed, Zhuang Jinghao said worriedly, "Will Brother Luffy be unhappy?" Zuo Xiao said, "Not really."
Before going to bed, Zhuang Yu'an called. He asked Zhuang Jinghao to come downstairs to get brunch the next morning. Zuo Xiao listened and thought to himself that he was really a workhorse who never had a moment's rest.
"Xiaoxiao, baby, are you really going to quit?" In the darkness, the little cutie turned over and hugged her, "Can you please not quit?"
"No," Zuo Xiao said seriously, "If you don't fire me, you won't be able to communicate internally or externally. So tell your brother to be smarter and have a better perspective on the overall situation. Don't try to protect me."
"Hmm..." the cutie said sullenly, "So what are your plans? Are you going to find a job as soon as possible?"
"I haven't thought about it yet. Let's take a rest for two days first."
"Yeah. Can I ask my brother to recommend you? You're so talented, there must be a lot of companies vying for you!"
"No, I'll rest for a while before watching." Zuo Xiao said as he hooked a strand of her hair with his fingers and twisted it in circles. "By the way, aren't you two being too nice to me, huh?"
"Because you are our friend!" Zhuang Jinghao hugged her tighter and said emotionally, "Sometimes I think it's so great to have met you! You don't know that you really bring me so much happiness, and you also make me think about and do many things that I would never think about or do before..."
Zuo Xiao thought she was being corny and said with a smile, "For example, pursuing Chen Liqing and using little toys, right?"
Zhuang Jinghao took a breath and dared not say a word.
Zuo Xiao persisted: "Have you used any toys recently? Do you want to upgrade? I'll give you a new one!"
"No, no, no! This is enough!"
"Really? How do you use it? How do you use it?"
“…”
The next morning, Zhuang Jinghao was about to go downstairs when Zuo Xiao suddenly said, "Ask your brother to come up. I have something to tell him in person."
A few minutes later, the brother and sister walked in one after the other.
Zhuang Yu'an was wearing a white linen shirt and beige linen trousers. He looked tall and fresh at first glance, but his eyes were obviously blue, and it was obvious that he had not had a good rest in recent days.
Zuo Xiao asked him to sit down, and then, leaning on her crutches, she personally made him a cup of Italian capsule coffee, adding lemon juice and ice cubes. Zhuang Jinghao quickly helped her bring it to the table.
She sat down, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry. The trouble I caused has caused losses to you and the company."
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhuang Jinghao. The latter blinked blankly, obviously not getting his signal.
Zuo Xiao understood and said, "Jinghao relayed your words last night. I...I'm very grateful for your tolerance and consideration, but I still want to apologize to you in person."
She lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed, her cheeks burning, but she still continued, "I know running such a large company is not easy, and because of my mistake, the efforts of you and others may be in vain... Apart from apologizing, I don't know how to make amends... I'm sorry."
She mustered up the courage to look up, only to see him staring at her intently, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. There was reluctance, anxiety, and a hint of hesitation, as if he had a lot to say but didn't know how to begin.
She realized she was giving him another hard time.
The two looked at each other, not knowing how to break the deadlock. Fortunately, Zhuang Jinghao had an idea and came to the rescue in time: "Brother, why are you still standing there? Drink this cup of coffee and forgive her, okay?"
Zhuang Yu'an's eyes lit up, and he silently picked up the cup. Zuo Xiao watched him gulp down the coffee in one breath, and quickly bit his lip to stop his laughter from escaping. Zhuang Jinghao looked from one thing to another, his mouth wide open with joy.
A week passed quickly.
On Friday, Luffy brought the company's handling results: Zuo Xiao was fired and Mao Jiadong was demoted; the company will re-sign a formal agreement with Han Zhaoqing's company, and the money already paid does not need to be recovered; in addition, the company has begun to revise its procurement policy, upgrade its internal control system, strengthen compliance training, and will proactively disclose this incident in the updated prospectus.
He also stated that according to the professional team's analysis, the probability of this incident leading to a failed IPO is extremely low. The more likely scenario is that the company will be required by regulators to conduct additional due diligence, resulting in a slight delay in the IPO.
Not long after, Zuo Xiao received an email, which only mentioned that the company had terminated her labor contract and would handle the relevant procedures next week.
The incident ended just like that. Luffy asked her what her plans were. Zuo Xiao said she wanted to take a break and didn't want to think about her next job. Luffy agreed and suggested she take a gap year.
"The identity of the whistleblower has been found. Guess who it is?"
"I know who it is," Zuo Xiao said, "but I think the company should pretend they don't know and not pursue the matter further."
"Why?" Luffy was a little surprised.
Zuo Xiao said, "Although he reported me out of selfish motives, the content of his report is true, and there's nothing wrong with his procedure. Most importantly, I'm worried that after being punished, he'll feel resentful and spread rumors, potentially causing more trouble for the company. It's better to leave it at that."
The two flew to Dali for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Spending the day surrounded by Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, Zuo Xiao felt a profound sense of well-being. She gradually came to terms with her misfortune: no matter how much she blamed herself, she couldn't change what had already happened. She didn't want to live in the shadows of the past.
Not long after returning to Beijing, National Day arrived. Zuo Xiao had no classes, so he returned to Nanjing on the afternoon of September 30th.
Little did she know that her father would be so busy preparing a surprise for her on her first dinner at home.
When the doorbell rang, Lao Zuo was still cooking in the kitchen. Zuo Xiao opened the door and saw a familiar face and two unfamiliar ones. The familiar face was Wang Xuemei, the neighbor who lived upstairs.
While welcoming the guests in, she shouted towards the kitchen: "Dad, Aunt Wang is here!"
His father, wearing an apron, came out and showed himself, but he hurried back to the kitchen, thinking about the braised pork in the pot. Zuo Xiao complained in his heart: My own father obviously puts so much effort into cooking, but why does his food always taste so bad every day for ten years?
She leaned on her crutches to pour tea, but Aunt Wang snatched the kettle from her and pushed her against the sofa. She asked what happened to her foot, and when she heard it was just a sprain, she was visibly relieved.
Zuo Xiao's home was a school family housing unit, an old two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, the living room only about 20 square meters. The sofa seated three people, and Aunt Wang invited the other two to sit down, then she pulled up a chair and sat down beside them.
Zuo Xiao calmly examined the two strangers. They were clearly a mother and son. The mother had distinct features, and the son was also handsome, with clear features and long arms and legs. He was estimated to be around 1.8 meters tall.
She knew everything in her heart, thinking that it was true that no one knows a daughter better than her father. When arranging a blind date for her, her father did not forget to consider her appearance and height.
Aunt Wang introduced them. The young man's name was Hu Junxi, 26, and he was a doctoral student at a local top-tier university. His mother owned several pharmacies, and his father was a university professor. Of course, Aunt Wang didn't forget to praise Zuo Xiao profusely, praising her obedience and academic prowess since childhood, as well as her versatility and cheerful personality.
The meal arrived quickly. The three elders chatted animatedly, Zuo Xiao occasionally joining in, while Dr. Hu only spoke occasionally. Zuo Xiao saw how taciturn he was, and how he occasionally glanced at her with a shy, timid look. He bore a resemblance to Zhuang Yu'an.
After the guests left, Zuo Xiao helped wash the dishes and was then asked to sit on the sofa.
Lao Zuo asked her to share her impression of Dr. Hu. She admitted she already had a new boyfriend and asked Lao Zuo to stop trying to find her a date. However, he suspected she was lying and only reluctantly believed her after she swore an oath. He then asked to see a photo, but Zuo Xiao refused. Furious, he called her "Er Hu bastard," but there was nothing he could do about her.
Late at night, Zuo Xiao was lying in bed when Luffy called.
He and the Zhuang brothers and sisters will be arriving on the same flight tomorrow. They had previously agreed that this trip would be purely for fun, without seeing their parents, but Luffy was testing the waters: "We're already at your doorstep. Wouldn't it be rude not to pay a visit to your uncle?"
"It's okay, he doesn't know you're here anyway." Zuo Xiao always felt that it was still too early for him to get together with Luffy, and it was far from the stage of meeting his parents, so he just told Lao Zuo that a colleague was coming to Nanjing to play, and he would entertain him in the next two days.
Luffy paused and said, "Then I'll prepare a gift. You can give it to him and say it's from a colleague."
"Really?" Zuo Xiao felt he was being too nagging, and unconsciously added a hint of impatience to his tone. "Can't you just play it down? That's what you said from the beginning."
Luffy finally gave in. "Okay, I'll do as you say," he said. "See you tomorrow. Good night."
"Well, good night."
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