Chapter 204: The sensitive young master Di during puberty dreams of the beautiful Miss Xie (Part 1)
At the beginning of this year, in late spring, Shaman officially ended her two-and-a-half-year period of humiliating employment under Xie Huailing, and was promoted to senior management, soon to be sent out of Beijing. With Shaman's departure, finding a suitable deputy became Xie Huailing's most pressing matter.
She had promoted many people, including Lin Shiyin, but unfortunately, her martial arts skills weren't high enough, and her talent wasn't suitable for being a deputy; Qu Wurong was another, but Yang Wuxie had no intention of letting her go, either in the short or long term. As for the rest, they were even less suitable. Xie Huailing's temperament wasn't something everyone could adapt to, and her workload as a deputy was far greater than any other position in the building.
Finally, having no other choice, Xie Huailing decided to discuss with Yang Wuxie again before Shaman officially resigned, and borrow Qu Wurong for the time being.
“Actually, there’s no need to go through all this trouble.” Shaman was going to work for Xie Huailing for one last day. She sorted the documents according to their importance and prepared for tomorrow’s tasks. Her voice was indifferent, perhaps because she was about to leave and couldn’t muster any emotions, or perhaps she didn’t want to bring up any emotions. “Don’t you already have someone ready to help you?”
Even so, it had become a habit to express resentment when talking about this person. Just like a lit candle, no matter how small the flame, there was still a trace of wax residue. Xie Huailing, who was lying on the soft couch, could still hear it.
She rolled over, turned her head to look at Shaman, who was busy with her back to her, and said, "Are you still bothered? Didn't I make up for it for you later?"
Shaman denied it, concealing her expression perfectly, and calmly replied, "What's there to mind? There's nothing to mind."
It seemed that for her, showing any reluctance or grudge towards Xie Huailing was unacceptable. She had disliked this boss for so long, and leaving should be a happy occasion: "I just think he is indeed very capable. Instead of looking for someone else, why don't you just let him come?"
He still said he didn't mind. Xie Huailing shook his head, but didn't expose him, only saying, "He is the head of the Six and a Half Hall, after all. We can't just drag him over here."
Shaman gave a short "humph," seemingly not quite believing Xie Huailing's words. In her opinion, as long as Xie Huailing wanted to, there would be no difficulty, and someone would overcome it on their own: "Miss, why don't you talk to him first? Maybe he has a clever plan. Besides, if he can't do my work, he's more than capable of doing other things."
Feeling inexplicably caught in a chaotic situation, Xie Huailing didn't want to be dragged into Shaman's battle with Di Feijing in the last half hour before Shaman's departure, so she wisely chose to comfort her and ask how her preparations for the overseas assignment were going.
Even if Shaman didn't want to, she had to admit that Xie Huailing had played a significant role in her promotion. She spoke to him much more politely and gently. The two got along quite well, a rare occurrence in the past two and a half years.
Even so, Shaman would never admit that she was somewhat reluctant to part with Xie Huailing. She wasn't the type of person who couldn't say sweet nothings, but she hadn't had a peaceful relationship with Xie Huailing for a long time. She wasn't an understanding boss, nor was she a respectful subordinate, so asking her to be more tender at this moment had become difficult.
When it was time to leave completely, Shaman picked out all the documents Xie Huailing needed to handle that evening and placed them on the table beside the bed. She wanted a clean and efficient ending, but her steps became somewhat heavy, preventing her from leaving gracefully. She felt there were still things left unsaid, and it wasn't the right time yet.
She finally spoke, becoming somewhat long-winded. Sadness was something she didn't want to admit, so she'd just pretend she was worried: "Tomorrow no one will dare wake you at noon, so remember the time. Don't combine lunch and dinner; these are things that need to be dealt with immediately. Leaving them for tomorrow will be too troublesome..."
The more he talked, the less he spoke, and eventually he felt a strong urge to remain silent, but Shaman restrained himself.
Xie Huailing simply said okay, and at this moment, he cooperated without engaging in any idle chatter with her. He watched as Shaman started talking about work again, and finally placed a letter at the top of the document. The letter's author invited her to go to the old place to watch a play together again when she had time, and he would take care of everything.
Okay, she admitted she had an opinion. Shaman stared at Xie Huailing. If the intention was so obvious that she could sense it, it was far too obvious. Therefore, her dislike for Di Feijing wasn't entirely due to work. Now, she felt she had to leave a few words: "Miss."
Xie Huailing listened attentively: "Hmm?"
“Some people may seem pitiful, but it’s very likely that it’s all just an act.” Shaman was practically whispering in his ear, and this time she was quite serious, saying solemnly, “Don’t feel sorry for him before we can determine whether he’s genuine or not.”
Unexpectedly, Xie Huailing was taken aback by such a remark. Her dusty gaze hung in the air, unwavering. Her listlessness revealed that she was not looking at anything; her focus had stopped along with her thoughts.
She knew Shaman was prejudiced against Di Feijing, so what she said before leaving wasn't surprising. She only cared about the second half of her sentence, surprised that she hadn't left a bad enough impression on Shaman. Xie Huailing said, "Do I look like someone who would care about a man?"
Shaman remained silent.
Xie Huailing felt extremely strange. If he waited any longer, Shaman would be eager to leave, so he could only finish what he had to say.
She hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "If you have pity, won't heartache be just around the corner?"
.
Shaman had said this before, but not so directly. It was more subtle and ambiguous, so much so that Xie Huailing hadn't heard it clearly. Now, recalling it carefully based on the sense of familiarity, it must have happened last year.
In the letters Di Feijing wrote to her, he always added a few words of greeting at the end of official business. Xie Huailing rarely replied, except on one occasion when she suddenly felt a pang of sympathy and asked Shaman to write a few more lines. Shaman then noticed Xie Huailing's slight pity and murmured a sentence at the time, which Xie Huailing only remembered today.
She also recalled the increasingly intimate letters Di Feijing had sent since then, and how, over time, they had progressed to the point where he had even started asking her to meet him privately.
It's impossible for Xie Huailing to have been completely unaware. She was naturally suspicious and cautious, and she noticed all the changes. However, he was very good at gauging things and knew how to compromise. In addition, she was never too lazy to argue, so she let him go this far.
After Shaman left, Xie Huailing took a comprehensive look at the matter again and marveled once more at Di Feijing's intelligence, realizing that he had actually taken it this far.
Since that's the case, she's even more willing to accept his invitation. It's interesting to see how much he still has in mind, especially since she's the one who's been touched and cared for. Moreover, Xie Huailing has to admit that, setting aside Shaman's emotions, some of her suggestions are feasible.
Having made up her mind, Xie Huailing went to the opera house according to the time in the letter. She had been there privately a few times in the past year or two, so she wasn't unfamiliar with it. The waiter was familiar with her and led her upstairs with ease. The opera house hadn't changed its appearance; it still insisted on elegance amidst the burgeoning wealth, like a pear blossom stuck in a pile of gold and silver. The singing on the stage was like the fragrance of the pear blossom, sometimes present, sometimes absent, sometimes clear, sometimes strong.
She entered just as the song finished. The young man stood by the railing, looking down at the stage, then turned to her. Di Feijing's appearance hadn't changed; he was still so handsome that one could recognize him at a glance. Even though the room's furnishings had been deliberately abandoned for the mundane, it didn't detract from his elegant and otherworldly demeanor. Yet, loneliness held him back; his otherworldliness was just an illusion. He couldn't lift his head; he was like a white bird that couldn't fly.
Before he could greet her, Xie Huailing went over first and looked down from the railing. She had never heard of or seen the play being performed on stage today, and not wanting to be a fool, she asked, "What is this play?"
“Water Pavilion Meeting,” Di Fei replied in surprise, his eyes slowly rising. He first looked at her blue-green skirt, the plain fabric without any patterns, rippling like a blue sky. Then he looked up, examining every inch of it, until finally he saw her face, her expression indifferent yet truly beautiful.
"What exactly is it about?"
Di Feijing then replied that he had looked at all the plays for the day before he came and was prepared. This was just a love story with some highlights, without any clichés. It was good in no way, and Xie Huailing was not interested as always.
She had come with a purpose, and as she listened, her thoughts wandered elsewhere. Before Di Feijing could finish speaking, she sat down and, before leaving, pulled him along by his clothes.
Upon seeing the small stack of documents on the table, Di Feijing naturally understood, though in terms of quantity, it was much more than he had been given before. As he looked over, Xie Huailing explained at the opportune moment, "You know, Shaman was recently promoted, and I no longer have a deputy, so, Chief Hall Master Di, please."
She pushed all the documents in front of him: "I'll treat you to dinner later. Please help me out. I really don't want to do these things. I'm leaving them all to Chief Hall Master Di."
What objections could Di Feijing possibly have? Even if she didn't say anything nice, he would still do the same thing. He just asked, "Miss Xie, have you not yet found a suitable new assistant? You only brought a maid with you today?"
"Exactly." Xie Huailing sighed. "This position will probably be vacant for a while, which is tough on me."
Di Fei stared at her thin face, which looked as if it could break at any moment. Although he knew her inner state, he couldn't help but remind her, "Next time, bring more people with you. It's never safe to go out alone."
Xie Huailing didn't quite agree, thinking she'd deal with it next time. Her attitude was still quite good when asking for favors; she proactively poured Di Feijing a drink, albeit wine, and presented it to him.
Unexpectedly, the two of them didn't have much private contact to begin with. In the past, she would force-feed him in this manner, showing him no mercy whatsoever, which were all bad examples. Not to mention that the glass contained wine, and the only person who could force him to drink was her when she was deliberately making things difficult for him. Di Feijing then obediently bent down a little, his pale neck appearing even more delicate, and pressed his lips to the rim of the glass, sipping gently, his posture as if her palms were cradling his head.
But since he was already in this state, Xie Huailing used some force and simply forced him to drink it down, going all the way with him, watching him slowly finish the wine in his cup, his butterfly-wing-like eyelashes fluttering from time to time.
I haven't had a chance to examine it closely yet, but looking at it now, it really is a little girl and a boy. Xie Huailing thought to herself.
The way they're forcing women into prostitution doesn't seem so bad, Xie Huailing thought.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com