Chapter 14 [14]
Expulsion
Yes, who likes receiving messages from their boss during their rest time, even if it's just a message of comfort?
If Luo Qingyue knew Lu Mingxiao's thoughts, she would definitely overturn her previous prejudices and praise him for being righteous.
However, having experienced the lingering effects of working overtime, she gained a deeper understanding of the stubborn nature of the person surnamed Lu.
“I’ve never suffered hardship in my life. The hardest thing I’ve ever experienced was working for Lu Mingxiao.”
"My neck is stiff, my limbs are sore, and I'm completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. I find it hard to believe that he could dedicate himself to his work year-round without a break. Lu Mingxiao's true form isn't human; he's a super-powerful perpetual motion machine that never runs out of power."
On Saturday noon, Luo Qingyue went to Hi coffee&car.
He sat listlessly at the bar, drinking dark chocolate and chatting with Jingxi.
Jingxi took a vanilla crème brûlée cake from the refrigerator, placed it on a plate, and handed it to her.
"Back when you ran your Western restaurant, you were just as enthusiastic as Lu Mingxiao. I had to wait until the wee hours of the morning to have a chat with you."
"This is probably the difference between working for someone else and working for yourself: one is passive, the other is willing."
Luo Qingyue picked up a spoon and scooped out a piece of cake: "So, I'm still not suited to be a beast of burden."
"You're already backing down so quickly?"
After Jingxi finished asking, a customer came over to order food.
After she put on the cup sticker and handed it to the barista, Luo Qingyue said, "I want to, but I don't dare."
Jingxi feigned shock: "Is there anything in the world that our Miss Luo wouldn't dare to do?"
Luo Qingyue sighed deeply: "It's like our economic lifeline has been seized by someone, so we have to be more restrained."
That being said.
Once a small spark of an idea is ignited, it grows and expands under the catalysis of time and reality.
It then burns fiercely, endlessly, and cannot be extinguished.
On Monday morning, Luo Qingyue arrived at Mingyue on time. After the department meeting, Xu Jie assigned her a bunch of work.
After working overtime for two days and exhausting herself, Luo Qingyue was really struggling to keep up. Late at night, she tossed and turned in bed, thinking again about the issue of giving up.
If she resigns voluntarily, Luo Hanzhou will assume she has a weak will and be utterly disappointed, and will suspend her credit card without question.
Luo Qingyue shook her head. This path was not feasible. No matter how strong-willed she was, she would never give up her pocket money.
Since that's the case.
Luo Qingyue gave a wicked smile, opened Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social networking service), and posted a help request: "How to get fired from the company quickly, urgent, waiting online."
Learning from past mistakes, she specifically emphasized that no illegal, criminal, or personal safety-related activities should be involved.
Even after midnight, there were still quite a few netizens surfing the internet, and a netizen named "momo" managed to snag the first comment.
【momo】: In front of everyone, she pulled off the boss's wig, told the boss that his zipper was undone, touched the boss's head and said, "I am your long-lost father."
Luo Qingyue: "..."
The boss may not care about saving face, but I do. Practical feasibility is zero. Next.
[This account has been deleted]: Forcefully kiss the boss, wall-slam the boss, and if you're even braver, drag the boss to a hotel room, then send the photos to the boss's wife.
"..."
You netizens really don't care whether I live or die.
Since Mingyue doesn't have a female boss, Luo Qingyue deleted the comment to avoid being flagged as vulgar by the system and having her account banned.
Huh?
Luo Qingyue, with her sharp eyes, spotted something that was somewhat constructive.
[Living a life of debauchery]: I know the answer to this question. My former boss was superstitious and kept two money trees in the office. I was in charge of taking care of them, but I watered them too much, and the trees died. He thought I was ruining his fortune and wanted me fired.
Luo Qingyue didn't know if all bosses liked to keep money trees in their offices because of their golden symbolism.
Anyway, there was one in Lu Mingxiao's office, next to the sofa, about the same height as her, so he would definitely believe it.
She decided to test the waters with this method first. If things went badly, she could just replace the tree with another one after the tree died and she got fired.
Luo Qingyue had a brief encounter with Lu Mingxiao in the elevator on her first day at work, but she never saw him again after that.
The next day, after lunch, she opened WeChat, tapped the chat box, and sent a message to Lu Mingxiao.
【Crescent Moon】: Respected and great Mr. Lu, your employee, I, have recently encountered some significant problems at work. I have been unable to eat or sleep, and looking across the entire Mingyue, only you can answer my questions. I wonder if we could schedule a time for me to talk to you in person?
——
Lu Mingxiao was away on a business trip today. When he received Luo Qingyue's message, he was sitting in a private room in the banquet hall, attending a dinner party.
The meeting was organized by a local parts supplier who wanted to collaborate with Mingyue. Lu Mingxiao had done his background check and found that the supplier was cutting corners, but because a friend had acted as a go-between, he gave them face.
After a few rounds of drinks, the person in charge started boasting, talking at length about his entrepreneurial achievements.
Lu Mingxiao listened half-heartedly, glancing at Luo Qingyue's message. He was indeed somewhat surprised that she had taken the initiative to contact him.
It's perfectly normal to encounter problems, need answers, and want to discuss them in person.
Whether as the president of Mingyue or Luo Hanzhou's close friend, he had no reason to refuse.
Of course, he was even more curious about what Luo Qingyue was up to.
On his first day at work, he ran away as soon as he saw me, but now he's taking the initiative to meet me. It's hard not to wonder what his motives are.
The dinner was boring, but the news was quite the opposite.
Just as expectations were rising, they were disrupted by an unexpected noise.
"Mr. Lu, tonight is my daughter's 20th birthday party. Would you do me the honor of attending? She often talks about you. If you can come, she will be very happy. She has even prepared a dance to perform for you."
The person in charge suddenly made a request, and a busybody chimed in: "Old Yu's daughter is stunningly beautiful and incredibly talented. President Lu should be single, right? This is a perfect opportunity to get to know her."
When navigating the world of fame and fortune, everyone is bound to be cautious, otherwise they will not be able to survive the brutal competition.
Lu Mingxiao's expression remained unchanged, but his voice was filled with disdain: "Twenty years old is the age when you can be carefree and happy. Boss Yu, don't let your own selfish desires taint this happiness."
After speaking, he stood up and left his seat.
Stepping out of the private room, he pressed the screen on his phone to reply to Luo Qingyue.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Come to my office at 7 PM tonight.
——
Luo Qingyue delivered documents to Cheng Wang for Director Lin in the afternoon, and only after he casually mentioned it did she realize that Lu Mingxiao was not in Dongchuan today.
Cheng Wang said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow, so when she arrived at the twentieth floor at the agreed time and saw Lu Mingxiao in person, she was slightly surprised for a few seconds.
Did he come back especially for me?
If that were the case, Luo Qingyue felt incredibly guilty for destroying his beloved money tree.
Lu Mingxiao's office was exactly the same as when he had visited before.
However, according to her meticulous observation, the money tree still had several layers of yellow leaves at the bottom.
It was as if it were announcing its ill-fated destiny, and she was the damned executioner.
At this moment, Luo Qingyue sat at her desk, facing Lu Mingxiao.
Looking at that handsome face and thinking about what she was about to do, she braced her hands on the chair, her hands slightly sweaty, but she maintained a smile and tried her best to appear calm.
"What would you like to drink? Milk, juice, or mineral water?" Lu Mingxiao asked, breaking the silence.
"coffee."
Luo Qingyue blurted out, "A hot latte."
Lu Mingxiao didn't agree immediately, but asked her, "Are you sure about this time?"
Even a coffee enthusiast like him only chooses to drink during the day to avoid the risk of insomnia.
Luo Qingyue nodded: "Yes, a hot latte."
She is caffeine intolerant, but Lu Mingxiao's coffee corner is very close to the money tree.
While he's making coffee, she can find an opportunity to make her move.
Lu Mingxiao got up and walked towards the coffee corner, and Luo Qingyue followed him.
One is inside, and the other is outside, separated by the bar countertop.
Lu Mingxiao picked up a bag of coffee beans from the shelf, opened it, poured them into a container, and weighed them.
"Tell me, what problem did you encounter?"
The warm yellow light illuminated Lu Mingxiao's long, slender hands with distinct joints.
Luo Qingyue cupped her face in her hands, watching his skillful movements as she answered, "Lately, I often feel powerless when I'm working. I always encounter unexpected situations when I try to finish by a certain time, which makes things worse. So I wanted to ask if there's a way to break this deadlock."
Lu Mingxiao poured the coffee beans into the grinder: "Unexpected situation, like?"
Luo Qingyue thought for a moment, using her brain cells, and gave a half-true, half-false answer: "My computer crashed, my water glass spilled on my documents, my colleague threw a pen at my head from a distance, and the left mouse button inexplicably stopped working."
Lu Mingxiao tampd the ground coffee powder onto the coffee spreader and asked, "Is this your birth year in the Chinese zodiac?"
Having received an affirmative answer, he continued, "What you're saying is purely a matter of luck. Why don't you buy a few more pairs of red socks and see if you can defy fate?"
So superstitious.
It seems like they believe that money trees can bring wealth.
Luo Qingyue said "Oh," and gained confidence in her next action plan.
After the coffee was extracted, Lu Mingxiao wanted to make latte art with milk foam to make up for his regret last time.
Unexpectedly, Luo Qingyue stopped him, took the coffee cup from his hand, and took a small sip.
Lu Mingxiao's phone rang at that moment. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was Lao Lu calling.
"Wait a minute, I'll take a call."
Luo Qingyue nodded and watched Lu Mingxiao walk to the French windows.
The man was tall and slender, with his back to her. Luo Qingyue quickly realized what was happening, and slowly backed away, moving quietly to the side of the money tree.
Unable to finish the coffee, she poured it into a flowerpot first, and then Luo Qingyue opened her backpack.
She brought three thermos cups filled with boiling water, quickly poured two cups, and heard Lu Mingxiao's voice coming from not far away.
"Okay, I have something to do, so I'll stop here and get some rest."
Luo Qingyue picked up the empty coffee cup from the coffee table, pretending that nothing had just happened.
With a mouthful of coffee foam, she strode towards Lu Mingxiao and exclaimed, "Mr. Lu's coffee is absolutely amazing, truly delicious!"
There's no need for such awkward praise, Lu Mingxiao thought to himself.
"Any other questions?" he asked.
"have."
Luo Qingyue said firmly, "Since I came to Mingyue, I get hungry and sleepy easily, which I think is not normal."
Steam was rising from the pot of the money tree, which Lu Mingxiao noticed at a glance.
He pretended to be nonchalant and replied to Luo Qingyue, "I suggest you get your blood sugar checked first. If it's normal, then it's probably just a work-related side effect. There are snacks in the break room if you're hungry, and you can rest on your desk if you're sleepy. All of this is within the scope of the employee handbook."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Mingxiao's phone rang again. He walked to the window as usual. It was an advertising call, and he hung up without hesitation.
He turned around, crossed his arms, and watched as Luo Qingyue stood next to the money tree. She first unscrewed the thermos and poured all the hot water into it, then bowed three times with utmost sincerity.
"..."
With a slight frown, Lu Mingxiao understood that Luo Qingyue must hate him quite a bit.
With an undisguised sneer, Luo Qingyue turned around, her gaze meeting the man's in mid-air.
Lu Mingxiao leaned against the French windows, his voice drifting over: "If you can't get rid of the boss's person, you can only get rid of his tree. You're in such a great mood, are you trying to tell me that no job is without its madness?"
——
That's right, work can be crazy.
Luo Qingyue thought that she had tampered with the money tree without anyone knowing.
Once the tree dies, and Lu Mingxiao investigates, she will take responsibility, look him straight in the eye, and remain neither humble nor arrogant.
"It was me who did it. Go ahead and fire me if you dare."
No domineering CEO likes to be provoked.
Enraged, Lu Mingxiao pointed at her nose and roared, "You think I wouldn't dare?"
Then, Lu Mingxiao would call HR and tell her to get out of Mingyue.
She will regain her freedom, return to her carefree life, and once again become the leading lady who controls her own destiny.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
Luo Qingyue thought that Lu Mingxiao was a ruthless person.
That evening, a gardener was called in to change the pot and soil, and the next day, the money tree appeared at the door of her office.
A gift from Mr. Lu.
Director Lin was very happy; he considered it an unparalleled honor even if it was just a tree.
She even took advantage of the lunch break to take a group photo with everyone and the tree. In the photo, Luo Qingyue was undoubtedly the one with the ugliest face.
What does it mean when we see each other all the time?
Lu Mingxiao wanted to etch her childish behavior onto the pillar of shame, and as long as she remained in Mingyue, she would have no chance of turning things around.
This further solidified her determination to leave.
In the first round, she listened to the slander of netizens and lost without a fight.
In the second round, Luo Qingyue decided to stand up for herself, abandon all underhanded tactics, and take the pure negotiation route.
Therefore, she wrote a negotiation draft—
I, Luo Qingyue, have no respect for the CEO, disregard company rules and regulations, am undisciplined, and have extremely low enthusiasm for work. This clashes with Mingyue's rigorous, efficient, meticulous, prudent, and orderly atmosphere. Forcing us together will only harm each other. I hereby earnestly request that CEO Lu dismiss me and give each other a way out. Thank you for your cooperation.
When Xiao Xie delivered the money tree, a colleague asked to add him on WeChat.
Luo Qingyue was watching from the side. She hadn't originally planned to do this, but Xiao Xie took the initiative to ask her, "Why don't we add one too?"
The one who's being unfair is Lu Mingxiao; the assistant was just following orders, and she shouldn't have dragged innocent bystanders into it.
Luo Qingyue returned to her workstation, picked up her phone, and scanned Xiao Xie's QR code, thinking it would be useful for him, but it turned out to be very useful at this moment.
Luo Qingyue tapped on Xiao Xie's chat box.
【Crescent Moon】: Is Mr. Lu in the company today?
Xiao Xie replied instantly, giving an affirmative answer.
【Crescent Moon】: I have something very important to discuss with Mr. Lu. Could you please ask him when he'll be available?
[Xie Tianyi]: Mr. Lu is taking a nap. I'll ask him for you when he wakes up.
Lunch break? Even the King of Rolls has this need?
To everyone's surprise, Luo Qingyue let out a long yawn, picked up the cushion behind her, and lay down on the table for a while.
Half an hour later, a new message came: it wasn't from Xiao Xie, but from Lu Mingxiao himself.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Xiao Xie told me that I will not give him a raise.
Luo Qingyue understood the subtext: Xiao Xie is my assistant, not yours. No one else can ask him to do anything except me.
Seeing such a possessive attitude towards her assistant, Luo Qingyue looked at her phone screen and couldn't help but make a "tsk" emoji.
The next second, Lu Mingxiao spoke again.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Anytime after 6 PM tonight.
at any time……
Luo Qingyue immediately understood; it meant she could go to his office anytime.
Will Lu Mingxiao think she's going to throw her life away again? Ha, how naive.
This is destined to be a fierce battle.
Luo Qingyue finished her work first, then glanced at the time; it was already past six o'clock.
She got up and went to the break room, turned on the microwave, and heated up an egg and ham sandwich.
With a full stomach, she had the energy to "fight," and after eating two more pieces of chocolate, Luo Qingyue felt full of energy.
She tore the paper containing the negotiation draft from her notebook, folded it in half, and held it in her hand. She rotated her wrist, rubbed it together to ensure she had reached peak agility, and headed straight for the twentieth floor.
Having decided to leave, Luo Qingyue had no more reservations.
It's all or nothing. Stepping out of the elevator, she stormed out, slamming the door to Lu Mingxiao's office.
Lu Mingxiao was sitting at his desk processing documents.
Hearing a loud "bang," I looked up and saw a slender figure flash past my eyes like lightning, stopping on the other side of the desk.
Lu Mingxiao waited with great interest for her next move.
Luo Qingyue had her hands on the table, staring at him angrily, like a firecracker with its fuse lit.
"You know how powerful my family is, right? If I just whisper a few words in my parents' ears, acquiring your company will be a piece of cake."
The person in front of me was shouting at the top of their lungs.
Faced with such arrogance, Lu Mingxiao remained calm: "What is your demand?"
Luo Qingyue leaned forward, resting her head on the desk, the man's handsome face almost touching hers.
She paused for a second, her heart skipped a beat, and she abandoned her previous draft, her gaze serious and determined.
“Call my brother and tell him that your company doesn’t allow office romances, and that you’ve fallen in love with me, so you have to fire me.”
Lu Mingxiao: "..."
[Author's Note]
Next chapter (V) will be released on Saturday (July 5th) at midnight!!!
I'll try my best to update daily after I become a VIP member!!! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
————————————
My upcoming novel, "You Are the Flavor of Sweet Candy," is available for pre-order. Please add it to your favorites!
Copywriting:
In his quest to find unique aromas that could be extracted from plants to make perfume, Shen Siyue traveled to various flower cultivation bases, but to no avail within two years.
Just when he was about to give up, he learned of a place called Qingxi, where there was a particularly talented breeder.
Clinging to his last hope, Shen Siyue encountered a young girl wearing a straw hat and arm sleeves, pushing a cart covered in sweat.
The car was piled high with all sorts of flowering plants. The girl ran with all her might, not looking where she was going, and bumped into him. She apologized repeatedly.
Perfumers have a more sensitive sense of smell than ordinary people. Shen Siyue took a pot of flowers out of the cart.
The flowers looked listless, but their fragrance was intoxicating, perfectly matching the ideal he was looking for.
Shen Siyue was overjoyed and offered to buy it at a high price.
Xuan Ning blinked her big, bright eyes, full of doubt: "These are all breeds I've rejected. Do you really want them?"
Realizing that the person in front of him was a breeder, Shen Siyue smiled and said, "To you, it is a failed work, but to me, it is a rare treasure."
Later, as they spent more and more time together, feelings gradually developed between them.
Shen Siyue's perfume won a gold medal at an international perfume competition, and the perfume was named "Xuan Ning".
In a post-match interview, when the host asked him about the meaning of "Xuan Ning," he smiled gently.
That's the name of the person I love.
*A naive and carefree plant breeder X A gentle and refined perfumer
*A sweet and heartwarming slice-of-life story, with no angst or melodrama.
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