22. Scandalous Female Lead
She knocked lightly three times on the door of the boss's office and heard a "Come in." Fang Kaixuan entered the room, where the boss was slowly smoking a cigar and simply gestured for her to sit down.
Fang Kaixuan waited quietly, a tobacco scent with a uniquely sweet aroma spreading between them.
Smoking is prohibited in the office, of course, but this is his territory. Behind closed doors, it's a small kingdom where he can do whatever he wants.
"Xiao Fang," he finally spoke, "have you made up your mind?"
Fang Kaixuan was organizing his thoughts, trying to figure out how to express his true feelings without offending his superiors, when his boss continued, "Interesting. I heard you're going to resign."
Fang Kaixuan's face twitched slightly, but she didn't speak. After all, what Tan Dawei said wasn't entirely fabricated. She had indeed expressed her unwillingness to continue working after Tan Dawei decided to sideline her.
She had considered quitting her job. She thought about it every night when she couldn't sleep, wondering if she should just quit the next day, because the days of lying awake waiting for dawn and then having to get up early for meetings were unbearable. During that period, she often felt like she was on the verge of sudden death.
But she never formally mentioned it. Resigning is like breaking up; it's best to only bring it up once. And once you've mentioned it, you'd better really mean it, rather than using it as leverage in negotiations.
Because once you've mentioned leaving, you're no longer an absolutely loyal person.
For those in high positions, mere obsequiousness is not enough. They require absolute loyalty.
"David told me that although he didn't want you to leave either, he had to agree for your health. He's already looking for a suitable person to hand over the work as soon as possible so you can get some rest," the boss explained.
Fang Kaixuan did not defend herself, nor did she mention what demands Tan Dawei had made of her.
There's no need to speak ill of one boss to another. She can't be sure what the two are really thinking; they might actually be in an unbreakable alliance. She's just a tiny ant, and it's ridiculous to think she can stir up trouble.
The most important lesson she learned after years in the workplace was to always know her place. Qin Zhisheng was absolutely right about this: don't take advantage of his favor. Many people try to act cute and charming in front of the boss, but she often saw the cold, slightly sarcastic look in his eyes behind his glasses.
There's no need to complain or explain.
"So, you're not feeling well? Are you overworked?"
Fang Kaixuan answered cautiously, "It's not that the work is tiring. It's just that I have a limited ability to handle pressure."
"It's not a big deal, why would you need to resign?" The boss waved his hand dismissively. "Here's what we'll do: take some paid leave, recover your health, and come back later."
Fang Kaixuan was surprised and subconsciously declined: "I'm worried... I don't know how long this break will take, and it will probably be difficult to arrange work."
She couldn't say it directly: "The way you do things and behave really frightens me."
"That's none of your business," the boss waved his hand again, as if to say she didn't need to be grateful. At the same time, it also meant no room for doubt or resistance.
Fang Kaixuan did not expect this to happen.
For a boss, employees are like consumables; if one isn't working well, just replace them. From this perspective, the boss was already being extra considerate this time. Otherwise, there would be no need to keep a position and pay a salary for an employee whose future at risk is uncertain.
No wonder everyone pursues status and money; possessing these things certainly makes life easier. Aside from the inevitability of birth, aging, sickness, and death, most problems can be easily solved.
Not only can they control their own lives, but they can also control the lives of others to a large extent.
The boss acted swiftly, immediately summoning Qin Zhisheng and informing him of this arrangement, meaning that Qin Zhisheng would need to work extra hard for the foreseeable future. Qin Zhisheng readily agreed, behaving very obediently: "Take a good rest after your triumphant return, and I wish you a speedy return to the team."
The two went out together. Seeing that Fang Kaixuan still looked worried, Qin Zhisheng patted her shoulder and said, "You don't need to think too much. Thunder and rain are both the emperor's grace. You don't owe anyone an explanation."
Fang Kaixuan looked at him gratefully. Qin Zhisheng was indeed a smart man; he understood what she cared about without her having to say it.
"But get some rest and come back quickly, otherwise there won't be any seats left, and you'll regret it. You know what the market is like now; even with a 40% discount, you might not find anyone to take your annual package." Qin Zhisheng's tone shifted, regaining his usual rationality and calmness. Truly a good partner.
The favor from her superiors was indeed like a thunderbolt and a shower of blessings, something she had no choice but to accept. The next day, HR came to discuss work arrangements with Fang Kaixuan. They agreed that she would rest for two months first, and then decide on her next move based on her health.
This is undoubtedly an exceptional privilege.
With preferential treatment comes controversy. This time, the rumors are even more outlandish than before. The secretaries in the office are always the most gossipy, and they whispered among themselves, "Fang Kaixuan seems quite normal, so why is he on sick leave for several months at a time? What kind of serious illness could he have? There must be something fishy going on."
Judging from Fang Kaixuan's normal figure, the rumor that she is going abroad to give birth seems unreasonable.
Later, the rumor became that Fang Kaixuan was going to the United States to freeze her eggs and then find a white surrogate mother because she didn't want to give birth herself.
This left her both amused and exasperated. Inevitably, gossip always veers towards the most vulgar and obscene topics.
When she confided in Xiaoju, Xiaoju wasn't surprised and simply comforted her: "There are two kinds of rumors. One is purely out of curiosity and gossip, and the other is genuine malice. If it's just suspicion that you and your boss are having an affair, that's human nature, and we can temporarily categorize it as the former. But fabricating details like having a child, freezing eggs, and surrogacy is pure malice. Observe secretly and see who is like that, and usually avoid them."
But lately, when Fang Kaixuan encountered people in the office, she received an excessive level of enthusiasm than before. Although Fang Kaixuan knew very well that behind those fake smiles lay disdain, she also felt admiration and worried that she might actually have the ability to influence someone's husband, so it was best not to provoke her.
Observing coldly, Fang Kaixuan found it quite amusing. She never imagined she would become the subject of a scandal in her lifetime.
*
"You mean, people think you and the boss are having an affair? What do they think of us?" Qin Zhisheng found the whole thing quite amusing.
"What do you think? Maybe you think I'm just a part of your game."
"Go away, I only like younger men. Hey, seriously, what are your specific plans for the future?"
"Plan? There is none. A few years ago I was very arrogant, thinking I could plan a perfect life. The older I get, the more I understand that it's all luck, it's all fate."
"We can't do this," Qin Zhisheng sighed. The two were still talking in the smoking area downstairs. It was early autumn, and although the sunlight was still intense, the weather in the north was very punctual, and there were already wisps of cool breeze blowing.
Fang Kaixuan hadn't bothered to dress up in the past six months. Her hair should have been permed a long time ago, but she was too lazy to go. A thick, straight black hair had grown out on top of her head, while the curls below were almost completely undone from washing. In the headwind, the hair was blown over and covered her eyes.
"You need to stand up straight, Xiao Fang." Qin Zhisheng was always assertive, occasionally with a touch of shrewdness, but within reasonable limits, he wasn't annoying. "Our little universe is being re-divided, and if you cower now, it'll all be for nothing. Are you really willing to accept that?"
Fang Kaixuan appreciated his directness, but it was difficult to explain to such an energetic man who believed in a better tomorrow where her sense of powerlessness came from. So she answered directly: "I'm divorced. My husband cheated on me."
Qin Zhisheng immediately shut up.
For women, a broken relationship is often the most direct and convenient reason. It's as if it's understandable for a woman to go mad, go crazy, or even commit suicide for love. Besides, Fang Kaixuan is just depressed.
Using this as an excuse to deal with someone's endless persuasion is very effective.
Qin Zhisheng indeed stopped trying to persuade her to stand up.
However, Qin Zhisheng's ambitions may not even be feasible. A few years ago, he could have planned which industry and company he would enter in three to five years and how he would achieve financial freedom. Now, that's absolutely impossible. The growth logic of the upward phase has long since failed, yet many still believe they can reverse the tide. The more unwilling they are to admit defeat, the more they invest, and thus they become mired in difficulties.
No wonder some people say that the men in mental hospitals are all ambitious and driven. Women, on the other hand, all crave to be loved.
Whether things go smoothly or not depends entirely on fate. But at least Fang Kaixuan can avoid becoming a crazy woman.
Faced with a divorced woman, Qin Zhisheng probably felt that encouraging her to strive harder at this moment would be a bit inhumane. So he patted Fang Kaixuan on the shoulder, and the two fell silent, standing under the sycamore tree where a golden leaf occasionally fell in the wind.
The leaves became extremely dry and brittle in the autumn wind and sunshine; they turned into powder with a gentle crushing.
“Then you should take a break for a while,” he said finally, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. “Anyway, Lao Shen likes you and wants to come back. At worst, you can have a good cry with him. Lao Shen is a man of pride, so he will definitely agree to your request.”
"Go to hell, don't you think people are saying nasty things enough?" Fang Kaixuan shook his head.
Why bother with them? There is no such thing as bad publicity. Nobody can become the subject of a scandal.
Fang Kaixuan could only manage a wry smile.
What use is publicity to her? She just wants peace and quiet.
Seeing her bitter smile, Qin Zhisheng couldn't help but say, "One more thing, divorce isn't a bad thing. Marriage is something you shouldn't get involved in if there's no clear exit strategy. If it's an investment project, you shouldn't invest in it at all if there's no exit plan, right? Now you've successfully sold your old shares, which is a great thing."
The words may be unpleasant, but the logic is sound. Fang Kaixuan has managed to exit a project that was destined to fail sooner or later, and although he paid a considerable price, it's still considered lucky compared to the embarrassing failures that involve repeated entanglements.
Fang Kaixuan told himself: I'm already a lucky person... right?
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I love the way capillaries are written!
Ah, I'll continue with the capillary action in the next two chapters, I'm afraid all the readers will leave :(
Haha, I'm not leaving!
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