Chapter Thirteen
In the early morning, the sunlight broke through the clouds and dappled the foot of the bed.
A slender, white wrist emerged from the sapphire blue blanket. Upon contact with the cold air, the fingertips instinctively curled up. The person on the bed frowned, and a thin layer of sweat covered their fair forehead.
The phone that was charging suddenly rang, jolting Xing Bei awake from her sleep. She looked at the ceiling with a dazed and somewhat frightened expression.
The alarm clock was still ringing incessantly. Coming back to her senses, Xing Bei raised one hand to rub her temples, and reached for her phone with the other.
Last night, she finally mustered up the courage to log into the account she didn't want to open again and read all the messages from that fan. Knowing that she was slowly recovering, she felt a weight lifted from her heart.
The other person seemed to know the real reason she stopped writing, and each time they left a message they hoped she would not give up her passion, would not feel guilty, and would pick up her pen again.
But that incident remained a knot in her heart, and every time she recalled the scene from that time, she didn't want to pick up a pen to draw.
Last night, after hesitating for a long time, she picked up her pen to practice. She found that she was no longer resisting, but as she drew, the images involuntarily appeared in her mind, and she became more and more irritable. In the end, she gave up.
--
After breakfast, Xing Bei went to the company feeling sleepy, ready to slack off again. As soon as she entered the company gate, she received strange looks from the receptionist. She glanced down at her outfit and looked at them in confusion.
Her outfit today was the same as usual, making her look like a typical working woman: a white sweater underneath a Chanel-style jacket, paired with light blue jeans.
When Xing Bei arrived at the planning department, she saw that everyone's eyes were the same as the receptionist's, with expressions of watching a show unfold.
Xing Bei was puzzled. What was wrong with her colleagues today? Why were they looking at her with such strange eyes?
When Chi Qingtang saw her arrive, she glanced around and quickly moved closer, whispering in her ear, "Beibei, you've been set up. Zhang Minjuan is spreading rumors about you in the company gossip group."
At this point, Chi Qingtang got really angry. Xing Bei didn't understand and looked at her blankly. Chi Qingtang then took out her phone and showed it to her.
Xing Bei had just taken the phone and hadn't even had a chance to look at it when Zhang Minjuan walked over arrogantly, stood in front of her workstation, and said with a smug look, "Oh, isn't this our Deputy Manager Xing?"
Zhang Minjuan glanced at her colleagues watching the spectacle, feeling even more smug, and continued sarcastically, "Getting promoted after just one business trip, I wish I had that kind of luck."
Even with such sarcastic remarks, Xing Bei couldn't help but understand what she was trying to say.
She had always known that Zhang Minjuan had a sharp tongue and would say a few words if she didn't like someone. It was fine if they just had a few minor squabbles, but now she was being slandered for the promotion that she had worked so hard for.
Chi Qingtang rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. She usually couldn't stand Zhang Jiahan's behavior. She would spread rumors that Zhang Jiahan got the job by sleeping with someone else, acting all smug and despicable. She just wanted to punch her.
They didn't even open their eyes to take a good look. The price of one of Xing Bei's bracelets was ten times higher than her monthly salary. Did they really think she was here to work?
Ignorance is truly terrifying.
“Beibei has been with the company for a while now and works hard every day. Unlike some people who keep calling someone their uncle behind their back.” Chi Qingtang looked her up and down with disdain. Anyone can talk nonsense. “I just don’t know if he’s a real uncle or a fake uncle.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minjuan immediately became restless and hurriedly defended herself: "We have a normal family relationship, don't talk nonsense."
Chi Qingtang: "You know you shouldn't talk nonsense."
Zhang Minjuan snorted: "I'm nowhere near as good-looking as Deputy Manager Xing. It seems I still need to learn more from her and become the head of the planning department as soon as possible."
After speaking, Zhang Minjuan's gaze remained fixed on Xing Bei, who hadn't moved, and almost everyone around them was focused on them.
Xing Bei leaned back in her chair as if she had no bones, her slender white fingers tapping the table absently. The office was eerily quiet when suddenly a soft laugh echoed throughout the room, startling the person standing opposite her.
"What are you laughing at?" Zhang Minjuan felt inexplicably uneasy seeing her nonchalant attitude.
A meaningful smile flashed across Xing Bei's clear and bright eyes, and her cold voice carried a hint of mockery: "Zhang Minjuan, sometimes I have to say you're a fool. You don't think before you speak or act."
Zhang Minjuan's smile froze instantly, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "What I said is not wrong. You know how you got this position."
Before Xing Bei could refute, a gentle yet authoritative voice rang out throughout the planning department: "Of course she knows how Deputy Manager Xing got her position."
Following their gaze, everyone saw a woman standing at the entrance of the planning department, wearing a black turtleneck dress and a white mink coat, staring at them expressionlessly. The colleagues who had been watching the show hurriedly turned back to work when they saw that it was the boss's wife.
The proprietress glanced around, then her gaze returned to Zhang Minjuan: "How come I didn't know the planning department had become the gossip department? Is this your work attitude?"
Although Zhang Minjuan didn't know who she was, judging from everyone's attitude, she was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Xing Bei looked at the person beside her who didn't have an arrogant and domineering aura and chuckled.
The proprietress brought small cakes to Xing Bei's workstation. Xing Bei looked up, smiled and teased, "How come you have time to bring me small cakes today? That's too much trouble."
Hmm? Is this the proprietress?
Zhang Minjuan looked at the person who was talking to Xing Bei with a shocked expression. Chi Qingtang left with her water glass and walked over to her, sighing softly and patting her shoulder.
The proprietress looked away, then at the person beside her, and smiled as she sized her up: "I heard the planning director is your uncle."
Although she was smiling, Zhang Minjuan could clearly sense that the landlady treated her completely differently. The arrogant demeanor from before vanished instantly, and she stood there with her head down, waiting to be scolded.
"Boss lady, I..." Zhang Minjuan wanted to explain, but she couldn't open her mouth.
Xing Bei sat leisurely eating a small cake, while Chi Qingtang, who had just finished getting water, kept a close eye on the situation.
The people around dared not breathe, and the entire planning department was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Finally, it was the boss's wife who broke the eerie atmosphere.
“We’re all girls, why do you spread rumors about another girl just because you didn’t get it yourself?” The proprietress smiled and smoothed Zhang Minjuan’s hair. “You ruined someone’s hard-earned achievements with just one sentence. Think about it, if it were you next time, wouldn’t you be angry?”
The proprietress looked away and slowly uttered a sentence: "If you've crossed my line, the company won't keep you anymore. Go to HR to resign in a bit."
On the way, she received a message from Lin Yuan's secretary. She was going to get her nails done, so she asked him to come along.
She met Xing Bei in a university club. They were the kind of people who didn't keep in touch often but still had a good relationship. When she was pursuing Lin Yuan, Xing Bei also put in a lot of effort.
Now that she's been wronged at her boyfriend's company, of course she has to help him get revenge.
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Mingjuan's face visibly panicked: "Boss lady, I know I was wrong, please don't fire me."
The proprietress didn't say it a second time. She pulled Xing Bei to her side and explained in front of everyone, "Last time Miss Xing went on a business trip, I went with her. The photos in the company group are of me, and Miss Xing did most of the work. It's only right to promote Miss Xing based on her performance evaluation."
She scanned everyone in the office and warned, "If you have any complaints, come find me. If not, shut up. If you hear anyone spreading rumors again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minjuan almost collapsed, gripping the edge of the table and looking at the proprietress in despair. No wonder Xing Bei had seemed so indifferent just now.
The proprietress was about to leave when she stopped after taking two steps and looked at Zhang Minjuan: "Tell your uncle to go to the personnel department to process the transfer. Xing Bei can fill the vacant position."
After making the announcement, the boss lady left in her high heels. Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of the planning department, glanced at them, nodded to Xing Bei, and followed the boss lady out.
With the boss gone, the farce came to a complete end. Zhang Minjuan almost fainted, and everyone's attention shifted from Xing Bei to her.
Xing Bei stood up and gently patted her shoulder, saying in a tender tone, "I told you not to use your filthy thoughts on me. Your sister disdains such methods. Now look what happened, you didn't get any benefits at all."
Chi Qingtang added insult to injury: "Zhang Minjuan, you should not underestimate anyone in the company. Their backgrounds are not something you can afford to offend. They just don't want to use their connections."
Her colleagues around her started whispering among themselves. Zhang Minjuan's face grew increasingly grim. She glared at them angrily, grabbed her bag, and quickly left.
"Awesome!" Chi Qingtang felt instantly relieved when she saw Xing Bei's defiant look. She put her arm around Xing Bei's shoulder and said, "I can't stand her smug look. Now that she's not around, I feel like the air in the planning department is much fresher."
Xing Bei felt instantly relieved as she watched her flee in disarray. Before spreading rumors, she didn't even bother to find out who she was. How could she dare to slack off at the company if she didn't have some connections?
With Zhang Minjuan gone, everyone returned to work. Xing Bei quickly packed up and went to her new workstation. Unexpectedly, she was promoted again after returning from her vacation.
In the conference room of the Lu Group.
The man in the gray suit sat in the center, leaning back in his chair and listening lazily to the staff below reporting on their work.
The staff sitting below were on tenterhooks, feeling that the boss's smile was somewhat strange, unable to tell whether he was happy or not.
A few days ago, I don't know who offended the boss, but he started a work meeting as soon as he arrived in the morning, and the whole office was in a tense atmosphere.
That day, an employee made a very basic mistake. If it weren't for the boss's good manners, I was afraid that the employee would have been scolded to tears.
After everyone finished reporting and waited for Lu Runxu to speak, a phone suddenly rang, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room. The people below looked in the direction of the ringing.
To everyone's surprise, Mr. Lu, who always kept his phone on silent, actually turned it on one day. Even more surprisingly, he laughed when he saw it.
Lu Runxu glanced at his phone next to him while holding the contract, and saw three large characters displayed on the black screen: Mrs. Lu.
Secretary Lin was initially shocked that someone would call the boss, and the boss didn't hang up. He immediately noticed the contact name on the phone.
So it's Mrs. Lu. That makes a lot more sense.
However, the fact that the call came at this time makes it reasonable to suspect that Mrs. Lu was checking up on him.
Lu Runxu got up and walked towards the window without even looking up. Secretary Lin coughed lightly and said, "Everyone, please discuss this among yourselves for a while. President Lu has important matters to attend to."
"Girlfriend, what brings you to call me today?"
"I would like to invite Mr. Lu to lunch today. I wonder if Mr. Lu has time?"
Lu Runxu smiled slightly: "Since it's my girlfriend's invitation, I have to make time even if I'm not available."
"Okay, see you at noon then."
"Okay, I'll come pick you up when I'm done with my work."
Lu Runxu swiped his fingers slightly, returned to his seat, placed his phone face down on the table, and looked up, once again displaying the aloofness of CEO Lu: "Continue."
noon.
Lu Runxu had his secretary, Lin, reserve a spot in Chunxue Pavilion beforehand, so he could pick up Xing Bei directly after the meeting.
Xing Bei had just said goodbye to her colleagues when she saw the most eye-catching Maybach among the many cars in the distance. She happily jogged over with her bag on her back.
Lu Runxu stood beside the car, arms outstretched, and his slender body rushed into his arms: "Girlfriend, why are you being unusually enthusiastic today?"
Xing Bei hugged his lean waist and looked up at him: "I'm happy today."
"Really?" Lu Runxu opened the passenger door and bent down to block the edge. "Then share it with me."
Along the way, Xing Bei shared everything that had happened that morning with great emotion, and Lu Runxu couldn't help but smile as he watched her.
He took Xing Bei's hand and walked into Chunxue Pavilion: "Congratulations to our Director Xing. I must serve Director Xing well. If the company goes bankrupt one day, I will still need Director Xing to support me."
Xing Beiming's bright eyes curved slightly: "Then Xiao Lu has to perform well, otherwise when I get tired of him, I'll find another younger brother."
Xiao Lu
Mrs. Lu has mastered the art of maintaining a young man's penis with remarkable skill.
"That's a pity. Other younger brothers will probably never have the chance to be kept by Mrs. Lu." Lu Runxu intertwined his fingers with hers, and when no one was around, he leaned down and quickly kissed her on the lips. "I will definitely serve Mrs. Lu well."
He emphasized the word "serve" with extra force, making Xing Bei reasonably suspect that Lu Runxu was up to something again.
Lu Runxu led her to the third floor. At the corner of the corridor, a white figure suddenly stopped and looked at them.
The man in the dark red suit behind her also looked over and asked in confusion, "Arui, what are you looking at?"
Shang Ruixing withdrew her gaze and looked at the gentle and refined man beside her: "I think I just saw Brother Lu taking a woman upstairs with him."
Shang Yichen looked in the direction she had just been looking, then looked down at his younger sister and sighed helplessly.
Shang Ruixing has been staying on set recently and doesn't know that Lu Runxu is already married. If she had seen him just now, she would have made a scene.
Never mind, Shang Ruixing just finished filming. I'll tell her after she rests for a few days.
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