Chapter 26: Who would be foolish to take someone's confession seriously?
Once outside the supermarket, Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't hold back any longer. Clutching a pile of supplies, she nudged Tang Yi beside her with her elbow and asked with a grin, "What happened? You had a romantic encounter but didn't tell me? I just pointed someone out to you and you didn't recognize her?"
Tang Yi was both amused and exasperated. While hailing a taxi, she replied without looking up, "What are you thinking? This is my boss. We don't know each other at all. Besides, haven't you met him before?"
"I've met him? When could I have met your boss?" Xu Xiaoxiao asked in surprise.
"The guy sitting next to you at the bar last time."
"Him? He's your boss?" Xu Xiaoxiao had mixed feelings. "I really don't know whether to congratulate you or pity you."
Tang Yi looked down at her phone, then looked up at her, gesturing for her to continue.
"Having a young and handsome boss must be great, right? But, well, I got a taste of his temper the other day. In short, he doesn't seem to have a good temper."
Xu Xiaoxiao analyzed the situation logically for a while, then changed the subject: "However, if you want to date him, I support you. Hehehe, it wouldn't be a loss to date someone as handsome as him, right?"
Tang Yi subconsciously retorted, "It's not an idol drama."
“That’s true,” Xu Xiaoxiao sighed. “Besides, you already have a boss’s wife. I think that girl is quite young, and she seems to have a sweet girl vibe. A sweet girl and a cool guy, they look quite well-matched standing together.”
Tang Yi paused upon hearing this, but did not immediately refute it.
Although Zhang Minglang has been with the company for almost a month and a half, judging from the schedule she arranged for him, she didn't sense that he had a girlfriend, but who knows?
She recalled how he had stared straight at her that morning, saying with certainty, "I'm serious."
Who knows if it's true or not.
Given Zhang Minglang's personality, it's hard to know how much of what he says is believable.
Rather than believing he was sincere, Tang Yi preferred to believe that he was just acting on impulse and would eventually give up on the idea.
Anyone who takes it seriously is a fool.
Besides, whether the boss is in a relationship or not has little to do with her, his secretary. At most, she'll have to maintain a certain distance at work to avoid the kind of controversy and speculation that arose regarding his romantic relationship, like the last rumor.
Tang Yishun's thoughts wandered further and further, even recalling Zhang Minglang's hesitant expression when she paid the bill. Was he trying to make her keep quiet and not tell Chairman Zhang?
Once you go through it this way, the logic makes perfect sense.
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and she secretly resolved to be more rigorous and discreet in her work in the future, and to keep Mr. Zhang's little secret strictly in mind.
The two took a taxi back to Tang Yi's house. As soon as Xu Xiaoxiao arrived, Tang Yi immediately shooed her to the sofa while she busied herself filling the refrigerator with groceries. By the time she finished, it was already past five o'clock.
At Xu Xiaoxiao's strong recommendation and request, Tang Yi put on the brown tight-fitting leather dress that Xu Xiaoxiao had given her for her last birthday.
Her figure was full and curvaceous, the leather skirt stretching out perfectly, exposing her fair shoulders and neck to the air and showcasing her beautiful lines. The skirt ended just a few centimeters below her upper thighs, revealing her slender and straight legs.
Xu Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue a few times, circled Tang Yi a few times, and praised with satisfaction: "It has to be you. I saw this one at the mall the other time and thought it would suit you. It really is great. My beloved concubine still has such a good figure. I am very satisfied!"
Tang Yi was used to her impromptu performances. While rummaging through the shoe cabinet for suitable high heels, she replied, "I've been lazy and haven't been to the gym for several days. My trainer gave me an ultimatum: if I don't go tomorrow, she'll expel me from the gym."
Xu Xiaoxiao laughed loudly a few times, then walked to the entrance to help her put on her shoes. After dawdling for a while, the two finally went out. Tang Yi was about to take out her car keys when Xu Xiaoxiao stopped her: "Don't worry about it, I'll call someone to pick you up."
Tang Yi looked at her with suspicion, slowly put the keys back into her bag, crossed her arms, and waited to see what kind of trouble she would cause this time.
Five minutes later, Tang Yi fell silent in front of a flashy, bright pink convertible sports car.
"Ms. Xu, I've brought the car for you. I'll be leaving now."
"Thanks, Uncle Li," Xu Xiaoxiao greeted with a smile, then turned to Tang Yi with her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow, and gestured proudly at the sports car, saying, "How about it? My new car, isn't it cool?"
Tang Yi finally accepted this reality. She slowly turned her head to meet her gaze, and after a long while, she finally uttered, "You can drive?"
"No," Xu Xiaoxiao answered readily, then flashed a fawning smile, "But you have a driver's license, right?"
Tang Yi was at her wit's end. Seeing that it was getting late, she had no choice but to give in, open the driver's door, and get in.
"You should be glad I often drive for the boss," Tang Yi said to Xu Xiaoxiao while skillfully turning the rotary dial.
The pink sports car, attracting countless stares, smoothly drove onto the main road. It was during the brilliant sunset, when the colorful afterglow was reflected on the glass walls of the towering office buildings.
As Tang Yi waited at the traffic light, a cool evening breeze ruffled her hair. Admiring the beautiful scenery before her, she squinted, quietly savoring the moment. She thought to herself, "If time could stop at this moment, it wouldn't be so bad."
Xu Xiaoxiao, who was sitting next to her, leaned back comfortably in her seat and sighed, "This weather and scenery are so nice."
"Hey beautiful, wanna get to know each other?" A flippant voice interrupted their thoughts.
Tang Yi slowly turned her head and saw a black mountain bike parked on the side of the road, painted with flashy colors, with a slick-looking blond guy straddling it.
He was clearly taken aback by Tang Yi's beauty when she suddenly turned around, which made him even more excited. He straightened up, fiddled with his phone for a moment, opened WeChat QR code, faced her, and said with a smirk, "Sister, you're so pretty, let's be friends, it's not a loss."
Tang Yi has seen many people like this.
She glanced at it expressionlessly, then reached for her phone. Seeing an opportunity, the blond-haired man grinned even wider, stretching out his phone and eagerly watching her movements.
However, Tang Yi pressed a button, and the convertible top slowly rose. The blond-haired man realized he'd been tricked and angrily shouted, "Hey, hey, beautiful lady, don't do this..." His words were cut short as the pink sports car sped away, leaving him only a trail of exhaust fumes.
"Puxin guy!" Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but curse. "He's just a blond guy on a motorcycle, and he dares to hit on Yiyi?"
Tang Yi remained silent, focusing solely on being a diligent driver.
As soon as the heavy metal door was pushed open, the loud and energetic DJ music instantly filled my ears, as if a door separated two worlds.
Xu Xiaoxiao skillfully led Tang Yi through the winding path to the bar and sat her down. With a wave of her hand, she said loudly, "Yiyi, don't mix any drinks today, just order whatever you want! I'm in a good mood today, it's on me!"
Tang Yi smiled, rested her chin on her hand, casually glanced at the menu on the bar, and then ordered a dry martini.
"This is really strong, beautiful lady. Are you sure you want to order it?" The bartender kindly reminded her when he heard Tang Yi order this.
Tang Yi raised her feather-like eyelashes, and a thin black eyeliner swept upwards along the corner of her eye.
She glanced at the young bartender, her dark red lips slightly parted, and slowly replied, word by word, "Thanks for reminding me, I'll take this one."
The other person blushed slightly as she was struck by her incredibly alluring and mature gaze. After giving a soft reply, she quickly turned around to get a glass and mix a drink.
"Don't flirt with that guy's brother." Xu Xiaoxiao noticed the bartender's actions and playfully nudged Tang Yi.
"I wasn't flirting, I was replying," Tang Yi replied, bewildered by her words.
"Okay, your charm really shines through unintentionally~" Xu Xiaoxiao picked up a strand of Tang Yi's long hair by her ear and twirled it around her finger.
Tang Yi took the dry martini from the bartender, sniffed it, closed her eyes, and said, "Didn't I tell you? Zhao Linrui has fallen from power."
Upon hearing those three words, Xu Xiaoxiao tensed up instantly, even stopping playing with Tang Yi's hair: "That scumbag..."
"He was suspended from his duties and is under investigation for leaking company secrets."
"Good job investigating! People with such moral depravity should be investigated! And what about your case...?"
Tang Yi lowered her eyelashes, stared at the bubbles clinging to the side of the cup, and shook her head.
Xu Xiaoxiao looked up at her, tears welling up instantly, glistening under the light.
She reached out and grasped Tang Yi's wrist, her eyes filled with worry and heartache: "You still haven't made up your mind?"
Tang Yi lowered her head and smiled self-deprecatingly, then shook her head again.
Her desire to expose Vice President Zhao's misdeeds had long since died down. Only occasionally, when she saw similar news stories, would her heart flicker like a dying ember, only for a moment before bowing to reality again.
Xu Xiaoxiao looked at her slightly hunched back with heartache, her voice trembling slightly: "I will always support you. Whether it's exposing him or driving away that Bai Zeyu."
Tang Yi tilted her head back and took a sip of wine.
The two tacitly stopped talking and, as usual, chatted about random things.
Tang Yi drank very quickly and was already slightly tipsy.
Xu Xiaoxiao was in the same situation. She was holding her forehead and lost in thought when she suddenly heard Tang Yi speak.
"Do you know why I didn't say anything?"
Xu Xiaoxiao was startled and quickly turned her head away.
Tang Yi rarely talks to herself.
Tang Yi rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head to look at the bottles of liquor on the bar counter. The multicolored light reflected off them, and also reflected in the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I actually said that I held onto my last hope. I talked to my mom, Bai Zeyu, and my boss... What happened to them? My mom told me to resign; Bai Zeyu looked at me with prejudice and left the country without saying a word; my boss..."
She turned to look at Xu Xiaoxiao, whose face was already streaked with tears. A few large tears fell and landed on their clasped hands, burning hot. Her voice remained steady, though a slight tremor could be heard if you listened closely.
“My boss forced me to take leave. He warned me that if I told anyone, he would have to fire me for the sake of the company.”
"But why should I leave? I did nothing wrong. I was harassed when I delivered documents to him. Why should I leave?"
“You know this job is very important to me. Even if everyone looks down on me and says I won’t last long, I must make achievements to prove them right.”
She held Xu Xiaoxiao's hand tightly; only alcohol could help her forget the constraints of the day and allow her to vent her frustrations.
Even though she wasn't actually very drunk, she was still quite lucid. Her eyes were firm and bright.
"I want to work hard and use my abilities to make all those who didn't believe in me regret their choice."
"You can definitely do it." Xu Xiaoxiao nodded emphatically.
The phone on the table rang. Tang Yi felt herself sobering up a bit and belatedly felt a little embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she pointed to the phone, gesturing for Xu Xiaoxiao to go outside to answer the call.
After confirming several times that Xu Xiaoxiao had calmed down and was alright, Tang Yi hurriedly squeezed out of the bar.
She cleared her throat, took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and then pressed the call button, placing the phone to her ear.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang. What are your plans?" Tang Yi stood by the black street lamp outside the bar.
The dim yellow light shone down on the quiet street, leaving a small black shadow as she walked on her thin high heels.
"Well... I have an impromptu meeting tomorrow about the company's performance in the first half of the year. Could you prepare a PowerPoint presentation for me? I need to give a report tomorrow." On the other end of the phone, Zhang Minglang seemed to suddenly remember the purpose of his call, and answered after hesitating for a moment.
"An impromptu meeting?" Tang Yi frowned slightly, her mind racing.
After confirming that this item was indeed not in her work schedule, she carefully replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhang, I haven't received any notification about a meeting tomorrow, so I haven't had time to prepare the PPT. How about this, I'll send it to you promptly at 10:00 AM tomorrow. What is your meeting time?"
Although somewhat skeptical, Tang Yi clearly had no reason to fabricate a meeting out of thin air. She had no choice but to resort to delaying tactics and seek his opinion.
However, she didn't see that not far across from the bar, in the shadows by the roadside, a black Cayenne was discreetly parked.
If you don't look closely, you probably won't be able to tell that there's a man sitting in the car.
He held his phone to his ear with his right hand, while his left hand fiddled with a silver lighter, from which a leaping blue flame flickered.
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