Chapter 8 Glory "You think you can get enough to eat at this kind of banquet?"...
Sun Yuyang wished he could go back a second to the previous moment and keep his voice down.
He felt so ashamed that he lay down on the bar, buried his face in his arms, and howled.
Tang Yi was amused by his exaggerated reaction. While washing the cup, she smiled and comforted him, "What's the rush? I'm getting used to it. I'll have more experience with the next cup."
Sun Yuyang howled for a while, then slowly raised his head, propped his chin up, and glanced at Tang Yi's back as she was choosing base liquor.
She had long, jet-black hair that had never been permed or dyed, resulting in exceptionally healthy hair. Even under the dim lighting of the bar, it shone like a piece of silk. Because her job required her to maintain her figure year-round, she was slender and shapely from head to toe, with not a single flaw.
Sun Yuyang was stunned, and unconsciously blurted out what was on his mind: "Why don't you just come to Heaven full-time?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Yi slowly turned around. Sun Yuyang instantly regretted it, quickly averted his gaze, and pretended to be busy stroking the thin rim of the cup.
Tang Yi was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Didn't I already say that my family doesn't agree?"
Is it family again?
Sun Yuyang felt inexplicably down.
That's normal. As the chief secretary of such a large corporation, dealing with all sorts of elites every day, he probably wouldn't look down on the job of a mere bartender.
After all, it was only after he relentlessly pestered her that she finally stayed on as a part-time bartender.
Here, try it again.
Tang Yi pushed a glass of freshly mixed cocktail in front of him, and he absentmindedly took it and tasted it.
"Good."
He didn't say anything more, but just kept thinking about his previous idea.
Tang Yi mixed drinks all night, but didn't feel too tired when she got home.
She didn't want to take a shower right now, so she took off her high heels, walked barefoot to the wine wall in the living room, and while she was still skilled at it, quickly mixed a drink, took it to the balcony, and comfortably lay down in the rocking chair.
It was completely dark when she entered the house; she hadn't turned on the lights. The cool moonlight outlined the contours of her face smoothly. Tang Yi sipped her wine, silently staring blankly at the moon in the sky.
She thought of the question Sun Yuyang had asked at the bar, her eyes dimmed slightly, and her thoughts drifted far away.
Last year, Tang Yi was casually dragged to Heaven for drinks by Xu Xiaoxiao, where she unexpectedly bumped into Xu Xiaoxiao's college classmate, Sun Yuyang, at the bar as a partner. The three of them started chatting, and when he heard that Tang Yi was interested in bartending, he quickly made way for her to give it a try.
Once you try it, you can't stop.
Later, unable to withstand the persistent Sun Yuyang, she had no choice but to agree to take on a part-time job, though she couldn't actually work fixed hours. After all, her position as a secretary was special, and she often had to work overtime, which meant she couldn't go to work. Therefore, she especially cherished the pleasant evenings when she didn't have to work overtime.
Even so, Sun Yuyang insisted on having her work part-time at Heaven, despite all opposition.
Tang Yi raised her clear wine glass to the moon, the glass reflecting distorted light.
Actually, she wasn't lying to him; her family's disapproval was indeed the primary factor.
Her relationship with her mother had soured after she graduated from university and started working at Junmao. From the beginning, her mother felt that the secretarial profession was shameful, believing that all secretaries would try to maintain their positions by having improper relationships with their superiors. She was also afraid that her daughter would pick up "bad habits".
Tang Yi can understand her mother's views, but sometimes she can't quite understand them either.
Every profession has its merits, and everyone has their strengths. What's wrong with being a secretary? What's so special about being a bar DJ or a bartender? She never thought of any profession as being divided into different classes or levels of status, and she couldn't understand why people always had to categorize them into hierarchical levels. Frankly speaking, isn't every job just about making a living? Being able to support yourself is already a great achievement.
Tang Yi swirled her wine glass and sighed softly.
On Sunday, the next day, Tang Yi was feeling down and decided to go back to Orange County for a visit.
She changed into a gray oversized sweatshirt paired with a black knitted skirt, gathered her long hair together and tied it with a hair tie, took a black underarm bag from the bag rack, put on black leather shoes, and went out.
It's not far from Juxian County, only a two-hour drive. The car entered the mountain road, which became increasingly rugged. Fortunately, her driving skills were quite good, and she arrived at Juxian No. 1 Primary School steadily.
Orange County is a relatively poor county in City C. Several years ago, the school didn't even have a proper library. She saw a public service advertisement by chance and, together with several people who were willing to help, jointly invested in the primary school library.
"Xiao Yi!" Principal Yang Yuanyue, with her sharp eyes, spotted Tang Yi outside the office window and excitedly jumped up, rushing to the door to greet her. "Why didn't you say you were coming!"
"I'll come whenever I have time," Tang Yi replied with a smile. "Could you ask a few teachers to help me move some things in my trunk?"
Yang Yuanyue, true to her name, had a round face. Upon hearing this, she called over several teachers to help, while stroking Tang Yi's hands and repeatedly expressing her gratitude: "Thank you so much! You're so busy with work every day, yet you still take the time to come and see the children, always bringing books with you. If it weren't for you, the children would have nowhere to study and read."
"It was nothing." Tang Yi felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at her friendly expression and actions, as if she had escaped the busy daily routine of the company and entered a paradise.
Yang Yuanyue took her to the classroom to see the children. Several children suddenly caught sight of Tang Yi's face at the back door and immediately erupted in cheers and applause.
As Tang Yi looked at the excited, simple smiling faces outside the door, she felt a lump in her throat.
She quickly turned and walked out the door. Seeing this, Yang Yuanyue gestured for the students to be quiet, then went out the door and gently patted Tang Yi's thin back.
"I rarely see you so emotional. How have you been lately?" Yang Yuanyue asked softly, like a kind mother.
"fine."
Tang Yi's voice was still a little hoarse.
Here, everything is simple and pure. The backstabbing and scheming in the workplace will all disappear in this beautiful place, replaced by warmth.
Tang Yi spent a very fulfilling afternoon at the Juxian Elementary School. Although she didn't actually do much, she didn't feel like she was wasting her time.
Today is Sunday, so the children don't actually need to come to school.
But they prefer to come to school rather than their simple, desolate homes.
After fully understanding the children's wishes, Yang Yuanyue established a weekend self-study system, allowing them to come to school voluntarily, with the doors always open for them.
She sat quietly in the back row of the classroom, experiencing the learning atmosphere of the children, and she also went to the library.
The building is brightly lit, and although it doesn't occupy a large area, it's a very good building compared to other low-ceilinged classrooms and small canteens.
Tang Yi couldn't refuse Yang Yuanyue's insistence, so she stayed at her house for a meal of authentic country home-style cooking. Yang Yuanyue looked at her like she was a daughter, constantly piling food onto her plate.
"Eat more, eat more! You work so hard, don't try to lose weight like my daughter!"
"Okay," Tang Yi picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it in her mouth. "Where does your daughter work?"
Yang Yuanyue sighed and waved her hand: "Her? She graduated from university in the city and is busy looking for a job! I don't know how it's going. They say it's autumn recruitment or winter recruitment, but I don't know anything about these things!"
"Don't worry too much, you'll always find a job," Tang Yi said with a smile, trying to comfort you.
When she was leaving after the meal, Yang Yuanyue insisted on giving her a bag of local oranges. Finally, she drove away, watched and waved by the children and Yang Yuanyue.
Night had fallen, and the evening breeze in the countryside was cool and refreshing. She opened the car window, greedily enjoying this natural gift.
Tang Yi was glad that she saw the public service advertisement seeking funding back then, and also glad that she had already saved some money at that time, so that she wouldn't be powerless to help despite her good intentions.
With her meager help and small acts of kindness, she created such a temple of knowledge for the children, and also a haven for herself, a place to escape her busy life.
Because she had gone to Orange County the previous afternoon, she was in a good mood all night, and even didn't find Monday particularly unpleasant.
"Secretary Tang, why are you in such a good mood today?"
Not only Tang Jiaxin, but everyone in the secretariat noticed that Secretary Tang, who was usually as calm as still water, was unusually radiant today.
Tang Yi didn't say anything, but for the first time ever, she smiled and nodded, her eyes curving and bright, like a crescent moon in the night sky.
Tang Jiaxin was completely captivated.
Well, Secretary Tang isn't usually the kind of old-fashioned person who never smiles, but I've never seen her smile like this before—it's not fake, it's a genuine smile from the heart.
She felt that Secretary Tang's smile had given her a soul, making her a vibrant person.
"Tang Jiaxin, give me the documents from the technical department."
Tang Yi's voice was steady, and her tone was the same as before, which startled her.
This is the real Secretary Tang, isn't it?
Tang Jiaxin looked down and searched through the documents, thinking to herself.
Although Tang Yicong was fully engaged in her work after sitting down, Zhang Minglang could still sense that she was in a very good mood when she reported the work arrangements to him.
Whether it was a hallucination or not, he felt as if he saw Tang Yi enveloped in a gentle glow. He was momentarily stunned, and Tang Yi's words flowed smoothly through his cerebral cortex like a string of characters.
Simply put, he didn't listen to a single word.
"Mr. Zhang?"
Zhang Minglang then came to his senses, coughed twice guiltily, and his eyes darted around.
Seeing his pathetic state, Tang Yi understood and patiently repeated it.
What happened?
She felt confused; both Tang Jiaxin and Zhang Minglang seemed to have lost their souls today.
Tonight is a welcome dinner organized by the company for Zhang Minglang, a formal welcome-back dinner for him. Tang Yi is on high alert, ready to take it seriously.
An afternoon passed quickly. Aside from informing Zhang Minglang that the location for the evening's executive dinner had been decided, Tang Yi had no further contact with him. At 5:30 sharp, colleagues clocked out on time, and the workstations instantly became empty.
After arranging a car and driver in advance, Tang Yi idly chatted with Xu Xiaoxiao on her phone.
Upon learning that her best friend was going to work overtime again, Xu Xiaoxiao expressed her deepest sympathy and strong condemnation of capitalist exploitation. She then ordered that Tang Yi must go to Heaven Bar with her whenever she had free time.
Seeing Xu Xiaoxiao's persistent persistence, Tang Yi couldn't help but chuckle. However, when she looked up, Zhang Minglang had already walked to her workstation, arms crossed, glancing at her phone's chat page, watching her with a leisurely air.
Zhang Minglang felt as if Tang Yi was once again enveloped in the radiance he had hallucinated that morning.
That kind of free, active, and gentle radiance.
Without dwelling on what he had just witnessed, Tang Yi quickly turned off her phone, stood up from her chair, and resumed her usual serious demeanor at work: "Excuse me, Mr. Zhang, is there anything else you need?"
Seeing her rapid change in demeanor, Zhang Minglang vaguely regretted not keeping a closer eye on her and appreciating more of the unknown side of the serious and earnest Secretary Tang.
He cleared his throat, casually turned his head to look at the sunset outside the French windows, tossed out a sentence, "Get ready and come out to eat with me," and strode towards the door.
Tang Yi frowned slightly, rolled up her sleeves, glanced at her watch, and called out to him, "President Zhang? The banquet starts at 7:30."
“Of course I know,” Zhang Minglang stopped and turned around, looking puzzled by her question. “You can eat your fill at this kind of banquet?”
Tang Yi was stunned.
He was telling the truth.
These kinds of dinners are always drinking parties, especially since she, as a secretary, inevitably has to accompany the guests. For so long, she's basically waited until the dinner party was over before going home and grabbing a quick bite or two, so it's no wonder she developed stomach problems.
As Tang Yi was thinking this, Zhang Minglang had already turned and walked forward. Tang Yi had no choice but to follow.
The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing Assistant Zhou's face. Seeing that President Zhang and Secretary Tang seemed to be about to leave, he quickly asked, "President Zhang, where are you going? Do you need anything...?"
"You don't need to go to the dinner. Go home early." Zhang Minglang replied briefly, then stepped into the elevator. Tang Yi nodded politely and followed him in.
You don't need to go.
No need to go.
No need to go.
Assistant Zhou's mind was filled with President Zhang's cold rejection. Dejected, he returned to his workstation, threw down the documents in his hand, and, burying his face in his hands, cried out in despair, "It's over! President Zhang has Secretary Tang now, he doesn't need me to accompany him to the banquet anymore!! Am I going to be fired soon?! !!"
On the other side, Tang Yi glanced at Zhang Minglang and saw him press the button for the first floor. After thinking for a moment, she decisively pressed the button for the third floor. As soon as they arrived at the third floor, she reached out to block the elevator door and extended her other hand, saying preemptively, "Mr. Zhang, please."
Zhang Minglang, who had been leaning against the elevator wall to get up and was about to leave, looked up and saw that it was the third floor. He then leisurely leaned back and said lazily, "We haven't reached the first floor yet, Secretary Tang."
"President Zhang, this is the staff cafeteria, which was recently renovated. As the company's new president, you should experience and inspect it. There's no time like the present, and today is a perfect opportunity."
Tang Yi poured out all the words she had just prepared in her mind, while looking sincerely at him who was now speechless.
Zhang Minglang chuckled, put his hands in his pockets, and straightened up to walk out. As he passed Tang Yi, he gave her a deep glare. Tang Yi pretended not to read the meaning in his eyes, a sly glint in them.
A note from the author:
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