66. Gossip
The cold December wind whistled between the glass walls of Jingshi. Inside the editorial office of Faces, however, the air conditioning thrummed with warmth, the aroma of coffee and the clacking of keyboards filling the air. With the Lunar New Year approaching, everyone longed for the holidays, yet they also had to sprint through the final few issues before the New Year.
Chi Jin had just finished reviewing a manuscript and stood up, rubbing his sore eyes, wanting to go to the tea room to get a cup of hot water. As he passed the open office area, several interns who had been gathered together for a quiet discussion immediately dispersed, their eyes evading, and the atmosphere was subtly awkward.
Chi Jin was puzzled, but didn't think much about it until she heard two editors whispering behind her as she was getting some water.
"...Is this true? No wonder I was saying that. Wasn't I wearing it all the time before?"
"Absolutely true! The ring finger on my left hand is empty. It's not just a small accessory like he said."
"Wow...so those rumors are true? A divorce? Then...who's that over there?"
"Shh—keep your voice down! Anyway, they all say that she is our favorite, so the one who is close to the water gets the moon first..."
"I'm in charge of four magazines: 'Faces,' 'Autumn Letters,' 'Sunday,' and 'Childhood.' Anybody could be in charge..."
"But I heard that our 'Face' is the most likely. After all, he came from there and has the most exposure..."
"I think it could be his new assistant, she's really pretty."
There was a soft clang as Chi Jin lost control of the stainless steel cup in her hand and knocked it against the water dispenser. The two editors turned around and saw that it was her. Their faces instantly turned extremely unnatural. They immediately fell silent and hurried away with the cups in hand.
Chi Jin stood there, feeling a chill instantly rushing up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His ears were buzzing, but the fragmented whispers just now were terrifyingly clear.
Ring…divorce…Zhong Xin’s editor…“Faces”…
Every word was like a hammer, hitting her nerves hard.
She forced herself to calm down, fetched the water, and walked back to her workstation with a somewhat unsteady step. When she sat down, her palms were cold.
The dirty water of "cheating partner" and "mistress" was being thrown at the four magazines under his charge, especially "Face".
And she was sitting in the editing area of "Faces", her heart pounding with fear.
Chi Jin felt uneasy all afternoon. She felt as if there were always vague glances scanning her, and those whispers and whispers seemed to be everywhere. She even felt that Duan Xingche's eyes were looking at her with a hint of inquiry - had he heard something too?
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at it quickly.
Chen Yisheng: "Let's have dinner together tonight? I'm done with my work."
Chi Jin's heart sank. She could almost imagine the rumors that would spread if they were seen leaving together. She would immediately become the target of public criticism, the stigma of being the "third party." All her previous efforts and achievements would be wiped out, and she would just be "the one who got to the top by relying on her body."
And what about Chen Yisheng? What would others say about him? Abusing his power to manipulate his subordinates? A scumbag who cheated on his wife?
Fear and a huge sense of guilt gripped her. She didn't even have the courage to open the dialog box to reply.
She stood up abruptly, grabbed her bag and coat, and lowered her voice to Duan Xingche beside her, "I'm going out for an interview and won't be back to punch in tonight. Please tell Sister Huanhuan for me."
After saying this, without waiting for Duan Xingche's reaction, she lowered her head and hurried towards the elevator, almost as if running away. She didn't dare look back, fearing someone would question her, and even more afraid of running into any acquaintances.
As the elevator descended, the chill of weightlessness made her stomach churn. Stepping out of the building, the biting wind pierced her face like a knife, yet it sobered her up a bit.
The phone vibrated again. It was Chen Yisheng again.
"Have you seen the news?"
Chi Jin stood on the bustling street, feeling like an alien with nowhere to escape. She bit her lower lip, her fingertips trembling with coldness. Finally, she hardened her heart and typed a line of words:
"Sorry, I just saw this. I'm not feeling well tonight and want to go home and rest. I won't eat with you. That's been the case lately."
Click send. My heart felt like it was being twisted hard by something, and it was sore and painful.
She could almost imagine him frowning slightly. He was so perceptive that he would definitely notice her abnormality.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, his phone rang directly.
The ringing continued stubbornly, and the name on the screen seemed to carry a burning warmth. Chi Jin looked at the name, his heart pounding, and all the sounds around him seemed to fade away.
What to say? Tell him that she was scared and retreated because of those ridiculous rumors?
In the end, she didn't have the courage. With trembling fingers, she pressed the red reject button.
The world suddenly became quiet, leaving only the whistling sound of the cold wind and her own deafening heartbeat.
She stared at the rapidly dimming screen, feeling a deep, hollow feeling in her heart. An indescribable sense of grievance and fear welled up in her throat, clogging it with a bitter, aching sensation.
Rumors are silent, but they can hurt more than a sharp knife.
And she knew that this might just be the beginning. Perhaps no one really suspected her yet.
The phone screen lit up again, revealing a new message. There was no name, only cold words:
"I disagree."
Tears welled up without warning, and she quickly raised her head, desperately blinking back the soreness in her eyes.
I can't cry. At least not here.
She took a deep breath of the cold air, pulled up her scarf to cover half of her face, and joined the crowd of people leaving get off work. Her figure quickly disappeared in the twilight and the sea of lights.
Fortunately, she was able to find a reasonable excuse to escape in the midst of the chaos—a scheduled field interview with a columnist. The interviewee was a well-known independent artist whose studio was in an old-fashioned art district in the north of the city.
After a few more subway rides and a short walk, I finally found the studio, hidden behind a grove of sycamore trees. I pushed open the door, and inside, I was in another world. The air was filled with the scent of turpentine, paint, and old wood. Completed and unfinished works, bold in color and unrestrained in line, were piled everywhere.
The artist herself is a cheerful woman named Meng Qiu, wearing overalls and with her hair casually tied up.
The interview went surprisingly smoothly. Meng Qiu was quick-witted, sharp-tongued, and possessed unique insights into both art and the market. She was completely unlike the unapproachable artist Chi Jin had imagined. They chatted about her creative philosophy, her recent solo exhibition, and her perspectives on current cultural trends.
Immersed in the professional conversation, Chi Jin temporarily forgot the nasty rumors circulating within the company. Her mind raced, grasping key points and asking follow-up questions, her eyes occasionally lighting up at a brilliant insightful point. The work state enveloped her like a hard shell, allowing her to temporarily regain her professional, focused, and valuable self.
By the time they finished, it was already dark outside. Having declined Meng Qiu's invitation to have dinner together, Chi Jin packed up his recorder and notebook, feeling much more relaxed than when he arrived.
"Editor Chi," Meng Qiu suddenly said as he walked her to the door. "It's been a pleasure chatting with you. You're very knowledgeable and your questions are to the point."
"You are too kind. Your sharing is so wonderful."
Walking out of the studio's courtyard, a chill breeze blew, and she finally felt the reality of reality again. She pulled out her phone, but there were no new messages. The familiar dialog box still lay quietly at the bottom.
The sense of security that had just been filled by work slipped away again. She took a deep breath, tightened her scarf, and walked out of the art district with her head lowered, wondering whether to take the subway or call a taxi.
The art district's narrow streets were dimly lit and deserted. She was walking with her head down when suddenly, the headlights of a car ahead flashed twice.
She subconsciously looked up and squinted to see a black SUV parked quietly on the side of the road. The car model and license plate were so familiar that they were engraved in her mind.
The driver's door opened, and a tall figure got out, leaning against the door. The faint glow of the neon lights revealed a clear profile of his face. Who else could it be but Chen Yisheng?
Why is he here?! How did he know she was interviewing here?
Chi Jin's footsteps froze in place, his heart pounding like an invisible hand, clenching it tightly, then releasing it suddenly. Half a day of avoiding, feeling wronged, afraid, and yearning... all the emotions he'd been forcibly suppressing at that moment burst like a flood, crashing through his rational defenses.
She didn't even have time to think about the consequences or worry about whether anyone saw her. Her body had already reacted before her brain.
Almost stumbling, she ran towards the figure. When she was two steps away from him, she could no longer hold back and threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly. Her cheek was buried deep in his coat, which was soaked with the cold outside, and the coldness was instantly dispelled by his warm body temperature.
Chen Yisheng clearly hadn't expected her reaction, and his body stiffened imperceptibly. The words he had prepared, perhaps tinged with questioning or indifference, were all stuck in his throat.
He could clearly feel the person in his arms shivering slightly, not from the cold, but from the release of some overly suppressed emotion. The furry head buried in his chest, like a frightened little animal that had finally found shelter, full of dependence and grievance.
After a moment of shock, Chen Yisheng's heart felt like it had been hit hard by something, and it went limp. All the confusion and slight displeasure he had felt at her unusual refusal and refusal to answer the phone disappeared in an instant.
He raised his hands, one hand gently wrapped around her shoulders, and the other hand gently stroked the back of her head, his voice so low it was almost a sigh: "What's wrong? Are you wronged?"
His voice was as steady as ever, carrying a reassuring power.
Chi Jin shook her head vigorously in his arms, but held him tighter, as if he would disappear if she let go. Tears flowed uncontrollably, soaking the fabric of his coat on her chest, but she bit her lip tightly to prevent herself from crying out loud.
They held her quietly like that for quite a while. Chen Yisheng did not ask any more questions. He just patiently patted her back from time to time, silently comforting her.
It was not until Chi Jin's emotions gradually calmed down and her trembling gradually stopped that she belatedly realized that she felt a huge sense of shame and awkwardness - she had just pounced on him so recklessly!
She hurriedly tried to get out of his arms, her cheeks burning.
Chen Yisheng tightened his grip slightly, preventing her from escaping immediately. He lowered his head, carefully observing her red eyes and nose in the dim light, his brows furrowed slightly. "What happened? Tell me."
His tone was concerned, but with a seriousness that left no room for evasion.
Chi Jin avoided his gaze, her heart beating like a drum. The rumors that had been swirling in her mind resurfaced, making her nerves, which had just relaxed, tense up again. She opened her mouth, but didn't know where to start.
Should I tell him that others say he is the scumbag who cheated on his wife and she is the mistress who is hiding from the public?
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