10
After leaving, Xu Xinnuan and Han Wenqing drove directly to the Hunan restaurant they had booked.
Normally, Xu Xinnuan would always find something to do without disturbing Han Wenqing while he was driving, such as looking at the latest decorations in the car, reading a book, or playing on her phone.
Occasionally, the two would chat for a bit, and Han Wenqing would ask simple questions like choosing between two options, to which Xu Xinnuan would answer by tapping on the glass a certain number of times.
No matter what, she always looked radiant and was smiling.
But today, Xu Xinnuan was holding a canvas bag, tilting her head and quietly looking out the window, looking thoughtful.
Her expression betrayed her true feelings; Han Wenqing could tell immediately that she wasn't happy.
Han Wenqing didn't ask on the way, but when they arrived at their destination and the two of them had ordered their food and were waiting, he finally asked.
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"
Xu Xinnuan nodded honestly; she hadn't intended to hide it from him anyway.
They had agreed from the beginning that they would not deceive or hide anything from each other.
"Are you willing to talk?"
Xu Xinnuan gestured: [Let's wait until we get home, I need to think about it some more.]
"Okay. Try to enjoy your meal."
Han Wenqing didn't pressure her. He took her cup, rinsed it briefly with water, and then poured her a cup of milk tea.
As soon as I put the cup down, I heard my phone beep.
Han Wenqing opened the message, scrolled through it carefully for a while, tapped twice, and then sent the message.
After hanging up her phone, Xu Xinnuan asked him, "[You still have work to do?]"
"The contract that Shen Ning just mentioned."
[She finished revising it so quickly?]
"Yes, she is quite capable in doing things."
Xu Xin Nuan understood, said nothing more, picked up her chopsticks and started eating the dishes that had just been served.
The atmosphere during the meal was the same as usual, and the two got along very well. Xu Xinnuan kept sharing with Han Wenqing a local cultural and tourism town that she had shared on her WeChat official account a few days ago, telling him about several dishes she wanted to eat and handicrafts she wanted to buy.
It was as if the worries from before had never existed.
Even after they got home, the two of them were watching TV on the sofa. Han Wenqing still didn't urge her and waited quietly. Xu Xinnuan hugged a cushion and nestled to one side. After thinking for a long time, she finally asked the most profound question.
[Does your workplace have workplace bullying?]
Han Wenqing was utterly incredulous when he saw those words on his phone.
He considered all sorts of possibilities, but he never expected Xu Xinnuan to say this.
Is Tyranny really that bad?
What does Wu Meng do all day long?
You ran into them?
Xu Xinnuan nodded heavily, then quickly wrote down everything she heard and showed it to Han Wenqing.
He revealed everything without reservation, such as Shen Ning's backdoor entry, her hidden background, her ability to get along with everyone, the gossip about Shen Ning and Han Wenqing, the comparison of Shen Ning and himself to the mistress and the wife, and Wu Meng's suspicion that Han Wenqing had planted spies...
Han Wenqing's face grew increasingly grim, and finally, he threw his phone on the sofa, his voice booming, "What utter nonsense is this?!"
Although she was mentally prepared, she was still startled by the sudden turn of events. Xu Xinnuan quickly grabbed her poor phone, which had been the target of Han Wenqing's venting, fearing that she would be implicated by Han Wenqing again. She curled up her legs and looked at Han Wenqing with a pitiful expression.
Han Wenqing closed his eyes, took a breath, and tried to keep his voice from being too harsh: "I'm not angry with you."
Xu Xin Nuan naturally knew that judging from his reaction, his initial outburst of anger had probably subsided, so she continued writing: [I overheard two girls talking by the elevator, and they implied that your company knew Shen Ning got in through connections?]
Han Wenqing doesn't usually pay attention to what other people in the company are doing, let alone that no one dares to gossip about him. He had no idea that the news of Shen Ning coming to the team as an assistant had spread like this.
It's true that he got in through connections; besides, which department in the company doesn't have people getting in through connections? Although he personally dislikes this kind of behavior, since he's already in, he can't say anything if others gossip about it.
After all, they are the beneficiaries of the existing system.
But what about all those unfounded rumors and speculations that followed?
Just because the team hired a female assistant, does that mean there's something going on? Just because they had lunch together and talked about work, does that mean their relationship is impure?
What about the original wife and female secretary?
Is it because you read too many novels that you feel bloated? Or is it because you're so idle that your rectum is constantly running to your brain?
Was Wu Meng wary of him planting a female spy for him?
This guy is wasting his talent if he's not a screenwriter!
Han Wenqing grew angrier the more he thought about it, his fists clenched tightly as he leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed in silence.
He knew that this kind of thing would have little impact on him; the most hurt person was Shen Ning, the person involved, and the innocent Xu Xin Nuan, who was heartbroken.
She's always been sensitive and prone to overthinking. They finally went public with their relationship, and everything was going smoothly until they were about to finalize things, when this unfounded incident suddenly happened.
That's disgusting.
He suppressed his anger and patiently explained to Xu Xinnuan.
“Chen Ning was indeed directly introduced into the team by Wu Meng. She is the daughter of the chairman of the subsidiary group of Tyranny. She was sent down for training. Other people in the company really don’t know. She and I are just normal superiors and subordinates. We only had lunch together once because I had company matters to discuss with her.”
She explained a lot, but what surprised Xu Xin Nuan the most was Shen Ning's identity.
The chairman's daughter—she's no ordinary rich person.
She's a real heiress from a legendary wealthy family!
No wonder she moves with such elegance, and even in sportswear she looks capable and beautiful.
She was right; that bag must be incredibly expensive!
Buying clothes from U brand is just a rich girl trying to experience ordinary life, right?
Xu Xin Nuan's eyes widened, and her mouth could easily hold half an egg. She leaned closer to Han Wen Qing and asked, "[Is she richer than you?]"
Han Wenqing's anger suddenly got stuck in his throat.
Is that all she cares about?
Shouldn't we focus on his rumored relationship with Shen Ning?
Xu Xinnuan shook his arm, urging him to answer.
"...is richer than me."
After she finished speaking, Xu Xinnuan's eyes were filled with the sparks of gossip.
Han Wenqing: ...
She complained about the price when I bought her an expensive dress before, but she was very happy to hear that Chen Ning was rich.
What kind of thought process is that?
Han Wenqing wasn't sure if Xu Xinnuan was putting on an act, but he steered the conversation back on track and asked, "Isn't there a misunderstanding?"
Hearing that he cared about her feelings, Xu Xin Nuan's expression softened slightly, and she nodded firmly without hesitation.
Han Wenqing's rage finally found some solace.
But this small comfort is like a drop of water in the desert, evaporating in the blink of an eye.
Xu Xin Nuan suddenly became serious again, and reprimanded him with great dissatisfaction: "[You've been extremely negligent in your work.]"
Just like he used to beat up his opponents in the game, Xu Xinnuan then unleashed her full power.
[First, even if Shen Ning got in through connections, since you approved it, she's your subordinate, and it's your responsibility to care about her. If I hadn't overheard this today, you wouldn't even know the situation?]
[Secondly, Zhang Xinjie isn't here, and it's summer break, so it's just the two of you on the team. Don't you guys usually eat lunch together if you're not talking about work? You're newbies, and you eat lunch alone every day; it's not teamwork at all.]
[Third, why doesn't Shen Ning, who's been with the company for a month, even have a team uniform? I asked Bo Yuan, and everyone on Blue Rain, regardless of their position, has the same uniform as the players. I also saw Happy's team staff in a previous video. You wouldn't believe it, but to match your usual sporty team uniforms, they specially adjusted their own style, and to avoid being too casual when attending meetings with other departments, they even carry a suit jacket with them every day.]
[besides……]
Xu Xin Nuan kept a straight face, trying hard to think of a fourth point. After thinking for a long time without coming up with anything, she seemed even more unhappy. With a frown, she summarized: "[In short, you have been extremely negligent.]"
He typed away rapidly, producing a text that was almost as long as Huang Shaotian's essays.
Xu Xin Nuan is usually very gentle and rarely gets angry. This is the first time they have ever met that she has criticized him so harshly.
Han Wenqing was initially quite surprised, but as he looked at the criticisms, he began to reflect on them.
He knew that Xu Xinnuan was never the kind of person who would cause trouble without reason; what she said was very reasonable and humane.
Especially the first and third points, which are indeed his dereliction of duty as a leader.
He usually thinks that as long as he does his job properly, he's fine. He doesn't even bother to listen to other people's messy affairs and hopes that no one will bother him.
While I have achieved peace and quiet, I have neglected the need for deep concentration.
Furthermore, regarding team uniforms, the team stipulates that everyone should have one, regardless of whether they are players or not. Everyone has spring/summer and autumn/winter uniforms, and as a member of the team, Shen Ning should naturally have one.
However, because the team had never had an assistant, he and Zhang Xinjie both overlooked the issue of team uniforms.
This is a serious dereliction of duty.
While external rumors and slander are certainly disgusting, he does indeed have significant problems in this regard.
After a long silence, Han Wenqing spoke up: "You're right, it's my responsibility. I'll arrange the team uniforms as soon as possible. I'll find time to talk to Chen Ning, and I'll also keep an eye on the political climate within the company."
Xu Xin Nuan had already slumped down, her face listless, and gestured: [She wears size M.]
Han Wenqing said, "You seem to like her quite a bit."
Xu Xinnuan nodded: [She's very nice, especially knowing how well-off her family is, and then thinking about it, I realize she takes good care of me.]
He would initiate conversations when she was nervous and awkward upon first meeting, and even secretly tell her the little secret about her menstrual cycle.
He would patiently wait for her to type, and never showed any impatience.
She chats about fashion just like any other girl, sharing her styling tips without showing off or being proud.
There was no inquiry into her private affairs, no gossip about her and Han Wenqing, no casual conversation, no deliberate attempt to get close, and no sympathy or pity.
Everything they did was the perfect, comfortable way to get along during their first meeting.
[This is probably the upbringing and demeanor cultivated from childhood.] Xu Xinnuan wrote.
"Maybe."
[Anyway, you guys should be considerate of her. She probably knows more or less about what those things were said; girls are very sensitive.]
"good."
Han Wenqing knew that Xu Xinnuan was empathizing with her; she must have experienced far more exclusion, ridicule, and mockery from childhood than what she was experiencing today.
Therefore, Xu Xinnuan is worried about Shen Ning, even though Shen Ning and she have lived in two completely different worlds since childhood.
If what she said is true, Shen Ning knew about these rumors, but she never showed any sign of being bothered by them, never complained to him or Zhang Xinjie, and always worked hard.
Han Wenqing sincerely felt that the girls were truly resilient and kind.
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