Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Hunter
friction.
Guan Mi wanted to laugh out loud when she heard this. She stared at him, trying to find a trace of guilt on his face. She really wanted to know if Shen Yanfeng felt any shame when he said these words.
How could he downplay those behaviors that had already crossed the line as friction, and say it so calmly, as if it were really just an insignificant misunderstanding.
After get off work at noon, Guan Mi didn't even eat lunch and just picked up his bag and went to the interview.
After getting on the subway, she asked the HR manager, Brother Chen, if he had started recruiting a replacement for her. The sooner one was hired and the handover was smooth, maybe she wouldn't have to wait a month to leave.
Brother Chen replied that they were recruiting and that some people came for interviews yesterday, but almost none of them met Shen Yanfeng's most basic requirements.
[What does he want now? I'll keep an eye on it.]
She might come looking faster.
Brother Chen: [(covering face) First of all, the height must be 171cm and the weight must be 50.3kg]
Guan Mi was so angry that he almost laughed.
Wasn’t this height and weight the one she measured during the company sports meeting last year?
Deliberately making things difficult for people!
Then just endure it and see what else he can do to her.
[Brother Chen, since I'm about to resign, do I have to take my annual leave this month?]
Brother Chen: [I need to ask my superiors about this. I will get back to you as soon as possible.]
The interview in Haidian went more smoothly than expected. The other party said they were willing to wait for Guan Mi to leave his current company.
It rained on the way back, so the golf game had to be cancelled. When I got back to the company, I saw Chen Yanfeng drinking tea with the vice president. It turned out that he had no intention of going out.
After finishing work, Guan Mi received a WeChat message from Shao Xin's secretary Wen Siyi, asking about the progress of Shen Yanfeng and Gao Qi.
She didn't reply immediately. She first opened Weibo on her computer and found Gao Qi's account.
I don’t know why Gao Qi has been silent recently. Shouldn’t we continue to meet to promote our relationship?
She hoped that Chen Yanfeng would get married soon and put away his naughty thoughts.
No matter how immoral you are, you still have to take care of the Shen and Gao families, right?
I browsed Gao Qi's homepage. Yesterday, she posted the location of her soon-to-open art studio in Beijing, captioned: "ready."
Scrolling down further, the Hermès bag given by Shen Yanfeng also appeared, with the caption: Thank you, I like it very much.
The studio will open the day after tomorrow. Guan Mi thought that Chen Yanfeng would definitely send flowers, and she would pick a bouquet that would completely capture Gao Qi's heart.
Before leaving get off work, Shen Yanfeng walked out of the office.
As he walked, he said to Guan Mi, "I'm going to Sanya. Gao Qi's studio will open the day after tomorrow. Remember to send some gifts over."
"Okay." Guan Mi followed him out and pressed the elevator button. "When will you be back?"
Chen Yanfeng tied his sleeves and raised his eyes and chuckled when he heard the words, "Do you hope that I won't come back for a while?"
Guan Mi felt a little nervous. As he watched him walk into the elevator, he tried to say calmly, "No, it's just that Director Huang will be coming next Friday, and I wanted to book your flight in advance."
The people in the elevator didn't say anything else, with a relaxed smile on their faces until the elevator door closed.
During the two days without Chen Yanfeng, Guan Mi returned to his previous state of loving work. It turned out that this class could never be the same no matter who was working.
On the opening day, Guan Mi went to congratulate with a bouquet of carefully selected flowers and a fragrance that was very suitable for Gao Qi's studio.
There was a card on the flowers, which she wrote on behalf of Chen Yanfeng. She could imitate his handwriting so well that it looked exactly like his own.
These three things were all approved by Shen Yanfeng. She was not bold enough to act on her own.
He only said meaningfully: "Very attentive."
I can't tell whether it's a compliment or a mockery.
However, Gao Qi was really happy after receiving it, and immediately took a few photos and uploaded them to his Moments.
"Secretary Guan, please go sit over there. There are refreshments."
Guan Mi shook her head and said, "Ms. Gao, I have to get back to work, so I won't sit down."
"Okay. By the way, you and him..." Gao Qi paused, looking at Guan Mi in front of him silently, then chuckled, "I'll have someone send it to you. It's a thoughtful gift. Please thank Mr. Shen for me."
Guan Mi left the studio and bumped into Shen Xia Yu head-on. There was a tall and handsome man next to her.
Chen Xiayu could not escape the fate of arranged marriage. This man's family had a status in Hong Kong City no less than that of the He family, and he became Shen Xiayu's fiancé not long ago.
"Secretary Guan, Chen Yanfeng isn't here?"
Guan Mi: "He's out."
Chen Xiayu nodded slightly, asked no more questions, and left with her fiancé.
"Are you so concerned about your brother?" Zou Shengpei asked in not very fluent Cantonese.
"I just hope he can get married quickly and have Gao Qi keep an eye on him." Chen Xiayu raised her lips and smiled faintly, "Who knows if he will suddenly turn against me one day and compete with me for Shaw Corporation."
Guan Mi hasn't completely cut off contact with Wen Li in the past two days. They still exchange basic greetings when going to and from get off work and when having meals, but for the rest, even if he wants to talk, he doesn't know how to do it.
Two days passed peacefully. Shen Yanfeng would be back in three days. He was not in Sanya and had flown to the United States someday.
After work that day, Guan Mi sat at her workstation holding her cell phone and did not leave. After watching her colleagues leave one after another, she called Yi Ziting.
Wen Li was acting strangely today. He just sent a quick "good morning" message in the morning and then there was no more news. He also didn't answer the phone.
She was really worried that something might have happened to him.
Yi Ziting answered the phone quickly, and there was a lot of noise on the other end of the line.
"Hey, Guanya, what's going on? I'm busy here."
Guan Mi quickly asked, "Sorry to bother you, have you seen Wen Li today? I can't get in touch with him."
"Of course, he still lives at my house. I saw him when I left home this morning." Yi Ziting suddenly remembered how listless Wen Li was when he came home last night, and thought the two were still arguing. "Wait a minute, I'll help you check and then have him call you back."
After hanging up the phone, Guan Mi waited patiently.
The sky outside the window was completely dark, and her uneasiness was growing stronger and stronger. Nearly half an hour had passed since the call, but there was no movement from Yi Ziting.
She took a sip of water, tried to calm herself down, and prepared to call Guan Da, thinking that he was in the city and not too far from Wen Li's workplace.
But at this moment, the cell phone rang.
"Hello." Her heart was beating fast.
"I called him but no one answered, so I found a way to contact a colleague he was close to," Yi Ziting said in a quiet place this time, his voice low, even though no one was around. "Something really happened."
Guan Mi's heart suddenly jumped to his throat, and his voice trembled unconsciously: "What happened? Where is he?"
"It wasn't Wen Li, it was his father. He was taken away by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection for investigation yesterday at noon. This matter hasn't spread yet, and not many people know about it. I guess Wen Li was afraid that you would worry, so he didn't tell you yet."
"His father?" Guan Mi frowned. "Do you know what exactly happened?"
Yi Ziting said, "I heard someone reported him for corruption and bribery. Sigh... What's going on? Wasn't it said a while ago that his father was going to be promoted to deputy director? It happened at this critical moment. I wonder if it will affect Wen Li."
Wen's father has been an official for decades, and the old man of the Wen family is also well-known for his integrity, and the family has always had a reputation for being clean and upright.
Guan Mi didn't quite believe that Wen's father would do such a thing.
As soon as the incident involving Wen's father came to light, the Wen family was instantly surrounded by all kinds of speculation and discussion.
Wen Li and his mother's work were suspended one after another, and old man Wen was so angry that he fell into a coma and was hospitalized.
To get to the bottom of the matter, Wen Li used his connections and contacted his father's old friends, but the matter itself was very sensitive and no one was willing to get involved. Only Fan Ying's uncle, who worked at the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, said he would help keep an eye on the matter during the investigation.
When Wen Li saw Guan Mi, he hadn't slept for two days. At one point, he thought it was an illusion, until she walked quickly to him, hugged him tightly, and whispered, "Uncle will be fine, I believe in him," his stiff body gradually relaxed, and he almost used up all his strength to hug her back, as if he had finally found a support.
After Guan Mi finished talking to Yi Ziting on the phone that day, she planned to ask for leave to return to Jiangcheng. However, the Human Resources Department told her that she could take her annual leave. She was so eager to do so that she packed her luggage and took the fastest bus back the next day.
She went straight to Wen Li's house. She was still hesitating whether to go upstairs when she saw a lonely figure sitting under a big tree next to the apartment building.
All the quarrels and cold wars turned into heartache at this moment. This was the first time in all these years that she saw Wen Li so vulnerable.
A few days later, Wen's mother was also taken away for investigation.
Guan Mi has been with Wen Li all the time these days, and has gone everywhere with him to ask for help, but all ended in vain. No one is willing to get involved in this mess. The only thing they can do now is to wait patiently for the results of the investigation.
Wen Li became more and more silent, often not speaking for the entire day, just staring out the window in a daze.
Guan Mi looked at him like this and knew that he was exhausted. Her heart ached, but she didn't know what she could do.
When Wen Li went to the hospital to see Mr. Wen, Guan Mi returned home.
When Qiao Qiuying saw Guan Mi's thinner face, she felt so distressed that she immediately went to the market to buy an old hen to make soup for her.
"I packed some in an insulated box. You can take it to Wen Li later. I guess that kid is not much worse off than you."
Guan Mi hummed softly and continued to drink the soup in small sips.
Qiao Qiuying sat opposite and looked at her daughter.
I have a lot to say.
Guan Mi felt her gaze, put down the soup bowl, and smiled: "Mom, if you have something to say, just say it directly, don't hold it in."
Qiao Qiuying sighed, "Do you think his father has offended someone?"
Guan Mi shook her head, she really didn't know.
Wen's father works in the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, and is responsible for reviewing and supervising the approval and bidding of various major projects in the city.
Wen Li has been desperately looking through the old projects his father had handled these days, and he also suspected that someone was waiting for revenge because the project was not approved.
"The news is completely suppressed right now," Guan Mi whispered. "Even his neighbor's relative who works for the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection has been temporarily transferred to avoid suspicion."
Qiao Qiuying fell silent, and when she spoke again, her tone became much heavier: "This will definitely affect Wen Li. Even if his father is fine in the end, his career will definitely not be smooth in the future."
"Mom, I don't care about this," Guan Mi said with his eyes downcast, "as long as the two of us can be together."
"Can you really be together?" Qiao Qiuying looked at her. "Do you really think Mom can't see it? The last time you went to his house for dinner, did you feel wronged?"
Guan Mi pursed his lips and said nothing, not refuting.
The person in front of her is her own mother. No matter how hard she tries to hide it, she can't escape her eyes.
Qiao Qiuying snorted and frowned, "I think Wen Li is the only good person in his family. This may not be pleasant to hear, but if this happens, it might help to dampen the domineering attitude of his family."
"Mom, don't say that..." Guan Mi leaned back in the chair, raised her head and sighed, "Wen Li is completely broken right now. It hurts me to see him like that, but I can't help him even if I want to. Besides, I have to go back to work the day after tomorrow."
"Silly child, you came back to accompany Wen Li right after you found out about this. It's not like you did nothing."
After Qiao Qiuying finished speaking, she stood up and walked over to the coffee table to sit down and prepare for class. As she picked up her pen, she casually said, "But you've been in Beijing for several years, and you work for such a large company. Have you accumulated any connections? I think we really need to find someone with some influence to help us, otherwise the investigation will take forever."
And if this was a setup, she meant it was a setup by "the higher-ups", such as pushing someone out to take the blame, then there's really nothing that can be done.
Hearing this, Guan Mi stared at the ceiling and smiled helplessly.
What real connections does she have?
Suddenly, she sat up straight.
A name popped into my mind without warning.
Shen Yanfeng.
It must be said that this person can indeed be considered a "top connection".
But...how could she go to him? And why would he be willing to help?
After all, apart from the thin relationship between superiors and subordinates, the relationship between her and him can be said to have been torn apart.
Guan Mi brought chicken soup and fruit to the hospital. In the ward, there was only the sleeping nurse and Mr. Wen lying on the bed without waking up.
She put down her things and gently woke up the nurse.
"Sister Fang, where are they?" she asked in a low voice.
Sister Fang rubbed her eyes, a little embarrassed. "The old lady went back to rest, and Mr. Wen said he was going out to buy lunch." She glanced at the clock on the wall and asked puzzledly, "Hey, she's been out for almost an hour, why hasn't she come back yet?"
Guan Mi turned and walked out of the ward, preparing to call Wen Li.
"He's sitting on the rooftop." Yi Ziting's voice suddenly came from the side.
She put away her phone and turned to look at him. "Thank you very much for giving me the information that day."
"Well, what's the big deal? If you hadn't noticed something was wrong, I wouldn't have known such a big thing happened in Wen Li's family." Yi Ziting raised his chin towards the stairs, "Go up and keep him company. I'll watch over here."
Guan Mi pushed open the door to the rooftop, and the strong wind instantly blew her hair into a mess.
She quickly gathered her hair into her palm, walked to Wen Li, and took off the hairband on his wrist.
Wen Li looked up at her, his eyes filled with numbness from overdrawn energy.
Guan Mi felt a sharp pain in his heart.
She tied her hair silently, sat down beside him, and held his cold hand tightly.
On the day of returning to work, Guan Mi specially bought a ticket for the evening train.
Because Wen Li was going to be questioned again that day, she insisted on going with him.
The conversation lasted for most of the day. When Wen Li came out, he seemed to be a little more energetic, but Guan Mi knew that he was just holding on with his last breath.
At the station, the two hugged each other and said goodbye.
Wen Li touched the back of Guan Mi's head, his voice gentle but with a hint of fatigue: "Don't worry about me, this family still depends on me. Go back to work with peace of mind, you have worked hard these days."
Guan Mi's eyes were hot, and he looked up at him: "I will call you every day, you can't not answer."
Wen forced a smile and said, "As long as I see it, I will pick it up immediately."
In the days that followed, I was called in for talks every few days, and then had to wait for a long time in anxiety.
Guan Mi reluctantly entered the crowd checking tickets.
She looked back every few steps, and Wen Li always stood there looking at her with gentle eyes.
They had never experienced such a heart-wrenching, hard-to-part, yet surprisingly calm separation.
It seemed as if this was the end for them.
On the first night back in Beijing, Guan Mi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw Wen Li's bloodshot eyes and his lonely back as he sat alone on the edge of the rooftop in the strong wind.
The thought that he might continue to be depressed in the endless conversation and waiting, a deep feeling of powerlessness was about to completely consume her.
The next day.
It was rare for Sister Song to see Guan Mi in such a bad mood. She put down her water cup and hurried over to ask her if she was sick.
"How did you end up like this after taking a vacation?" She even reached out to check Guan Mi's forehead. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever.
Guan Mi shook his head slowly. "I'm fine, Sister Song. Have you prepared the meeting materials? Send me a copy."
"It's OK." Sister Song asked worriedly before leaving, "But are you really okay? The meeting might last until noon, which is quite difficult."
A cooperation team from Shanghai is coming today. Shen Yanfeng attaches great importance to this project, so everyone must pay full attention to it.
"It's okay, I'll just make some coffee later." Guan Mi rubbed his temples, "Boss Chen hasn't come yet, right?"
Sister Song whispered, "Here he is. He came earlier than me."
She said "oh" and then began to prepare for the meeting.
After everything was ready in the conference room, Guan Mi drank half a cup of coffee and went to the office to call Shen Yanfeng.
“Knock knock—”
Shen Yanfeng looked over and paused, "Come in."
Guan Mi pushed open the door and walked over: “Boss Shen, everyone is here and is waiting for you.”
Chen Yanfeng closed the file, stood up slowly and buttoned his suit, and looked at Guan Mi with narrowed eyes, "Why do you look so bad?"
"Maybe I didn't sleep well last night."
"Why?"
Guan Mi was silent for a moment, "Today's meeting."
Chen Yanfeng chuckled and walked out slowly, "I'm reluctant to hand over such a dedicated Secretary Guan to someone else."
The only sound behind him was the crisp and orderly sound of high heels.
"Are you worried about something?" he asked.
Guan Mi still didn't say anything.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Feel free to ask." Chen Yanfeng loosened his tie expressionlessly, speaking gently, "We've had a pleasant cooperation over the past three years, and I've always valued you. If there's anything you really need, please let me know."
His tone was so sincere that anyone who heard it would think he was a warm and considerate boss.
These words made Guan Mi's heart tighten. She raised her eyes and looked at the tall figure in front of her. The words almost came to her lips, but she swallowed them back abruptly. Her throat was dry: "Thank you, Mr. Shen, for now... not."
If you don't sleep well, your mind will really be unclear. She almost thought that Shen Yanfeng was a good person again.
Reason told her that Shen Yanfeng was a businessman who never did business at a loss, and his "help" was bound to come at a price.
Shen Yanfeng turned his head and caught the struggle that flashed across her eyes. A hint of meaningful smile appeared on his lips, so fast that it was difficult to detect.
"I'm serious," he added softly, "If I can help you, I will definitely help you."
After saying that, he walked towards the meeting room, leaving Guan Mi where he was.
Her hands hanging by her side were wet with sweat, and she clenched them again and again.
Shen Yanfeng's words "I will definitely help" were like a delicacy hanging in front of her eyes. She couldn't pick it up with her hands, and she had to lower her head before she could put it in her mouth.
In the next few days, Guan Mi went to work as usual, and Yi Ziting often went to see Wen Li and told her about his situation.
Yi Ziting: [The longer the investigation goes on, the worse Wen Li's mental state becomes. Old Man Wen is still in a coma, his mother hasn't come out yet, and he keeps getting called in for questioning. He's on the verge of collapse.]
Yi Ziting: [I don't understand why his mother is still in there. If this is really a frame-up, it shouldn't be difficult to investigate, right?]
Yi Ziting: [I don't know much about the officialdom, but in recent years, there have been quite a few officials who have committed suicide for unknown reasons. I really don't believe Uncle Wen is corrupt. Do you think he was pushed out to cover up something?]
After reading these, Guan Mi became even more anxious.
She would video call Wen Li every day, and every time he would force himself to be energetic. Guan Mi was really worried that he would not be able to hold on.
She had another sleepless night.
Thinking about everything that happened between her and Wen Li over the years, and his unconditional dedication in this relationship, Guan Mi couldn't ignore his situation.
The next morning, Guan Mi came to the company and waited for Shen Yanfeng to come, but he did not show up.
She looked through his schedule and found that he didn't have to come to the company today.
Sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen until the end of the day.
She turned on her phone, clicked on Shen Yanfeng’s WeChat, and quickly typed a few words on the keyboard.
She had prepared herself mentally, but when the moment came, she still couldn't do it.
At this moment, the nanny at Shen Yanfeng's home suddenly called her.
"Aunt Li?"
An urgent voice came from the receiver: "Secretary Guan, are you free tonight? I have something urgent to do at home and need to go back right away. Becky hasn't had dinner yet. If you think it's okay, come over and feed her."
Guan Mi didn't think much about it: "Okay, I'll be there in a moment."
Finally, she casually asked, "What's going on at home? Do you need my help?"
Aunt Li paused and laughed dryly, "My son's company has sent him on a long business trip for two months, and I want to take him to the airport."
"We really need to hurry back then." Guan Mi stood up with his bag, "Becky, just leave it to me. Don't worry, go back."
Guan Mi opened the door of Shen Yanfeng's house, and a ball of orange fell to the side of the door and rolled over with its belly exposed, as if it had known she would come.
She took off her high heels, hung up her coat, washed her hands, and then picked up the chubby Becky and walked inside.
The living room was very quiet, so no one should be at home, otherwise Aunt Li wouldn't have come looking for her.
"Becky, let's have cat food tonight."
In the refrigerator, there was some nutritious cat food that Shen Yanfeng personally made for Becky.
She took it out and put it in the microwave. While waiting, she was still thinking about Wen Li.
On the way here, Guan Da also called her. Qiao Qiuying told him about the Wen family. He sighed a few times on the phone. After all, the powerless Guan family could not help at all.
When I finished heating and took it out, I saw the cat running upstairs with its tail raised high like an antenna.
Guan Mi didn't want to go upstairs anymore, so he called out to it, "Becky, it's time for dinner."
It didn't move away, but stayed where it was, rubbing against the steps in a fancy way, and refused to come down.
Seducing her.
Guan Mi had no choice but to go up, but as soon as she got close, it continued to go up until it reached the terrace and stopped by the swimming pool with her.
Everything happened so suddenly.
She thought that the person who was not at home was currently immersed in the water.
The dim lights on the terrace filled the swimming pool. He leaned against the pool wall, one strong and thin arm casually draped on the shore, holding a glass of wine. The water droplets on his hair flowed down from his tight muscles and then fell into the rippling water.
He heard the noise and looked up.
Even though she was the one who suddenly broke in, Shen Yanfeng didn't seem offended at all and looked at her calmly.
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