Returning - Chapter 75
Chapter 75: Shameless
"How long are you going to keep throwing a tantrum with President Xue?"
"It's not a tantrum. I'm serious. I want to get close to Director Xue. I want to seduce him."
Wang Qi was speechless. She exchanged a look with Xia Nan and Qin Yi across the table, their eyes all conveying mutual helplessness.
The morning's incident had blown up so much that their entire office knew about it. Although no one dared spread it outside, several other assistants and secretaries had all come to Wang Qi privately, fishing for gossip about Xue Zi'ang and Zhao Yu's secret office romance.
She naturally didn't need to hide it from Xia Nan and Qin Yi. And like everyone else who knew the situation, both Xia Nan and Qin Yi were absolutely convinced that Zhao Yu was just throwing a tantrum at Xue Zi'ang. It was only the person involved who stubbornly refused to admit it, like a dead duck with a stiff beak.
Slowly nibbling a green vegetable into her mouth, Zhao Yu couldn't help but think that many things in this world were truly laughable.
Clearly, every word she said was the truth. Yet, by stating it so bluntly, no one actually believed her. Even Xue Zi'ang and Xue Zhan thought she was just sulking and throwing a fit, assuming she had deliberately kissed Xue Zhan that day to force Xue Zi'ang to let go.
But in reality, she had only feared overestimating her own weight in Xue Zi'ang's heart. She needed another man to provoke him, to ignite his competitive spirit, to make him even more unwilling to let her go.
"Actually, I think… President Xue treats you pretty well." Qin Yi lowered her head and ate a few bites of food, then hesitantly spoke up. "A man of his status, willing to humble himself and apologize to you—that counts as pretty sincere, doesn't it?"
Zhao Yu gave a bitter smile. "Do you know why I want to break up with him? Because… I'm just a substitute. A substitute for the ex-girlfriend he can't stop thinking about."
"What?" All three of them stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.
Three seconds later, three simultaneous curses rang out. Qin Yi indignantly patted her shoulder. "Go after Director Xue then. Chase him boldly and confidently. I'll find you tutorials. Piss off that deadbeat scumbag!"
Now that they knew Zhao Yu was Xue Zi'ang's girlfriend, Xue Zhan's assistants and secretaries didn't dare just order her around casually. But she very consciously placed herself in an assistant's position, proactively asking for work and actively helping out. Naturally, no one refused.
Her current status was very peculiar.
Without any official personnel transfer, she remained Xue Zi'ang's assistant. Yet, the work she did was for Xue Zhan's assistant, and her workstation was also located over by Xue Zhan. To an outsider, it looked more like a temporary loan or a trial assignment.
As for how those in the know saw it? They all, of course, assumed she wouldn't last long on this floor. Once her anger subsided, Xue Zi'ang would be able to coax her back.
And sure enough, here came Xue Zi'ang again, two delivery guys trailing behind him carrying several large bags of things.
"A treat for everyone, don't mention it," Xue Zi'ang declared with a grand wave of his hand, an air of utter extravagance about him.
Everyone knew he was here for Zhao Yu, and they were just lucky enough to bask in the reflected glory. So after silently retrieving their own portion of the afternoon tea, they shrank back into their respective cubicles, consciously making themselves invisible.
Her favorite dessert was placed on the desk. Without raising her head, Zhao Yu continued typing her report on the keyboard.
Xue Zi'ang stood in front of her desk, looking down at her for a moment. He gritted his teeth, then suddenly broke into a smile again.
Before long, several workers in matching uniforms emerged from the elevator carrying a sofa. Xue Zi'ang pointed to a nearby meeting room. "Put it in that one."
Zhao Yu recognized it. That was the sofa from Xue Zi'ang's office. Was he planning to move his office to this floor?
Seeing that she finally showed a bit of a reaction, Xue Zi'ang raised an eyebrow and announced loudly, "Let it be known: from now on, that room over there is my office."
Wang Qi and the others were startled. But looking at Xue Zi'ang's expression and the efficient movements of the movers, they knew this wasn't a joke.
Xue Zhan's office took up half the floor; the outside area was spacious enough, with several meeting rooms large and small.
Taking one out for Xue Zi'ang to use as an office wasn't really an issue. It was just that this pair of young lovers were truly… too much drama.
Zhao Yu hadn't expected Xue Zi'ang to pull a stunt like this either. To be precise, she hadn't expected Xue Zi'ang's tolerance to be so high. She had already pushed things this far, and he could still adjust his mindset and pull something like this?
"What crazy scheme are you up to now?" She glared at him irritably. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
Xue Zi'ang shrugged, his expression utterly nonchalant. "Just a change of work environment. The top floor is pretty nice. Stand high, see far, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous."
Zhao Yu scoffed and chose to remain silent.
Xue Zi'ang continued directing the movers bustling back and forth. By the time Xue Zhan returned to the company, the new office had already been completely set up and arranged.
Xue Zhan's face was iron blue. "Who gave you permission to cause this disruption?"
Xue Zi'ang's face was pure innocence. "I asked Grandpa for instructions. He said it was okay. Sorry, Uncle, a direct order from the Chairman. You have no authority to interfere."
Xue Zhan shot a glance at Zhao Yu and entered his office without another word.
Xue Zi'ang let out a smug whistle. As he walked to the door of his new office, he deliberately turned back and said to Zhao Yu with a cheeky grin, "Assistant Zhao, your workstation is directly facing my office door. What a coincidence."
After work, Zhao Yu packed her things to leave. Xue Zi'ang blocked her path first. "Let's have dinner together."
Zhao Yu's face was expressionless as she replied flatly, "I have plans."
Xue Zi'ang didn't force her, just smiled and said, "Then let's have lunch together tomorrow."
"Tomorrow I have plans too."
"Then dinner tomorrow night."
"Plans."
"Then the day after. If the day after doesn't work, the day after that. If that doesn't work, we push it further back."
Zhao Yu: "…"
Now she admitted it. She really didn't know Xue Zi'ang well enough yet.
After driving away from the company, she still went to Ji Sui's place. Ji Sui had given her a key, so she could go straight in. She just hadn't expected him to get off work even earlier than her.
"I thought you weren't coming back." Wearing an apron, Ji Sui came out of the kitchen and smiled. Very naturally, he said, "Just a moment, the food will be ready soon."
Based on their interactions over the past couple of days, this kind of atmosphere seemed perfectly normal. Zhao Yu didn't say much, just followed him into the kitchen to help out.
After finishing dinner, the two sat side by side on the sofa. Only then did he ask, "Today… did it go smoothly?"
Zhao Yu nodded, then shook her head.
"He still refuses to break up? Won't let you resign?"
"No." She paused, then hesitantly spoke again. "If I said I kind of don't want to resign, would you look down on me?"
Ji Sui was taken aback. "Why wouldn't you want to resign? Because… of him?"
Zhao Yu shook her head. "I'm not the same as you. You grew up in the Zhuang family, hold equity in the company. You don't have to worry about your career at all. But I… I've been at Huacan for over three years. This job was built on time and experience, layer by layer. If I resign and go to a new company, I have to start all over again. I never had anything to begin with. I don't want to give it up so easily."
"Then if you stay at Huacan, will you and he… be affected?"
Zhao Yu shook her head. "Today, I already applied for a position transfer. I also made it clear to him. In the future, we might run into each other occasionally at the company, but I… I have no relationship with him anymore. I just feel like I have no backbone. Clearly, I should just resign and leave outright. But when I got to the office today, I hesitated again."
Watching her eyes grow moist, Ji Sui could only hastily console her. "This is your own choice. You have the right to make any choice. As long as you've thought it through clearly, there's nothing you can't do."
His large palm patted her on the shoulder, but he saw her flinch slightly. Only then did Ji Sui remember that she had left a scar there before leaving the house this morning.
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