Chapter 60
Over the course of a day, 'Qi Rui-Feng is the mascot of swimming' had become a trending topic on Weibo. The title seemed to be gaining the momentum to follow him for the rest of his life.
Qi Rui-Feng, who had always considered himself a cool suave dominant CEO type, naturally had zero tolerance for the title. He sent Yun Duo another text to express his feelings: I hate you!
Well, hate if you have to; the wood has already become a boat{a.k.a. the porridge has already been cooked. What's done is done.}. Yun Duo was very relaxed and nonchalant. She sent back a cartoon gif of a character weeping as they bit on a handkerchief.
In the afternoon, Lin Zi's spirits were still rather low. His face was long and he looked slow and lazy, as if he were not fully awake. Yun Duo was a little worried about him. She thought of Qi Rui-Feng and then Lin Sang, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She silently prodded Lin Zi's back and said, "Lin Zi, I have a suggestion."
"What?" Lin Zi turned back to look at her.
"Isn't Little Miss Sang a fan of Qi Rui-Feng's? Why not... tell Qi Rui-Feng about her, and we can invite Qi Rui-Feng to go visit her? Although Qi Rui-Feng was proud and a show-off, he was actually very soft-hearted. If they talked to him nicely, he would probably agree. Since Little Sang likes him so much, maybe she might be stimulated by his visit and..." Yun Duo could not continue; she felt she might have watched too much TV.
Lin Zi refused flatly. "No."
"Why?"
He replied, "No one wishes for their idol to see them at their lowest. Little Sang has already become a vegetable. I don't want Qi Rui-Feng to see her like that."
"Is that how it is?"
Lin Zi nodded. "So, please don't let anyone from the swimming team see her. Promise me."
"Okay, I understand." Yun Duo thought for a moment, and then still a little unwilling to just let it go, she asked, "Then... does she have a boyfriend? Or someone she loves deeply?"
Lin Zi's expression darkened and he coldly shook his head. "No."
Yun Duo stopped asking. She felt that she might have overstepped. After all, little Miss Sang was Lin Zi's younger sister — Lin Zi must have already gone through all the possibilities and didn't need her doing anything unnecessary.
Lin Zi seemed to realise that his tone might have been a little harsh. His expression eased and he said, "Let's have dinner together tonight. There is something I've always wanted to tell you."
"Okay."
After work, the two of them went to a quiet western restaurant. As they waited for the food to be served, Yun Duo received a text from Tang Yi-Bai.
Tang Yi-Bai: What are you doing?
Yun Duo: Eating.
She suddenly felt that the two of them were really rather boring — their texts were often junk like this.
Tang Yi-Bai: With who?
Yun Duo: Colleague.
Tang Yi-Bai: How many?
Yun Duo: One.
Tang Yi-Bai: Male? Female?
Yun Duo: Male...
Tang Yi-Bai sent a cartoon gif of a character weeping and biting a handkerchief. It was the exact one Yun Duo had just sent to Qi Rui-Feng earlier today. Yun Duo did not know whether to laugh or cry. She replied: We really have something to discuss.
Tang Yi-Bai: Fine. Finish your discussion then come home earlier. Send me a text when you reach home.
Yun Duo: Okay.
After sending this message, Yun Duo could not bear to look at her cell phone anymore. The both of them were so childish...
Lin Zi waited for her silently until she put aside her phone to look back at him.
Yun Duo asked, "Lin Zi, what do you want to tell me today?"
"It's about Cheng Mei."
Yun Duo was surprised. "Ah, you already know?"
Lin Zi was taken aback. "Know what?"
Yun Duo observed his expression closely and felt that he didn't look like he was about to discuss anything emotional. She quickly backtracked, "Nothing. I was just kidding."
Lin Zi nodded. "Cheng Mei likes me, but I don't like her."
Yun Duo was drinking when she heard this and instantly choked on the water. She coughed a few times then said, "That's why I said you already know..."
Lin Zi looked not at all concerned about the issue. Yun Duo silently mourned a little for Cheng Mei. And then Lin Zi said, "But that's not what I wanted to talk about today."
"Then what is it?"
"Cheng Mei hates you a lot."
"Huh?" Yun Duo stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right? I think Cheng Mei is quite a nice person."
"She is, but she hates you."
"I don't believe it. Did she say that to you personally? That she hates me?"
"I know the reason."
"Then tell me."
At this moment, the dishes they ordered began coming one after another. Lin Zi waited till the waiter left before continuing, "A month ago, Cheng Mei and I were talking bad about you behind your back."
"What?" Yun Duo glared at him. "I've been good to you, right? Why are you talking bad about me behind my back? What's the meaning of this?"
"Don't panic yet. Let me finish. Do you still remember when you were schemed against in the agency? I had narrowed down my list to a few suspects, so I went to test them one by one. Cheng Mei was one of the suspects. I spoke badly about you to her, and after a few times, Cheng Mei told me something."
"You... were helping me find the person behind the scenes? Thank you!" Yun Duo was touched. Hands clasped together, her eyes were wide and glistening.
"Enough. Stop acting cute." Lin Zi gave a wave and continued, "She said to me that you robbed her of her employment slot and residence permit."
"Huh?" This accusation came out of nowhere to Yun Duo. She had entered this workplace through honestly, through the usual procedures, so how did this suddenly become her robbing someone else of their employment slot?
"She said, back during the school recruitments, you were the last one to be selected. On whether or not to hire you, the agency leaders were very divided, and in the end, the decision was to not hire you. But then you later managed to use your connections to enter the agency anyway. However, the employment quota of that year was already full. So when you entered the agency and was given an employment slot as well as a residence permit, someone from the original new hires had to be squeezed out. Cheng Mei was the one who was pushed out. Until now, she's still just a contract worker."
Following his story, Yun Duo's frown deepened. She said, "I did not use any connections. Why is Cheng Mei saying this? What proof does she have?"
Lin Zi shrugged. "She seemed very sure. She said that when she first joined the agency, her team lead had promised that she would have a permanent position and a residence permit, but once you joined, the lead told her that she wouldn't be given a residence permit. I don't know why she's so convinced it must be because of you either, but she most likely must have heard some inside news. Still, frankly speaking, Cheng Mei is really a smooth operator. Her workplace intelligence is so many times higher than yours. If I were an employer, between the two of you, I'd definitely choose her over you."
"Hey," Yun Duo was a little speechless. "Whose side are you on?"
"I'm just telling things as they are. In any case, Cheng Mei strongly believes that you've robbed her, so it's not strange that she would want to get revenge on you. If what happened before was really her doing, you should watch out. She definitely wants to crush you completely. Also, you're really no match for her."
"Can you not boost the opponent's image and reduce my morale? And the truth is clearly on my side — I absolutely did not get in through connections! I got this position on my own merits."
Lin Zi looked down as he cut his steak. He hummed softly. "You're sure about that?"
"I..." Yun Duo froze. She suddenly felt uneasy and reached for her phone. "Let me give my mum a call."
Previous: Chapter 59
Next: Chapter 61
Back to Index
Qi Rui-Feng, who had always considered himself a cool suave dominant CEO type, naturally had zero tolerance for the title. He sent Yun Duo another text to express his feelings: I hate you!
Well, hate if you have to; the wood has already become a boat{a.k.a. the porridge has already been cooked. What's done is done.}. Yun Duo was very relaxed and nonchalant. She sent back a cartoon gif of a character weeping as they bit on a handkerchief.
In the afternoon, Lin Zi's spirits were still rather low. His face was long and he looked slow and lazy, as if he were not fully awake. Yun Duo was a little worried about him. She thought of Qi Rui-Feng and then Lin Sang, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She silently prodded Lin Zi's back and said, "Lin Zi, I have a suggestion."
"What?" Lin Zi turned back to look at her.
"Isn't Little Miss Sang a fan of Qi Rui-Feng's? Why not... tell Qi Rui-Feng about her, and we can invite Qi Rui-Feng to go visit her? Although Qi Rui-Feng was proud and a show-off, he was actually very soft-hearted. If they talked to him nicely, he would probably agree. Since Little Sang likes him so much, maybe she might be stimulated by his visit and..." Yun Duo could not continue; she felt she might have watched too much TV.
Lin Zi refused flatly. "No."
"Why?"
He replied, "No one wishes for their idol to see them at their lowest. Little Sang has already become a vegetable. I don't want Qi Rui-Feng to see her like that."
"Is that how it is?"
Lin Zi nodded. "So, please don't let anyone from the swimming team see her. Promise me."
"Okay, I understand." Yun Duo thought for a moment, and then still a little unwilling to just let it go, she asked, "Then... does she have a boyfriend? Or someone she loves deeply?"
Lin Zi's expression darkened and he coldly shook his head. "No."
Yun Duo stopped asking. She felt that she might have overstepped. After all, little Miss Sang was Lin Zi's younger sister — Lin Zi must have already gone through all the possibilities and didn't need her doing anything unnecessary.
Lin Zi seemed to realise that his tone might have been a little harsh. His expression eased and he said, "Let's have dinner together tonight. There is something I've always wanted to tell you."
"Okay."
After work, the two of them went to a quiet western restaurant. As they waited for the food to be served, Yun Duo received a text from Tang Yi-Bai.
Tang Yi-Bai: What are you doing?
Yun Duo: Eating.
She suddenly felt that the two of them were really rather boring — their texts were often junk like this.
Tang Yi-Bai: With who?
Yun Duo: Colleague.
Tang Yi-Bai: How many?
Yun Duo: One.
Tang Yi-Bai: Male? Female?
Yun Duo: Male...
Tang Yi-Bai sent a cartoon gif of a character weeping and biting a handkerchief. It was the exact one Yun Duo had just sent to Qi Rui-Feng earlier today. Yun Duo did not know whether to laugh or cry. She replied: We really have something to discuss.
Tang Yi-Bai: Fine. Finish your discussion then come home earlier. Send me a text when you reach home.
Yun Duo: Okay.
After sending this message, Yun Duo could not bear to look at her cell phone anymore. The both of them were so childish...
Lin Zi waited for her silently until she put aside her phone to look back at him.
Yun Duo asked, "Lin Zi, what do you want to tell me today?"
"It's about Cheng Mei."
Yun Duo was surprised. "Ah, you already know?"
Lin Zi was taken aback. "Know what?"
Yun Duo observed his expression closely and felt that he didn't look like he was about to discuss anything emotional. She quickly backtracked, "Nothing. I was just kidding."
Lin Zi nodded. "Cheng Mei likes me, but I don't like her."
Yun Duo was drinking when she heard this and instantly choked on the water. She coughed a few times then said, "That's why I said you already know..."
Lin Zi looked not at all concerned about the issue. Yun Duo silently mourned a little for Cheng Mei. And then Lin Zi said, "But that's not what I wanted to talk about today."
"Then what is it?"
"Cheng Mei hates you a lot."
"Huh?" Yun Duo stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right? I think Cheng Mei is quite a nice person."
"She is, but she hates you."
"I don't believe it. Did she say that to you personally? That she hates me?"
"I know the reason."
"Then tell me."
At this moment, the dishes they ordered began coming one after another. Lin Zi waited till the waiter left before continuing, "A month ago, Cheng Mei and I were talking bad about you behind your back."
"What?" Yun Duo glared at him. "I've been good to you, right? Why are you talking bad about me behind my back? What's the meaning of this?"
"Don't panic yet. Let me finish. Do you still remember when you were schemed against in the agency? I had narrowed down my list to a few suspects, so I went to test them one by one. Cheng Mei was one of the suspects. I spoke badly about you to her, and after a few times, Cheng Mei told me something."
"You... were helping me find the person behind the scenes? Thank you!" Yun Duo was touched. Hands clasped together, her eyes were wide and glistening.
"Enough. Stop acting cute." Lin Zi gave a wave and continued, "She said to me that you robbed her of her employment slot and residence permit."
"Huh?" This accusation came out of nowhere to Yun Duo. She had entered this workplace through honestly, through the usual procedures, so how did this suddenly become her robbing someone else of their employment slot?
"She said, back during the school recruitments, you were the last one to be selected. On whether or not to hire you, the agency leaders were very divided, and in the end, the decision was to not hire you. But then you later managed to use your connections to enter the agency anyway. However, the employment quota of that year was already full. So when you entered the agency and was given an employment slot as well as a residence permit, someone from the original new hires had to be squeezed out. Cheng Mei was the one who was pushed out. Until now, she's still just a contract worker."
Following his story, Yun Duo's frown deepened. She said, "I did not use any connections. Why is Cheng Mei saying this? What proof does she have?"
Lin Zi shrugged. "She seemed very sure. She said that when she first joined the agency, her team lead had promised that she would have a permanent position and a residence permit, but once you joined, the lead told her that she wouldn't be given a residence permit. I don't know why she's so convinced it must be because of you either, but she most likely must have heard some inside news. Still, frankly speaking, Cheng Mei is really a smooth operator. Her workplace intelligence is so many times higher than yours. If I were an employer, between the two of you, I'd definitely choose her over you."
"Hey," Yun Duo was a little speechless. "Whose side are you on?"
"I'm just telling things as they are. In any case, Cheng Mei strongly believes that you've robbed her, so it's not strange that she would want to get revenge on you. If what happened before was really her doing, you should watch out. She definitely wants to crush you completely. Also, you're really no match for her."
"Can you not boost the opponent's image and reduce my morale? And the truth is clearly on my side — I absolutely did not get in through connections! I got this position on my own merits."
Lin Zi looked down as he cut his steak. He hummed softly. "You're sure about that?"
"I..." Yun Duo froze. She suddenly felt uneasy and reached for her phone. "Let me give my mum a call."
Previous: Chapter 59
Next: Chapter 61
Back to Index
as always Thank so much!!
ReplyDeleteLove the translations! Glad I watched the show first before reading. I find it fun to compare scenes from book and show.
ReplyDelete