Cheng Huan walked alone on the deserted road, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, but they seemed endless. The pain in her heart was indescribable, as if her proud dignity had been ruthlessly trampled upon. Lán Pǐnyǔ, a heartless and indifferent man, had ruined her life in such a cruel manner. How much effort had she put into securing this job? Could he understand the pain and anxiety she was going through?
"**,**, this is just too much..." Cheng Huan sobbed, cursing repeatedly. The cold and indifferent face of Lán Pǐnyǔ, along with his unsympathetic tone, angered and saddened her. She wanted to rush forward and slap him, but ultimately, she had to face the heavy pressure.
Cheng Huan walked back to her workplace alone, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She felt too ashamed to face anyone. Rushing into the restroom, she splashed cold water on her face, hoping to extinguish the burning anger in her heart.
Just as she was trying to calm herself down, she suddenly heard people talking outside. Startled, she quickly pushed open the restroom door to hide.
However, despite her attempts to hide, the gossip about her spread like wildfire. Three women walked in, discussing the headlines of the day with a tone full of mockery.
"I never thought our small unit would have such big news. It's truly a rare sight in a century!" someone mocked.
"Yeah, the most inconspicuous woman turns out to be the secret lover of the president of the Lán Corporation. If it weren't in the newspaper, who would believe it's true?" another said while washing her hands, expressing confusion.
"Just as I thought, look at our unit. Who isn't more attractive than her? She's a country bumpkin, and she gets such good luck. I really don't know why fate is favoring her so much!"
"I heard from a colleague that she's been seen entering and leaving the villa area these days. I wonder if she's sneaking around with her secret lover!"
"Sigh, young people these days are really messing around!" sighed an older woman who seemed to be married.
"Sis, don't generalize. We are much more pure than her. At least we haven't stooped so low to do such disgraceful things!" one of the young girls hurriedly defended herself.
As they spoke and laughed, leaving the restroom, Cheng Huan weakly opened the door. Her face turned pale when she realized how others perceived her, labeled with **. Tears threatened to flow again, but this time, Cheng Huan held them back. Dragging her exhausted body, she slowly walked towards the office. Regardless of what others thought of her, as long as she knew she was innocent, how much did their opinions matter?
The moment she entered the office, she remained the center of attention, the peculiar and piercing gazes making Cheng Huan uncomfortable. She lowered her head and walked towards the director's office.
The director happened to come in with some documents, and upon seeing her disheartened appearance, he couldn't help but pause and asked, "Where is your witness?"
"He refused to come!" Cheng Huan said, feeling extremely uncomfortable, her small hands tightly clenched.
The director sneered, "Is this another one of your excuses? Cheng Huan, you seem quite honest, so how did you end up being someone else's mistress? Do you realize how damaging this scandal is to our reputation?"
"Director, I am innocent. I didn't do such a thing!" Cheng Huan weakly defended herself, but how could the director believe her?
He raised his hand, indicating her not to explain. Throwing the documents onto the desk, he sternly said, "We just had a meeting with higher-ups discussing cases like yours. This is a government institution, and our reputation is crucial. With the turmoil you've caused, you won't be attending classes anymore. Write a resignation letter quickly; it's the unanimously agreed-upon solution."
"Director, I don't want to lose this job. Please don't do this. I will work hard and correct my mistakes. Please, give me another chance!" Cheng Huan pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
The director shook his head and sighed, his tone resolute, "It's not about whether you'll change or not. The incident has happened, and it's already in the newspapers. Who will see your change? If you regret it now, you shouldn't have fallen in the first place!"
Cheng Huan bit her lip, unable to speak for a while. From the director's strong stance, she understood that she would be leaving this place, her mother's former workplace. Cheng Huan didn't argue anymore, knowing that further requests would be in vain. She silently packed up her belongings, trying to contain the sadness in her heart, and slowly walked to her desk.
Wang Lili watched her from the side, a hint of disdain on her face, but at the same time, a sense of jealousy. These conflicting emotions made her walk out of the office indifferently, not wanting to see Cheng Huan's face full of sorrow and grief.
Once cherished friendship, once shared laughter, all shattered due to a misunderstanding, creating a rift between them, turning them into strangers. What saddens Cheng Huan is not just the loss of the hard-earned job, but also the experience of loneliness and helplessness in adversity. Biting her lip, she blankly stares at the desk engraved with her mother's name. After a long while, she gathers her belongings in a cardboard box and leaves the office under the complex gazes of her colleagues.
In the CEO's office of the Lengshi Group, a thick gloom hangs in the air. After a prolonged silence, the usually languid Cold and handsome man finally reacts. The newspaper in his hand is torn to pieces by his powerful hand, the fragments scattering across the entire office.
On the side, his assistant Zhang Tian, drenched in cold sweat, nervously awaits Cold Yuzhe's instructions. Given his understanding of this hot-tempered boss, something earth-shattering is sure to happen next. But evidently, it will be the daring young woman who dared to stray off the path who will bear the brunt.
Cold Yuzhe's face turns iron-green, and his fingers, with distinct bone structure, lightly tap on the bright glass table. Each sound is enough to make Zhang Tian feel suffocated. Anxious, Zhang Tian speculates whether all the blame will be shifted onto him. After all, he was the one who brought this woman here. Moreover, if he remembers correctly, the report that day highlighted many virtues of this girl – honest, modest, clever, pure, and so on. Now he realizes that her innocent appearance had deceived him, leading to such an absurd event. What stuns him even more is that the other male lead in the newspaper article is none other than Cold Yuzhe's closest friend, Lan Pinyu.
"Cold Yuzhe..." Feeling that if he doesn't speak now, his heart might give out, and the glass table is on the verge of being smashed, Zhang Tian says cautiously.
"Buy the copyright!" After a prolonged silence, Cold Yuzhe finally speaks. His voice is as chilling as an iceberg.
"Uh, what?" Zhang Tian is momentarily confused.
"Do it quickly. Don't let the situation escalate. Otherwise, you'll be out of a job too!" Cold Yuzhe glares at him coldly, giving a stern command.
"Uh, yes, I'll get on it right away!" Feeling like he just escaped from an icy hell, Zhang Tian hastily runs out of the office to breathe in some fresh air. Unexpectedly, Cold Yuzhe wants to suppress this piece of news.