The next day at the office, I found myself regretting the events of the previous night. I was still debating whether I should explain the situation again. How much impact would my "misbehavior" have on me?
The phone on my desk rang, and the receptionist informed me that someone was looking for me. Interrupting me at such a crucial moment of contemplation, this person was asking for trouble. I instructed the receptionist to let them in while I continued pondering my dilemma.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?" a female voice pierced through my thoughts.
"Oh, just lost in thought. What's it to you..." I trailed off as I looked up and saw the face I had been contemplating.
"What's it to me? Everything that concerns you is my business. Please, have a seat," I said, standing up to offer my seat to Ran Jing. At that moment, I noticed that nearly 99% of the eyes in the entire office were fixed on us. Men looked on with envy, while women glared with jealousy. It boosted my ego a bit.
Ran Jing's appearance today made me raise an eyebrow. Not because she was exceptionally stunning, but rather she seemed overly flamboyant. Long false eyelashes, heavy green eyeshadow, bright lipstick, and an extremely short skirt—she seemed to have "enhanced" even her chest. This outfit didn't enhance her beauty but rather made her appear vulgar. If I didn't know her well, I might have had difficulty recognizing her. Why did she dress like this today? If she walked down the street like this, I'd probably think she was a certain type of working woman. But it didn't matter. Now wasn't the time to criticize her attire.
"Not sitting. I'm here on business," Ran Jing declared.
"What's the matter? Just say it," a beautiful woman actively seeking me out—I had to give my full support.
"It's nothing major. It's just that you haven't paid for last night yet," she said.
"Last night's payment?" What money did I need to pay last night? Didn't I just pay rent and utilities?
"What payment?" I genuinely couldn't recall what payment she was referring to.
"Why are you playing dumb? Just because you're a regular doesn't mean you can skip the bill," Ran Jing accused. A regular? Was she feeling unwell today? What was she trying to say?
"I genuinely don't understand what you mean," I replied, bewildered.
"Fine, we'll see about that," Ran Jing said as she turned to leave. I realized what was happening just as she reached the elevator. I chased after her, but the doors closed before I could catch up, and I saw Ran Jing give me a triumphant smile.
As I retraced my steps with a head full of questions, I felt the weight of different stares in the office. Didn't everyone leave? Why were they still envying and resenting me? I thought to myself as I returned to my seat.
"Boss, you're something else!" a few colleagues from my department suddenly gave me a thumbs up, startling me.
"It's nothing," I replied, trying to be modest.
"It's nothing? You're not simple. You dared not pay after seeing a lady of the night," one of them said, leaning in close and whispering.
"Who said anything about seeing a lady of the night? When did I ever..." My words came out louder than intended, and suddenly, I seemed to understand what had happened.
"If she came to you, and you won't admit it, fine. But you chose quite the glamorous one; she's of good quality. Where did you find her?" another colleague asked.
"I'm telling you very seriously, I'm not into that. The girl is a friend of mine. Maybe some of my actions offended her, and she's joking with me," I said, emphasizing each word.
"Oh, come on, Boss. Don't insult our intelligence with such a lousy excuse. We've been following you for some time. Don't undermine our intelligence," they scoffed, ignoring my explanation.
"Believe what you want. I can't be bothered to explain." I realized there was no point in explaining further. They clearly didn't believe my explanation, and unless I admitted to hiring an escort, they wouldn't accept anything else.
"Fine, but next time you go, don't go alone. It's better to enjoy together than alone. Take us along too," they said, using an old proverb. "If you three don't return to your positions in 3 seconds, consider yourselves all failing this month's evaluation," I had to use my authority to quell the situation. Once they "calmed down," I would explain the situation properly.
Though I had temporarily suppressed this group, all the female employees in the company now looked at me with disdain and contempt. When I asked a girl to photocopy some documents, she gave me a dismissive grunt. Passing by the front desk where the receptionist usually greeted me warmly, she now tossed her head in displeasure. Even the cleaning lady, who used to greet me warmly, now gave me a few "sweeps with a mop." Even the boss called me into his office very seriously and said, "Lu Fei, you need to watch your image. If necessary, you can find a girlfriend legitimately." ... I deeply experienced the speed and power of gossip.
As time passed, I thought that this rumor, which had spread throughout the company, would be clarified. But until the rumor was cleared up, I was in for a "tough battle."