Qin Yurong then fetched a broom and swept up the shattered cup. Then she poured another cup of tea, smilingly charmingly, "President, have some tea to calm your nerves."
Guan Haoyang looked at the Qin Yurong in front of him, her features so similar to Qin Yucen's, yet one was stubborn and the other too gentle.
How wonderful it would be if Qin Yucen were as gentle as Qin Yurong.
In a daze, Guan Haoyang took the tea and set it on the desk, then abruptly pulled Qin Yurong towards him and pinned her against the edge of the office desk in a quick turn.
Guan Haoyang's handsome face was just inches away, and she was in his arms. Qin Yurong looked at the handsome man, her heart pounding like thunder. Nervously biting her lip, she timidly reached out and boldly climbed onto his neck, sweetly calling out, "Brother-in-law..."
Guan Haoyang's face changed instantly, "You are not her."
He then pushed Qin Yurong to the ground.
Unprepared, Qin Yurong fell hard, her brow furrowing in pain, "Brother-in-law... you hurt me."
"Get out!" Today, he had said this word to the second woman.
"Yes, I am not Qin Yucen, but I care about you more than she does, I even love you more!" Qin Yurong blurted out the feelings she had kept inside for years, "Haoyang, from the first time you visited our home, I have liked you. You have been married to her for five years, and I have silently loved you for five years! You... you can't treat me like this!"
"Qin Yurong, you are delusional about things that don't belong to you!" Guan Haoyang's cold eyes showed no trace of emotion.
Qin Yurong took a step closer to Guan Haoyang, her fingertips lightly touching his chest as she traced small circles, "What she can give you, I can give you, too. Moreover, I am gentler than her, understand what a man needs more... My skills are definitely no worse than Qin Yucen's. At least I am clean, she is already filthy!"
She leaned close to him, greedily inhaling his masculine scent, enthralled by the smell.
Guan Haoyang remained indifferent to her seduction, yanking her fingers away, "Remember, your place is just an assistant. If you step out of line, I can dismiss you at any time! Get out!"
Rejected by Guan Haoyang once again, Qin Yurong felt humiliated, standing still.
Guan Haoyang saw the tears welling up in her eyes, yet he thought of Qin Yucen.
He directed his anger at Qin Yurong, "Get out right now."
A pang of pain tore through her heart, and she blamed Qin Yucen for her misery.
Qin Yurong would not content herself with just being a lowly assistant, she had come to work here to get closer to Guan Haoyang and snatch him from Qin Yucen's hands.
Exiting the elevator, Qin Yucen sneezed without reason.
She furrowed her delicate brows slightly, her high heels clicking back to her office. As soon as she entered, the phone on her desk rang. It was from her close friend Xi Yan, "Cencen, come to Tanghuang at 3:30 this afternoon to talk about the contract."
Had he already finished reading the proposal so quickly?
Actually, Qin Yucen didn't want to see Huo Jingtang, especially after what had happened, but quitting midway was not her style, "Okay, I'll be there on time."
"Cencen, there's nothing going on between you and Mr. Huo, right?" Xi Yan asked tentatively.
Qin Yucen arrived at Tanghuang Group at 3:00 PM. She stood in front of Tanghuang Building, its sheer black glass façade soaring into the clouds, imposing and awe-inspiring, just as Huo Qingtang himself appeared to others, even somewhat oppressive.
Whenever she thought of Huo Jingtang, his passionate kisses came to mind, the cool-warm sensation of his lips still vivid in her memory.
She took a deep breath, trying to push all thoughts of Huo Jingtang from her mind, calming her turbulent heart.
Upon entering the lobby, she saw Xi Yan coming down to greet her in person.
Xi Yan, the school's talented woman, had joined Tanghuang after graduation. The fact that she became Huo Jingtang's secretary in such a short time spoke volumes about her capabilities. With her delicate features and sleek, fashionable short hair, she exuded a mature, cool charm that made her unapproachable to most men, which is why she still hadn't had a boyfriend to this day.
"There's half an hour till the meeting, let's go up for a coffee first," Xi Yan approached and gently took Qin Yucen by the hand with a smile.
Qin Yucen returned the smile, and the two of them walked toward the elevator as closely as they had during their school days.
Inside Xi Yan's office, she poured a cup of coffee for Qin Yucen, who took it in her hands, "Yanyan, I seduced Huo Jingtang..."
Xi Yan's hand trembled while holding the coffee, spilling a bit of it. She put down the cup due to the heat, a rare loss of composure showing.
Qin Yucen then recounted the events of yesterday without omitting a single detail, leaving Xi Yan trembling.
"Are you saying you slept with the president?" Xi Yan took a while to find her voice, a hint of helplessness as she massaged her forehead, "Cencen, even if you really want this contract, you shouldn't sell yourself like this. Does Guan Haoyang know about this?"
"I guess he does." Qin Yucen only felt a headache, unable to think.
"Is he even a man? He left you to deal with his family mess and went abroad right after getting married. If it weren't for you managing Guanshan for him, could he have taken over the company so smoothly when he returned? That's all aside, but this time, to push you into the fire pit for a contract..." Xi Yan was indignant on her friend's behalf, "Does he still regard you as his wife?"
Qin Yucen held her coffee and took a light sip, using it to mask her immense embarrassment and pain.
But Xi Yan could see through her façade and calm demeanor, "He's treated you like this, and you still have... fondness for him?"
"We've been married for five years..." she said softly.
"Yes, it's been five years. So, do you think he loves you?" Xi Yan's question made Qin Yucen unable to avoid answering, she just trembled her lashes slightly and looked away, "Stop deceiving yourself. Cencen, there's a problem between you two. Of course, I hope you're happy, but you don't look happy at all right now. I feel sorry for you, and I don't want to see you continue to wallow. Sometimes, letting go of certain things may lead you to another happiness."
"Another happiness?" Qin Yucen puzzled, her eyes filling with a vague mist.