Weiwei was walking slowly to her apartment building from the bus stop. It was a hot day, and she couldn't wait to get inside. Weiwei felt tired and a little sad. The happiest few weeks of her life were over, and she dreaded that the dull rest of her life was ahead of her.
Every job has its problems. I suppose there is always something extra that is required to succeed in business. Creative accounting must be part of it. At least, it's no longer Mr. Bai's sweatshop.
Weiwei heard a car door close behind her and someone call her name.
Weiwei turned around and saw Qi.
A wave of electricity ran through her. The sensation was so strong that for a second her vision blurred, and she dropped her lunch box.
Qi rushed forward. "Are you okay?"
Weiwei stared at him, stupefied.
What just happened to me?
"I didn't mean to startle you," he hurried. He picked up the lunch box and looked at Weiwei with concern. "I'm very sorry."
"That's okay, it's not your fault. I'm just tired," said Weiwei. She felt like a zombie as she listened to her own voice; it was low and sounded as if it was someone else's.
Qi shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Could we talk? I won't take up more than ten minutes of your time."
What is it about this week? I really don't want to hear any more bad news. Can I just go home?
Weiwei glanced at Qi, and something inside her stirred. His face looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes clearly visible in the slanted light of the evening sun. Qi looked determined, but strangely vulnerable. Not weak, no, he appeared to her in general as strong as ever, but vulnerable to what she might say or do.
"If ten minutes of my time mean so much to him, how can I possibly say no?" thought Weiwei. "Ten minutes of my time are worth nothing."
She nodded, and saw his face brighten instantly.
"In my car?" he pointed at a silver sedan a few steps away.
Weiwei silently followed him.
The air inside the car was cool and subtly fragrant. It was much better than on the bus or outside. Weiwei looked at her hands that nervously clutched the handbag and forced herself to let go of it.
"Weiwei, I want to tell you the whole story," said Qi finally. "The only reason I didn't tell you everything before was that I thought it was too early and presumptuous of me."
Weiwei glanced at Qi again. She remembered his confession in the taxi, but she wasn't sure what to expect today.
"I should've told you about my position at the company," said Qi. "But at first I didn't want you to think about it during your interview or your first weeks at the firm."
So that's why I got hired?
"Did you tell them to hire me?" she asked dejectedly.
Qi instantly shook his head.
"No, I didn't tell them to hire you. I merely referred you to the HR of the division."
Given your title, it's the same thing.
Weiwei felt deep disappointment. She wasn't hired on merit, after all. She was hired because she was referred by a VP.
"Trust me, they would've interviewed you and liked you anyway," Qi said, looking at her intently, as if trying to guess her thoughts. "I didn't vouch for you. I didn't say I knew you. All I did was suggest to look at a candidate that seemed like a good fit for their entry accounting position. I told them the truth."
Weiwei sighed. "I see."
Suddenly, she thought of something else.
What if Ms. Zhu told others? Given how quickly rumors spread in the company, by now everyone would know about his recommendation. Is that they were all so nice to me? Do they talk about me having a backer behind my back? That would be so embarrassing!
"Tell me what's on your mind," said Qi.
Weiwei remembered that she promised herself to also be honest with him. Of course, Qi had hidden things from her in the past, but he was trying to make amends. So she should be more open instead of repeating the behavior she didn't like.
It's scary to be honest!
"I'm thinking about how my coworkers must've been gossiping about me all this time, and I didn't have a clue."
"I'm sure they aren't," said Qi. "At least, they have no reason for it."
Weiwei sighed again. "I know. Sometimes even small things are enough to cause gossip and jealousy among coworkers."
"I really was just trying to help."
"I know," she repeated. "I believe you."
She saw the impression her words made.
He seems to really care about what I think. Why am I being so hard on him?
She half-turned toward him. "What's happened to you, then?"