Wen Tang's fingers had turned pale from being tightly gripped. She had never deluded herself into thinking she could become Mrs. Pei, nor had she ever thought of monopolizing Pei Heyan. This targeted feeling made her feel wronged and suppressed.
"You're a woman too. Do you think it's appropriate to say these things?" Wen Tang said, holding back.
Lu Nianxin played with her hair mockingly, then circled around to Wen Tang's back, "Look, this little mouth of yours speaks so well."
"Yes, I indeed am a woman." She sneered contemptuously, "But as women, there's a huge gap between us."
"I, the beloved public figure, the most favored among the younger generation of the Lu family. And you?" She looked at Wen Tang, "What do you have?"
"Money? Or affection?" Her eyes flaunted, "I'm sorry to say, it seems you have neither."
Lu Nianxin laughed loudly, shattering Wen Tang's heart.
"Right." She said confidently, "I've never experienced being the center of everyone's affection, nor have I ever had the privilege to be willful. However, I know what it means to rely on oneself."
"And not constantly depend on family resources and the conveniences brought by the Pei Group to get what one wants."
Lu Nianxin's eyes reddened with anger, "You!"
Her trembling hand pointed at Wen Tang.
This was clearly calling her incompetent!
She raised her arm to hit Wen Tang but was interrupted by a voice.
"Miss Lu, resorting to violence personally hardly suits the decorum of a household."
Wen Tang and Lu Nianxin both looked towards the source, and the figure in their sight was a woman wearing a black satin cheongsam.
Her ink-black hair was pinned up high, and a jade-green bracelet on her wrist enhanced her elegance.
Lu Nianxin gave her a once-over, "Who are you?"
"I advise you to mind your own business."
Wen Tang recognized her; Chen Yunxi, someone she had come across several times during collaborations.
The current messy state in which she found herself was somewhat embarrassing.
"Who I am is not important. What's important is that you can't hit people at will." Chen Yunxi walked past Lu Nianxin to stand next to Wen Tang, asking her softly, "Are you okay?"
Wen Tang shook her head, "I'm fine."
Lu Nianxin suddenly realized, "Oh! So, you two are in cahoots."
"Ganging up to bully me, aren't you?"
"That's not how you should put it. I support justice, not sides. Don't pin labels on me," Chen Yunxi stated confidently.
Lu Nianxin chuckled lightly and stepped closer, "Do you know who I am?"
"Offend me, and you'll regret it."
Chen Yunxi looked at her indifferently, not taking her seriously at all, "Sorry, I'm not interested in knowing who you are."
"I only know I dislike impatient people."
This was also a tactful way of implying that Lu Nianxin was unstable.
"Good!" Lu Nianxin pointed at Chen Yunxi and Wen Tang, "Very good, you two just wait!"
With those words, she turned and left the restroom.
Wen Tang exhaled, reminding, "You better leave quickly."
Chen Yunxi looked at Wen Tang's pale face, "At this point, perhaps you should prioritize yourself instead of worrying about others."
She looked towards Wen Tang's leg, "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"
Wen Tang quickly wrapped a gauze around the wound on her leg, "No need."
"Thanks for what just happened."
Chen Yunxi crouched down, "Let me help."
She took the gauze from Wen Tang's hands, not saying another word, and began to wrap it around in circles.
At the end, she didn't forget to tie a butterfly knot on Wen Tang's leg.
"There, done!" Chen Yunxi stood up, "I'll help you back."
Feeling indebted, Wen Tang stubbornly said, "I can manage on my own."
She took a step forward, and Chen Yunxi, worried, accompanied her.
The two of them exited the restroom and immediately saw Lu Nianxin pulling on Pei Heyan's arm as they left the CEO's office.
The four of them stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances, Pei Heyan's gaze landing on Wen Tang.
Lu Nianxin, pulling on Pei Heyan's arm, said, "Brother He Yan, they were bullying me just now."
Pei Heyan gave Wen Tang a look and squeezed out two words, "Come in."
With that, he turned and entered the office while Lu Nianxin, having found her support, smirked triumphantly.
Chen Yunxi looked incredulously at Wen Tang, "I, I'll accompany you."
Wen Tang was very grateful, "No need."
She entered the office alone, leaving Chen Yunxi lingering outside.
Occasionally, she would pause deliberately to try to overhear the conversation inside the office.
"President Pei." Wen Tang lowered her head.
Lu Nianxin pointed at Wen Tang and said, "Although she is a secretary, she should not be insubordinate. You must stand up for me."
Wen Tang remained silent.
She was gambling that Pei Heyan would not ask about the details of the incident.
Unexpectedly, the next second Pei Heyan spoke without changing his expression, "Apologize."
Wen Tang raised her head, a flash of astonishment crossing her eyes.
Chen Yunxi pushed the door open, "President Pei, sorry for the interruption."
"I think you should first understand what happened before deciding who is at fault."
Lu Nianxin glared at her through gritted teeth and coquettishly said to Pei Heyan, "Secretary Wen is being insubordinate. If we don't discipline her properly, then all the employees in the company will behave like her, and Nianxin will surely be bullied to death..."
"Apologize." Pei Heyan ignored Chen Yunxi's presence and looked at Wen Tang again.
The overwhelming pressure made her feel chilled to the bone, recognizing her place anew.
"So this is the kind of person President Pei is," Chen Yunxi spoke indignantly, "In Qing City, everyone knows you are decisive and ruthless. So these aren't just synonyms for you, 'arbitrary and unreasonable' applies as well!"
"Don't be afraid." Chen Yunxi approached Wen Tang like an older sister and comfortingly said, "The Pei Family might be powerful, but no power is greater than justice."
She grabbed Wen Tang's hand to leave, only to find Wen Tang firmly rooted to the spot with no intention of leaving.
Looking at Wen Tang with questioning eyes, she said, "Secretary Wen, what's this?"
Wen Tang coldly withdrew her arm, effectively refusing.
She understood her predicament better than anyone. She needed this job, hence the constant concessions to Lu Nianxin.
She couldn't leave, it would upset Pei Heyan, the domineering man of Qing City.
"President Chen, I think you might not yet understand who Secretary Wen really sides with," Pei Heyan's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her intently, "Besides, this is an internal issue of our company. Do you think it's appropriate for you to intervene like this?"
His words carried a powerful oppressive force and a deterrent effect.
Wen Tang knew it was too late to let Chen Yunxi leave.
She took the initiative to speak, "President Chen, you should go back first."
Chen Yunxi glanced at Pei Heyan and Lu Nianxin, then at Wen Tang, feeling increasingly unclear about the situation.