The next day, the company was in an uproar.
"Explosive! Newcomer Bo Yan's secret to rising to the top revealed! Turns out it's..."
"Shocking! CEO Liang Yu suspected of using his position to take advantage of innocent little flowers!"
"Breaking news! We have proof and it's true!"
Eye-catching headlines accompanied blurry photos that quickly spread throughout the company. They were plastered everywhere—even on the kettle lid in the break room.
As soon as Bo Yan stepped into the office, she immediately felt countless eyes scanning her like laser beams. The atmosphere felt as if it had frozen, and the air around her smelled faintly of gossip and suspicion.
"Look, it's her! That's Bo Yan!"
"Tsk tsk, didn't expect someone who looks so harmless to be such a player! The way she works, impressive!"
Whispers buzzed like mosquitoes in her ears, and Bo Yan felt as if she had fallen into a pot of boiling oil, her body bubbling with discomfort. She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the anger rising in her chest, and walked over to the bulletin board, tearing down the photos with swift hands. Inside, she was overwhelmed with frustration and helplessness.
"Mr. Liang wants to see you." A nervous voice broke the tension.
Bo Yan looked up to see someone hurriedly pointing her toward Liang Yu's office. Taking a deep breath, she walked slowly toward the heavy door.
Liang Yu's office was colder than outside, the chill almost palpable.
Sitting behind his desk, Liang Yu's expression was as dark as ink, and in his hand, he held the same photo that Bo Yan had just torn down. His sharp gaze felt as though it could pierce right through her.
"What's going on?" His voice was icy, brows furrowed, and his eyes as sharp as a blade.
Bo Yan bit her lip, trying to control her fury and frustration. "I… I don't know."
"You don't know? The person in the photo isn't you?" Liang Yu's voice rose sharply, his anger practically spilling over.
Bo Yan forced herself to remain calm, staring directly into his eyes. "The photo is real, but things are not as you think."
Liang Yu sneered, as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke. "Not as I think? Then how do you explain it? What's your version of the truth?"
His barrage of questions felt like needles stabbing into her heart. Bo Yan suddenly felt suffocated. In this environment, where everyone was full of prejudice and misunderstanding, her explanations would never make a ripple.
She turned to leave, but Liang Yu suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Stop! You can't leave until we get to the bottom of this!"
Bo Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she jerked her arm free, her eyes reddening. "Mr. Liang, I haven't done anything wrong. I don't need to explain myself to anyone!"
Her voice was tinged with finality as she turned and strode out of the office, leaving Liang Yu standing there, his expression complex, emotions unreadable.
Back in the break room, Bo Yan found Lin Yue. The two women quickly escalated into a fierce argument. Lin Yue's sharp words and the judgmental stares of the surrounding colleagues made Bo Yan feel a sense of humiliation she had never known.
"You think you're something? Just a newcomer, what right do you have…" Lin Yue's words cut through the air, aimed directly at Bo Yan's heart.
Just as Lin Yue seemed ready to crush Bo Yan completely, a crisp voice like thunder shattered the tension. "Lin Yue, you're such a drama queen, even the Oscars owe you a little golden statue!"
Su Yao swept into the break room like a gust of wind, holding up a USB drive with a mischievous grin. With a smile, she plugged the USB into the computer, and instantly the projector displayed a video—evidence of Lin Yue's secret scheming, everything from buying fake followers to photoshopping rumors. It was all laid bare, like a palace drama in real life.
"Holy shit! Lin Yue is such a scheming woman!"
"She looks all sweet and innocent, but behind the scenes, she's this cunning!"
"I can't believe I thought she was a little lamb!"
The break room exploded with shock and laughter, the crowd tearing into Lin Yue. Her face changed from red to white, then white to green, like a color palette. Panicked, she tried to snatch the USB, but Su Yao effortlessly dodged her attempt.
"Trying to destroy the evidence? Too late!" Su Yao stuck out her tongue, making a silly face. "Justice may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive!"
Bo Yan watched as Lin Yue crumpled to the floor, deflated like a punctured balloon. She felt a sense of relief, knowing that the truth had finally been revealed. Although the rumors had been cleared up, the doubt in Liang Yu's eyes still lingered like a thorn in Bo Yan's heart.
She returned to her office, took the resignation letter from her drawer, and quickly scribbled down her decision. She couldn't bear to stay in this environment filled with mistrust, nor did she want to deal with that arrogant CEO any longer, lest it one day drive her to her grave.
"Resigning?" Liang Yu looked at the two simple words on the paper, his brow furrowed, a trace of surprise and confusion in his voice.
"Mm." Bo Yan responded without emotion, her gaze hardening with determination. "I can't stay here anymore."
Liang Yu opened his mouth, intending to say something, but he suddenly found himself at a loss for words, as though something had clogged his throat. He could only watch as Bo Yan turned and left, her figure resolute and proud.
"Wait…" He finally couldn't find the words to stop her. A feeling of emptiness settled in his chest, so deep that it felt almost unbearable. He looked up at the direction she had gone, murmuring softly to himself, "Will she really leave?"