Chapter 5 - Chapter 5

Jiang Wanqing quickly finished her bread, took a short rest, and then hurried off to her next interview.

She had sent out several resumes earlier, and the second company she was heading to seemed quite promising.

Just as the interview was reaching its final stage, the office door suddenly swung open. A beautiful woman, exuding an air of elegance and arrogance, walked in.

"What a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you here," Li Xi'er said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You might as well give up. You're not going to pass today's interview."

"Was it you?" Jiang Wanqing quickly pieced it together, her eyes darting between Li Xi'er and the interviewer. "You two were in on this from the start?"

Li Xi'er chuckled. "You can't say that. It's just that the person interviewing you happens to be my uncle."

Jiang Wanqing clenched her fists, feeling a burning sting on her face.

So, all her effort had just been a performance for Li Xi'er!

Li Xi'er took a step forward, arrogantly closing in on her. "I'm sorry, Miss Jiang, but given the fact that you're Huo Yan's ex-wife, I can't possibly let you stay here."

"I understand," Jiang Wanqing quickly suppressed her emotions, standing up. "In that case, I won't trouble you any further."

There was nothing more to say to Li Xi'er. She packed her things and left without another word.

Li Xi'er was surprised by how decisively she left, watching her retreating figure with an intrigued gaze.

Standing at the entrance of the office building, a cold breeze swept past, and Jiang Wanqing rubbed her shoulders, unable to suppress a bitter smile.

Perhaps her heart had grown too cold…

Passing office workers glanced at her curiously, finding her somewhat familiar.

"Miss Jiang, you're still here."

At that moment, Li Xi'er also emerged from the building, walking up to her and handing her a business card. Her smile carried a hidden meaning. "If you're really struggling to find a job, you can try here. I think this position is most suitable for someone like you."

Jiang Wanqing took the card curiously. On it, the words "Jun Jue Hotel" were printed in gold letters.

The sight of those words sent a shiver through her body, reminding her of the night she had publicly humiliated Huo Yan.

So, Li Xi'er already knew about that!

Jiang Wanqing struggled to suppress the turmoil in her heart, momentarily wanting to tear the card to pieces.

But she held back, even managing to smile as she responded to Li Xi'er's provocation. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Li. I'll consider it."

Thank her?

Li Xi'er was stunned, completely unprepared for Jiang Wanqing's response.

Could she really not tell that she was being mocked!?

"Wanqing!"

A sleek sports car pulled up to the curb.

Lu Qichuan rolled down the window and waved at her, signaling her to come over.

He had just finished his race for the day and had come to pick her up, only to stumble upon this scene.

"Excuse me, Miss Li, someone's here to pick me up. I'll be going now."

Under Li Xi'er's shocked and twisted gaze, Jiang Wanqing waved her hand and gracefully got into Lu Qichuan's car.

"Going home?"

"Wherever."

Right now, she just wanted to get away from this cursed place.

"Alright, let's go!" Lu Qichuan grinned, stepping on the gas. The sleek sports car shot forward like an arrow, drawing gasps from the onlookers.

Li Xi'er watched with gritted teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.

She hadn't expected Jiang Wanqing to find a new lover so quickly—and one who seemed no less impressive than Huo Yan.

What right did this woman have!?

That evening, in an upscale restaurant, Li Xi'er took a sip of champagne, casually observing Huo Yan as she spoke in a seemingly offhand manner. "By the way, Huo Yan, I ran into Miss Jiang and her boyfriend today."

"Boyfriend?" Huo Yan looked up, his eyes icy.

"Yes," Li Xi'er pretended not to notice his expression, continuing in a soft, reminiscing tone. "It's that rich second-generation guy, Lu Qichuan. His family owns a conglomerate, and he seems to treat Miss Jiang very well. I wouldn't normally pay attention to such things, but… seeing how well Miss Jiang is doing now, while the Jiang family treated you so poorly, and yet she's facing no consequences, I just feel a little…"

She sighed, lowering her gaze. "Mr. Lu is really good to her. He went out of his way to pick her up, made sure she was warm, and even helped her with her coat. He treats her like a treasure."

The more she spoke, the darker Huo Yan's expression became. And then, as if delivering the final blow, Li Xi'er added, "It seems Miss Jiang is living with Mr. Lu now. No wonder she didn't want your house."

Bang!

Huo Yan slammed his utensils onto the table, his face completely shadowed.

Li Xi'er feigned surprise, as if she had just realized something. "Huo Yan, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

She knew Huo Yan would care about this.

After all, it was a matter of a man's pride!

His ex-wife moving on so quickly with another man was like a slap in the face.

"It's nothing," Huo Yan said, forcing himself to calm down. He picked up a napkin to wipe his hands. "I'm done eating."

"I'm almost finished too," Li Xi'er smiled sweetly, but her eyes were filled with hatred as she looked down.

Back in the day, Jiang Wanqing had been the epitome of success, someone Li Xi'er had envied endlessly. She had been a struggling actress in the entertainment industry, constantly bullied and overlooked.

She had envied Jiang Wanqing, but even more, she had hated her—because everything Jiang Wanqing had was beyond her reach.

Now that Jiang Wanqing had finally fallen from grace, she wasn't about to let her climb back up.

She didn't want to live in envy anymore. She wanted to replace Jiang Wanqing as Huo Yan's wife!

After dinner, Huo Yan left the restaurant. The valet had already parked his car at the entrance.

He took the keys and got in, while Li Xi'er followed, trying to get into the passenger seat.

Huo Yan stopped her. "The driver will come to pick you up shortly."

"I have to go back alone?" Li Xi'er pouted, her voice tinged with grievance. "Huo Yan, it's so late. Are you really going to leave me here to wait for the driver?"

"Be patient. The driver will be here soon," Huo Yan said, his voice low and firm.

Li Xi'er had never dared to challenge his temper, so she could only obediently step back to the curb, watching as Huo Yan got into his car and drove off without hesitation.

This was the first time Huo Yan had left her stranded like this, and the first time he had been so cold toward her!

Li Xi'er stared in the direction the car had disappeared, her face dark with suppressed anger.

She knew Huo Yan was probably going to find Jiang Wanqing. Jiang Wanqing was about to face some trouble.

But… she really didn't want Huo Yan to go after Jiang Wanqing. It made her uneasy.

Huo Yan drove at breakneck speed, the night wind rushing through the open windows. But all he could hear in his mind was Li Xi'er's earlier words.

Living together!

Jiang Wanqing was living with that man, Lu Qichuan!

That's why she didn't want his house.

Hmph, how impressive.

Her father had just died, her family was bankrupt, and yet Jiang Wanqing had immediately thrown herself into another man's arms.

He had underestimated her!

He put on his headphones and made a call. "Do something for me."

Despite being repeatedly rejected in her job search, Jiang Wanqing didn't give up. Whenever she had time, she scoured the internet for suitable companies.

Two days later, she received a call from an unknown number.

Thinking it might be an invitation for an interview, Jiang Wanqing answered.

On the other end was a woman with a gentle voice but an authoritative tone. "Hello, is this Miss Jiang Wanqing? I'd like to meet with you regarding a matter."