The next day, after getting up, Xun Xun seriously considered whether she should go to work at Yao Kai. Her conclusion was: why not go? She wasn’t the one who had done anything wrong. If she wanted to display her virtue, she shouldn’t have come in the first place. Once she came, she had to be prepared to face all kinds of risks. Now that the one-month probation period had passed, even if Chi Cheng was annoyed with her and wanted to fire her, he would have to provide appropriate compensation according to company policy.
She wasted some time on the “go or not go” proposition. When she arrived at the office building during rush hour, she couldn’t squeeze into the elevator. By the time she successfully appeared at the company entrance, the front desk clock hands were wandering to exactly eight twenty-nine and fifty-five seconds. Xun Xun let out a long breath, happily moving her finger toward the fingerprint attendance machine. Just then, a sudden exclamation came from beside her: “Watch out…”
Living by the motto “born in sorrow, die in peace,” Xun Xun instinctively looked down at her feet. She was still standing safely on Earth, with nothing but the light beige polished floor beneath her feet. However, at that moment between looking down and up, time had mercilessly slipped away. When she turned her attention back to the attendance machine, it was already eight thirty-and-three seconds.
“…late!” concluded the instigator who had caused her to miss the attendance time, though the latter half of the sentence was filled with regret.
“I was just warning you to watch out for being late. Unfortunately, you still were.” Chi Cheng stood near the front desk holding a cup of coffee, his face expressionless. “Zhao Xun Xun, this is your second time being late in over a month. I hope you strengthen your sense of time. Perhaps the company’s penalties are too lenient to make you learn your lesson?”
Xun Xun stood still for a moment, then resignedly took out her wallet to find fifty yuan in cash.
Zhou Ruisheng came out with other colleagues to see which unfortunate person had run into trouble. Seeing it was Xun Xun, he was startled and came forward to mediate.
“I think we can let this one slide. She already had one foot in the company door.”
Chi Cheng’s face was full of mockery: “So this is how you manage the company’s HR policies? No wonder everyone is so disorganized and completely scattered! One foot in the company is enough? What about her other foot? Ridiculous! If I see such loose discipline again, you’ll be the first one I penalize.”
Zhou Ruisheng could only nod in agreement.
By this time, Xun Xun had found the fifty yuan and held it out to her angry superior with her head down. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
Chi Cheng didn’t reach out to take it. Zhou Ruisheng couldn’t read their intentions and didn’t dare to act rashly. Her hand was left awkwardly suspended until Sun Yifan finally accepted it on their behalf, saying with a smile, “Well, since this money goes to the company’s social fund anyway, Xun Xun, you’ve contributed twice now – you have no excuse not to come to the next event.”
Back in the Finance Department office, surprisingly, Chen Zhou hadn’t arrived on time either. When Old Wang went out to get Chi Cheng’s signature, Sun Yifan quietly consoled Xun Xun: “It’s not your fault. Some people who usually have nothing to do can only use opportunities like this to show their authority. Don’t take it to heart.”
Xun Xun was surprised by his words but maintained her composure, saying, “It’s nothing, it’s all my fault. If I had come earlier, none of this would have happened.”
After she finished speaking, she noticed Sun Yifan smiling at her, continuing to look until she awkwardly lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
“You’re a sensible woman,” he said.
Just then, arguments erupted at the doorway. Zhou Ruisheng, after being scolded by Chi Cheng, had resolved to dutifully perform his duties and was standing near the front desk watching for late arrivals to make an example of them. He caught Chen Zhou rushing in hurriedly.
Chen Zhou, relying on her seniority, refused to pay the fine on the spot and got into an argument with Zhou Ruisheng, who was also a middle manager.
Sun Yifan walked out of the Finance Department upon hearing the commotion. For some reason, Chen Zhou, who had been red-faced with anger, suddenly abandoned her merciless mockery of Zhou Ruisheng and decisively slapped one hundred yuan onto the front desk.
“Look carefully, I’ve paid for next time too!”
“This is truly lawless now. Manager Chi is right – you completely disregard discipline. Everyone’s hearts are scattered. We need to get things in order,” Zhou Ruisheng’s fair face had gained some color.
“If you have the ability, call Chi Cheng out to collect this money. It’s not your place to manage my affairs!” Chen Zhou’s fiery temper flared up again.
“Don’t think that just because you’re from headquarters or a veteran we wouldn’t dare to do anything to you.”
“You…” She was about to retort when they realized Chi Cheng was standing at his office doorway.
“If you want to argue, get out and do it. Anyone who doesn’t want to work here can leave right now!” he shouted coldly.
The office finally fell completely silent.
For the entire morning, Xun Xun noticed Chen Zhou was in a daze. When Xun Xun handed her reimbursement forms, Chen Zhou stamped them and returned them, completely unaware that all the stamps were upside down.
When no one else was around, Xun Xun asked with concern: “Sister Zhou, are you alright today?”
She thought Chen Zhou was feeling hurt about Chi Cheng’s morning scolding and was worried about how to console her. Unexpectedly, after staring at her computer screen for a while, Chen Zhou suddenly blurted out: “I’m fine. I just registered an account on a dating website. Starting today, I’m going to start dating!”
This… probably didn’t have much to do with the morning’s lateness incident. Xun Xun then remembered Chi Cheng mentioning last night that Sun Yifan had taken Chen Zhou home. She wondered if something had happened between them, causing the deeply infatuated homebody Chen Zhou to think about joining a dating website. It seemed she had received quite a shock.
“May I ask why?” Xun Xun carefully inquired.
Chen Zhou immediately rolled her office chair to Xun Xun’s desk, leaned on the desktop, and slowly and painfully pounded the table.
“Xun Xun, let me tell you, I can’t go on living. I’ll tell you a secret – actually, I’ve always… had feelings for Sun Yifan!”
Faced with this “secret” that most of the company already knew, Xun Xun couldn’t pretend to be too surprised. She could only respond with an “Oh.”
“But it’s completely over between us!”
“…Did something start?”
“Shh!” Chen Zhou lowered her voice, struggling for a long time before deciding to speak. “I’m only telling you this, and you have to keep it secret until the day you die!”
Xun Xun gave another pressure-filled “Oh.”
“Yesterday evening I had a few extra drinks, and he offered to take me home. You don’t know how flustered I was… But I was dizzy then. After getting home, I only remember him settling me in bed. I lay there for a while and felt the need to use the bathroom, so I went to the toilet. But when I was about to flush, I suddenly found him standing in front of me.”
“He was in the bathroom too?” Xun Xun’s mouth gaped open again.
“No, that would have been better,” Chen Zhou wanted to die of embarrassment. “When I saw him, I immediately sobered up halfway and realized I wasn’t standing in my home bathroom at all, but in front of the living room sofa, with a large wet patch on the carpet beside me…”
Once again, Xun Xun suspected it was her problem. She must be too awkward with words because whenever she heard about others’ painful experiences, she would rack her brains but still couldn’t find appropriate words of comfort. So, she could only fall silent once more.
After that incident, Chen Zhou started going on dates with men she matched with on the dating website. Xun Xun didn’t know if she had met anyone suitable. With the Spring Festival approaching, endless tasks were waiting to be done.
At Chi Cheng’s request, the office implemented a strict crackdown on work style issues. Anyone who violated company regulations twice within a month would have their salary reduced by one grade, and further violations would result in immediate dismissal. The entire company became tense – those who were late, those who chatted during work hours, those who played games, and those who spent hours on personal calls, all practically disappeared.
Vehicle use and financial reimbursement policies also became stricter. Xun Xun, who had one previous offense, was especially careful. Though she was typically well-behaved, she became even more meticulous, leaving no room for criticism – even the stern-faced Chi Cheng couldn’t find fault with her. The sales staff under Sun Yifan, who were used to being exempt from normal attendance requirements, suffered the most. Not only did they have to report to the company on time, but getting petty cash advances and expense reimbursements from finance was no longer as easy as before.
Sun Yifan didn’t seem troubled by his young superior’s new policies. Instead, he focused more attention on Xun Xun. Through what might have been coincidence or deliberate arrangement, their interactions increased. She would frequently encounter him “going the same way” after work, and in the office, and when she happened to look up, she could feel him watching her. Due to friction between sales and finance caused by the new policies, he was always appropriately there to help resolve issues for her. Xun Xun maintained a passive attitude toward all of this, avoiding him when possible, and playing dumb when she couldn’t avoid him.
Xun Xun was very aware of her delicate position in the company. Although Chi Cheng had been cold to her in private since their argument that day, he was someone who appeared emotional but was unfathomable to her. She didn’t want to cause any more trouble. Compared to an uncertain relationship with Sun Yifan, she cared more about keeping her job, not to mention her concerns about Chen Zhou.
Sister Yanli was puzzled by Chi Cheng’s sudden disappearance from her daughter’s life. After asking Xun Xun several times without getting the answer she wanted, she had to let it go. At this time, she had no energy to worry about her daughter’s future. Returning to the dance floor had renewed her vitality and energy. She seemed to be gradually emerging from the gloom of losing her husband, dressing up beautifully every day to meet her “dance partners.”
Xun Xun guessed that Sister Yanli’s new dance partner was probably Zhou Ruisheng. During that period, she often saw Zhou Ruisheng in the break room, happily tapping his feet and humming dance tunes. Sister Yanli would also casually praise his dancing skills to her daughter, saying that as someone who had run a gym and worked as a trainer, his sense of rhythm was simply unmatched.
To be honest, Xun Xun felt quite worried about Zhou Ruisheng’s growing closeness with her mother. It wasn’t that she opposed her mother finding new happiness – Zhou Ruisheng seemed to have an extremely good temper and was very considerate of Xun Xun. But Xun Xun didn’t like his excessive worldliness and slickness. There was something “superficial” in his eyes that made her feel uneasy, though she suspected she might have been prejudiced by Chi Cheng’s “bastard” assessment.
However, regardless of Xun Xun’s feelings, the matter wasn’t for her to decide. Whenever she showed the slightest concern about Sister Yanli’s frequent contact with Zhou Ruisheng, it would provoke Sister Yanli’s fury. Additionally, due to her deteriorating relationship with Chi Cheng, getting information about Zhou Ruisheng indirectly from him became impossible. She could only watch as Sister Yanli eagerly went out like a young girl and returned under the moonlight with a satisfied smile.
The week before the official Spring Festival holiday, the company held its annual meeting. Though called an annual meeting, it was just the company treating everyone to dinner, with some activities and prize drawings. But after everyone had been busy and tense for so long, it was a rare chance to relax. So although it was a normal workday that morning, there were more smiles in the office.
Shortly after Xun Xun arrived at the office, she received a call from Sun Yifan. He said he had some questions about post-holiday shipping amounts and wanted to ask her in person, requesting her to come to his office.
When Xun Xun knocked and entered Sun Yifan’s office, he was still busy. He glanced up at her, told her to come in, and asked her to close the door. Xun Xun didn’t know what he intended and felt somewhat uncomfortable, but he took out a box of milk and a piece of chiffon cake from his desk drawer.
“You didn’t have breakfast again today, did you?” He gestured for Xun Xun to take the food.
A few days ago, while having lunch with colleagues, everyone was chatting except Xun Xun, who kept her head down while eating. Sun Yifan asked why she seemed so hungry, and Xun Xun casually replied that she hadn’t eaten breakfast. Unexpectedly, he took it to heart and brought her eggs and milk the next workday. Xun Xun declined politely, concerned about others’ views and knowing that eating during work hours was strictly forbidden – getting caught would be another violation. This time, he came up with this solution, calling her to his office.
“Don’t worry about me, just quickly eat and go back to work. Don’t worry, nothing will happen in my office, and Chi Cheng won’t come in easily.”
“But I ate this morning.”
“Then do me a favor and don’t make me feel so thoroughly rejected. Just eat a little bit.” Sun Yifan said gently.
His attitude left Xun Xun at a loss for words. She had no choice but to take the food and sit on the sofa opposite his desk, trying to finish it as quickly as possible. Sun Yifan watched her insert the straw into the milk box, a pleased smile appearing on his face, before lowering his head to continue preparing materials for the year-end summary meeting.
At this moment, it would be a lie if Xun Xun said she wasn’t moved at all. Her reasons for resisting Sun Yifan were, first, Chi Cheng, and second, Chen Zhou. Ultimately, it was about keeping her job – better to avoid trouble. But setting aside all these external concerns, how did she feel about Sun Yifan? She hadn’t thought deeply about it, only knowing that she didn’t reject him. But among the countless people in this world, she rarely felt rejection toward anyone who kept a safe distance, except for the very few who instinctively made her feel dangerous.
Chi Cheng’s office was separated from Sun Yifan’s by just one wall. The transparent glass partition was covered by lowered Venetian blinds. Xun Xun sat next to this partition and suddenly reached out to lift one of the slats slightly, peeking through that small space of glass at the person sitting on the other side.
She often pondered one thing: what kind of person was the real Chi Cheng? Frivolous, open-minded, cynical, cunning, sophisticated, sharp, sincere… which one was he? Unfortunately, at this moment she could only see his hands, constantly turning over documents on his desk.
“I told you you can relax. These blinds are usually down anyway, and I don’t think he particularly wants to see me all the time either.”
Xun Xun was startled – she hadn’t noticed when Sun Yifan had walked from behind his desk to her side.
“Why do you say that?” she asked Sun Yifan.
“Would you like having a former dynasty’s minister constantly in your sight, reminding you that your current prosperity was built on someone else’s achievements?”
“Is that how you see it?”
“That’s right. I despise privileged young masters like him – what does he have besides a lucky father? But I have to admit, Yao Kai isn’t the same as Yao Kai anymore. Never mind Chi Cheng, headquarters specially appointing a finance manager from above basically shows they don’t trust us at all. Xun Xun, you came late, none of this concerns you, but if one day I leave here, would you be willing to come with me?”
“You’re leaving?”
“It’s only a matter of time. I just want to know if you’ll come with me?”
Sun Yifan’s meaning couldn’t have been clearer, just waiting for her response. He crouched beside Xun Xun, his face determined but his eyes gentle. From certain angles, Sun Yifan and Xie Pingning shared some qualities – they were both considerate, the kind of people who easily brought others peace of mind. If Chi Cheng was like water, either unfathomably deep or tempestuous, men like them were like mountain rocks – reliable and stable.
Xun Xun had had enough of childhood instability. Men like Xie Pingning and Sun Yifan were the type she subconsciously trusted and was willing to rely on. Although her marriage to Xie Pingning had failed, she still didn’t think he was a bad person. On the contrary, he was a good husband – too many random factors had made it impossible for Xun Xun to continue with him, but that didn’t negate that this type of person was suitable for her. Marriage more often depends on compatibility rather than depth of love, which is why Zhang Ailing said: that with the right conditions, anyone can be a good husband.
What would happen if she nodded and took Sun Yifan’s hand? Leave Yao Kai, leave Chi Cheng, leave this life of constant anxiety… A person’s entire life is determined by choices made in moments.
Xun Xun said softly, “I can’t go anywhere. I have to take care of my mother.”
“I can help you take care of her.”
“Thank you, but you don’t need to do these things for me.”
“What if I said it would be my honor?”
She lowered her head with a slight smile but didn’t speak again.
Sun Yifan seemed to understand that perhaps he was just too hasty. He stood up and said without any resentment, “You don’t need to answer me right away, Xun Xun. I hope you’ll give yourself some time to think it through clearly.”
Chen Zhou was still busy at her computer. Seeing Xun Xun return, she frowned and said, “You’re back, get ready, we’re about to have a meeting.” As she spoke, she handed this month’s report to Xun Xun with instructions: “Take this to Chi Cheng.”
“Me?” Xun Xun was somewhat surprised. Usually, Chen Zhou personally delivered the monthly reports to Chi Cheng, taking the opportunity to discuss funding and shipping situations with him face-to-face. How had this task now fallen to her?
Chen Zhou said, “Just go when I tell you to go!” Her tone was somewhat unnatural. Xun Xun understood – Chen Zhou was still bothered by Chi Cheng’s merciless scolding on the day she was late. She repeatedly expressed her dissatisfaction to Xun Xun afterward, saying that she was personally appointed by Chi Cheng’s father and had seniority. If not for her sake, then for his father’s sake, how could he humiliate her in front of so many new employees? If it weren’t for her strict control over finances, who knew what chaos the office would be in now? For this reason, although Chen Zhou didn’t openly express dissatisfaction, she hadn’t shown Chi Cheng any pleasant looks lately.
Xun Xun reluctantly went to knock on Chi Cheng’s office door. After entering, he glanced at her, took the report, and focused on reading it, completely ignoring her presence.
Afraid he might have instructions to relay to Chen Zhou, Xun Xun didn’t dare leave immediately. But Chi Cheng read very slowly, his expression growing increasingly dark. Xun Xun felt strongly that she shouldn’t stay long and stammered, “If there’s n-nothing else, I’ll go back to the office. Director Chen has other tasks waiting for me.”
Chi Cheng finally turned his gaze to her, staring directly at her face. They hadn’t spoken privately since their falling out, and Xun Xun still remembered his inappropriate behavior that night. She had no intention of reconciling, but his current stare made her uncomfortable as if trying to peel away her facade.
“Didn’t Director Chen remind you to look in a mirror?” he said cryptically.
Xun Xun reflexively touched her hair, finding nothing amiss, and then checked her perfectly neat clothes.
Seeing her confusion, Chi Cheng stood up and pulled her to a full-length silver mirror on the right side of his desk. Xun Xun anxiously faced the mirror, seeing herself and him behind her.
Chi Cheng reached around from behind her to touch her face. Xun Xun panicked and turned her head away, but by then his hand had already left her cheek.
“What’s this?” He showed her his finger which at first glance appeared empty, but upon closer inspection had tiny cake crumbs on it.
Xun Xun was mortified – the phrase “forgot to wipe your mouth after sneaking food” seemed made for her. She had been careful everywhere else but somehow couldn’t escape the keen eye of someone looking to find fault.
Chi Cheng returned to his seat, lightly brushing away the cake crumbs from his hand, and said coldly, “The office isn’t your kitchen at home. I advise you to mind your behavior and control yourself. Sometimes when you’re not careful and make a mistake, it’s not just a matter of fifty yuan or a salary reduction. This small place can’t hold as many secrets as you imagine.”
Xun Xun walked out of Chi Cheng’s office with a red face. Fortunately, with the meeting about to start, everyone was busy gathering their things to head to the conference room, so no one noticed her unusual state.
This was the company’s last collective meeting of the year. Chi Cheng, who usually just listened to others speak, made an exception to personally host it. Besides the routine thanks to everyone’s hard work since the office’s establishment, he discussed new plans for post-holiday sales strategies, distribution methods, and management systems.
During this process, Chi Cheng wasn’t as aggressive as Xun Xun remembered. Instead, he seemed to be expressing his initial ideas, even though he could have immediately implemented corresponding policies. What surprised Xun Xun even more was that despite his young and spirited nature, his proposed new policies were conservative and meticulous, focusing on balance rather than expansion.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, low murmurs of discussion spread through the conference room. Many veteran sales staff directly questioned him, believing that Chi Cheng’s overly strict financial procedures and cautious marketing approaches restricted their established working methods, not only affecting efficiency but also dampening motivation.
Chi Cheng didn’t immediately refute them. His silence encouraged some people’s resistance, and their words became more intense, especially among Sun Yifan’s old subordinates who were particularly indignant, showing signs of rebellion. Sun Yifan hadn’t expressed any opinion from start to finish, nor had he tried to stop them. His demeanor was humble and peaceful, but just as he had told Xun Xun, he still harbored contempt for Chi Cheng.
In the end, it was Zhou Ruisheng who stepped forward to calm the group’s emotions. He said that since these were just proposals, there was room for discussion, and everything could be left for after the holiday. Today was the company’s pre-holiday gathering, and there was no need to argue and hurt relationships over these matters.
After the meeting, as everyone was leaving the conference room, Sun Yifan, who was walking behind, called Xun Xun to stop.
“Xun Xun, come here and sign this transfer order for me.” Sun Yifan casually handed several documents to her.
According to Yao Kai’s financial system, when sales staff shipped goods to various distributors, they needed financial review and sales supervisor signatures, especially for distributors who didn’t provide cash transactions and used a ship-first-pay-later approach.
Sun Yifan himself was the main person responsible for sales, and with Chi Cheng too busy to attend to these matters, he usually managed and coordinated shipments. Xun Xun had handled many such shipping orders before. She carefully read the contents of the documents and hesitantly said, “Manager Sun, I remember this distributor hasn’t settled payments with the company for three months. Their unpaid amount has exceeded the company’s limit – according to the rules, we can’t ship directly to them anymore.”
Sun Yifan frowned. “Still calling me Manager Sun? Xun Xun, do you need to be so formal with me?”
“Alright, Manager Sun… uh, Yifan.” Xun Xun still felt awkward using his first name.
After hearing this, he finally showed a pleased smile and said, “It’s fine, these are our long-term clients. We’ve had a pleasant cooperation for many years – this basic level of trust is necessary. Just sign it, their payment will arrive soon.”
“This… I’m afraid I can’t.” Xun Xun was very troubled. “This is beyond my authority. Should I ask Sister Zhou?”
“No need to trouble her with such a small matter. I don’t want to owe her any favors,” Sun Yifan said meaningfully.
He didn’t mind owing Xun Xun favors but was afraid to owe Chen Zhou. Xun Xun’s face began to redden again, but she still didn’t dare act rashly. “In that case, we should ask President Chi.”
“Him?” Sun Yifan said in a voice only they could hear: “What can he do besides creating useless rules and regulations? It’s fine, we’ve always handled things this way. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility.”
Xun Xun bit her lip, struggling internally, but her naturally cautious nature still reminded her to be careful with everything, even small matters. Finally, she returned the transfer order to Sun Yifan, apologetically saying, “This isn’t something I can decide. I’m sorry.”
Sun Yifan wasn’t angry, just smiled and shook his head. “It seems you’re not only a sensible woman but far more cautious than I imagined. I’m very curious – what experiences made you so careful about everything?”
Before Xun Xun could answer, Zhou Ruisheng’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.
“I was wondering why the conference room lights were still on – so you two are here having a private conversation.” He stood smiling at the conference room door, peering inside.
Sun Yifan said, “Director Zhou is joking again. I have nothing to hide, but young women are shy – how can they handle such teasing? I just asked her to help review some documents. Did you need something?”
Zhou Ruisheng’s gaze made Xun Xun extremely uncomfortable. “Oh, nothing, nothing. President Chi asked me to invite Manager Sun to his office.”
Sun Yifan immediately went to see Chi Cheng. Xun Xun didn’t know what it was about, but Zhou Ruisheng was like Chi Cheng’s dog, and Chi Cheng specifically calling Sun Yifan away at this moment made her uneasy.
Sun Yifan stayed in Chi Cheng’s office for quite a while. Near the end of the workday, many people heard the sound of something heavy falling behind the closed door, followed by Sun Yifan storming out with an extremely dark expression. He accidentally collided with Zhou Ruisheng, who was curiously trying to peek inside. Zhou Ruisheng cried out “Aiyou!” as the tea he was holding spilled everywhere, but Sun Yifan walked past him without even furrowing his brow.
In the afternoon, because Old Wang needed to deposit a large amount of cash at the bank, Chen Zhou specifically ordered Xun Xun to accompany him. When Xun Xun returned around four o’clock, Chen Zhou was in Zhou Ruisheng’s office discussing year-end bonus distribution. Xun Xun put the vouchers that needed to be given to Chen Zhou under the paperweight on her desk but unexpectedly saw the familiar shipping order. However, only the third copy was left on Chen Zhou’s desk, and the financial review section already prominently bore Chen Zhou’s signature.
Chen Zhou had been with the company much longer than Xun Xun and was more experienced in handling matters. Although she usually turned a blind eye to Sun Yifan’s small issues, she was someone who knew her mind on important matters – she knew what should and shouldn’t be done. It seemed Xun Xun had been too cautious. Thinking of Sun Yifan, she felt somewhat guilty. He had taken care of her in many ways, but when it came to this small matter, she had overthought it and couldn’t help.