Even with no one under her to handle the legwork, Gu Xuehan’s recent workload had grown to the point of near chaos—but that didn’t mean nothing was moving.
Much to Gu Xuehan’s surprise, regarding the Xinsheng labor dispute case, just as she’d finished organizing everyone’s statements and drawn up a supplementary evidence checklist to notify each person, planning to have them fill in the gaps accordingly, Xinsheng’s legal and HR departments proactively reached out, stating that the earlier dismissals had indeed involved procedural issues.
“Counselor Gu, following our internal review, we found errors in the serious-misconduct findings for the employees involved. Upon re-investigation, we found no evidence of badge-swiping to fraudulently claim overtime pay. We will therefore be issuing a public apology on the company website in the coming days to the affected employees, and will strictly discipline those responsible for fabricating the frame-up in this incident.”
The legal department representative who called Gu Xuehan was extremely polite: “Since you’re representing the affected employees, Young Master Tan has asked that we communicate directly with you. Regarding next steps, we have two proposals: beyond a formal apology, all wrongfully affected employees will receive appropriate compensation. Whether they stay or leave will be entirely their choice—if they’re willing to accept our apology and remain at Xinsheng, each employee’s monthly salary will rise by ten percent, and the R&D production line that was wrongfully cut will be restored, safeguarding everyone’s lawful rights. If they feel this incident has damaged their trust in Xinsheng and no longer wish to stay, we will provide severance in accordance with the law.”
Gu Xuehan frowned as she read through the two proposals. By any measure, they were remarkably generous—but… Gu Xuehan had always been wary of things that seemed too good to be true. The dismissed employees had all described the legal and HR departments as stubborn and unyielding, refusing to budge no matter what the employees said. So why the sudden hundred-eighty-degree reversal?
“May I ask, is Mr. Tan Weixiang still overseeing this matter going forward?”
If Tan Weixiang was still in power, who knew whether this whole gesture was simply another trap he’d set up to cause trouble behind the scenes.
The legal department representative laughed. “No, this matter is now being handled directly by our Young Master Tan. He personally investigated the incident, and upon discovering the problem, has already suspended Tan Weixiang and referred him for internal audit and further investigation. Should any unlawful conduct be found, we will pursue litigation in the company’s name. Regarding the non-compliant conduct involved, lower-level staff will be terminated outright; higher-level staff, given their broader influence and the possibility of additional legal violations, will also be referred for internal audit. Where suspected criminal misconduct in the course of employment is found, we will file a police report and invite the procuratorate to intervene.”
…
Gu Xuehan hung up in a state of surprise and astonishment. Contrary to her expectations, this new Young Master Tan now running Xinsheng didn’t seem like some useless, coddled heir at all—his approach was swift and decisive, showing no mercy at all toward Tan Weixiang, a relative who’d controlled Xinsheng for years.
When Gu Xuehan relayed the news to all her clients, everyone reacted with the same surprise, followed mostly by relief and excitement.
“That’s wonderful! I’ve been with Xinsheng since it was founded—of course I have feelings for the company. I still have R&D projects there too. With this kind of response, basically clearing our names, I’d be glad to go back!”
“Young Master Tan said that besides letting us return to our original positions, our new drug will be re-evaluated. If it passes, he’ll personally step in with additional investment.”
“Never expected this Young Master Tan, young as he is, to act so decisively—hearing that Tan Weixiang’s been sidelined and put under investigation, with all his cronies rooted out, some fired, some referred for prosecution—it’s incredibly satisfying!”
…
Gu Xuehan ultimately met with each client individually, addressing their needs one by one to make sure everyone was satisfied with the resolution.
It had to be said, this mysterious Young Master Tan really had surprised her. She’d been somewhat unfair in her earlier assumptions—this Young Master Tan genuinely seemed like a decent person, especially toward the janitor, Sister Zhu, and her family, for whom he’d arranged medical assistance.
“In short, going forward, your mother’s hospitalization and treatment costs will be entirely covered by Xinsheng. Your mother can take extended sick leave—although normally, once sick leave exceeds three months within a year, the company may terminate employment with one month’s compensation, Xinsheng will not proceed with any such dismissal in your mother’s case. Please let her focus on recovering with peace of mind. Xinsheng will continue to cover her employee benefits, including medical insurance, throughout, and if you need to work, Xinsheng will cover caregiver costs as well.”
This was the second time Gu Xuehan had seen Wenxi, still wearing the same outfit as before—clean, but undeniably shabby. This time they met at a restaurant, and compared to the well-dressed patrons around them, Wenxi’s clothing stood out sharply. His looks drew just as much attention as his attire, so the moment he walked in, he attracted glances of every kind—some clearly interested, some frowning and sidelong because of how he was dressed.
Wenxi himself didn’t seem to mind at all. Despite his modest circumstances, he kept his back straight, showing no discomfort under the mixed stares—no inferiority complex, no oversensitivity, just an easy, natural composure.
Grateful for Young Master Tan’s help, he thanked Gu Xuehan obediently: “Thank you, sister. If it weren’t for you, this probably wouldn’t have resolved so smoothly.”
Taking credit she hadn’t earned wasn’t Gu Xuehan’s style; for this collective labor dispute that had settled before litigation even began, she felt she had no right to claim it. “I really didn’t do much. Xinsheng reached out on their own to propose the settlement. You saw the terms yourself—they’re quite fair and considerate.”
Since their meeting happened right around mealtime, Gu Xuehan invited him to eat at the restaurant and ordered a few dishes. Wenxi looked rather bashful, quite nervous while ordering, so in the end Gu Xuehan ordered for him. Now he sat carefully cutting his steak, his eyes bright and eager as a puppy’s, gazing at her.
“Sister, so who at Xinsheng was it that actually proposed the settlement? Who should we thank?”
Though reluctant, Gu Xuehan answered honestly: “The Young Master Tan you keep mentioning.”
Wenxi flashed a dazzling smile, teeth white, eyes bright. “Sounds like this Young Master Tan is worth looking forward to, after all.”
Gu Xuehan gave a noncommittal “mm.”
But Wenxi seemed to grow more animated, taking a sip of his drink and looking up at her. “Sister, why won’t you say something nice about him? I think he sounds pretty great—young, but clear-headed about right and wrong, decisive and firm…”
Gu Xuehan frowned, not quite following his logic. “What’s there to praise? He was just doing his job—it’s hardly praiseworthy, just enough to avoid being cursed at. You young people shouldn’t let yourselves be so easily manipulated by capital, as if you should be grateful just for being given your normal, legal rights as workers. You could use a bit more fighting spirit.”
Wenxi seemed to choke for a moment, then cleared his throat and continued. “It’s mainly that Young Master Tan is around my age, so putting myself in his shoes, it seems really difficult—taking over Xinsheng amid trouble on every front, his father too ill to manage the company, a wolfish uncle holding onto power, yet still managing to withstand the pressure and deliver such a fair, decisive resolution. That’s no small feat.”
At this, Gu Xuehan found it baffling. She looked at him for a moment, then said, quite genuinely: “This is the first time I’ve seen a sheep feel sorry for the wolf.”
“…”
She took a heartless sip of her drink. “So, since you have so much free time worrying about this filthy-rich Young Master Tan, when exactly do you plan to pay back the five thousand yuan I lent you?”
“…”
Because Xinsheng ultimately went with the settlement, keeping Zhu Xiangling’s position intact, there was no longer any severance compensation involved in terminating an employment relationship. Future medical expenses would be directly reimbursed by the company based on receipts the Zhu family provided, so in this case there was no lump-sum cash compensation for Gu Xuehan to deduct anything from.
“Since this settlement really didn’t take much effort on my part, I can waive the legal fees. But the five thousand yuan was a private loan—no interest, but you still owe it.” She glanced at him. “You’re a young man with two working hands. Your mother’s caregiver expenses are now covered by Xinsheng—when are you going to find a job?”
Wenxi clearly hadn’t expected this, looking rather stunned. “Sister… so you agreed to have lunch with me just to collect on the debt…?”
Gu Xuehan didn’t bother responding, and, ignoring his disbelief, pulled a stack of printed materials from her bag. “These are recent job listings I noticed. I’ve screened them and marked the legitimate ones that suit your situation in red pen. Go submit applications, interview at each one, and ask if you have questions.”
She continued, pulling a bag of materials from beside her feet and handing it over. “These are review materials for the self-study higher-education exam. Take them—you can study while working, and once you’ve upgraded your credentials, you’ll have better job options.”
Then she pulled out a receipt. “All these materials together cost two hundred and eighty-six yuan. If you want to keep them, you’ll owe a total of five thousand two hundred and eighty-six going forward. If you don’t want to pursue the self-study route, you can decline now—there’s a seven-day no-questions-asked return, no cost to you, and you’ll only owe the original five thousand.”
Wenxi looked utterly stunned, staring at the materials in disbelief. “Sister… I thought you were a little different… Out of all your clients, you only invited me to lunch, so I thought maybe you…”
He looked genuinely wounded. “Actually, being asked to eat with you made me really happy—I thought you were different, because sister, honestly, at first sight I—”
Before he could finish, Gu Xuehan cut him off.
She frowned. “Stop right there. Don’t think confessing your feelings gets you out of your obligation to repay this debt.” Unmoved, she added, “I don’t fall for that, little brother.”
“I only invited you to eat because this restaurant’s running an anniversary promotion—buy one, get one free for two diners. Out of all my clients, you were the only unemployed, idle one—everyone else is busy.” She pressed her lips together. “And, of course, out of all my clients, you’re the only one who still owes me money. I hope you find work soon and pay me back.”
Wenxi looked genuinely hurt. “I thought you were a kind, gentle sister…”
“I already told you—there’s no such thing as genuine sentiment in this world. Flattery gets you nowhere.”
He clearly wanted to explain himself, but Gu Xuehan had no interest in hearing it. Confirming he had no intention of returning the study materials, she called the server for the check, glanced at the time, gave him a brief goodbye, and left the restaurant, leaving Tan Wenxi sitting there in stunned silence for a long while.
Tan Wenxi had studied abroad since middle school, but from a young age had noticed that people drawn by his family’s wealth always seemed to surround him in great numbers. Even though he himself wasn’t lacking in looks or education, knowing everyone always saw his background first made every friendship feel impure. He’d carried a somewhat idealistic hope of finding a girlfriend or future partner who liked him purely for who he was, not for his family’s money.
His interest in Gu Xuehan at first sight had been genuine. Though she was three years older, he didn’t mind the age gap at all—he found her stunning, especially in her professional mode: sharp and capable in a way most girls his age simply weren’t. Mature, competent, mysterious, commanding—he simply couldn’t look away.
Parachuted in this time to investigate Xinsheng’s labor dispute, he’d proactively reached out to Zhu Xiangling’s family from the start, already gathering plenty of insider information from her. Posing as her son to infiltrate the rights-protection group was meant to give him an insider’s view of what these core technical veterans actually wanted, so he could offer a precise resolution and retain key talent—he simply hadn’t expected to run into Gu Xuehan along the way.
It wasn’t as if he’d never concealed his identity before—every other time, his face and physique alone had been more than enough to win friends or catch someone’s interest effortlessly. But that trick failed completely with Gu Xuehan, who seemed like a fortress, entirely impervious.
He’d hoped that borrowing money might serve as an icebreaker to build a connection with her, and then pursue a relationship—but as it turned out, all she ever wanted was her money back!