Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six: Outside the Cubicle
Xiao Yu was shocked.
T-The overseas industries as well?
“What are you doing? We’ve started already,” Chu Ge urged.
“Ohh, coming, coming. Let’s fight back!” Xiao Yu snapped back from his thoughts and quickly began to move his immobile character, swiftly devoting himself to the game.
In the end, he did not push the topic. It may have been his instinct as a n.o.body telling him that the more he asked, the more trouble he was inviting.
“Oh right, there may be some trouble brewing for YL. You can take a short break before heading back to YL for work, but I’ll need your help to cover for me.”
“Oh, sure, sure.” Xiao Yu agreed without hesitation. “What post did Yan Jin arrange for you?”
“The Chairman.”
Chu Ge spoke very calmly as if he was describing what he ate for lunch.
Xiao YU choked on his saliva and began coughing violently.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing…”
It’s probably better if I keep my comments to myself.
……
The exhibition was a success – at least for YL.
When the whole event ended, a small evening party was held as usual, and the partic.i.p.ating companies and staff were all invited. Xiao Yu, He Xinjia and Jing Mo went as a group.
Many of the industries’ big shots attended the evening party making it a great opportunity to meet and befriend these kinds of people. However, that was not the case for Xiao Yu. After that exhibition, he no longer needed to deliberately get to know these big figures.
The moment he entered the main hall, he was the focus of everyone’s attention and the person that everyone wanted to rope in.
As an outstanding designer, his only worry was finding someone who appreciated his talent and following them to ensure a better career progression. In the past, Xiao Yu could not show off his true ability because of the pressure put on him by SI. Now, he no longer had to worry about that anymore. Yan Jin’s YL was without a doubt, the best place for him to use his talent and fully express himself.
Moreover, before he clarified his doubts about the stack of contracts that he had signed, there was still the question of whether YL was even “Yan Jin’s YL”. The thought of managing such a big company almost scared Xiao Yu to death.
In any case, he would have to hold the fort till Yan Jin got back…
Those people who had their eyes on Xiao Yu would never guess that the arrogant and cold looking designer who had a blank look on his face was really daydreaming about his chairman.
In the middle of the evening party was a c.o.c.ktail appreciation session. Regardless of their status, many of these attendees came up with all sorts of excuses to surround Xiao Yu. The designer had turned down several toasts, yet he in the end he couldn’t handle the crowd’s pa.s.sionate approach and ended up fleeing to the washroom.
He avoided the crowd and went in the opposite direction of the hall. After three rounds, he finally snuck into the washroom furthest from the main hall.
The people in the washroom were smoking but they did not notice him.
Xiao Yu sneakily slipped into the first cubicle and shut the door behind him. He let out a sigh of relief as he sat on the toilet seat.
The washrooms of high-cla.s.s hotels were indeed pretty good. Along with the smooth background music and pleasant smell of air freshener, Xiao Yu was quite satisfied with his hiding spot.
The evening party would end in half an hour. He could wait till then and return to the hall as if nothing had happened.
That was what Xiao Yu thought to himself as he took out his mobile to play his game. Then, he heard someone saying his name.
That’s right, he heard his name.
He clearly heard “Xiao Yu” and a weird p.r.o.nunciation of “FISH”.
Xiao Yu’s hands s.h.i.+vered a little.
No way, they still managed to find me here?
Shocked and afraid, Xiao Yu was already prepared to open the door to apologize when he heard something unpleasant.
“How could I not realize in SI that he was a s.l.u.t who slept his way to the top.”
The person who had spoken had a unique articulation. He was one of SI’s designers, an ex-subordinate of Xiao Yu, whose name was Qi Feng.
Xiao Yu hooked the door ledge back.
The lock made a soft click, but it went unnoticed by the emotional group of people out there.
“How do you know what he’d done?” The person who replied sounded familiar. Although Xiao Yu could not recognize who it was yet, he was quite sure that the person must be from the design department anyway. He would probably recognize him if he saw his face.
“It’s obvious. How else could he achieve so much? The mystery designer, gosh, it had to be Chairman Yan over-praising him.” The other person sounded different from the first person, which meant he was probably the third person out there. Xiao Yu still felt that it was a familiar voice.
“Plus, I heard they are a couple now… Hah. He’s just a guy; Chairman Yan must be playing with him. Just wait till… No matter how high he goes now, he will fall from that spot eventually.”
The person had suddenly lowered his voice at the most critical point making Xiao Yu unable to catch what he said.
But it was more than enough.
Xiao Yu’s breathing got a little calmer.
Qi Feng was a person with quick wits and he was popular with everyone. He graduated from University S as a design major and had been working at SI for almost two years now. The reason why Xiao Yu had a deeper impression of him was because Qi Feng had been an intern that Xiao Yu had hired into the company.
It had been the first time Xiao Yu was in charge as an interviewer. He was more nervous than the interviewees and had ended up in the wrong meeting room. While he was at a loss, he was brought to the correct meeting room by a kind-hearted interviewee.
That interviewee was Qi Feng.
Initially, HR did not want to hire any graduates from that year’s cohort. That was the first time Xiao Yu had relied on his status as the chief designer to forcefully allowed Qi Feng to enter the company.
Xiao Yu also took care of Qi Feng in many ways back then. Not only did he pull him into his own team of designers, but he also introduced him to Lin Zhou when he noticed that his designing style was different from his.
After the car accident, Xiao Yu had been dismissed by SI. Other than feeling at a loss about his future, Xiao Yu had been most worried about Qi Feng, whether his subordinate’s future would be affected by his actions.
…… It seems like he had worried too much.
Xiao Yu laughed at himself.
The trio chatted awhile more and seemingly prepared to leave.
Xiao Yu checked the time and opened the cubicle door.
His gaze swept across the trio’s faces filled with panic, awkwardness, and nervousness, before he focused on Qi Feng.
“What a coincidence.”
“W-What a…” Qi Feng stuttered.
Xiao Yu did not care as he proceeded to wash his hands at the basin, close the faucet, wipe his hands dry before he left.
Leaving the trio behind in a daze.
……
“What took you so long? Did anything happen?” Jing Mo quickly realized something amiss with Xiao Yu’s emotions.
“Nothing really. J-Just happen to meet some people from my previous company.” Xiao Yu did not want to speak about it at first. But, when the person asking was Jing Mo, he hesitated for a moment before he answered. “There’s this subordinate that I pulled for a promotion back then. I just overheard him saying that I’m a s.l.u.t who slept his way to the top.”
“Oh.” Jing Mo nodded his head understandably. He was quite an expert in consoling, plus, he was specifically instructed on what to do next in situations like this.
“Do you know who they are?”
“My ex-subordinate, his surname is Qi,” Xiao Yu answered honestly despite not knowing why Jing Mo asked that.
“Alright, noted.” Jing Mo adjusted his spectacles. “We’ll end him once Chairman Yan is back.”
Xiao Yu: “… Hold on?”
“Just joking.” Jing Mo shrugged his shoulders playfully as if he were not aware of how frightening the joke had sounded to Xiao Yu.
“That’s not funny at all.” Xiao Yu wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.
“So what do you plan to do? Take revenge?” Jing Mo asked.
Xiao Yu shook his head bewilderedly. “I don’t know. I was very, very disappointed at first. But I don’t feel as sad now.”
Jing Mo replied, “That’s because living well is the best revenge.”
“…… That’s true.” Xiao Yu agreed.
If the same thing were to happen to him just after he had been kicked out of SI, he may have hidden in the cubicle and waited till the trio left before he tiptoed his way out. However, right now, he could stand there justly and honorably. Even if he stood there without saying a word, those people would still be embarra.s.sed and at a complete loss.
That should be the norm. He did nothing wrong; it was them who were wrong.
As Confucius said, “The gentleman is open and at ease; the villain is full of worries and anxiety.”
This should be the way.
“Thank you.” Xiao Yu said.
“No need for that. It’s part of my job to make sure you’re in a good mood.” Jing Mo laughed lightly, “In fact, it’s totally fine if you would be a bit more willful. There’s someone pampering you after all. Why don’t you sway Chairman Yan through pillow talk and make him buy SI?”
“Hey, that’s enough. Anything more and I’ll get angry.” Xiao Yu blushed at the teasing.
Jing Mo shut his mouth without much choice.
“Oh right, I also heard something bad and I’m not sure if I should say it.” Xiao Yu scratched his head.
“Hmm, about your s.e.x life?”
“You!”
“Fine, I’ll stop teasing you. It’s about that subordinate of yours?”
Xiao Yu nodded his head and continued, “I didn’t get everything he said but I think someone got something unfavorable against me that will be used to prove that I slept with Yan Jin in exchange for benefits.”
Jing Mo’s expression turned serious as the joking side of him disappeared.
“Seems like that can’t wait till Yan Jin gets back. Who’s that person?”
“Qi Feng, SI’s official designer. He should be under Lin Zhou right now.”
“Noted. I’ll check on it. You don’t have to worry, just act like you usually do. Even if something were to happen, we will protect you. You have to believe us that before Yan Jin comes back, we won’t let you get hurt.”
“That’s exaggerating. You make me sound like a fragile young lady.” Xiao Yu felt that Jing Mo’s way of addressing the issue was puzzling, but he did not think further. “If it was the past, I may really be uncomfortable with those opinions. But, I won’t feel that way now. No matter what happens, I’ll always be YL’s chief designer. As long as YL needs me, I won’t lose anymore.”