Chapter 553: You Really Care About Her
Liu Tongjia wasn’t expecting Ding Qing to be fired for such a ridiculous reason even before she could finish her third month in Tianyu Group.
She had been infuriated when she heard about that.
She was feeling unwell at that time and was resting at home. If not, she would have gone to Huo Jinyao’s office and questioned him in person.
Old Master Huo didn’t know what had happened yet. He looked at Huo Jinyao. He believed that Huo Jinyao wouldn’t make any stupid decisions.
“He fired her because of what Su Qingsang said.”
Thinking about that, Liu Tongjia disliked Su Qingsang even more.
In her eyes, Su Qingsang was an illegitimate child, who had no wit nor ability.
Previously, she had found Su Qingsang rather polite, unlike the ones with awful manners. But this time, she actually made her husband fire one of his employees because of her unnecessary jealousy.
No one else would have done that.
Thinking about that, Liu Tongjia couldn’t help but turn to Su Qingsang and say, “Su Qingsang, I’m really curious… How did your family raise you?
“Did your family raise you as someone who interferes with her husband’s work? Did your family teach you to fire whoever you don’t like? Su Qingsang, if that’s the truth, I’ll have to admit that I’ve never seen something like this.”
Su Qingsang pressed her lips together. She couldn’t think of a way to argue with Liu Tongjia, as she too realized that she had been unreasonable that day.
Old Master Huo refused to believe that Su Qingsang was that kind of person. He glanced at Huo Jinyao. “Isn’t your secretary Zhang Yang? How did he displease Qingsang?”
Old Master Huo had been to the company many times and had seen Zhang Yang. After hearing what Liu Tongjia said, he couldn’t help but look at Su Qingsang.
He had a good impression of Zhang Yang. He was diligent and hard-working. Unlike Yang Wenchang who was composed and cautious, Zhang Yang was more open-minded and meticulous. The two of them were very helpful to Huo Jinyao.
“It wasn’t Zhang Yang. It was Ding Qing.”
Liu Tongjia glanced at Su Qingsang while saying that. “Huo Jinyao had a new secretary, a female. Su Qingsang doesn’t like that female secretary, so she made Huo Jinyao fire her.”
Huo Jinyao, who had been silent this whole time finally raised his head at that moment, looked at Liu Tongjia, and finally started talking. “Mom, you seem to know about my private affairs pretty clearly. Ding Qing has worked for me for only a short time but you have already memorized her name.”
Liu Tongjia’s expression changed slightly, but she soon adjusted it. Her old age allowed her to maintain a calm persona.
She looked at Huo Jinyao coldly and said, “what? Am I wrong to care about you?”
“Thank you, mom, for caring about me.”
Huo Jinyao said that with a bland tone, then looked at Liu Tongjia in a meaningful way. The look in his eyes implied something sinister and made Liu Tongjia feel uncomfortable.
“Huo Jinyao, mind your att.i.tude. I’m your mother. How can you talk to me like this?”
Huo Jinyao didn’t lower his head like he usually would, nor turn away his eyes. Instead, he looked at Liu Tongjia straight in the eyes.
At first, Liu Tongjia stared back at him, but in the end, she lost her confidence under his intense gaze.
She turned her face away but still felt so angry. Once again, she glared at Huo Jinyao and said, “what? Can’t I talk about it? The matter is over already. Why can’t I talk about it?”
Su Qingsang looked at Huo Jinyao worryingly and automatically reached out to hold Huo Jinyao’s hand.
Huo Jinyao showed no change in his expression at all. Calmly and quietly, he looked at Liu Tongjia.
His att.i.tude boosted Liu Tongjia’s anger. She turned to Old Master Huo and said, “father, tell them. When have I ever interfered with Mingguang’s work? I’ve been standing behind him all this time and being supportive of his job, haven’t I?”
“What about Su Qingsang? She’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Father, is that the right thing to do? Is that?”
Old Master Huo didn’t respond to her, but looked at Su Qingsang and asked her, “Is that true, Qingsang?”
“Grandpa.”
Su Qingsang bit her lower lip. That had been her fault indeed. “I can explain. I…” She struggled to explain herself.
“Explain? You’re just gonna find excuses, aren’t you?”
Liu Tongjia talked very aggressively. Su Qingsang fell silent. She simply didn’t like Ding Qing’s att.i.tude, and she didn’t expect that what she had done would cause Huo Jinyao more problems.
She looked at Old Master Huo and said, “grandpa. I’m sorry. It was my fault. I was…”
“Grandpa.” Huo Jinyao held her hand and interrupted her. He glanced at Liu Tongjia and then looked at Old Master Huo who was looking at him with a slight disappointment.
“I did fire Ding Qing, but not because of Qingsang. I fired her because she tried to seduce me.”
Upon hearing that, Su Qingsang opened her eyes wide and looked at Huo Jinyao with surprise.
“Huo Jinyao, what are you talking about? How could Ding Qing…” Liu Tongjia’s expression changed slightly as well.
“Why couldn’t she have done that? Mom, do you know Ding Qing so well?”
“I…” Liu Tongjia stuttered, awkwardly turning her eyes away. “She was your secretary. How would I know about her?”
Old Masters Huo landed his eyes on Liu Tongjia’s face suspiciously. Liu Tongjia tried to stay calm. “Jinyao, I know you’re trying to protect Su Qingsang, but don’t talk nonsense. You know why you fired Ding Qing.”
“I do. And mom, I a.s.sume you know about it even more clearly than I do.”
Huo Jinyao added a few more words that surely had a hidden meaning. Liu Tongjia looked at him in the eyes. For a moment, she almost thought that he might have found out about her plan already, but then she told herself that it was impossible.
“Of course I do. The entire company knows what you’ve done. I surely know about it too.”
“Yeah, the entire company knows about it. It’s been only two days, but the news has spread so rapidly that it has even reached you. This is the first time I am learning that the people in our company can be so good at gossiping.”
Liu Tongjia prepared to say something, but Huo Jinyao didn’t let her.
“Mom, you seem to care a lot about Ding Qing.” he leaned slightly forward and said with a deep voice and a meaningful tone, “I wonder if you care so much about the other employees in our company too, such as Qiao Hong.”
The look on Liu Tongjia’s face changed the moment she heard Qiao Hong’s name.
She widened her eyes and looked at Huo Jinyao. Her hands quivered as she dropped them by her sides.
That had lasted for only a few seconds, though. Soon, she calmed herself down again.
“Huo Jinyao, you don’t need to talk to me like this. I care about Ding Qing simply because what you did was outrageous. You think any normal person can get my attention?”
“Yeah? Was it outrageous that I just fired one employee? So, do you think it was outrageous that Ding Qing, as my employee, didn’t pay attention to her job but tried to seduce me?”
He raised his brows and fixed his eyes on Liu Tongjia’s face. The look in his eyes was something that only he and Liu Tongjia could understand.
Liu Tongjia didn’t say anything. She had a good relations.h.i.+p with Huo Mingguang, so she never thought about exerting her own force in Tianyu Group.
She wouldn’t have come up with such an idea this time if Huo Jinyao hadn’t displeased her so badly.
The atmosphere around Huo Jinyao and his mother was filled with tension.
Su Qingsang was going to admit what she had done, but Huo Jinyao’s reaction made her feel that she was missing something.
Judging by the way Ding Qing had provoked her, Su Qingsang believed that what Huo Jinyao said was true.
Ding Qing might really have tried to seduce Huo Jinyao but failed.
She abruptly widened her eyes. Perhaps, Huo Jinyao had been wanting to fire Ding Qing for a long time. Maybe she was only an excuse that he had used.
“Alright.” Old Master Huo also detected that something was not right. He, of course, didn’t miss the awkward expression on Liu Tongjia’s face.
He guessed that Ding Qing was probably working for Liu Tongjia, and he wondered what on earth his daughter-in-law had been thinking, doing something like that. Why had she put someone that worked for her into her son’s office?
“Stop talking, both of you. I’d like to have some peace here. I’ll ask Mr. Cheng to prepare the meal. Please stay quiet and have the meal with me if you want to, but if you don’t want that, it’s also alright.”
After hearing what he said, all the others fell silent.
“Grandpa, I’m sorry.”
Huo Jinyao apologized. “But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of the company. I a.s.sure you that I know what’s the right thing to do.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I believe that you’ll handle it well. You’re a good kid.”
Su Qingsang was a smart person. She pondered upon the conversation between Liu Tongjia and Huo Jinyao, then very strongly felt that something was not right.
She couldn’t ask any questions in front of Old Master Huo, though.
Liu Tongjia was still unhappy. However, since Old Master Huo had demanded her and Huo Jinyao to stop arguing, she didn’t mention what happened again. Also, she was indeed guilty for what Qiao Hong did.
She didn’t give Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang a hard time again during the rest of the time they stayed in the family house. That was unusual. The two of them had a nice and peaceful meal.
Su Qingsang wanted to ask Old Master Huo about what had exactly happened in the past.
Today wasn’t a good time, though. She had to wait for a better opportunity.
After having the meal in the family house, Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao got into the car and then left.
Su Qingsang couldn’t help but ask the question once she got into the car. “Did you want to fire Ding Qing long ago?”
Huo Jinyao turned to her and said, “darling, what are you talking about? I fired her because you don’t like her.”
“You did?”
“Sure. What other reason do you think there was?”
Huo Jinyao raised his brows and put on a wicked smile.
Su Qingsang gave him a fake smile. She didn’t believe a word Huo Jinyao said.
“Alright, darling. It’s still early. Would you like to watch a movie?”
Su Qingsang changed the topic so quickly. Su Qingsang was no longer confused. She believed that she already had the answer. She asked him, “did Ding Qing really try to seduce you?”
Huo Jinyao who was going to start driving but suddenly stepped on the brakes and then turned to glance at Su Qingsang.
“Darling, I was joking just now.”
“Oh, I was joking too.”
Su Qingsang smiled at him and said, “alright, we’re gonna watch a movie, right? Let’s go.”
“Let’s go.”
Su Qingsang looked at Huo Jinyao’s face from the side. What Ding Qing had said that day suddenly crossed her mind and made her narrow her eyes slightly.